Here’s my last of the Seven Virtues Flash Fiction challenge, which was a total blast!  This is goes along with my fill for “Humility.”

…

“Released”

“Break the rebel,” her father had told her, but as Alaia stared at the powerfully-built man chained to her bedpost, her heart ached with compassion.  Pierce’s eyes were filled with loss and emptiness, his face hollow from malnutrition. The thought of punishing him left her nauseous.

This was bitter vengeance on her father’s part, a way to humiliate the man who led the rebellion against him, but she wanted no part of such punishment.  With deft fingers, she freed him from his bonds, ignoring his noise of shock.

“I’ll find a way to free you,” she promised.  “For now, sleep.”