"It all started eighteen years ago, when my mother was seventy years old. By elf standards, this is still considered a 'child,' but since my mother was a princess, she was allowed to go on challenging missions. She was already married, which was rare in Ellesmera, since marriage is the ultimate vow of love."
-Mercury "Empire"
"Yes… I was married… but not to whom you'd think. I was married to the Dark King."
–Princess Aiya, 2nd Daughter of Islanzadi
The Untold Tale
By: silver-nightstorm
Summary: It all started eighteen years ago, when my mother was seventy years old. By elf standards, this is still considered a 'child,' but since my mother was a princess, she was allowed to go on challenging missions. She was already married, which was rare in Ellesmera, since marriage is the ultimate vow of love. The untold tale of the woman who came to love the Dark King himself.
She was young. She was naïve. These were all excuses she told her self to excuse her mistake. Her stupid, stupid mistake. Who would have done it? Who could have fallen in love with the Dark King? Who? But then again, she'd already admitted it, she was an idiot. But… didn't people say to look past the surface? To dig deep into a person's soul? To find out what they were really made of??? But… then again… who would trust an evil king??? Who in their right minds would actually do something that… stupid??? And… what could she say? He drew her in, like a bird to nectar, she just… couldn't… help herself.
But… when he tried, he was so charming, so nice… almost… sweet… and caring. It was odd. She had been raised to hate him… but… somehow… she was attracted to him, no matter how hard she tried. She needed to go to him, and she needed to be with him. She just couldn't help herself.
So she left, she left her home, she left her people, under the pretense of liberating the dragon egg. But really, all she cared about was seeing him. She left to the palace in the dead of night… leaving behind her family, her friends, her supposed "love."
And then, He found her one day, the Dark King, hiding among the kitchen maids. He didn't know how he could have missed her, a diamond among a group of rocks, a gem. She told him what she'd done, how she'd left her people, for him. He was shocked, how could she love a man like him? With no morals, no standards? Just an egoistical bastard… that was what he thought. But… on those long… dark… lonely nights, she would crawl into his bed next to him, and whisper sweet nothings in his ears. And he, in turn, would whisper erotic words right back to her, and they would spend the long… dark… lonely nights in each other's embrace.
But… it was too good… too perfect. He was evil, he had priorities. He went after her people, killed her friends. She loved him… but… how could he do that? In return to her love?
But… then, it was clear to her… she wasn't in love, she was being duped, by her own stupidity… her own naivety… She was caught up in his… isolation… his… dangerous façade. No, how could she love a man who would betray her so?
But yet, she stayed around him, until the day came where she was uncertain of his loyalty. He was with another woman, a whore. How could he? When he said he loved her? When she committed her whole soul to him? How? Was it even possible for a heart to break this much? Was all this pain even possible? Betrayal… hurt… pain… disbelief… sadness… regret… Why had she left everything behind?
In the darkness of the night, she devised a plan, a plot, a gamble. The ultimate risk, a chance. She needed to take him down, the Dark King, he would fall with her… He destroyed her, and he would pay. She new his secrets, things he whispered in the middle of the night when he thought no one was listening. But she was… she always was. And she would take him down, no matter what it took. She needed to steal the source of his power, a necklace, the most beautiful necklace.
But it turned out, he did love her… maybe more than she thought. He gave her a necklace, with the letter K carved out into the translucent stone pendant. She necklace he spoke of. Was it true, then? Did he trust her with the source of his power? Or was it all a lead on? To make her believe he truly cared?
She went to his room again that night, for the first time in a week, wearing the necklace. She opened the door, to find him straddling another woman. She screamed, and ran out the room. She ran down the hall, sobbing. She ran out the door, into an armor covered figure. It was him. He stopped her, held her arms firmly. He planted a rough kiss on her lips, violently bruising her. He glared at her, where was she going? What right did she have to just leave? She was his, dammit!
She yanked away, turned her face from him, sobbing, telling him of what she saw… He turned her around, and slapped her. She just stared, an empty shell, shocked. He punched her, and took her to the dungeons, chained her up. This is what she got for betraying him, this is what she got for being a shameless whore, a spy. Sent to take him down from the inside, the perfect plan. But no, he had figured her out. He laughed, madness taking him over.
She protested him, begging him to see reason, to see what she meant. She loved him, but he betrayed her trust. He turned to her, and beat her, fiercely, savagely. So these were his true colors… this was how he really was… not charming, not caring, not worthy. Not capable of loving…
He grabbed at the necklace, ripping it off her neck, leaving behind bloody welts. And he spirited her away, so she could never get back… he spirited her, the woman he loved, to the middle of the desert…
But… she did make it, back to her mother and sister and lover… There, nine months later, she gave birth to twins, two beautiful girls…
Her lover looked at her… How was it possible? How could she be having children? It shouldn't have been possible, and yet…
He went to her, asked her what happened. She, sobbing, told him the truth… how she had loved, and been betrayed. Then he told her how he'd been betrayed by the one he loved, and he knew her pain. She looked at him with hope in her eyes, only to meet cold, darkness… he turned from her, leaving her in her solitude.
She left again, two months later. She needed her revenge. Sure, it was unhealthy, it was pointless, but it was the only thing that kept her going. She snuck into the castle in the dead of night, and stole into his room, stealing the necklace from his hands. She snuck back into the grand hall, only to be stopped by his voice, demanding answers.
She cursed him, with all her being… Betrayer of his lover, may he be destroyed by his own blood, may he stand defenseless in the face of a woman, may he know the pain she felt at his cruelty!
And he too cursed her in return, cursed her into a never ending sleep, cursed her to never see her daughters. And her sister, watching the whole occurrence, stole her sister's body back, bringing it to her mother, preserving her body forever in the Hall of Trees.
This… this is the untold tale of Galbatorix and Aiya.