//------------------------------// // VI: The River Thames // Story: The Lioness and the Unicorn // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// After it took all morning for the court to board the boats nearby the palace, they set sailed down the river. The royal vessels glide down with rowers to push them forward, towards the weak point of England as the unicorns were told. All the while, both ponies took the opportunity to examine both sides of the watery way. Clover, in particular, was jotting down as much as she could from what she saw from landscape to the condition and architecture of the buildings, the pattern of farmlands, and even the people that took notice of them as they passed by. “What are you doing little one?” Clover looked up to the voice that addressed to her. She found it to be the Queen’s adviser, Cecil. “Trying to record what I see,” she replied. “There is so much to write down and draw that I could barely keep up.” “Do you often do this on your travels?” She nodded, “Of course. Princess Platinum did want illustrations so that when she reads all the knowledge in the world, she would have the context of what we are talking about.” Glancing up at the swaying trees along the river, she added. “This is a lovely looking country.” “I don’t know how your opinion would change once we get to London,” he said. “All the majesty of nature is cut off once we pass by its borders.” “Oh… I’ll keep that in mind.” She then got an idea, “I just realized something: I don’t know much about you.” “How so?” “Well… I don’t know how you became an adviser to the Queen over there,” she pointed a hoof towards a throne that was shaded by a golden canopy. “Nor do I know about how this sort of government works, or where you play your part in all of this.” “My duty, young lady, is to Her Majesty the Queen. I have been guiding her since the beginning of her rule. She trusts me to give her my honest thoughts on any given subject to determine what is good for the country and her subjects. If anything, I am one of the few to disagree with her when there is a reason to do so.” As she scribbled it down, Clover asked, “Did you?” “What?” “Disagreed with her on something?” He sighed, glancing his old eyes towards Elizabeth. “Oh yes. There have been times that such a thing had occurred. More times than not, she did get rather upset at the things I said, even if it turned out that I was right. A sovereign needs a conscious, one with sound judgment and to present a side of an argument, even when they don’t want to hear it.” “Sounds very similar to when I was an adviser to Princess Platinum.” “You were an adviser?” She nodded, “Oh yes. I too had a duty to offer advice and judgment to her. Yet, I can tell that your Queen is completely different. The one I served was a little… how do I say this? Quick to judge and wouldn’t do anything dirty with a mile long pole. Yours, however, she’s much more… mature? (If that’s the right word for it,) This Elizabeth has a dedication to her country, even going out to see her troops are inspiring.” The adviser was surprised, “How did you know we were going towards the troops?” “My master informed me this morning before we left. He said that he and the Queen spoke, telling him that there was a war coming.” She glanced over towards the head of the boat where Star Swirl only looked forward towards the current of the river. “Although, I have a feeling that there’s more to it,” Cecil inquired what she meant by that. “Master Star Swirl seemed distant since this morning. As if he has something important to think about. He wouldn’t tell me what it is, but I can tell.” The elderly man put a hand underneath his chin, “You are a curious pony indeed. Pray tell, how did you go from being an adviser to a Princess, to a student of his?” Clover stopped writing. Glancing to her teacher once more, she began. “It was my calling. To tell you the truth, before him, I did think that I was the cleverest pony in the land. I have read many scrolls of philosophers, wise advice from elders, and studied any subject from whatever I could find it. In a way, that was why Princess Platinum has made me her adviser, to begin with. For a while, I had pride that I was the smartest of the smarties, the wisest of the wise. Until he came. Came up to the castle one day, looking for a job, and when the princess asked for qualifications… He demonstrated magic that made me realize that I have been looking at through a key-hole. The things he did make me realized of how little I actually knew.” “So you asked him to teach you?” “Several times. But for a long time, he refused to do so because he didn’t want anypony to steal his secrets. It wasn’t until the princess ordered him to do so, did he give in. And after that, she sent us on this quest for knowledge.” “I take it that he’s reluctant to teach you?” She shook her head, “Not anymore. He’s teaching me some more advanced lessons when the occasion is right for it. Today, however, is a rest day, and I’m using it to record what I see.” She resumed scribbling. “Still, you haven’t told me much about how you became her adviser. How did you anyway?” “Simply put, she chose me because of my experience of serving the past few royals that she deemed me worthy as one of her Privy Council. Although, part of me thinks that it is because she and I are Protestants.” Clover looked up at him confused, “What is a Protestant?” “The one true faith over the Catholics.” The mare blinked, “Alright then, what is a Catholic?” From what the unicorn to make out, the very moment she asked that follow up question, the only expression that she could make out from Cecil was bewilderment at its purist. He did try to speak, but for a long time, he just couldn’t find the words to use as it kept opening and closing like a fish. “Sir, are you alright?” “Do you even know what a Christian is?” She shook her head. “Never heard of it, is it some kind of tribe?” “Great Lord above!” he muttered. “You have no knowledge of it? None?” Clover shrugged, “Never heard of the name until now. Still, I’m more than willing to learn to be put into the book. Again, are you alright?” “Forgive me if I seem shocked, truth be told, you’re the first… creature to tell me that they are ignorant