Maturity and Lack of It

Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon. So don't sue.

Belinda knocked on the door of Claudius Tábor. She was to personally deliver a message ordering him and the entire Tábor family to come to dine with the king. This was to be the night Luce and Murtagh met them. Belinda was mildly interested in seeing how it would turn out. She knew, however, that she would very likely not be in attendance.

A tall, dark-skinned young man in his early twenties opened the door. He had the mark of the slave on his shoulder. Belinda remembered when she had had to wear that mark. It wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Milord is asleep right now. What can I do for you?" the man asked her. His eyes had an expression that he liked her looks.

"I am to deliver a message to him personally," she replied.

"I assure, my dear young lady, he is NOT ready to receive it. Simply tell me what you need to tell him, and I'll tell him what you were supposed to tell him," the man told her, grinning.

"By order of the king, I must see him," Belinda yelled, trying to slip past the slave.

He simply leaned to the side so that she could not.

"Listen to me. I cannot let you pass. I am sure the king will not mind if I deliver the message," the slave explained in a more comforting voice.

Belinda nodded sourly. What was a slave doing refusing the orders of a free-born servant and a king? Still, the dark-haired young woman didn't see how she could get around him. She relayed her message and left.

Sanchez watched the girl leave. He whistled slowly. She had been a pretty one.

Shame she's the king's spy, he thought to himself. He simply wouldn't turn against his master. He knew he was not really Claudius's slave, as the man never beat him, always fed him, and sometimes even gave him money if he ever performed a particularly difficult task. When Elra Andrickai had captured him and his sister, Shaheen, Sanchez had expected far worse treatment from his master. He was quickly promoted to messenger and spy. He knew all his master's secrets. He was the only one who knew that Claudius had taken his father's newest and much younger wife into his bed on many occasions over the past five years. He was the only one who knew where Claudius got his information. He had no intentions of telling the king's spy any of these things no matter how pretty she happened to be.

Claudius was roused from his sleep by a rapping on his door. He slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that Solaera still lay sleeping against him. Her chest heaved slowly. Claudius was surprised she hadn't already left.

"Who is it?" he called out, though he full well knew it was Sanchez.

Sure enough, the young man answered back with his name.

"Come in," he commanded.

"The king wishes all of the Tábor family to dine with him tonight," Sanchez explained.

"What?" Solaera yelled. She was suddenly wide awake and alert.

"That is what he said, milady," Sanchez told her.

Her icy blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, I shall just have to feign sudden, severe illness, shan't I?" she stated calmly.

"That would most likely suffice," Claudius agreed. He privately hoped Solaera would not be forced to attend. He knew that could prove fatal for them both.

"The girl who delivered the message really wanted to deliver it personally. Orders from the king, no doubt," Sanchez informed them. He was thinking along the same lines as his master.

"He will not force me to attend. He fears illness too much. He's not immune to everything, and he won't want to risk catching something like that," Solaera put in. There was a definite derisive note to her voice.

Claudius nodded. "You would know," he agreed.

"I suppose I must go back to my own rooms if I am to begin getting sick, hmm?" the woman asked.

"Sanchez, you are dismissed," Claudius told his spy.

The man nodded and exited the room.

"I suppose you must," he told her.

Solaera turned to him. "I think I still have some time," she whispered suggestively.

Claudius pulled her towards him into a kiss at these words. Her legs wrapped around his waist immediately. He rolled over so that he was on top of her. His hands worked over her breasts. He felt the tips of them erect under his fingers. She moaned and pressed harder against him.

"Put more energy into it, Luce," Murtagh yelled.

Luce gritted her teeth and tried to force more power into the spell.

"Don't wear yourself out doing it. Let it flow from you. Forcing it out won't work" Murtagh continued.

Luce tried to obey. She felt herself growing fainter. The world went black.

She awoke several minutes later to see a very concerned Murtagh leaning over her.

"Did I put too much energy into it?" she croaked.

Murtagh nodded and handed her a water-skin. She gulped it down ferociously.

Murtagh slowly helped her to her feet.

"It took me a week to master that one," he admitted. He didn't tell Luce that he was currently struggling with a new spell one of Galbatorix's magicians had assigned him. The king no longer wished to train either of his riders and magicians had been assigned to them both. Most of the spells they were taught involved ways to kill.

"That's how long I've been working on this one," Luce snapped.

"Maybe we should try something easier?" Murtagh suggested.

Luce shook her head.

"I'll master it today if it kills me," she protested.

"If you're not careful, it may," Murtagh stated bluntly.

"I will be careful," Luce muttered. She turned to the bird she had been practicing on, slowly reached for the magic, and uttered, "Letta du blödh fethrblakas." Stop the bird's blood.

She felt energy leaving her, though not as quickly as it had before. After about thirty seconds, the flow of magic stopped. The bird had fallen over dead.

Luce cheered in triumph.

