Eila stared at the ceiling as her whole body began to ache. The topical numbing agents the healers had given to her were beginning to wear off and an hour has yet to pass. She squirmed uncomfortably. Nearly her entire upper torso and chest was wrapped with gauze, slightly pinkened by residual blood that had leaked from the damaged flesh. Her left arm was wrapped as well and so were both of her hands where the oil had touched her when she had to hold the man named Edrik down.
Being wrapped up also meant she wasn't allowed a shirt because a shirt could cause more damage than necessary. At least she had the sheet that covered her legs and the white trousers they had put her in. The damage only spanned her upper half, which was left uncovered. She tried to hide her heavily scarred abdomen with her right arm because she couldn't reach the sheet. Her ability to grasp things was seriously lacking and she felt self-conscious. Eylörís was asleep anyway as the small dragon had grown exhausted while sharing energy with her during the wound cleaning process. Eila didn't want to wake her just to ask for the sheet to be moved. There was a warm breeze flowing through the open window anyway, so that helped. The castle was always a few degrees cooler than outside despite the season. Fires were used during the winter, which causes the exception.
She closed her eyes and thought deeply about the past. Sometimes warm memories can warm a cold body.
Galbatorix looked down at her from his place at the head of the table, a smile on his face. She had been allowed to sit with him and his advisors for supper. He had complimented her in excelling in her lessons and asked her to join him. The way he smiled at her… he seemed proud. The way he had treated her in front of them… it was like she was his daughter and he was the father she longed for him to be. That night brought her so much happiness. It didn't matter that Branding Day was the day that followed.
A set of voices behind the door leading into the small room snapped her out of her reverie and she jumped. Her heart began racing as she didn't want anyone else to see her mutilated body and make another pitying comment about it. She was out of control and it hurt to move. Her body felt too fragile to risk sitting up slightly to grab the sheet. Her ego and her confidence would have to take another blow.
"Right in here. She might be sleeping. The cleaning was rough on her, but she took it better than most men I've seen when they are faced with deep wound cleaning." A kind looking woman with honey blonde hair said in a quiet tone as she opened the door.
"Thank you. May I stay with her for an extended period if she's asleep? I want to be there for her when she wakes." A familiar voice came and Eila's eyes widened. That's Arya's voice. She automatically knew that she must be in deep trouble.
The woman smiled and nodded, bringing the door to a close again, separating them. "Of course you can. Stay as long as you'd like. The only restriction is that you'll have to leave when it starts getting dark out. That's when we do our final rounds and the patients need rest. Her bandages will need to be changed frequently and you'll have to leave for those periods as well. You can come back in once she's all situated, though." The woman assured her.
"That sounds wonderful, thank you." Arya's voice responded. "Fírnen, I'll just be in here for a little while. Would you keep watch to keep us safe?" She asked and, in her mind, Eila could just see him squirm excitedly. Eylörís did the same thing when under the same circumstances.
A few other words were exchanged that she wasn't able to make out before the door opened again, revealing her new teacher. "Oh, you're awake." Arya said with surprise in her voice as she closed the door behind her. Eila got a glimpse of Fírnen, who had placed himself squarely in front of the door.
"I-I can't sleep." She sighed quietly and watched the other Elf with intensity.
"Did they give you anything for the pain?" Arya asked as she crossed the room. A comfortable plush chair sat in the back corner for visitors, to Eila's right. The door was to the left, and the window sat directly across from the bed that sat in the middle of the room, against the opposite wall. A small bedside table sat beside the bed and Eylörís was napping on the floor next to the footboard.
"Yes, but it's wearing off. Pain management, topical or ingested treatments, never last long in my system." She replied as she watched Arya take a seat in the chair. They were now closer than she would have liked, meaning, if Arya looked at her, she would be able to see the hundreds of marks that littered her skin.
"I think perhaps Human treatments for pain are much too weak for Elves." Arya smiled and looked over once she situated herself into the chair.
"Maybe…" Eila responded with apprehension in her voice. She seemed to fidget for a few moments as best as she could despite her injuries. She watched Arya with apprehension, feeling a little bit trapped. Eylörís is entirely asleep and she is injured. She won't be able to get out of anything or remove herself if she grows uncomfortable.
