The Cost of Duty

by PingSquirrel

Chapter 2: Discussion in the Circle

“Interesting. I think the criteria I set for myself might work now, but this is only the first glance at a possible subject. Who knows? Maybe my luck has turned, and I got a winner on my first try. All I can do is sit and wait to see.”

~ Excerpt from The Journal of the Unknown, Entry 3, Paragraph 2~

***

The evening was an hectic blur that couldn’t end soon enough for Celerity. Under her father’s direct commands, she spent the entirety of it tending the Princess’s never-ending series of whims, whether real or imagined by him. The pace of her work was a mixed blessing for her; while she didn’t have time to dwell on the sadness of the day, any time she took a moment to approach Vocem again, her father was quick to send her on another task.

Her reward for her vigilance was a rare privilege that few ponies ever got to see. When the time came, Princess Celestia arose from her seat in the Study and silenced the room, leaving Copper Crown in mid sentence yet again, and Celerity balancing a bottle of wine on her head. She wordlessly turned to the west, and without the slightest bit of strain or effort, her horn lit up. Even behind the grey clouds that still hung in the sky, you could see the day’s last glow slip beyond the horizon and vanish entirely. Celerity wanted to applaud the incredible feat of magic, but she knew better than to break the Princess’s concentration. She turned to the east and her horn lit up again, but this time, there was no grace in how she wielded her magic. While the sun totally capitulated to her will, the moon fought with her. The Immortal Solar Alicorn tensed, and even groaned under the strain of the spell, and lost every pretense of being a perfect, royal being. By the time the moon was set in the sky behind that grey blanket, she was panting and sweating as if she was a common field worker coming in from a night of toil.

Celerity opened her mouth to ask if it was always like that, but her father cut her off to have her draw a bath for the princess. Perhaps it was the wise move to not let the curious filly ask that, because the princess was exhausted after the mammoth effort and in no mood to entertain idle chatter anymore. With that one last task to do, Celerity too shared in the princess’s exhaustion and slipped off to her own bed for a dreamless slumber. When she woke the next morning, she made every effort to rush through her morning routine with a quick brushing of her mane and tail, and fresh cloak so she might look proper. For her effort, she was disappointed to find that the Princess and, more importantly, Vocem had already departed for Canterlot again even earlier in the morning. It did make sense, since the princess had to rise before the sun. Her father was in the front hall to greet her instead. He was there, sipping his imported tea from the gryphon lands, and looking very much pleased of himself.

“You had me worried yesterday, Celerity, with your endless whimpering and crying. You could have made everypony in town think you were weak. Then, you snuck off to galavant with the princess’s help, rather than serve her,” he said with a sly smirk on his face, that was only hidden when he dipped his head to take another sip of that tea he enjoyed so much. He still was looking quite pleased of himself. “But, you did well in the end. Very well! I have wonderful news to tell you.”

The idea of good news was fully and heartily welcomed by Celerity. After a week such as this one, she was craving some good news. “What would that be, father?” she asked as she sat down on the floor in front of him. It must of been good news, because he didn’t even so much as frown about how she sat so ‘commonly’ as he would put it.

“I could scarcely believe this myself, but the princess apparently has a nephew coming of age within two years from now. A blessed Duke, can you imagine! And, to make things better, Celestia promised you a chance to present yourself to him as a potential bride! Isn’t that just marvelous?” As Copper Crown spoke, his voice grew in tempo and excitement, until he sounded like an old mare sharing a particularly juicy bit of gossip at the end.

The news meant nothing to Celerity and the question hung in the air, leaving only the crackling of the fireplace the only source of sound in the room. She knew that her father worried about her position in life, and, if she could win the Duke’s affections, this would ensure a good life for her, but she had no desire to present herself to this stranger. She felt hollow when she answered, “That is wonderful news, father.”

He didn’t seem to mind the lack of enthusiasm. “I’d be stunned too, if I were in your position. Don’t worry, it is two long years from now. You’ll grow into a proper mare by then, and then, win his affections. Think of it, Celerity. You'd be 'Duchess Celerity'! My, that has a ring to it, doesn't it?”

The title carried much more weight and meaning for her father than herself, but she could see that his was dearly important to the stallion. The offer should have meant much, much more to her and she knew it, but, it wasn’t what she wanted. After all the time spent with her grandfather, training and listening to his stories of glory and adventure, she wanted to be like him. “That sounds wonderful, father,” she said as she hid her apathy behind a fake smile.

