I'm not doing well with keeping promises about updates... I'm trying though! And this time I didn't wait nearly 3 months so it's an improvement ;) And this time I had to do a lot of editing (and I still wouldn't be surprised if I missed something...), so that also incorperated into the wait...

Almost done now – the closing chapters are coming, only 4 chapters left. I might end up updating the last few in France... who knows? Well, whatever, enjoy! - LadyMalfoyx

Another few days passed, and Darcie found herself getting busier now that Murtagh was gone. She hadn't heard any word, and she wasn't even sure if that was good or not. By the end of one week, she was starting to wonder if she was being kept busier on purpose. Only a thought nonetheless, but she couldn't help but wonder.

On a free day, Darcie woke up early. Unable to fall back asleep, she tip-toed throughout the tent to change, and then leave. When she stepped out of the tent, it was still rather dark; the sun hadn't risen yet. She shut the flap to the tent and heard noise within; the twins were taking up. Sighing, she headed down the path and into the castle. She greeted the kitchen staff and asked for extra fruits. She waited a fair bit, but the wait was worth it because she was given a bountiful basket that was carefully put together. Thanking the cooks and servants, she left the kitchen and headed back the tent just in time to hear loud noise. She entered the tent, put the basket of food onto her bed and headed into the next room over. She saw that Aryana and Reagan were already out of their cribs and chasing each other around the room, screaming and laughing.

"You two are crazy," she said as she shook her head.

Reagan, who was being chased, ran up to Darcie and hugged her leg. Aryana ran up to him, poked him, and ran around to Darcie's other leg and hugged it as well. Reagan jumped back up and started to run around his mom.

Darcie found it miraculous the bottom of her dress hadn't ripped yet. She reached down and caught Reagan mid-run. Picking him up, she settled him in one arm. As soon as she did, Aryana let go of Darcie's leg and moved to stand in front of her and lifted her arms up, stretching as high as she could without falling. Darcie reached down and amazingly got Aryana up safely using one arm.

With one twin in each hand, Darcie managed to grab the basket off her bed with the hand that held Reagan up and then left the tent. She made her way to the castle and walked through a series of long corridors and stopped in front of a door. She looked at the door, wondering how she could even thing to get it open with both hands taken, let alone knock. Without another thought she lifted up a foot and hit the door with it twice.

"Who is it?"

At least he was awake.

"Darcie."

There was no response.

"I come bearing food..."

There was a few more moments of dead silence, and the door slowly opened.

"Thanks, I was starting to formulate a plan on how to open the door with my foot," she said as she entered. She put the twins down, and they started chasing each other again. She saw the smile on Eragon's hacked up face and said, "I couldn't leave them in the tent alone."

"It's alright; they're not horrible, right?"

Darcie laughed as she closed the door. "Not if they're busy."

She found a chair and pulled it up by Eragon, who said on the edge of his bed. She put the basket of food next to him, and he grabbed a handful of anything he could.

"Have you even gotten food since yesterday?" Darcie asked, eyeing him as he practically inhaled an apple, only leaving the core on the other side of him.

"No; apparently I was unconscious half of yesterday," Eragon responded as he took out an orange and started peeling it.

"You did get stabbed in the back quite literally. If you weren't out, I would have been shocked," Darcie responded as she pulled out a peach. Reagan ran up to the bed and started to tip the basket. "Oh no..." Darcie said as she took the basket from his grip. Reagan pointed to the peach in her hand, indicating he wanted one. Darcie pulled a peach out from the basket and handed it to Reagan. "You want a peach?"

He nodded vigorously.

"Ech!" he attempted to say.

I smiled. "No mess."

Reagan smiled and walked away with the peach, looking triumphant.

"You're good with them," Eragon commented, looking at Darcie curiously.

She smiled. "Thanks. I don't really have much choice; I don't want to leave them with someone else the entire time, so I'm more stuck with them now than anything."

"Do you ever think it was a mistake?"

Darcie was taken aback by the blunt phrasing of Eragon's question, but responded, "Sometimes... but it's more the mistake of how early than just them than just them. Of course, I 

honestly wish I was married before them because you don't exactly want to be known as a wench..."

She heard Eragon chuckle lightly in his attempts to not do so. She gave him a playful glare.

"So where is Murtagh? Or dare I ask...?"

"He and Thorn left... didn't you notice?"

"No," Eragon responded with a shrug. Darcie scoffed and shook her head.

"As soon as Murtagh was freed by the healers, he went to Nasuada and requested he leave to travel throughout Alagaesia and inform the people f-Galbatorix is dead. As soon as it was granted, he told me and then left the next morning without word," Darcie explained.

"So he's out of Surda, so far known as a member of what used to be the Empire's army, telling people their king is dead?" Eragon asked slowly.

"That's what I said to him!" Darcie exclaimed when she finished her peach. "He didn't care."

"He's been that way since I've known him," Eragon responded in a low voice.

"No surprise there," Darcie said with a smile as she grabbed the last apple, and Eragon took the last pear. They ate, and then Darcie asked, "Have you ever had the feeling where you know something bad is going to happen, but you don't know what?"

"Many times," Eragon sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I just have a nagging feeling something bad is going to happen... and it'll be soon."