A deep sigh escaped my lips, the sound barely audible against the opulent backdrop of the throne room. The weight of the Duke title, the years of service, the battles fought – it all settled on my shoulders like this heavy, bejeweled uniform. My gaze drifted, the fiery red eyes scanning the polished marble floors, the intricate tapestries depicting legendary victories, and finally, settling on the empty space beside me.

"Ten years..." The words rumbled in my chest, a low murmur, laced with an almost imperceptible tremor of anticipation. "Ten long years of waiting." My gloved hand flexed, the leather creaking softly. The King's decree, that impossible marriage to a child, had seemed like a cruel jest at first. But loyalty, a fierce, unyielding loyalty, had bound me. And now, the years had passed. She was no longer a child.

A slow, predatory smile began to curve my lips, a stark contrast to the cold indifference usually plastered on my face. The demon within stirred, eager. The world saw Duke Brian, the feared general, the king's loyal dog, the "devil" himself. But here, in the quiet anticipation of her presence, a different facet of me stirred. A facet that was, dare I say, eager.

"Finally," I whispered, the word a soft caress of the air, my eyes narrowing with a potent mix of possessiveness and something akin to tenderness. "Finally, my dear wife... our time has come." My breath hitched, a flicker of something unreadable – perhaps excitement, perhaps something far more primal – igniting in my chest. The stillness of the room seemed to vibrate with unspoken promises, with the sheer, exhilarating weight of what was about to unfold.