A Ward's Reckoning

In the shadows of politics and betrayal, two hearts reunite and ignite a quiet rebellion.

Ashlan had grown up in the cold stone halls of Highmarrow Keep, a noble’s hostage under the guise of a ward political leverage held over his father, a rebellious lord. He learned to smile through clenched teeth, to bow with dignity while swallowing resentment.

But tonight, everything changed.

By candlelight, he crept through the dungeons, the flame trembling in the drafty corridor. In the last cell, behind rusted iron bars and a thick chain that bound her ankle, sat the girl he thought he'd never see again Lyra.

She looked up, eyes still the same deep blue as when they’d raced through the meadows near Elderbrook, years ago before politics shattered innocence.

“Ash?” she breathed, barely believing.

“Quiet,” he whispered, kneeling by the lock. His hands shook, but not from fear this was the moment he’d waited for since hearing she’d been captured during a border skirmish. Her capture had been more than coincidence it was bait.

“I never forgot you,” she said softly. “Even after they dragged you away.”

“I never stopped thinking about you either,” he replied, jaw tight as he twisted the smuggled key into the lock.

The shackle fell away with a soft clink. He took her hand, rough with callouses, yet still warm.

They slipped through the shadowed halls, past tapestries of kings Ash never respected.

At the edge of the castle wall, Lyra paused. “If they catch us...”

“They won’t,” Ashlan said, voice hard with resolve. “I’ve played their game long enough. Time to rewrite the rules.”

They vanished into the night, the candle long extinguished, the chain left behind in the dark.

But the blue of her eyes? That stayed with him, lighting a path he finally chose for himself.


Word Count: 287
Prompt: Write a story that includes the words: candle, chain, blue
Written for: "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"