The ruse worked and Copper Crown had an oblivious smile on his face. “Now, go on and have your day, Celerity. I’ve neighbors to write, but we will talk more about this later. It might be two years away, but we have plans to make for you. I’m so excited!” When he said neighbors, he referred to the nobles in the surrounding areas. He would be the envy of them all when he told them of the news of the royal visit, and the opportunity that his daughter had now.

Celerity bowed slightly, and left her father’s presence, feeling conflicted because she knew she wished to make her father proud of her, she never understood his relentless quest for power and prestige amongst the other nobles. It was her grandfather’s approval that she really craved, even if she’d never hear him again. As she walked away, she quietly gave voice to the one clear thought that she had. “I don’t want to be a duchess. I want to be like grandpa.” She did know one thing that would help her clear her mind, though it was likely what she would have done anyways since she had the day to herself.

After a whirl through the kitchen, past the two house servants that were making her father’s breakfast, she left the house with some bread in her saddlebags and plans to go to the circle again. It would have been what her grandfather would of wanted her to do, and she intended fully to live up to his wishes. She felt lucky that she had so much free time to pursue that goal. Many of the other younger ponies around the town had to help their parents with the crops and the work around the small town, but that was the nature of things. At least Spellbound will be able to join her after he had completed his chores.

When she arrived, the day was still cool, but at least the sun was no longer behind the grey, and the faint breeze of wind would be welcomed when she began her exercises in earnest. Now that she was there, she only needed a moment to prepare herself, and the filly took her place in the center to begin the motions she had been taught over the years. At times, as the day progressed, she could almost imagine her grandpa standing over her, telling her in his gruff way the next motion she was to take, where she erred and where she performed flawlessly, but when she turned to where he would stand, she found she was alone again. She only stopped when she was so tired to continue, or hungry, but when the need was addressed, she returned to her practice.

Finally, in the early afternoon, a voice interrupted her, while she was in the midst of a routine, bringing it to a complete halt. She turned to see Spellbound at the edge of the circle, with his standard, overpacked saddle bags on his back. “I said, how long have you been here today?” he asked as he opened his bag with magic and retrieved a canteen for his friend.

A couple of clicks from the training blade later, and she clasped the canteen between her hooves. He had cooled it, too. “Since this morning,” she said, between the greedy and quick gulps of minted and chilled water. “Just wanted to be out here today.”

He took back the canteen into his aura and turned it over; there wasn’t a drop left for him. It was to be expected from his friend when she was in such a mood, and he just chuckled and shook his head. She was really putting in an effort today. “I can see that. Anypony can smell your sweat from the town, and that is just a little exaggeration, Celerity.”

“I’m not that bad!” she protested, but she turned her nose to her side and inhaled. Her own scent made her wince, and she blushed in embarrassment. “Or, maybe I am. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Just, do Equestria a favour and have a bath sometime today,” Spellbound replied as he pulled a thinner looking book from his backpack and opened it to the marked page. As usual, he was setting himself up to sit with his friend to watch and chat with her while she was going through her motions. “Are you feeling any better?”

She mulled that thought for a moment. “No. Not really,” she said, looking right at the empty spot where her grandpa should have been. The grass was still worn down where his hooves would dig in, and scrap as he lectured her on why you did certain things in combat. “But, I think I feel like it can get better, you know? Like, there’s a future out there for me.”

“I’m here for you. I know what it’s like being left alone, and your dad isn’t going to be any help,” said Spellbound without hiding his distaste for her father. He completed his reassurance to his friend with a firm hug around her mid. “But, wew, maybe I won’t be this close until after you clean up.”

The brief laugh was welcomed by Celerity. “Fine, I’ll dunk myself in the creek on the way home. You made your point.” She tapped the top of his horn quickly before he could even react, making him wince back and his hovering book drop from the air to the ground. “I suppose I am going to have to learn to be a ‘proper mare’, after all.”

“I know you, and if there is one pony in this town that won’t ever make a proper mare, it’s you, Celerity,” he said, as he rubbed the base of his horn and the aura lit up again to reclaim his dropped book.

