Faithful and Strong

by Golden Scribe

Chapter 4: Luncheon

Taking the captain’s advice, Bush spent the evening cleaning his dress uniform, polishing the buttons until they sparkled. He did it for Hornblower’s sake as much as his own; he could tell that Hornblower very much wanted to make a good impression, especially now that his motives had been called into question. Two officers dressed in His Majesties’ finest would add an air of dignity to proceedings.

At five minutes to Eleven the next morning, he and Hornblower were on the beach, Hornblower trying to mask his nerves by discussing repairs. Bush was happy to report that the deck and sides of the ship had been patched and even repainted, but the masts were still proving difficult. “It’s hard to find wood to fill in the holes,” he said, “We’ll manage, but it might not be as strong as we’d hoped for. Once we’ve found a solution, we’ll tackle the sails. They look like they can be salvaged, but it’ll take a lot of sewing.”

“Very good, Mr. Bush,” Hornblower said, glancing skyward, “I’m sure the men are up to the task.”

Bush nodded and allowed a little bit of informality. “And I’m sure all will be well with the natives. You’ve done all you can to accommodate them, and I believe they’ll respect that.” Hornblower didn’t respond, but Bush thought he saw the captain’s shoulders relax a fraction.

The Lydia was just striking six bells when a shadow passed overhead. As the final notes of the bell died away, a golden chariot pulled by two white, armored pegasus (pegasi?) landed in front of them. “Captain Hornblower?” one of the horses said.

Hornblower nodded. “And this is my First Lieutenant, William Bush.”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” the horse said, waving a hoof at the chariot. “If you’ll climb aboard, we can get underway at once.”

Hornblower hesitated. “Is it…is it safe?”

“Oh, yes, quite safe. There are spells on it to keep anyone from falling off. I take it your country has no means of flight?”

“That’s correct.” Hornblower swallowed slightly, glancing upwards again.

The stallion gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’ll take some getting used to, but there’s nothing like it in the world. Once we’ve been up in the air a while, you should enjoy it.”

Hornblower straightened up and climbed into the chariot, one hand firmly clutching the edge. Bush followed him, putting both hands on the golden surface, mostly to maintain his balance. The stallion glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were both aboard, and with a “Here we go!” the two horses bent their knees in unison and took off into the air.

Bush had expected the chariot to lurch forward, but it rose smoothly into the air along with the horses. Hornblower still shuddered visibly, though, and when Bush glanced at him, he had his eyes tightly closed. Bush knew it was wise to keep silent, instead watching with interest as clouds literally passed right before his eyes. He’d never been this high up before, and the feel of the wind in his face and the knowledge that he was so high up was oddly exhilarating. It helped that the chariot barely jolted; these two horses must have been very experienced flyers. Based on their armor, he wondered if Equestria had some sort of army that instilled such discipline in them. He’d have to ask this Princess Celestia, if he was allowed an opportunity to do so.

“If you two glance to your left,” one of the horses said after about twenty minutes, “You’ll be able to see Canterlot.” Bush immediately turned his head, and Hornblower reluctantly opened one eye, gaze resolutely focused in front of him. All they could see was clouds for a moment, but then they parted, revealing a tall, spired city built literally on the side of a mountain. Even from this distance, the city gleamed in the sunlight, making it a marvel to behold. Bush was impressed. Even with magic and flight at their disposal, it was a remarkable feat of engineering. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was sure Hornblower would shoot the idea down, Bush would have suggested opening negotiations for trade.

The two horses began their descent, gliding expertly over the city, allowing the riders a peek at the city proper. It seemed to be a bustling city, much like London, and certainly looked very elegant. So much so, in fact, that the horses below were actually wearing clothes. This land just got more and more interesting, it seemed.

At last, the horses flew over a tall gate and touched down on the courtyard below. Looking around, Bush knew that this must be the princess’ palace. The spires he’d seen from a distance now towered overhead, and there were more armored horses stationed at every door and staircase. Next to him, Hornblower removed his hands from the chariot and placed them behind his back. Now that they were safely on the ground, the captain was trying to project as much dignity as possible. When he shot Bush a look, Bush straightened up and raised his head. “After you, sir.” he said, gesturing to Hornblower to allow him out of the chariot.

