Twilight grappled through the streets. She could hear Catherine’s angry shouts over the cries and muttering of the crowd that stood to the side and watched. Twilight weaved between the spectators as they closed together behind the riders. Some were cheering and others merely shrugging and moving on with their day.
Twilight could see the dust from the rider’s horses between the gaps in the crowd. She turned one corner but missed her footing and collided with a man sending them both tumbling into a market stall.
Pain shot through her side and back as she attempted to clamber out of fallen stall. Broken wood, straw and lofs bread fell from her as she attempted to stand, shocking the watching crowd. Twilight looked back at the man she had bumped into. He appeared to be okay, although his eyes were wide with fear as they focused on her horn.
Twilight ignored him and turned back to the road. She took a step forwards only for a burning pain to shoot through her hoof. She let out a small gasp and winced. She tried again but thought better off it as she looked up to the flat rooftops of the buildings around. She lit her horn and then frowned as she levitated a bread bun off of it before teleporting onto the roof above. She quickly found a next roof along the road and in a flash teleported again. She looked up to the castle that sat on the hill and teleported along the buildings below it towards the gate.
One the final roof she stopped and looked up to see the riders entering into the castle. She lit her horn once more only to fall to the side as the roof gave way. She cried out as her hoof became stuck dangling though the flat, sandy rooftop. She choked on the dust and sand that had filled the air. As it cleared she saw a figure move across the darkened room. Her eyes took their time to adjust, she was only just able to make out a man staring at her from the shadows. The wood creaked some more, she turned back to her trapped hoof and gulped as it gave way.
The pain of landing was only soothed by the darkness that overtook her.
--------------------
Catherine wasn’t scared; terrified was a more appropriate word that came to mind as she was thrown down onto the dirt by the fiends who and captured her. They were an odd bunch of men with mismatched armour over their bronze skin.
They reeked of horses too. Judging by their scruffy beads and clothes, she wouldn’t be surprised if they lived in a stable.
“What is going on?” a commanding voice boomed as Robert was thrown to the ground next to her. She gasped his name and leaned over to him only for a scruffy boot to kick her away.
“We found these two spies in the hills, Grand Vizier,” one of the thugs said.
Catherine looked up, a tall man stood over them. He wore long crimson and gold silks that flowed about him like a neat waterfall. A black pointed beard peeking out from a hooked face with two beady brown eyes glaring out of the shade provided by a over-sized turban.
“And this one has the mark of enemy,” another thug said as he prodded Robert’s back with his sword. Robert remained still, he hadn’t moved at all.
“Stop it!” Catherine yelled at the thug as she got to her knees and was quickly kicked back down.
The thugs let out a bark of laughter. “This one’s got quite a mouth.”
“Calm yourselves,” the Vizier commanded, silencing the thugs instantly. “The Emir is the one who decides their fate. Guards, take them inside.”
Catherine was suddenly pulled up by two large - and fortunately better smelling - men in armour. She and Robert were dragged through marble halls lined with fine hanging silks and ornate carvings of stars amongst straight lines that crossed the pattern like rays of light. They passed more guards dressed head to toe in full mail armour with ornate plates on their chest and arms. Even their faces were hidden behind chainmail that hung from their green plumed helmets. Servants in fine clothes stood to the side as they passed, and all bowed low to the Grand Visar who closly followed them.
This palace would have left her in awe if it wasn’t for the threat of death hanging over them. Images of themselves on the chopping block filled her mind as she was pushed down next to Robert in front of a large wooden door. Robert let out a low groan as he slowly lifted his head.
“Robert?” she hissed.
“Catherine?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay?”
Robert’s slowly blinked for a few moments before he softly groaned. “Their swords…”.
“What about them?”
“They’re… curved.”
Catherine wasn’t sure if she wanted to slap him or hug him. A sharp tug at her bound arms painfully reminded her that she couldn’t.
The doors before them were opened as she and Robert were dragged to their feet. She felt the sharp, cold point of a sword press against the swell of her back. She carefully stepped forwards.
