Every name and event that you recognize is owned by Christopher Paolini. Everything else, belongs to me, myself, and I. Unless I say otherwise of course, because then it belongs to whomever I say that it belongs to. Read, Enjoy, and Review or else I won't have the incentive to update since I know the whole story. If you want to know it, make it known to me!

Green eyes glanced out the window as the petite form walked through the hall in which the aforementioned window was placed. Worry shone through the emeralds before they closed, shying away from the harsh sunlight. It was dawn-her favorite time of the day. But for the past few months, not even dawn could raise her spirits. Not since he had fled the area. Why did you have to leave me? She wondered as she continued her walking. We were both outsiders here and never involved with anyone else. You, because of your birth and I.… Well, you didn't know the reason why I wasn't, did you? I doubt you'll ever know, she mused to herself as if she was talking to the object of her affections. She wasn't, of course- he was thousands of miles away from this place and from her. She didn't begrudge him his freedom, but only that he hadn't taken her with him. But she knew he didn't care for her that much-not enough to take a seemingly sick woman into the wilderness and danger.

However, her moments of reflection were over. She had to get out of this hall before the earls arrived for their weekly meeting with the king. Not that they did anything, it was of course all for show. Everyone in Uru'baen knew that. Life! Everyone in Alagaesia knew that nobody had power other than Galbatorix. But there's talk of a new rider, she thought to herself. Nobody spoke of it out loud of course-not in Galbatorix's castle but Via had a way of hearing things that were not supposed to be heard. After all, few people noticed her- she was a seemingly nobody. When people did wonder who she was, they were surprised to find out whom she was. Not every girl within the empire could brag that she, like Murtagh son of Morzan, was under the protection of King Galbatorix of Alagaesia. Not that she had met the man more than a handful of times since the day when she had appeared in his throne room. Appeared rather suddenly and without any recollection of who she was or any voice. This had been proven when he had probed her mind. There had been flashes of memories but nothing that could be put together and he saw that although she was a mute, she could hear the world around her and understood it all. It had been a surprise move on his part to let her stay in his castle; she a woman of no importance!

There had been some talk of her being his illegitimate child, but nobody really believed that Galbatorix would risk such a thing. There were rumors that he killed every woman he took to his bed in fear of an heir usurping him. Via wasn't his daughter, of course and Galbatorix didn't think that- she hadn't tricked him somehow. Actually, she had tricked him. She knew who she was; she was Alsavianost, more commonly called Via. He didn't know that she knew this however; he thought that he alone knew of her lineage. Not that it really mattered if he knew or not just as long as he believed her to be unaware of whom she was. If he knew that she knew, he would most surely kill her.

If he knew that she knew that she was the heir of the land he had seized, he would kill her in an instant. She didn't know why he kept her around and it troubled her. Did he keep her alive just for the sheer amusement that he had stolen her inheritance and her family away from her? She had not even been born at the time when he ordered his assassins to murder her father, just like her father had not been born when the same order had been made towards his father, twenty years after Galbatorix himself had killed Via's grandfather's father, King Angrenost. It was amazing that she had even survived. Her grandfather had been ten when Galbatorix had killed his father and fifty when he had been killed- forty years of Galbatorix's reign passed before he had killed him. Then another forty passed before he ordered her father's death. The unpleasant thought that she would never wake up on her fortieth birthday if Galbatorix continued ruling made Via's pale face become even more pallid than usual. That will not happen, she swore silently.

She finally reached the door to her own room, opened it, and walked in. She walked over to the bed, sat down and sighed yet another inaudible sigh. Life was unpleasant and would be forevermore if Galbatorix was not destroyed. It was her life goal to see that he was destroyed. But how much longer can I keep up this façade? I yearn to speak, she thought as she started to lie down on her bed but then thought otherwise and strode over to the window seat at the opposite end of the Spartan room. She sat down and rested her head against the pane of glass that overlooked the main gate of Uru'baen. Ilirea, she thought mournfully. And then she let her mind wander; imagining the dresses and swains she would have had if not for the man who had given her permission to stay in this place; a place that had once been her family's home! She had been up hours before dawn and so, slowly, she drifted to sleep, nestled in the window seat, her face always looking towards the riders entering the gates of Uru'baen.

It was not a peaceful sleep, it never was in Via's case. But it was rest and one that she would not eagerly be awoken from. And so, when someone rapped against her door, her eyes narrowed slightly as she walked to the dark wood door and opened it. She raised an eye at the courier who stood before her, demanding of him to speak his message. And speak his message he did.

"King Galbatorix of the Broddring Empire," Via clenched her hand slightly as the courier spoke but he didn't seem to notice, "requests your presence in his throne room."

A/N: Sorry it's so short! I'm extremly tired and I want to get the whole story up before I decide I'm not longer interested, which has happened before when people havn't pushed me to write it, so review! Hope you enjoyed it so far, although I'm sure you're confused, which is perfect. If you're not, then I either didn't make it come out as I hoped or you just understand my mind better than most.

Lady N