One Month Ago.
Valiant Charge still felt stiff, his body was sore, and tired, but still, he felt good. He and his partner had managed to chase off a band of robbers, and even brought their leader in. It was glorious, and the money they earned were a pretty large sum too. Now, like always after a great battle, he celebrated with his quiet friend.
They sat in a booth, keeping to themselves as they simply wanted to relax with some beer, and not get involved with to many drunken brawlers who always seemed to fill in the tavern at this time of night. They were far from their homeland, simply enjoying the road, where ever it took them it always seemed to bring them adventure.
His silent friend however, he seemed to travel the road for other reasons. He had never told him why, something personal he imagined. Valiant Charge had known the large stallion for many years, but he never shared much. He had changed his name, changed everything that would tie him to whatever he left behind back home.
Another thing about his friend was, he always went back. for some weeks, or months, then he would always find Valiant, and join him on another journey. He knew his real name, but never spoke it, out of respect. He didn't know why he did all this, but he could tell he was hurting, tell something was always on his mind.
Unlike himself, his friend always looked back, while Valiant Charge always looked forward.
"You'll go back soon, won't you?" Valiant asked, taking a long gulp from his mug.
"Hm.." His partner said, nodding a little.
He had always been the silent type, never saying much about where he was from, or anything in general. He was not unkind, but Valiant was always reminded how lonely he looked. He could talk, he simply chose not to do it as often as he was able to do.
He also hid in a dark green cloak, the hood of it hiding his eyes, and shrouded his face in darkness. The only time he got to see his eyes, was either during bright sunlight, or whenever he smoked on that pipe of his, the glow from it would always light up his face, just a little.
"What are you planning?" Valiant asked when he put the mug down. "You simply go back, then after some time, find me again?" He nodded, and Valiant scoffed with slight amusement. "How much longer do you want to continue this? You're looking for something, don't think i'm an idiot.."
His partner eyed him for a moment, then took a long suck from his pipe, letting the white smoke rise when he exhaled. It was clear to Valiant his friend was debating himself if he should trust him, but Valiant knew they had more than proved each other capable of trust. Even though they never shared much of their background, they always had each others backs, so why should that change now?
"I'm looking.." He searched for the right words for a second or two, then continued. "For some bad ponies..."
Valiant raised a brow. "We have met plenty of those my friend.." He sighed and leaned back. "Who are they?"
"I don't know.. Yet... But I know they are up to something, and I won't let it happen.."
He almost seemed to growl, and that took Valiant by surprise. He had been insulted, wounded, and beaten by a tons of bad creatures, but he had always given twice as much in return, but he had never seemed to take any of it personal. This however, was something that hit home for him.
"And what do you do when you find them?"
There was no hesitation in his voice as he replied.
"Kill them.."
Once again, Valiant was taken by surprise. He had seen his friend kill before, but that was only whenever he was forced to. Valiant was less patient, but he had always seemed to have a clearer head in those matters, and always seemed more willing than him to let their enemies go. Despite how Valiant would sometimes disagree, he could respect his patience as he was never afraid to do what needed to be done, if they had no other option. For him to go straight for the killing solution, that spoke of the volume of the problem.
Either way, if his friend was searching for them, and willing to go that far, then he needed to be with him.
"Then I will be coming with you." Valiant Charge said.
"No.."
Valiant raised a brow. "No? What do you mean by that?"
"This is not your fight.."
His partner responded, calmly, but there was an edge of warning to his tone, not that Valiant cared. They had been fighting before, with weapons as well as their hooves. Even though Valiant Charge was the superior fighter of the two, his friend had pure strength behind his blows, and some well placed ones and Valiant would be out for the count.
"It wasn't my fight either when I saved you from that brawl when we met." Valiant countered.
Just as calm as before, his friend responded with. "As I recall it, I had to save you right after. So we're even."
"Fuck off." Valiant said. "I said I'm helping you, and that's fina-huh?" Something flashed into existence in front of him, it was a scroll. "What the hell.." He groaned in annoyance, levitating the scroll to him and started to read it. "It's from princess Celestia.." For a moment, Valiant thought he saw his friend tense up.
He read through the letter, though after a time, his friend surprised him yet again. "Well, what does it say?" His voice tried to mask the eagerness, which increased Valiant's suspicion.
"Well, she wishes for me to come to Canterlot and train the young prince.." Valiant snorted. "He's eight, or nine.. Too young."
"Ten."
"Hm?" Valiant looked up at his friend. "What was that?"
"He turns ten in a month.." The stoic stallion grumbled. There was silence between them for a while, Valiant was not sure how to respond to that, he was not sure why his friend knew that little fact, but he seemed invested in this bit of news. "You should go." He finally said.
"What?"
His friend sighed. "You should go, to Canterlot, train the prince.."
Valiant didn't understand, why the hell was he so invested in this? Why did he even care? "Why?" Valiant asked bluntly.
"Because the princess is asking you, and you would be good at it." He simply replied, taking a few more sucks on his wooden pipe.
"No. I mean why do you want me to take the job? Is it just to get me out of the way?"
"You know that's not why."
"Then why?" Valiant asked, not taking any more bullshit from him. "Tell me what the hell is going on, cut the crap. If you don't, I simply don't reply to this letter."
The two stallions eyed one another for a while, trying to spot any signs of a bluff. Valiant was pleased as his friend finally let out a sigh, giving him the victory, he however did not count on getting the answer he got.
"He's my son.."
"What? Who?"
"The prince, Spero, he's my son..."
