Author's Note: Hi people. This is my first attempt at fan fiction, so please review! I will try to update at least once every week.

Disclaimer: By the way, I unfortunately do not own anything remotely related to Inheritance Trilogy. Sadly, I also don't own an iPod. Yet. Mwahahahaha!

NOTE: If you're reading this before you read C'koro, just go to chapter 15. It might be a little bit confusing, but that's all you really need. Plus I just reread this and realized that the first fourteen chapters kind of suck... But if you feel like reading the whole thing, go ahead.

Chapter One
Cleaning

"Up! Wake up, scum!"

Taize sighed, her eyes still closed. It was the start of just another hopeless day of her black life. She had been a slave in Galbatorix's palace for as long as she could remember. She had no friends or family left anymore. Her mother, Lia, had died when Taize was only five, when the slavers had come. For a few years, she had had a best friend, but Rhia had died two years ago, during the last great epidemic that had swept through Urû'baen.

She sighed again and pushed herself up onto her elbows in bed, if it could even be considered as such. She was on the top tier of a triple bunk with no mattresses or pillows, and she had only a thin blanket to ward off the chill when it grew cold at night.

She cursed loudly as her head collided with the ceiling when she sat up fully, then jumped down to the cold stone floor, ignoring a twinge of pain from her legs. A few days ago, she hadn't followed an order quickly enough, and had received yet another taste of the whip. The deep cuts had not yet fully healed, but Taize was so accustomed to discomfort of one form or another that she hardly took notice anymore, unless she had really gotten a beating. However, that only happened after she decided to take one of her infamous "days off," during which she stayed in bed all day and refused to listen to anyone. Despite the next day's haze of pain, it was always worth it to prove to herself that she still had a scrap of defiance left.

The slaves formed a line to be given their assignments for the day. Kin'naid was on duty, and Taize groaned inwardly. Kin'naid hated her. She had no idea why he detested her so, but she loathed him back just the same. When Taize reached him, he grinned evilly.

"You'll be working in the kitchens today," he smirked, knowing full well that she utterly despised that job.

She scowled. A slave boy near her approached Taize tentatively. "I wouldn't mind working in the kitchens," he said wistfully, half to himself, "but Kin'naid always makes me clean."

For a moment, she was puzzled. Then she realized that the boy must want to switch jobs with her. "I don't even know your name!" she told him. "Why should I trade with you?" she asked, secretly hoping that he would persist and she would get out of kitchen duty.

Her wish was granted. He continued, "Oh. My name is Rhet. And we should trade because I hate cleaning and you hate working in the kitchens… I could tell by the way you scowled when Kin'naid told you," he added hastily, sounding quite nervous.

Despite herself, Taize was beginning to like this Rhet boy. "All right. Let's trade," she agreed. "Where do I go?"

"Just follow Ineb over there." Rhet pointed to an older man with a kind face and graying brown hair. "Once you get to the sleeping chambers, he'll show you where to go." He added, as an afterthought, "By the way, where should I go?"

"To the kitchens," she replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in all of Alagaësia. More kindly, she continued, "Once you get there, someone will tell you what to do."

After exchanging a few more words, they parted ways. Taize followed Ineb as she had been instructed. She had seen Ineb around before, but she had never actually met him. As though he had read her thoughts, he beckoned her over to him.

"I've never seen you on cleaning detail before," he remarked casually.

"Me and Rhet traded," she replied simply.

To her surprise, he did not pursue the subject, but asked, "Aren't you that girl who's always refusing to do as she's told?"

"Why?" she answered his question with her own, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Incredulously, he replied, "In case you haven't noticed, you're practically famous among the slaves. Your 'days off' are legendary. Most of us wish we had the guts to be like you." Taize blushed as Ineb continued, "I myself might have tried something similar when I was younger, but I fear that I'm becoming to old for such things." He smiled wearily.

There was a lull in the conversation, so she asked, "What exactly do I have to do today? Anything is better than kitchen duty."

"I'm sure Rhet doesn't think so," he answered. "You'll be expected to change the linens and send any clothes lying about to be washed. If you find any articles of clothing that look…out of place, it's often best to put them in with someone else's laundry."

She didn't quite understand Ineb's last remark until she found a corset in what was obviously a man's room. Actually, there had been two, one stuffed away under the bed. She found herself wondering, How many mistresses can one noble have­?