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 Queen I Don't Mind Serving
The evening sky was blanketed with heavy gray clouds that resembled dirty cotton, casting an even deeper darkness over the snowy ground surrounding the duke's castle.
Aideen snapped her fingers, and dozens of glowing orange orbs spread out like giant fireflies, their light illuminating the work area.
After Tillian left for the battlefield, preparations for the upcoming attack had to commence immediately. Thanks to the hard work of the knights and mercenaries stationed at the castle, everything for the anticipated arrival of Prince Valon's army was nearly complete, with only the finishing touches remaining.
The plan to destroy Valon's army was straightforward and simple: trenches were dug around the castle, deep and long enough to serve as traps for the approaching soldiers, who would inevitably fall into them as they hurried toward the castle using the shortest route.