"Forgive me, Lord Däthedr, it has been a very hectic week, though we did make it to Ilirea safe and sound." Arya smiled as she sat before the full-length mirror in her room.
"Ah, I am glad. I trust you were able to find out what Nasuada requested you for?" He asked and Arya smiled brightly.
"Yes. A new dragon has hatched. Eylörís is the dragon and Eila is her Rider. Nasuada wanted secrecy, so she sent a letter."
His eyes widened. "A new Rider? So soon?" He said excitedly.
"Yes, I know. Fírnen is almost nine months old and yet another has already come to light. Not only that, but we were able to find sixteen eggs within a very hidden portion of the castle. I'll be bringing fifteen of them and leaving one with Vanir, who has now been banished from coming back to Du Weldenvarden for ten years." Arya said with a light frown.
Lord Däthedr's eyebrows shot up. "Sixteen eggs." He breathed. "I'm appalled but also happy. Appalled because how did we not know about them, and happy because they're all safe with you now." He smiled, then frowned. "Why was Vanir banished?"
"For one, we thought Galbatorix destroyed all but three, that's how." She said matter-of-factly. "And Vanir was sentenced to exile for a couple of reasons. The first being that he needs to learn some manners as he's shown persistent disrespect to those he comes in contact with. The second, and the final straw, was his insult to me for currently being pregnant." She said unflinchingly. She had every intention to tell Däthedr about her baby. Someone aside from Rhunön needed to know. He is her most trusted advisor and a close friend. It only made sense that she would tell him.
"You're pregnant?" His eyes widened and his usual professional demeanor was lost. "W-when? How far along?" He said once his shock wore off.
"Almost eleven weeks." She said shyly, tenderly bringing her hands to her ever swelling middle to show him and his eyes softened. He's been her friend for a long time, and it relieved her beyond words that he seemed happy and joyful about it instead of angry and vindictive like Vanir had been.
"My lady, congratulations!" he beamed and she could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes.
"Thank you. It's definitely been an adjustment, but luckily I have Fírnen to keep me from…" breaking down. Panicking. Lashing out. "Losing my head." She smiled.
"Why didn't you tell anyone before you left?" He asked.
"I was nervous. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting this, and I wasn't sure exactly what I needed to do to so…" she hesitated, seeming a little nervous.
"You threw yourself into duty." He finished. "I understand." He said sympathetically. "A child is a child and children are the most wonderful things to have. You won't be met with ill words when you return, if that's what you're worried about." He offered his supportive words when he saw the anxiety in her eyes. He's known her for too long and he knows her too well to not see it, no matter how hidden her emotions may be.
"Thank you. That helps quite a bit, actually. I'm still nervous to come home, though. How often does a queen leave and come back, this time obviously pregnant? You know how it works for Elves. I'm finding that there's nothing subtle about being an Elf and going through pregnancy. At least, for females." She said bluntly. "Except I didn't know about it at the time. I had no warning."
Däthedr gave her a kind yet sympathetic look. "And now I can properly say that my point is proven on why you shouldn't have skipped your reproductive lessons." He smiled.
"Yes, you told me so." She smiled more freely now that she knew it was… safe to go home.
He frowned suddenly. "May I ask what Vanir said?"
Arya shook her head. "I've already sentenced him to nearly complete solitude, I'll leave his shame at that." She chuckled with mirth in her eyes. "I punched him."
"You did? Oh, Arya, you didn't break him too badly, did you?"
"No, I just fractured his jaw and bruised his neck. He'll be fine." She looked pointedly at him. "And yes, I do know self-control."
"You know me, I just had to ask. It's my job as one of your advisors," He smiled. "and as your friend. Thank you for telling me. Now, you said you didn't tell anyone, but does anyone in Ellesméra or otherwise know?" He asked and Arya sighed.
