Nasuada watched Arya with a careful gaze. Something was different about the way she held herself; about the way she moved. A fragility that was never there before until now.
They walked to the large open window that overlooked the rolling hills to the west. Nasuada would sit on the left and Arya moved to take the seat to the right, except she preferred to look out at the drifting day for a moment.
"Would you like something to drink?" Nasuada offered before taking a seat herself.
"Water is fine, thank you." Arya said kindly as she leaned against the windowsill to glance out at the scenery.
"You're sure? I have some fine wine that's been aged for over a hundred years. We found a massive supply in Galbatorix' private chambers." Nasuada smiled as she headed over to a tall cabinet that held both glassware and a variety of different alcoholic substances.
"As much as I'd like to, I must refuse. I thank you kindly, though." Arya responded then frowned and winced at her own foolishness, then remembered that Humans weren't aware of the dangers of drinking while pregnant and relaxed.
Nasuada chuckled. "Have you sworn off alcohol? You're a better woman than I if you have. I'm not overzealous with drinking, but I do have the taste for it. A queen must stay clear-headed as often as she can." With a smile, she pulled down two glasses and a clear bottle of dark red wine, then set them on a silver tray. She then retrieved a pitcher of water and poured a glass for Arya. She uncorked the wine bottle and poured a glass for herself.
Arya smiled faintly. "No, I haven't necessarily chosen to remain abstinent from drinking. I never much was fond of most alcoholic beverages aside from faelnirv. I didn't bring any with me, but if you're interested, I'll have some sent here as both a symbol of our success, friendship, and my gratitude for keeping Eila and Eylörís safe until my arrival." She watched Nasuada return with the silver tray, then as she took a seat with regal poise.
"I would enjoy that very much, thank you." The young leader responded. Despite her age, she, in some respects, had more experience than some of the oldest Kings. How many could call themselves the leader of an organization responsible for taking down a powerful tyrannical ruler who was also a very twisted and incredibly powerful Rider?
Arya turned and went to take a seat, which is an easy task for someone like her, except the movement of sitting caused the same ligament to spasm as before in her tub. Pain tore through her lower abdomen and her breath hitched. She attempted to let herself sink into the soft chair, except she was in obvious and unconcealable agony, but instead let herself drop while remaining as composed as she possibly could.
Nasuada's eyes widened and she moved to stand, but Arya made a gesture with her left hand and shook her head.
"Are you alright?" Nasuada's concern was frighteningly clear as she watched Arya struggle against an unknown force from the edge of her seat.
"Mhm." The Elf nodded in a strangled tone as she waited for it to pass. Her mind floated to her baby and she remembered she needed to breathe. She made the immediate decision to check on him to make sure he was okay. A pang of fear struck her chest in those moments when she was searching for him and turned up empty handed. She eventually sighed in relief when she found him, and she watched him for a moment. He smiled lightly as his hands grabbed at nothing, his little toes were curled up in what looked like concentration. Her little boy was looking more and more like a person as each day passed.
Arya pulled away as the pain faded and she sighed quietly before looking sheepishly over at Nasuada, whose concern was almost tangible. "I'm okay now." She volunteered in a low volume, feeling weary and shaky.
Nasuada's concerned frown remained as she remained on the edge of her comfortable seat. "Are you sure? You look a little pale…"
Arya nodded as she let herself breathe. "Yes, I'm sure. Elves have the capability of checking on themselves internally to make certain they are working correctly. As it turns out, I have faulty ligaments." Her soft smile was certain and reassuring, but that faded as she looked down at herself. "The first time this happened, I thought I was having a miscarriage." Her voice became quiet and uncertain. The choice to reveal her pregnancy to Nasuada had been meditated over, but she wasn't sure if she was actually going to do it. Now that the opportunity arose, she was almost forced to. The young Queen knew too much about her for her most recent episode to be brushed off as nothing.
Realization instantly dawned on Nasuada and her jaw dropped in absolute shock. "Oh… y-you're…" Nasuada responded softly as she stared directly at the Elf who was gazing down at her stomach with a tenderly affectionate look expressed solely through her eyes. Her hands cradled her baby bump discreetly as the solid arm of the chair was in the way.
"You're… that's why Elva… oh…" she swallowed and took a breath. "I'm sorry…" the younger Queen shook her head and a bright smile replaced shock. "Oh, congratulations Arya!" She beamed as the news suddenly hit her and joy swelled in her chest.
