Bastard Child
'Crash!'
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the corridor, reverberating within the cold, stone walls.
"Now look what you've done! You useless boy!"
Aedan looked up at the livid old woman from the ground. He lay among the shards of the glass chalices he had been ordered to bring to the mistress's parlor. The chalices were to flaunt the family's wealth, to draw attention away from the threadbare tapestries, the near-empty stables, and the excess rooms in the manor that no longer housed legions of servants or influential guests. The Bainard family had once been a powerful noble house under Galbatorix's rule. However, now that the ruling power in Alagaesia had shifted the Bainards were no longer in favor. Having thrown their lots in with the wrong side they had lost everything, only managing to hold on to their noble title. But it was just that: a title. Hence the chalices.
The hag glared at Aedan, a sneer of disgust on her lips. "Clean this up, and then get out of my sight!" Lilit turned away from him, muttering "How will I explain this to the mistress?"
Aedan scrambled to sweep up the glass, cutting his finger on a shard in the process. He cursed under his breath, quickly glancing at the hag. She hadn't heard him. After hurriedly gathering the remains of the chalices into a pile he swept it into the hem of his shirt, using it like an apron to pick up the glass splinters. Aedan hurriedly stood up, and with practiced swiftness, dashed out the door.
###
Aedan dumped the shards in the rubbish heap outside. The boy looked around cautiously before walking across the deserted courtyard to the armory. It had been abandoned since the Bainard's fall from grace, and now the huge stone building stood, a testament to better times. Aedan once again looked around before carefully easing the door open, and slipping inside.
Inside the armory was damp and dusty, a single ray of light made its way in through a crack in the slowly deteriorating ceiling. Aedan strode over to the corner of the building, moving aside some clutter to reach a ladder hidden beneath the junk. He propped it up against the wall, checking to make sure that it wouldn't shift, before climbing up. Aedan reached for a spot on the ceiling, marked by an X carved in to the wood. He pushed hard, and the trapdoor swung upwards to reveal the blue sky above.
Aedan crawled out onto the roof of the armory, the wind snatching a little at his clothes. He flopped down, the shingles heated by the sun warm against his back. Aedan stared up at the sky, the same blue as his eyes, which coupled with his raven hair and slight build were the cause of all his troubles. He sighed, staring up at the clouds.
His mother had been a maid, employed by the Bainards during their golden age. Athelea was young and beautiful, and she soon caught the eye of the master of the house. Athelea had tried to resist the lord's advances, but to no avail. Soon enough she gave birth to Aedan, a boy who looked nothing like his father.
The lady of the house treated her husband's bastard and his mother with contempt, but suffered their presence in the manor. Her own son, Hector, was older than Aedan, a mirror image of the lord and his heir. She was content to ignore the other side of the lord's family as long as they remained hidden in the shadows.
Then the war, and the Bainards were on the losing side. The lord of the manor died in the battle of Urû'baen, leaving the estate to his widow, Lady Maeve. Athelea and Aedan were put to work in the manor, the sole staff besides Darius, the stable master, a cruel man who often beat Aedan, and Lilit, the mistress' s old nursemaid, a bitter hag who abused Athelea and her son however she could.
Athelea bore all the abuse silently. When they were alone Aedan's mother would often tell him stories about the world outside the manor. She told him about the farm she used to live on as a girl, about the shaded forest of Du Weldenvarden where the elves resided, about the dwarves' citadels high in the Boer mountains, as well as the shining new capital of Ilirea. But the stories that Aedan liked the most where about the war. He loved hearing about the heroes who had banished Galbatorix: the Queen Nasuada, Roran Stronghammer, King Orrin, and in his opinion the greatest of them all, Eragon Shadeslayer, or Kingkiller. In those days Aedan felt he could bear any pain or beating so long as he had his mother by his side.
Until one day Athelea grew sick. She continued to work in the manor, her slight frame often wracked by fits of coughing. When Athelea grew too weak to walk Aedan cared for her as best he could. Their tiny room had no fireplace, and during the winter nights there was nothing to keep out the cold. Athelea slowly wasted away, until one day, when Aedan was eight years old, he found her dead. A peaceful smile on her frozen lips.
A few years had passed since then and Aedan had grown to be a slim boy of thirteen, physically strong from his years of hard labor, but illiterate and kept as an indentured servant. He couldn't leave, he had no other family, and he had hardly even seen the world outside the manor's four walls. Hector was now fifteen, a full head taller than Aedan, and almost twice his weight. The hulking boy's favorite pastime was tormenting his half brother. However Aedan was much faster than him, and usually evading Hector was simple. Aedan had discovered the trapdoor when hiding form Hector one day. The armory was the tallest building in the courtyard, and the only rooms that looked out on its roof were abandoned. It was the perfect sanctuary.
