A Vow Unbroken: Never Forgiving, Always Loving

The warmth from my body seamlessly transferred to him like a gentle current of heat.

Perhaps feeling my comfort, he shyly lifted his gaze and said, "After all this time, I still don't know your name."

I replied softly, "I don't have one. Once, I was called Malus."

I thought to myself, "Let the name Felicity remain pure and untarnished in the past."

His eyes, filled with tenderness, softened even further as he gave me a new name—Sarah.

I soon moved to the grander, more opulent main hall of the front courtyard.

The servants began to jest about how my fortunes were about to change since the Marquis' heir had shown favor to me.

But I knew better. The heart of a prince was deep and inscrutable. Affection at the bedside could be as easily discarded as it was bestowed, and a thousand favors could vanish in a day.

Oliver came to my room more frequently, almost every night.

Yet, he never touched me. We shared the same bed but slept separately.

At first, I thought Oliver found me unclean, but every night, he still held me close as we slept.

He taught me chess and painting, treating me like a lady of high standing.

Not long after, news of his dalliance with a courtesan reached his mother, Belinda Pettyfer, and she was furious.

One snowy day, Oliver held a warming pan for me, gently warming my hands. He built a snowman with my name—Sara—written on it.

However, it wasn't quite right, he said with a sheepish grin, claiming it was a mistake.

Oliver breathed warm air on my icy hands. As I watched his hands redden from the cold, my heart felt a crack of warmth.

The love between us was palpable.

As I held his hand and we prepared to return inside, Belinda stormed in without a word and ordered that I be thrown into the river.

I was paralyzed with fear, my legs trembling.

Oliver pulled me behind him and spoke softly to his mother.

Belinda gave me one last glance and walked away without a word.

Oliver held me close, soothing me with tender strokes of my hair.

At that moment, I felt there could be no greater joy. To be loved, even if just through simple gestures, was enough.

No matter how busy he was with state affairs, Oliver made sure to have dinner with me every evening.

There was always a dish of Boeuf Bourguignon on the table. At first, I thought it was his favorite, but he said it was something I would like.

While I preferred the shark fin soup over Boeuf Bourguignon, I never mentioned it, fearing it would disturb his pleasure.

Another three months passed, and spring arrived, bringing with it a vibrant renewal.

One evening, as we lay together, talking about past birthdays, he learned I was an abandoned child. He promised a grand celebration for my birthday.

Even though it was just a promise, it filled me with immense joy.

To my surprise, the very next day, Oliver took me out on the street, disregarding old acquaintances and the curious eyes of the neighbors. We walked confidently down the main road.

From then on, people knew that the Marquis' heir was keeping a woman, and it became quite a sensation.

He took me to Kingder City's finest restaurant for a feast, treated me to opera, and we galloped across the wide-open spaces.

I felt utterly exhilarated.

From then on, every March 7th was my birthday.

That night, I expected Oliver to stay with me, but he said he had important business and left.

I waited anxiously, but he never returned.

I believed that his love for me was strong enough not to be swayed by such small matters.

I knew well that jealous women often faced dire consequences and could become burdensome to their partners.

So, I remained gentle, obedient, and demure.

Oliver stayed out all night, and I couldn't sleep a wink.

In the early morning, finally unable to keep my eyes open, I fell asleep. When I awoke, the sun was bright, and I turned to get out of bed.

Oliver was sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing at me with an intensity that spoke of genuine affection.

After breakfast, Oliver went to attend the morning court.

Meanwhile, I prepared some meals in the kitchen. My maid, Lucy Lane, stood beside me, giggling as if she had something to say.

"Lucy, if you have something to say, just say it. It can't be comfortable being all pent up like that," I prodded.

Lucy's face flushed with embarrassment at once.

She whispered, still giggling, "You don't know. Mr. Pettyfer stood by your bedside for two hours, staring at you. And he even secretly kissed your face."

Hearing this, I was taken aback. Oliver had never kissed me before.

My heart swelled with joy.

It was strange that Belinda, who despised me so much, had not come around to scold me again.

My days passed smoothly.

My once-broken heart slowly healed, nourished by the tender feelings that had begun to mend my fractured self.

Oliver's father was a distinguished military official, having served as a general under two different reigns and earning honors for his contributions to border peace.

Belinda, being the daughter of the late king and the current king's sister, was of the highest nobility.

Oliver, favored by his royal uncle since childhood, enjoyed great prestige and was full of youthful exuberance.

Yet, with such prominence, there were always those who harbored ill intentions.

One night, while Oliver and I were already fast asleep, I heard the faint sound of footsteps near the window.

In my cautious early years, I never dared to sleep soundly at night. Upon hearing the noise, I moved to check.

Oliver stopped me with a firm hand and got up, drawing his sword.

It turned out he was awake, too.

Suddenly, the window swung open, and two assassins slipped in, their presence barely noticeable in the shifting moonlight.

Oliver engaged them in a fierce battle, but one of the assassins tried to sneak up behind him.

I threw myself in the way, taking a sword strike meant for Oliver. Seeing me bloodied and wounded drove him into a rage.

Both assassins lost their heads in the ensuing fight.

Oliver laid me gently on the bed and summoned the physician.

My injuries were severe, and despite the swift treatment, I lost consciousness from the pain and blood loss.