Chapter 3
“My eyes? What the hell is wrong with my eyes?” My voice rises with each word as panic is again starting to set in. I sit down quickly and cover both my eyes with my hooves. Covering and uncovering them alternately, waving my hooves in front of them, "I can see, I'm not going blind.” I look up at them. “Am I?" This is becoming too much, I’ve had enough shocks to me in the short time I’ve been in Saddle Arabia. The world whirls around me as I fight to stay conscious beginning to say and wobble slightly, my ears drooping, "I don't feel so well."
Irfan comes up, peering at me intently. “My Lady, it was said in some scrolls that Celestia’s eyes would be as bright as the sun when her magic was strongest. And in Princess Luna, her eyes would be as the starry night sky. This may be a trait common to alicorns.”
“Will someone PLEASE tell me what is wrong with my eyes ! ?” I shout. In response, the wagon shifts a bit as an attendant clambers inside. She brings out a mirror. I gratefully grab it with my magic, bringing it to my face. My eyes are green. Not just a flat green color, but multiple hues of green. It’s as though I’m gazing into a deep forest full of life in the bright daylight. I tilt the mirror from side to side, no pupil, no white. Just bright green foliage. I stop as my brain resets, trying to figure out what I’m seeing. I glace at Ghaliya, who looks more than a little upset. Then I look at myself in the mirror again. “Ok, what the hell is going on here?”
Ghaliya shoves the mirror aside, her face serious. “Ki, what do you remember from before?”
“Nothing, I’ve told you that already!”
She stomps a hoof on the wood of the wagon. “That’s not good enough, damn it! Close those eyes and think about it. Quiet your mind, think back.”
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, slowly forming a flame in my mind. I begin to feed all of my emotions into it. In a matter of moments, I find myself in the void. With practice, this is getting easier each time. I ignore the pull of the magic and instead focus on the day I got here, on what came before, "I remember screams, lots of screams. A blinding bright light, the sun?” I can feel my body shudder and tremble, though it’s distant. As though it’s happening to someone else. “I remember a child crying, the smell of ozone in the air, lightning bolts. Some... something... somepony? Somebody? calling for her mommy...” I can feel sweat pouring down my face as I begin to pant hard, have I run twenty miles at a gallop? Thirty? Fifty? My breathing is labored, I can feel fear, “A large crystal pillar... Eyes in the night... I remember being hit, by lightning I think, slamming into me...." I shake my head vigorously, "I can't…it’s all disjoined, I don't know...Help!" I open my eyes and my emotions crash into me, I end up with my forelegs spread, breathing heavily.
I feel a nuzzle on my cheek, opening my eyes I see Ghaliya move away, her cheeks glowing in a blush. Then she flinches back. “Your eyes, Ki.”
I embrace my magic in record time, bringing the mirror back up. Green eyes greet me, but normal green eyes, with a pupil and white, but the iris is a deep forest green. I look up at the other horses in the wagon. “What color were they when I got here?”
“Blue.”
I look into the mirror again, the green scape fades in and out a couple of times, but my eyes eventually settle back to being just normal eyes with green irises. I shudder for a moment. “What is happening here?”
Irfan lies down next to me, curling his hooves under his body. “I know of no relevant myths, legends or prophecies for this. Though Princess Celestia is rather sparing with her telling of the prophecies she’s seen. I do have suspicions however. I know your soul is old, I can sense that. It is older than any horse, older than this land, possibly older than Celestia herself. I cannot tell where you have been or why you have shown up now. Chance and happenstance has brought you here, to this place, to this time, to us. For what purpose, we don’t know. But there is something happening.” He turns his head to address Ghaliya. “Mistress, I truly think a visit to Canterlot would be in order.”
Ghaliya stamps a hoof. “No. She is too dangerous. She has killed her own sister; what is there to prevent her from killing Ki? This sayadina shall not lead her banu to the den of an iblis. She moves forward and nuzzles my cheek again. “He would be in danger from a power mad pony. No.”
Irfan ducks his head. “As you wish, my Lady.”