Valiant sat a second, then smirked. "Nice try, but that's a load of.." He trailed off, looking into his friend's eyes. There was not a single trace of a bluff or a lie. "By Faust, you're serious, aren't you..?" His friend simply replied with a nod, and for the first time in ages, Valiant Charge was left speechless..
It took him a little while to recover, his mind flooding with questions. But the more important one came to his lips first. "Why are you here and not with them?"
"I can't.. Not before it's safe.."
Valiant frowned. "Those bad ponies you spoke of?" His friend nodded. "Does Celestia know?"
"No.. I told her I left because of the nobility.. Which is only a small part of the truth.."
"But ten years.." Valiant said. "For ten years you've not been close to your son and, I assume your love.."
"I've been there, they may not have seen me.. But I've been there..." The hurt in his eyes was clear, he was in pain, great pain.
Valiant was not one to get all emotional, but this guy had been by his side for almost eight years. They had fought, not only each other, but side by side. They had saved one another more than a few times, and Valiant would be lying if he said he didn't consider him a friend.
"Still, why do you want me to train your boy? If you want to eliminate this threat, it be better if I went with you."
His friend put out his pipe, placing it back into his saddlebag before looking at Valiant. "I don't trust others like I trust you. Either with skill or loyalty, if he's with you I know both him and Tia will be safe.."
"You're giving me a lot of credit..." Valiant groaned, never really expecting anyone would like him to train any pony, much less their foals. Finally, he looked back at his friend, a determined look in his eyes. "Fine, I'll train your son, but when you find these ponies, you will come and get me. Don't have all the fun without me."
The stallion grinned slightly and held out a hoof. "It's a deal then.. Thank you, my friend.."
~~* * * * ~~
Present Time.
It was late morning, the sun removing every trace of last nights rainfall. Valiant was already up, preparing for the first lesson of the day. He had of course heard about what happened during the night, and he cursed himself that he was not prepared for it.
Valiant had made a promise to his friend, he would protect the prince, and he would teach him how to defend himself and others.. Of course, he had needed to talk to Celestia about certain conditions, and go over some details about the training.
First things first, Spero was only a foal, which meant he couldn't push him as hard as an adult. He would need to build a solid foundation, make him understand the principles of fighting, how to focus his magic during combat, and build up his body's strength and endurance.
Second came the conditions he had set. He wanted their sessions to be private, no guards to interfere, no questions from the princess on how he'd run his training. He would be allowed to treat him as a student, not as a royal prince. If he treated him as such, he would never be able to get Spero to understand, never get him to separate the prince from the warrior. Not that Valiant thought Spero would be a spoiled noble brat like that Blueblood feller, Celestia would never raise him like that, but that didn't mean his surroundings couldn't have an effect on him.
Everything had been set up, from their conditions, to his pay, to how the training should function. Valiant had gotten an entire courtyard to themselves. It was near the barracks, but still cut off by large white walls. Each day for a certain amount of hours this courtyard would be reserved for Valiant, no guard was allowed to interfere, nopony except for the princesses and certain staff members was allowed to go in during training.
He had never met the young prince before, he had seen him on pictures, read about him in passing, but he knew next to nothing about him. His friend would not share too many details, only telling him that he was proud of him, and he was sure he would not disappoint Valiant.
Well, he would be the judge of that. No matter what, he would make the colt into a stallion in no time.
The doors went up, and into the courtyard stepped Celestia, her son a few steps behind her, looking a bit nervous, but still had a determined look in his eyes. Good first start, at least he was not scared or whiny.
She stopped, smiled warmly as Valiant bowed. "Princess Celestia."
"Valiant Charge." Celestia smiled. "Good morning, I hope you found your quarters satisfactory for you?"
Valiant nodded. "Yes, it was comfortable."
"I'm glad." She turned her head, smiling to her son. "This is my son, Spero." Valiant sent him a nod. "Spero, this is Valiant Charge, he will teach you the art of combat." She tried to make it sound like any other subject, like history or math, but Spero could tell she was not fond of the idea. But, that was her mother side, her princess side knew Spero needed to learn, he would one day be king, and so she accepted this needed to happen.
Spero still looked nervous, but he forced himself to look upon Valiant, meeting his gaze. Valiant was impressed, and when he looked into the foal's eyes he knew. 'Yes, this is definitely his son..' He thought.
"H-hello.." Spero said, trying to sound braver than he was feeling.
Valiant could see he was fighting every inch of instinct to hide behind his mother, he did not blame the foal, he did look pretty intimidating. His red eyes looked the prince over, he was a big colt for his size, not fat, but strong. Of course, being a male alicorn, he embodied all three tribes, it was not hard to imagine the potential within him.
"So, you're the colt i'm supposed to turn into a stallion?" Valiant saw how the foal held his gaze, then after a few seconds, he gave a single nod. "Determined one, isn't he?"
Celestia smiled. "I will leave you to it then."
The princess left the two of them alone, both of them simply looking at one another. It wasn't until they heard the doors close that Valiant spoke up.
"Listen up runt, today we will begin your intense training into becoming a warrior worthy of the throne." He started to circle the colt. "You will call me master, you will do what I say, when I say it. If I tell you to jump, your only question will be, how high."
He came up in front of Spero once again, his red eyes almost glowing as he looked over the colt again. "Now then, let's see what you are made of."
~~* * * * ~~
Celestia did not like to leave her son, but she knew it had to be done. Luna and her had spoken about this countless times in private. What Luna had said during the night's event had stuck with her, peace had made her naive..
The more she had thought about it, the more she had to agree. It had been hundreds and hundreds of years since Equestria was at war, or was involved in a serious conflict. She had grown accustomed to play chess in her own world, pull the strings that would direct ponies to the places she wanted them to be.
