First ever fan fiction, so not the best ever. Probably only going to be a one shot because I get extremely bad writer's block...
I OWN NOTHING! All the characters and Alagaesia belong to Christopher Paolini, etc, etc.
Arya POV
It felt as if a knife had been stabbed into my heart. I hadn't expected this. This horrible, constricting pain that had lingered inside me since that day, like a battle wound, never really leaving me. I doubted if it ever would. Yet again, Eragon's face swam before my eyes. His pain carved into every line on his face as he spoke the word that would separate us. Farewell.
After everything we had gone through, after all the times I had brushed him off, shut him out, I had now truly lost him at the point I realised I needed him. I was never going to see his eyes again, never. My life would be consumed by the duties my position carried, by celebrations and ceremony. No one to stand by my side, as he had. Lying here, alone in my chamber, I had nothing to do but dwell over my loss.
When my party had returned to Ellesmera, I had assumed that I would be distracted by numerous things I had needs must put in order. Yet, nothing. It would be another two weeks before I set out to meet with Nasuada, and here in the forest, I felt alone. All the courtiers and parties did nothing to alleviate my sadness. I had nothing to occupy myself with to block out the memories of him. His smile. His laugh. The way his eyes lit up when they saw me. Him telling me his name. His fairth.
I remember how I felt when I saw it. For the first time, I finally understood how much he loved me, but above all, I realised he knew me. I wasn't his dream person anymore, I was me, with all my flaws as well. Knowing he had understood this made me do something I had never done before. Yet, telling him my name felt right. When I heard his, I realised just how much he had changed. He wasn't the farm boy anymore. He was someone I could love. But fate, cruel, cruel fate, took him.
It was worse than losing Faolin. Losing him was unbearable, but the months at Gil'ead had at least distracted me from my grief. Then, my only thought was to survive.
Frustrated, I pushed back the covers and went to the window. I stared out at the forest, at the night sky. At the stars. I rested my head on my hands and gazed at them, watching them shine. It felt comforting, watching them. From far off in the forest, I heard a song beginning. I listened, and realised that this was not a song of celebration, like all others had been. I hear the lament and felt my tears falling; in my mind I saw Eragon smiling at me as we realised our victory. That against all odds, we had prevailed. Looking out, I nearly screamed as I saw the shape. Then, I stopped myself as I recognised him. Eragon. He held out his hand towards, smiling. Scarcely believing my senses, I reached out. Then, the lament ended. Just as he had appeared, he began to fade.
"No!" I cried, desperately trying to hold on to his hand. But he was gone. I slumped onto the floor, the tears coming faster now as I grasped what I had failed to accept. He was not coming back. Ever. Raising my head towards the window again, I looked at the stars and whispered what I had only done so twice before.
Hundreds of miles to the south, on a ship heading to an island off the eastern coast of Alagaesia, a man stood by the railings. A single tear ran down his face as he turned his eyes to the stars and spoke the words to the woman he had left, even as she spoke them, so many leagues away.
"I love you"