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."
Mothers, Part II
Caught off guard by Tillian's unexpected proposition, Aideen's expression betrayed her bewilderment. Tracing his fingers over the delicate lace veil cascading over her shoulders, Tillian continued, his tone gentle yet firm,
"I believe it's imperative for you to meet her, My Lady, particularly since I've had the privilege of meeting yours."
Aideen's gaze drifted downward, a storming blend of emotions swirling within her once more.
Here they stood—two souls orphaned by the cruelties of fate, yet bound together by an unbreakable bond forged in the crucible of adversity. It struck her as bitterly ironic that their shared experience of maternal absence had played a defining role in shaping their lives.
And yet, it was their mothers' absence that had ultimately paved the path for their unlikely union, molding them into the individuals they had become.