But peace had effected her as well, thought she was a master at manipulation, not with malice intend, she had grown naive. Instead of facing the problems head on, she would lead her little ponies by subtle pressures, but that rarely dealt with the root of the problem. It was how the nobles had grown so, so... She let out a sigh as there was only one word that described both of them, manipulative..
She felt shame, she had prepared for the return of her sister for so long, even sending Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville, not only to help her learn the values of friendship, but because she saw how she might be able to help her sister upon her return. For a very long time, she had put things into motion to let them play out for Equestria's benefit, and the nobles had learned from her, they knew the game, and she feared they had might found a way to play it on a larger scale without her notice.
After Luna's return, she had met, HIM.. Spero's father, her beloved.. He had been the first one to ever point out her ways, been the first one to speak back to her. At first she had felt offended, tried to block him out, only seeing him as one of her subjects, not as a pony who might have a point, which he did.
It was only after that realization she had found out what she had become..
Luna's banishment, the failure to reach Sunset Shimmer, it all had fed her stubbornness and ego.. Even with Twilight, she had pushed her in a direction she herself had not chosen. Of course, there was never any evil intend behind her actions, never a desire to control or hurt anypony, and everything had worked out for the best.
But in the end she could not push him in any direction, he walked wherever he wished. Kept himself respectful towards her, but would never shy away from stating his opinion if he felt it was valid, and the right thing to do. His boldness had taken her by surprise, and it was then she realized she had held herself above her little ponies, she thought herself above them..
The shame she felt was nothing like she had ever felt before...
He left shortly after that, but she needed to see him again, to ask for his forgiveness for acting so distant and arrogant towards him. She however could not bring herself to simply ask for him to come, so she summoned him for a simple job, nothing her own staff couldn't handle, but she wanted him.
Of course he saw right through it, and told her as much.
She told him how sorry she was, wanting him to know he was right. She didn't expect him to forgive her, even as she had once again manipulated a situation so they could speak again. To her surprise, he asked for a date. She had been surprised for sure, out of every scenario she had imagined, a date was the last thing she had expected. She however agreed, not knowing what to expect.
He was charming, intelligent, observant, much more than she had given him credit for. He also treated her as simply Celestia, not princess Celestia. It was nice, feeling the worries that came with her title vanish whenever she was in his company. The night had ended with a kiss, a 37 second long kiss under Luna's night sky.
That had begun their relationship, for a year they met in secret, as often as they could. A year of pure happiness, nice memories, unforgettable nights of passion. The stallion had taken her heart, and she found herself loving him more each time they met.
But, it all changed when she got pregnant. Not at first, at first he was excited, happy, he even cried.. She had expected him to make another bold move, asking her to marry him, but, that never came to be.
One night, he told her he would leave, he could not be the father their foal deserved. She was shocked, angry, mostly because she could tell he was lying. She begged him to stay, feeling more vulnerable than she had for thousands of years.. She loved him, and he was the father..
He remained firm however, telling her if the nobles knew he was a simple commoner, they would make a bigger fuss, putting Equestria in danger. While the logic was somewhat sound, she could tell something else drove this decision. She wanted to know what, she asked him, but he simply told her to please not ask him, and look after their son.
At the time, she had wanted to scream, to beg, to use all her powers to deliver swift punishment! But, she loved the stallion, and thus, she had come to know his heart. Celestia saw he didn't do this because he wanted to, but because something was forcing him away, something he had to deal with, alone...
It didn't make it any less painful, but at least she knew he didn't do it because he didn't want to take responsibility. He did it because he had to, and she knew in her heart, he would return to them, someday..
~~* * * * ~~
Fancy Pants stood at the entry way for the cabinet meeting room, he was not sure why he had been summoned, he was not an official or anything, just a noble. But, Celestia had her reasons, and soon enough it would all be explained. The sound of hoof steps brought him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see who had approached him.
"Blueblood?" Fancy Pants asked, surprised to see his rival, but even more surprised to see the state he was in. His mane was not neat and tidy, his eyes look blood red, like if he had lost sleep, cried, or was simply in great distress. Even his clothes did not look like it had been put on right.
Blueblood looked to his rival, and simply nodded. "Good morning to you, Fancy Pants.. What brings you here?" Good morning? Blueblood rarely said good morning to him, let alone morning, he didn't insist on calling him, Prince, Blueblood either.
Fancy Pants frowned. "I say old chap, are you quite alright?"
Blueblood shook his head, as if trying to get his thoughts straight. "Yes, thank you, I am quite fine. But, if I may ask, what are you doing here?"
Thank you? Okay, something was definitely wrong with him, Blueblood never said thank you, let alone asked if he could ask anything, normally he would just say whatever he pleased. However, Fancy did not want to press him, not right now, it looked like he was beyond stressed, and he was a gentlecolt after all.
"Princess Celestia summoned me for this meeting." Fancy Pants replied. "Though I cannot imagine for what reason. Now, what about you old chap? Are you here to attend the meeting as well?"
Blueblood sighed. "No, I'm afraid not. I just needed to speak with my aunts about something quite urgent." Fancy Pants was not sure what to think, he was clearly upset, but what could have upset him so much he came to the palace looking like he was being chased by assassins. Before Fancy could reply, they heard hoofsteps, and the blood from Blueblood's face drained.
When Fancy looked, he saw Celestia walking towards them, but she was not alone. Beside her was a young black and grey unicorn, who Fancy recognized as count Night Sprint. He didn't know much about him, he was rich, but most nobles were, with a few exceptions. But other than his wealth he did not really know much, not even any reputation for him to go by.
