//------------------------------// // Chapter 31 // Story: Prim Rose's Redemption // by Hope //------------------------------// The years passed in the relative calm that a great war was often found to leave behind. Weary from strive and bloodshed, mortal ponies were content to find ways to cooperate with their rivals, not vilify them. So Luna, the greatest military commander there ever was, languished in the politics and mundane realities of running Equestria. Despite spending many sorrowful years bemoaning her isolation from the governing of her country, the princess was finally coming to understand the truth of it, and why her sister had hidden the burden from her in the first place. It was hard, boring, tiring, annoying work. Nobles had demands, and the political power to exercise against her, as much as a contingent of soldiers on a battlefield, and just as dangerous. The poor and battle-wounded never left the back of her mind, or the dark corners of her streets, and the dreams she explored at night would alternate showing them as the terrifying masses huddled beneath gilded windows, or the truth. Desperate and starving equines shivering in the cold, left behind by their country, princess, and families. Luna did not forget them. When she could, she would force the issue, helping as many as she could. When she couldn’t, she used her own wealth to rescue some, help along others. But more than any pony could know, Luna suffered from this growing kindness. To watch a drunk and scared former soldier grow cold in an alleyway, to carry a dirt-stained foal to the doorsteps of a church and leave gold so they wouldn’t be set out again, to hold the shaking hooves of a pony so hungry they cannot keep the food they are given in their bellies, all of these take a toll on those that witness them, and for a pony who would live forever, it was an infinite sorrow. But through it all, every cold night and blistering day, every time she came to the castle in tears, Prim Rose was there to patch her heart as best she could. She would take Princess Luna in from the landing balcony and softly remind her “Thou hast done all that may be done, your majesty,” before forcing her to care for herself. Always a bath, during which Luna would rarely look up from the water, and occasionally cry. Then, a time in front of a fireplace, while Prim would don her newly crafted glasses and read off the night’s summary. Sometimes she would prod Luna for answers, other times she would move closer to lend her princess some warmth as the night turned to day, and the world outside began to grow weary, and turn in. Then, a meal. Prim had learned quickly that Luna did not like the sight of rich and extravagant foods after her journeys among the weak and dying, and she had Chef prepare simpler foods, foods that Luna could tell herself that her ponies would have as well. Finally, just before sleeping, Princess Luna would visit with her children. Some on their way to bed and others just waking up, the children of the night began to get to know their new mother in the dawn hours. She grew close to them, learning all their names and desires by heart. She took a personal interest in resettling the poor and needy to their lands, so that when her children grew old enough to live on them year round, they would be well financed by the meager taxes paid by those settlers. She cared for their dreams, their financial futures, and their hearts as well as she could with Prim’s help, and though there were hard moments as in the raising of any children, she gained an appreciation for foals that she’d never had back when she had thought she could only have children by birth, a process she had no interest in. The one thing that Prim Rose could not help in though, was the nightmares that plagued Luna every day. After all, only Luna could feel her sister on the sun’s surface, struggling and roaring, desperate to escape and reduce Equestria to a blackened waste. The nightmares would come without warning, as she attempted to guide the dreams of others. At times she would not even know her sister was intruding until the dream burst into flame, or Daybreaker appeared unprompted. The first few months after the fight, Luna had supposed it may be her own anxieties causing the nightmares, but they were so far beyond her control that she eventually came to recognize that they came from the sun. So Luna bore that one burden alone, and in all other things, Prim was her ever vigilant companion. Even when sick or weary, Prim was always there. She devoted her life to her service, and Luna accepted that devotion without question. So when that service became the topic of a council session, Luna was caught by surprise. “Pardon our inattention, but… what?” “A romantic interest in thee, your highness,” Fleet Hoof repeated simply. “Rumors abound, and there is suspicion that she uses her position close to thy side to curry favor and control thy decisions.” “Prim Rose? She serves us as Castallian, that is all, why is there talk of some romance?” she scoffed. “There