//------------------------------// // 6 - Royal Audience // Story: Age of Kings // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// Emerald Edge followed the two children through the castle gates and past the castle walls. The courtyard stood before them, some knights already starting their day with some training. Straw dummies outlined one side, where the humans in armor thrust their swords at them. She recognized Sir Hors by his squarish build immediately, one of the knights trying to kill a dummy. "Quickly!" Spectrum Song pulled them along faster. "I don't want him seeing me here. He'll send me on an errand or something!" The three girls quickly made their way into the castle, past a row of guards at the entrance, each one carrying a spear or halberd. The inside was a vast rectangular space, full of banners with a downward pointing sword and a sun behind it. "This place is huge!" Honeygold trembled excitedly. "Yup!" Spectrum pointed to the two thrones far ahead, where two humans sat. They wore white robes with golden and red patterns all around, and each of them had a crown atop their heads. Emerald also recognized Adagio Dazzle the king's muse, along with another girl with purple and green hair, both standing beside the queen's throne. "So that's King Dawn Saber?" Emerald asked as she pointed to the light yellow-skinned man. He sat tall and proud on his throne, beard neatly trimmed and crown gleaming like a million bits. "Right!" Spectrum nodded quickly and looked to the fair-skinned woman. "King Dawn Saber and his lovely wife, Queen Sunlight Radiance." She had a face of flawless beauty accented with bright hair of gold, orange, and red tied up into a long braid, going down to her feet. Emerald's eyes panned down from the thrones and saw the whole line of people from the foot of their thrones all the way to an old woman in front of Emerald. "This... is gonna take a while." Honeygold tried to count the citizens before them, but lost count after thirty. "Beats me." "Is it always like this?" Emerald asked Spectrum. "Nope." The squire shook her head. "We're early. Usually it's a lot longer." Suddenly, Emerald felt a metallic hand fall on to her shoulder. She swerved her head around, coming face to face with a familiar knight. "Thought I recognized you, my lady." Morn Dread gave her a wide, brilliant smile. "It's hard to miss your radiant hair anywhere. You look much better since our last encounter." Emerald nodded, but couldn't stop her cheeks from going red. "L-Likewise, Sir Morn Dread." "I do hope the king has the information you need to complete your quest," Morn said as he looked to the king and queen, answering the questions of a fairly built farmer. "I've never liked unfinished quests. I'm still looking for the grail myself." "No offense, Sir Morn Dread." Spectrum interrupted. "But the grail is but a legend." Morn Dread shook his head, but chuckled. "Your knight may believe that, squire, but I do not. I know it is out there, just waiting to be found by yours truly." "Ah think so too!" Honeygold beamed. Emerald remembered the girl's love for fairytales. "Pardon me." Emerald raised a hand for a question. "What is this grail?" Morn Dread took a deep breath before explaining. "The grail is a magical artifact, said to grant eternal youth, and sometimes... a wish. I have searched far and wide, this land, but sadly, I have it not in my sights. However, I shall not give up. One day, I shall gaze upon its form and relish my victory." "Sounds too good to be true." Emerald thought about it. If something like that did exist, more people would be after it. The power to stay young. Emerald had only ever seen something like that in the alicorn sisters. And the knight did say artifact. Could it be one of the artifacts Star Swirl had sent here? "Yes, it does," Morn nodded. "Well, I shall leave you to your wait, lady Emerald. I have matters to tend to. Farewell." As soon as Morn Dread left, Honeygold turned to Emerald with an excited face. "Emerald! What do ya think of him? Ah think he's a nice enough fella." "Well, I guess he is..." Emerald put a hand to her face, feeling her temperature rising after remembering his strong arms supporting her. "That's not all Honeygold's asking." Spectrum giggled and nudged her friend. Emerald raised a confused eyebrow, unsure what else the girls were talking about. "Imagine it, Em!" Honeygold swept a hand from