A BLOOD Oath

The Name She Never Expected

For a moment nobody said a word.

The fire was making a crackling sound between them.

Arielle was staring at Elira thinking she must have misheard what Elira said.

Ronan.

Of all the people in the kingdom it had to be Ronan.

Ronan, the man who had been trying to kill them for days.

Ronan, the man who had betrayed Kael.

Ronan, the man who worked for the people who were hunting Arielle.

Ronan, a man Arielle barely knew.

"That's impossible " Arielle said, the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Elira's face did not change, she just looked at Arielle with no expression.

"I wish it were " Elira said, her voice calm.

Kael looked like he was ready to explode. His hand was tight around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles were white.

"No " Kael said, his voice cold.

Elira met his stare without looking. She was not afraid of Kael.

"You know I'm telling the truth " Elira said, her voice firm.

Kael said "no" again this time his voice was full of anger, real anger, the kind Arielle had not seen before.

Lucien slowly sat down looking worried.

"This conversation is getting worse " Lucien said.

Eamon muttered, "no kidding."

Arielle was not listening to them, she was thinking about what Elira had said.

None of this made sense, her father had written to Kael. Kael did not know about it.

The blood oath was incomplete. Now Elira was telling her that she was never supposed to be bound to Kael.

It felt like someone had taken the truth and broken it into pieces.

"Explain " Arielle said, trying to sound calm.

Elira nodded slowly then looked at the letter in Kaels hands.

"Your father knew something was coming " Elira said.

Arielles stomach tightened, she felt scared.

"He knew his family was in danger " Elira continued.

"How?" Arielle asked, she wanted to know what was going on.

"No one knows " Elira said. That was not a good answer.

Arielle did not like it. She wanted to know more.

Elira kept talking "he spent years getting ready."

Years, not months, not weeks, years.

That changed everything Arielle thought about her father sitting alone in his study at night.

She remembered the locked drawers, the close door meetings, the tension in the air.

At the time she thought it was politics but now she was not so sure.

"He knew the crown would come for him?" Arielle asked.

"Not exactly " Elira said, looking troubled.

"He knew someone would " Elira said, her voice low.

Arielle felt a chill run down her spine, someone, not the crown, someone

Someone hidden, someone who could scare a nobleman years before his death.

The forest felt darker, more dangerous.

Kael asked, "what does that have to do with Ronan?"

His voice was controlled, but Arielle could hear the anger beneath it.

Elira looked at him carefully "because Ronan was the choice."

There was silence.

Arielle frowned, "choice for what?"

"The bond " Elira said.

Arielle blinked, the bond, the blood oath, no that was not possible.

She had never met Ronan before how could she be connected to him?

Elira seemed to understand the question "the bond was not created when you were born " she said.

"When?" Arielle asked, she wanted to know.

"When the prophecy appeared " Elira said.

Nobody moved, nobody even blinked.

Arielle stared at Elira.

The word prophecy felt out of place, it belonged in stories, not in life.

Lucien looked alarmed "I am beginning to miss the assassination attempts " he said.

Eamon said, "same."

Elira ignored them.

Arielle crossed her arms "what prophecy?" she asked.

The old woman sighed, the sound was full of exhaustion.

"One that should have remained buried " Elira said.

Of course every answer created more questions Arielle was getting tired of mysteries.

Kael stepped forward "what prophecy?" he asked.

Elira hesitated, then looked at Arielle.

"There was once a prediction " Elira said, "a child born beneath the Winter Moon would witness the fall of the crown."

The words felt heavy in the air nobody spoke, nobody knew how to react.

Eamon pointed at Arielle "please tell me that's not you " he said.

Nobody answered, which was answer enough.

Arielles heart was pounding she had been born during the Winter Moon festival.

Her mother used to tell her stories about it. Now those stories did not seem innocent.

"My father knew?" Arielle asked.

Elira nodded, "eventually " she said.

"Ronan?" Arielle asked, she wanted to know more.

Eliras face darkened "Ronan was meant to guard the one tied to the prophecy " she said.

Arielle felt sick because nothing about this felt right.

If Ronan had been chosen to protect her what happened?

The answer came before anyone spoke. Something changed something broke.

Something turned Ronan into the man they knew now.

Kael's voice cut through her thoughts "when?" he asked.

Elira looked at him "the campaign " she said.

The air felt like it was leaving the clearing every muscle in Kael's body tightened.

Arielle felt it through the oath, not pain but memory, regret, guilt.

The reaction was strong that it nearly took her breath away.

"What happened in the north?" Arielle asked quietly.

Nobody answered immediately. The silence felt dangerous.

Then Lucien spoke, surprisingly serious "there was a m******e " he said.

The word felt like a stone.

Arielle looked at Lucien he was not smiling.

"The official story was a victory " Lucien said, his eyes shifted toward Kael.

"The truth was uglier " Lucien said.

Kaels jaw tightened. Arielle understood why nobody liked talking about it.

Some wounds never healed they just learned how to hide.

The oath pulsed softly for a moment. Arielle felt something, a memory, not images, feelings.

Smoke, fear, screaming, loss enough to make her stomach turn.

Enough to make her realize Kael had been carrying this for years alone.

Elira stood slowly "we're running out of time " she said.

That got everyones attention "what does that mean?" someone asked.

The old woman looked toward the trees listening. Arielle strained her ears.

At first she heard nothing, then hoofbeats, coming closer.

Her heart dropped, soldiers again.

"How?" Eamon groaned, "how do they keep finding us?" he asked.

Nobody had an answer. Arielle noticed something Elira did not look surprised.

She looked worried, very worried as if the soldiers were not the problem.

As if something worse was coming Kael noticed too, his eyes narrowed.

"What aren't you telling us?" Kael asked.

The old woman did not answer immediately and that terrified Arielle more than anything.

Finally Elira spoke, "when the bond failed " she said.

Arielles pulse quickened "it created a fracture " Elira said.

"What does that mean?" someone asked.

The old woman looked directly at Arielle and then at Kael.

Suddenly Arielle wished she had not asked.

"It means someone else can still claim the bond" Elira said.

There was silence, absolute silence.

Arielle stopped breathing. No, that was not possible.

A blood oath already existed she could feel it every second, every heartbeat, every emotion.

Elira's next words shattered that certainty "Ronan is not trying to kill you " she said.

Arielles stomach dropped the hoofbeats were louder, now closer.

Nobody moved, nobody could because Elira had everyones attention.

The old woman looked directly at Kael and spoke the words that made his face go pale.

"He's trying to take your place " Elira said.