is a clothier who lives in our city who has been found to be harboring meetings of hedonists and gelds. It seems that occasionally thy Castallian attends these meetings. It seems she may…” Fleet paused, looking around at the concerned and disgusted faces around the table. “She may see thee in a romantic light. Such an influence over thy time and goals is unacceptable. We must discover whether she is indeed attempting to control thee, or even… court thee,” he said as Mint Mortar shuddered. But Luna did not shudder. A curious warmth she’d never felt spread through her chest and stomach at the thought, and her mind went back to brief brushes and half spoken words, pondering Prim’s intentions, and her own neivite. “Then ask her,” Luna said simply, betraying no emotion. “A session of the council shall suffice.” “A public court next dusk, more so,” Mint insisted. “So that she cannot hold her position as a member of this council as a way to avoid the question.” The others agreed, and the warmth in Luna’s heart became ice. “A public shaming? While the influence she may hold over us is in question, we hath been quite clear in our approach to unconventional love. It shall not be held as crime or shame by our courts, is the council opposing this?” She looked to Prince Spring, somehow hoping that he would step up and take her side, but he looked away, and a fire in Luna’s heart began to burn, as she began to understand how her sister’s fury could have overwhelmed her years and years before. “I believe it would be prudent to change our course in this moral matter,” Mint finally said. The last half of her sentence was nearly drowned out by Luna standing, shoving her chair away and walking almost to the door. “The Griffins, Yaks, and Burro all see these carnal acts as sinful!” Fleet said urgently, trying to justify it to his princess before she could leave. She stopped and for a moment the council thought they may have swayed her. Then she spoke, and her tone was dark. “Is that who we shall now serve? Hmm? The griffins?” She paused, turning back to look at Spring, and then Fleet. “The Yaks? The Burro? Before thee speak of sin, perhaps think of our own past. There was a time when we alicorns were revered as goddesses upon this earth, but we chose not to hold sin and scripture above our ponies, no. Have thee a court, but the lunar throne shall stand empty for it, in reflection of thy solitary determination in this matter.” She then turned back to the door and left, going straight to her chambers. “An eventful council meeting?” Prim asked curiously from Luna’s desk, where she was drafting arrest warrant lists in order to begin the process of rounding up the latest members of the Sol Faithful they’d discovered. “My sincerest apologies for my absence.” “It seems to have been planned,” Luna said angrily. “Though we would be overstepping to warn thee of the subject, a court shall be held this next dusk, public and with a topic specific to thy influence on us.” Luna tossed her crown and boots onto her bed before opening her windows and looking out at the busy night streets, scowling. Prim thought over what she’d said, and quietly finished her list. It was passed to a scribe and then Prim stood and moved up next to Luna, looking over the city. “Then I shall face the court with dignity, and I shall not influence thee in any improper way,” she said simply. “But ‘tis a farce! Lies and foolish shameful displays of bigotry! Never did doubts come upon our sister’s Castalian, her assistants and others, no! She could employ any that she wished, even those stallions she lusted after, and never was there any concern for undue influence! After all, a royal’s position deserves recognition from their princess!” Prim put a hoof to Luna’s side, stilling her anger like a cool cloth on a fevered forehead. “They discovered that I pursue mares. That is the crux of it, is it not?” Luna nodded, closing her eyes. “Then I shall reassure them that they need not fear that I shall corrupt thee, your Majesty. That is, truly, all they can ask for.” Prim excused herself so that she could go back to her room. She expected to cry, to throw herself on the bed in grief and wail, but in possibly the most damning proog of her lack of femininity, she filed her papers. She made an entry in her journal which noted the facts, and she did the nights numbers. The Lunar court was finally seeing profit from the relocated ponies, and the treasury could once again maintain a balance. She did her job, and then she watched the first rays of light grace the sky. Her fears of the day and it's hot light had come and gone through the years. She held an uneasy peace with the memory of the Daybreaker in her mind. But truly she would never forget the hatred in the alicorn’s eyes, and the shortness of breath. Closing her eyes, Prim drew the heavy curtains shut, and cracked the window open so that the room would not grow over warm. She then let herself rest. No dreams, no fear, no thought. She let her mind drift into the comfortable waiting