Celestia looked at Night Sprint and nodded. "That is an excellent suggestion Night Sprint, I shall take it under advisement." Looking forward again, she noticed the two stallions waiting. "Ah, Fancy Pants, and, uh, nephew? Are you alright, you look rather, disturbed.." Celestia said in a worrying tone.
Before Blueblood could even attempt to think of an answer, Night Sprint stepped in. "Blueblood, my friend. Still worried about your debt? Hehe, as I said, think nothing of it, a game of Royal Highland should not ruin your finances just yet."
"Oh?" Celestia looked to Night Sprint. "Did something go wrong?"
Night Sprint chuckled and shook his head. "Oh no, we simply went to one of the salons and played some cards. Sad to say the night did not favor Blueblood, he lost quite a few bits to me."
Celestia sighed as she looked to her nephew with a stern look. "Nephew, I've told you this before, please don't spend more than what you get in. If you have come to ask for another loa-"
"Ahem." Night Sprint coughed politely, earning him Celestia's attention. "Really your majesty, it's quite alright. As I said, I have forgiven his debt to me. It was just a friendly game, nothing more. No reason to make a fuss about it." He chuckled. "I assure your highness it is fine."
Blueblood felt his heart beat faster, Night Sprint, the stallion he had thought was a friend, had come to Celestia before he could, making it clear he knew what he was up to. Celestia looked at him, sighing. "Well, never the less.. Nephew, please do be more careful from now on."
Blueblood nodded, his posture stiff, and his eyes darting around nervously. "Of course, auntie.."
Night Sprint smiled. "Now, you look like you have lost a lot of sleep my friend. As I said, do not think about the debt anymore, why don't you and I go to one of the salons and get some late breakfast, hm? What say you?"
He hesitated, but what could he do? Night Sprint was dangerous, and so was this, club, he was a part of. He couldn't risk his life, but he didn't want to risk angering his family. "Of course, I'll be delighted..." Blueblood said with a strained and forced smile.
"Capital, let us be off then." He turned and bowed before Celestia. "Your highness." Then with a nod to Fancy, the two stallions walked off.
Celestia sighed. "Well, I do hope my nephew will learn moderation one of these days.." She then turned to Fancy with a smile. "Well, Fancy, I am delighted you could make it."
Fancy nodded. "Of course Princess, I came as soon as I got your message about this meeting. Though I must confess, I am unsure of what you expect from me.. I am not an official after all.."
"But your words carry weight through the nobility, and your insight would be valuable." Celestia assured him. "Do not fear, I do not expect you to know everything, or make any decisions, but, your insight into the nobility is greater than my own.. Despite my many years working with them, there is some things a princess will never know.."
Fancy Pants considered her words, then nodded. "I see your point, your majesty. I'll do anything that might make this meeting easier for you."
She smiled in return. "Thank you Fancy. Now, shall we?"
~~* * * * ~~
Spero felt the cold stone floor beneath him, his legs could no longer carry him, so he laid down, panting, sweating. His new teacher simply looked at him sternly, there was no mercy, no rest to find in his eyes. He didn't need to say it, they both knew it, so Spero tried to stand up under his own volition.
He tried with all his might, but his legs simply shook, and wobbled under him, his whole body shook the more he stood up, and Valiant Charge simply stood there with a stern expression. It didn't matter, the more Spero seemed to try, the more his body seemed to protest. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes shut, forcing his body to move.
Finally, it gave out, and he fell back onto the stone floor, panting, exhausted. Valiant sighed. "So that's it? That's what the royal prince can do? You didn't manage to land one single punch or magic blast at me." He frowned, and it was hard to tell for Spero which kind of frown it was.
Valiant had counted on this, he had not expected Spero to land a single punch or blast, he was not trained, and he was just a foal. Still, the fighting was not the point, he needed to see if the kid had the spirit and the will to fight. Valiant could only do so much after all, and if the kid didn't have the will, then he might as well not even try.
"I..." Valiant heard Spero say. "I won't quit..." Spero was shaking, his muscles refused, but he willed himself to stand up, despite his exhaustion.
"Hm.." He was impressed, but this was the first day, and Valiant refused to let up on the colt just yet. In a few days time, he would have the answer, until then, he needed to remain distant and firm. Spero needed to know that there was always a bigger, meaner, and stronger opponent out there. And no matter how skillful you were, you could never overestimate yourself. Spero would understand this lesson before he would ever need it, better to understand it now than later.
For now however, he was satisfied with how today's training had went, even if it was cut short. Valiant walked towards the foal, and gently placed a hoof on his forehead, and gave him the gentlest of push. Spero let out a groan as he from that fell back onto his rump, and then slumped down onto the stone tiles beneath him.
"You're done for the day." His teacher said firmly. "Get some water and get out of here. If you feel it's too hard, then don't bother showing up tomorrow and waste my time." And with that, Valiant walked away. Of course he didn't go far, he made sure the prince would be okay, but he couldn't know that of course.
Spero struggled to get up before his teacher left, but he finally gave up, letting his body recover. He bit his lip, still panting a little, a pathetic sight of disappointment and small sobs. Spero had never worked so hard in his life, he had never felt so defeated and tired. He was angry, he wanted to show his teacher that he could do it, that royal life didn't make him weak. He would show him, some day...
~~* * * * ~~
"So.." Night Sprint said as he led the white coated stallion into one of the many salons of the palace. "Let's see what we can get for some light breakfast." Blueblood didn't speak, he simply followed the stallion he had thought of as his friend, but now, now he was more like his blackmailer.
