A BLOOD Oath

The Things Left Unsaid

Arielle did not sleep that night.

She tried.

In the middle of the night, she lay down on the bed only because she become very tired from the events of that day. But sleep never truly came. Every time her eyes closed, she saw fire.

Her home burning. Her father's screams.

The sound of soldiers forcing their way through the gates.

And him. Always him.

Those memories were her nightmare.

By morning, the room felt smaller than it did the previous night, like a toolshed.

The pale light coming through the window did not warm the room. Arielle sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the dried blood still marked across her palm.

The cut had closed a little bit during the night, but the skin around it still hurt.

The pain reminded her as if she could forget.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

She looked up sharply but didn't answer.

The door opened anyway.

A servant came into the room carrying a tray. In it was a bowl of potato soup, a loaf of bread and water. She quickly lowered her eyes when she noticed Arielle watching her.

The girl looked young, maybe 16 years old. She was nervous. Too nervous.

She placed the tray carefully on the table near the window.

“My lady,” she said softly.

Arielle almost bust out laughing at the title.

No one had called her that in days.

Maybe even weeks.

“Who sent you?” Arielle asked.

“The commander ordered that I bring you breakfast.”

"Of course he did." Arielle snapped.

The servant turned and began to leave the room, clearly uncomfortable and eager to go, but Arielle stopped her before she reached the door.

“Wait.” The girl froze.

Arielle stood slowly. “What are the town's people saying?”

The servant hesitated out of fear.

“That depends,” she said carefully, “on who is speaking.”

“Tell me everything.”

The girl swallowed.

“They say the commander has gone mad.”

That almost made Arielle smile.

“And?”

“They say no one has seen a blood oath performed in decades.” The servant lowered her voice further. “Some other people think you bewitched him.”

Arielle stared at her.

“Do I look like a witch?”

The servant looked horrified. “No, my lady, I didn’t mean...”

“It’s fine.”

The servant took a deep breath.

“There’s more,” she said, “the court is angry. Especially Lord Varren.”

The name caught Arielle’s attention immediately.

Lord Varren was one of the king’s closest advisers.

The man had soft hands but cruel eyes.

She had never trusted him, even when he worked with her father in the king's court.

“What is he saying?” she asked.

“That keeping you alive is dangerous.”

Arielle looked away for a moment.

Dangerous?.

Interesting choice of word.

Not unlawful. Not impossible but Dangerous.

That meant fear.

And fear usually means someone had something to hide. What was Lord Barren hiding?

A second knock interrupted her thoughts.

This was more like a pounding.

The servant went pale immediately.

Without waiting for an answer, the door opened again.

Kael stepped inside.

The atmosphere in the room changed the moment he entered it.

The servant lowered her head so fast Arielle thought the girl would faint.

“My lord,” she whispered.

Kael gave a small nod.

“You may leave.”

The servant didn’t waste a second. She hurried out quickly, shutting the door behind her and she could be heard running down the hall.

There was silence between them.

Arielle crossed her arms slowly. “Do people always look that terrified around you?”

“Yes.”

The answer caught her off guard.

He walked further into the room, calm and composed like he owned the place.

Arielle hated how little he gave away.

No anger. No guilt. Nothing.

“You could knock properly,” she said.

“I did.”

“You entered before I answered.”

“Thats because I knew you weren’t going to answer.”

Fair point.

That annoyed her more.

Kael’s gaze moved briefly toward the untouched food on the table.

“You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You barely ate your dinner last night either.”

Arielle frowned slightly. “Were you watching me?”

“No.”

Arielle looked at him, unsure of what emotions to feel.

Something unreadable crossed his face before disappearing again.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

“You seem concerned now for someone who led soldiers into my home,” she said quietly.

His expression didn’t change, but something colder entered the room after her words.

The air felt tight suddenly.

Kael looked away first, then said...

“That night was years ago.”

“For you, maybe.”

Arielle immediately noticed the small shift in his shoulders.

It was tension. Not anger.

Something heavier.

Good.

Let him feel uncomfortable.

“You remember it then,” she pressed.

“I remember every order I’ve carried out, and every order I have given.”

The answer unsettled her more than she expected.

Not because of the words.

Because of how tired he sounded when he said them.

Arielle looked at him carefully.

This close, he looked different from the monster she had built in her mind all these years.

He was still dangerous. Still hard. But tired.

Like carrying something invisible for too long.

She hated herself a little for noticing, why should she care how he looks.

“You still haven’t told me why you did this,” she said, lifting her injured palm slightly.

Kael looked at the mark.

“The court wanted you dead right away.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re going to get right now.”

Arielle scoffed softly and turned away from him, moving toward the narrow window.

Outside in the courtyard, soldiers crossed, and servant's moved about. Life continuing as if nothing had changed.

Like her life haven't completely fallen apart.

“You expect me to trust you?” she asked quietly.

“No.”

That answer surprised her again.

She looked back at him.

“Then what exactly do you expect from me?”

Kael was quiet for a moment before answering.

“To stay alive.”

There it was again. Those same words.

Not freedom. Not innocence.

Survival.

Arielle wanted to respond, but she froze.

A sharp pain hit her suddenly.

Not from her hand.

This felt deeper. Like something twisting hard beneath her ribs.

She grabbed the edge of the table instantly, sucking in a breath.

Kael’s head snapped toward her.

At the exact same moment, his own expression tightened.

The pain disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

But the silence afterward felt heavier than before.

Arielle slowly adjusted her position and stood straight.

“You felt that.”

Kael didn’t deny it.

“What was it?” she asked.

His jaw tightened slightly.

“The oath.”

Her stomach turned. “That can happen?”

“Yes.”

“And you forgot to mention this?”

“I didn’t forget.”

Something about his tone irritated her instantly.

“You speak like this is normal.”

“For me, nothing about the past few days has been normal.”

The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Arielle noticed immediately.

And judging by the look on his face, so did he.

Before she could question him further, there were voices suddenly coming from outside the room.

Angry voices.

Fast footsteps followed.

Kael’s entire posture changed instantly.

The calmness disappeared.

Not fully. But he was alert.

His hand moved to the hilt of the sword at his side.

A second later, someone pushed the door open hard enough for it to slam against the wall.

Three heavily armed men entered.

Royal soldiers.

Different uniforms. Different allegiance.

Their leader stepped forward quickly.

“My lord,” he said, though there was no respect in his voice, “by order of the court, the prisoner is to be moved immediately.”

Arielle felt tensed.

Kael didn’t move.

“Whose order?”

“Lord Varren’s.”

Of course.

Kael’s face remained unreadable, but Arielle noticed the dangerous and very subtle quiet that settled over him.

“The prisoner,” the soldier repeated carefully, “is no longer permitted to remain here.”

Arielle looked between them.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Because the soldiers looked nervous.

Not about her. About him.

Kael stepped forward slowly and said...,

“She stays.”

The soldier looked back at his men and then to kael “My lord, these orders came directly from—”

“I heard you.”

The room went silent.

The tension was thick enough that it filled the room.

Arielle’s pulse began to rise, her breathing became fast.

The soldiers had come prepared.

She could see it now.

Their hands were too close to their weapons.

Eyes too alert.

This wasn’t an escort.

Something else was about to happen.

Kael seemed to realize it too.

Because his voice became lower than before.

“Leave.”

No one moved.

And then, one of the soldiers drew his sword.

Everything happened at once after that.