There is violence and brutality in this chapter.
It's kind of a flashback, but... it's Morzan's memory of what had happened, but it it Galbatorix who showed it to Alayissa.

Please review!

"Look what we have here," said a man. He was facing away from Alayissa. "A little field mouse, and her pet rat. Let's see just how much it takes to make this mouse squeal." Alayissa looked at the "mouse" to whom the man was referring. Her hair was falling over her shoulders, obscuring her face, and she was kneeling with her head bowed. Her hands were tied behind her back, and Alayissa could see a familiar sword lying on the ground a few feet away. She knew who the woman was, though she dreaded the confirmation that was sure to come. Then Alayissa saw that there was some dark liquid dripping from the woman's face. Blood. Her blood. There was a boy beside her, who was also on the ground, though he was not hunched over as the woman was. The man put his red sword to the woman's chin, and raised her head, forcing her to look into his clear blue eyes. Alayissa gasped, though she knew what was coming. It was her mother, Ramina! And beside her was Jarenh, Alayissa's younger brother!

"Are there any others, Ramina? There must be more than the three."

"No," the woman said defiantly. "There are no more eggs, traitor." Morzan raised his sword, but pointed it at the boy. Ramina cried out.

"Tell me the truth, Ramina," Morzan said smoothly. "I will not hesitate to kill your whelp."

"I swear, I am telling the truth!" Ramina said. Her voice was pleading. "Please, if there is any way I can prove it to you, I will, if only you will let the boy live. I'll do anything you ask, just let my son go!" Alayissa choked back a sob as she realized that Ramina was crying.

"If you would save your son, tell me where the other eggs are!"

"There are none! I swear it!" She said something in the Ancient Language – no doubt a confirmation of what she had just been saying.

"Then there is no reason to keep either of you alive." Alayissa screamed as Morzan's sword cut clean through her borther's neck. Ramina cried all the harder, but Alayissa caught the look on her mother's face. It was murderous. Despite her multiple injuries, despite the fact that her hands were bound, Ramina stood up. Alayissa had forgotten how formidable her mother had been – she was much taller than she remembered. Morzan laughed cruelly, brandishing his sword – the sword that had killed so many noble lives. Ramina started to mutter something, but Morzan stopped her by running his sword through her stomach. Alayissa could only watch in horror as her mother stopped in her tracks, a look of shock upon her face. Morzan yanked his sword out, then stabbed again, this time in the leg. Ramina cried out in pain, sinking to her knees. She knew she was dead; not even the most powerful magic could save her now. But still, she did not lie down. It was obvious that she was in pain, more pain than could be born, but she managed to remain upright, until Morzan plunged his sword into her heart. Ramina fell to the ground, lifeless.

Alayissa screamed as loud as she could. How could he! The traitor! If only her mother had had a chance to stand, she could have killed that coward, and he knew it! Alayissa didn't stop crying when she felt the side of her face go numb. She didn't stop when she saw Galbatorix's evil eyes staring gleefully at the traumatized woman in front of him. She knew she couldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him see weakness, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that she had just witnessed her mother and younger brother being murdered before her eyes.

She vaguely noticed that she had been shoved out of the chair; she had missed them untying her, but it didn't matter. It was like she had just lost her mother all over again – except this time, she had been forced to watch. She heard laughter, then a door shut, but she wasn't thinking about her surroundings.

What had really made it so horrible was to see her mother begging the dark king's most trusted servant to let Jarenh go. Alayissa remembered every day that her mother was with her. She had never seen a more tortured look on Ramina's face. It hurt her to see her mother so broken. That wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Ramina was a great warrior, and she deserved to die a warrior's death – she hadn't deserved the way she died. Jarenh hadn't, either – he was just a little boy!

Alayissa didn't know how long she cried. She didn't even bother to get up from the heap where she had been unceremoniously dumped from her chair. She didn't care. She felt like she would never care again. How could anything else matter? How could anyone be thinking of anything other than the brutality of life? It wasn't right.

For once, Alayissa was glad that she couldn't see the sky. She was sure that it would be bright, and blue, and happy, but nothing should be bright. Nothing should ever have been happy.

What was the point?

So, what do you think?