The salons of the palace were typically reserved for the nobility, they often treated this as their second home, as this was the place to get news, gossip, and alliances. Food was often readily available, so was the drinks, and the palace staff saw to all their needs. Blueblood had prided himself at being the crown jewel, not just at these gatherings, but also a master at the gambling tables.
He had enjoyed the social games, enjoyed how lesser nobles would seek him out in the hopes of gaining some sort of favor from him, or by extend, the royal princesses. Now, he felt like he was as low as he could go, trapped by somepony who had outsmarted him... It felt horribly, and it made him angry.. But his anger was overshadowed by the fear, the fear of being found out, being seen as a traitor, which would not only mean him being stripped of his royal titles, but end with him being hanged...
That could not be allowed to happen! He needed to find a way out of this, he was good at that after all.
His thoughts were interrupted as Night Sprint hummed, looking over all the delicious treats that was placed on a long table. There was everything from small sandwiches, to tiny treats and cake. Not many were up here at this time of day, it was still a early, so most nobles waited for lunch, or just before lunch to enjoy the light food provided by the palace.
That also meant he and Night Sprint were mostly alone, and could talk privately, a fact that was surely by intend. His suspicion was only confirmed as Night Sprint started this secret conversation by saying. "Did you really think we didn't know you would come running to your aunts?"
"I.." Blueblood looked at his old friend, then straight ahead to the food, not wanting to give anything away. His anger must have shown though, because Night Sprint chuckled.
"We know you Blueblood, and we will always be a few steps ahead of you.. Now.." Night sprint levitated a small plate to him, and started to place a few goodies on it. "If you stop being such a baby about it, then maybe we can get over this and move on."
"I don't know what you imagine I can do for you..." Blueblood said in as calm a voice as he could muster.
"Maybe you can do more than you realize." Night Sprint responded, not even bothering looking at him. Though, when Blueblood did not reply he did roll his eyes. "Come now Blueblood.. Use your imagination, you're the cousin of the future king.. He's going to need somepony to show him the ropes of court. I'm sure you don't want Fancy Pants to take that role, no?" Blueblood didn't reply, he didn't have to. Night Sprint glanced behind them, then smiled. "Looks like he is already making his moves.."
Blueblood discreetly turned his head slightly, and saw princess Cadance, and lady Fleur De Lis, behind them followed their daughters, looking around in awe.
"You see?" Night Sprint smirked. "If Fancy Pants's daughter is getting close to the future king, then so does he.. Rumor has it in certain circles that she would make a good match for him.." He returned to fill his plate. "We all make moves Blueblood, time for you to make yours.."
~~* * * * ~~
Flurry Heart and Alouette walked side by side, following their mothers as they intended to show them the court. Back home in the Crystal Empire, they had court too, but nothing as elaborate as this. It was a little intimidating, Flurry had to admit, but, she held her head high, and listened as the two mares explained.
"The stallions are at war." Cadance told the fillies. "And so are we."
Fleur followed up by saying. "The stallions use their swords, we use our beauty, but the end is the same."
Cadance nodded. "Conquest."
The two fillies gulped as this court business sounded more intense by the minute. Cadance and Fleur had plenty of experience, and Cadance knew full well her daughter needed to learn how to navigate these social circles. The Crystal Empire did not have a court such as this, not yet anyway, and so it was better to learn here and now.
The mares let their daughters walk between them, that way they could speak so only they could hear. "When you pass the doors to this court, you're not walking into a room, you're entering a marketplace. Now, transactions mean contacts, contacts mean credit, credit means power."
Fleur looked down at the two fillies with a serious look. "And power, means everything."
It was a harsh lesson, and for now, a confusing one for the two fillies. When they grew older, they would understand the small social cues. How a mere look from the right pony could translate into credit, could translate into something of worth. Cadance and Fleur had both been a big part of that game before they met their husbands. A sway of the hips there, and look of interest there, everything you did in court could be seen as a transaction.
The rules changed depending on where you were, like when Cadance became a princess, or when Fleur married Fancy. Thankfully, their daughters would not need such details for a while, and it would come to them naturally the more time they spend in court.
They walked out again, into the more private hallways of the palace. "Now then girls, I think that will do it for today.." Cadance smiled gently. "Why don't you go and find Spero, his lesson should be over as well."
The two fillies nodded, smiling, and ran down the hall towards the private wing of the palace. Both Fleur and Cadance smiled, happy that their girls were still innocent and playful. They were also happy that their friendship with Spero was as strong as it was, but, both of them knew very well, that that friendship could be as much as a curse, as it could be a blessing. Which was a lesson they would also one day learn..
But hopefully not for a long time.
~~* * * * ~~
Brave Star let out a sigh, it was not like his friend to be so downcast. After his lessons, Star had gone to Spero's room to hang out, and maybe go over some of the homework his mother had assigned them both. Instead, Star had found his friend on the floor of his room, looking as tired and as miserable as he had ever seen him.
He wasn't crying, but, Star could tell that he had shed more than a few tears. He was of course worried for his friend, because he had never seen him like this. Spero still laid on the floor, his back turned to Brave Star, hardly speaking.
"Come on Spero.. You lost the fight, but you'll bounce back, you always do.." Star tried to encourage.
Spero nodded a little, turning his body to face him. "Yeah, I know.. I'm just... He is so strong.. I just don't want to disappoint my mom or my dad.."
Star frowned, it was rare for Spero to talk about his dad. As far as Star knew, he had never met the stallion in his life, still, when he did speak about him, it was with great respect and devotion. Perhaps it was the way princess Celestia spoke of him, Star was not sure how his mother talked about Spero's father, but the way Spero spoke of him told Star it was with love and respect. That being earned or not, Star could not say, and he could not judge anything he didn't know about, it was not his place.
