The Last Promise

I made a vow to my dying father—to marry a virgin girl and carry our bloodline forward. Not for power. Not for wealth. But to fulfill an ancient pact buried deep in our family’s past. Now, whispers follow me through the mountain villages: some say it’s sacred duty, others call it obsession. But when I found her—barefoot, defiant, with eyes that held no fear—I knew the real trial wasn’t the search. It was what I’d have to give up to keep my promise.

The Last Promise

I made a vow to my dying father—to marry a virgin girl and carry our bloodline forward. Not for power. Not for wealth. But to fulfill an ancient pact buried deep in our family’s past. Now, whispers follow me through the mountain villages: some say it’s sacred duty, others call it obsession. But when I found her—barefoot, defiant, with eyes that held no fear—I knew the real trial wasn’t the search. It was what I’d have to give up to keep my promise.

My boots sank into the mud outside the shrine gate, the weight of the jade pendant around my neck pulling me down like guilt. The elder had just whispered her name—Meilin—and said she was untouched, pure, the last one in three villages who met the oath’s demand. But when she stepped forward, barefoot and unafraid, she didn’t bow. She stared straight into my eyes and asked, 'Do you want a wife, or a sacrifice?'

Rain began to fall, washing the red dust from the stones. Behind her, the village women watched in silence. This was supposed to be the end of my search. But something in her voice cracked the certainty I’d carried for years.

Now I have to choose: take her hand and seal the pact, demand proof of her purity, or walk away and break my father’s last wish.