Saved By The Mad Duke
Aideen Ruan, though a royal princess, was always unwanted due to the circumstances of her birth. Born blind to a hostage concubine, she possessed an intriguing beauty; however, her disability rendered her utterly useless to the royal family. Even when the struggling Count Crueder reluctantly agreed to take Aideen as his wife to secure the royal dowry, her life failed to improve. A year into their marriage, Aideen's inability to produce an heir sealed her fate. The princess was destined for exile to the Temple, consigned to spend the remainder of her days in isolation and abandonment. Contrary to her anticipations, instead of the Temple, Aideen found herself within the cold walls of Duke Tillian Valentine's castle. Duke Valentine, the last scion of the once-revered Valentine family that ruled the Kingdom before the "Fratricide Rebellion", now presided over the desolate Northern lands. Faced with fear and confusion, Aideen expected her life to perpetuate its cycle of misery, only to discover that Duke Valentine might hold the key to a new opportunity, a chance at a life she had never envisioned. "You bewitched my body and soul. Put an intoxicating spell on me, shackled my heart to yours with your magic. If I could exchange my eyesight with you, I would do it just to make you see what a man dying from love looks like."
An Intimate Friend
The entire capital was bustling with the news of the royal wedding that was about to commence. Every single person was encouraged to celebrate such an important event regardless of their status, and thanks to King Ruan's grace, the wedding day was announced as a national holiday. Even the commoners were invited to a joyous celebration arranged for them in the form of an outside fair.
The fair was directly supplied by the Royal Family, its generosity offering free food and drinks for everyone, culminating in the celebration with a carnival and dancing until morning.
The wedding ceremony itself was a very exclusive event held inside the sacred walls of the Holy Church; only the members of the Royal Family and their closest friends were allowed to be present, leaving much to the imagination of curious nobles who never missed the opportunity to speculate and gossip, especially when it came to the still-mysterious figure of the foreign princess from Lafad.