"Rhunön." She said with a faint smile. "She made the pendant I'm wearing for my mother when she and my father were trying for children. It makes it so that others can't sense the child. She recognized it and she can read me like a book anyways. It didn't help that I'd just found out that I was expecting and I felt… a little raw." Her gaze drifted away to the tree behind him, sung into the workings of either his office or his room. She remembered how terrible she felt once she learned she was pregnant. How confused and scared she was. Luckily, it's gotten a little bit better since then. Still, there are a lot of things she needs to work on.
His smile became sad. "I remember that pendant. I'm glad you're using it. You'd be significantly more vulnerable without it. You just need to be careful with yourself, is all I'm saying." He said with a nod.
She pursed her lips. "I'm not all that vulnerable. I have Fírnen, Eila and Eylörís behind me if something happens that I can't handle on my own. Eila was born in Ilirea and was the student of Galbatorix. She tells me she knows how to use a sword. I have yet to test her on that. We are leaving tomorrow. Angela and Elva will be traveling with us during the later half of our returning trip. Perhaps she and Angela can spar. I know she won't spar with me, even though I still can if I wanted or needed to."
His eyes darkened. "She's not… twisted… is she?" He asked.
"Oh no, she's the complete opposite of Galbatorix. I'm impressed that she was able to resist him and his ways of persuasion and insanity for as long as she did. In the few days I've known her, we've become rather close. She wanted him dead just as much as the rest of us did, if not more." Arya smiled. "She's incredibly selfless. She does have a slight dark streak though from what I've been able to tell, but don't we all? It would be unfair to judge her based upon that alone. All I urge everyone to do is to keep an open mind."
He raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if she was related to Galbatorix himself."
"No, I'm saying this as if I wanted her to be comfortable with so many new faces she will eventually have to become familiar with. She's had an incredibly hard past, I only wish for everyone to practice patience, sympathy and sensitivity." Her eyes became kind and Däthedr saw that she was giving him the truth. She never denied him on whether or not Eila was related to Galbatorix, she merely corrected his statement.
"Very well, I'll relay the message, though I feel it's important to omit her time with Galbatorix in her introduction. The war is still fresh in our minds and I fear that involvement alone can add a negative impression." He reasoned.
"Thank you. Oh, one more thing; Shruikan's Eldunarí still exists. When I killed him, the wards Galbatorix had laid over him are now gone. We are bringing him back as well. He isn't twisted either, just still full of grief from the loss of his first Rider and the horrible things he was forced to do while under Galbatorix' influence." Arya said with a sad note. "Both Shruikan and Eila have been through horrible, unimaginable things. They're remnants of Galbatorix' abuse, all I ask is that once we arrive home, they are both welcomed and given a chance to show everyone that they aren't evil."
"I trust your judgement and I will pass the word along in preparation for your arrival." He bowed slightly and smiled. "I do have news for you, though."
She frowned. "Good or bad?"
"That depends on your perspective. King Orik of the Dwarves has requested to visit you and Fírnen."
"What for?"
"He wishes to offer help when it comes to training young Riders. He's expressed that because the Dwarves now have the ability to become paired with a dragon, he wishes to lend his support to you and the Rider cause." Däthedr said without a glimpse into how he felt about the situation.
Arya looked surprised for a moment while she processed the new information and the repercussions it would have. "Is he already on his way?" She asked.
"He is about two weeks from arriving." Däthedr confirmed. "I couldn't tell him "no". How would that look upon the Elves?"
"I'm not angry with your decision." She smiled. "Despite our differences, I've grown fond of him. His spirit for battle is admirable." She offered a compliment. "I look forward to speaking with him. Depending on where he is now, send him my greetings if my group ends up arriving after him."
"You have my word." he bowed again. "I shall have his party fitted in the most luxurious of quarters, aside from Tialdarí Hall, of course." he smiled.
"Your help is greatly appreciated. Perhaps we will speak again soon. Times are changing, Lord Däthedr. I only wish we can keep up. Before we leave, however, would you send a few of our spellcasters to Palancar Valley to help Lord Roran and Lady Katrina with reconstructing their town? I promised them aid, and I intend to act on it." She said regally.
