Hello everybody. Long time no see. I'm sorry this took so long. I really don't have any excuses so here it is.

Chapter 5

Emma's day had gone from bad to worse to deadly. First, she ended up as a servant in Uru'baen, then the Mad King discovered her to be a dragon rider, and lastly she had an audience with both him and the traitorous Red Rider. Unfortunately, those weren't even the worst things.

As she hurried away from the King's throne room, the servants she had previously been on good terms with cast her dark looks. Emma was grateful when she could close the door to her room and have some semblance privacy. Only, she wasn't alone. At least, not entirely. There, sitting on her bed, was the green dragon's egg. It shown in the late afternoon light that drifted in from the only window.

Emma drew in a sharp breath. It was so beautiful. So beautiful and yet so wrong. It shouldn't be here. She spun, making sure no one else was in her room. Reassured, Emma approached the egg. She sat on the bed beside it and reached out, as if in a trance. The shell was warm to the touch and she could almost feel it humming beneath her hand. Drawing back suddenly, she stood. Shakily she began to tidy her messy quarters.

The tedious physical work lulled Emma. She didn't know how much time had passed, but there was a knock at the door. She froze, not knowing what to do, but he door swung open any way.

"I see you're settling in well." Emma's heart stopped as the King himself looked down at her. He waited, but all she could do was stare.

"Hmm," Galbatorix scorned. "You are in my home now, dear child. You will bow before me and greet me as a King."

Emma made no move bow are praise the King. Instead she held his gaze while the rational portion of her mind screamed at her.

"I said," The mad king's voice was dangerously low and Emma realized he was in a foul mood, "STAND!" Emma flinched at the last word but still made no move.

"You are no King of mine." She said, sounding oddly detached even to herself.

"You," The King said, "Are a mere child. A girl. But soon you will be a rider. The least you could do is thank me." When Emma didn't respond the mad man continued. "I am your master and you will obey me. You and your dragon will be servants to my every will, one way or another. I suggest you choose the easy way. Ask Murtagh, the hard way is most- unpleasant."

The young girl stood, frozen in fear. Then a sense of recklessness washed over her. Emma had absolutely nothing to loose. Her family, friends, her whole town was gone. Destroyed by the traitorous rider and his dragon. She realized, she didn't care any more. Let the King do what he will, she thought, I will never serve him.

"Very well." The man had seemed to read her thoughts and replied with mock sympathy. "I apologize in advance, but on your own head be it. Guards!"

Two armed men ran into the room. Emma only had a second of struggle before her vision went dark.

When Emma awoke she was chained to the wall of a damp cell. The room was dark, the only light came from a large crack under the door. She could barely see into the corners but Emma could tell the room was clearly built to hold two prisoners. Her only source of relief was that she was alone.

She tried to stand but the chains connecting her hands to the floor weren't long enough. Resignedly, she slumped to the floor, conserving her strength. She knew Galbatorix was trying to break her, but she couldn't let that happen. If he got ahold of another rider then the Varden was doomed and Emma would not harm all that her parents had stood for. She'd rather die. With that thought, tears began pricking at her eyes.

It could have been days or just a few hours later that Emma heard footsteps approaching. She looked up eagerly, hoping for food, or even a sip of water. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for ages and had had nothing to eat or drink since the day before, and even then she hadn't had much.

Disappointingly, the footsteps passed by her door without a second of hesitation. Emma sighed, but knew she would have to be fed at some point. Galbatorix would never let her starve, she was too important for that. She closed her eyes, slipping back into sleep.

This time Emma was awoken not by the footsteps, but by her cell door being thrust open. Forgetting her chains, she tried to jump up only to be jerked to the ground. Cringing, she rubbed her wrists.

Warily she watched as a second prisoner was chained to the wall opposite her, adjacent to the door. It was only when the guards had left and when he looked up that Emma recognized him as Murtagh.

"You." She said. He didn't respond.

"What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be up there feasting or slaughter some village, not locked up down here with us." 'Me' is what she really meant. Why couldn't they have put the thing of her nightmare somewhere else.

"And who are you to presume you know so much?" His voice was cold, challenging.

"Apparently, I'm the new rider." She retorted.

"Ah," It must have been her imagination, but was that a smile? And then he was nodding darkly again. "And so you've been placed in this pit to be broken while a true name is found for you. I suppose you were foolish enough to defy the king." It wasn't a question, but Emma responded anyway, infuriated by Murtagh's all-knowing confidence.

"Yeah," She said proudly. "Something you wouldn't know anything about."

To her surprise, Murtagh only smiled, albeit, it was rather humorless.

"You know, you're sitting in the same exact place I was when I was first brought here. Of course, I wasn't a rider then, but still, same chains. I was just like you, you know."

Emma's fists clenched in anger. "I am nothing like you." She said. "I would never betray my friends. I would never kill people. And I would never serve a man like Galbatorix!" The last part rose until she was almost yelling.

The Red Rider snorted. "Of course you wouldn't, at least, not willingly. But face it, you chose the hard way. You will break and when you do, the King will have complete control over you. No matter how hard you try."

Emma narrowed her eyes and was about to say something more when the doors opened yet again, and in walked Galbatorix. She flinched, seeing the King three times in what, she thought, was the same number of days was three times too many.

Tell me what you all think. I love to hear from you guys and I'd like to know if I'm succeeding at making Emma sound twelve, but not whiny or anything. R and R please ;)