Forsaken Oath

A breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the scent of iron and smoke. My breath was heavy, my chest rising and falling as I stood amidst the chaos.

Splashes of blood stained my face, warm and sticky, remnants of the battle that had just ended.

Bodies lay scattered across the field, the echoes of clashing steel and dying cries still ringing in my ears. The sun, now dipping toward the horizon, cast long shadows over the carnage, painting everything in hues of gold and crimson.

I tightened my grip on my weapon, my fingers numb from the fight. Around me, my comrades raised their voices in victory, their cheers mixing with the moans of the wounded. We had won.

But as I gazed across the battlefield, past the fallen and the broken, I couldn't shake the hollow feeling settling in my chest. Victory had a taste, and tonight, it was bitter.

                             ~~~~

The echoes of victory still hung in the air when I found myself standing before the king. His war tent, lavish even amidst the battlefield's ruin, reeked of incense and old power. The heavy fabric walls muffled the sound of celebration outside. He sat upon his gilded chair, his gaze sharp, calculating. And beside him, his son, the prince I despised, stood like a statue, draped in silks, untouched by the war his father waged.

"You have served me well," the king said, his voice smooth. "The battle is ours, and your power has proven invaluable once again."

I clenched my fists, the dried blood on my skin cracking with the motion. 

"You will be rewarded," he continued, glancing at the prince, who was staring at me. His gaze on me felt heavy and he smirked as if he already knew what was coming. 

Without even knowing his next words I started to regret agreeing to fight for them. 

"You will be wed to my son. Your bloodline will strengthen our kingdom's magic for generations to come." King Norius says

A cold weight settled in my stomach. Agreeing to fight for them was starting to show its consequences.

 I knew he saw this as a great honor by the way he smiled. A warrior gifted with magic, bound to the royal bloodline, it was a calculated move, nothing more. But to me, it was a prison.

I met the king's gaze, my voice steady but edged with defiance.

"I swore to fight for this kingdom, not to be chained to it."

The king scoffed, stepping forward, away from his throne. His head tilted, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You were already chained to it the second you agreed to fight for us. You are our greatest weapon. We will not let you slip away."

Rage coiled in my chest, but I swallowed it down. I had to choose my words carefully, I was speaking to a king, after all.

"What if I refuse?" I asked.

The king's voice was calm, absolute. "Then there will be no more of you."

Many questions clouded my mind. Would he actually do this knowing how much he needed me as commander? 

Everyone is replaceable. A tiny voice reminded me 

If I had nothing to lose, I might have welcomed that outcome. But Rae's face flashed in my mind. I had fought, killed, and bled for this kingdom, for her, but I no longer believed in its cause. And now, they wanted to shackle me to it forever.

But Rae, i'd do anything for her.

My sister's life depended on me.

Her future depended on me.

So, as much as I hated the words that left my mouth, I still said them.

“When do we start?”

——-

I could still taste the bitterness of those words, even hours after I had said them, attempting to solidify this as my new reality.

I was sent home and given three hours before stepping into what awaited me, under escort, of course, in case I decided to “run away.” King’s words, not mine.

However, before I make my home on the carriage, I stop by to observe across the battlefield. My eyes lock with his.

I make my way quickly to him. We don’t have much time.

When I reach him, I kiss him. His body tenses with surprise. We’ve never kissed in public before.

Arden and I have only been seeing each other for almost a year. Ever since I started training on the grounds, our chemistry was undeniable. I think I fell in love. But we never said that to each other.

He let’s out a small breath as we part. “It’s nice to see you too,” he says, his hands still on my hips, caressing softly.

“We need to talk,” I say, making eye contact.

“Ok—” I don’t let him finish before I pull him into one of the medical tents, grateful to find it empty.

“I like where this is going,” he says with a laugh, curiosity flickering in his eyes until he looks at mine again. He notices. “What’s wrong?” he asks.

I tell him everything that just happened in the king’s tent. His anger is so clear, I can feel it radiating from him.

“There must be something we can do,” he says, shaking his head.

A slow, deliberate smile tugs at my lips. I step closer, letting my fingers trail down his arm.

“Oh, there is,” I say, voice low, steady. “But it won’t be easy. And once we start, there’s no turning back.”

~~~~~~~

As the carriage rolls closer, my eyes lock onto the little cottage ahead. It looks just as I remember. Worn down, unremarkable. No one would ever guess how much love fills its walls. I’m going to miss this place.

The carriage comes to a stop, and within seconds, my escort opens the door, extending his hand to help me down. I don’t take it.

“Can you wait by the door, please?” I ask with a forced smile. “I’m afraid I left my home in a mess before heading to the training grounds. I’d rather spare you the sight.”

He hesitates at my words.

“I won’t run away, I promise,” I say, raising my hands in surrender.

He smirks slightly, but the expression vanishes just as quickly.

“Okay, Commander Nylah,” he says firmly.

I nod and turn on my heels, quickly heading inside my home. The moment I step through the door, a familiar, nostalgic scent fills my nose.

I stand there for thirty seconds, lost in the memories of this place, before I’m pulled back by the warmth of my sister’s embrace.

“You’re home,” she whispers, holding me tightly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t make it back.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t send letters, it would’ve been too dangerous,” I say, squeezing her even tighter as I fight back the tears threatening to escape.

My sister was born a Barrant, what our land calls those without powers. If you aren’t even the slightest bit gifted, you’re sentenced to death.

Since our parents passed when I was twelve, it’s been my responsibility to protect her, to keep her hidden from the world.

Because if anyone ever found out, I’d suffer the same fate as her.

I reluctantly cut our hug short—I don’t have much time.

“I need to tell you something,” I say. She watches me, confused and expectant.

I tell her everything that happened before I arrived, watching as her expression shifts from confusion to fear.

Becoming part of the kingdom also means I won’t be able to see her anymore.

“But I have a plan,” I add quickly before she can say anything.

“Okay… what is it?” Her voice is small, unsteady, breaking my heart. She’s only twelve. Unexpected news, especially this kind, is never easy to hear, especially at her age. I would know.

“We’re going to escape,” I say. “I’ve saved up a lot of money from being a commander. A lot.”

Her eyes widen as I continue.

“We’ll use the escape route under our bedroom floor. It leads to the other side of town.”

I hesitate for a moment before clearing my throat. “Arden—” I cough awkwardly. “My boyfriend—will meet us there. From there, we’ll take a boat and flee.”