The Elf looked over shyly with a small smile. "Thank you." She felt unable to mirror Nasuada's enthusiasm because she doesn't feel that enthusiastic about it yet. The things that terrify her outweigh the happy things, which prevents a positive mindset.
"C-can I ask how far along?" Her smile became more nervous. In all honesty, Arya is the last person she would expect to be starting a family, but she's been wrong before.
"Almost three months. Ten weeks, to be more specific." She sighed and looked out at the blue sky. "Please don't tell anyone."
Nasuada's demeanor fell when she saw Arya's attitude towards the topic. "No, of course not. It's not my place to tell people. You are my friend and I'd never do something like that. D-do you feel okay?"
Arya looked over again, and this time she smiled. "Thank you, and yes I'm fine, tired, perhaps, but fine." Her eyes searched Nasuada's deep brown orbs and her smile became shy again. She could see the questions bubbling behind the other woman's honest gaze. She chose to ignore them and changed the subject. "Now, you wanted to speak with me about something important?"
Nasuada reached over to her cup of wine, raised it to her lips and took a sip of the deep red substance, which reminded Arya that she still had her water to drink.
Resigning her happy demeanor that lingered after finding out about Arya's secret, Nasuada gathered her thoughts. "Well, due to recent events, Elva is… growing too powerful to practice anything safely here. My people wouldn't know how to help her if something went wrong and I worry she could become a hazard to the general public while untrained. Angela proposed that I ask you if it would be alright if she and Elva came to stay with you in Ellesméra. It seems the girl has been wanting to visit for some time now." Nasuada's demeanor fell slightly. "She's not happy here. She's taunted and made fun of on a constant basis. It doesn't help her stay in control either. Emotions are very powerful things and I worry about her."
Arya needed a moment to think about that. Her hands remained at the base of her belly, but her touch became more meaningful. Despite the dangers Elva brings, she is only a child who is lost, confused, and scared. If her son was in the same situation, she would want the best for him, and the best resides in Ellesméra. "I agree, Elva would be safer in Ellesméra or in one of the other Elvish cities. We have spellcasters who can help if Angela alone isn't enough, though Angela is deceptively powerful." Arya nodded, then reached up to toy with her necklace. "Elva will be welcome and so will Angela."
Nasuada looked relieved. "I thank you greatly. I will miss their presence, but if it is to help, it's worth it." She smiled. "Can I ask you something?"
"That depends on what it is, but take your shot anyways, I can't guarantee an answer." Arya responded casually as she reached for her glass of water, then took a sip.
That reply was not what Nasuada expected, but she asked anyway. "What do you think about our new Rider?"
"Eila and Eylörís or Eila specifically?" Arya raised an eyebrow.
"Eila specifically." Nasuada clarified.
"Oh… she's very unique. I look forward to working with her as she is quite intelligent." Arya frowned slightly. "I feel like I've met her before, her features are somewhat familiar but I am unable to place it. Perhaps I once knew one of her parents, whichever one provided the Elvish half as I know very few Humans." She smiled and turned her attention back to the outside. "Despite her heritage, I believe she is to be a wonderful, dedicated student. She's very shy, I'll have to work with her on trusting me and Fírnen. From what I've heard her say, she's been abused in her past, to what extent that goes, I'm unsure. I hope she comes around, though, and I hope she finds herself comfortable in Ellesméra."
Nasuada sighed. "I wish you the best with that. She was so resistant when we found her and she's surprisingly good with a blade. She was able to cut Vanir with the rusty knife she had with her. None of us knew she had it. Luckily Vanir was okay and he handled the situation with great poise. He didn't even get angry, most likely because he knew she was injured. I've seen his temper and that is not pretty."
Arya frowned, suddenly concerned. "She was injured? How badly?"
"Her shoulder blade was fractured almost to the point of broken. We don't know how long she's had the injury, but Vanir suspects that she's been dealing with it for a long time. Part of the bone had healed back, but it left a scar that might cause her pain because it wasn't properly cared for. Both he and Angela had to work together to both knock her unconscious and then to fix her shoulder. They said that if they were to let it heal naturally, it would have been a lot worse than if they used magic to speed the process along."
The concerned look deepend on Arya's features. "Has Vanir practiced with her at all? In anything from magic to etiquette?"
Nasuada shook her head. "She's been rather resistant to any sort of advice or help we've tried to give her. Trust me, he's tried, but I'm afraid he runs a little thin on patience. The most we've been able to do is feed her."