Murtagh looked relieved.

"You didn't think I could get it, did you?" Luce teased. Her success had lifted her mood greatly.

"I confess you worry me sometimes, Luce," he admitted with a raised eyebrow. "I have to work on my newest spell now."

Luce nodded. Murtagh's spell could wipe out an at least five troops if correctly placed.

The male rider reached for the magic and began his spell. Several cages of birds stood before them. He uttered the necessary phrase and felt the magic leaving him. After another thirty seconds, the birds had all died.

He breathed a sigh of relief. It was done.

Belinda was quietly going through her "mistress's" wardrobe. She pulled out one dress. It was brown, patched, frayed at the hem, and Luce had a line down the front of the skirt. The maid couldn't resist asking her about this.

"I can't run unless I split the skirt," the rider explained sharply.

Belinda rolled her eyes. All the other dresses were in a similar condition.

"Do you have anything suitable?" Belinda sneered.

"I suppose I don't, and I don't care if I do," Luce replied shortly.

"Well, his majesty does, so you had better come up with something," Belinda stated coolly. Maybe this would get the stupid rider to think.

"I suppose I'd better," Luce agreed. She pushed the smaller girl out of the way and sorted through her wardrobe. She picked one gown up off of the floor. It was a dark green over-gown. She rifled through her wardrobe a bit more before she found the under-gown. It was black. Since she had already bathed, she pulled it on.

Luce stared at herself in the mirror. It fit her better than she had expected it to. The green looked better against her skin tone than she thought it would have. She supposed she didn't look bad. The dress complimented her height, at least. Some dresses made her look too tall and too thin and sometimes even figureless. The gown didn't cut too low in the front and the back was pretty. Her tawny hair, which had always been curly instead of wavy like Ardis', was a wild as ever, especially since it was still wet. She hadn't bothered to dry it.

"We'll have to do something about that hair," Belinda remarked. Luce nodded. The maid began to work a comb through her hair. Luce kept biting her lip to keep from yelling out in pain. Her hair always got tangled after lessons.

Murtagh stared down at his plate. Luce was late as usual. He was going to give her a hard time about it when she got down there. He was terribly bored without her conversation. Lenori Tábor hadn't spoken a single word. She seemed terrified of him. Mort looked as haughty as ever. Claudius seemed blasé and calm. He said a few occasional things, and Murtagh responded. Marcus Tábor himself had been in conversation with Galbatorix the entire time. The governor's wife had fallen ill and been unable to come. Murtagh didn't particularly care.

Luce bustled into the room, bowed to Galbatorix, and took her seat.

"You are late, rider," the king growled.

"I am extremely sorry. I had to get ready after my lessons. They went on especially long today," Luce explained.

Murtagh found it extremely hard not to gape at her as she said this. She had pulled her hair away from her face and twisted it so that it hung at the nape of her neck. She wore a simple green pendant around her neck. The dress was beautiful on her. It amazed him that it could hang to the floor at her height. The green on black color suited her. Her figure looked better than it ever had, and the dress showed off her back.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes and cocked her eyebrow as though to ask why he stared at her.

You look beautiful, Luce, Murtagh told her.

Is that a compliment from you, rider? Luce asked.

What did you think it was? he inquired.

I don't know, but the king is watching me, Luce told him.

Murtagh dropped his head. He noticed that Mort seemed to stare at Luce with unbelievable admiration. Murtagh resisted the impulse to kick the young man. Luce seemed to notice; a scowl marred her features.

Galbatorix stopped his conversation with Tábor. He rose up and began to speak.

"I have reached an agreement with the great Lord Marcus Tábor of Dras Leona. In order to ensure that he does not take too many liberties with his power, I have decided to marry his third son, Mort, to the green rider, Luce, and his daughter, Lenori, to the red rider. The latter shall be married first, in three months time. The first shall be married in for months. This shall indeed be a joyous occasion," the king explained.

Lenori sat straight up as the king spoke. Her back didn't dare touch the chair. The king was too frightening. She noticed that the green rider seemed more careless about her manner, though she hadn't made any serious infractions yet. All she had done was roll her eyes at the last statement.

Lenoir realized with a start that this was the woman who had helped her on the day of her second-to-last seizure.

Was I respectful enough? Lenori thought. She couldn't remember being so.

"Excuse me, your majesty, but I believe there is a matter of importance I must attend to right away," the red rider spoke up as the king finished his speech.

Lenori's blue eyes widened. That voice. It was the voice of the man who had told her to go to the king during her last seizure.

But that couldn't be right. This man was dark while the man in her vision had been blond. Lenori met her fiancé's eyes for the briefest second. They were the same pale grey as the man in her vision. What was wrong? The young girl couldn't begin to make sense of it.