Aedan lay on the roof, his eyes closed. Suddenly a shout from the gate woke him form his temporary reverie. Aedan sat up, and peered over the side of the roof into the courtyard below. Darius was sprinting from the main gate as if he was being chased by all the hoards of Hell. Aedan watched, curious, as Darius reached the door leading into the main hall, and throwing it open, disappeared inside the manor. Aedan sat still on the roof, wondering what could have put Darius in such a frenzy. He shrugged, thinking it wouldn't concern him, and lay back again.
###
A few hours later Aedan awoke in the dark, to the sounds of Lilit's squawking calls. "Hey you! Whoreson! Get to the kitchen at once!" The hag never called Aedan by his given name, preferring to refer to him merely as you, whoreson, or the bastard. Aedan quietly snuck to the trapdoor, closing it behind him, then quickly making his way down the ladder. He walked to the kitchen, opening the door onto the strangest sight he had ever scene.
Aedan watched wide-eyed as Lilit hurled around the kitchen, grabbing food seemingly at random and stowing it away in a large basket. The basket already overflowed with supplies from the larder, and Lilit continued to pack in more.
She noticed him standing in the doorway and barked, "Well don't just stand there like a half-wit! Come help me pack!"
Aedan slowly walked forward to grab a few loaves of bread form the pantry. He turned to ask, "Why are we packing?"
Lilit glared at him, but answered roughly, "We are going to the capital."
Aedan stared at her, openmouthed, "We're going to Ilirea?" His eyes lit up with hope, maybe just maybe… "All of us?"
Lilit, realizing what he was asking at, whirled on him. She shook her finger in his face, saying, "Yes, we're all going to the capital. But don't get cocky! You're only going to serve as Hector's personal assistant." When Aedan frowned at this statement Lilit spat. "Why you ungrateful little whoreson! Don't be thinking above your station, you-"
"Alright, alright!" Aedan said hurriedly, scurrying off to the cellar to get mead for the basket, Lilit's glares burning a hole in his back.
###
As Aedan came stumbling out of the cellar, weighed down by several heavy flasks of mead, Hector lumbered around the corner. Aedan swore under his breath. Just what he needed—the meathead come to pester him again.
Hector's face broke into a leering grin when he saw Aedan. "There you are whoreson! I've been looking for you." He stood directly in Aedan's path so he couldn't get past, crossing his arms and looking pleased with himself.
Aedan sighed, glaring back at Hector. "So what do you want?'
Hector smirked, "Have you heard yet? We're going to the capital to see the dragon eggs." His grin widened, "And you'll be serving me personally. Make sure to do a good job, whoreson." Hector laughed maliciously, shoving Aedan into the wall before walking past.
Aedan struggled to retrieve the fallen flasks of mead, relieved to see that none were broken. He glared after Hector, but wondered about his taunts. Dragon eggs? He hadn't heard anything about that. Were there really going to be dragon eggs in Ilirea?
Aedan strode to the kitchen, deep in thought. He finished the packing then began the long walk to his room in the tower. As Aedan rounded a corner, still thinking about the trip to the capital, he almost collided with the mistress. The boy flinched, backing away hurriedly. Lady Maeve glared at him coldly.
"Mistress…" Aedan muttered, trying to edge around her.
"Stop right there, boy!" she barked. Aedan froze. Maeve turned towards him, fixing him with her predatory gaze. "I believe you've heard about the trip to the capital?" she asked him. Aedan nodded mutely. "And you duties during our stay?" Another nod. "Well I have something else to inform you of, boy." said Maeve, her eyes narrowed. "We are going to the capital to for the specific purpose of making Hector a Rider."
Aedan's head snapped up at this comment. That dimwitted brute, a Rider? He nearly laughed aloud at the thought, but held his tongue when Maeve glared at him.
A hint of pride entered the woman's voice when she said, "I know the dragon will choose Hector as its Rider! If a street rat from Teirm could be chosen, then so can my son. And once Hector has become a Rider all will be forgiven." Her eyes shone with greed and longing when she proclaimed, "The House of Bainard will regain its former glory, with Hector as the heir!" She turned to him, "And that is exactly why I will not allow you to ruin this chance!"
Aedan stood tall; back straight like his mother had taught him, not giving an inch. Maeve took note of this, hissing, "You are not going to Ilirea to sightsee! Your duty is to serve Hector. You shall not speak with anyone but Hector, Lilit, and myself. We will be staying in the castle," a hint of melancholy entered her voice, "Our name is at least still good for that."
