Counterclockwise

Summary: (AU) Perhaps if Selena had known the consequences of keeping Eragon, she would have chosen a different course for her son.

Author’s Notes: This is one major AU that starts before the Inheritance Cycle. Also, in this story, Morzan is Eragon’s father, not Brom.

Warnings: This story will be dealing with the following issues: violence, torture, rape, foul language, and totally screwing with the plot and characters of Inheritance. Most issues will not be written in great detail, but still present. Beware.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters featured in this story. They all belong to the creative Christopher Paolini.

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Prologue

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Selena arched her back as another wave of pain coursed through her body, a scream ripping through her lips. She grasped the sheets of her bed and dug her nails into the material; nearly ripping it with her brutal grip.

“Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, get it out!” she screamed at the midwife, hazel eyes flashing in the candlelight as she glared at the older woman.

“Please, milady, just concentrate,” cried the woman, sounding just as strained and weary as Selena felt. But then again, they had both been busy for past six hours trying to get through the difficult task of childbirth.

“It’s not that easy!” Selena snarled back. This woman had no idea how hard this was for her, how unbearable. She didn’t have a husband who was just murdered days before, nor was she delivering a baby with the knowledge that she had no way to raise this child. She couldn’t fathom how much it disgusted her that she had to turn to the king (the king!) for help through this difficult time. The very man who destroyed her family was now helping restore it.

Oh, the irony of it all.

“I see the head!” exclaimed the midwife. Her gray eyes flashed with triumph as she helped ease the baby into the world. “Just one more good push, milady!”

Selena gritted her teeth and griped her sheets harder and pushed with all her strength. Her body felt like it was splitting open from the inside and her throat felt like it was closing up. She was so hot and so tired and she just wanted everything to go back to normal. She wanted her husband back, she wanted her son to smile again, she wanted the king to die, and she wanted the baby to just come out already—

“AHHH!!”

Then it was over. The pain was suddenly giving away to sweet relief, and there was a screaming sound filling the room that wasn’t coming from her. Hands were all around her; helping her sit up or wiping her face clean, but Selena only wanted one thing.

“My baby,” she gasped while reaching out a weak hand. “My baby… Give me my baby!”

The midwife came over with a small bundle in her arms, gray eyes bright and warm. “Milady, I am pleased to say that you have a small but healthy baby boy.”

“Oh.” Selena reached out and took her baby with her weak arms and cradled him against her chest gently. The baby’s face was pink, wrinkly and twisted up into an expression that looked halfway between a pout and a frown. He had a little hair on his head that was fair and matted with blood and other liquids.

“Oh,” she repeated and hugged her baby closer. “He’s beautiful. Oh, he’s just perfect.”

“What are you going to call him, milady?” asked the midwife.

Selena glanced up at the older woman before looking back to her baby with a small smile. She raised a hand and traced her son’s face lightly. She couldn’t really tell whether he would take after her or Morzan, but she knew she would love him either way. When her hand came across his eyes her son opened them slowly, and gazed up at her with a wide, tranquil look before blinking and closing them again.

“Eragon,” she murmured with a soft smile. “His name will be Eragon.”

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