Disclaimer: If I owned it, why would I be a fan, and writing on a fanfiction website, rather then sending it in to get published?
Chapter Two:
As he opened his eyes, he moaned slowly, shaking his head. The room was warm, so very warm. He sighed in content as he snuggled deeper into his feather pillow; eyes dropping closed once more. He vaguly remembered that he was to ride out with Ajihad in the morning, but the warmth and comfort of the room was to great to leave. His head was vibrating with pain, but he shrugged it off as an inapropriate hangover from the long nights of celebrating. He breathed in the lovely scent of jasmine ready to fall back to sleep; and that's when the shock hit him.
Ajihad was dead, he had watched him die, he had already rode out with the man when they were attacked. His head hurt because of the blinding strike he had recieved in the battle, and his room never smelled of jasmine for the memory of Uru'baen was to close to the surface for him to allow it. His room in the Beor Mountains smelled always of rain and lavender.
Now fully awake, he tried to push himself up. Panic forming in his chest as his breathing increased a ten fold. Eyes shot around the room terrified. The fireplace to his left that was always alight, the desk just beside it that was still packed with paper, and the simple dresser that was always kept neat with clothes for the next day already set out...this was not the Beor Mountains...this was his room. His room in the capital, and the presance of the man at the foot of his bed was all he needed to complete his terrified vision.
Gasping for air, he threw himself out of the bed, just as a hand reached to try to grab him. Unsteady legs liquified underneath him and the teen fell face first towards the ground. Arms shot out to keep from smashing his face open, and adrenaline pumping through his veins full force he crawled away. He managed to get to the corner of the room, eyes wide and frantic as he held his knees close to his chest.
"No...nonononono..." His body was shaking ferociously, and it only got worse when a hand touched his shoulder. Frantically he lashed out, punching forward without looking or thinking. The hand lifted somewhat, but then instead of the gentle touch that it used to be, it now was grabbing roughly, tugging upward and forcing the teen to his feet. Tears were running down the boy's face and his body felt numb and painful. His lungs felt hollow and he became increasingly aware of the terrible sensation that he couldn't breath. Black spots began to form, as he continued to gasp.
Suddenly his head and torso were pushed forward, and cold words told him to exhale slowly. How could he? Struggling against the hold, a sharp smack to the back of the head made him gasp. Again he was told to exhale, and this time he did so without complaint. Suddenly he felt his breath returning to him. He was to numb to think, and as he pushed himself up, he vaguly realized arms holding him close. His hands gripped at the tunic of the person in front of him. And until he calmed down enough to recognize he was being held, they stayed like that. A voice broke him from his daze.
"Now, are you going to hit me again if I release you?" The teen shook for a momment, but eventually managed to squeak out that he would not. Slowly he felt himself being let go from the hold, and led back to the bed where the man shoved him back under the covers. "You shouldn't be trying to walk, let alone run. Now stay still!" The man barked, stopping the teen's fidgeting. They sat in silence for a while before a knock at the door broke the quiet. The king looked up and snapped an 'enter.' Light poured into the room from the door and Murtagh hissed softly as it met his eyes. Then standing there infront of them were the Twins, and his eyes widened in shock.
"You - you're...but..." Galbatorix gave him a look to be quiet, and instantly his mouth shut.
"What do you want?" The king hissed, glaring at them.
"We just remembered something from the Rider's mind read." The Twins said slowly, eyes moving with relief to the teen who's back was pressed firmly against the headboard while his eyes were buldging at the sight of them.
"Go on." They were commanded.
"In front of...him...sir?" They asked, and the glare that was shot their way answered the question efficently. "The Rider's mother's name was Selena, and he does not know who his father is. We checked the records of Lord Morzan's concubine's-" Murtagh hissed at them, fists clenching. They blanched, but went on: "dissapearence. It coincides exactly. We believe that the Rider is Morzan's second son. The first, of course, being...him..." They waved towards Murtagh. Galbatorix immediatly silenced them before turning back to the boy who looked much paler then before.
"Should I even ask if you knew this?" He snapped, watching the teen flinch at the tone.
"Why should a King need to ask permission from someone beneath him?" came the quiet responce. Galbatorix's hand found the boy's hair and with a tug and a shove, Murtagh's head collided with the headboard, causing him to hiss in pain. While the pain was distracting him, he felt a sledge hammer begin to force it's way into his mind.
Hissing, he tried to concentrate only on the pain - knowing it was to late to change it to something else. A wall went up and the sledge hammer collided against it. Again he thought only of the pain in his head, and again the hammer forced it's way towards it.
However the King was not inept in knowing how to break past such well constructed walls. Where the Twins just relied on weakening their victim, his tactic was much more efficent. Taking his other hand he placed it on Murtagh's throat, begining to tighten his grip around the thin neck. Again, he thrust his mind at Murtagh's wall, only this time the wall crumbled with ease. The teen's mind was frantic, sending commands to his hands to claw at the one around his throat. It's franticness noticed to late that the walls were falling beneath Galbatorix's mind. As it tried to rebuild the structures, it was already to late to stop the King from accessing his childhood memories.
Forcing up walls while be strangled was not a task that was easy by any account. And while the King was forcing his way into the boy's mind, he had to give much credit to the teen's valiant efforts. As he reviewed all the memories that Murtagh had of his mother, he saw the barriors that kept him from seeing anything else. Finally the strangle was released, knowing that the boy needed to breathe sometime. He released the boy completely, and he fell onto the pillows shaking and gasping for air.
Tears were running down his face, knowing that now he truly had nothing. The only sanctuary he had ever had was destroyed by this man. His hands were clutching his body closer to himself; knees moving up to his chest.
"He did not know, which means that the Rider doesn't know. I suppose that now you've left the Varden, you cannot go back. Scribe down what you know, I will meet with you later." They bowed low and left. Galbatorix looked at the boy and sighed, before smirking despite himself. "Is your mind still your sactuary now?" With that he turned and left the room, before slamming the door shut and locking it. Leaning his head to the door and listening as a heart wrenching sob met his ears.
Inside the room Murtagh's mind was a mess, as he tried to comprehend the knowledge that was just thrust at him so unwantingly. Eragon...was his...brother.
Now with that peice of knews...and everything that had happened...how would he, could he, have anything left.