I look up at Ghaliya. “Can she teach me to control this magic?”
She snorts. “While it would be possible. We have magic knowledge, too. Irfan is extremely well read, and at home, there are magic users that would be able to help teach you.” She looks at Irfan. “I’m not putting his life at risk to teach him.”
“Well, he is approaching the limits of my knowledge without me spending some time at the great library.”
“The grand vizier will help then.”
Irfan shudders. “His powers are exceedingly strong, but he’s already a very busy horse. Do you think it’s wise?”
Ghaliya turns to look at Irfan, who wilts under her gaze. “My uncle will ask him, and compel him if necessary. Ki needs to be trained. And let’s not forget those wings of his.”
I shift the cloth along my barrel, allowing a wing to extend a little. “Are you sure? What if I turn out to be as dangerous as you think Celestia will think I would be.”
She whirls around to glare at me. “You are not a danger. You just protected the caravan – you need yet practice in sword and musket, but you worry us not. Don’t you dare consider yourself a danger to anyhorse.”
I let the baleful glare roll off my withers. “But what if I am? The only thing I can tell you, I didn’t look like this before I got here.” I shake my head, tossing my mane from side to side, “I don’t know how to describe it. I felt different, I didn't stand like this, I stood on just my hind legs I think. I could feel that. I don't think I was a pony! Now, I am though. And I’m here, and I’ve got this horn on my head, with no clue what I can do with it other than pick a few things up.” I extend both wings. “I didn’t have wings either, I don’t even know if I would like flying, or if I’m scared of heights. You know as much about me as I know. And given what could be possible, with my eyes turning color like that… I could be a bomb ready to blow!”
Ghaliya stands there, blinking slowly, Irfan glances at her, then at me. He clears his throat. “Master Ki, I understand your misgivings.”
“Misgivings? Misgivings? I’m terrified! I don’t know what is going on! I don’t even know why I’m here! I think I went through something that should have KILLED me!”
I feel something touch my foreleg, I look down. Hadi is standing there, his hoof on my knee, his eyes round. I stop, looking at him with tears in the corners of his eyes, “Ki, you aren’t acting like someone who would hurt others on purpose. You saved us from the jinn. Even your cutie mark is about protection,” he says very softly.
I look up at Ghaliya, she seems to come back to herself, “I know you are scared, Ki.” She looks down, her ears flattening to the sides. “I’m scared for you. Everything here is overwhelming for you, but one thing is for certain, I am not afraid of you.”
I look down at Hadi, who nods in agreement with Ghaliya. He smiles, "For all we know, you were locked away, sealed away like a statue in somehorses garden, forced to pose for centuries on your hind legs till now," Hadi says, looking innocent, before smiling at the sour look from Ghaliya. "What? I heard it from one of our qasida poets.”
Ghaliya nuzzles the young colt, “We will find out more.” She looks at me, “We hope that your memories will come back in time. For the time being, we’ll get you to our home.”
***
The City of Gardens lives up to its name. As we approach the city walls, the greenery flowing over those walls is actually alluring to me. Dark sandstone walls were visible hours before we arrived. Nestled in a bit of a valley, Ghaliya had looked quite proud as she had trotted ahead of me over a ridge, so as to be there when I crested the ridge myself. The look on her face on seeing my reaction to the city was one of smug pride. Even seeing the city from such a distance, it still took most of the day to arrive at the gates. Enormous wooden gates, more than twenty body lengths high, stand open, inviting. And showing the greenery within, green growth is everywhere. Given how arid everything else is around us, I did not expect all this life. I find my head rotating around as we enter the city.
Ghaliya leans closer to me. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Amazing.”
“We are the Saddle Arabians, we were created from the south wind, traveling and playing with all the joy it gave us. On our backs we carry with us all we need, and our hearts sing with pride. We stand together as one of the Glories of Equus and honor the earth we have been given. In our speed we cross the great deserts from city to waterhole, as we fly without wings across our land. There is an irony to us; we live in desert, but we do not love the desert. Indeed we love the water and the forest. The desert is hot and nothing grows. To stay in the desert forever is to surely die. You have doubtlessly noted our love of greens and blues. These are out favorite colors; the colors of life and its sustainer, water. We do our killing in the desert, we die in the desert, we bury in the desert. But cities, oases, wells, these places are where we truly thrive.”
