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She looked at the gold, white-lined rose in her hand. "I should have known better than to go after them."

"You couldn't have known that Galbatorix would help them. They must have counted on you taking up Eragon's fight should he have fainted like he did."

"That was their plan. They wanted me to fight. The only way they could do that was to have me go to his aide when he lost consciousness."

"What do we do now, Brave One?"

"I have my armor packed in your saddle bags. Tonight, we are getting out of here. The Varden are too far away. And Nasuada will have sent Eragon to sit on the dwarves' proceedings by now. They will have to be without a Rider for now. If we try to get to them now, we will surely be caught."

"We'll be caught no matter where we go. The Varden just happen to be the farthest away. They are far enough that, on the energy I have, I may have to stop at least once before we reach them."

"When Lifaen arrived, they reported that Ceunon was being taken. I don't know if they have taken it yet, but after Ceunon, they plan to march on Gil'ead. We will fight with the elves."

"Is it that you want to fight with the elves, or are you hoping a certain elf is there, waiting for you?" Florina blushed. She was about to respond when someone spoke.

"Always know what buttons to push, don't they?" She scowled as she put the rose back into her hair.

"What do you want?" She sneered as she began polishing Kuldra's saddle and checking the spells on it. She was glad she had not brought the one Oromis had given her. She knew that there was no way Galbatorix would have let her keep it. It was from older days. She couldn't deny that he was treating her far better than she had expected, being a prisoner and all. He had even given Kuldra her own space in the cave that housed them.

"Your father wishes to see you."

"He is nothing to me. My father is dead. He died because of what Galbatorix did to our home. Because of him, my father could not buy the food he needed to survive his journey and he died before he could find me again. Galbatorix may claim that I am his daughter, but that is not true. And if he wants to see me, he can come to me himself." Murtagh rolled his eyes and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Instead of yelling, she kneed him in the chin. He dropped her with a curse. She rolled to her feet and drew her sword as Murtagh regained his footing.

"Why must you be stubborn?" He mumbled. "He just wants to see you and speak with you again."

"And I am not at his beckon call. I am at no one's beckon call but my own." He moved forward again. She flicked her blade up to his chin. "Do not come any closer."

"You two are siblings. You're supposed to be getting along." Her scowl deepened and she lowered her blade and sheathed it. Murtagh breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to see Galbatorix standing next to Shruikan. "Since I am here, I was hoping you would consent to join me for a trip."

"I'd rather die first." She spat.

"That is a beautiful flower. Which magician gave that you?" She remained silent. "I came to tell you that I am throwing a celebration in your honor. You are my daughter and there are twenty years' worth of birthdays that I have missed. I am going to make up for that. But I think, most importantly, we should celebrate your womanhood. That is the celebration for tonight."

"That celebration has already come and gone, with my real family. I won't be there."

"Oh, you will."

"And what makes you say that?" He produced a box from a pouch at his belt. He walked over to her. Murtagh grabbed her from behind.

"Letta." Galbatorix said lazily. Florina froze, unable to move anymore. He pulled two gold bands from the box. "I had these made for you when Emily told me about you being my daughter. I am very protective of my family, Florina. These bracelets," he opened one and closed it around her wrist, "will tell me where you are at all times." He did the same with the other bracelet and put it on her other wrist. "So, if you are taken from me, I will always be able to find you. These are for your protection." He released the spell and Murtagh let her go. She stood straight and looked him in the eye as she tried to open the bracelet on her left wrist. He smiled. "There are only two ways that those will come off. Either I take them off or I die. And since I don't plan to do either for now, you can never take them off. Now, I will see you tonight. Come Murtagh, you have lessons to attend to." Florina watched them go. She clenched her fists at her sides.

"What now?"

"Now, I send word to Arya."

"What do we do, Arya? I have worked out the kinks with Eragon being gone, but Florina is still missing."

"We know where she is, Nasuada. But we cannot go for her because Eragon is not with us." Arya looked through the crack in the entrance to the pavilion. "He has her. But we have no way of knowing what he will do. We do not know if Emily has broken. We do not know if he will force Florina and Kuldra to serve him. She bears an uneasy resemblance to him through her eyes while she looks like her birth mother."

"Stranger things have happened in Kuasta." Nasuada looked at the elf. "But what we need to concentrate on is getting word to Islanzadí of Florina's predicament. Perhaps they can help her."

