(A/N)

Hello again! Another chapter update and more insight into the characters. Thank you for the reviews, follows, and faves. Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7: Insight

This was a very strange situation. The very man who had saved her from Durza and cured her wounds was her interrogator.

All the more reason not to trust him. He must have an elaborate plan to gain my trust in order to get me to reveal the eggs location. Unfortunately for him I have no idea where it ended up.

Arya's mouth stretched into a small smile, the first one it had seen in a long time.

He genuinely seemed to not wish her any harm, but usually the most insidious people could hide their evil intentions behind a façade. This made it all the more difficult to discern his actual character. He could be telling the truth… or he could be the villainous man Lord Denethor had become known as. When he had talked to her earlier she noticed he was young, no more than 18 years old.

She began to feel sorry for him, so young to be taking on such responsibility. To have your childhood taken away for you was a horrible thing. You lose the innocence of a child's eyes, seeing the world around you as a small and safe place while blindly trusting people and believing the world to be a wholesome place. At least you would have the experience of knowing serenity before the world comes down with the truth like a hammer on an anvil. Arya remembered that epiphany very well.

(80 years earlier)

Arya sat quietly with her mother at the dinner table, each moment passing slower than a year. The large room seemed small in comparison now that they were alone. After a few minutes of eating in silence the Queen spoke.

"It has been brought to my attention that you wish to leave Du Weldenvarden and become an ambassador for us to the Varden. This job is not to be taken lightly. To get the elves involved with the Varden could prove to turn the war in one of two ways. It could be a turning point and give them the push they desperately need to win, or it could prove catastrophic and move Galbatorix to push and eliminate them."

"Mother this move would be unanticipated by the Empire and catch by surprise. If we don't come to their aid they would be foolish to even make a move on the Empire. Together the elves and Varden could forever change Alagaesia for the better and once and for all rid us of Galbatorix."

"Even with the elves there is no guarantee that we will win. Galbatorix is extremely powerful and I cannot risk getting us involved."

Arya's temper began to rise. "Then don't get fully involved, if we only had an elf on the outside to gather information we could help them if only a little. This is the most logical course of action right now."

"Then I will send someone NOT the only heir to the throne. This job would be dangerous at best, potentially lethal. Would you send yourself to death?"

"If need be."

"You don't need too! We could easily send someone else."

"I'm tired of being trapped here, never seeing any of the outside world. Mother I long to experience something other than the monotonous drone of the forest and this would be an excellent solution to my problem."

"I forbid it."

The instant the word fell out her lips she instantly regretted it. Arya's only response to that would be full-blown retaliation.

"You FORBID it?" Arya laughed. "I'd like to see you try!"

"I am your Queen and mother Arya and you will treat me as such. I will not tolerate you behaving like a child."

"I am not behaving like a child, I just want the opportunity to see the world and more importantly bring Galbatorix down! Or have you already gotten over father's death."

"Do not ever accuse me of not caring about my husband. I loved him more than you can imagine. Arya you tread on dangerous ground, I suggest you back away."

"Or what mother? You'll send me to my room?"

"Fine! You want to be an ambassador so badly than you could go. But know if you do you are banished from Du Weldenvarden. I hope you make the right decision."

(Present Day)

That was a lifetime ago. She always regretted leaving on such bad terms with her mother, but she did not have any other choice. She had pushed Arya into this.

Arya let her head fall into her hands in anguish. Why couldn't her mother just accept that she wanted to leave and be the ambassador?

Damn her.


Denethor headed to the throne room to inform Galbatorix that the elf courier was in Uru'Baen. The streets bustled with people busy with their mundane lives while he walked. He opened the doors to the castle to see Formora waiting for him.

"Denethor, you're back!" He noticed that she had a smile on her face, the same face that rarely smiled.

"Hello Formora. How have you been while I was away?"

"Same old routine: nothing followed by an abundance of more nothing with a little sparring thrown in the mix. How was the hand-off?"

"Durza was an ass. He basically accused me of treason and threatened to expose me for the fraud I was." Denethor smiled and laughed.

Formora on the other hand couldn't even contain herself; her body shook with boisterous laughter.

"Is he serious? He is even more idiotic than I thought."

"Other than that it went off without a hitch, the elf is in my house while I ask Galbatorix what he wants to do next."

"You know Denethor, you work too much. You should take some time off soon to spend tome with your mother. And I would like to spend some time with you as well." Her face blushed with embarrassment. "That is if you would want to spend some time with me."

"Yeah of course, that would be nice. Shall we say dinner once I get a chance to relax?"

"That sounds great! Well I'll see you around."


She couldn't believe it! She had finally asked to spend some alone time with him and he said yes.

I sound like a teenage girl the way I'm fawning over him.

Then a thought occurred to her.

What if he just thinks we are just going to dinner as friends? God I'm such an idiot!

She began to have doubts about going to dinner. The man that had shown her the meaning of living wouldn't make a fool of her. She had always been so demeaning towards others and looked down on them, treating them as a sub-being. Before her dragon had been slain she hadn't been that way. She had not been carefree by any means but she had been nicer overall and semi-caring, not this hard, emotionless thing she had come to see in the mirror everyday. Denethor had shown her by example that being nice to others reaped benefits unbeknownst to those who were selfish. By being kind to people it made you feel good inside.

She had been furious by the way he treated her. How could someone be so kind to her when she couldn't even be kind to herself? She did not understand it. The thought was foreign to her. She didn't deserve it; all the things she had done were horrific. She had killed people who didn't deserve it, saved people who didn't deserve it, and served those who didn't deserve it. All of her time serving in the Forsworn had been morally atrocious. She could never atone for what she had done.


"I take it that the elf is safe in your custody?"

"Yes my king, she is currently at my house. How should we precede?"

"I think you are suited to interrogate her, at least more than Durza. Get the location of the egg."

"As you wish my king."

(A/N)

Hope you liked Arya's flashback and it fills in some of the holes in character development. I know some of the characters are acting differently than what you are used too (Formora in Rainxoxo's fanfic) but there is a reason and all will be explained in time. Be sure to review and tell me what you think. See you next time.