She’s not kidding, the horses all moving through the city are quite obviously happy and full of pride of their home. Most are draped in blues and greens. The stone buildings are spotlessly clean. The streets are swept and quite well tended. Looking around, I can see horses well dressed with brilliant turquoise finery, and those with more modest clothing. Quite interesting to me, nearly every Saddle Arabian is dressed in some sort of clothing. Though much of it seems to be designed to deflect the merciless sun. The horses all seem to at least take notice of the dusty caravan moving through the town. Though looking around, I can see special attention is being paid to Ghaliya, who is walking at the head of it, just ahead of me. I have learned in my time with the caravan how important trade is to the Saddle Arabians, but it surprises me how much seems to be oriented that way. We walk through the wide streets, it’s almost as though an impromptu parade forms as we walk. The other denizens of the city are joining us. Foals bounce along, joining with the foals in the caravan in celebrating our arrival. Apparent relatives of those in the caravan come out and greet their loved ones. The happy sounds of the horses greeting and celebrating our arrival has my chest swelling in happiness. These are happy horses, it almost seems as though everything here is a celebration. We eventually make our way to an open area. A large sign over the entrance matches the logo on Ghaliya’s own clothing. I dutifully follow her as we make our way in.
In short order, the wagons are rolled in, the horses and the camels are unhitched, and the get them parked in neat rows as they pull their personal effects off them. A few camel handlers are leading the animals off for food and water. A group of the horses move up to get paid. Faris supervises the unloading of goods onto wagons, Ghaliya informs me that the marketplace is a very busy place. And there is much gold to be made in trade here. “Are you going to the market?” I ask.
She shakes her head, “I have traders who work for me. They get a cut of all sales, so they push for as much as they can get. Then I have others, out there buying supplies for the next trip.”
“When are you going next?”
“A few weeks. We are planning on a big grain buy coming up. Some of the larger wagons need to be gone over. More camels purchased, every camel pulling a wagon means one less horse to pay to pull.”
I look around the open area. “So not much to do then?”
She giggles as she moves over towards where the horses are being paid. Irfan comes up to me. “If you would follow me…” Irfan says softly. I look at him, then follow him away from the paddock. He slows to walk next to me. “The Lady Ghaliya has asked I escort you to the palace.”
“The palace? Why would I need to go there?”
“Because the Mistress Ghaliya has requested you do so.”
I sigh as I follow Irfan. Though I keep an eye on him as I walk, my head is swinging from side to side as I walk. Horses, horses everywhere. Thousands of them. Of every hue, every shade imaginable. Smiles abound, happy prancing, just a feeling of joy suffuses the entire city it seems like. But the horses are not idle, we pass by a smithy, two horses are working together to shape the metal. A turn of my head shows a goldsmith, sitting inside his shop working. Gemcutters, farriers, leathermakers, fabric makers, clothiers, all thriving and happy. This place is absolutely amazing. As we turn a corner I stop, my wings extending and flaring out in surprise. The palace is enormous! Columns abound, supporting wide roofs enclosing bright spaces. The gates are opened by guards at our approach. Folding my wings again under my robes, I sedately follow Irfan through the open spaces, gazing in awe as we move into the Palace proper. He leads me into a room. Looking around at the plushily appointed room. He hangs by the door. “Master Ki, you will be sent for soon.”
I smile at him as he closes the door. Then I look around. We’ve been travelling all day. I think a nap is in order. I take a few minutes to shed the clothing, and crawl into the bed. My tired body obeying sluggishly. And before long, I’m snoozing away.
***
A knock at the door has me waking up with a snort. Giving my head a shake, I lift it, blinking and look around the very expensively appointed room groggily. The knock repeats and I scramble to my hooves. I think whoever is on the other side of my door hears the clip clop of my hooves on the marble floor. Days if intense practice has embracing my magic a matter of thought, I pull the door open, only to reveal the smiling face of Ghaliya. She smiles at me, “Good morning sleepyhead.
