Forgave Her 100 Times, Then I Walked

The Story

Graham Whitmore, the white-robed chancellor, owes his entire existence to the late emperor, who demanded a single promise in return. He agreed to tolerate the new empress, the late ruler’s daughter, exactly one hundred times. Regardless of how many crooked ministers she favors or how far she strays from proper conduct, Graham bows and endures her transgressions. He ages before his time and wears white for the kingdom, strictly adhering to the dying monarch’s final condition. Yet a limit exists. When the one hundredth instance arrives, Graham will finally walk away. He leaves without looking back, ending the long duration of forced forbearance that defined his service to the crown.