//------------------------------//
// Chapter 31 
// Story: Complications 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

Sipping my tea, I put the cup on a table in passing as I moved into the throneroom from the rear door. The throne room was almost completely packed with nobles, the guards working to keep order.

As I rounded and moved up to the throne, it only took seconds before I was spotted,

“Lord Page! Lord Page! Where is Princess Celestia!”

Ignoring the voice I very much recognized as Lady Bronzeshine, I walked up to the throne before I jumped onto it and turned to the nobles.

I just watched them idly as they yelled for answers.

It took a couple of minutes before they got with the program and started to quiet down, the ones that kept talking being hushed down by the ponies closest to them.

Once they had settled down, I spoke up,

“Yesterday, Canterlot was attacked. The forces of the Storm King engaged the garrisons at Canterlot landing and disrupted the royal wedding. Meanwhile, further forces attacked the outer districts of the city. While a large number of ponies were hurt in the fighting, some critically so, because of the brave and valorous guard ponies protecting the city fatalities have been keot at a minimum. During the attack, Queen Chrysalis and Princess Cadence were hit with magical spells, temporarily turning them to stone. In the end, the hostile forces were defeated and either driven off or brought into the dungeons. I will now answer questions.”

The throne room erupted into yelling again. I waited until they got the idea again and went quiet before I pointed to a unicorn mare with a white coat and blonde mane.

“Are we going to war, Lord Page?” she asked.

“We were at war the moment those airships entered Equestrian airspace,” I answered her, “the specific answer to their actions is still being decided.”

“Where is Princess Celestia!”

I ignored the yell and just turned to look at him. Lord Bubblewater glared at me before he lifted his hoof and I pointed at him.

“Where is Princess Celestia?” he repeated.

“Princess Celestia along with Princess Luna are currently occupied. If you didn’t notice, there is a war going on. Princesses Sparkle and Sparkle are currently preparing for the spell to turn Princess Cadence and Queen Chrysalis back from stone,” I answered him, “As for the specific details, they are currently classified.”

Lord Bubblewater yelled again, “Who is going to pay for the windows of my mansion!”

That set of an avalanche of yelling from the rest of the collected nobles.

I just looked at them in contempt for a long moment before I took a deep breath and let my magic drift along my horn in a slight spell and spread my wings, the shadows of the throneroom seemingly darkening and gathering, flowing across me, creeping in from the corners, the bright sun outside fading behind the coloured windows as I wrapped the large room in my illusion, letting the shadow of my wings cover the entire back wall of the throneroom as I gathered the golden glow of my magic to my eyes.

Even the canterlot nobles could take that kind of hint.

With me trying hard not to be pushed into the role of royalty, trying to stay out of the limelight more than even Twilight, it was almost like they forgot that I was an Alicorn.

I let the shadows retreat back to nothing before I spoke up again, “Does anypony have anything to say related to the security of Equestria or the safety of its citizens?”

Quiet. You could hear a pin drop.

I nodded, “Good,” and jumped off the throne, “Then I’d say this court gathering is concluded for today. Those with damaged property are welcome to report it to the royal treasury for an impartial assessment for insurance purposes. I wish you all a good night, ladies and gentleponies.”

Exiting the throneroom, I folded my wings around, letting the door close behind me before I sighed and rubbed my forehead beneath my horn.

Damn it.

“...I didn’t know you could do shadow magic, sir,” Thunder Cloud commented as he stared at me.

I smiled at him and picked up my tea cup again before blinking at it. Somepony had refilled it with fresh tea. 

I don’t know who you are. But I will find you and I will reward you.

I still cast a spell Luna showed me to reveal most poisons before I sipped at it, “I don’t,” I told him, “It was all a show and just an illusion spell. Well, mostly anyway. Actual shadow magic is more Luna's thing, I only know the very, very basic stuff.”

As in, it was a very advanced field barely tied at all to illusions and not nearly as tightly bound to my Realm as it was to Luna's. I could make shadows flicker if I worked at it. Much easier to just fake it with illusions.

“Where to now, sir?”

“Now, back to the tower,” I said, “About time for Luna to wake up.”