Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 228: Thank you, Aideen [The Final - ]

Chapter 228: Thank you, Aideen [The Final Chapter]

As Geraldion had emerged as an empire, its status was accepted by the continent almost immediately. The news of Anathaen’s unfair political games had spread far and wide, shaking their authority to its core. The emperor, once a figure of immense influence, now found his power diminished, his respect eroded by the revelations. His days of political dominance were over.

In the aftermath of the war, Aideen turned her attention to restoring the capital and its outskirts. The damage caused by the conflict was extensive, but she was determined to rebuild and heal the land. Involving many mages in the process, the empress ensured that the restoration was swift and effective. Under her guidance, the capital soon began to resemble its former glory, with buildings rising from the rubble and the streets bustling with life once more.

Aideen’s magic also helped to transform the North, turning it into a place suitable for living. What was once a harsh and unforgiving landscape became fertile and inviting. Tillian, too, decided to leverage this transformation, making the North a tax-free trading center for all kingdoms wishing to engage in commerce. This decision not only boosted the economy but also fostered a sense of unity among the various realms.

A new political peace alliance was established, with Geraldion at its head. The goal of this alliance was to ensure fair political rights and opportunities for everyone, promoting obligatory peaceful negotiations in case of disputes. This alliance marked the dawn of a new era, one where justice and fairness were paramount.

Despite his initial reluctance, Yanad was granted the title of duke. He had insisted on abdicating all noble titles and becoming a scholar, preferring a life of study and contemplation over the political arena. However, Aideen convinced him to become Tillian’s political consultant. His vast knowledge and keen insights were invaluable, and his role as a consultant allowed him to influence policy and governance while still pursuing his scholarly interests.

And soon, the Empire of Geraldion blossomed once again, basking in the glory and prosperity it truly deserved.

***

"Do you really think I look alright?" Melania shot another glance at her reflection, her brown eyes narrowing as she examined her own body. Aideen released a light chuckle, the princess’ adorable insecurity was quite amusing. She shook her head as she helped her fix the veil over he curly hair as she ensured her,

"You are dashing, Your Highness. Anyone would be a fool to think otherwise."

Melania’s face finally relaxed and she offered the empress a timid smile, "Thank you."

When King Yuraon reunited with Princess Melania, this time, he did not hesitate and proposed to her right away. Tillian swiftly took care of all the legal issues concerning her previous marriage to Prince Yanad and once everything was settled, the young king immediately took his fiancee to Davoor where he declared her as his future queen.

Even though she was once again separated from her family, Melania no longer felt lonely. Encouraged by the empress herself, she started exchanging letters with Aideen, and with every new letter, she was relieved that the princess’ life was greatly improving.

Soon enough, they became best friends.

And now, the imperial family of Valentines was attending King Yuraon’s and Princess Melania’s wedding in Davoor.

"All done!" With the final touch of Aideen’s magic, she stood beside Melania and looked at the mirror as well. Her hair had turned back to her natural dark red color and now as they stood together like that, they truly looked alike.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Melania smiled at her friend again, "All of this is possible thanks to you. You are my inspiration and my idol. I sincerely hope to become a queen who is respected just as much as you are."

Aideen chuckled again, she was still not quite accustomed to receiving such praise.

"I hope you will aspire to become the queen of your own making; not the one who strives to imitate the image of someone else. You are already respected both by your fiance and his loyal subjects and with the heart as big as yours, I am certain that the greatness you seek will not elude you."

"Excuse me..." Safie’s timid voice seeped through the slightly opened door to Melania’s chambers. "We are all ready, Your Majesty. It’s time to start the ceremony."

"Thank you, Safie."

Aideen dismissed her personal maid with a light nod and turned back to Melania.

"Well, it is time for you to become the Queen of all Davoor, Your Highness."

The princess smiled, "Right now, all I can think about is becoming the wife of the man I truly love."

***

The wedding ceremony was beautiful and grand. Many noble guests from all over the continent came to Davoor to celebrate and bless the newlyweds, their generous gifts bursting through almost every available room of the young king’s palace.

Melania was extremely happy to share such an important event with her family and Yuraon was blessed to be accepted by them too; the warmth of the real family he had been missing for so many years was now found in the acquired connection with the sincere and adoring royal family of Lafad.

"I suppose it is time for our gift."

Aideen smiled at Tillian, then grabbed him by the hand, and strode happily to the newlyweds sitting on their gilded thrones. Standing before them, they waited until the servants unwrapped their gift, presenting them with a stunningly painted portrait of both Melania and Yuraon.

As her deep brown eyes scanned the beautiful painting, something deep inside Melania resonated, stinging her core with a nostalgic pain. Rising from her throne, she slowly walked up to the portrait, her fingers instinctively tracing over the handcrafted wooden frame.

"I must be dreaming... But it looks so similar..."

