Tears of the Wronged
An Inheritance Fanfic
Note: based after Brisingr
Seven: The Father of the Dying Babe
"What do you mean she's dying?" Lady Nasauda asked, it had been two days since the original statement had been made.
"I don't know." Arya told her as she sat beside a sleeping Keridyn. "I shouldn't have pushed her, who knows what's going on in her head?"
"Arya, you can't blame yourself, the reaction she had was instinctual." Nasauda flinched. "I still can't believe that she's his daughter. I want to trust her, but if someone learns of this there will be great distrust within the forces of the Varden."
Eragon stood by the tent flap staring at Keridyn. She's the King's daughter. He thought dubiously. She is the heir to the throne if Galbatorix dies.
Eragon, I find it oddly similar to how you thought you were the son of Morzan. Saphira told him. But, where as your fears were unfounded in the end, here she is, the very thing you once feared yourself to be, but, with her, she was hated for everything she stood for and believed in by her own father.
I don't need to be lectured Saphira. I understand to a certain degree.
I know you understand, but think of another thing, if you were afraid of being judged as Morzan's son, how do you think she feels knowing that she will be judged as Galbatorix's daughter?
Would you just leave me alone to brood?
Fine, if that's how you're going to be.
Eragon sighed, he shouldn't have said that, but he really wanted to be alone. He looked back at Keridyn. Saphira was right, he knew faintly how she felt, but there were other circumstances, ones that would tell how much she truly despised being her father's daughter.
Keridyn stirred slightly under his gazeā¦and another memory burst through the minds of those there.
Keridyn was perhaps only ten years old, walking down a decorated hall in evergreen drapes. Vrael walked beside her. "I believe you to be a valued Rider, Keridyn, Would you not consider advancing your training?" He asked. Keridyn looked at him for a moment. "No." She answered. He was surprised. "Would you answer why?" He asked. Keridyn was silent for a moment more before she spoke. "Because I wish to learn things how I will, to further my training would disappoint my teacher and friends to no end, and would further alienate me." Vrael nodded. "I understand. Your blood has proven to be a problem, yes?" Keridyn's head hung as she replied. "Yes, the elves distrust of me and the humans wariness has proven to be a small problem, but nothing that is overly problematic." Vrael nodded, "Your mother was worried about you earlier in your training, but I have found her worries to be unfounded." He told her with a smile on his face. "You display a rather large aptitude in swordsmanship, Keridyn, why is that?" Keridyn smiled at him, "I'm good at it, the forms and dances fascinate me, I'm afraid I've gone and spent Master Oromis's knowledge." Vrael smiled at this. "Perhaps I should show you what I know." Keridyn's young face lit up with happiness.
As quickly as it came the memory was gone and Keridyn was sitting up where she slept and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Damn it." She said. "I wanted so hard to forget something like that." She told them.
Everyone stared at her.
"Forgive me for not telling you all earlier. But, I wanted to keep something like that from the people who need to trust me. I see that all I did was ruin everything I built with you. Again, forgive me." Keridyn said as she hung her head.
"Keridyn, the memories we saw after your fight with Arya, those were yours?" Nasauda asked.
"Yes, but please don't remind me, my mind has endured enough knowing what all he has done. I don't need any more torture from things like this." Keridyn told everyone.
"So he is your father?" Nasauda asked.
"Yes." Keridyn told her. "I didn't even know until Faloreon hatched for me, that's when my mother told me about my father." She turned away from them. "Both of my parents were dedicated to the Riders and what they stood for. In my father's betrayal of the Riders I was doubly betrayed, my father hated me and my mother for believing in the Riders, and eventually he killed her and tortured me for a century."
"Keridyn, there is another thing you aren't telling us, so please be honest with us." Arya told her.
Keridyn smiled slightly.
"Why are you dying?" Arya asked.
Keridyn glanced at her flat stomach.
Nasauda realized what Keridyn was talking about. "You're pregnant?"
Keridyn nodded slowly.
"Eragon, out." Nasauda ordered. The Rider reluctantly left.