above her down to her side. "You, a lady from an unknown land, rescued by a knight in shinin' armor from crooks. What a wonderful tale!" "Oh." Emerald understood. "Well, I don't think it's a good idea, Honeygold. I'm to leave as soon as I can once I grab the artifacts." The rest of the time was spent with Honeygold explaining the best tales she'd ever heard. Emerald especially liked the one where the princess rescues the prince from a burning tower, guarded by a fearsome two headed dragon. It was sneaky and action-packed, Emerald's favorite kind of stories. The queue of people began growing smaller and smaller as time passed, but Emerald still felt no closer than a few hours ago. Each visitor seemed to want to take ages to just get through all the bowing and greetings, and it was beginning to wear on even the optimistic Honeygold’s patience. “This is certainly taking a lot longer than I anticipated…” Emerald folded her arms across her chest and instinctively tapped one of her feet on the stone floor. “Is it almost time for dinner?” “Not yet, but it sure is gettin’ close.” Honeygold looked back out the entrance. The sun was already lowering, the sky turning into a hue of orange. “So how about all the equal shares and countrysides we were promised, your majesty?” the man in the front of the queue asked loudly. “When are we going to receive that?” “Equal shares? Countryside?” The king looked equally aghast as the man who asked the question. “I’ve never said anything about this. This is a monarchy, not a democracy.” “Y-you didn’t?” the woman next in line asked. The rest of the crowd murmured amongst themselves, the general feeling of dissatisfaction growing by the second. “Does anyone else wish to speak of equality and countrysides?” Queen Sunlight leaned forward in her throne. “Because the king will entertain no more of this, since he never promised it.” The murmuring increased as people began leaving, mumbling about false stories and tall tales as they passed Emerald and the children. “Gee, what a wasted effort for these people…” Honeygold watched them leave. “They queued up all day, only to realize it was all for nothin’.” “Well, look on the bright side...” Spectrum Song pointed to the front. The rest of the queue was gone. “You’re next in line.” Emerald Edge walked forward down the long hall with Honeygold and Spectrum Song, finally arriving before the king. The kids performed their bows, with Emerald trying to copy them. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself like the last time she greeted someone. Adagio raised a smirk and gave Emerald a wave as she stood back up. “Yes, what can I do for you?” King Dawn Saber asked as his expression changed, likely trying to remember if he had met Emerald before. Soon he put a hand to his eyes and rubbed at them. "You must forgive me, I must be rather exhausted, but I do not recall meeting someone like you before." "I'm not from here, your majesty," Emerald began to explain. "My name is Emerald Edge and-" Something interrupted her words. The sword by the king's side began vibrating, falling to the ground and clattering over the rocky surface of the ground. Sparks flew from the space where the blade met the sheath, sending a myriad of yellow and orange across the floor. Queen Sunlight Radiance and the muses jumped, all of them leaning over to see what the commotion was about. Then Emerald felt it. It was like something calling out to her from within. It was like a warmness she couldn't describe, but she knew immediately that it was a feeling from home. Equestria. The sword finally calmed down, King Dawn Saber bending to the side to place it back in its upright position by his throne. "What was that...? Of all my years wielding Excalibur, I have never seen this..." He scratched his blue beard, gazing at Emerald with a newfound curiosity. “Excalibur?” Emerald stared at the king’s sword. It was a beautiful, gilded thing, over a meter long and fitted with a richly embossed and lacquered sheath to match. “You mean that sword?” "It is." Dawn Saber looked to his blade. "It was what gave me the right to rule as King of Canterlot." "Ooh, Ah would love to hear its tale, your majesty!" Honeygold said excitedly. “Ah, everyone knows that story,” Spectrum Song said. “King Dawn Saber was given the sword by the lady in the lake, which set him on the road to rule.” “Really? Ah heard he pulled it out of a