“No, seriously! My father just told me this morning,” she said with a quickly growing frustration in her voice, “Apparently, there’s this Duke in Canterlot that is going to be looking to take a wife in a couple of years. And, my reward for being so good last night is that I get to go, and show myself off to him.”

Spellbound stared for a moment, “Really? You’re going to offer yourself for marriage?”

“I don’t know. Father seems to think so!” she snapped back, “Grandpa would’ve told them to go and buck a sandbag. But, he’s gone and before the week was out, father already is trying to marry me off!”

The language made Spellbound’s ears pin back to his head, but he didn’t know what to think about what he was being told. This news was coming out of the blue, and left him speechless.

She went back to the mid of the circle, but this time, she posed like how a regal mare should with her head was held high, and her nose higher. Her back and legs were rigid a her tail was slightly lifted up as she began a very awkward walk around the circle. It didn’t suit the tomboy in the least. “Oh, servant-colt? I do believe I am parched, and would love some more water,” she said in her most formal accent before the act broke entirely down, and angrily stamped her hoof on the ground out of frustration. “Can you imagine me like that all the time? It’s just stupid!”

While the colt didn’t mind seeing his friend move like that (And, he knew much better to ever mention that to her), he did understand her feelings on the issue. “It’s a great opportunity for you, Celerity,” he tried and was given an immediate glare by her. He defensively lifted a hoof between him and her before he continued and explained himself. “Seriously, you’re going to have to marry eventually. Why not try for the highest station available?”

Celerity didn’t say a word, but continued that glower at her friend, while her hoof flicked out the training blade and then she made a threatening step towards him. Sensing the approaching danger, Spellbound retrieved the second canteen from his bag and waggled it between himself and her as a tempting peace offering. The magic to chill it was done quickly and the blade was snapped back to the resting position, letting him know that the offer was acceptable and he wouldn’t have to suffer her wrath. “You know, I was planning to keep that for myself,” he pointed out.

“Tough. You should’ve thought harder about what you were going to say there,” she retorted with a playful nudge on his side before she drank down the tribute that she was given. “But, I guess you’re right. I just don’t...” She trailed off and sat heavily down.

“You don’t what?” he asked, settling in beside her.

“It’s not fair. Why couldn’t I be like you? I could be a unicorn and a colt, grow up and get in the Dawn Guard, no sweat,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be just dad’s bargaining chip, so he can make nice with the other nobles. I want to be like grandpa, and actually do stuff. Big stuff! Important, exciting stuff!”

“You’re not just his bargaining chip. He just wants the best for you. I might not like him, but he really does want you to have the best.”

A quiet moment passed between the pair, with the breeze whistling through the trees, and the birds chirping away with their songs. When it was like this, you could hear the burbling of the creek, making the place resonate with peace. It was a good moment to just let emotions drain out. It didn’t even end as her breathing got sharper and erratic. She sniffled once and her hoof swiped under her nose, but she didn’t want to cry. Spellbound inched closer and gave her a chaste nuzzling on the side of her neck to try and remind her that he was there to help her.

“It’s two years away,” he said, “Maybe he’ll get promised to somepony else by the princess in that time?”

Instantly, Celerity began crying and laughing at the same time. “You’re an idiot,” she gasped as she shoved against him playfully. One more loud sniffle and rub of her nose cleared the the tears from her eyes. The moment was ruined, but at least she wasn’t falling into self-pity anymore, and she got back to her hooves. “But, you’re right when you say I got two years. I got a plan!”

To see Celerity’s mood lighten was a relief for Spellbound. “And, what is it?” he asked as he stood and took his place on the side of the circle, expecting to see her go back to her routines.

She flicked out her training blade and aimed the point directly at the point of her friend’s horn. The fact he stood outside of it meant nothing to her. “I just have to get recruited in two years, and all the problems are solved! Vocem even said I could be good enough, ” she declared with finality, “I can’t marry if I am off fighting gryphons, and heretics, right?”

“Oh, is that all? You just have to break the tradition and law, or trick literally everypony, and get into the most exclusive and strictest military group in Equestria,” he said dryly back to his friend, “Without a hitch. In two years.” His own aura lit up again and a stick lifted from the ground to cross with the blade as if to challenge his friend to a duel.

With a deft combination of a swipe of her blade and a spinning set of steps, Celerity flicked aside, then snapped the stick the stick in two, and and closed in with Spellbound to have the blade rest against the side of his neck. If it was a real blade, it would’ve been quite the threatening posture. “You make it sound like it’ll be hard!” she said back with no lack of bravado on her part.