"Of course. How many would you like me to assign?" He asked with an important tone.
"Send six. They are to work amicably with them to create the vision they wish. Roran is kind and so is Katrina. They should have no issues getting along." Arya assured him.
"Very well. Any preference on who goes?"
"Not in particular. Send who you feel is best for the task. I'll leave that decision up to you."
"Many thanks, Arya Dröttning. Until next time. Send my regards to Fírnen." he said with yet another bow, though this time, he twisted his hand over his sternum. "And congratulations once again. I am incredibly happy for you."
"Until next time, Lord Däthedr, and thank you… to the moon and back. If you would, though, keep that a secret? I feel it's best the news comes from me." She smiled and mirrored his gesture.
"Of course. Your secret is safe with me. Take care." He promised, and soon, the mirror went dark once more and Arya stared at herself for a moment, contemplating on whether or not to scry Eragon. These are odd hours to be trying to scry him. The sky is darkening and the day is drawing to a close. He would worry for her and she'd never hear the end of it. She smiled though. She felt like his tendency to constantly worry for her is far more than she deserved. It showed he cared tremendously for her, and yet… she couldn't reciprocate. Not yet anyways, no matter how much she may want to. He doesn't know how she feels about him, and he won't be able to glean any part of that secret from knowing her True Name, which relieved her. He doesn't need another distraction anyway.
Looking down at herself, Arya observed how much her body had changed. She slid her hands down over the small swell, smoothening her shirt over the bulge in her body and sighed. "Juniper…" She spoke gently. "I… I know I haven't… I know I've been hard on us and I'm sorry. Maybe one day you'll understand when… when you have a family of your own… if you want that. I'm not trying to push that on you even though you're only… eleven weeks old… almost." Her shoulders slumped and she suddenly felt very weary, so she pulled herself up and slunk over to the bed, then collapsed tiredly. She has all of her things packed and ready to go. The only thing left to do is, well… leave.
The preparations had been set, the eggs were packed, then unpacked, just so they knew all would fit into Fírnen's saddlebags before they would leave. It was Eila who talked their group into leaving tomorrow anyway. The eggs would be safer, all of them would be safer. As the days became warmer, more people will be out and about, leaving room for danger. They had all they needed anyways, except for the rations Nasuada would bring with her at dawn break when she gave her goodbyes. Strangely, Arya didn't feel ready to leave yet, though. She would miss Lady Nasuada: her friend.
The Elf curled up into a comfortable position, then drew her shirt up past the window of clear skin and… there he was, sleeping. Her little boy. His body was curled up, similar to her own position and she couldn't help but smile a little bit. She gently rested her hand on the side of her stomach and brushed her thumb over where he was situated within the bounds of her body, feeling a wash of emotions as she did so. "I know I've been distant, but I'm going to fix that, starting now. It was brought to my attention that I need to work on connecting with you to help me improve my… my state of mind. I didn't know I was hurting you. I didn't know I was hurting myself either. I'm just glad I know now, so that both of us can be healthier." She felt a lump in her throat begin to form as tears welled in her eyes. "You know… I think your grandmother would have loved to be able to meet you. She… wasn't a very good mother to me, but maybe she would have been a wonderful grandmother to you. Who knows. I know she was alone and probably scared, just like me, except my father was dead, and your father isn't. We have Fírnen too, so… we aren't entirely on our own. She was truly alone, though, Juniper. I'm beginning to see that she was in a very different position than we are. She realized her pregnancy would hold, alone. She went through it, alone. She gave birth… alone, and she raised me without anyone to help in the ways a father would. I wasn't able to understand her distance until today. I see now that she was only afraid. Of me… maybe. Maybe I made her sad because I reminded her of Father. I wish I had known what I know now when she was still alive so that I could tell her that it would be alright. I wish she was alive now so that she could tell me that it'll be alright." her voice trembled and she wiped her eyes, unearthing things she hasn't let herself think about. This is better than holding it in.