black, until she awoke. The sun was still up, but not for long, when Prim woke. She judged that she had a few hours before the court session she would undoubtedly be summoned to, so she had time for breaking her day fast, and to prepare for the possibility that she would be without employment if the court decided against her. Withdrawing her accrued pay was surreal, it drove home that her parents had passed away longer ago than she thought, as the only outgoing pay was now for the caretaker of the home she’d once lived in. She wondered if she might retire there now, if she lost her post. The pay was condensed into a pouch of gemstones she could easily hide or carry rather than two large bags of gold bits. Then, as the sun began to set and dusk court neared, Prim went to Princess Luna’s chambers. “Are there any pressing matters, your Majesty?” Prim asked, striding into the room as though it were any other day. “Not besides the court,” Luna sighed, turning to face her. “How art thou, a mare who learned court in our grace, calmer in the face of this than we are?” “Thou art afraid of the loss of a faithful Castalian,” Prim said quietly, a smile just barely turning the corners of her lips. “While I am only concerned for the loss of a career. Thy opinion of me shall not change, and I shall survive. They cannot take that away from me.” “Brave mare, but if thou art removed, a new Castalian shall be needed.” “There’s a young colt serving as maid, have Filigree train him, and he shall serve,” Prim said with a shrug, setting down her lists and papers and stepping up to Luna. “Then thou shalt be forced to play nice with a colt for once.” Luna’s attempt at a frown could not stand up to Prim’s self assured grin, and after a moment Luna wrapped her up in a hug, sighing. “Do not leave, if thou art dismissed, Prim. Stay here for a time.” “As is thy wish, your Majesty,” Prim agreed, resting her head on Luna’s chest. Luna let her rest there for a minute, embracing her. But Prim knew she would be summoned soon. “I shall return, my princess. Wait for me.” Luna nodded as Prim slipped away and off into the hallways of the castle. But Prim did not know that Luna followed behind her. Taking to the shadows and using her magic to hide her passing, Luna found a perch in a servant's corridor so she could watch the court session. Prince Spring took his place on the throne, looking almost ill as he watched the rest of the council assemble at the foot of the stairs in front of him. “Let us be done with this quickly,” Spring said, with a gesture to his Seneschal. “Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring, Lord of the land, Duke to the Solar Court, Marquess of the great Plains, rightful heir to the Canterhorn mountains and Hoofnia, accompanied by the Great Ruling Council of Equestria!” she called out. “We request the attendance of Lady Prim Rose,” the Seneschal then called out, as Prim Rose stepped into the room, having been waiting for the call. “Presenting Lady Prim Rose, Castalian of the great Equestrian Castle, and Lady of Trothnicum hills, Royal of the Lunar court,” she continued as Prim approached and sat at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Prince Spring and ignoring the other ponies around her. Prim bowed low, giving the Prince all the respect she would give her own Princess. She tried not to think about how crowded the hall was. Servants, nobles, and even some of the public had been given permission to attend apparently, meaning that a quiet hum made Prim’s ears twitch, trying to stay fully focused on the Prince. “Lady Rose,” Spring began, speaking quietly. “Certain matters involving thy influence on the lunar throne having been brought to our attention, the ruling council of Equestria hath deemed it necessary to question thee on some matters of thy associations and goals. In this questioning do we have thy guarantee of honesty?” “For thee, your highness, I make that guarantee,” Prim said, her tone practiced and level, her ears staying forward despite the murmuring behind her. “Then before we begin, we must state a fact for those in attendance.” Prince Spring sat up a bit taller, looking around at the gathered ponies. “We are not a nation of religion. Long ago a path of care was taken, which excludes religious bounds and limits upon what we may do. This path was chosen not just by the alicorns who ruled us, but by the ponies they ruled as well. We shall not allow us to become a nation of fear and suspicion, and for that reason we have designed not to withhold this issue against the will of the council. But we shall not be misunderstood. This is a court to determine possible undue influence, not the fitness of Lady Rose’s character.” He looked around at the assembled ponies and then looked down to Prim. He couldn’t delay it any longer. “Lady Rose… There have been claims brought to our attention that thou art… A mare that pursues mares.” The gasps that rolled through the hall were enough to make Prim flinch, but she didn’t let it show more than that. “Is there truth to