The bolt scrap warned the pair when they got their next visitor. Galbatorix was alone, and as he had done before he unstrapped Murtagh from the slab silently before escorting him out of the cell. But this time Lorena managed to stay calm, unafraid of Murtagh's disappearance.
She lost herself in her fantasies of the Beor Mountains. Hours passed and eventually Lorena lost interest in tracking an Urzhadn and instead returned her attention to the cell. Murtagh had been gone for what seemed far too long. She examined the veins on the ceiling. She hummed songs and poems she learnt as a child. Eventually she began to worry.
Lorena was chewing nervously on her bottom lip when she heard the bolt scrap. She sighed with relief but was surprised to see her grey lipped gaoler rather than the King and his prisoner. She was escorted to the privy room and fed before the gaoler left her alone in the cool cell. She noticed with a mixture of pleasure and distaste that she could no longer hear the crackling of the brazier. There was silence.
Panic began to claw at her stomach. He'll be back, she tried to reassure herself, he will be back.
* * *
She slipped in and out of consciousness so she was unsure how long it had been before she heard the bolt scrap again. Lorena focused on controlling her breathing when she heard multiple pairs of footsteps descend. Five soldiers came into view, all in red tunics with gold thread embroidered in the outline of a jagged flame. Each one flicked open a restraint before one pulled her off the slab and onto her feet. She tried to push him away, causing the soldier to tighten his grip painfully.
Lorena winced as he began to drag her up the stairs. She stumbled and would have fallen but his tight hold held her up, she kicked her feet trying to get them back on the ground and succeeded after a few steps. The door opened when they reached the top of the stairs, the guards did not look at them, but silently closed the door after they had exited the cell.
The soldier dragged her down the hallway, his companions following close behind. Lorena attempted to keep track of the number of walkways they passed and which way they turned but she found it more useful to try to keep her balance. Eventually they came across a brilliantly carved wooden door, with works of dragons in aerial combat.
They pushed the door open and shoved Lorena inside. She stumbled then spun, ready to fight, she managed to glimpse the smirking face of one of the soldiers, then the door slammed shut. She turned to examine the room.
It was empty besides her, and great in size. Beside the door she noticed hooks and a carved wooden table. To her left there was a dresser that took up almost the full length of the wall, with a full mirror beside it. The back of the room was open to a deserted courtyard, she noticed thin wooden panels hanging from the ceiling on either side and assumed that they could be pulled along as a wall to block the room from the courtyard and elements. The middle of the room there were plush armchairs, arranged in a rough circle as an entertaining area, with a short table in the middle. To her right she saw a wash basin and an enormous four posted bed covered in a black Shrrg pelt. Flameless lanterns ran around the perimeter of the room.
Most of the floor was taken up by a brown-silver Urzhadn pelt, Lorena knelt to inspect it, the quality was exquisite and had it not been in a chamber in Urû'baen she would have been shocked to have seen such a thing. She made her way out into the courtyard, the walls were dotted with doors. There was an overhang, running around the whole courtyard, to allow a person to walk into the different rooms even when raining. The walls ran high-too high she noticed-for anyone to climb without the aid of magic. The courtyard was filled with bushes and flowers, the wall covered in vines. It was big enough to comfortably house dragons, there was enough room for at least twenty or so dragons of Saphira's size.
Lorena made her way into the centre of the courtyard where a marble fountain shined in the afternoon light. A platform rose in the middle where a white dragon stood on its hind legs stretching skyward with a tongue of water spraying from its maws. The water came in a thick stream and began to sprinkle before hitting the water below where a variety of coloured fish zoomed. Lorena made her way to one of the doors but found it to be locked. She walked around pushing and pulling against every door trying to find a way out but there was none. Eventually she returned to the fountain where she splashed the cool water over her face.
Movement from the bedchamber caught her attention and she look up to see a group of three women walk into the courtyard. The three were dressed in identical plain, grey dresses. Lorena watched them wearily but they did not approach her. Instead they made their way over to one of the doors, a woman pulled out a key, opening it and entered. Lorena returned her attention to the fish.
"M'Lady!" called a woman's voice. Lorena turned to see two of the women walking back out of the room. Lorena stood and watched as they made their way over to her. They curtsied and one took her by the arm. "We have poured you a bath." They walked her over to the unlocked door, Lorena was unsure of what was happening so she did not resist.
The room was bare of furniture, except for a bench on the far wall. A large depression in the floor took up most of the space in the room, which was filled with steaming water. Beside the bath-on the dry ground-there were soaps, sponges, and brushes.
"We'll just get you out of these, m'Lady," the woman holding Lorena's arm informed. She reached over and pulled at the ripped tunic, Lorena twisted herself from the woman's hands and recovered herself. "You need a bath, m'Lady. King's orders." The woman stepped after her and grabbed her with a firm grip.
"No!" growled Lorena and attempted to pull away. The second servant grabbed her other arm and together they dragged the exhausted young woman over to the bath. They removed her ragged, travel worn, burned clothing and tossed it to the side. Lorena struggled at first, but the hot water was too tempting and before she knew it she was surrounded by it. The women scrubbed her skin and combed her hair, the process was long and Lorena closed her eyes and stop paying attention.