Before he could reply, the door went up, and in trotted two fillies. Once they saw Spero on the floor looking beaten and exhausted they both let out a shocked gasp. It was almost comical to Star, but he didn't say anything, he simply grinned.
"By Celestia, what happened to you!?" Alouette exclaimed, and ran to Spero's side, followed by Flurry Heart who took her position on the other side. "You look dreadful!"
The mere sight of the display almost made Star burst out laughing, Spero looked almost even worse as the two fillies started to examine and comfort him. Spero tried his best to be polite, and patient, but it was clear it was strained as the two only served to remind him of his defeat.
"Was your training that hard?" Flurry Heart asked, a worried tone in her voice, making Spero flinch a bit.
He seemed slightly embarrassed as he sat between the two fillies, blushing slightly as he looked down at his hooves. "N-no... Yes, but.. I will get stronger.." He assured them, not really liking the looks of pity they gave him. While with good intend, their pity looks only made him feel worse.
It was at that moment another filly entered the room, by window no less. "Of course you will!" Rainbow Dawn exclaimed as she landed in the windowsill. All eyes turned to her, and she smiled smugly as she looked confident in her remark. "So you lost, and that sucks, but I loose to my mom all the time."
Dawn jumped down from the windowsill, then trotted confidently towards Spero. "So what you are going to do is simple. Train! Keep trying! You will probably loose a bunch of times, but each time, you get just a little bit closer. And then." She pressed her nose against his as she looked intently into his eyes. She didn't mean anything by it, or thought about the action, she simply wanted to make sure he understood what she was saying. "Then one day, you get to taste the sweet taste of victory as you whoop his butt!"
Their eyes locked, and Dawn seemed to be the only one not realizing she was basically kissing him, or did something intimate. Spero blushed, not daring to blink or look away from her eyes. Star held his breath, afraid if he moved it would set off the two other fillies in the room who was almost fuming.
There was a moment of silence, and it was not broken until the two fillies had enough. "I think that's long enough Dawn!" Flurry Heart proclaimed, and Alouette nodded in agreement.
Dawn just looked at them, a trace of confusion on her face. "Huh, what are you talking about, I just got here."
The two fillies blushed, not wanting to say it out loud, which understandably made Dawn even more confused. Luck however gave them a chance to escape this awkward moment, as the door suddenly slammed open and in walked Macoun Apple, carrying a tray on his back, with. "Apple fritters for everypony!" He stopped, sensing the mood in the room, and noticed every set of eyes upon him, and not the way he expected. "Uhm, did ah miss something?"
~~* * * * ~~
If there was one thing Luna hated, it was meetings. Meetings upon meetings upon meetings. They all sometimes seemed to blend in together, all seeming to talk about the same nonsense. While it had it's function and importance, it was still more dull than growing grass, and even that was more interesting.
Still, she was a princess of Equestria, and even though she thought it was boring, she did manage to absorb what was being said and explained. Despite Luna having been back for several years now, it was still hard to get used to all the meetings and paperwork. In her time it felt simpler, or maybe it was just because she was still getting used to the times it felt even more daunting.
Finally, they came to the last topic of the day, the reforming of the armed forces of Equestria. Luna felt it was long overdue, and the generals seemed to agree, even Swift Strike who was just a captain had mentioned the confusion about having four guard branches.
"So.." Celestia began, taking a sip of her tea that had been provided for this meeting. She looked at her ministers and some high ranking officers, sitting along the massive oval meeting table. "I believe the final subject on the agenda today, is the issue with our defense structure. General Flint Hoof, if you would."
An armor-clad dark grey unicorn sat up straighter. "Yes, your highness.. As you know." He started off, talking to all the ministers in the room, and what few generals that had been gathered for this meeting. "Our military structure has been quite, confusing over the last few years. We have three guard regiments, and the royal guard, it is a huge hit to our defense budget, not to mention a logistic nightmare.." He looked to the princesses. "Excuse me for saying so.."
Celestia shook her head. "No no, do go on. Your honesty is important."
"Indeed." Luna agreed.
Flint Hoof nodded, and continued. "As such, I would suggest, a total reform and reorganization of the armed forces of Equestria. Disbandment and transfers of regiments and it's personnel. Introduction to new weaponry and equipment, and lastly, the introduction of a draft system."
The minister of defense looked a little, uncomfortable. Luna noticed it, but Celestia did not seem to, not before the minister had managed relax her posture again. "Yes, I must agree with General Flint Hoof. We must reorganize the army, right now we are using more of our budget than we should."
"But you talk about, introducing new weaponry?" Celestia asked.
"Indeed." The minister replied. "We believe we might as well modernize the army while we are reforming it. As such, we would like to introduce as the new standard weapon for the common soldier, a new contraption called a musket."
Luna tilted her head slightly. "A what?"
"A musket, majesty." She repeated. "It's a muzzle loaded long gun, works kind of like our cannons. We load a small projectile into the barrel. Then pulling the trigger, it will ignite the black powder, and send the projectile flying towards the enemy."
Celestia and Luna both nodded, they could see the benefits of such a weapon, but of course, before they could produce it as a standard weapon for the army, they needed to see it in action. The minister made a note of it, and promised to inform them once a test was ready to be made.
"And you suggested to disband certain regiments?" Luna then asked, fearing for her Lunar guard, as they were made up of thestrals.
The minister nodded. "Yes, I believe captain Swift Strike has spoken of this before?" Luna nodded.
