Florina looked at the sword on the ground. The hard leather that looked gold was familiar to her. It was the sword she had seen in her vision. Silver vines and flowers decorated the mouth and wound to the middle of the sheath. She turned her attention to the hilt. The silver was wrought in a vine pattern that cupped around the hand when she held it, guarding it from blades that ran the length of. She picked it up, taking her Naegling from the elf's neck so she could sheath it. The queen drew the sword and a soft ring filled the air. The blade was gold instead of the iron she had left it as. A single vein of silver wrapped around the part of the blade close to the hilt. Yes, this was the sword from her vision before she began her war. She had made it in defense of the Riders' honor when she had been training with Oromis. Vanir had thought Eragon to be the new leader of the Riders and Eragon had been crippled at the time. Vanir, Eragon said he had been bitter because Saphira had chosen a weak human and since the dragons were only a month or two apart, it had been hard to tell which was the older and Eragon had been Brom's student first. It had been assumed that Eragon and Saphira were the older pair.
She shook her head and looked at the elf. He was where he had been the entire time. She had been distracted and he had done nothing to harm her. Why? She had so many questions and she couldn't understand it at all. She sheathed the other sword and kept it in her hand as she called in her two guards and ordered them to take the elf to the dungeons below. They bowed and the elf was gone. Florina walked back around her desk and fell into her chair, looking at the sword.
"Brave One?" Kuldra asked.
"This was supposed to have been taken from him at the gate." Florina answered, meaning the sword. "I even missed it."
"Do not be hard on yourself or those who serve you. The elves have powerful magic. He must have let go of the spell after he entered and you focused on his face and not his waist. What about the memory that sword is bringing?"
"You mean the honor of the Riders? It is strange. It felt...right."
"What do you mean?" Kuldra asked as Florina locked the sword away in her private trunk. She didn't need anyone else to try to find it and get rid of it. She walked out of the study and towards the dragon hold. She didn't answer Kuldra's question right away. She was still trying to piece it together herself. Not to mention that she didn't need other Riders trying to find her mind while she was sorting out her feelings and learning something they didn't need to know. The queen saddled her dragon and the two took to the skies. "What do you mean that it felt right, Brave One?"
"Before, when I remembered my time among the elves, I remember fighting for the honor of the Riders, but it had seemed a mockery. This time, the mockery had not been there. When I remembered this, it felt like I was truly fighting for the Riders against my father. But that doesn't make sense. If I was my father's agent, why would I do that? And when I think about it, I know I had plenty of opportunity to tell him where the elven cities were and how to get past their barriers, but I never told him. It feels like there are two truths for a single event and I cannot tell which is a lie."
"Jarnunvösk mentioned that your head is fighting your heart and it is affecting me. But, if this new memory feels right, is it coming from your heart or your mind?"
"Father said that memories could be changed if the magician knew what he was doing. Elves have some of the strongest magic around. But why would they change my memories?"
"Who says that the elves did this to you? Your father placed a Shade spell on his blood, the same blood that runs through your veins. It could be that spell that is changing your memories."
"So what do I trust? Me head or my heart?"
He didn't bother to catch himself as he was thrown into the dungeon and left there. What he was concerned about was the fact that she had listened to him. He had seen her in the dark eyes of her father. He had seen the woman he had fallen in love with. The sword had sparked a memory, one that she connected with him he hoped. When the time was right, he would start giving her the flowers again. But until then, he had to be patient and trust that her heart would win over her head and force out the blood magic that had taken root. She had to see that he was telling her the truth when he did reveal it to her. Maybe she would even see through the lies he had been forced to tell and remember when they had met in Ceris and when he had given her the first flower.
He looked around the cell. It was small, made for only one person. The bars were one wall, with a door in them. Otherwise, he was surrounded by stone. He sighed and sat in the corner that faced the door.
"What are you doing here?" Angela's voice carried to him. the elf looked across his cell to the one across the hall. Angela was standing at the bars, looking at him. He had been told that she had been captured. It was right after the fight in Ellesméra that word had come from Eragon about it. Her companion had made it to the valley and told Eragon and Arya.
"Same thing you are." Lifaen answered the witch. "Trying to bring Florina back to us."