She opened her eyes when a gentle hand shook her, then the women helped her out of the tub and dried her off with a towel. Lorena cried out in horror to see short pieces of auburn hair next to the tub. She grabbed her damp tresses and realised with a sigh of relief her hair was still past her waist, only the ragged ends removed. The women dabbed her wrists and neck with perfume before dressing her in an elegant green gown. The heavy material was patterned to look like the vines, with bright leaves. Her hair was brushed and left to in soft waves down her back. The women made their way into the courtyard, then locked the bathroom door. The light had faded from the sky, and the courtyard was dark enough that she was unable to see the wall on the other side.
The women escorted her back to the bedchamber, curtsied to Lorena, then left. The door shut and Lorena was again left alone. She shifted in the dress and winced, the fabric was so tight that it rubbed harshly against her wounds.
Where am I? Why am I here? Lorena sat on the pelt, and ran her fingers through the soft fur, pondering her situation.
* * *
Lorena felt a rush of cool air as the door opened behind her. She jumped to her feet and spun around. Galbatorix stood in the doorway, he looked her up and down before turning his back to her and hanging his sword up on a hook on the wall. He tugged at his gloves and lay them on the small table before unclasping his cape and hanging it next to his sword. Lorena stood and watched, she slowly moved sideways through the bedchamber, to keep him in front of her. She eyed the dark courtyard to her right but remembered that the doors were all locked, there was no escape. Lastly, he lifted his sharp crown from his head and placed it beside the gloves.
Galbatorix turned to her and examined her. Lorena felt the urge to cover herself, and crawl into a ball. Instead she stood defiant, staring back into his hard black eyes. "An egg has hatched for Murtagh," Lorena's heart lurched, and she tasted bile in her mouth for she knew that any chance of freedom had now vanished, "it was not much of a surprise considering his heritage. He is no longer a prisoner but rather now a high servant of mine. Now... what to do with you? You my dear, are a tool, nothing more, nothing less. You are powerful when it comes to controlling Murtagh. But, you are also dangerous, because of you Murtagh has something to fight for, he has something to rebel for. I had considered killing you and being done with it," Lorena flicked her eyes toward the carved door, "but, I don't think that's the wisest choice. I don't want Murtagh remembering you as his pure first love."
Galbatorix chuckled at this, "So what do I do? Well, first, I destroy his image of you." Lorena's puzzlement showed on her face, as Galbatorix chuckled again. He stepped forward, and Lorena stepped back, she matched each step he took but noticed his strides were larger, "But how do I do this? Well, I have a few ideas." Lorena's calves struck hard wood and she glanced behind her. She had almost reached the end of the room, and currently stood over the four posted bed. Lorena's breath hitched as a terrible thought came to her mind. She looked back at Galbatorix, who stood close enough to touch, his usually downturned lips pulled up into a slight smirk, and Lorena knew what his first idea was.
* * *
Murtagh stared down at the little red dragon. He wasn't surprised that Galbatorix had spent the majority of a day looking over the two of them, he was more surprised by the initial desire to snap the creatures neck. This small hatchling-no longer than his arm-brought with it a sentence of servitude to the King, an immortal lifespan with no escape from Galbatorix. He also knew how desperately the King wanted to hatch the eggs, and his initial desire was to destroy any happiness he may have received from the hatching.
Now it was too late. He had already begun to bond with the creature, or rather him as the King had said. His desire to harm the dragon was now completely gone and instead was replaced with the urge to protect, which angered him but did not surprise him that Galbatorix had known of these feelings. Galbatorix had sat with him for hours, informing him about dragons. He heard basic information such as how often a hatchling needs to eat, to the workings on the dragons body when producing fire. All the while the dragon cuddled up to him, demanding to be fed or to be given attention.
He tried to ask the King questions about what was to happen now. What is his purpose, what his dragon's purpose is, and what was going to happen to Lorena. With each question Galbatorix merely smiled at the red dragon and changed the subject, and eventually Murtagh gave up asking.
He now lay on his new bed, plush and heavenly compared to the stone slab. His room reminded him of the room he had in his father's castle, larger than necessary with more furniture than he would use.
The dragon lay on his stomach and looked up at him with bright red eyes. He reached out and stroked his head, the dragon hummed and pressed his hand against his hand. Murtagh felt an itch again, and he looked with contempt at the silvery gedwëy ignasia stretched across his palm.
There was a knock on the door. Murtagh looked up as a servant entered the room, holding a steaming tray. The servant placed it on the bedside table, bowed, then left. The dragon raised his head and chirped repeatedly when he saw the strips of finely cut meat. Murtagh ignored his meal and reached for the meat, which he dropped one by one into the infant's mouth. He gobbled it up greedily at first, and once he had the last piece he curled up lazily on Murtagh's stomach and didn't bother him as Murtagh began his own meal.
He paused between bites of stew to look out the window, and saw stars shining below the lip of the cities overhang. What happens now?