“Oh, I’m not making it sound like it’s hard. It WILL be hard,” he said as he gave a firm thrust back with his magic, lifting the green filly from the ground and away from him. He was dismayed to see that Celerity grounded herself before she was more than a couple steps away. “You’re getting too quick at resisting spells.”

She just grinned at him and before he could react, his legs were out from under him thanks to a hooking from her blade, spilling him right to the ground on his back, and leaving him looking right at the training blade pointed right at the base of his horn. She was grinning ear to ear now with a hoof on the mid of his stomach to pin him down. “I’m going to do it. You’ll see.”

He put his hooves up if surrendering, but the glow of his magic didn’t fade at all. “If it was anypony else talking, I’d say they’re crazy,” he replied, looking directly into his friend’s eyes. “But, I know you’re already entirely crazy to start.”

“You’re not going to lift me, Spellbound. Not at all,” she taunted, “And, I’m not going to give up on this plan. It’s going to work!” Then, she whinnied in the most undignified manner and jumped off of him, with her mane soaked with freezing cold water. A third canteen hovered over where her head was, and Spellbound was laughing so hard, he couldn’t get back up.

“You should have seen your face!” he cackled with his hooves kicking the air above him in his uncontrolled mirth, “And, at least you don’t smell so bad anymore!”

“Since when did you have a third canteen?” the still shocked Celerity demanded of the mauve unicorn. The water had matted her short mane right down to her head, and the breeze was ensuring that the water wasn’t going to warm anytime soon.

“Since you started drinking the other two!” he gasped back with the barest semblance of control coming back to him, and he rolled over to his hooves again. “Seriously, there’s fish that have started a petition to keep you from draining the creek.”

She walked right back to him and stood over him before he got up entirely. “You want water, then? Then, have some!” She then shook herself like a dog, sending the water everywhere, and Spellbound was no exception. He didn’t even use his magic to shield himself in the least, but rather, he cast it over his book to protect that instead.

“Celerity! Stop!” he pleaded, though he wasn’t upset at all. In fact, the two foals shared in a genuine laugh while engaging in the playful struggle. In the end, they both smelled faintly of mint, and wound up laying beside each other in the small clearing.

“Spellbound?” the filly eventually asked.

“Yeah?” he answered, glancing over.

“Do you think I can really do it?”

A bird chirped and a cloud drifted across the sun, darkening the world in the time that Spellbound took while he carefully considered the question.

“I think you can. But, it’s going to be hard.”

“That’s all I needed to hear from you.”

The colt smiled, and tipped his head. “Glad to be of service,” he said replied, before he stood back up, and shook to get some of the dust off of his coat. Celerity did the same, then returned to the center of the ring. “Do you want dinner at my place today?”

“Your dad’s out of town again, isn’t he?” she said, then slowly worked several motions of a hoof, before doing it quickly. It wasn’t unusual for her to talk as she practiced.

“Yeah. Three weeks this time. He’s going all the way to gryphon lands this time to get some of those teas and spices. Your dad pays through the nose for those,” he said as he settled in to read. His book, despite the scuffle that happened around it, was entirely untouched.

“He has the money, and if that means you get books, it’s all good,” she said right back, speeding up the steps again, and this time she was a blur of motions. She returned to the first position and repeated it and Spellbound watched it happen.

“So, you in for dinner, then?” he asked again, flipping the page that he was on.

She stopped herself mid motion and answered, “Well, I think Father wanted to speak to me later today, so I don’t think I can.” As soon as she was done speaking, she resumed the maneuver again.

It was a disappointment, but Spellbound expected it. “It’s okay. I got my new book to keep me company. More turnip and onion stew for me,” he said, with an exaggerated licking and smacking of his lips.

With the most cursory of glances her friend and his book, she asked, “What are you reading, anyways? It’s not your normal super thick book.”

The chance to show off how much he knew wasn’t lost on Spellbound and he quickly answered, “Oh! It’s the latest journal of magical research out of Canterlot. Dad got it for me when he saw it had an paper by Starswirl on magic batteries and how to expand their capacity using a crystal to act as a refractive lattice to pre-”

“And, I’m bored and lost,” Celerity cut in, then there was a loud snap of the training blade as she struck the pony-shaped training dummy at the end of the practiced step.