I frown, looking at the window. Indeed it is now morning. The sky is turning orange with the approaching dawn. I look back at Ghaliya. “Seriously?”
She nods as she delicately slips past me into the room. She looks around the room with a satisfied smile. “Irfan is always good about following my instructions.” She stops, reaching her head back to root around in the small pack she is wearing, a canvas bag is brought out and tossed to me. It bounces off my chest and hits the floor with a metallic clank. “That is for you.”
Leaning my head down, I light my horn again and bring the bag up. I stick my tongue out the side of my mouth as I take a moment to disentangle the tie around the neck of the bag. As I get it open, I float out the metal disks. Looking up at her, I say, “This is a lot of gold.”
“ You did a great service to us. Stopping the Jinn is worth far more than that amount of gold. He could have damaged our goods, stolen as much gold as he wished, or much worse. And you stopped him still. Fire jinn are among the hardest to deal with.” A big smile grows on her face. “I am one of al-sumudiya, I will never let it be said among the folk of the desert that I failed to reward any horse among mine for what is his due. And you stopped him in his tracks. I only had to threaten to bring you back once to get him to agree to a pittance of a payment. Strangely, he didn’t seem concerned with the idea of a party from the city. I think he will change his tune when that party arrives to expel him.” She trots into the bedroom, reaching down with her teeth and picking up my clothing. She throws each piece on her back before trotting over to me. She stands there, looking at me expectantly, so I light my horn and pull the clothing on. I walk over to the mirror mounted on the wall to tie my headpiece correctly. I turn to her and smile, getting a smile back as we exit the room.
“Where are we going?”
“We have just arrived from a profitable trading mission. I need to talk to my uncle...” She trails off, a sour look on her face. I follow her eyes, a large black stallion is very nearly stalking towards us. She looks at me with a quick smile, then she walks towards the stallion. “Fiancé, I expected to see you later.”
The stallion glowers at me for several long moments, then puts his head protectively over Ghaliya’s withers. “Lady Ghaliya, the time has come.”
She tries to duck away, but he moves to block her. “I told you, Sargon, I am not ready.”
“Bah, you’ve been saying that for far to long. My patience is not infinite. Your dowry has been paid and the families have agreed, you are mine.”
She struggles for a moment, finally pulling away from him, he ends up with his rear on the ground, his eyes wide. She lowers her head, her tail thrashing and her ears fully back. “I belong to no horse, Sargon. Not even you. No amount of gold paid to my father changes that. The laws and customs of Banu Arsalan have not changed in a thousand generations.”
He regains his hooves, “You would break with thousands of years of tradition?” The anger on his face softens, “I’ve told you. You will be able to continue your travels, just not as often. You will have freedom in our marriage. So long as you follow the rules I’ve told you.”
She snorts and stamps a hoof on the marble floor, “The rules that I must be available for your carnal needs, must bear your children, and half the profits I make in my work go into your coffers, yet you are nearly as wealthy as my family is. I told you those rules are unacceptable.”
Sargon paws the ground gently. “I have told you I can be reasonable. You need to have a stallion to give your business legitimacy.”
“My business has gained legitimacy by being among the very best. Shipments make it on time or better, and in pristine condition. My clients trust and respect me to get the job done for a fair price.”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, they humor the mare, but they know you are betrothed, and want that marriage to happen.”
“None of them have raised that with me.”
“Of course not! It would be impolite. But you and I both know the truth to that.” He says softly.
She growls, “Well, maybe I don’t want to get married to you, Sargon. Maybe I’ve picked out a stallion that fulfills my expectations and has every portent to be greater than you.”
That gets a snort. “What other stallion has my status and wealth?”
Ghaliya walks over to me, then wraps her forelegs around my neck, hanging off of me where her head is underneath mine, she looks at him upside down, “He’s right here.” She says coyly.
"A hills dweller? You would choose a show pony mule over me?"