"She threw me in here the moment she saw me. What makes you think you can get through to her?"
"I told her some of the truth and some lies." He answered.
"Oh do tell." She sneered.
"I told her that I was her husband and that I have come to serve her. I even brought her sword that she made in Ellesméra with me. She has it now, but having something associated with me might help bring her to the truth, the one that we all know."
"And what memory are you starting her with?"
"During her training, she had fought an elf over the honor of the Riders. He broke her sword, but she had still beaten him. She had made another sword while among my people and it is that sword that I brought with me. It was those few days that Kuldra learned that I love her Rider. A truth for the two of them in a sense."
"And what do you hope it gets you? More audience time with the queen?"
"I hope it earns me her trust." Lifaen answered. "Trust enough that I can show her the flower for what it is. A symbol of my love for her."
"So you know that it is here then." Lifaen nodded and Angela flopped down next to the bars. "What a pair we make, Lifaen." She laughed. "Both of us love Florina and are here trying to help her, yet we are both in her dungeons." Lifaen smiled, bringing to the front the memories of his life when it was just him and Florina.
"He did what?" Arya's voice echoed through the halls of the castle. Vanir had managed to get Arya out of her rooms, though whether or not the guilt was gone was still to be seen. Delinnëa had just reported that Lifaen had gone to Ilirea alone. Vanir and Eragon flinched at the yell. It was obvious she had thought Lifaen would stay on Vroengard and let the Riders handle this matter.
"He went to try to save Mother." Delinnëa answered the queen.
"I know that. But why?" Arya said through gritted teeth. "The fool knows that the blood magic has changed her memories. Who is to say that she won't kill him the moment he steps in front of her."
"According to the dragons, he believes that he can bring her out of the grip of the blood magic. Though, if he can't, I fear that he may do what I know I won't be able to do." The young Rider answered. "I think we need to ride upon Ilirea and take the throne back. We need to isolate her and try to find a way to keep her sane while we-"
"No," Eragon interrupted. "If we isolate her, we will be no better than Murtagh and Galbatorix. They isolated her when she needed her family the most. That is what drove her to this madness in the first place. If we are to save her, we need to surround her with those that love her. Her family. Lifaen most of all. If this plan with the rose is to work, it needs to come from the one who gave it to her. That rose and the memories associated with it are tied to his presence, if I understand Angela's logic right."
"And if we sack Ilirea now, she will think that he went to her as a distraction for you and whatever work he has accomplished will be lost." Vanir counseled.
"She has already tried to invade the island." Delinnëa countered. "The only reason her Riders didn't make it across the ocean is because of the wild dragons that are sitting on the shore. The Black Queen was not with them. Next time, she might be and she just may have the strength to break the barriers around Vroengard and they can bypass the dragons altogether. I cannot take that chance. Mother wouldn't. I am fighting a war that you have started for me. I have to fight it the only way I know how."
"Delinnëa, think about what you are saying. If you fly into battle against the queen, you will lose." Arya said.
"It can't be helped now. My brother is missing. My father has gone on what could be a fool's mission. Angela's plan has failed. And the two of you refuse to help. I have to do this the way my mother would want me to. I am the daughter of the Golden Rider. It is time I start acting like it."
"Delinnëa," Eragon tried before the mirror was showing their reflections. He screamed in frustration as he sat in his chair. "Florina was just as stubborn." He mumbled. Arya and Vanir stood on the other side of the desk.
"We can't let her fight this alone." Vanir said. "She doesn't stand a chance against he Black Queen. I was hard-pressed to stand against her before the two of you were changed by the dragons."
"If I remember correctly, you still lost even after you broke her blade." Eragon said.
"I'll go." Arya volunteered. "Maybe I can get her to back down from a full-blown attack."
"And if you can't?" Saphira cut into the conversation.
"Then I make sure to kill Florina before either Lifaen or Delinnëa are forced to."
"I will gather our people." Vanir said and moved towards the doors.
"No," Arya said. "This is a Rider's war. I made a mistake letting you fight them. I'm not going to do it again. I will lead the elves that are Riders. Maybe that will make up for the past."
Getting close to the end. Thanks for reading and please review.
