//------------------------------// // 550 - Indelicate Proposal // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// “Your Highness, thank you for seeing me,” smiled Rarity as she bowed deeply to the stallion sitting across from her in his private study. “Please allow me to congratula-” “What do you want?” Although she had anticipated a cold reception, Rarity couldn’t help but wince inwardly at the hostile tone in Lex’s voice as he cut her off. Flattery was the vanguard of allure, after all. If Equestria’s newest prince wasn’t interested in letting her stroke his ego, let alone anything more personal, then her chances of convincing him to bring Long Road back to life should he ever have the opportunity were virtually nil. Nor was that the only way in which the proverbial deck was stacked against her. When Rarity had asked to meet with Prince Legis, she’d presumed that it was understood that she wanted to do so alone. But whether the subtext of her request hadn’t been received or it had been understood but denied, there were several other ponies present besides the two of them. And none of them seemed particularly friendly. Flanking Lex on his immediate right and left were Sonata and Aria, both of them shooting her looks tinged with deep suspicion. Slightly behind Aria was a pegasus mare in a maid’s outfit; the same maid who had denounced Twilight’s attempt to appeal to Lex’s better nature before the duel had begun, Rarity belatedly realized. And while she kept her eyes carefully on the floor, the tension in her jaw and the bead of sweat running down the side of her face made her feelings about her master’s visitor quite clear. Opposite her, standing back and to the right of Sonata was the frumpy little stallion who’d been Blueblood’s valet, and was now apparently Lex’s. Like the maid, he was careful not to look at her, but unlike his female counterpart his face was a perfect mask of indifference, showing no emotion whatsoever, and in so doing making it evident that he was entirely at his prince’s disposal, and would likely adopt his liege’s attitude toward her if pressed. And, from where he was glowering at her from behind his desk as he waited for her answer, Lex’s attitude toward her seemed to be dark indeed. But Rarity wasn’t Fluttershy, so lacking in self-confidence that she fell apart at the first hint of reproach. She had years of experience buttering ponies up, all of which had prepared her for what to do when her opening salvo of charm didn’t work: fire another one. And another. And then another. Until you eventually wore them down from graciousness. “First, I wanted to express my personal admiration toward you for how thoroughly you overwhelmed that boor, Blueblood,” she gushed, giving him a rapturous look for a long moment before looking down, evincing mild embarrassment. “I don’t know if you know this, but he and I have some history between us. Suffice it to say, it was quite cathartic watching you give him his comeuppance.” “Yeah right,” snorted Aria. “Is that why, when everyone else was cheering after Lex defeated that blowhard, you stood there gawking with the rest of your friends?” “Oh darling,” laughed Rarity, airily waving a hoof as if Aria’s objection was barely worth rebutting. “It’d be absolutely gauche for a lady to so brazenly rejoice at the fall of someone they dislike, don’t you agree?” “No.” The corners of her lips turned upward, but the look Aria gave Rarity then couldn’t have been called a smile by any means. “I’ve got no problem celebrating when I see someone get what they deserve.” That bordered on open hostility, and Rarity bit her lip as she tried to think of the best way to respond. Fortunately, the brief lull in the conversation gave Sonata a chance to speak up. “So that’s why you’re here?” she asked, tilting her head and blinking in an adorable show of confusion. “You just wanted to tell Lex thanks for him beating up your ex-boyfriend?” “He wasn’t my boyfriend, darling,” corrected Rarity gently. “Blueblood was just, well…it all seems so silly now. But you’re right; there is another reason for my visit.” Despite the Sirens jumping in, Rarity’s attention hadn’t left Lex for a moment. While he hadn’t continued to inquire about her motives, he hadn’t chided Aria for her not-so-subtle display of aggression either. Which means I’ll need to address the elephant in the room before we can go any further. Dipping her head, Rarity kept it bowed as she spoke. “I want to formally apologize on Rainbow Dash’s behalf for how she ambushed you yesterday. It was an awful thing to do, and absolutely inexcusable. Had the rest of us realized what she was planning before she took off, I promise you we would have stopped her.” The valet whose name she hadn’t gotten glanced at her then, raising an eyebrow. “Is this apology coming from Princess Twilight?” For a moment, Rarity hesitated, considering whether an affirmative answer would serve her purposes better than the truth. But after a moment she shook her head; getting caught in a lie would only make it harder for Lex to trust her. “No. She doesn’t know that we’re meeting like this.” Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, knowing that she needed to push the envelope if she was going to have any hope of getting anywhere. “Your Highness, since coming to Vanhoover, I’ve seen the good you’ve done for all of the ponies here. Your subjects sing your praises, telling everyone who’ll listen about how you’ve protected them and provided for them. There’s not a doubt in anypony’s mind – including mine – that you’re every inch a kindhearted prince. That’s why…” She took another step toward him, and she didn’t need to fake the pleading tone that entered her voice then. “…I want to appeal to your kindness now.” If Lex was moved by her compliments, he did an excellent job of hiding it. “Get to the point.” “It’s…it’s a deeply personal matter,” she confessed, biting her lip. “I was hoping that we could talk about it privately.” But Lex didn’t have a chance to answer her as Sonata snorted loudly. “Forget it, Uptighty-Whitey,” she scowled, moving in front of Lex protectively. “Whatever you’ve got to say to Lex, you can say in front of us.” “Your friends seriously hurt our stallion twice in the last twenty-four hours!” growled Aria, matching her sister’s defensive posture. “And you helped that nag Starlight