stone.” "The first is true." Dawn Saber nodded to the squire. "The Lady of the Lake had emerged as I passed it. She handed me this legendary sword and told me, 'Dawn Saber. This kingdom will be yours.' That was how I came to be king." “Wait,” Emerald raised her finger, a gesture that surprised even her. “You mean you weren’t always king?” "Of course not..." Dawn Saber eyed the spymaster. "No man is always king. My father was king before me, as was his father and his father's father." “But-” Emerald forced herself to shut up, drawing on her previous attempts to explain Equestrian logic to humans. In Equestria, Princess Celestia and Luna ruled over the lands eternally; it seemed the leaders of this world were not ever-living. Mortals ruling over mortals. "But enough of me, what about you?" Dawn Saber asked, pointing a finger at Emerald. "What have you come to ask of me?" Emerald snapped herself back to the conversation. "Ah, your majesty. I come to seek your help in finding magical artifacts. I seek to liberate my empire from a dark king, and I was told these artifacts could help me in my quest." "Artifacts..." The king put a hand to his chin and stroked his beard. Everyone remained silent as he pondered this mighty puzzle, with only Adagio and the other girl singing softly to add to the ambience. "Dear." Queen Sunlight put a hand on his shoulder. "It’s getting late, and we have to meet the delegates from Saddle Arabia for dinner tonight." "Yes... that's right." Dawn Saber nodded. He stifled a yawn with middling success and smiled tiredly at his audience. "Emerald Edge, I do not know much about these artifacts you seek, but perhaps someone in the Mages' Tower might assist you better. They are well versed in these things and might be able to offer better assistance than I." He then stood up, clearly indicating that they were dismissed. "Y-yes, thank you, your majesty," Emerald replied gratefully. "We shall take our leave then." The kids waved goodbye and bowed as they followed Emerald, only speaking once they passed the castle gates. "That was short," Spectrum said as they walked out. She picked a pear off a nearby tree and took a bite. "Thought you really wanted to find these artifacts." "I do, and I think I've already found one." Emerald stopped walking and turned around, gazing back at the castle shrewdly. "The king's sword is an artifact." "Is that why it did... all that?" Honeygold asked, motioning with her hands to simulate the kaleidoscope of light the Excalibur had emitted back in the throne room. "And you didn't ask the king for it, so I thought it was nothing," Spectrum added in. "I couldn't ask for it." Emerald pointed out. “King Dawn Saber obviously thinks it belongs to him, and I would be 'taking away his right to rule'." "So how do ya plan it gettin' it then?" Emerald looked at them for a few seconds, deciding what to tell them. "Is stealing it an option?" "Stealing?" Spectrum drew back in shock. "You can't steal from the king!" "But-" "Spectrum's right, Em!" Honeygold supported. "You'll end up in jail. Or even exiled!" "Then you'll never make it home," Spectrum concluded with a good point. "Well, if stealing is not an option, then I guess we'll have to pay the Mages' Tower a visit..." Emerald sighed, her discouraged face outlined in the sunset. "I'll do that first thing tomorrow. It's late, and we should head back." "Right." Spectrum scratched at her head. "Just remembered: I have to feed Sir Hors' horse. I better go do that before he finds out. Catch you tomorrow!" The rainbow haired girl laughed before running off to the stables. "Dinner time, Honeygold?" Emerald asked as they made their way back to the apple stand. "I don't mind another plate of that delicious salad." Contrary to what the queen had told her husband that evening, there was no actual meeting with delegates from Saddle Arabia, but he didn’t know that. Dawn Saber had retired early that night with the reassurance that his wife would take care of the meeting for him. After a little application of sirens’ song, Sunlight Radiance slipped quietly from their chamber with the knowledge that he would not wake until sunrise. Even when draped in nothing but a thin silk nightgown, the queen still cut an imposing enough figure that servants and guards alike scurried out of the way when she walked. Her bare feet carried her to the eastern wing of Canterlot Castle, and into the