Flint Hoof continued "Indeed.. Well, I would not suggest to to fire anypony, but instead of having four regiments protecting the palace, we would suggest to combine them into one branch. The Royal Guard. Those who cannot meet the standards, should be transferred to other garrisons around the country. The security of the palace, and the royal family, should be the responsibility of the royal guard, exclusively."
Murmurs of agreement went around the table, and Celestia could see the logic, and the difficulties the guards and officers had. "It is certainly a lot to think on, but for now, I think it is a matter me and my sister should discuss with the captains. General Flint Hoof, if you would like to accompany us during that meeting, we will be most grateful."
It seemed they would have a lot more meetings in the future about how the army would be reformed. It would also be an investment from their part, as it would cost a lot of bits to make such a huge change. It was not only a question about weapons, but uniforms, training, new regulations, and personnel transfer. It would take time, but Celestia did think it was for the best, and she knew so did Luna. She had been the one reminding her about them needing to change with the times after all.
She took another sip of her tea, and looked to all her ministers once again. "Now then, Fancy Pants, what are your thoughts about this? How do you think the nobility will react?"
One might ask why that would matter, but Celestia and Luna knew all too well that if not prepared for it, the nobility would take a chance to gain some sort of political advantage. And if you could be prepared for it, then the easier it would be to limit their influence.
Fancy took a moment to find the right words, and after that moment had passed, he looked to her. "Well, I do believe if this entire reorganization of the army is to take place. You will quickly find nobles trying to capitalize on it. Offering you the best deals and materials, or at least, that is what they will promise."
Luna wanted to groan, but she refrained from it and instead said. "Some might even try to push for the reforms in order to gain from it."
"Yes, that is quite possible I'm afraid." Fancy replied. "I do have a few friends in that sort of business, they are outside the social circle of the court. Depending on what is needed, I could put you in contact with them, maybe negotiate some deals?"
Celestia smiled, satisfied. "Thank you Fancy, that would be most agreeable." Taking one final sip of her tea, Celestia looked to all present and said. "I think that will be enough for today, we shall pick this up again soon."
~~* * * * ~~
Once the meeting was over, Celestia found herself walking down one of the hallways along with Luna, hoping to get some lunch in the garden. First however, the princesses looked to Fancy. "Thank you for your insight today Fancy, it was most helpful."
Fancy shook his head. "Not a problem at all, though I am afraid my help was not necessary."
"On the contrary good Fancy. Your insight was quite valuable." Luna assured him, and Fancy smiled in return, bowing his head in thanks.
"Now, we mustn't keep you any longer. Thank you again Fancy Pants, you have been a bigger help than you know." Celestia assured him, and Fancy bowed once again.
"Good day to you both then." And with that, he left the two alicorns, still not knowing what Celestia had in mind for him.
There was a lot to consider, and Celestia had to admit that this meeting had left her mind exhausted. Luna was the first to put it to words though, she let out a long and tired groan.
"Sister, I do understand the importance of these meetings, I truly do. But three hours talking about nonsense before we finally got to the important subjects.. I know not how you could deal with that during my absence, but you have my undying respect.." She said exhausted.
Celestia giggled, having to agree with her younger sister. "Well, you're getting better and not showing you're boredom Luna. And yes, I will admit some of the laws proposed today were not of equal importance as other matters. But, never the less, we need to consider the matters, so we know what we sign."
Luna sighed. "I know, and you're right dear sister.. I just wish.. Hm? Captain Swift Strike." Luna said as she noticed the captain walking towards them.
Both of the alicorns stopped, waiting for their loyal officer to come to them. Once within respectable range, he bowed. "Your majesties."
While Luna was pleased to see the captain of her nephew's lifeguard, Celestia had mixed emotions. She was not doubting the captain's loyalty, not doubting his words, but, his actions had left her rattled a bit. His loyalty had extended so far that he was willing to kill without question, it was rare for her little ponies to have such a mental switch.
Still, she did not doubt him. He had been willing to give his life for her son, and that alone was what kept him from prison. She then chided herself, reminding herself that the world was not so peaceful as it had been only a few years ago. She still hated to admit that, but with the birth of her son, so much had changed.
The world seemed ready to ignite, the nobility seemed to grow more arrogant and bolder. Not to mention, she had seen reports of troop movements, nothing that worried her, but Luna was right in saying they were old enough to know the signs of war.
In other words, she needed ponies like Swift Strike.
With that in mind, she focused her eyes on the captain. "Do you have anything to report about the prisoners, captain?"
"I do, your majesty." Swift Strike nodded. "They came to the palace, expecting to meet somepony. They expected to be taken into the royal wing, and indeed, reach the crown prince."
Celestia felt her eye twitch with anger, but she kept her composure. "And to what end?" Her voice was strained with forced calm, and Luna knew Celestia probably felt like burning them with the sun itself right about now.
"The two of them believes they were there for a kidnapping."
"They were not there to kill him?" Luna flinched, remembering they were in the open hallway, but thankfully, they were alone.
Swift Strike shook his head. "That would have been riskier to do in the palace. They could have planned to take him elsewhere before attempting something like that, but if that was the plan, the two prisoners had no idea." He then looked at Celestia. "But, they were expecting somepony to help them.. Which means.."
"They have someone within the palace helping them.." Celestia felt despair and anger at the same time. How could any pony within Canterlot wish to betray the crown? And who within the palace would ever wish it so? She couldn't understand it, or maybe, she could, but would rather not believe it.
Swift Strike nodded. "With your permission, I would like to start a discrete investigation into this matter. If somepony within the palace is endangering the royal family, then I will find the guilty one, and bring him or her to justice."