"Eylörís is asleep? Is she okay?" Arya asked once the silence between them grew long.
"She is. She wore herself out while sharing energy with me. I told her not to but she did it anyways and now she's… asleep" Eila explained quickly while the Elf's intense green gaze fell upon her. "Am I in trouble?"
Arya frowned. "Why would you be in trouble?"
Eila looked at her as though expecting to be harshly reprimanded. "I acted recklessly."
"That you did. There are two schools of thought on your behavior, though. One would be that you displayed selflessness when moving quickly to save a life. The other would be that you could have been killed in the process. While your actions were intended to be good, you also must remember your status: you're a Rider and Riders are very rare. The dragon race is on the brink of extinction which means you can't be so reckless. I would simply urge you to… consider a plan before diving right in, that's all." Arya shifted as though she felt uncomfortable, or maybe Eila was just imagining things.
"I have much to learn. I will do better next time. I understand my mistakes and will not behave so carelessly when presented with an emergent situation, so long as taking a moment to think does not risk my own life or Eylörís'." The young woman let her eyes drift to the ceiling again. It sounded as if she was reciting something.
"As it should be. I wouldn't ask you to hesitate long enough to put yourself in danger." Arya responded positively despite Eila being in a stormier state of mind. "I came to check on you to make sure you were okay from what did happen." Arya let herself look over at Eila. She was doing her best to not seem so frantic to compare the young half-Elf to the appearances of her ancestors.
"Oh… I'm okay, I think. I should be up by tomorrow." She responded, moving her arm a little bit more over her abdomen to hopefully cover more marks than before, though she knew it didn't do much of anything to help.
"Did the healers here say you could get up tomorrow?" Arya tried to keep her tone as gentle as possible without sounding accusatory.
"Well… no." Eila looked over at her teacher. "I feel useless like this and I want to help."
"But you also need to let your wounds heal. You've suffered extensive injuries and I don't want them to get infected which can make you very sick." Arya said sympathetically with a knowing smile. She had the same mentality when it came to being injured or otherwise compromised.
Eila sighed. "It's not easy for me to just sit here while important things go on outside, especially when they involve me."
"I understand that entirely, but sometimes things grow out of our control. I know what it's like to be bed-ridden when I don't want to be, and it really isn't fun. I suppose we could take this time to get to know each other? We haven't really spoken much to each other since we met aside from exchanging situational information. What do you say?" Arya asked hopefully and Eila's eyes widened.
"What kind of things would we talk about?" The young woman responded carefully.
"Whatever you're comfortable with. How about your favorite color?" Arya prompted.
"Oh… then… I-I like the way a sunset looks on a clear day." She said nervously.
Arya smiled kindly. "I'm not sure that would classify as a single color, but I suppose depending on the way you look at it, it could be composed of a certain color scheme."
Eila looked panicked for a moment. "Oh! I thought you meant color as in atmosphere or scene. The um… the tone of an environment. I realize now you were asking for a specific color as in hue. In that case, I enjoy purple things, like flowers. I love flowers." Eila offered a smile in return. "What is your favorite hue?"
"Green." Arya responded confidently.
"Like Fírnen's green or moss green or foliage green… I mean… w-what type of green do you like?"
"All greens, really, but Fírnen is the prettiest of them all." The dragon himself must've heard her because it was clear Arya felt his ego swell by the pink flush of her cheeks. Eila saw the older Elf's attention falter slightly, despite it being easy to miss. The same falter reappeared a second later and this time, Arya looked down.
"What happened? Is something wrong?" Eila's eyes widened as concern instantly overtook her sense of keeping secrets to herself.
"Mhm." Arya responded positively, then looked back up to see Eila's worried expression and frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes…" she studied her student for a moment. "Why such concern?"
Eila closed her eyes and let her body relax as the frustration washed over her. "I um… the… I-I am aware… of… y-you…" she huffed and shook her head. "Y-you're expecting… right?" She looked over at Arya who had an even deeper frown on her face.