Glimmer escape! You’re dreaming if you think you’re getting any alone time with him!” “Be quiet, both of you.” Lex’s command was given quietly, but both Sirens reacted as though he’d made the pronouncement from on high, immediately moving back to their original positions in perfect unison, shooting indignant glares at Rarity as they did so. For his part, Lex hadn’t moved a muscle, looking at Rarity with the same acerbic expression he’d had since she entered the room. But unlike before his eyes were glowing, the sight eerie in the dim light of the study. “Twice now I’ve told you to state your business. I won’t say it a third time.” Trying to fight a rising sense of trepidation at how her charm offensive hadn’t put the faintest crack in his icy mien, or how she’d failed to take their conversation to a more private setting – it was far harder to proposition someone when there was an audience watching intently – Rarity bowed again. “Forgive me,” she murmured. “I’ll speak plainly, then.” Lifting her head, she took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sensation of her heart attempting to beat its way out of her chest. “Shortly after the Elemental Bleeds ended, I lost my beloved, a warrior named Long Road. I’m here to ask you to resurrect him.” The green and purple light faded from Lex’s eyes then, and Rarity dared to hope that was a good sign. But the one who spoke up a moment later wasn’t Lex. “Long Road?” muttered the valet, frowning. Turning, his horn lit up as he telekinetically pulled a worn notepad out of a pocket, flipping through it. “I’ve heard that name before. I-, aha! Here it is!” Smiling triumphantly, he scanned the page. “Prince Blueblood was invited to Trottingham several weeks ago for a memorial being held in honor of this Long Road fellow. He refused, saying that it was undignified for a prince to attend a celebration held for some lowly donkey.” “Long Road was not some lowly donkey!” Although she knew that her slim chances of success hinged entirely on how she presented herself, Rarity couldn’t let that go, rounding on the valet in a rage. “He was a knight! A paladin who dedicated himself to the highest principles of selflessness and sacrifice! He gave his life defending Trottingham when he realized that the Elemental Bleed there hadn’t been closed! There wasn’t…they couldn’t even find his body afterward…” Her anger departed as swiftly as it had come, leaving her fighting to hold back tears as she cursed herself bitterly. Oh well done, Rarity. There’s nothing stallions find more enticing than watching a mare break down in tears as she pines for someone else. But her recrimination lasted only a moment; she’d known that this would be a hard sell before she’d walked in the room, and the meeting wasn’t over until Prince Legis dismissed her, which meant that she needed to keep trying until he did. “Your Highness,” she began, her voice stiff. “I know that you only resurrected the ponies you did because you’d been given a gift by your goddess in commemoration of your valor, and that you’re presently unable to bring anypony else back to life. And if you were…” She took a moment to figure out the best way to phrase the next part delicately. “…and if you were, a donkey likely wouldn’t be your first choice after the unspeakable losses that befell the ponies of Vanhoover. I know that, and yet…” This time Rarity didn’t just bow; she prostrated herself completely, sinking down until her belly touched the carpet and lowering her head until she was staring at the floor. “Long Road was the love of my life,” she murmured, forcing her voice to remain level. “That we had so little time together before he was taken away…I can’t bear it. I can’t bear knowing that I’ll never see him again. My heart-” Instinct made her stop, reflexively clamping down on the agony that threatened to come bubbling up if she kept talking about what losing her beloved had done to her. Although it had been over four months since Long Road had died, she still felt like she’d lost him only yesterday, and while it had gotten easier to ignore that pain thanks to the help of her friends and family, it was still a thin scab over a raw wound, ready to erupt into fresh anguish if she poked it too much. And with how hardhearted Lex Legis seemed, she knew she couldn’t afford to fall apart in front of him. After several deep breaths, she forced herself to shift her focus. “I’ve known that resurrection was possible for some time now, and I’ve tried everything I can think of in order to bring him back. I’ve asked Princess Cadance for help, but it’s beyond her power. I’ve prayed to the Sun Queen, Long Road’s goddess, more times than I can count, begging her to return him to life, and all I’ve received is silence. I’ve asked Twilight about going back to Everglow and finding resurrection magic for him there, and she’s assured me that it’s not feasible. You’re my last hope.” Although she’d imagined the circumstances as being salacious rather than despondent, her offer was ultimately still the same, and having once again brushed up against the visceral heartache of the prospect of spending the rest of her life without the one person who made it complete, Rarity found it surprisingly easy to put her dignity aside as she looked up and met Lex’s eyes. “If you swear to bring Long Road back should you ever regain the power to resurrect someone, there’s nothing I won’t do to repay you. Everything I have, everything I own, everything I am…all of me, yours in exchange for your promise.” Around the prince, Rarity could see the variety of reactions that she’d elicited in his companions. There was discomfort written across his valet’s face. Sympathy on Sonata’s. Aria seemed unmoved, giving her a sneer. The maid was biting her lip as she quietly wiped her eyes. But Lex wasn’t looking at her at all. Instead… Rarity followed his gaze down toward his left foreleg, and her breath caught in her throat. Was the barbed wire wrapped around his leg moving?! She blinked once, trying to clear her vision of whatever unshed tears were making her see things, and she must have succeeded because when she reopened them the wire was once again stationary. And now Lex was looking right at her, his expression pensive as he held her gaze for a few seconds before speaking at last. “All of you leave the room. I want to speak to her in private.”