Chapter 36-In Fate's Hand

The morning light of a new dawn met Narssia as she drifted over the Ramr River. Its dark banks invited her to stop and drink but she was on a mission and would not allow for the petty need of liquids to halt her intended flight to the capital of the Empire.

Galbatorix needed to be informed of what her mate had done by killing Shruikan. She saw it as an act of revenge, a need to prevent her from turning to the older dragon once more when things turned bad. Didn't Raxmon realize that their bond went deeper than that?

She shook her head and sped up, folding in her wings slightly as she tapped into the air currents to gain more speed. Like a grey above-ground tomb Uru'baen rose up over the horizon. Its dark grey walls echoed out to Narssia of Shruikan and she averted her gaze. She knew the path from here on out anyway.

Flaring her wings as she landed inside the courtyard which led passage to the interior of the city, and to Galbatorix, Narssia cast a warning glance at Thorn as he neared. His ruby scales glistened in the fresh dawning light but, with a hiss from her, he drew back and watched with guarded eyes as she made her way inside.

Her claws clicked as she made her way down the smooth marble hallways of Uru'baen but she paid that no mind. It was what she was going to say that worried her slightly but more than that it infuriated her that she could think of nothing good enough to say to the ruler of Alagaesia. Never before in all her life spent out so far had she been at a loss of words for anything but only now did it anger her that nothing surfaced to the forefront of her mind.

Stepping inside the black throne room in which she knew quite well by now, Narssia drew herself up proudly as she advanced toward Galbatorix. He was sitting on his dragon-carved throne but stood up as soon as she had entered the room. His black robes swept over the golden armrests of his throne as he descended the four narrow steps that led to it.

"Do what do I owe this pleasure, Narssia?" There was no emotion in his voice, only the same coldness that she had first heard when she had first met him.

Shruikan is dead . . . Narssia looked away for a moment, her mind reeling as she debated to say the next part. She did say it even if it went against her own respect and love for her mate. Raxmon was his killer.

"Your mate killed him?" Galbatorix inquired, crossing over to her as his dark eyes narrowed slightly.

He did, she answered without hesitation, even though it pained her to speak against Raxmon as she was doing.

"Yet you come back here to inform me of this. Why? Why would you do this when you could live with the Varden and with your mate in harmony now?"

To what harmony do you speak of, your majesty?

"Shruikan had some feelings for you. I expected that you would try to stay with Raxmon after he killed the black dragon but yet you return here."

I did what was best, Narssia admitted as she lowered her head.

Galbatorix was right about one thing, she could have decided to stay with Raxmon. Why had she not then? It would have been safer for her and better as she was pregnant. She didn't understand and figured she never would be able to explain her reasons for returning to where she was kept much like a prisoner.

"You did what was best." Galbatorix slowly circled around her as she snarled softly. Her own words reflected back at her in his voice sounded too hate-filled, too angry. "Yet you place the life of the unborn child inside of you at risk. Certainly you must think that I'd want the dragon that you carry inside of you after you lay the egg."

You wouldn't dare, Narssia hissed, her eyes watching him with such anger that her own voice dropped low in the tone of her fury. Along with that tone of voice came her menacing growl that reflected all the cruelty her young life had dealt out to her.

"I have no dragon now Narssia and your personality is . . . well let's just say it's the very anger of madness that burns inside you that rules you out as a possible choice to fill the position of my new dragon. A young life so twisted, so . . . "

Even as she tried to stop herself, Narssia felt her anger mounting the more Galbatorix spoke. Finally she snapped.

Rushing toward him with her eyes aglow with burning rage, she roared out in pure hatred. This human would take her child from her, she couldn't have that. There was no way Galbatorix would lay a hand on her son or daughter, she'd make sure of that.

With as much swiftness as she had in her advance, Galbatorix stepped back. He did so not because he feared her but because of what he knew she was capable of. The anger that burned in her blazed only because of the cruelty to which she had been exposed to in her youth. The very nature of her was so firmly twisted that it was surprising that she had even considered Raxmon to be her mate.

You've learned, she commented as she recalled the last time they had engaged in such a fight.

"You haven't," Galbatorix responded as he drew his sword, the sheath cleverly hidden under his robes.

Why say that? Narssia questioned as she growled softly.

"Because you've put yourself in a very dangerous position," the king responded with no sympathy for her as Narssia realized that she had backed him up against a wall and his sword pointed straight at her chest.

You wouldn't kill me, she pointed out. I'm too valuable to you right now because of what is growing inside of me. You kill me, you kill my child; remember that.

Narssia sighed as Galbatorix lowered his sword. For now, she was safe because of her unborn child. After she had laid the egg and it hatched then she had better be careful of her tone when she spoke to him.

"You will lay the egg here when the time comes. Once it is laid, you are to bring it to me immediately, without hesitation. Do you understand?"

As if she was caught under her own power of telepathy to force others to understand her words, Narssia could not fight the impact this had on her.

I . . . I understand.

As soon as she had spoken that she agreed to the terms the weight of such mental pressure to answer vanished. There was no way that Galbatorix could use her own gift against her but she had no other explanation for the sensation she had felt.

Turning to walk out as her task was done, Narssia moved forward silently. She only paused at the twin black doors as Galbatorix spoke up once more, a soft growl rising in her throat but she managed to contain it.

"Don't forget your promise, Narssia."

Releasing the growl as a snarl that was as soft as it was filled with malice, she regarded him with annoyance and walked out on her own accord. The doors slammed shut behind her as she nearly broke them in her anger. He couldn't have her child, yet there was no way to avoid what had been agreed upon by both of them.

She had only a month to wait. Once that time came she would have no other option but to see to it that the egg was delivered to Galbatorix either by her or by someone else as she watched. Either choice would fulfill the agreement that had been made between her and Galbatorix.

As her own despair would grow over the coming month so too would her anger and hatred build upon itself. When she had been created there had been some anger that brewed beneath her scaled exterior but not to the degree that it now was. Nature had twisted her into the purest being of rage and destruction that was possible for who she was and for her very kind. Now there was no way to reverse what had been done. She was as much a killer on the inside as she was on the outside and it worried her that she would act upon instinct when she laid the egg, destroying it as it was foreign to her as she had never seen an egg from their kind. Nevertheless, she was glad of her decision to return to Uru'baen and inform Galbatorix of what had transpired.

My fate lies between the light and deepest shadows, she hummed softly to herself as her claws clicked repeatedly on the smooth floors as she made her way to where her room, she hoped, still remained.