"Lifaen is returning today. Now that Florina and Kuldra have been captured and the elves under his command are dead, he feels that he is no longer needed here."

"You are worried about him."

"He is my friend. In the time I have known him, I have never seen him like this. A march across the Empire will not be good for his health. Alone, he can reach our army in the north in good time. He can be of better use to Florina there." Arya crossed her arms.

"He loves her."

"I know." Arya squinted and looked at the sky. Her eyesight was great, but some things were too fast for her to see, like the thing she had just seen.

"Arya?"

"Hush." She reached for her bow and armed it. She took aim and drew it back. She could see the thing rushing towards them.

"Wait!" Arya almost let the arrow go in her surprise. She lowered it and turned to face the Dragonchild. There was an excited light in her eyes.

"What?"

"That is not an enemy. It is searching for you." Elva reached forward and opened the flap just enough to show the elf. The thing rushed in and landed on Nasuada's desk. Elva closed the flap and gestured for Arya to approach it. The elf moved slowly towards it. When she was closer she, she could see that it was a bird made of paper. She picked it up and unfolded it, feeling Florina's magic on it.

"Arya, as you might have guessed by now, I am a prisoner of Galbatorix. He has claimed me as his daughter. He gets this idea from Emily, who betrayed me to him and so now he knows who I am. I had planned to join your mother and fight with the elven army, but he has put a stop to that plan. I now wear jewelry that keeps him informed of my location. The only way to get them off is to kill him. I will play nice for now. Perhaps I can get him to take them off. Once I have them off, I will join your mother and her army. Warn Nasuada of Emily. I have heard hints that he plans to send her out into the field. I don't know where he will send her, but more likely, he will send her to the Varden. If she comes, do not let her in. Lock her up or kill her. It doesn't matter which. Warn Islanzadí. If I cannot escape before the two armies meet at Urû'baen, I will see you when you get here. Assume nothing!" Arya read and reread the letter before letting her eyes rest on the gold dragon at the bottom of the page.

"What is it?"

"A note from Florina. We were right to assume that she is a prisoner. He has placed spelled jewelry on her to keep her from returning to us or joining my mother. Emily has betrayed her and she might come here. We are not to let her in. Florina doesn't care whether or not she dies. Excuse me, but I must speak with Lifaen before he leaves."

He looked in the direction he had last seen the woman he loved. Her capture enraged him and he could do nothing about it by staying with the Varden. He would join his queen and fight with his people. There was nothing for him among the humans. He sighed and checked his belt again, making sure his weapons were on him.

"Lifaen, wait." He turned.

"Arya Dröttningu, is there word on Florina?"

"She has found a way to contact us. She is his captive and he has claimed her as his daughter. I do not know if this is true, but he has made it so she cannot escape." She handed him a rolled parchment. "Place this directly in the hands of my mother. No one else can see this. Tell her that it come from the Golden Rider through her daughter. And be careful, Lifaen. She was betrayed by someone close to her."

"I will not fail you." Arya nodded and he ran.

"Was it wise to send that letter to Arya?"

"There was no other choice." Florina looked at the clothes Galbatorix had provided for her. They were dresses and he expected her to wear one for the celebration tonight. She didn't want to go, but Galbatorix had made it clear that she had no choice. And she couldn't leave like she wanted to. Not with the bracelets on her arms. She looked at them. They both had the look of dragons coiled in the sun. They were silver. One had sapphire eyes and the other had topaz. She sighed. "Besides, I had to warn them about Emily and what Galbatorix has been saying. Rumors spread like wild fires. If the Varden hear that I am his daughter, they will begin to doubt and lose hope. I cannot let that happen. At least, in the Varden, Nasuada will be able to put these rumors to rest and assure them that I am not his daughter and that I will not turn on them."

"Do you think that she will be able to warn her mother?"

"Ceunon is on the outer edges of the forest, where the elves' magic is weakest. Even now, they march. The elves are out of the forest. Arya will be able to warn her mother." Florina looked at the rose on her bedside table. She had taken it out of her hair so she could bathe. Her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't deny it anymore. He was the only one who didn't fear her because her eyes were dark. Though the other elves didn't fear her, they refused to go near her. He was the only one who really knew her.

"You will see him again."

So, how do you like that turn of events? Thanks for reading and please review