"Why do you know that?" Her tone was almost darkly angry, and Arya is scary when she's angry, Eila decided.
"Um… A-Angela. She had to explain to Shruikan why it was important not to do anything to you because he wanted to speak with you and thank you for freeing him of his body. S-she was just trying to protect you in case something did happen. I-I was present for that conversation…" the young woman shrank back. "I've broken my promise to keep that a secret, so in turn I must tell you that my father is Galbatorix, that way Angela has no other secret to keep… oh no…" her gaze became worried and fearful when it suddenly hit her that she just revealed her deepest shame.
"Why were you so concerned, though? I just felt movement, that's all."
Eila frowned, feeling odd. Arya bypassed speaking about her lineage and instead kept the conversation where it was. "I, um… I assumed the worst. My mother died in childbirth, so I've spent my years here learning about both pregnancy and childbirth so that if I'm around someone who is… in that situation, I could theoretically assist them if they needed it. I've never actually assisted anyone, though, that's why I said 'theoretically'. I also have an extensive knowledge on the earlier stages of pregnancy, and I was just worried about you… that's all. I don't want you to die."
Arya's expression softened and she smiled. "That's… that's very kind of you. I, on the other hand, find myself lacking knowledge in the subject of pregnancy. It's almost entirely foreign to me because I was… deathly afraid of it when I was younger, so I deliberately skipped my lessons on the matter and I haven't had the chance to catch up."
Eila frowned slightly. "Are you still afraid?"
The Elf shrugged slightly, attempting to remain neutrally casual while talking about something that made her uncomfortable. "Not as much as I used to be. I'm slowly getting used to it now that I'm actually going through it. I suppose having experience can ease the mind."
Eila nodded with a small smile of her own. "That's good to hear. If something happens, let me know, o-or if you have a question about something, I can probably answer it. If it's an emergency, I would consult the healers, they have more experience than I do."
Arya's smile returned as well, the heavily disguised anxiety that Eila was barely able to pick up on disappeared nearly entirely. "You'll help me learn about baby things and I'll help you learn about dragon things."
For the first time, Arya heard Eila chuckle. It was a soft sound that was harshly interrupted by the pain that shot through her side. "That sounds good." She replied a little bit shakily, still recovering.
Their positivity died into a comfortable silence while they both contemplated the future. Arya's mind reminded her of a few questions she had pertaining to lineage.
"Eila?" She asked quietly.
"Yes?" The young woman looked over.
"Can I ask you about something?"
"Yes, but my answer depends on what the question is." Eila replied and Arya smiled. If they weren't related, they shared a few similarities at least.
"Did your father tell you anything about your mother? Do you have a name or maybe where she's from? I want to help you find out who she is."
Eila's eyes became sad in that instant. "Oh… he… he just referred to her as my mother. He said that she was an Elf, that I have her eyes and that I sound like her too. He showed me a painting he had of her. Where that painting is now, I'm not sure."
"Would you be able to recognize her if she reappeared in other paintings?" Arya asked, feeling hope spark in her chest.
Eila nodded. "I would… I think. I-I can try. It's been a few years since I last saw that portrait of her."
"Did he give you any other information about her? Did she have political ties with anyone?"
"The Elves… and the Dwarves, who accompanied the Elves in the battle of Ilirea. He's had her for a very long time. My memory is fuzzy from the number of concussions I've had, which I now can't remember how many of those I've had either." She chuckled lightly and more carefully this time. "He taught me about Dellanir and her son and daughter. Her son, um…" Eila frowned, trying to remember names.
"Evandar?"
"Yes! Evandar! He rose to power when Dellanir stepped away. Evandar was mates with Islanzadí… I like her name…" Eila smiled. "Anyways, Evandar passed in battle while Islanzadí ascended to the throne in Ellesméra. His sister… was named… wait I have it…" she closed her eyes and tried desperately to remember. "Ildrid the Beautiful? No…"
"Do you want a hint?" Arya offered, impressed by how much knowledge Eila already had, though it was slightly frightening how much information the Empire might have had, considering Ildrid the Beautiful is Blödhgarm's mother.
