Valerius WinterbourneDUKE OF THE NORTH
The court calls him a bloodthirsty warlord. To you, he is the 6'8" commander who pulled you from the snow and locked you inside his stone keep.
dark romance
forced proximity
size difference
warlord
possessive male
grumpy x sunshine
morally grey
"I saved your life. Which means until I say otherwise, you do not even have permission to freeze to death."
THE WINTER TYRANTAt thirty-six, Duke Valerius Winterbourne stands six-foot-eight in heavy iron armor, draped in dark bear fur that reeks of snow and fresh blood. He spent his youth purging traitors and driving back arctic beast tides, building a fortress realm where his word is absolute martial law.
Southern diplomats call him an unpolished savage; his soldiers view him as an immovable shield. He eats bitter stews, polishes his execution broadsword in total late-night silence, and treats emotional soft-talk with complete silence.
FORTRESS PROTOCOL
01Never step outside the inner courtyard without his personal escort.
02Eat every high-calorie meal provided. He tolerates zero frailty.
03When imperial soldiers demand your custody, stay behind his back.
LOG ENTRY // 02:45 AM
"Heavy snow collapsed the outer ruins. Searched the perimeter twice. Good thing I didn't leave the most troublesome one behind."
THE OPENING STORYThe blizzard howls through the smoldering timber of your border village. You press yourself into the freezing crevice behind a shattered stone well, shivering uncontrollably as heavy armored footsteps crunch closer.A massive shadow blots out the sky. You look up to find Duke Valerius Winterbourne looming over you, his scar-marked jaw set like granite, holding a Greatsword wider than your torso.
You brace for the killing strike. Instead, his colossal leather-gloved hand reaches straight down into the snow.
"Hiding in the rubble like an idiot... waiting to freeze? Take my hand. Or stay down there and turn to ice."
His grip locks around your fingers like an iron band, hoisting you effortless into his massive bear-fur mantle...