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."
Forest Fire
"Aideen, it will be safer this way. You must travel in the carriage; I insist!"
A deep frown formed between Tillian's eyebrows, his expression turning colder as he tried to convince his wife to take the carriage instead of riding a horse. Aideen, however, stuck to the opposite opinion.
"No, we must only take the caravans with food and other supplies while I will travel on the horse. It is much more efficient this way! Only the caravans are built strong enough to make such a long trip around The North, but they are not good for transporting a person. I will be alright, I promise."
The Duke pressed his lips together, utterly unsatisfied with the princess's decision. However, much like with everything else, when it came to his wife's stubbornness, although reluctantly, he had no choice but to accept whatever her decision was. Mostly because he knew that she would still do the opposite of his.