"First letter?"
"F."
"Freya! Wait… Freydis!" She said triumphantly and Arya nodded with an encouraging smile.
"I'm impressed with your knowledge."
"I love learning. I know the royal side of the Dwarven family history too, just not as well as I do the Elves as Elves typically live and rule for a longer amount of time. You're the Queen of the Elves now. Who are your parents, may I ask?"
Arya nodded. "My mother is the late Queen Islanzadí. My father is Evandar."
"You said you were a hundred and four… I've not heard of your name until recent years. In books at least, and you're over a century in age… why is that?"
"My mother kept me a secret. Not from the Elves, but from the rest of Alagaësia. It was just safer that way for her. Evandar died before I got to meet him, in fact, my mother struggled with fertility and held back on telling him she was pregnant because she didn't know if it would last. Unfortunately for that reason, he didn't know I existed. I often wonder if he would have stayed back home if he had known, or in the instance where he insisted going into battle, if it would have been an incentive to fight harder. I never knew him and yet I miss him terribly." Arya seemed to sadden a great deal.
"I know what you mean. I miss my mother in the same way. I wonder if she even got to hold me after I was born or if she just… died. I wonder if she was already dead at the time of my birth. I wonder if she even got to see me… but I know that based on every single book I've read that her death is my fault. For Elves… a natural birth is hard anyways. I… I ripped the placenta from its location, and she was bleeding internally before her water broke. There was no way of knowing without magic, no way of stopping it once it had already started. The damage had been done and they had to cut her open to deliver me. It's still my fault, though." Eila turned away as tears fell down her porcelain cheeks. Arya reached over and gently pressed her hand to Eila's uninjured wrist to show her that she wasn't alone.
"It's not your fault. It wasn't ever your fault." Arya said as comfortingly as she knew how. This wasn't her area of expertise, but Eila is her student now and it's her responsibility to help her if needed. "Things happen, seasons change, years pass. What transpired was entirely out of your control, so don't blame yourself for it. I know it's hard, but you must try."
Eila looked over with saddened eyes that she was working very hard to wrangle back into her control. "How was it not? It was me who caused the internal damage…"
Arya shook her head. "You can't think about it like that. I see where you're coming from, but it's not at all in the positive."
The young woman sighed and nodded. "I… I-I'll do my best… it might be awhile before I can come to terms with it in the way you're suggesting, but I will try."
"I'm glad to hear that." Arya smiled. "Now, I have just one more question on the topic of families."
"Alright." Eila nodded.
"Have you seen artwork of the Elves in my family or artwork of Elves in general?"
"No. I've only seen my mother. She has blue eyes like mine and from what I've heard my father say, she's left-handed from the times they've sparred. Her hair is… brown, I'd say, but it's a light brown, perhaps almost blonde or streaked with both colors. Her ears are long, like yours. Mine are short, but I think that's because I'm half-Human. I have skin like hers as well, my father was more tan whereas I am pale." She smiled. "I burn easily in the sun. I wasn't allowed to go outside very much because nobody was supposed to know about my existence and I spent years underground and away from the light, so I joke when I say I'm almost translucent. I had forgotten that the sun can burn, so when Lady Nasuada took me outside for the first time, I got burned a little bit and we were only out there for a short period of time, too."
Arya's eyes widened as she carefully observed the young woman's features, who frowned in confusion.
Eila visibly swallowed. "What's on your mind?" she said nervously.
The older Elf just shook her head and smiled softly. "I'm just trying to see if I recognize you in any of the Elves at home, that's all." There was something more Arya needed to share but was holding back on.
Eila's eyes fluttered slightly. "Oh… okay. Have you… do you see anything worth looking into?"
Arya pulled away and stared at the wall for a moment before responding, looking as though she felt conflicted about something. She took a deep breath and looked back. "Perhaps, but I also don't want to jump to conclusions or give false hope. I do want to help you, Eila, and once the situation with the eggs gets sorted out, then we can look into finding your familial ties. It shouldn't be too much longer. I spoke with Shruikan earlier and he gave insight on how to safely remove the eggs from their location, but we can discuss that later. Are you hungry?"