"I am honored that you like it, Your Majesty."

Melania flinched at the sound of the familiar voice. She moved her eyes and instantly froze as they stopped on the young man before her. There was no mistake –– it was Hayim!

"Goodness... How in the world..?"

Tillian patted the young artist on his shoulder and explained, "It took us quite some time to find him, and it took us a lot of effort to convince him to agree to our plan."

With a bright smile on his lips, the emperor looked down at Hayim’s hands which were now perfectly fine and were holding an empty glass of wine. Tillian continued, "With the help of Aideen’s magic and some very cooperative alchemists, we were able to restore his hands so that this fine gentleman could follow his dreams once again."

Melania, too, shifted her eyes to Hayim’s hands. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she confirmed that they were fine, her voice shook as she finally spoke again, "I’m so happy... Goodness, I’m so happy!"

While Yuraon rushed to help his wife wipe her tears, Hayim, although quite hesitant at first, carefully approached the royal couple and mustered his courage to ask, "If Your Royal Majesties do not oppose... I would like to offer my services as the palace’s artist. I love Lafad and I thought I wanted to go back home but as I came here, to Davoor, my artistic soul resonated right away, and it will be my honor to work for such incredible people while doing something I love."

Yuraon looked down at sobbing Melania and smiled, "Well, I don’t consider myself someone who knows anything about art, but my dear wife here certainly does! So it will be up to her to make such a decision."

All the eyes were now fixed on the queen. Spreading her lips into a warm smile, she nodded, and finally said, "Of course. I expect you to start tomorrow!"

The banquet resumed its bustling joy, filling the royal hall with laughter and tipsy discussions.

Among the lively celebration, Aideen rose from her chair and tapped her husband on the shoulder, "I will go to the terrace to have some fresh air... Somehow, I feel rather dizzy and out of breath."

"Let me go with you," Tillian said in a worried tone, but before Aideen could reply, the world before her started spinning while her legs gave up, pushing her into the emperor’s embrace.

"Your Majesty!"

***

Aideen slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids were surprisingly heavy. Her half-dazed state was met with the bright rays of the morning sun and she tried to move her body, her husband nearly jumped before her, his worried face leaning closer as he said,

"No, don’t move, rest a bit more! The doctor said your body needs a lot of rest from now on."

Not quite sure what Tillian’s words meant, the woman offered him a surprised look while trying to remember what had happened to her at the same time.

"Right... It was during the wedding banquet... I have fainted, haven’t I?"

Tillian nodded and although he struggled to remain concerned, something within his features was strangely serene. Greedy for more information, she asked again,

"What did the doctor say? Am I sick?"

At last, the emperor took his wife’s soft hand in his and pressed his lips against her porcelain skin. With a light shake of his head and a loving smile, he locked his eyes with hers and said, "You are not sick, Aideen. Quite the contrary. You are very healthy. And you are pregnant with our child."

"Our child? I am pregnant, is this true?!" Aideen could no longer contain her excitement. Jolting her body into an upright position, she grabbed her husband by his shoulders, her eyes shining with happiness, "We are going to have a child!"

"Yes, dear, we are going to have a child." Tillian wrapped his strong arms around Aideen’s shoulders and cradled his chin on top of her head. With a tender kiss over her soft hair, he closed his eyes, tears running down his face, as he whispered, "Thank you, Aideen. Thank you for letting me be your husband. And thank you for letting me be the father. All that I have in this world, was given to me by you. I love you. Now and forever. I love you."

***

Well, here we are, we have finally reached the end of the main story. I am glad I was able to complete it just before my birthday to congratulate myself on yet another milestone achieved.

It is kind of weird to see this novel end... I started writing it on a whim. I entered a writers’ contest and had my heart set on winning. Many people believed in me and supported me, they all were convinced I would win, but I did not.

Nevertheless, I continued to write this novel because I had people who believed in both me and my writing, and that helped me move on. And I am glad I did.

This novel helped me understand my writing personality as well as how and what I want to write. I left a lot of traces of myself between the lines and I am happy that they will remain imprinted there forever.

I would like to thank every single reader who picked this story from thousands of others and decided to give it a try. Whether you paid for it or read it for free, I appreciate the time you spent on it and the tremendous support you gave me.

I would like to say thank you to all the other writers who supported me during this journey. I am glad to have met you and I am extremely happy to call you my friends.

LotusLin, QueenFrieza, Sunny_Shumail, Zefyr, Jeri_, NispedanaSan, TheSweetSparrow, slowestcook –– you are amazing authors and I hope you, too, will get the attention and success you truly deserve.

And lastly, I would like to say thank you to Adam. You were the inspiration I desperately needed and the support I never knew I could get.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My journey as an author is far from over. My head is filled with ideas that I crave to show to others and I hope to see some of you as I keep walking down this road.

Let’s meet again!