History YouSaidYouWouldLetThemGo / Literature

** [[spoiler:Cersei and Sansa]] ask [[spoiler:Joffrey]] to be merciful and let [[spoiler:Eddard Stark]] join the Night's Watch. He agrees, but then he changes his mind and has him executed by decapitation. [[spoiler:Because "merciful" meant to him "not having him drawn and quartered".]]

* In book seven of the ''[[Literature/HiveSeries HIVE series]]'', [[spoiler:Laura]]'s [[spoiler:family]] is taken hostage in exchange for [[spoiler:the location of the Hunt.]] Once the information is delivered, [[spoiler:her parents are ordered to be killed, and her younger brother put in the Glasshouse.]]
* The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' novel ''The Big Game'' contains a rare example of the the good guy, Sisko, breaking a promise to one of the villains: to spare him arrest and let him finish the big poker game in exchange for information about the other villains. After he gives it, Sisko orders him arrested anyway. Though since the villain is a poker player, to his indignant "You said I could keep playing," Sisko gets to respond, "I was bluffing." And he was ready to bluff the other villains by the end, too.
* Done in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' twice. First to Thomas in ''Literature/GravePeril'' [[spoiler: Harry's White Court vampire half brother, who, until the relationship is explained in ''Literature/BloodRites'', is inexplicably helpful]] who betrays Michael and Harry to get Justine back, she being the love of his life and someone who had turned down Bianca, the BigBad, so being in serious trouble. He explains it as he wanted to get her back then double cross Bianca. All that stops Harry and Michael killing him on the spot when he turns up again is the fact he has Amoracchius[[spoiler:[=/=]Excalibur]] undamaged. He later helps Harry by holding off Lea with Michael.

* Speaking of [[AlmostFamousName wizards named Harry]], in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', Voldemort promises to let Harry's friend go free, if Harry surrenders. Harry duly surrenders, Voldemort duly sets Neville on fire. '''Nobody''' is surprised, not even Harry.

-->[[spoiler:'''Merrett Frey:''']] (who is about to be hanged) NO, DON'T, I gave you your answer, you said you would let me go!\\