She squeezes me tighter, “Yes, a pony. A pony alicorn stallion who has treated me with nothing but respect since he’s arrived. The blood of the divine runs in him, and soon will swim in me.”
Sargon prances towards me aggressively, I start to back away, but Ghaliya tightens her forelegs around me tighter, rooting me in place, Sargon thrusts his head forward. “So, what of you, pony? Do you think you have the gall to take me on for my bride?”
“Notice the horn on his head. He can burn you to ash with a thought,” she snarks.
This time, I do take a step back, my wings extending in shock. His reaction to that, though, surprises me. He takes a couple of steps back and stands there with a forehoof raised in surprise. He looks down at Ghaliya then up at me, then at my wings. “A demi-god. I didn’t know stallions were among Equestrian royalty.” He glowers down at Ghaliya. “Don’t think that this ends anything. You belong to me, Ghaliya. No pony prince can change that.” With that he whirls around and canters away. As his tail flicks around a corner, Ghaliya regains her hooves.
I look at her. “What just happened?”
She laughs, “Don’t get any ideas, lovercolt. Though I know Faris would have much to say about this, sargon needed to be dropped down a peg or three. And thinking his rival for my affections is an Equestrian alicorn is enough to give him pause.” She looks at me seriously. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into my personal affairs, Ki, but he gets more and more insistent every time I return.” She sighs, her ears flicking back and forth. “Sometimes I take extra commissions to keep out of the city, to keep away from him. Even Irfan has remarked that I need to find a resolution to this situation.”
“So…you aren’t? We aren’t?”
That gets a louder laugh from Ghaliya, “No, we aren’t.” She walks past me, rubbing her side against me and finishing with flipping her tail in my face, “At least not yet we aren’t.” She says softly. She starts walking, and I move to catch up with her. “It’s time for you to meet my uncle.”
“Really?” I’ve got to admit my voice wasn’t more than a squeak there.
She nods. “Yes, Padishah Kaspar al Haechataspa Nir Gardens. The Padishah of all of Saddle Arabia.”
I deliberately fold my wings tight against my sides as I follow her through the massive palace.
She knows where we’re going, I don’t. So I follow her through the palace. My eyes are ahead, and I’m noting my surroundings. But my mind is elsewhere. I don’t know much about the ponies, and only a little about the horses of Saddle Arabia. Faris has taken time out on a couple of evenings to explain to me the rules governing the interactions of stallions and mares. Then Ghaliya spends days throwing those rules overboard. Her flipping her tail into my face is obvious to me, but then she says we aren’t anything more than friends. My ears flick back and forth as I think furiously. She glances back at me as we walk. I swear she’s a telepath when she smiles coyly and shakes her mane. Then she swishes her tail from side to side. I think I understand the signals she’s giving me. But they aren’t appropriate according to Faris in this rather conservative and straight laced society as he explained it.
She turns and I follow her down the next hallway. I’ve noticed the looks of many of the other horses in the caravan. After dealing with the Jinn, everyhorse has been smiling at me, and though those smiles become weighing and considering when I’m around Ghaliya. Their scrutiny has had me retiring to the lead wagon sometimes. I know their loyalty is to her, and she is just as loyal to them. Nearly half of her profit from the caravan goes to the horses working for her. The horses work hard, but they do so because they are inspired by her. Seeing her fiancé, I’m not surprised by what she told me about him. There is no love there. In fact, it seems seeing him was a source of stress for her. Then I find myself wishing that she never feels like that about me. I shake my head and stop abruptly. She’s standing before a large set of doors. She nods to the guard, who pulls the door open.
Before we enter, the guard marches in and stands straight. “Master of the City of Gardens, presenting the Lady Ghaliya and…” he looks back at me for a long moment, then looks forward, “her Equestrian guest.”