these claims?” Prim found her mouth suddenly dry, She coughed softly, trying to work past the fear that tightened her throat. But she had to speak. “There is, your highness,” she said, voice dry and thin. The uproar from the crowd was more than any pony could talk over, and in the small corridor to the side, hidden safe in the darkness, Luna brought a hoof to cover her mouth, not from shock but to keep the sound of her whimper from carrying. Tears wet her cheeks, and for the first time Luna came to realize that she loved that mare who was nearly cowering before the court. That poor mare who was honest even in the face of the scorn of a hundred ponies, and who seemed to be bracing for the next question even more than the first as her heart raced and shoulders hunched. “Silence!” Finally, Spring’s shout carried over the crowd, and the gathered ponies were forced into silence. The expressions on their faces told the story of Equestrias heart on the topic. Some disgusted or enraged, but many just nervous and confused. There were even some who appeared sympathetic. But the council were the ones who Prim took note of. Mint Mortar was smug with a sneer that she didn't bother to hide. Fleet Hoof seemed disturbed, despite having once considering Prim a friend, and gaining his post by her assistance. Prince Spring looked down at Prim Rose as though she were a lost and feeble beggar whom he pitied. “Prim Rose… while this is not a crime, it does raise a point of concern for the council. A servant of the crown is expected to act with absolute loyalty to the throne they serve, and to provide that service without ulterior motive. In the interest of the Lunar court’s function, we must know. Dost thou have romantic interests in thy Princess?” The anticipation for the answer built as Prim hesitated briefly, but she finally looked back up to meet his eye. “Your Highness, I believe it is still Lady Rose, if you would be so kind. Unless the Lunar court hath stripped me of my title.” “She would if she was of right mind!” Mint shouted, stepping closer to Prim only to be grabbed in a blue cloud of magic and shoved back into the waiting arms of some guards, who kept her from coming forward. Though most assumed it had been the guards, Prim knew that magic color better than most. It had been Luna, and knowing that her Princess was watching made it so much harder to finish her answer. “I do not love Her Royal Majesty, Princess Luna of Equestria. I see her as a perfect being worthy of admiration and the finest service I may offer, but I have never held a romantic interest in her, after all… to imply that a mortal mare could pursue an alicorn would be preposterous,” She said as she met the eyes of Prince Spring, former consort of Celestia. But while rage filled Prim's long broken heart, Luna's broke for the first time. She knew that Prim must say it to survive, that it may be a lie, but the words cut deeper than any griffin blade or strike of sun fire. She turned and slipped away into the corridors, back to her own chambers. So Prim, alone, stood before the council and the Prince as they took in her defiant speech. “Thou art determined in thy denial,” Prince Spring noted. “But it cannot stand alone and unquestioned. Thou hast been seen in the company of others with the same desires, how may we be certain that they have not influenced thee, and thus Princess Luna?” “I shall no longer associate with those ponies, if it would quell thy fears,” Prim promised, seeming to at least satisfy the Prince, even if the council did not seem so certain. “Even then, the damage has been done,” Mint began, only to be silenced by Spring’s glare. “What damage?” he demanded, suddenly turning on the council instead of Prim. “This was a speculative matter from the start, show me proof that some damage has been done.” The council had no good answer, looking between themselves as if in search of an answer, but in the end Spring just huffed and shook his head. “This court is finished. We shall address all routine matters upon the dawn court. Thou art dismissed.” Prim left the throne hall in a daze and went to her room, rather than seeking out her princess. The guards paid her no mind, and she was able to lock the door and be alone. She had thought she would be angry, screaming or crying and tossing books off the shelves, but she felt so drained and exposed that she couldn't find the energy to do it. She sighed, grimacing at the thought that if she physically hurt herself to force tears she might feel better, but she'd grown past that point. Instead she went to her bed and laid down, staring at the wall. She could tell Luna that the words spoken at court had been a lie, but what good would that do? Make all of the council's fears come true as they tried to forge a relationship? It was tempting to do it just to spite them. It would just make the pain worse, if she tried to fix it. Prim decided that she would continue living the lie, acting as though she didn't love Luna more than every star in the night sky and every mare below it.