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."
One More Sacrifice
The moon hung high in the velvet sky, casting a ghostly glow over the silent streets of Geraldion. Princess Melania walked through the shadows, her heart pounding with a mixture of grief and disbelief. For the past three days, she refused to believe that everything that had happened was true, but as she opened her eyes yet again this evening, her mind was heavy.
As she finally reached her destination, the woman paused and leaned against the cold and rough surface of the apple tree that was so out of place among the scarce greenery around Hayim's humble home.
His tiny art studio, once a haven of creativity and warmth, now lay in ruin, a stark testament to the cruelty of the court's judgment. Hayim's hands had been severed, his talent forever silenced by the merciless decree of the judge. Since that dreadful day, Melania hadn't dared to seek the young man out, haunted by the guilt and shame that consumed her soul.