I fasten my eyes onto the massive throne at the top of a short set of stairs, or rather the elaborately dressed horse sitting proudly there. He seems more mature than anyhorse I’ve met since I’ve gotten here, with his golden fur complimented with a long white moustache curving down both sides of his lips. He remains stoic still as we approach. Though a faint smile grows on his face as we stop at the foot of the steps. Ghaliya bows, and I copy her action, lowering my head nearly to the floor, my horn clicking as it makes contact with the cold stone. “Uncle,” she says softly.
“I see you have a guest.” His voice is deep, commanding, powerful. Driving chills along my body.
“Yes, we came upon him in the Al-Hasa oasis.”
“Any evidence on how he arrived?”
“Not a bit. No hoofprints, nothing to indicate how he arrived.” She says softly.
“There are legends of old, of unicorns such as Star Swirl opening portals. Banishing or calling for things from other realms such as Tartarus or even stranger places. Even stories of entire cities disappearing forever at the hooves of ponies. You, colt.”
My head flinches up to look at him. “Yes?”
“How did you end up in that oasis?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know how it happened.”
Ghaliya speaks up. “We have gone over several times, he only has feelings and sounds that he remembers. Irfan and I have been working to help him remember to no avail.”
He brings up a hoof and runs it through his moustache. “Irfan’s scholarship is not in question, though you brought him into your caravan. You could have left him there.” She stamps a hoof. “To leave someone stranded and lost in the desert? He had done nothing to deserve such a punishment. The laws of the sand...” "We know nothing of his crimes, yet you took him on. He was not your responsibility." Ghaliya looks over at me. “No, but It was the right thing to do.”
He sits there on his throne for a long moment, running his hoof through his moustache for several moments that felt like an eternity. Finally, he nods. “I can only assume he arrived there by crime, but he may have a role to play for us yet.”
Ghaliya stands proud, her chest puffed out a bit, a big smile on her face as he stands up from the throne. To my surprise, he’s quite a bit shorter than Ghaliya, who is slightly taller than I am. He walks confidently towards me, “I have ears, child.” He looks at Ghaliya. “I don’t think Sargon is broken, but his family is one I must deal with.”
Ghaliya again stamps a hoof. “I’m not a bale of hay for horses to fight over. He doesn’t own me. And neither does my father.”
He chuckles, “No doubt your father has no designs on owning you, though you have to admit the logic is sound. You would have access to his wealth and resources. Your caravan could become multiple caravans, you wouldn’t have to travel so much.”
She looks away. “Yeah, stay home and bear his foals.”
He turns away from me and heads over to Ghaliya. “Don’t be so hasty to reject motherhood.” He reaches a hoof up, cupping her cheek, “Such a noble, independent spirit. You remind me so much of Aisha.” His face softens and tears well at the corners of his eyes. “So independent, so strong, beautiful, intelligent. And with a tongue like a wild jinn.”
“She’s been gone three years, Uncle. And I do have Hadi.”
“Whether three days or three decades, I will never stop missing her. Remember, I had to decree that mourning was over. So much of an impact she had on the city and the kingdom. And you know Hadi is a poor substitute for one that you’ve borne yourself. He will never be our mahram. You can love him all you want, but there is something deeper that you would have had if you had borne him yourself. Sargon could be an opening to a life you never thought would make you happy, but actually does.”
She looks down/ “I am content with life as it is.”
He turns and starts to walk back towards the throne. “Content with today doesn’t meant content with tomorrow. Life is change, young niece.”
On the dais before the throne, he turns to me. “Well, no matter how you got here, I shall have to send a missive to Princess Celestia, letting her know one of her subjects has appeared in our lands.”
“Uncle, I really don’t think that’s necessary. I don’t trust her with him.”
He looks at Ghaliya. “There is no love between Celestia and I. But the facts remain, he is a unicorn, he’s obviously not a horse. Him being a pony makes him her subject.”
Ghaliya bows her head. “He is not a unicorn.”
I glance at Ghaliya, then at the Padishah. The latter is looking at her, confusion on his face. He takes a small step back. “Unless I am mistaken, that is a horn on his head.”
“You are not mistaken, Uncle.”