of our religion. At the same time, it shouldn’t since you unicorns come from a different world.” “But why would you be shocked at all?” The old adviser sat on the railings of the boat. “Little one, this identity and practice of belief run deep within not just this country, but to all of Europe. Depending on where you are, simply declaring what you are could get you killed. If anything, this war with the Spanish is a strong reason why it has been created in the first place. Perhaps, consider yourself fortunate that you and your teacher have come to England since both of you are considered innocents. Her Majesty has a tolerance for both Protestant and Catholic alike that follow the rule of law. Such liberty is not easy to come by, which is why this Island of Britain must fight. If the invasion is successful, such luxury of belief would fall.” “And thus,” added Clover, “A loss of knowledge,” Cecil nodded. “Is there anything to be done?” “If what you told me about the Queen and your master, I think that he would already know.” Closing her book, the mare thanked him and went up to the head of the boat where Star Swirl blankly looks ahead of the river. “Sir? Are you alright?” “Hm?” he snapped his attention towards her, giving her a natural expression. “Oh yes, everything is well.” “Is it?” she sat down on her haunches. “You are not like yourself, Master. You have been that way since this morning, and the Queen’s adviser that you had a talk with her.” The bearded unicorn didn’t respond. “And I also know that a war is coming this way.” “Did that Cecil tell you about what Queen Elizabeth wants?” Clover thought for a moment, “I’m afraid that part was left out… Is it serious?” He nodded. “Very,” he said, “She has made a deal that I’m hesitant in accepting.” “About what?” “Our freedom to explore outside of the court.” Clover raised an eyebrow. “As fantastic of news as that is, I assume there’s more to it?” “She wants to use our magic as a weapon against the invasion.” He saw his student pail. “And before you say anything else, she offered that same magic should be used to push them back to sea. In theory, it shouldn’t kill anypony, but still-” “Don’t tell me that you spent all morning considering this,” Clover interrupted. Star Swirl held up a hoof, glancing over to the Queen that was looking at them. “In a way, but I’m not exactly sold on the idea myself,” he admitted it softly. “I will not pretend that there isn’t some risk that someone could get hurt. She’s asking to manipulate the wind and the sea to push them out. Considering that there’s going to be a battle, there’s a high chance that someone is going to get hurt.” “That, and we have nothing to do with this fight.” She quietly argued. “Master, we can’t do such a thing, after that oath we took.” “But that Queen is not asking either of us to kill. Rather, to simply push them out of the way. Still, doing so would take somepony of my skill to separate both armies from further hurting each other. At the same time, I’ll have to try preventing drownings, fires and such, and they do push the invader as far away as possible while startling them enough to never come back. However, the upside is that once this is done, we are given the key to anywhere in this country we chose, and record the common life. We would be free to piece together what is going on.” “But how can you promise me that you can’t hurt anyone?” Clover questioned him. “That’s the very question that has plagued me since last night,” her teacher muttered. “The biggest problem is how would I be able to know what I’m doing? Going by boat is obviously out of the question. And I’m sure I can’t see everything from such a distance, I probably would need some way to see far ahead without being there.” “Pardon me,” both unicorns looked behind them to see a servant holding a tray of glass chalices with a picture of red wine in them. It too was made out of glass. “Would you like to have a drink?” “I think I’m going to need it,” Star Swirl levitated his glass over while his student picked up the other. After downing some of it, he resumed. “I mean, if I could be able to do that without inventing a new spell for it, I would gladly take up the offer with the guarantee that I could see what I’m doing.” Clover pondered over this problem, staring at her glass of wine. She was about to place it on the railing when she noticed how the wood through the glass had magnified when held it up close. Star Swirl could tell that the gears were turning in her head. And before he could ask what she was doing, she set her glass aside and lit up her horn to raise three orbs of water out from the river. Even though it caught the attention of the courtiers, she ignored them as she lined the three identical orbs in the air. Cecil was the first to come up to them, “What is she doing?” “Thinking by the looks of it,” Star Swirl replied. “Though I wonder what she is thinking about.” The mare held the orbs right in front of her in a straight line and peered through them. After giving it some thought, she allowed one of them to shrink a little and held it close to her eye while moving the middle one between the other balls of water. When she wasn’t satisfied, she slowly shrunk the middle one, still moving it from side to side until it was the size of the one she stopped. “Master,” she said. “I think you need to look at this.” Taking the orbs into his own magic, the wizard peered through. His eyes widened as he looked between what was in front of them, and what the water was showing. “It’s like I can see that patch of trees up close, only…” He turned to his student. “How did you come up with this?” “Do you notice how often objects tend to magnify in a glass or in a ball like these? I had this thought of what would happen if you held several of these in a row and peered through them. Of course, I have to adjust the water, but I think that I have found a way to magnify objects from afar.” “What are you doing?” The unicorns turned to the voice of the Queen, who was now walking up to them. Star Swirl looked through the magnified image through the watery orbs before turning his full attention towards Elizabeth. “Your Highness, I think I found something to make it easier to take up your offer after all.”