Chapter 7 is here! Do me a favor and review to tell me what you think about the story. It would nice to get feedback so I know what I am doing well and what I need to improve!
Symbolism- Similar to last time but you will notice that each dragon has the opposite belief in ExA than their rider. Saphira is sceptic to the idea while Eragon is more open about it. Conversely Arya is much more doubtful while Firnen is hopeful.
Eragon's POV
After seeing Arya to her chambers Eragon spent the rest of the day helping to prepare for the feast and celebrations that would take place afterword. After ensuring everything was prepared for the night Eragon arrived back at his room to get ready for the celebration and to escort Arya to the festivities as she was an honored guest and she wouldn't know where to go otherwise.
Once Eragon felt he was ready he contacted Saphira to let her know he would arrive soon. She acknowledged his statement but said nothing. Eragon walked across the hall and knocked on Arya's door. After a few seconds the door opened, and Arya stepped out and Eragon struggled to hold in a gasp.
She was wearing a simple black dress with black leggings underneath. Her black hair was braided with her feather crown atop her head. It was simple but she looked all the better for it.
It took a moment for Eragon to find his voice
"Are you ready to go?"
"I am"
"You look great" Eragon complimented her softly
Arya merely nodded in thanks and didn't say anything
Eragon could tell something was bothering her but decided not to press the subject
"Follow me then your majesty" intending to lighten the mood but if anything, it made things worse
Arya looked tense and uncomfortable the entire walk to the party and only when they were around others did she begin to lighten up.
The party was held in a large room near the center of the city with tables lining next to each other and in the front of the room was a head table set perpendicular to the others. This is where Eragon led Arya and they both sat down next to each other. They made small talk with others around them but spoke little to each other. Once everyone had arrived Eragon stood and spoke to the room
"I shall keep this short as I know we are all famished. On this day five years ago the Varden made a fateful stand against the mad- king Glabatorix! We stood against the most powerful being the world had ever seen and said NO MORE! We stand here today because of the sacrifices made by thousands of people who gave their lives so we may be here living in peace and harmony! May their spirits find peace in the afterlife!" Eragon raised his cup of wine and said in toast "To the heroes of the Varden!"
He took a long gulp from his cup and smiled
"May the feast begin!"
As he sat down Arya muttered to him
"you have gotten better at that"
Eragon smiled and began to fill his plate
The night wore on as food was consumed and wine flowed like water until, near the end of the night, Arya leaned over to him and whispered
"we need to talk"
Eragon nodded and replied "Very well, I think it is time to call it a night anyway"
They bid their goodbyes and began walking toward their rooms. The walk seemed longer to Eragon than the way there had which he supposed had something to do with the wine they had consumed.
Wine had clearly loosened Arya's tongue somewhat as she spoke more to him during the walk than she had the entire night. They didn't talk of anything of significance and so Eragon wasn't sure where the conversation was going. They finally arrived at the tower where their rooms were and they both climbed the steps together. Eragon wondered if she had forgotten that she wanted to talk entirely until he made to enter his room and her hand held him back.
He looked at her questioningly and she motioned for him to follow her into her room.
He slowly entered her room and noticed she shut the door behind her. Her room was identical to his own aside from the bare walls where he had hung his fairths of his loved ones.
He sat on the edge of the bed and waited patiently for her to speak.
When she finally spoke, it was in a hesitant voice as though she was choosing her words with great care
"I have missed you"
It was a simple statement, but it still caused his heart to begin doing backflips in his chest
"I have missed you as well" Eragon replied "It is difficult to be so far from everything and everyone you know. To be so far from world events is…..jarring"
"Yes, I can imagine" she responded
Silence engulfed them for several moments before Eragon spoke again
"So, what was it you wanted to discuss? I get the feeling you didn't call me here to tell me you missed me?" he said with a chuckle
"No I didn't" she responded quietly
Arya suddenly looked nervous as she sat in front of him. Eragon understood that whatever she was about to say had been on her mind for a while now.