Arya's gaze became contemplative. "I hope she finds it in herself to be a little more open with me and Fírnen. So far I think she's doing alright. She's spoken to me several times already, but only very casually. If she keeps this behavior, she may be more willing to share things the closer we get to know each other."
There was a knock at the door that disrupted their conversation rather abruptly. Nasuada stood, then looked over to Arya, who had carefully slid to the edge of her seat in preparation to stand. She just sighed and let her right hand drift to her lower abdomen, allowing Nasuada to see how much she was showing without realizing it.
The young Queen's eyes softened, and she reached out to offer her hand, and was surprised when Arya took it, though it was obvious the Elf wasn't happy about accepting help. "Are you sure you're okay?" Nasuada said quietly and Arya nodded in a resigned nod. "I'm fine. I'm just sore." She admitted, feeling slightly ashamed of herself for a reason Nasuada couldn't understand. "Thank you." The Green Rider added and Nasuada nodded. "Of course."
Arya followed her to the door and nervously straightened her tunic to hide herself from onlookers.
When the doors were pulled open the guards stood in the threshold, separating Angela and Eila from Nasuada and Arya.
"Oh, please come in." Nasuada said immediately the moment she laid eyes on the stone Eila was carrying. The guards stood aside obediently.
Arya tensed as she let her mind brush carefully against the stone, knowing exactly what it was. An Eldunarí. "You found that in the cells?" She asked darkly and Eila's eyes widened.
"Don't hurt him." She responded quietly, her arms tightening around the large stone.
"What's going on?" Nasuada asked.
"It seems Shruikan is still alive and well." Angela answered. "He used Elva's powers to break himself out. He means no harm."
Arya frowned and stared directly at the stone. "Shruikan." She said in a stern voice.
"The Witch, Angela is right, I am not here to hurt anyone. My days of inflicting pain on others are over." He volunteered to everyone present.
"That didn't apply when you hurt Elva." Angela said harshly, a venomous contrast between her usual temperament.
"I did that only to be safely found. Tell me you wouldn't do the same if you were in my position." He shot back and Eila immediately dropped to her knees, then sat and wrapped her body around the stone to protect it from the rising tensions in the room.
Arya straightened and pressed a hand against Angela's shoulder, signalling her to calm down. She looked over at Nasuada who could not take her eyes away from the girl and the stone. She walked over to Eila who shied away from her the instant she knelt. "What's happened?" She spoke to only Shruikan and Eila.
"I summoned the child, Elva, to help me. She did and I was found by Eila and the one you call Angela. I wished to speak with you, mainly to thank you for freeing me from Galbatorix, and then to ask you to send my thanks to Eragon, the other half of the one you carry and Rider of Saphira, for slaying my enslaver. I owe you both my life." He spoke gently and solely to both Eila and Arya.
"Do you and Eila know each other?" Arya asked, trying to seem unphased by his comment about knowing who her baby's father is, let alone knowing she's pregnant in the first place. Her hand touched the pendant. She supposed he's strong enough to see over the shield the pendant gave to both herself and her child. He's a dragon who is older than she is after all.
Eila looked a little helpless at the question, but Shruikan answered before she could come up with anything. "Yes. We do. I've known Eila all her life as she was both born in this castle and raised in it. Her father had her under my tutelage for a time. She's the only reason I didn't fall to the darkness like the other Eldunarí within Glabatorix' grasp. I came very close, however. He was a very twisted man." Shruikan responded darkly, voice full of hatred.
Arya looked to Eila, who remained curled around the stone. She reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder, understanding the things she must have gone through based on her own experiences with Durza. "My greatest sympathies to both of you. Were either of you able to find anything else down there?"
"Eggs." Eila breathed aloud. "In the chests. Shruikan says there are eggs in some of the chests. They're covered in gold coated with Seithr Oil." She answered quickly, almost desperately.
Arya pulled away with a deep frown on her features. "How? The records say Galbatorix and the Forsworn destroyed the eggs and the remainder of the living Riders. We would know if there were any survivors."
