The General's Vow

Synopsis

On the day the enemy kingdom fell, the Princess Royal, once sent away in a political marriage, returned in triumph. While the people of the capital praised her sacrifice, she fell for my husband, Edward Payne, at first sight. After a few calculated advances, he quickly gave in and came to me asking for a divorce. Avoiding my eyes, he said, "Charlotte, the Princess Royal is the one who truly suits me. She can help my future. I can't go on like this. Please... let me go." A dull ache settled in my chest as the quiet warmth of our once-steady marriage turned cold. He seemed to have forgotten that, when he first asked to marry me, he had spoken with the same urgency. Back then, his eyes were bright, his voice earnest. "Charlotte, you are the dearest person in my life. Meeting you is my greatest fortune. I don't want to miss a single day with you. Please, marry me." In the end, power and beauty were enough to cool even the warmest of hearts. I said nothing more. I signed the divorce papers and cut all ties between us. Yet even after winning Edward, the Princess Royal remained wary of our past. Fearing that old feelings might one day return, she sought a royal decree to send me to Northridge in a political marriage, hoping I would suffer the same humiliation she once endured. When the news reached William Sterling, my childhood companion and the frontier general who had waited for me for ten years, he finally lost control.