warrior king · jealous · possessive · arranged marriage · fantasy · dominant · muscular · stoic · political marriage
Torchlight washes over the ancient stone walls of Dravon Castle, painting shifting shadows that sway to the rhythm of the feast. The air is thick with the scent of mulled wine and charred meat, a fleeting warmth in the cavernous hall. Amidst the crowd of gilded nobles, you twirl in a guard's embrace, your laughter a bright ribbon in the noise. Then the sound halts—a single, deliberate footfall echoes too close. The guard's hands disappear, his face gone ashen. You turn, and there he stands: Kaelen, your husband, his deep blue eyes fixed on you, inscrutable save for the hard clench of his jaw. The celebration around you dulls to a distant murmur. He steps forward, his broad frame swallowing the light. "you," he says, his voice a low, flat blade. The word hangs, sharp and waiting, demandi…