Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Forty-Six: Brilliant

"Of course, your highness. Two, in fact." One of the stable managers said brightly before leading me to where two horses were picketed. I stopped short. It was Tornoc and Elipse, the black horse I was given by the mages.

"Tornoc?" Tornoc turned his head and whinnied in my direction, pawing at the ground. "Saddle Tornoc."

Tornoc was quickly saddled, and I was soon tearing across the plains towards Leona Lake. It was a bright shiny day, and the temperature was perfect. I slid out of the saddle and let Tornoc graze, telling him not to wander too far in his mind.

Leona Lake was a gorgeous blue, and the small breeze sent ripples across the surface. I want to settle down in a place like this. Somewhere peaceful.

"You need to stop putting yourself in dangerous situations." I spun around on the grass, my hand unconsciously going to the dagger at my left leg.

"When has a dangerous situation stopped me from doing what I want?" I responded, letting my left-hand drift back to my side. Tornoc whinnied and nudged my arm with his soft nose. I patted his neck. "The Varden has two dragon riders now, they can help you."

Murtagh shifted his weight before wandering a few steps forward.

"There's no saving me, Princess." I let out a sigh before turning around and sitting on the soft grass to look up at the sky.

"You don't think they can do it?"

"Eragon and a brand new rider? No, Galbatorix is too strong." Murtagh said, sitting down next to me. "How'd you get out of Urû'Baen without a trace?"

"I'm not who you think I am Murtagh," I responded quietly. "I'm not who the Varden thinks I am. I hate being their so-called 'queen.' I just want to live freely."

"What's stopping you? You don't let anything get in the way." I sighed before smiling.

"I am still locked in a cage." I softly replied, letting my back rest against the grass. "As long as he rules, I will live my life inside a glass box. I just want to go back to being a simple farmer... that being said, I've been keeping a big secret from you."

"What?" I sat up and looked at Tornoc's saddlebags where Alethea was hidden.

"I've kept a pretty big secret from you," I repeated. "You'll probably find out soon so please don't hate me."

"Do I get a hint?" I smiled.

"I'm not as harmless as you think I am."

"Not as harmless? You've just about killed most of your suitors with wit alone," Murtagh responded with a chuckle.

"Suitors, I suppose I won't be able to get him to rethink the idea of marrying me off to an imbecile, will I?" I replied as I let myself fall back against the soft grass.

"You aren't going to marry an imbecile," Murtagh assured me. I rolled my head to look at him.

"And how do you know that?" Murtagh's lips twitched into a smirk.

"I happen to know who your father picked." So, my father came to a decision. Great. Even more of a reason to make sure we don't fail. I looked into Murtagh's grey eyes.

"Are you going to tell me?" I questioned him. Murtagh's smirk got bigger, I reached over and thumped him on the chest. "Fine, be like that, you scoundrel."

"Scoundrel?" Murtagh asked as he latched onto my wrists. "I'll show you, scoundrel."

"Hey!" I exclaimed as his fingers found the spots on my body he knew to be ticklish. I wiggled around on the grass, trying to evade his touch all the while laughing. "Stop!"

Tears leaked out of my eyes as I squirmed underneath him in laughter. He finally stopped his relentless tickling in exchange for running his fingers along my cheek. We stared at each other in silence.

"You're not going to tell me who my father paired me with, are you?" I asked quietly.

"I'd rather have you not hating me, Mal," Murtagh replied quietly as his thumb brushed along my lower lip.

"I could never hate you, Murtagh," I whispered back. "I could never hate you."

Seconds after I uttered those words, warm lips descended softly on mine, the kiss lasted a few seconds before Murtagh pulled away with a sigh.

"It's me," He muttered quietly. I stared at him, forgetting for a moment, that I needed to breathe. My father paired me with Murtagh?

"I'll take you," I said before reaching up and dragging his head back down to bring his lips back to mine.

The sun was almost gone by the time Murtagh helped me tie my corset back up. His fingers made quick work of the delicate strings before he made a bow at the base of my spine. I let out a sigh as I re-strapped Brom's sword to my waist.

Murtagh placed a kiss on my bare shoulder before he too finished getting dressed. Reaching for my arm guards, I slid them on and tightened the strings before looking around for my dagger. I found it lying in the grass a few feet away, where it had been discarded in our quick undressing.

I tucked it in its place on my hip before checking to make sure I hadn't left anything behind. I think I got everything I had on my body.

"I take it you have to go back?" I pursed my lips before turning to Murtagh and nodding.

"Eragon is watching me like a hawk," I replied. "I barely get any alone time."

"You are a princess," Murtagh told me as he strapped Zar' roc to his waist. "They're treating you as one."

"Oh, to go back and be simple farm girl Mal." I sighed wistfully to myself. "Everything was so much easier."

"If you went back to that life, would you have met me?" Murtagh asked as Thorn descended from the sky and landed softly on the grassy hill. I tapped a fingernail against my lips as if contemplating the thought.

"True," I drawled out. "but the mountains of Carvahal are so beautiful."

A shriek escaped my lips as Murtagh latched onto me and started to tickle my sides.

"I was joking! I was only joking!" I squealed out on laughter, wiggling in his arms. The tickles faded as Murtagh started to pepper my neck and face with kisses.

"You better be," Murtagh threatened in fake seriousness. I reached up and placed my hand on his cheek.

"I wouldn't trade the world to go back to how it was if it meant that our paths never cross," I said as I twisted my head to look up at him. Behind us, bells began to toll from the Varden camp, I suppose that meant someone found that I was missing from my tent.

"It would seem that the Varden has discovered you missing," Thorn said as moved his head to where Murtagh and I stood. I dropped my hand and took a step towards the area Tornoc was grazing.

"Come on, princess," Murtagh said as he steered me to Tornoc. "time for you to return to camp."