“Oh, and I suppose what you’re doing is so much more interesting,” sniped back Spellbound without losing his place in his book.

“Well, yeah. If I do this motion right in a fight, I dodge under a lance thrust, and come up, inside his guard, where I take his head,” she answered with the same energy her friend showed when talking about his interest.

He rolled his eyes, “Well, I guess it looks pretty neat, but when will it ever come up? I mean, really?”

She returned the same expression right back to him. “Of course, it might come up. You have to be ready for anything that might happen in combat,” she snapped right back, “When will you need to know about magic battery thingies?”

They both stared at each other, then finally Spellbound chuckled and gave his head a shake. “Probably never, but I think its quite neat,” he admitted, ”If I am understanding this right, Starswirl might have a way to contain nearly infinite energy in one crystal, if it’s cut precisely enough, with exactly the right enchantments on every facet. Doesn’t that sound interesting, at least?”

“Well, I guess it might sounds neat,” Celerity reluctantly agreed, but she was unsure where Spellbound was taking that point.

“And, how about your spear, dodge thing you were doing back there?” he continued.

“I’ve to get in a fight first to see how good it really is, but I guess, if I need to do it, I’d look good doing it,” she answered back honestly. “But, I got to know this sort of thing if I’m ever going to be in the Dawn Guards. It’d be really important then.”

“There we go,” he replied, “If you’re planning to use it, it’s interesting.”

She resumed her own practice, with no effort to hide the strain and effort she put into the movements. “Why? What are you planning to do with what’s in that book? Build your own magical stuff?”

“Well, yes! I’ve been thinking a lot about what I am going to do, and I think, one of these days, I’m going to go with my dad to Canterlot to see if I can actually get a job in one of the academies there,” he answered.

“Did Vocem put ideas in your head, too?” Celerity said, turning to walk over to to Spellbound once more.

“It’s not a bad idea. It’s better than staying here and being a package sorter all my life,” he sighed, then looked down. “My dad isn’t going to be around forever, you know. He says he’s going to be, but that’s just not true. If there’s no pegasus here to run the courier station then, I’d be out of a job, and I don’t even have farmland to fall back on.”

“You’re sounding way too old right now, but I think it’s a good plan. You’re so smart, you’ll wow the Canterlot crowd in no time, and get in the royal court, I’d bet!” she said right back, right before she started to take off her hoofblade. It was a bit of a process and used her mouth more than anything else, so something was up.

“What are you doing?” he asked, noticing her disarming herself, and that alone was enough to make him close his book pre-emptively for any danger that the filly was about to bring.

“Playing,” was her one word answer to the unicorn before she casually tossed the wooden blade away into it’s box, and the lid fell shut with the disturbance.

“Oh, no you don’t!” he said defiantly as his aura gripped around his book, but it was to no avail. The filly ran straight towards him at a full gallop and, without ever breaking her stride, she scooped the book in her mouth and tore it from his magical grasp. By the time he realised what had happened, she was already bolting towards the town at a dead run through the woods.

“Celerity! You sneaky goat!” called Spellbound after the filly, and he began his pursuit at a full run. He might not be able to catch her, but he took after, intending full well to try as hard as he can, leaving only the sounds of hooves beating the ground and laughter in the circle behind them.

Comments

[PingSquirrel]

Chapter Two has arrived; Character development, ho!

[norMLPerson]

I'll have to admit, the introduction nearly scared me off; dull realism certainly isn't something that I'm used to observing in a world of technicolor ponies and magic. However, I'm glad I stayed along for the ride, the clarification of the plot and main characters was all I needed to see to be convinced that this story to work. I also had some impressions based on the cover and initial description that this may be a stereotypical war fic. It's sad that some people really only care for the totally upbeat fics that defuse reality, but here's to hoping this story catches! I'd say it's duly able.
As for grammar / spelling, I've been seeing some repeat errors such as mildly excessive commas, the continued use of "must of been" as opposed to "must have been," and a few double negatives. Overall, it's easy to skim over these mistakes, just wanted to give a heads-up.
Random correction of the day:

"I’ve have neighbors to write, but we will talk more about this later."

Have can be eliminated to fit the style of language you're using. Copper would be saying "have have" otherwise.