Her fingers now danced over where her little boy rested within her body. He stretched, then relaxed, his foot brushing up against her and she felt it. "Juniper, I wish she could tell me what I should expect. I wish she was here to see you like I can… and I know once we got past the initial condescension from her, she would be supportive, especially given her past when it comes to… having children. I know that even though we were distant, I still love her because she is my mother. I just don't want us to be distant. I realize how painful that must have been for her, and I regret not trying harder to connect with her. I wish I had not grown so angry with her, and I know we both have things we regret saying during those times. You and I will be okay, I promise. It's my job to make it okay now, because I helped make you. You're a part of me. A living, breathing, part of me, and I love you so much already. It almost hurts, but in a good way." She smiled, laying back so she could bring her other hand to meet her left as she cradled her belly.
"You know, I panicked so badly today. I thought I was going to lose you…" she said, now holding herself close. "The worst part of it was that I couldn't pull myself together enough to check on you to make sure you were okay. Angela had to do it. She's the reason I can see you now…" her fingers continued to brush against her skin as she spoke. "I'll never forget that feeling, though, before I knew you were okay. I've never felt so helpless and terrified before. It helped me realize my mistakes so far, my neglection of you, but once I had realized my wrongdoings, I thought it was too late. You have no idea how happy I am to have you with me still, and at the end of our journey together like this, I'll be so incredibly excited to meet you. I'll be your Mom, okay? Don't call me 'mother', I think that expression is too cold, and please don't address me by my name." She smiled and took a shaky breath. "Did you know that 'Mom' is a Human expression? You're half Human and I'm beyond caring about tradition when it comes to… well, just about anything. Sometimes tradition makes me unhappy, and I don't want you to be unhappy either." She smiled. "I've never much followed the rules of any race, just the ones that would get me in significant trouble. Bending the rules is fun to do, but don't bend my rules or else you will be in significant trouble. Like stealing… that's just rude…" Her soft smile brightened. "See? This isn't so bad." She closed her eyes and stretched out on her bed, temporarily removing her hands from her belly to fully relax. "I should listen to those I love more often. They're just trying to help and sometimes I'm stubborn." She sighed. "Oh I need to drink more water."
"Are you doing better?" Fírnen asked gently as she got to her feet.
She smiled. "Yes, I think I am." She said both aloud into the silent room and also back to Fírnen. Dragon eggs resided on literally every safe surface. It was decided that the eggs would stay with Arya overnight, because her room was closer to the tack room.
"I'm glad to hear that. What are you doing now?" He responded, and she could feel how proud he was of her for working on the things that cause her turmoil.
"Drinking water, or, I'm about to, actually. Just trying to… find my water skin…" she said with a frown as she looked around for it.
"It's in there somewhere, but there are extra supplies in the tack room. For now, use your hands and then you can go find your water skin. Just don't start worrying about it."
"It's hard not to worry about something that's missing." She said pointedly.
"I understand, but you will find it. You and Eila practically turned your room wrong-side-out earlier when trying to situate the eggs. Besides, did you pack it away by accident?" He asked.
"Maybe…" she said absently, then felt the beginnings of true worry start to grab at her insides. That is the same skin she used to carry Faelnirv in. The same skin she shared with Eragon just after her hand and arm were fixed. It's the closest thing they'd ever had to a kiss at that point.
A knot formed in her stomach. They've never kissed on their own accord. The time they shared together here in Ilirea, the intimate time they shared, wasn't on their own accord. Their minds were drunk and heavy while their bodies burned all from their link with their dragons. It still means the world to her, even though their coupling wasn't their own decision. Had she not felt the way she did (and still does) about him, she may have considered it a violation. At the time, her loose mind was perfectly happy to lay with him when they had finished wearing themselves out, entirely without clothing. Skin on skin. He always smelled faintly of fire, of burning wood; a smoky smell she hated to admit how much she enjoyed since the moment she met him. She wondered if he had done that with magic, or if that's just… him? It wasn't an overwhelming scent, just faint enough to get a hint of it every now and again.
