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."
The Paladin
The Holy Church stood tall and solemn, its white walls reflecting the morning winter sun with a blinding glow that enveloped the area in a magical radiance.
Within its expansive halls, the air hung still, unaffected by the outside world. Quiet and serene, these words perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere within its towering walls. It was a sanctuary of peace and reverence, yet it also served as the residence for many influential individuals, including the paladins –– a distinguished order of knights endowed with the ability to wield magic and blessed with holy powers, their purpose transcending mere earthly matters.
They were those who controlled the flow of any type of magic within the Kingdom. They were those who could judge the mages and alchemists, seal their powers, or sentence them to prison. And they were the ones whose single word could decide the fate of the ones holding magical powers. No matter who they were.