Neither Celestia or Luna doubted his word, or doubted that he would indeed with time find the ones responsible. "That would be most agreeable, captain." Luna said. "But, maybe this is not the most ideal time, however. The army is looking to be drastically reformed, which means you will need to decide upon the offer of your promotion."
It was a total shift in the conversation, but, Swift Strike was prepared, and answered. "If I may, I do not wish to leave my soldiers. I have build up this regiment myself, and I trust them fully, just like they trust me. Therefore, with the upcoming reforms, I would like to ask permission to select a group of the finest among my regiment, and create a special branch."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Special branch? Of the army?"
He nodded. "Yes ma'am. A group of elite soldiers that can handle investigations like this, and perform lightning strikes against enemy forces."
"Why, captain." Luna smirked. "Seems like to me you want command of an elite corps of soldiers."
Swift Strike did not attempt to hide it, that was indeed exactly what he wanted. "Yes. I want to create an elite corps, a special force that only has room for the best of the best."
"Hmm.." There was a lot to consider, and even though this might be beneficial, it was not something she or her sister could decide here and now in the middle of the hallway. "Please write up your request in full detail, then me and my sister will review it."
He saluted. "Ma'am!"
Luna smiled, a proud smile Celestia determined. "Until next time, captain." And with that, the alicorns left Swift Strike to prepare his formal request. There was certainly a lot to do, and it almost seemed overwhelming.
The sisters walked in silence for a bit, then Luna broke it. "Onto some more cheerful news. I hear Cadance is planning on letting Flurry Heart stay with us for a time?"
Celestia looked at her sister, taking a moment to make the mental shift in conversation. "Uhm, yes, indeed. Cadance feels she would get more out of her education here in Canterlot, with Twilight as her tutor. Spero would also have someone close, and it would give her an opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of court."
"Is that wise?" Luna asked. "With all that is going on, is this the best place for her right now?"
"I honestly don't know. But, my son lives here, and so, one would think it was the safest place in Equestria.. I've decided to agree to her wish, unless you have anything to say about it?"
Luna shrugged. "Nothing at all, in fact, it might be good for my nephew to have some close trusted friends nearby."
"Indeed.." Celestia said, with almost a grim tone. "Trusted friends is exactly what he will need..."
~~* * * * ~~
The day had been eventful for sure, lots of things to consider, lots of things to think over. It was easy to understand why the royal family got such a good sleep that night, and when morning came, Valiant Charge was once again ready in his little training yard.
He had spend the day, after making sure Spero was okay of course, out in the city. Getting acquainted with the local taverns, and how the gossip spread across the city. He had also spend some time in the barracks, getting to know some of the guards.
It had let him hear the rumors of the army reforms, which, didn't really interest him all that much, but, news such as that helped him be updated on everything that went on around the palace, and by extend, his student.
Valiant was not sure if Spero would show up, he had gotten, not a beating, but he had been defeated. He reminded himself that the colt's father had faith in him, and what he did for his son in the hopes he could one day return. That made Valiant hope that Spero would have the guts to show up, or he would be disgracing the hopes his friend had placed in Spero.
Still, the whole affair did made Valiant wonder. Who could he be chasing after? What did he fear so much that he stayed away from the princess of the sun herself, not to mention her sister, and the royal guard. Surely they would be able to protect his family without him having to run off into the world in the search for this mysterious organization.
However, Valiant trusted him. Even if he had to remind himself of that several times whenever he was thinking about all of this. Maybe it was because he was not used to sitting on the sidelines, he was used to be in the action, not away from it.
It infuriated him that he did not know how he was doing, if he was okay, or how his hunt was going. He let out a small growl in annoyance, kicking at the dirt a little as his frustration grew slightly. Then, suddenly, he heard small hoof steps on the stone floor.
Looking up, he saw the young prince, standing with his head held high. A tired, yet determined look about him. Good.. Valiant smirked, happy to see the colt had some balls, and was ready to face him even though he didn't have a chance of winning.
"So you decided to show up after all, prince." Valiant said, almost taunting him a little. "I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you would show up again, or that I would still be in the palace." He lied, just wanting to light a fire under him. "Figured you would go cry to your mother, and have me thrown out for being mean."
Spero shook his head. He hadn't spoken much about it with his mother. When she had asked, he had simply smiled, and explained it was hard, but he would pull through. She in turn smiled back, told him she was proud of him, and to hang in there. Spero decided to do exactly that.
He refused to back down, not on the first day, and certainly not on the second. He would show this Valiant Charge, he would prove himself worthy, and he would make his father, wherever he was in the world, proud of him.
Spero looked him directly in the eyes, his eyes burning with determination. "I will never give up! And I will not keep loosing to you!"
Valiant's smirk grew slightly. "Oh, really now? Well then, prince. Then you better be prepared for what comes next, because to beat me, you have to be the best of the best. Now, I can make you the best, but I will not make it easy for you. Do you understand? I won't let you rest just because you're tired, I won't comfort you when you're crying, and I certainly won't slow down for you. No, you have to keep up with me. Do you understand, prince?"
The colt felt his anger rise each time he used his title. It was not that he hated it, but the way Valiant used it made it seem like stamp of royal laziness. Dripped with the expectations that he was going to fail and give up as soon as things got to hard. Well, Spero wouldn't give up, and he would make Valiant Charge eat his words, one day.
Taking a step forward, Spero glared at his teacher. "I understand, teacher! I won't let you down!"
Valiant chuckled. "Is that so? Well, I guess we better get started then.."