"Fírnen?" She asked mentally, this time.
"Yes, Bjartr Stjarna?" He asked.
"What was I doing?"
"Looking for your water skin." He reminded her and she nodded.
"Thank you."
"Did you forget what you were doing?" He said, sounding surprised.
"Apparently." She shrugged as she pulled the dresser drawers out and looked through them.
"What were you thinking about so intensely that you forgot about what you were doing?"
"Orik is on his way to visit us in Ellesméra. He wants to help with the dragon cause." She said. She'd rather give that than give the truth. She's beginning to think about Eragon far too much for what she would consider healthy.
"He is? Did Lord Däthedr give any specifics?"
"No specifics." She said, closing all of the drawers and moving to her bedside table. "Oh, there it is." A frown crossed over her face. "Was it there the whole time?" She couldn't remember. "He just told me that Orik was coming to talk about Riders and dragons. I found my thing… the flask, I mean… water skin."
"Arya, you didn't hit your head at all today, right?" He asked.
"No." She screwed up her face. "Why?" She said seriously before realizing what he meant."Oh, ha ha, because I keep forgetting things. My goodness, it's so funny." She deadpanned, voice dripping with sarcasm as she wandered to the sink where she would fill the soft pouch to the brim with water. Once she did, she took a long drink from it.
"You know what, Fírnen? I desire to get drunk, but I can't because of the baby." She sighed sadly and headed back to bed.
"Why? Are you miserable?" He asked, brushing aside her earlier sarcasm to deliver his concern.
"No. I just feel good when I'm drunk. Pregnancy makes me feel sick all the time and I want to feel good again." She suddenly sounded forlorn.
"Are you unwell?" He asked with concern.
She sat the water skin back on the night table "No, just pregnant." She said as she stretched out on her bed. She closed her eyes and hummed into the silence along with a slow exhale.
"Are you more comfortable with the baby now, at least?"
She smiled at that. "Yes. I need more practice but then again, I have practically nine more months of practice. We'll be okay."
"I'm glad." She could feel his proud smile on the other side of their bond. "Now sleep, we have a long day tomorrow."
"You too, Fírnen. Sleep well. I love you." She said before curling over onto her side.
"I love you too, Bjartr Stjarna. You too, little hatchling. I'll see you both in the morning."
Arya's hand found her belly when he referred to her baby so sweetly. "Nighty night, Fírnen." She grinned into the darkness.
It is going to be okay.
A/N: I know this is a shorter chapter than what I've been in the habit of producing these last few chapters. To me this feels rushed, but I also really, really want the story to move already. On a random note, if any of you have watched the Addams Family, either the original series or the two movies they did, I always thought Wednesday Addams is very similar to Elva. Movie Wednesday is more who I picture though, if that makes any sense. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter. It's setting up some new things I have planned (Yay!). I was going to post this yesterday, but my mind has been in a dreadfully despondent condition of despair and disdain and I ended up too dead to write or proof-read, which I usually do unless I'm absolutely frustrated by the chapter. Thankfully, I've been writing on my phone long enough to make minimal mistakes (most times). Did you know the keyboard will literally stain the screen if you write too much on it? Neither did I, so beware if you write on your phone. I use Google Docs because it's easy and relatively straight-forward.
Okidokee! I really do want to thank you all for reading and commenting. Both you and I have contributed lots of time to this work of fanfiction. It's two month anniversary was on the 25th of July, and I look forwards to many more chapters coming of this. Oh! One more thing! I got sent back to work! Good for me because... adulting... but it also means I'll have less time to update. Luckily, I've got some time before the fall semester of school starts back up, so I'll see how frequently I can do this. School comes first, though. Yay engineering.
I love you all to the moon and back, stay safe and healthy, do good things, pursue your passions and always hold your dream close to your heart!
-Lady Arlo