AN: I had a really difficult time writing this chapter because it was hard to think of what Galbatorix would say. He is just so evil...Anyway, I was thinking about keeping everyone in suspense until this weekend, but then I thought, no, that would be mean. So here it is. On a Thursday. Woot.

Disclaimer: Please don't sue me Christopher Paolini! I idolize you. Uh... Not in a creepy, unhealthy kind of way. I don't have a C.P. shrine in my closet! Did I just say that out loud? Crap.

I'll let you people get on with the story now...

Chapter Seven
Galbatorix

"Come on," said the guard impatiently.

"Look at my leg, you blubberheaded idiot. Does it look like I can walk?" The guard looked taken aback at being insulted by a slave, she noted with satisfaction.

He scowled, but walked over and picked her up, her leg jutting out awkwardly because of the splint. He grumbled something about not being a pack-mule, at which Taize muttered that a pack-mule had more freedom than she did.

"Besides, it's not like I'm that heavy. I've had to carry things heavier than me." Indeed. "Look on the bright side. I could have been a lot heavier. Of course, if I ever got anything decent to eat…" She had a great deal of fun babbling on pointlessly and annoying the living daylights out of the guard.

"Why do I always get the crazy ones?" he groaned to himself.

"That's a good question. But why are you asking yourself if you don't know the answer?"

The guard heaved a sigh of immense relief when they finally reached their destination. He set her down on a bench outside of a small and unassuming door. "Stay here," he said firmly.

"Do I look like I'm going anywhere?" she asked the man's back as he disappeared inside.

He was back very shortly. "You can go in," he said as he exited the room. Taize looked at him expectantly.

The guard cursed under his breath as he picked her up again. "Now, now, that's no way to be speaking in front of a lady, is it?" she asked with mock innocence. In fact, she probably knew more curses than he did.

The room was small but richly decorated. She had been inside nobles' rooms when she was cleaning them, but compared to this…Elaborate tapestries covered the walls, depicting ancient Riders and their dragons. Drapes of red velvet had been opened to let sunlight stream in through many windows. At the far side of the room was a fireplace, with a fire crackling in the grate, and in the center of the room was a table, set for two.

At the far side of the table was seated a man. She did not know his name for sure, but she had no doubt that it was Galbatorix himself. The sense of power radiating from him was incredible. He was dressed all in black, and was looking at her, undoubtedly inspecting her.

As he scrutinized her, Taize was suddenly very aware of her appearance, which was odd, because usually she could care less. She was completely filthy. Her hair hadn't been brushed since she had been captured, but it wasn't too matted because she kept it short. Her clothes, as always, were in tatters, and there was hardly an inch of her skin that was its original color, especially after all the new bruises she had obtained when she fell down the stairs. On the whole, she looked even worse than she usually did (and that was saying something).

The guard set her down in the chair opposite Galbatorix, and she stared him defiantly in the eye. "Why am I here?" she demanded.

He raised an eyebrow. "Unless I am very much mistaken, a slave is not normally allowed to speak to her master in that tone of voice."

"I am not a normal slave."

"Indeed. You have been living—"

Taize snorted. Was that what he called it? Living? She hadn't been living for eleven years, she reflected bitterly.

The king continued as though there had been no interruption. "—in my palace for more than ten years, and yet you are still as defiant as ever, perhaps even more so than when you arrived."

"Is that all?" she interrupted. "I would have thought it would be Kin'naid who'd be worried about that sort of thing. Having a disobedient slave might tarnish his reputation with the king," she spat.

"That is not all," said the king, looking completely unsurprised at her outburst. "And I would think," he added, his voice becoming dangerously soft, "that you might be a bit better behaved in front of the master of all Alagaësia."

"Why should I?"

He raised an eyebrow, the first slight suggestion of emotion Taize had seen him give. "I could make you suffer…"

"Suffer? Suffer?! I have been through more suffering in the past few years than most people will go through in their entire lifetimes!" yelled Taize.

"Or I could just kill you…"

She rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I care?"

He sighed. "Not particularly. Though I must admit, I am at a loss as to understand why you should be so careless with your own life."

Taize rolled her eyes. The gesture was not lost on Galbatorix, who continued to stare at her coldly.

"Fine," she snapped. "You want to know why I don't care if I die?"

"I was thinking that it would provide for rather…interesting conversation, yes."

She glared at him venomously. "What is there for me to live for? A life of slavery? No matter how soon my death occurs, I will die a slave. And personally," she added hotly, "I would rather die by my own hand than by that of a despicable waste of human life such as yourself." She said these last words with such hatred etched on her face that it was impossible to believe that she might be lying.

"You see? This is what I meant earlier by 'defiant.'" There was a pause in the conversation until Galbatorix remarked dryly, "And you look like a boy."

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "You see, if people think I'm not a woman, I tend to get just a tad more…respect than I often would otherwise. I blame your stupid noblemen and their attitude towards female slaves."

"I see."

Suddenly a man burst into the room. Taize could tell from the design on his tunic that he worked for the empire. "My lord," he murmured. "I'm so sorry to interrupt…"

She deduced from the man's pale face that he was really thinking, Please don't kill me for interrupting you. Lost in her thoughts, she missed the exact reason why the king was being interrupted.

"Nonnad," he said, and the guard re-entered the room. "I need to speak with this man privately. Take the girl back to her quarters." He turned to Taize, about to speak.

"Oh, sure, let's not even bother to ask the slave's name. After all, who cares? She's just a human being, though everyone else seems to think she's just a commodity to be bought and sold!"

"Do you always talk about yourself in the third person?" Galbatorix asked Taize.

She thought for a moment. "Not always," she admitted. "Though it is rather fun. Especially when I want to annoy someone."

As she disappeared out the door, Galbatorix felt an emotion that he hadn't known for many years. He was nervous.

No, he thought to himself. Not nervous. Merely…uneasy. Besides, why should I feel this way at all? She's nothing special, merely another slave. Still, the sooner the girl was fully under his control, the better.

AN: Yeah. Sorry if this chapter kinda sucks...Anyway, he obviously is more interested in her future than he is letting on. Galby...snigger...Sorry, every time I call him Galby I can just see him in some alternate dimension, just twitching every time someone calls him that. Galby... Sorry. From the story summary, you guys all know it's because she ends up being a rider...