The room itself was large with pink and white marble tiled floors that were polished more than a mirror. Bright sunlight flowed in from the open windows, a gentle cooling breeze delicately fluttered the emerald drapings. To Catherine, it appeared that whoever designed the room used all the tricks in the book to make it look more impressive than it already was and it pointed the impressiveness to whoever sat at the far end. In this case it was a rather fat, middle-aged man wearing a green robe interwoven with gold thread. He sat on a pile of cushions surrounded by three young women ready clasping fruit bowls and wine goblets. The man himself paid the girls, the guards or even Catherine and robert any attention. His eyes were focused squarely on the piles of papers in front of him. He held a fine quill between his sausage-like fingers. Catherine wondered how such fine and delicate movements were possible for him as the quill carefully flowed across the paper.
A guard gave a small cough. The man let out a little startled yelp as he looked up. His wide eyes darted disinterestedly between Catherine and Robert before glancing back at his paper. “You don’t happen to know a word that rhymes with fate, do you?” he said in a peevish silk smooth voice.
Robert’s armour softly jangled as he trembled before the man. A bead of sweat flowed from his brow. Catherine gulped and suggested, “Date?” She was faintly aware of the sudden questioning look Robert was giving her.
“I’ll explain later,” she whispered to him. He only gulped and nodded in response.
The man hummed to himself. “Date? Date? That might do. Please, have a seat and help yourself to some grapes.” He waited a moment and then glanced back up at them. “Why are you standing like that?”
“It’s these ropes,” Catherine said, she carefully shook her bindings. “And… um… the swords in our backs… they’re… um... cold. Cold and pointy.”
“Really? Well, that won’t do. No, it won’t do at all.” The man clapped his hands which were donned with so many gold rings that they clanged like a blacksmith’s anvil when he pressed them together. The two guards looked at each over but hesitantly moved forward to cut Robert and Catherine’s bonds.
The Grand Visar snaked his way to the man’s side. “My Lord,” he hissed. “These are the two spies that we found.”
“Spies?” the fat man repeated. “They don’t look like spies to me. All I see is a scared boy and a lovely young woman, with even lovelier voice.”
Catherine frowned but forced a smile across her lips. “Thank you... your Lordship.”
Robert looked at her with a bewildered face. “You know what they are talking about?”
She just nodded.
The fat man smiled. “You’re more than welcome, my dear. I am Emir Amitiza.” He opened his arms up wide, gesturing to the walls around. “Welcome to my home.”
“It’s a nice place you’ve got,” Catherine said kindly.
Her nodded approvingly. “Indeed it is. You have good taste, my dear. Tell me, why did my guards find you snooping around outside?”
“Well… We… We were…”
“Spying?” the Grand Visar offered.
“No! No, we were here with a trade caravan.” Catherine forced her smile wider as she studied the two men’s faces.
Amitiza’s smile only became more genuine. “Oh, I do love traders. You surely must have many stories to tell. Please, where is it you have traveled to my fair city from?”
“Um… The north. Yes, the north.”
The Grand Vizier's face curled into a twisted grin. “Surely you should know what city?” he said.
“Yes, of course I do!” Catherine gulped. “We… We were from…”
“Kara-Kun?” the Grand Vizier suggested.
Catherine froze. She was sure it was a trick. She could see it in the gleam of his eye. The fact that her knowledge of geography was only as good as the directions to the market from her home in Albion didn’t help.
“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.
The Grand Vizier’s smirk darkened. “See my lord! They are spies, and not good ones at that! I can tell you that from their accent and the boy’s tongue they come from the lands of Albion! I recommend you sentence them right away, my lord.”
Amitiza’s frowned and sighed softly. “I see… Very well, take the boy to the dungeons. But… You, my fair lady, your tongue is like that of honey on a cool summer's eve. It would be a great crime to silence it. As such, I ask of you, would you do the honour of staying here in my home?”
Catherine was momentarily speechless, “M-Me? Here?”
