The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Family Reunion

Inside the washroom was a huge, porcelain claw-foot tub, complete with a copper faucet and handles. This castle must have been situated over a natural spring, else I can't begin to imagine what kind of magic it would take to get running water inside. The warm water rushing over my skin felt very much like what I imagine Paradise would, and the strange scents of the soaps and washes filled my nose with their sweet aromas. The water soon became dirty from the grime coating my skin and hair, and I didn't stay in for too long. Once I was clean, I donned a fresh pair of smallclothes and the garb I'd picked out, and then sat in the sun from the window to let my hair dry. My intention was to face the king, and I would have to look good doing so.

The hinges of the ornate door didn't creak at all as I opened it up, and I wondered just how long the king has been preparing for my arrival. On either side of the door were guards, standing tall and blank-faced with their spears held straight at their sides. They didn't even blink at my appearance, and I wondered if they were meant to guard me or keep me in. When neither of them made to stop me, I only assumed I was free to move about as I wished. But why? Wasn't my father afraid I would escape? I padded as quietly down the hall as possible, and when I turned the corner I stopped short. A man stood there, dressed in fine clothing—a deep blue velvet doublet slashed with white satin and black leather breeches—his hands folded at his waist and a small smile upon his face. A shock of blonde—almost white—hair sat atop his head, and his eyes were a pale blue; so blue that they were almost silver. The man was of a slight build, but his arms were toned, which made me think he was an archer. And he didn't seem terribly surprised to see me.

"Good morning, Your Highness," he said. His voice was pleasant sounding, and his blue eyes shone a bit with a light of happiness. I had to wonder if he was genuine or not. "I hope you rested well?"

His queries caught me off guard; that, and the use of that title that I so abhorred. For a moment, I just stood there staring as he continued to grin at me. What in the world is going on here? "Uh," I stammered, searching for a response, "I suppose so..."

"Excellent!" he chimed in a high tenor. "If you'll be so kind as to follow me, your father would like to see you." My heartbeat quickened as he turned away, but I followed him nonetheless. I would have to face my father eventually; I might as well get it over with.

We traveled through the winding corridors, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the castle was. Tapestries and paintings adorned the walls, along with sconces in the shape of skeletal hands holding unlit torches. The walls were flagstone, but the floor was smooth granite. Plush carpets lined the floor and swallowed up the sound of my footsteps. As we descended the tower, I looked out of the glass-paned windows and saw tall trees coming up out of the courtyard. Birds and butterflies flitted by in the sunshine, going about their lives gaily. If I weren't a prisoner here, I think I might have loved it.

The base of the tower opened up into an arcade that went around the massive courtyard; the columns reaching up into the arches decorated with carved vines and flowers. Nobles of all sort were strolling along the seashell paths, their feet crunching against the ground. I watched as they went about their day, seemingly unaffected by the atrocities happening outside of the city. Whenever they caught a glance of me, they would stare in wonderment and disgust at my rough exterior. Although I had washed and changed my clothes, I must have looked like a common urchin to them. All I could do was keep my head down as we hurried along the arcade and into a long hallway.

The hall was carpeted with a long runner of scarlet red, and the walls were smooth marble coming into a wooden, coffered ceiling that arched over at the top, giving it the appearance of a gilded tunnel. We followed this hallway for a while, the strange pale man in front of me never saying another word. I wondered what position he held in my father's household, and whether he knew the circumstances of my birth. Whether he knew how Galbatorix murdered my mother...