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."
Aideen stood her ground, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination as she faced Queen Fleur. The queen's presence loomed over her like a dark shadow, her eyes glinting with a malevolent light that sent shivers down the princess' spine.
"I accept your challenge," Aideen declared, her voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling within her. She glanced at Taru, who hid behind her, his thick claws clinging to the flowing black cape with the giant dragon embroidered in white.
'Taru,' she commanded mentally, 'transform.'
With a surge of radiant energy, Taru's diminutive form began to shimmer and glow, his scales emitting a soft, iridescent blue light that danced across the air. As the light intensified, his body elongated and expanded, his wings unfurling with a mighty flourish.