As the two of them returned to solid ground, a tall set of doors opened, horns blared, and a tall, graceful horse appeared. Bush knew he was staring, but other than composing his face, wasn’t able to do much about it. Much like the princess that had visited them the day before, this princess had wings and a horn, but she was much, much different. For one thing, her mane and tail were multicolored, full of soft pinks, blues, and greens, and sparkled in the sunlight, as though she’d mixed precious gems in among the hair. Further, her mane and tail seemed to move continuously, even when she was standing still. She radiated elegance, nobility, and a quiet strength. Bush could expect no less from royalty.

Smiling, the princess descended the stairs and approached the two men. Even with her wings folded, she was a good head taller than Hornblower. “Captain Hornblower,” she said, in a soft but commanding voice, “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for agreeing to dine with me.”

Hornblower bowed stiffly. “It is an honor to dine with you, Princess Celestia. May I introduce you to my first officer, Lieutenant William Bush?”

Celestia inclined her head at Bush. “I hope the flight wasn’t too rough. The weather ponies are preparing for a summer storm, and sometimes the winds can rattle the chariot.”

“No, it was perfectly smooth,” Bush assured her, “Your…” he paused, trying to find the right word, “Your men are very skilled flyers.”

Celestia’s smile grew brighter. “I’m so glad to hear that. Please, come along with me. We’ll take lunch in the dining room.”

She turned and led the way up to the castle, Bush and Hornblower on either side of her. “Unfortunately, my sister will be unable to join us. She very much wished to meet you, but it’s the time of year when we put the royal guards through their paces, and one of us had to oversee proceedings.”

“A pity,” Hornblower said, and though he was trying to sound pleasant, Bush could hear the caution lurking in his tone, “I would have liked to meet her.”

“Perhaps you’ll have an opportunity to see her later.” Celestia beckoned them through a door, where a small table was already set up, laden with fruit. “I’m afraid I have very little experience with entertaining humans, so I’m not sure how our diets differ. However, the reports I’ve received in regards to previous visitors say that both humans and horses enjoy fruit. I do hope this will be filling enough for you.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” Hornblower said, standing by his chair until Celestia took a seat, “We appreciate the effort you went to to make sure we were comfortable.”

Celestia pushed the bowls towards them. “I asked the cook to find as many types of fruit as he could, so you’d have a variety to choose from. Do you like bananas? Apples? Pears? Pineapple?”

Bush allowed himself a faint smile as he reached for the pineapple. “I’ll have to try a bit of everything. I’ve only ever seen pineapples a few times.”

Hornblower cleared his throat, but Bush could swear he smiled faintly as he reached for a bowl of some sort of red fruit. Once the three of them had filled their plates, Celestia looked across the table at Hornblower. “It would be best, Captain, if we cleared the air as soon as possible. I am quite sure that your intentions are good, as your graciousness towards Princess Cadance and your willingness to dine with me signifies. However, I would like to hear it from your own lips. Are you here to scout out Equestria for your own ends?”

“No, your majesty,” Hornblower said, “As I told Mayor Wedge and Princess Cadance, our ship was damaged, and we came to your island solely to make repairs. Equestria isn’t even marked on any of our maps; we stumbled across it. Once repairs are complete, we’ll be on our way. If you wish, I will remove all references to this place from my logs, to ensure that no one else from England comes calling.”

“Thank you, Captain Hornblower,” Celestia said warmly, “That would probably be best for all parties. I will make sure to write to Mayor Wedge to tell her that Baltimare has nothing to fear from you.”

Hornblower smiled faintly. “Thank you, your majesty.”

Celestia lifted a slice of apple to her mouth using her magic, taking a dainty bite. Once she had swallowed, she fixed her gaze on Hornblower again. “If you don’t mind my asking, Captain, how are your repairs progressing?”

“Fairly rapidly, your majesty,” Hornblower said, “But I believe Lieutenant Bush knows more of the details.”

Celestia turned her gaze on Bush. Bush hastily swallowed his bite of pear. “Most of the minor repairs to the sides and upper deck have been completed. We’re having trouble repairing the mast, but we should be able to get it patched by tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest. Then there’s the matter of sewing the sails, which will take another day if I put most of the hands to work on it. Other than the cannons, I believe the ship will be ready to depart in another two days.”