Arya took a deep breath before speaking
"Are you angry with me because I decided to become queen?"
The question caught Eragon off guard and he took a moment to answer
"I am angry with you it is true" Eragon said with a voice of controlled calmness "but not because you became queen"
" I understand that the knotted throne is where you think you are needed most just as I am needed here."
"The reason I am angry is quite simple if you allow me to explain"
Arya nodded for him to proceed
"Arya, you were the person I was closest to aside from Saphira during the war and in the months that followed. "We laughed together, cried together, fought battles and saved each other countless times from certain death" His voice rose at every word as five years of anger and frustration burst out of him.
"WE SHARED TRUE NAMES FOR GODS SAKE!" His voice had risen to a shout and he rose from the bed
"AND HOW AM I REPAYED?!"
"WITH NO CONTACT FOR
FIVE
YEARS!"
Arya looked hurt and close to crying, In the back of his mind Eragon felt bad but he knew had to get this off his chest
"Era-Eragon it wasn't as though I didn't try to contact you, I jjj-just didn't have time" she said weakly
"you didn't have time?!" Eragon replied his voice now quiet but cold
"The elves report you rarely leave Du Weldenvarden anymore" his voice still chilled "so it seems to me you had plenty of time on your hands. Why not just end our friendship and be done with it? It's clear you don't care for me" he ended bitterly
Arya spoke quietly but the anger in her voice was evident
"Do you forget it was you who left me?" she stared at him her emerald eyes hardening
"You know as well as I do the reasons I left! It wasn't by choice" his voice filled with bitterness and sorrow.
Eragon turned and as he did so he knocked Arya's still packed bag from the bed. A handful of items fell out of the bag. Some clothes, a comb, a few scrolls but the thing that caught his attention was a stone tablet with an image of him on the front.
Distantly he could hear Arya continuing to argue angrily as he picked up the tablet and observed the fairth. It was an image of himself on the very last day he had seen her before leaving. Tears were streaming down his face as he waved goodbye. The Fairth focused on his face with the background seemingly unfocused. Eragon had seen Arya make Fairths with perfect clarity before so why was this blurred? The Fairth was clearly worn as Eragon noticed smudges in the corner where tears had clearly fallen and suddenly understood.
Eragon turned back to Arya with tears in his eyes. She was still speaking and was seemingly unaware of what had just transpired. Eragon moved forward and embraced her tightly, his tears streaming down his face as he embraced her. She froze, confused by his sudden change in mood, and Eragon feared she would push him away but instead she did just the opposite and embraced him.
"I'm so sorry" he whispered to her
"As am I" she responded still slightly confused
When at last they broke apart Arya spotted the fairth still clutched in his hand.
A look of understanding crossed her face and Eragon expected her to grow angry again but to his surprise she simply took the fairth and put it slowly back into her bag.
Several minutes passed in silence and finally Arya spoke
"It is growing late and I wish to sleep in a bed for once in the last three weeks"
Taking this as his sign to leave Eragon got up and headed for the door.
He paused with his hand on the knob and without thinking whispered Arya's true name. There was a shiver in the air and Arya gasped from behind him.
He opened the door and had stepped into the landing when he heard Arya speak
"You have changed" It was neither an accusation or praise, only truth.
Eragon turned and faced Arya, Meeting her gaze he understood the question behind the statement. Slowly Eragon moved until he was right next to her ear before saying a few lines in the ancient language that defined his very essence.
Without looking at her response he swiftly turned and walked out to his room. He never heard the gasp of surprise or the smile that now shone across her face.
Its currently 1:30 am but I wanted to get this out tonight or I would have gone insane. This chapter was the hardest to write so far but I am reasonably satisfied with the result
Quick thanks again to all that reviewed and followed! Keep sending feedback either good or bad so I can continue to improve!
Stay safe guys!