I do not own The Inheritance Cycle.
I found another one, I forgot about...


Regal

"If you're going to cry I don't want to see it," Tornac said to the child trailing after him. The girl sniffled and covered her face into the palms of her hands hiding her tears. He continued down the bending passage for a short time until the girl sniffled once more. He heaved a sigh and came to a halt causing Muirgheal to bump into his legs and looked up rather startled. Tornac turned glancing down at her, her eyes were red and swollen and there was a trail of tears down her flushed cheeks, her bottom lip quivered and she sniffed. "Calm yourself, Muirgheal. I have no patience for this today," he told her after a short moment.

The girl wiped her nose with the long sleeve of her dress and nodded slowly. Tornac grabbed her hand and quickly released it as her palm was slick with tears and phlegm. He groaned inaudibly and pulled out a handkerchief, he then proceeded to clean his hands afterwards he moved on to Muirgheal's palms. Muirgheal protested with a whine, when Tornac went to wipe her face, and struggled to push away his hands before giving up and instead moved her head down and away from him. Tornac seized her chin firmly forcing her look up at him so that he wash away the salty trails. When Tornac was satisfied with her appearance, he pocketed the cloth and grasped her hand once more, despite her squealing objections, before setting a brisk pace.

"It's not fair," the child said shyly, after they round a corner.

Tornac looked down at her. Muirgheal's eyes were wide and she was looking at the ground, clearly distressed.

"Many things in this world are not," he said. "But just so that I understand, what are you referring to?"

Muirgheal sped up her pace, her slippers clapping against the marble flooring, so that she could glance up at his face.

"Lots of things," Muirgheal said. "It's not fair that they were talking bad and I was the one who got in trouble but-but they did not."

Tornac sighed and came to a stop once more. He bent down so that he could look Muirgheal in the eye. Muirgheal met his gaze and wiped her nose with her sleeve once again.

"You got into trouble because you assaulted them," he explained.

Muirgheal crushed her lips together in a pout.

"They raised their voices at me, which is just as bad."

Tornac shook his head. "No, Muirgheal, it is not. There is a difference, you need to learn this."

"Why?" She asked pulling her hand away from his. She crossed her arms across her chest in an obstinate manner.

Tornac did not answer until a maiden burdened with linens walked past them, her footsteps echoing loudly.

"If you attack every person you met you will find yourself surrounded only by enemies. You need to think before you act," he said.

Muirgheal frowned in confusion and looked down at the ground. Her feet wiggled from under the skirts of her gown.

"So you're just not saying not to do it because it's improper and unlady-like?" She asked.

"No," he said, "I am not."

"Cordelia would have but that would have no sense because that means that boys could do it all they like," she said, "unless they mean to be lady-like."

Tornac fought back a smile. "Some believe so."

"Then they're silly," Muirgheal said smiling at the ceiling, "so very, very silly."

Tornac chuckled in reply. He took the child's hand and led her down the hallway to her chamber.

Muirgheal had arrived to in Urû'baen with her father, the Rider Morzan, and his dragon well over two years ago. The Rider Morzan was uncouth in his arrival, sputtering and cursing while wrenching both his daughter and her nursemaid off his dragon. The Forsworn ushered them both into Galbatorix's stronghold and into a small drawing room before disappearing to meet with the king. That was the last time Muirgheal saw her father before he was cut down by the former Dragon Rider Brom, before he too was slain.

Before the day Muirgheal had arrived at capital the world had been ignorant of the child's existence but word spend rapidly, chiefly after Morzan passed into the Void. Soon the child required shielding as there were numerous attempts on the child's life, several of these assassins were caught and hung, though many escaped and now roamed the Empire as fugitives. After what was believed to be the tenth, Galbatorix sent for Tornac's ability and Tornac contented to safeguard Muirgheal without complaint. Leaving his sister's family far behind, Tornac arrived at Urû'baen to heed the king's summoning. He has heard little from his sister since.

In the year that he has been charged with the young Muirgheal, he knew her to be a willful and mild child. Much his early time with the child was spent with her scooting around Tornac's form looking to be moderately frightened. After a time she began to trust him with each passing week, nevertheless even now she would remain quiet and stand a span away scrutinizing him warily if she thought him to be cross.

"Someday, Tornac, I'm going to be a queen," she said suddenly, lifting his hand above her head. "Not of the Empire but somewhere else. Somewhere better! And no one will bad talk about people because if they do they will be in trouble."

"Where will this place be?" Tornac asked, joining her game.

The child tipped his hand with her fingers and seemed to think on it. Then she said at last, "Far, far away."

"That is a welcoming place." Tornac looked down at her, smiling humorously.

Muirgheal nodded.

"It is," she said.

"And how shall you get there?"

"I don't know," she said happily, "I think I will have an enchanted pony. She will go fast, faster than the wind!"

Tornac smirked. "No dragons?" He asked jokingly. The child unexpectedly halted and stumbled when Tornac kept walking, as he had not notice her reaction. He looked down at Muirgheal and saw that she had gone rigid and she appeared to be on the verge of tears. He let go of her hand and knelt down in front of her. "Muirgheal?"

She did not look at him, instead she stared unseeingly ahead.

"Muirgheal?" He tried again.

She shook her head and whispered so softly that Tornac had to strain his ears to hear her, "No dragons."

Muirgheal looked at his face with teary eyes.

"No dragons," he agreed, ending their game.