“Cannons?” Celestia repeated, looking intently at Bush, though her look was more curious than suspicious. “What sort of cannons?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Bush saw Hornblower glaring at him. Taking a steadying breath, Bush quickly rattled off the dimensions and firing capability of the cannons, unsure exactly what the princess was looking for. “But rest assured, we had no plans to use them on Equestria.” he concluded, hoping that would assuage both her and Hornblower’s concerns.

“You misunderstand,” Celestia said, “Equestria has been researching cannons for quite some time. We have a few rudimentary cannons, but it sounds like you humans have a design far superior to ours. Even when other ships have come in for repairs, we were never able to get a good look at them. I wonder…” she trailed off, looking between Hornblower and Bush, deep in thought. At last, she nodded decisively. “Captain Hornblower, would you consent to allowing the citizens of Baltimare to help you complete your repairs?”

“I beg your pardon, your majesty?” Hornblower was taken aback, though trying his best not to show it.

“It would only confirm the goodwill between you and the citizens, showing you have nothing to hide while simultaneously satisfying their curiosity. Many of them are quite skilled, and could help you complete your repairs even faster. And, perhaps most importantly, our metalsmiths would be able to look over your cannons, and perhaps construct new ones for you. That way, you would be able to leave with your ship completely repaired, and we’ll be able to incorporate what we learn into our own cannons.”

“I…” Hornblower was at a loss for words.

“If it’s money you’re concerned about, there would be no cost to you,” Celestia said, “Consider it an exchange, labor for ideas.”

Bush watched Hornblower’s posture, noting the way he clenched his fork and the faintest narrowing of his eyes. Having served under and alongside the man, Bush was growing more adept at recognizing Hornblower’s moods, even if he was loath to show them. In this case, he was frustrated at having been roped into this situation, and yet, saw no way out of it. Bush gave a slight nod in sympathy.

At last, Hornblower nodded. “It does seem to be a fair exchange. I thank you for your generosity.”

Celestia extended a hoof. “Let us shake on it, then, and considered the matter settled.”

Hornblower rose to his feet and leaned forward to clasp her hoof. She smiled and nodded as he let go. “Now, I don’t wish to keep you from your meal. Never let it be said that I let my guests leave hungry.”

Now that the business had been settled, the mood seemed to lighten somewhat. Celestia hadn’t been cold before, but now that an arrangement had been reached, she was much more open, happily answering Bush’s questions or telling little stories of the reports of the humans who had visited previously. Hornblower listened and was very gracious, but didn’t contribute much to the conversation. Bush suspected he was turning things over in his mind, trying to figure out how to complete repairs as fast as possible so as not to risk causing an incident.

When lunch was over, Celestia walked them back out to the chariot. “I will draft a letter to Mayor Wedge right away, telling her to send over some woodworkers and metalsmiths. By tomorrow morning, you should have a small army of workers ready to assist you.”

Hornblower inclined his head. “We will move the ship closer to the beach in order to accommodate them.”

“Oh, one more thing,” Celestia said, as Hornblower climbed into the chariot, “I would very much like to know what my metalsmiths learn about the cannons. Unfortunately, royal business will prevent me or my sister from being able to visit to see for ourselves, and I suspect the same holds true for Mayor Wedge. So I will be sending my student, Twilight Sparkle, to keep me informed of what we learn. Besides which, she is very skilled in magic and could help your repairs along still faster, since I’m sure you would like to set out again as soon as possible. I trust that is agreeable to you?”

Hornblower cleared his throat before replying. “Yes, your majesty.”

Celestia gave the two of them a bright smile. “It was a pleasure meeting both of you. Perhaps we’ll be able to speak again once your repairs are complete. Good luck!”

Hornblower didn’t speak as the chariot took off once more, though whether it was due to the height or being lost in his own thoughts, Bush couldn’t say. For his part, he spent the flight back considering all that would be needed to get the ship ready for the additional hooves on deck. One thing was certain; he’d need to make sure the crew were on their best behavior. Hornblower would expect no less, and perhaps it would impress the ponies (Celestia having informed him that that’s what they preferred to be called). They might not be an official diplomatic envoy, but they could do their best to act like one.

Comments

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

I'm sure Shining Armor can tell the difference between military and merchant vessels. If nothing else, crew size and the Marines would be a dead giveaway.

For stores they'd ask for at least water and firewood. If more was offered, ship's biscuit, salt, booze, and tobacco (IDK if they've got tobacco). Doubt if they've got salted meat but can probably provide lime juice & barrels