~~~~

“So, tell me about this boyfriend of yours,” Rae says, giggling. Her laughter echoes through the narrow tunnel we’re in.

“Oh, be quiet,” I say playfully, flashing her a smile so she knows I’m joking.

“Is he nice?” she asks, adjusting her bag on her shoulders as we walk hunched over, careful not to hit our heads on the rocks above.

“Very,” I say, wiping sweat from my forehead with one hand while using the other to hold up a flame with my powers. We still have about thirty minutes of walking ahead of us.

“We met while training. He’s really strong—his power is strength. So, yeah, he’s very strong,” I add with a small chuckle.

Strength isn’t the most impressive ability in the kingdom, but it’s undeniably useful. I was born with three powers: Strength, Fire, and Water.

They’ve served me well in battle. Strength to overpower anyone. Fire to burn our enemies. Water to smoke them out.

I still can’t believe I agreed to fight for the kingdom. But we needed the money, and after a year of training, my abilities stood out so much that the king made me commander.

“That’s good to hear. I’m excited to meet him,” she says. Then she smirks. “Is he hot?”

“Raelyn!” I exclaim, scandalized.

She just laughs and shrugs. “I’m twelve years old now, you know.”

“And where did you learn to talk like that?” I ask, shaking my head but laughing a little.

“Books,” she says. “They’ve become my best friends lately. Since you’ve been gone, I’d say they’ve replaced you.”

I gasp dramatically. “Oh, please. They were your best friends long before I left for the training grounds.

We both laugh in unison, the sound warm, familiar. I missed this.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she speaks again.

“Nylah?”

“Yes?”

“What are we going to do when we get… wherever it is we’re going?”

I hesitate. “I have no idea. After the boat, that’s where my plan ends. Hopefully, Arden has something figured out—he knows the outskirts better than I do.”

She nods, but I can see the uncertainty in her eyes. And it makes my heart ache.

I hate that from the second she was born, her fate was already decided. That her life has been nothing but hiding. That her future is so uncertain. That no matter what she dreams of, someone else always gets to decide what happens next.

I reach for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I love you,” I say softly.

“I love you too, Nini,” she whispers back.

And for now, that’s enough.

A few more minutes pass before we finally see the end of the tunnel. I reach up, pressing my hand against a large rock, and with my strength, I push it aside. Cool air rushes in, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine.

Above us, the starry sky stretches endlessly, a quiet reminder that despite everything, there’s still hope. Even as uncertainty knots in my chest, I try to hold on to that thought.

I pull myself up first, then reach down to help Rae and her bag.

Once we’re up, we take a moment to look around the forest we’ve emerged into.

It’s quiet. Too quiet. The eerie kind of silence that makes the crickets’ chirping feel unnatural, like they’re the only ones brave enough to make a sound.

Something is wrong.

Where is Arden? It’s already night, he should have been here by now.

“Where’s lover boy?” Rae asks, glancing around.

“That’s a great question,” I mutter, my eyes scanning the darkened trees.

I summon fire into my palms, casting flickering light across the clearing. The moment I do, a chill runs down my spine.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Someone is watching us.

“Arden?” I call, stepping in front of Rae, instinctively shielding her.

Silence.

Then, a voice. Low, smooth, dripping with amusement.

“It was a cute attempt, really.”

My blood turns to ice.

Stepping out of the shadows is the King.

I immediately back up, pressing against Rae as my fingers fumble for the dagger at my belt.

“Don’t try anything stupid, Commander,” the King warns, his voice calm but full of authority.

As soon as the words leave his mouth, armored figures emerge from the darkness. At least a dozen guards, surrounding us in a perfect, suffocating circle.

My grip on the dagger tightens. “What did you do to Arden?” I demand.

The King smirks. “Oh, I gave him a rather generous reward, for sharing a little information about your… games.” He takes a slow step closer, eyes gleaming. “Not that I had to do much. He came to me himself, actually. We negotiated a deal, and he agreed to tell me exactly where to find you.”

The world feels like it tilts beneath me.

No.

No, that’s not possible.

The King tilts his head, studying my expression before his smirk widens. “Smart guy. You have great taste.”

I feel Rae's small fingers clutch my sleeve, her grip tight with fear. But I barely register it. The forest around me blurs. My chest tightens, my breath shuddering as I force myself to stay still, to think, to breathe, but all I can feel is the weight of betrayal crushing me from the inside out.

Arden knew our plan. He knew everything.

And he gave us away.