She has changed. You cannot deny it. Saphira's words were sharp in Eragons mind.

She is now a queen. Change would be inevitable.

That is true. I fear that your time apart may have created barriers between you. You may do best to just leave her alone.

Sometimes you have to just take a chance. Even if the likelihood of success is small. Saphira snorted and severed the connection between their minds. Eragon sighed to himself, feeling instantly lonely and a bit hurt. But his mind was made up, no matter what Saphira said.

Eragon, Arya, Saphira and the seven other high-ranking elves seated around the table had just finished their meal. There had been a spectacular assortment of food and Eragon was full and drowsy from all the food and a few too many glasses of the elves fine wine. The lack of meat did not bother him anymore, but he could tell Saphira was thinking of nothing but the fine game she would later devour. Suddenly, Arya who was seated on the immediate right of him got up.

"Eragon, would you mind walking with me for a bit?" She said. Eragon looked up surprised. She motioned to the door behind her. He got up and, with every eye in the room upon him, followed Arya out into the warm night.

Would you like me to come? Saphira asked lazily.

No thanks.

They walked through the drowsy city in silence until they reached the gardens. There, Arya stopped.

"Eragon, it's good to see you again." She said.

"It's good to see you too," Eragon replied, unsure of what else to say.

"It feels like an eternity since I last saw you, but it was just a decade,"

Just a decade? To Eragon ten years was a considerable time and he was about to point this out, but refrained at the last second. To Arya, who had lived for more than a century, a decade must seem like a trivial time.

"A decade is a long time," he said quietly. "Too long." She smiled and took a small step closer. Now they were barely a foot apart. He breathed in her sweet smell. Memories from their last meeting flashed inside his head, but he pushed them aside. There was too much emotion in them.

Suddenly he felt a presence lightly touch his concience. It was different, but familiar in a strange way. Eragon instantly had his guard up, blocking it out. But the presence was strong, insistent. It tapped tentatively against the inside of his mind like a small bird tapping against a window. With a flash, he realized who it was. He let his guard down and his head was filled with an unearthly melody. It was deep, complicated, beautiful. Flashing before his eyes was a number of scenes. Memories, he realized. Eragon closed his eyes and embraced the images presented to him. He saw himself, poised at the head of a boat. He was saying something, asking a question which was unheard over the music. Suddenly there was an ache inside Eragon's chest. Pain that wasn't his. A sense of duty was holding him back from what he truly desired. Then the scene changed. He was standing in the throne room, looking out over a vast crowd of cheering elves. A golden crown was placed upon his head. The whole crowd of elves before him bowed. He was touched, and happier than he had been for a long time. After that, there were a number of short scenes; sitting in a meeting with several other elves, flying through the sky on an emerald green dragon, attending dinners, speaking in front of large crowds, and finally laying down to rest next to the green dragon, exhausted after a day's hard work. The memories went on and on. Moments that radiated pure joy as well as those that spoke of weariness or anger. Behind most of it, Eragon could feel an underlying sadness. It was a mix of loneliness and longing, as if there was something missing, something that used to be vitally important.

After a while, Eragon recognized the memories as those leading up to the present. He was looking at himself as Arya saw him, and he looked better than he had ever felt before. His eyes were closed and the night breeze was gently ruffling his hair. There was a faint smile playing on his lips. Then it ended, and Eragon opened his eyes. Arya was still standing close to him and she had an open and vulnerable look on her face. Eragon was overwhelmed with emotion. Opening you mind up to someone and letting them see you true feelings was a sign of total trust and commitment. Never before had he felt so connected to another person. He closed the distance between them and took her in his arms. She went to him gladly and their lips met. With the physical closeness of the kiss and their connected minds, they felt to Eragon more like one person than two.