Three Weeks Later in Ellesméra

Ardis slowly made her way towards Tialdarí Hall. She had hoped to find Shaheen there. Lessons were getting more demanding. She had learned much in the past few days. She rather enjoyed her lessons despite their difficulty (Every times she learned a new spell, Oromis seemed to have something else for her to learn), but she had come to loath sparring. Vanir seemed to enjoy mocking her. It infuriated the young girl on the deepest level. She had never felt so much anger towards anybody who had insulted her before. She didn't know why he made her so angry. She had never been a temperamental girl, and she had been insulted before. Vanir seemed to bring out that side of her. That was yet another reason to dislike him.

Ardis paused for a moment to compare him to Eragon. The latter was a much better person. Ardis also preferred his slightly rugged face to Vanir's. Eragon was fairer than any human she'd ever seen and more rugged than any elf.

Ardis, don't fall too hard for him, Kazul cautioned.

You keep saying that, the girl remarked.

I don't wish for you to suffer pain, the dragon told her.

I know you don't. Don't worry, Ardis consoled.

You do like him, Kazul said.

Maybe, the young rider conceded.

She saw Kazul rolling her silver eyes as she landed in front of her.

I do, Ardis admitted.

I intend to see that he is good to you, whatever his reaction is, Kazul explained.

I'm not going to tell him just now. I don't know his feelings, Ardis said defensively.

Wisdom, Kazul stated emotionlessly.

Ardis nodded and laughed.

Are you looking forward to tomorrow, my dearest dragon? Ardis asked.

I look forward to flying with you upon my back, the violet dragon said.

As I am looking forward to flying upon yours, Ardis replied.

Kazul gave a dragonish laugh and flew off, while performing a back-flip. Ardis wondered what it would be like to fly while her dragon performed such tricks.

She turned and walked into Tialdarí Hall. She asked an elf where Shaheen was and was given directions. Ardis marveled at the different colors and flowers all in the rooms. Only the variety of plants seemed unnatural about this place. Ardis swept a large vine with pink and white, bell-like flowers out of her face.

"I would be careful of the Lianí Vine, Ardis-vodhira," an all-too-familiar male voice stated. Ardis turned and saw Vanir leaning against the wall.

"What makes you think I wouldn't be?" she demanded more harshly than she had meant to.

"Nothing at all, Argetlam," Vanir told her. He turned and walked out of the room.

The female rider continued her trek through the Hall. She occasionally stopped to wonder what one flower was. She could rarely figure that out upon closer inspection. It mattered little. She had never needed names to appreciate beauty.

At last, she came to her friend's room.

Shaheen opened the door when she heard a knock. She opened it, unsure of whom to expect. It was Ardis.

"I'm so glad you finally came to see me. I've been so bored I've been spending my days with Roran," Shaheen told her.

"Oh," Ardis began, "have you finally stopped being immature about him?"

"What do you mean by immature?" Shaheen asked. She didn't know what Ardis was implying.

"Exactly what I said," Ardis simply stated. Shaheen pressed her, but the rider only laughed.

Shaheen finally decided to change the subject. "How have your lessons been?" she asked.

"Oh, very challenging. Oromis is a great teacher. He is so strict, though. I could go without sparring. Vanir mocks me all the time," Ardis explained.

"I could help you," Shaheen told her friend.

"Oh, would you?" Ardis asked.

"Of course," Shaheen said, "and I'm sure Eragon wouldn't mind either."

Ardis nodded at his name, smiling a bit to herself.

Shaheen laughed to herself and thought, She's fallen for Eragon, has she?

"Shall we go exploring now?" she asked her friend.

Ardis nodded. "I haven't had much time for that. We could just go get Dusan and Alanna, and they could show us around."

Shaheen nodded as well. She and Roran had gotten lost more times than was funny in Ellesméra while trying to explore. Too little tour-guides would be a pleasant change.

I think I'll have Dusan and Alanna give a little tour next chapter. (They'll give a little background on Vanir.) Ardis will fly Kazul for the next time. I'm not sure what else I'll do, but I'll think of something. In whose point of view do you want the rest of the next chapter to be (Varden, Luce/Murtagh, Derek, Arlena, Eragon)? I'm going to begin the journey towards Galby's downfall soon. Also, I expect seven reviews for this chapter. I won't update until I get that. They don't even have to be long reviews. Just review. I'm fricking serious.

Scarlet MacDuff: Who doesn't love Murtagh?

Teenchic: You'll understand it all later. I don't care that you didn't do the poll. I'm glad you reviewed.

Amantine: I'm glad it's not a common problem.

DragonRider2000: I couldn't believe I didn't write anything wit Ardis for two chapter. Well, she was in this one, and she'll be in the next one.

Deer-Shifter: I understand that. I'm glad you like the story. I'm just greedy for reviews. LOL. You'll find out some more about Claudius and Solaera. I might have some gossipy maid tell it all. I don't know. As for Belinda, I don't think she'll be his third wife, but she's in for something. Yes, that's what Lenori's illness is. It'll all come together in the end.