Arianna Selenasdaughter
Walls
When I woke up, my body ached all over. The stone “bed” that jutted out of the wall of stone was not comfortable at all. I would’ve been less achy if I’d slept standing up. Unfortunately, I hadn’t mastered that skill, which came so easily to the horses that we’d used to keep in the barn. My favorite had been a chestnut mare, Biscuit. An odd name, I was aware, but a name nonetheless. I hadn’t ever been very creative in the names department anyway.
The cell door opened, and another guard motioned me forward, bound my hands, and led me away from the dungeons. We were headed in the same direction I’d been led from yesterday. I cursed silently. The king was not someone I wanted to be around this early in the morning. Unfortunately for me, my opinion didn’t matter much to his royal highness.
He sat on his throne, eating breakfast. The smell of eggs wafted over to me, and my stomach growled in response. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. At some point when I was with the Ra’zac, I knew, but they didn’t like to catch me food and cook it very often.
They did that every other day, I think. So, I’d probably eaten the day before yesterday. My stomach wasn’t used to going one day without food, let alone two. I had a feeling it was going to have to get used to it though, and fast.
Galbatorix looked up as we entered the room, and he smiled. I couldn’t tell if he meant it to look like the world’s evilest smile in Alagaësia, but he definitely won that award.
“Welcome, Arianna,” he said. I hated the sound of his voice.
I remained mute. If he wanted to talk to me, that was great. I had no desire to talk to him.
“Still stubborn, I see,” he continued on. Yes, I thought. Still stating the obvious, I see.
“So, if you won’t tell me about Eragon, I suppose I’ll just have to take the information by force.”
He must’ve really been desperate to know. He hadn’t even let me settle in and starve. After all, he’d been the one to say no food or water. But I was prepared for this. I’d spent eight years building up wards around my mind. I wasn’t sure how strong he was, but he wasn’t getting into this mind.
I felt a pressure on my mind, and my prepared mental image of Eragon popped up in my mind. I wasn’t letting anybody through to hurt my brother. After about ten minutes, he gave up. He was worked up and in a rage.
“Bring her here!” he shouted at the guard who had brought me in.
The guard did as he had been commanded, and I received a blow to the face that sent me staggering back to where I’d been before. I held my cheek and tried not to cry. A tear leaked out of the corner of my eye.
The sight of the Ra’zac briefly cluttered up my slightly confused mind, but I pushed it aside irritably. They were probably leaving soon anyway, and I shouldn’t care why they were still here anyway. At least while they were here, they weren’t out hunting my brother and father. But my brother and father were still hunting them.
Galbatorix was still furious, and continued to scream at me. Finally, he told the guard to, “Get that goddamn girl out of my sight!”
Once again, I was led back to the dungeons and locked inside. At least this time the walls would be useful for something. I leaned my stinging cheek against the damp wall and closed my eyes, wishing that this was all just a bad dream.
The cell door opened, and another guard motioned me forward, bound my hands, and led me away from the dungeons. We were headed in the same direction I’d been led from yesterday. I cursed silently. The king was not someone I wanted to be around this early in the morning. Unfortunately for me, my opinion didn’t matter much to his royal highness.
He sat on his throne, eating breakfast. The smell of eggs wafted over to me, and my stomach growled in response. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. At some point when I was with the Ra’zac, I knew, but they didn’t like to catch me food and cook it very often.
They did that every other day, I think. So, I’d probably eaten the day before yesterday. My stomach wasn’t used to going one day without food, let alone two. I had a feeling it was going to have to get used to it though, and fast.
Galbatorix looked up as we entered the room, and he smiled. I couldn’t tell if he meant it to look like the world’s evilest smile in Alagaësia, but he definitely won that award.
“Welcome, Arianna,” he said. I hated the sound of his voice.
I remained mute. If he wanted to talk to me, that was great. I had no desire to talk to him.
“Still stubborn, I see,” he continued on. Yes, I thought. Still stating the obvious, I see.
“So, if you won’t tell me about Eragon, I suppose I’ll just have to take the information by force.”
He must’ve really been desperate to know. He hadn’t even let me settle in and starve. After all, he’d been the one to say no food or water. But I was prepared for this. I’d spent eight years building up wards around my mind. I wasn’t sure how strong he was, but he wasn’t getting into this mind.
I felt a pressure on my mind, and my prepared mental image of Eragon popped up in my mind. I wasn’t letting anybody through to hurt my brother. After about ten minutes, he gave up. He was worked up and in a rage.
“Bring her here!” he shouted at the guard who had brought me in.
The guard did as he had been commanded, and I received a blow to the face that sent me staggering back to where I’d been before. I held my cheek and tried not to cry. A tear leaked out of the corner of my eye.
The sight of the Ra’zac briefly cluttered up my slightly confused mind, but I pushed it aside irritably. They were probably leaving soon anyway, and I shouldn’t care why they were still here anyway. At least while they were here, they weren’t out hunting my brother and father. But my brother and father were still hunting them.
Galbatorix was still furious, and continued to scream at me. Finally, he told the guard to, “Get that goddamn girl out of my sight!”
Once again, I was led back to the dungeons and locked inside. At least this time the walls would be useful for something. I leaned my stinging cheek against the damp wall and closed my eyes, wishing that this was all just a bad dream.