With a gasp, he rushes towards me. I jump back, my wings extending involuntarily, getting him to skid to a stop. “May heaven protect us.” He murmurs as emotions war on his face. Finally rage takes hold. “Begone foul beast.” He shouts, advancing on me. “Go back to Celestia, tell her she has no claims on this land, we have been here for over a thousand generations and will not submit to her or any other would-be prince or princess seeing to enlarge their kingdom.”
As he advances, I retreat, fighting my wings, which want to have me take to the air somehow. “I don’t know her, I don’t know anything! ”
“Lies!” he counters, “An alicorn! You are a plant by Celestia. Begone, leave.”
“Uncle, please listen!” Ghaliya cries, rushing to interpose her body between his and mine. She squares her withers, “He knows nothing of Celestia. And he saved us. A pony loyal to Celestia would never do that.”
The Padishah stops, confusion reigning. “You tread on soft sand, my niece. Explain.”
She slowly recounts the encounter with the fire jinn. As she continues, his face softens. And when she is done, he looks at me. “She has never lied to me before, I have no reason to doubt her word but I ask you of yours, is all of this true?”
I nod, forcing my traitorous wings to my side again.
He looks at me thoughtfully, “I will always trust her. She seems to trust you. soI ask, can I trust you?”
“I truly wish I could say yes, but I still don't even know myself yet. I am still trying to figure out what is going on, how I got here, who I am. Though I don’t know the princess of Equestria past what these horses have told me, I have no loyalty to her. I do believe in Ghaliya. She’s offered her friendship, and as far as I know, I could never, would never betray that. So I will say this, I will do my best never to betray any trust you grant me, and to live up to the image Ghaliya sees me as.”
He looks at me for a long moment, finally he snorts softly, “If your loyalty is with her, I know her loyalty is to the throne. I can bank on that.” He turns away. “Both of you, follow me.”
As he walks away, Ghaliya nuzzles my cheek softly, causing my wings to pop out again. With a soft giggle shemoves to follow, and I keep with her, after taking a moment to fold my wings at my sides again. He leads us down stairs, down multiple levels, as we get deeper I can feel the temperature drop compared to what it was outside or even in the throne room. I’m almost certain we are quite deep under the palace when we stop. In front of us is a massive stone door at the foot of the longest and most narrow set of stairs I’ve encountered. He grunts as he pulls the door open. “These are the cisterns, the bleeding heart of the beloved waters of our city. These were built long before horses settled here by a great lord of truly ancient times.
Water -- the smell has my wings extending happily. The Padishah taps a torch in a holder which lights dutifully. And as it lights, hundreds of other torches light, putting the entire cavern into a dusky twilight. The great columned supports look like ancient petrified trees, their limbs extend up and intertwining to form the ceiling. The Padishah moves with confidence along the rock walkways, some ancient path that has become fossilized with lime, leaving the cobble stones present but all coated with a light white stone. Our footing is sure on the rocks, surprising given the moisture here. Even the walls seem to be petrified hedge rows of some sort.
“I must explain why I reacted the way I did,” he says softly as we reach a large mass. “I know Celestia has her eyes on our land.”
I step forward “why?”
“She’s an alicorn.”
“What does that mean?” he says simply.
Ghaliya snorts, “That doesn’t mean much, Uncle. She has her ponies, why would they want other lands?”
“If the land belonged to alicorns before, she would be keen to reclaim it.”
I frown, “Why would she think this land belongs to her?”
He grabs a torch and brings it closer to the mass, a statue, a heavy bodied horse. As the light plays with the rock I begin to see more detail. The equine is bowing to the water, to the cistern, Its wings are raised a bit and spread somewhat to help it balance. I take a step back when I see its horn hovering just above the water. Judging by the cut of the face, and the body, this is a stallion very much like me -- a male alicorn. Lighting more own horn to increase the light I get closer, the glow filling the cavern. In response the statue begins to glow as well, a form on its flank glowing brightly and standing out. It is a carving of an Afghneign vase with waves across it, tipped and pouring out water. The alicorns cutie mark shines in resonance with my horn, matching color and frequency.
Ghaliya gasps, “What is going on here?”