'''Tom:''' *Shrugs*

* Used a couple times in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': After seeing that his wife is held captive, Gorlim agrees to betray Barahir if Sauron reunites them and sets his wife free. Unfortunately, the wife was just an illusion--she was really dead--but Sauron still "reunites" them by killing Gorlim. Later, Mîm the Petty-Dwarf agrees to betray Túrin's location to the Orcs if they let Túrin go; they still take Túrin captive. Similar offers are made fairly frequently in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' and ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', but most of the other times either the offer is refused (Gandalf & co. when [[spoiler:Frodo]] is captured, Húrin when he's captured, the Sons of Fëanor when Maedhros is captured) or the character is killed some other way. In general, if an evil (demi-)god makes this kind of offer, ''don't'' listen to him.
* The "killing a prisoner Mook" version occurs with [[GeneralRipper War-Prince Alloran]] in ''[[Literature/{{Animorphs}} The Andalite Chronicles]]'', complete with the line "you said you would let me go" and Alloran's retort that [[ThrownOutTheAirLock throwing the Mook out of the ship]] is "letting him go."
* Inverted in Adam Hall's Literature/{{Quiller}} novel ''The Sinkiang Executive'' where it's the supposed 'good guy' who didn't keep his side of the bargain.
-->"You failed to keep this 'deal' of yours," Parkis said.
-->"So did they."
-->"Did you ever imagine they'd keep to it?"
-->"I think they would have."
-->"If ''you'' had. So [[WhatTheHellHero the blame was yours]]."
-->"Indirectly. But I didn't kill her. They did."
** In ''Quiller Balalaika'', TheMafiya boss who's captured Quiller tells him he can go free if he survives a RussianRoulette. To his shock Quiller does, implying no-one's done that before. So he just orders his mooks to take Quiller to the forest and shoot him.
* The Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Literature/InterestingTimes'' has Lord Hong's mole, having [[YouHaveFailedMe failed]] to set up LaResistance to take the fall for his own assassination of the Emperor, remind Lord Hong that he promised [[ExactWords he would never speak or write any order to harm him.]] He gets around this by making a little origami figure of a headless man.
* [[spoiler:Casetti]], alias Ratchett, from ''[[Literature/HerculePoirot Murder on the Orient Express]]'' had kidnapped a child for ransom. Some time after the money had been paid, the child's remains were found, and the rest of the family died one by one. And [[spoiler:Casetti]] [[KarmaHoudini skipped the country]]. [[spoiler:The surviving relatives and the servants tracked him down and conspired to kill him, and [[AssholeVictim no one shed any tears]], least of all Poirot]].
* In ''Literature/{{The Guardians|MeljeanBrook}}'', [[spoiler: Deacon]] makes a DealWithTheDevil to protect his [[IHaveYourWife hostage lovers]]. The demon does return them afterwards, but [[JackassGenie he never promised]] he'd return them ''alive''.
* The {{Mook}}s in the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' book ''Legend of Luke'' reminisce about past instances their captain Vilu Daskar has done this. One notable occasion involved the prisoners being sewn up in sacks full of rocks and thrown overboard, with the words "[[ExactWords You leave my ship alive, free to go where you will]]!" He's also fond of making worn-out slaves walk the plank or "setting them free" over the edges of cliffs.
* In ''Literature/{{Brotherband}}'', this is used by [[BigBad Zavac]] in order to get the information about the Andomal out of a Skandian. [[spoiler: The Skandian's overconfidence about the Andomal had him say more than he ought.]]
* Literature/{{Elantris}} modifies this ''slightly'': Ahan believes the rebellion he was part of was doomed to failure, and so sells out his co-conspirators to Telrii in exchange for a promise that they would be merely ''imprisoned'' for it. Telrii shows up and orders his guards to kill them all, anyway.
* In Angie Sage's ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' book ''Darke'', Linda goes to do this to the lovebirds, after one brought back Jenna in return for its mate. The Witch Mother stops her because a witch must not renege on a Darke agreement -- it isn't good for her.
* Variation in the first Literature/MalusDarkblade book. The titular character, a Druichi slaver, has a hold full of hostages. In order to spread the word of his raid, he offers to let any one of them, as chosen by the rest, go free unharmed. The prisoners unanimously vote to have the only woman aboard freed. She then offers anything in order to have her betrothed freed as well, an offer which Malus takes up. The anything, in this case, being a combination of brutal rape and slow, careful torture. The man to which this unfortunate girl was betrothed is then brought up on deck, and informed that the deal was to let the girl go unharmed. She's no longer unharmed, therefore the deal is off. There is a bright side, though, as Malus has a present for the poor present boy. "After all these exquisite tortures, she did recant, but by then it was too late, she was harmed. I did save you a token though, to remember her by". Malus then holds out the preserved face of the girl, removed from her corpse and dried with salt. Then, according to the best Joker traditions, Malus hoists the peasant boy up and throws him overboard, letting him off the ship into the siren-filled waters below
* ''Literature/TrappedOnDraconica'': Apparently there was a miscommuncation. [[spoiler: Yusef was under the impression that the cavalry would be killed but the infantry spared because they were little more than farmers with pitchforks; the cavalry would go first and then the infantry would give up and Gothon would 'let them go'.]] Gothon's plan was all or nothing. [[spoiler: He gave the entire the army chance to surrender and join him and face no further aggression from him. Kazem turned this down on principle and the entire Eastern Alliance was slaughtered.]]
* This happens once in ''Literature/TheTenetsOfFutilism.'' Frank, the son of two cult leaders, becomes appalled by his parent's refusal to release Sasha as promised upon Joe completing the trial they gave him. [[spoiler: So appalled, in fact, that he turns on them, effectively saving Sasha's life.]] Frank had always been taught honesty. Seeing his parents act dishonestly must have really made something click, considering he was perfectly fine with their torturing Sasha with old medical instruments. Horrific torture? That's cool. Breaking a promise? Now that's just taking it ''too far.''
* ''Literature/TheExecutioner''. In "Brothers in Blood", Bolan is told to surrender in exchange for a captive. Realising Bolan won't give himself up without a guarantee, the BigBad moves into an exposed position where Bolan can shoot him, though the muzzle flash would give away Bolan's position and get him killed in turn. In this case it's Bolan who breaks the agreement, as he has no intention of handing himself over for torture and execution.