It took Eila a moment to process Arya's response and next question. "Not at the moment but thank you." She thought for a second longer. "Did you ask Shruikan about my mother? Galbatorix did things to prevent him from telling me, but he probably knows. Maybe he could tell you or Fírnen?"
Arya's eyebrows raised. "That idea slipped my mind entirely but of course I'll ask. If he can tell us… It'll be much easier."
Eila nodded encouragingly. "Do whatever you can to get the answer out of him, just… don't be mean to him. I hope he can help us… I've been awaiting that answer my whole life. He might be able to tell me how old I am too. Would you ask him for me?" Eila asked.
"I think you should ask him that question. If he's bound by the Ancient Language, I will need to release him from it, which isn't that hard. I can do the same if his tongue is still bound by an oath to restrict him from revealing your mother's name and origin, though I will agree to ask your question about your mother. Discovering your age is something you should do."
Eila sighed quietly to herself and turned her head so she could stare up at the ceiling. "Fair enough. I will ask him as soon as I'm well enough to get up and go places."
Arya just raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I'll bring him here so you both may communicate in my absence, but I will make sure to untie him from any oaths he wishes to rid himself of."
"Thank you…" Eila sighed in relief. Shruikan has been her oldest friend, of course she wanted the best for him. She looked back over at Arya again, more pointedly this time. "But make sure you get some rest first. I don't mean to offend you, but you look tired. Make sure you're taking care of yourself through your pregnancy, too. Are you taking any sort of nutritional supplement?"
The Elf straightened and raised a curious eyebrow as she assessed the pointed look on her new student's features. "… No… I don't think so. Did Fírnen say anything to you about my need to sleep? He was on about that earlier before I came to see you."
"No, but he's right. Anyways, Elves need more nutritional support because of the fact that the child will be developing magic soon. I don't know how far along you are and I don't mean to pry into your business because I know it isn't my own, but I also want you to be healthy. You're my teacher and you've been nicer to me than anyone here thus far, not that I've been mistreated, it's just…" Eila sighed and composed herself before bringing herself back to the topic at hand. "I like you and I want for you to be healthy, to put it bluntly. Well that and I get… paranoid when it comes to pregnancy-related issues. Anyway… the healers of Human society have taken note of and use Elvish teachings to guide them in some of their own practices. In higher society, Human women are advised to take supportive supplements, mainly because they can afford it, cost wise. There's no need to worry someone over a specific treatment if they can't afford it because Humans can do without. The supplement types are the same between Elves and Humans, the difference is that Elves need a higher dosage. What I'm trying to say is that you'll be able to find those supplements here in the castle if you're not currently taking any. Let me help you pick them out, though. The Humans here may not be equipped to do so… are you okay?" Eila's brow creased when she noticed her teacher had gone completely pale.
"I'm fine… it's just… this needs to be kept a secret and I worry people will begin to suspect things."
"Oh, I thought something was wrong… nothing's wrong… right?"
"N-nothing's wrong, I… wasn't aware I needed something more… Is the baby okay?" Arya asked nervously, her stoic demeanor falling away immediately as her gaze fell to her stomach while anxiety flared in her chest.
"Oh good." Eila said along a relieved exhale. "And yes, the baby is probably fine, as long as you don't exceed fourteen weeks. In terms of getting the things you need without tying you to it, I'll just tell them I'm pregnant. I'm already injured and I can vomit on command if needed. Half-Elves need the same sort of nutritional support as complete Elves, so I'll just ask for what you need instead." She chuckled, but Arya still looked uncomfortable and slightly shaken, though the words had caused her to look up.
"Rumors will spread about you…" Arya replied uneasily. "A target may be placed on your back."
"I've had many worse things happen to me and I know how to handle a sword. Besides, I've been pregnant before. I know what it feels like. Don't worry. It's not that hard to fake, especially when the Humans around here don't understand Elven pregnancy" She smiled, but she knew Arya could see the pain hidden in it.
"You… you have?" The Elf asked quietly and a little weakly.
