The moonlight sparkled, sending a kaleidoscope of shimmering diamonds into the air. Alaria crouched harmlessly behind a bush, her sapphire eyes riveted on the scene in front of her. A dragon lay on its side, the gleaming emerald shade of its body standing out against the black of the night sky.
"My name is Alaria and I mean you no harm." She chanted, trying to work up the courage to speak to the magnificent beast. She cleared her throat and began again.
"My name is Alaria and I bear you no harm…no, no…too formal." She pondered, her eyes focused on a patch of ground. She did not see the Dragon open its eye.
"Alaria." A hard voice called and she spun around, expecting the creature to be in high spirits.
"My name is Al…Oh, my goodness." She gasped, staring into the wide black pupil. The dragon made a sound deep in its throat and Alaria whimpered as it unlocks its mouth to reveal the flames that spewed up and out the maw.
"Ahhhh!" she screamed, her arms flailing as she tried to put out the flames. Her closed fist hit something solid and she heard a groan of pain.
"Alaria! Knock it off." The voice was closer now; more annoyed. "Wake up!"
Panting, Alaria slammed her eye lids up and she shook with relief, realising that she wasn't on fire.
"It's about time." Her older sister Elyria was staring down at her reproachfully, unamused by her sister's lapse of sanity.
"Elyria…I had the strangest vision. There was a green dragon and it spoke my name and then it set my clothes on fire." She babbled, watching as her oldest sister, Lira, rolled her eyes.
"Give us a break, Alaria. It was just a dream." She sat up on the straw mattress and sneered at her fantasist sister. "Now, we must go downstairs and meet with father. He requested our presence, did he not?"
"I guess so." Alaria nodded, standing up and combing a thin hand through her tangled black hair. She was fairly short, with piercing sapphire eyes and black hair. Full lips curled over white teeth as she smiled and her pale skin shone in the dull shadows. Her oldest sister was Lira and she looked similar to her siblings, the exception being that her stunning countenance was practised and unreadable. Elyria was the middle sister and had a tiny beauty spot marring her perfect face…yet it only served to make her more beautiful.
"To Father then." Elyria repeated, turning on her heel and stalking downstairs. She smiled as she passed the portrait of her mother, kissing the elegant likeness. Her mother had died when she was giving birth to her youngest and neither Alaria's father nor Lira had even forgiven her for being born.
She waltzed into the large room, where her father sat stiffly in the chair, severe.
"Morning, Father." Alaria simpered, curtseying slightly. She watched with jealousy as her sisters threw themselves at their stoic parent whose face creased into a smile at their presence.
"Good Morning, girls." He answered; ignoring his wraith-like daughter perched at the end of the table.
"What did you want to speak to us about?" Elyria begged, violet eyes shining with excitement.
"We have a visitor." Their father suddenly scowled, staring at something behind them.
"Who are they Father?" Lira asked eyes weary. "Are they important? Will they help you keep this land and your title of Lord?"
"Yes." A slow deliberately articulate voice answered; a voice like velvet and the sisters spun around. They stared at the tall bald man standing in the doorway. He was dressed entirely in black, with a gem sparling around his throat. Flanking his sides were three or four stooped figures, their faces hidden by their cloaks. Alaria felt a shiver of fear rush through her and the handsome man snapped his head in her direction.
He stared at her for a long moment, appraising her. Then he turned back to her father.
"Are these them?" A cryptic question.
Their father nodded.
"Yes. The oldest is Lira…that is her." He pointed. "Then, there is Elyria, standing over there and the last one is Alaria."
Alaria bristled at her parents' lack of pride in her before swallowing her anger and watching the strange charismatic man.
"These will do just fine." He answered. "I will take them with me today…unless you have changed your mind?"
His tone was light and pleasant but Alaria thought she could detect a menacing threat lurking under the velvet.
"Of course I haven't." Their father hastily reassured the man. "And you can guarantee my title and land?"
"As promised." The stranger replied, before switching to a different language and speaking to his companions in a strange clicking dialect.
"Father?" Lira sounded petrified. "What is happening?"
"This man is going to take you home with him. You will live with him and his three…sons…and you will marry them." Their Father replied firmly.
"You…sold us?" Elyria gasped, unable to believe it. "For a block of land and a reputation?"
"Yes." He answered, turning away. "I could hardly say no to a king now could I?"
The question was rhetorical but her sisters tried to object.
"A king?" Lira repeated. "The only King is King Galbatorix…how could you give us to him?"
"We'll have to live in Urubaen?" Elyria shrieked, looking like she was ready to faint.
"Will we ever see you again?" Lira sobbed, slinging to her deceiving parent. Alaria sniffed in disgust and moved away closer to her new…master, she supposed. Since he owned them for the moment at least before he passed them off to the others…
"What are you doing?" Elyria hissed, staring at her sister with reproachful eyes. "How can you just accept this?"
"Because we can't get out of it no matter what we do." She answered. "I suspect Father has taken a blood oath of some kind and we are through."
The servants of King Galbatorix stepped forward jerkily and pulled the other girls roughly, forcing them to move ahead towards their undesired destiny.
"Father?" Lira pleaded, but he never looked at her…not once as she was dragged screaming from the house. He never watched as the daughters he loved were pulled onto horses and drove from his land and he never saw the regretful glance his youngest cast at him.