"There were eggs already here in the castle when Galbatorix stole it out from under the Elves. Not many knew they were here as they didn't want to broadcast the fact for the safety of the Dragon Race. He had brought three eggs with him upon his arrival and kept those in his vault. When he found the collection here, he hid them and said nothing of them for the same reasons the Elves did: to keep them secret. He attempted to build an army of Riders, like Murtagh and Thorn, which inevitably failed to his greatest frustration. Nearing the end of the war, he forced me to give him my Eldunarí and he hid it along with the eggs. The thing that I am now feels like a saddle that is too big. His dark and twisted methods surrounded me and I grew much faster than I ever was supposed to. My body was bloated and enlarged, unhealthy and painful. I am cleansed of that now, but because I was forced to give him my Heart of Hearts, I ended up like this because it grew with my body. This is why I thank you for putting my body out of its misery." He finished, earning a very sad look from Arya. She hadn't realized the absolute pain he was in.
When she came around, Eila was staring at her with anticipation. "What do we do?" She asked and Arya snapped out of staring at the Eldunarí.
"Nasuada, would you order a team to incredibly carefully take down the chests? Once the chests are removed, we can figure out how to best clean them of the Oil. Get Vanir to help. If he refuses, I'll have his hide. Operations should start tomorrow, it's getting late." Arya turned and asked, ending with a violence to her voice that was rarely heard. Nasuada gave a diligent nod, though obviously surprised by the recent turn of events.
"Are you planning on joining us?" She asked, though her tone held something close to a warning to stay away from the heavy work and Arya knew why.
"Unfortunately, not today. I'll need to inform Fírnen and Eylörís of our plans. They could be of help to us and I'm sure they'd be more than willing. Eila, I would like you to come with me back to the Loft. Shruikan, if he wishes, will stay with you if you're okay with it. In addition to that, I… I need to go speak with Eragon." She closed her eyes and stood, fighting against the soreness in her lower abdomen. It was getting better, thankfully.
"Are we pulling down all the chests?" Eila asked.
Arya nodded. "I would advise it. If anything, the rest of those chests could contribute to the wealth of this city and to help cover the cost of reparation efforts that may still need to be tended to." She offered her hand and Eila took it, clutching Shruikan's Eldunarí the moment she had her hand back. "Shruikan, are you fond of helping with our efforts? I understand your exhaustion and you do need rest. Your help would be greatly appreciated though." She asked.
"I'd be forceful to help if it wasn't offered to me. I was partly responsible for the near-extinction of the dragon race; my own family. This is a responsibility I must direly attend to make up for that abomination of crime." He responded.
Arya smiled. "In that case, would you like to come with me and Eila to meet our dragons or do you wish to help Nasuada determine where the eggs are?" She asked, pleasantly surprised by his desire to help.
"I will not leave Eila's side. I go where she goes." he responded, and Arya nodded. She looked to Eila, who immediately knew to give her response.
"And I would like to see Eylörís. I miss her. I'm getting tired as well." Eila said quietly and Arya offered a sympathetic look. She understood what it was like to be newly bonded with a dragon.
"Then Eila, Shruikan and I will return to our quarters. I would urge immediate action on this, but again, physical efforts will begin tomorrow." She responded.
"Very well. Let's get going." Nasuada smiled, as she dismissed the room.
"What of Elva? She could be of help in this." Angela offered before everyone had a chance to leave.
Nasuada thought for a moment then nodded and turned to her desk to pull out a set of keys. "Tell the guards to meet me down in the prison for a special task. Don't tell them what's going on. Release Elva and bring her too." She walked back over to Angela and handed her the keys. "Return these to me. Elva will be released."
"Thank you, Lady Nasuada. We'll see you soon." Angela smiled then left.
Nasuada turned back to Arya and Eila. "You'll expect to see us both tomorrow morning." Arya said in a familiar commanding tone and Nasuada nodded.
"See you then. Get some rest. If you need anything, let me know. I'll have food brought to your quarters. No meat. Vanir has been instrumental in creating more flexible dietary accommodations." She nodded with a smile and Arya thanked her greatly before she, the halfling, and Eldunarí escorted themselves out of the room. At least he did something good.
From there, everyone went about their business and prepared themselves to retrieve the lost eggs of Ilirea.
A/N: Well hello again! This took me much longer to write than I'd like to admit, mainly because my mind was starting to stray and I started playing video games again (three cheers for the Witcher 3!) plus school stuff on top of that. As always once again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll probably have another for you soon! Thank you all for reading and for those who reviewed, a second thank you because I have no idea how to show my appreciation in a greater sense.
Anyways, I hope all of you are staying safe, healthy, happy, and perhaps not too bored :)
-Lady Arlo