Ch.7-The Broken Promise.

Weeks Later

The market was bustling with life—vendors shouting out their deals, the scent of spices and freshly baked bread filling the air. Among the crowd.

Kate and Amber had left the palace, but somewhere along the way, Amber had separated from Kate. She wanted to meet her lover—yes, Amber had a secret lover, and only Kate knew about him.

Kate wandered through the market, glancing around. As she walked, a group of children playing nearby ran past her, she instinctively steeped back to let them through. She bumped into someone standing behind her she stumbled, lost her balance and fell to the ground. She quickly apologized and looked up to see a hand appeared in front of her steady, open, to help her. A man was wearing a black cloak the hood of the cloak was pulled low, casting his face in deep shadow. She noticed that he had dropped his pen. She bent down, picked it up, and said, "Sir, you dropped your pen." But when she looked up again—he was gone.

The space where he had stood was empty, as if he had vanished into the thin air.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her.

Aaron: "What a coincidence! I didn't know you were coming to the market too."

Kate turned with a forced smile. She recognized the voice instantly.

Kate: "Oh, Aaron! Yes, I came with Amber."

Aaron placed a hand on his hip and looked around.

Aaron: "Amber? Where is she?"

Kate hesitated for a moment, then smiled.

Kate: "Oh, she went to… Look over there! What do you think about checking out some jewelry?"

Before he could utter a word, she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward one of the shops. Her touch unsettled him but didn't resist.

While Kate was trying to distract Aaron by asking about different jowls earrings and their gemstones, Amber had reached her destination: the Bird Tree. There, Eric was waiting-nervously. Eric was a 24-year-old man with glasses, wearing a neat shirt and trousers. His orange hair gleamed under the sunlight, and his fair skin was lightly freckled. When their eyes met, the worry on his face faded, and Amber ran to him, hugging him gently.

Eric: "Amber… you came!" He seemed relieved but hesitant.

Amber smiled warmly, but her tone shifted toward the end.

Amber: "Of course I did! I missed you. We haven't seen each other in a whole week—you've been working and didn't even ask about me."

They sat together under the tree's shade, but the worried look never left Eric's eyes. It made Amber uneasy.

Amber: "Why do you look so worried? Did something happen?"

Eric looked away, as if avoiding the truth.

Eric: "No… nothing happened. It's just…"

He sighed and took a deep breath, then spoke seriously:

Eric: "Amber, I love you, but I don't think our love can survive. Your uncle might not approve of our marriage."

His words hit her like a slap. Her eyes widened, and she felt her heart sink.

Amber: "Why would you say that?! my uncle respects you—he raised you himself! He sees you as a son! Why would he reject our marriage?"

Eric lowered his head, answering with despair:

Eric: "Amber, you don't understand… You're a noble woman, and I'm just a nobody. I have no family, no name. Why would he ever agree?"

His voice rose at the end, and Amber felt betrayed.

Tears welled up in Amber's eyes as she replied with a broken voice, as if her soul had been torn.

Amber: "Is that all that matters to you? What about me? What about our love?"

Eric turned his face away from her.

Eric: "This isn't just about love… it's about reality, this is where we stand."

Amber suddenly shouted, her voice choking with emotion:

Amber: "I don't care… I don't care about names, or titles, or anything! All that matters is that you love me, Eric!"

 Eric: " I'm sorry Amber but I don't think we belong together "

Eric stood up abruptly, as if afraid her gaze might break through his guard he walked away.

Back in the jewelry shop, Kate was pretending to be interested in various pieces, while Aaron was admiring a particular necklace.

Aaron: "I'll take this one." He held it in his hand, staring at it for a moment.

Kate: "Wow! Isn't it beautiful?"

Aaron smiled lightly.

Aaron: "Yes. It only suits a beautiful girl."

Kate felt her cheeks flush a little, and before she could respond, Aaron suddenly placed the necklace around her neck. She stared at him in shock, but before she could say a word, he spoke as he evaluated it.

Aaron: "It looks good on you."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly recovered and smiled confidently.

Kate: "Of course it does. I'm beautiful, after all!"

Aaron chuckled softly.

Aaron: "I'll buy it."

Kate looked at him, surprised.

Kate: "What?! You're really buying it for me?"

Aaron raised an eyebrow, then let out a sarcastic laugh.

Aaron: "For you? Of course not! I'm buying it for someone special. And you're not beautiful," he added teasingly.

Kate placed her hands on her hips.

Kate: "Excuse me?! I'm not beautiful?!"

Aaron laughed.

Aaron: "I'm just joking."

She pouted and turned away.

Kate: "Hmph! Yea whatever, you have good taste."

They left the shop, and as they walked, Kate looked around nervously.

Kate: "Amber's taking a long time… Has she already gone back home?"

Aaron noticed the strange tone in her voice but said nothing. He simply followed her in silence, wondering about the reason behind her sudden worry.

At the town's central fountain…

The sky started to glow with a soft red hue as the sun neared the setting sun. The noise of the market had quieted, leaving only the faint voices of vendors and the gentle flow of water from the fountain in the square.

Kate walked beside Aaron, the worry in her chest growing. Amber was very late—this wasn't like her. Suddenly, she spotted, the shadow of a girl sitting at the fountain, head bowed, shoulders trembling. She knew who it was instantly.

Kate: "Amber!". she cried, rushing toward her, heart pounding.

Amber sat at the edge of the fountain, her eyes red from crying. Tears dropped into the water, creating ripples of sorrow.

Kate sat beside her and gently took her hand.

Kate: "Amber, what happened? Why are you sitting here alone?"

Amber slowly lifted her head; eyes filled with pain. Her lips trembled, she spoke in a broken voice:

Amber: "We. … we fought… Eric and I… we're going to break up…" Then she burst into tears again.

Aaron stopped a few steps away, saying nothing, simply observing Amber with a calm expression, as if trying to understand the situation.

Kate wrapped her arms around Amber, rubbing her back gently.

Kate: "Shh… it's going to be okay. Let's go home first. We can't stay here like this."

Amber quickly wiped her tears but didn't say a word. She just nodded faintly.