She stared pointedly at Aedan one more time, saying, "This is your only warning. If you disobey, I'll have Darius beat you to within an inch of your life." Aedan's flinch was the only reply Maeve needed. She turned and stalked past him, disappearing into her chamber.
###
The journey to Ilirea took two days. They stayed one night at an inn, but Lady Maeve couldn't be bothered to pay for Aedan's housing, so he slept outside. The innkeeper's wife was kind enough to let him sleep in the stable, and he fell asleep to the soft sounds of the horses.
###
The next day around noon they started seeing more and more people on the road to Ilirea. The traffic increased the closer they got to the capital; until the road was jammed with carts and foot traffic, dust clogging the air.
When Aedan looked up from leading the horses he saw Ilirea for the first time. Its shining towers rose over the horizon like a great jewel sparkling in the sunlight, all the roads leading to it were packed for miles, as thousands of people gathered to see the dragon eggs. Aedan looked on in awe, before Lilit screamed at him to stop daydreaming and get back to work. But even Lilit couldn't stop Aedan's growing excitement. He was going to the capital!
Once they reached Ilirea's gates Aedan craned his neck to see the top of the city's huge walls. After getting past the guards at the gate Lady Maeve turned their carriage towards the castle, which rose high above the other buildings in the center of the city.
Aedan was in awe of the structure. It was ten times the size of the manor; people scurried in and out like ants, constantly busy. As they approached the castle gates a guard yelled at Aedan, "Halt!"
Aedan froze in his track as the guard approached. "What business do you have in the castle?"
Lady Maeve stuck her head out of the carriage, looking down her nose at the guard imperiously, "We have traveled here to see the dragon eggs. We will be staying in the castle."
"Do you have identification?"
Lady Maeve's face flushed bright red; her hands shook with suppressed rage. "I am of the noble house of Bainard! We have been hosted at the castle for centuries! I do not need identification, you half-wit!"
The guard listened calmly to Lady Maeve's outburst before answering, "I'm sorry ma'am, but things have changed." His eyes were hard when he said, "I don't know how you and your kind were treated when Galbatorix was in power, but now Queen Nasuada is in control. The rules have changed. Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you cannot show me any identification."
Lady Maeve bristled but seemed somewhat cowed by the unruffled guard. She handed him an ancient-looking sheaf of documents, and after a few minutes of careful inspection the guard allowed them to pass.
Inside the castle a harassed-looking steward showed them to their rooms. The rooms were small, and in a secluded part of the castle. Lady Maeve bristled at this second insult, but remained silent.
The steward directed Lady Maeve to share a room with Lilit, Aedan and Hector's room was across the corridor (Darius had stayed behind to watch the manor in the Lady's absence). However after the steward left Lady Maeve sent Aedan to sleep in the storage closet at the end of the corridor. Aedan dragged a cot into the tiny space, in an attempt to at least make the tiny closet more bearable.
After unpacking all of Hector's things, fetching his dinner and hot water for his bath, as well as sharpening his sword (what was that son of a bitch going to use it for anyway?!) Aedan collapsed, exhausted onto his cot.
He lay awake in the darkness, his thoughts wandering. When Aedan had gone to the kitchen to fetch Hector's dinner he had overheard the cooks gossiping about the dragon eggs. Apparently the eggs and their couriers had arrived yesterday, and Queen Nasuada had welcomed them to stay in the castle.
###
"Well it's really only one egg now, isn't it?" one cook had said as he slid a tray loaded with loaves of bread out of an oven. "The other hatched already for that Teirm girl right?"
Another cook, who was turning the spit in an enormous fireplace, rolled his eyes, saying, "Well of course, you idiot, but the girl's here in the castle too. I hear she's got a wing of the castle all to herself."
The first cook laughed at this, "A whole wing? For one little girl? Even if she is a Rider that's pushing it."
The other cook crossed his arms, saying, "Well it's what I heard. Besides there are so many people in the capital to try for the second dragon egg, one of us is bound to be picked."
The first cook smirked at this, saying "What? Fancy yourself a Rider?"
The second cook's face had flushed and the rest of the kitchen had erupted into laughter, teasing the victim mercilessly.
###
Aedan smiled at the memory of the cooks, they had been very entertaining. He wondered about the first cook's ambitions to become a Rider. If a cook could do maybe… But he banished the thought from his mind. Aedan would be lucky enough if he managed to glimpse the egg. Touching it was out of the question. Lady Maeve would see to that.
Aedan rolled over on his cot, pulling his one blanket tight around him, and closed his eyes.