quarters of the one she needed to see. The guards outside Moon Tide’s chambers stood aside for Queen Sunlight to pass. It was something they were used to, the queen coming to visit one of the kingdom’s best mages and alchemists, though admittedly it did not often occur so late at night. Queen Sunlight idly surveyed Moon Tide’s room. It was a cavernous thing, decorated with hanging silks and tapestries every color of the rainbow. It was cluttered with alchemy equipment and books of every kind, lining the tables and shelves. A small collection of robes lay in the corner, resting close to the single bed in the corner of the room. Moon Tide herself was not here, but the queen had a good idea of where she might be right now. The faint sounds of laughter and splashing water led Sunlight Radiance to a smaller door on the far side of the room and she deliberated for a second, weighing whether this matter was important enough to interrupt. Eventually she decided that it was, and pushed the door open. A faint haze of steam wafted out, mixed with the rich scent of floral soap. “Having fun?” Sunlight said drily as the last of the steam blew away, showcasing an elegantly tiled bathroom. Sonata and Moon Tide bit back another burst of giggles as the queen strode up to the spacious bathtub and sat down on the rim. The mage and the muse sat in the frothy water up to their shoulders, with Moon Tide in the process of washing Sonata’s hair. “Good evening, your majesty,” Moon Tide said mildly. “You’re all done with Dawn Saber already?” "He had a headache," Sunlight told them cooly. "But we still have things to discuss." “Sonata, have you been brushing your hair properly? It’s full of knots…” Moon Tide gently massaged the girl’s scalp, earning her a moan of satisfaction. Then to the queen, she said, “Go on then. We’re listening.” "The new girl. Emerald Edge," Sunlight continued. "She's a lot more interesting than we first anticipated. Sonata, have your sisters told you of today's audience?" "Nope!" the muse happily said as she continued to enjoy the head massage. "I was with Moon Tide all day!" "The point, your majesty. Get to it." Moon Tide rolled her eyes. “What have you found?” "It's Excalibur. It... reacted to her." Sunlight thought back to the talk, where the sword seemed to go out of control when Emerald Edge stood before it. "And Adagio had already confirmed it. Emerald Edge is from their world." “Emerald’s really from Equestria?” Sonata piped up. “Was she thrown here by that wizard as well?” "Who knows..." Sunlight shrugged. "But if she’s anything like you sirens, then it’s something we need to take into consideration. I mean, we didn’t exactly meet on the best of terms, did we Sonata?” "We didn't?" the blue haired girl widened her eyes and tilted her head to one side. Moon Tide held her still and began to lather the siren’s chest. “Stop squirming, or you’re taking your own bath next time. And no, Sonata, when we met, I was kind of trying to kill you, and Aria tried to take my eye out with a fork. But that’s all in the past, hmm?” “Oh. Yeah.” "So what do you want to do?" Moon Tide asked Sunlight. "We're not going to kill her, are we? She seemed nice enough." "Kill? Oh, please don't kill Emerald!" Sonata turned her body to the queen much to Moon Tide's annoyance, but she just shook her head and began washing Sonata's back instead. "She's from home! Maybe she knows a way back?" Moon Tide patted Sonata on the head comfortingly. “Oh, don’t worry, Sonata. I’m not going to start axing off people just because Sunlight says so.” “Oh, really?” The queen smirked knowingly. “Fine, not happily start axing off people,” Moon Tide rescinded. “But there really isn’t any reason to do anything to Emerald. I’d rather see if we can help her find these, what did she call them?” “Artifacts.” “Yes, those. These artifacts could help us in the long run. I mean, you've seen what the king's sword can do!" "Its power truly is amazing," she nodded. She'd seen her husband fire bolts of lightning out of the thing on several occasions, but there was always a problem. "Dawn Saber's always too tired to use it effectively. He weakens after just one shot." “We’ll find a way to make it work,” Moon Tide said calmly. “Now unless you want a bath yourself, please leave us, your majesty. Sonata and I have to get dressed for bed, and drying each other with you here would just be awkward for all of us.”