“Oh yes, you would make a great addition to our family.” The Grand Vizier was about to protest, but a wave of Amitiza’s stubby and gem covered hand silenced him.
“I… But…” Catherine's mind was racing with thoughts. She couldn’t abandon Robert, but then again, a life in the splendor of this palace was far more appealing that sitting in a dark cell for Solaris-knows-how-long. Besides, she thought, if she was out here then she would be able to free Robert, somehow. She gulped. “Very well… I accept your most generous offer, your majesty,” she said as she gave him a curtsy.
“Ah, splendid!” the Emir said as he stood up and walked towards Catherine, his jewels and the bells on his shoes jangling like a traveling circus as he moved. He placed his two rosy gold coloured hands on either side of Catherine's face and said. “Oh, I can’t wait until the first reading. Guards, please escort her to the others.”
--------------------
Twilight’s head pounded as if Pinkie Pie was having a party amongst her frontal lobes.
“Ah, good. You’re awake,” a voice said. Twilight shot her head around. She was in a small room, dimly lit by streams of sunlight seeping through a closed shutter on the window, and the large rug that had been hung over the hole in the ceiling. She winced at the memory as her eyes fixed on a dark figure sitting in a corner.
“Who are you?”
“So you do talk,” the man said as he slowly stood and opened the shutters, flooding the room with light. He was young with slick black hair and a well trimmed beard. “Please forgive me, I am Godefroy de Châlus, at your service. And you may be?”
“I’m… Twilight, Twilight Sparkle,” she said cautiously.
“An interesting name for an interesting being,” Godefroy said. “Tell me, you are a unicorn, no?”
“I am a unicorn,” Twilight said slowly. She tried to stand but pain shot through her hoof, sending her crashing back to the bed she lay on. Her head swirled like a stormy sea and her body was drained of energy. “What happened? Where am I?”
Godefroy glanced up at the hole in the roof. “You are in my home. Forgive the mess, it was tider before your… unexpected entrance.”
“Sorry.”
He waved Twilight off and leaned over to a small kettle by a fire. He poured the steaming water into a wooden mug. “Would you like some tea?”
Twilight nodded gently and sighed. She took a sip from the mug as her mind slowly began to go over the events of the past day. She remembered the ruins, she remembered walking into the city. The learning of the language spoken here. She remembered-
“Robert! Catherine!”
“Quiet! Please!” Godefroy hissed as he rushed to the window and glanced out. “We do not want anyone to know about you. A unicorn is not a common sight.”
“I’m sorry, but my friends!” Twilight said. “They were captured!”
“You must mean the two who were dragged through town? I’m sorry. They’re in the Citadel now. There’s no way in or out.”
“Not for you, maybe,” Twilight said. “Very few people can see and hear me. And if I do meet someone who can, well, I have my magic to help.”
“Magic?” Godefroy asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said. She tried gently lighting her horn only for it to fizzle out as pain swelled in her head. She rubbed her temples and sighed. “Perhaps I’ll show you in a bit.”
Godefroy carefully scratched his beard as he looked at Twilight’s horn. “Then, perhaps we can help each other.”
Twilight glanced up at him for a moment. “I’m happy to help, but, what is it?”
He quickly darted over to a bookcase and searched through the old tombs and papers. “In the Citadel they are holding something that I need for my research. And, of course, they are now holding your friends too. But! You don’t know where to go and I cannot get inside.” He pulled out some folded sheets of paper and lay them out on a table. “Fortunately, it appears that we have the solution to both of our predicaments. Perhaps it would be in our best interest to assist each other?”
Twilight looked over at the table. “Those maps, are they of the Citadel?”
“Yes, all we need is a plan,” Godefroy said with a smile. Twilight smiled in return but frowned.
“Godefroy, thank you for the offer but… I must ask. Why are you taking this so well?”
He looked up. “Oh… Well, you see… I’ve always seen odd things. Things that shouldn’t be. I guess I’ve kind of got use to it.”
“Yes, that makes sense.” Twilight smiled at him. “Okay, so… What is it they have?”