"Yes, but I miscarried, thankfully. A child to be born in Galbatorix' household did not need to be brought into the world, otherwise it would have met the same fate I would have. The difference is that I would have survived much longer. No child needs to suffer that way, even if it was of Durza's seed. I digress with relief, however. Would you give me permission to do this for you? I am in far less danger than you are as you are the Elven Queen."
Arya remained as still as a statue with a horrified and horribly saddened look on her features while she processed the situation and the outcomes. Even if she asked Nasuada to remove stock, rumors would spread about her, and that would be very bad. Humans don't follow the same mentality as Elves when it comes to finding a mate. Nasuada would be shamed for bearing what they call, a bastard. The same would go for Angela and Elva is too young. It's probably best this way. It's still risky…
"I'm not comfortable with it, but if you are and you find this of necessity, I am leaving the judgement up to you. Just let me know what you're going to do before you do it, should you decide to… claim to be pregnant, alright?"
"I promise to you that I'll let you know. That being said I'm pregnant until we leave. I haven't told you yet and I'm… about three months along. Would you help me sit up?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Eila, and are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes. You need supportive supplements and this is something for me to do while I heal, see? Win-win." Eila took a deep breath with a smile on her lips, then closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she forced herself to sit up. Arya was then obligated to help her.
"Eila, what did I just say?"
"That you don't think me sitting up was a good idea. See? I'm fine now." She sounded a little defensive.
"No, you're probably bleeding again and now I have to go get someone to help you. While I do know how to dress a burn, they need to keep tabs on you." Arya matched her tone and straightened her shirt. "I'll be right back."
"Would you hand me that bucket before you go? The one with the clean rags..."
Arya frowned and looked her over, doing her absolute best to not stare at Eila's scars for too long. "Why? Now the rags don't have a place to go."
"Yes they do, just pile them on the shelf there and to respond to your question, I don't feel well." Eila responded with a serious expression. Arya couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
"If you seriously don't feel well, you might have an infection." The Elf said as she crossed the room with the wooden bucket in tow. She then offered it to her new student who, once within reach, claimed it with bandaged hands and a smile.
"I'm fine. I'm just convincing myself of the situation. That's how to make a trick believable. I know what an infected wound feels like too. I'll let the healers know if they don't catch it before I do. I promise."
Arya just looked worriedly at her, then relaxed with a sigh. "Alright… all I ask is that you don't cause me too much worry, okay? And… thank you."
"I say, 'no problem' to both of those things. I only want to help. I know it isn't the most honest way to do this, and I don't necessarily feel good about it, but sometimes situations like this need to be handled… differently." Eila said kindly.
That caused a knowing smile to spread over Arya's features. She knows exactly what Eila means. "I'll be right back. Don't hurt yourself, please."
"I won't, and you don't need to get anyone, but if you must, I'm going to be sick in this, just so you know."
Arya just frowned. It was a silent statement that told Eila she was moving forwards with getting someone. She then took a deep breath and disappeared behind the small room's door. She couldn't really stop her student now that this reckless plan has been put in place. She just hoped it worked and neither of them got caught.
A/N: Check it out! I wrote another chapter! I've made up my mind about Eila's lineage, but that's going to remain a secret until you guys read about it! I think this may be one of the longest chapters I've written and I actually cut it down some too because it was getting close to 7,000 words and it was starting to get a little out of hand because I think I have a vicious cruel streak in me. In other words, it was about to get very adult very quickly (this story is already adult-ish because of the subjects that are discussed and mentioned) and I don't think the characters are ready for that. Anyways, despite the dark undertones, I want it to be a happier fic, because by nature, I'm not a pessimistic person.
And here comes the part when I thank you all for reading this far. Go ahead and tack on an extra ten pages to the 150 I mentioned last author's note, because yes, this chapter is quite literally ten pages long. Best essay ever. Many many 'thank yous!' to everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I need to get it moving though. Sometimes I feel like the characters are stalling and just spinning like a computer that won't load (hehehehe).
I love you all, stay safe and healthy!
-Lady Arlo