"Are you sure, Keridyn?" Arya asked.
"As sure as the sky is blue." Keridyn told them.
Who is the father?" Arya asked.
Keridyn looked away.
"Keridyn, tell us, or we will think the worst of you." Nasauda told her.
"I will not name him, nor will I allow you to tell anyone else, but my child is Eragon's niece/nephew."
"You're carrying the child of Mutagh?" Arya asked aghast. "How did that happen?"
"How do you think?" Keridyn spat at them. "There are many ways to torture a woman, cousin, the imagination of my father is a most hated thing of mine."
Nasauda looked at Keridyn carefully. "The child is killing you?"
Keridyn shook her head.
"Then what is? Keridyn, what is killing you?" Arya asked.
"I am." Keridyn said as she whirled her feet off of her cot. "I'm killing myself."
"Why?" Arya demanded. "You know the value of life, why would you take your own?"
"Because, if I do not end my own life, nothing else can, not time, not war, not torture, not anything." Keridyn explained. "I'm immortal to a degree that is frightening, Arya."
"What do you mean?" Nasauda asked.
Keridyn looked around for a moment. Then pushed up her sleeve where Arya had wounded her and unwound the bandage.
"Don't it'll start bleeding again." Arya told her.
When it was completely unwound there wasn't any blood, just a sharp white scar where her gash had been earlier.
"What?" Arya said as she took Keridyn's arm.
"I told you. Nothing can hurt me. With both my parents being Riders and my mother being an elf, I am more immortal than mortal." Keridyn looked away. "My life is tied to the race of the dragons." She told them. "Vrael told me how he watched me when I was a child, to see how my life would play out. The truth is, Arya, that I was supposed to die when I was young. But, to save me, the Ride Council tied my life to the dragons, so long as there is a dragon, I will live. Your mother should know this."
Nasauda and Arya heard her words with disbelief.
"How is that possible?" Nasauda asked.
"I don't know." She replied. "Nobody ever told me of this until it was too late." Keridyn stood. "Vrael taught me that you are independent of the forces around you. But now I see that he just watched me to see what I would become."
Arya looked at her cousin. "Like what my father did." She realized.
Keridyn nodded. "If I had escaped like Oromis and lived in DuWeldenvarden, I wouldn't have been able to stand it. Your mother and father knew how I lived, as well as you and your father knew who my father was. I have no more secrets from you, now. I can't tell you anymore."
Arya and Nasauda watched Keridyn carefully.
"So, you bear both the granddaughter or grandson of Galbatorix and Morzan?" Nasauda asked. "And you wish to keep it a secret, even from Eragon?"
Keridyn looked up. "I do wish to keep it from others, but I will have to tell him in time, lest he get the wrong idea."
Nasauda watched her as she stood. Keridyn was a sight to see, without hair and a covered eye, scars in all, she held herself with an air that not even Eragon had. "I guess now the only large problem we have is either telling everyone that you're the daughter of the King or keeping it from everyone."
"Actually, there is one other problem." Came a voice from near them. "Though slightly smaller."
They all whirled around to see Angela standing there.
"You haven't yet told them of how you know me or Tenga." Angela told them.
"By the gods! You're alive!" Keridyn exclaimed.
"I told you many times when you were young, never underestimate me, you'll soon regret it." Angela said with a smile.
"Angela, how did you get in here?" Nasauda asked.
Angela ignored her and walked over to Keridyn. She put one hand on Keridyn's face, on the cheek that bore the bright white scar.
"Could you ever forgive me for that?" She asked, her eyes swam with a milky shine, as though they remembered something from long ago.
"It wasn't your fault, it was an accident." Keridyn told her.
"True, but I still did it, whether or not it was intentional." She replied.
Nasauda and Arya watched this with strange expressions.
"Tell them, or I will." Angela threatened.
"But-"
"No 'buts' Aiedail." Angela told her. "Tell them, with unbridled honesty."
Keridyn sighed. "Alright, Silbena, alright."
* * * * * * * * * *
Oooh. What a shocker!
Aiedail- The Morning Star
Silbena- Sighing
