The night of the Gala. Long before the return of nightmare moon.
"Gentlecolts." A young and dashing stallion spoke out upon the stage of the royal ball room. He was mixing amongst the band and stealing the show as all around him ponies look at him. From the dance floor halberds and partisans pointed for his flank.
"I'm sure we can sort this out amicably!" At those words the royal guard merely took it as an invitation to bring their weapons closer to him.
The band at the sight of such life threatening implements abandoned their instruments to vacate the room as quickly as possible. No pony obstructed them as they absent-mindedly parted ways, their focus on the colt who spoke out so that everypony could see.
"Look at it this way; if you could do what I could do, then you would do it too!" The dashing colt said adjusting his suit and monocle.
"But you can't! I can, and I have, and I'll do it again!" He put a off to his disheveled hair and neatening it, as to look presentable as he was prior.
"So, you should be happy for me, just a little tiny bit, don't you think?" He put on his best smile, a kind of smile that could beguile a mare with only a glimpse.
"And you, sir, just consider; you love your wife. I love your wife! Aren't we both on the same side? If you think about it, I'm just like you." The dashing colt looked to a very unamused stallion. His cold blue eyes leering so hard as to wish the colt in front of him would merely die, frozen in a block of ice his icy stare would seem to summon forth at any moment.
"Fancy pants!" A beautiful white unicorn mare galloped into the ballroom, barging through the throng to make her presence known.
"Please! Cold blood spare him. It-it was all my doing, I have been the one that's been unfaithful." The mare, once so proud and dignified. Kneeled and begged while he pawed at the feet of her husband. Desperation on her features. He ignored her and only looked to the guards beside him.
"We are ready prince. we act on your command."
"Cold blood please!" The mare's desperation leading towards a crescendo. Tears were in her eyes and she sobbed uncontrollably. The cold blooded prince merely stayed silent.
"This is beyond a mere crime." Like phantom the prince was gone, appearing once more upon the stage meeting eyes with Fancy Pants. If Fancy Pants were a colt of lower calibre he would have been broken by the prince's cold relentless stare. But somehow he had managed to remain steadfast.
"You sir have sullied my wife and have ruined my honour. Seeing you die by my word is not enough. To redeem myself, I must deal with you myself." Fancy Pants backed away a step, half expecting a halberd to come flying towards him by the will of the crown prince.
"Guards. capture him and imprison him. At the crack of dawn, I wish to meet him in the castle ramparts." The cold prince said, his eyes never straying from his foe.
"Let it be known to everypony!" The prince turned to address all present who thus far were content to look and watch silently. "He and I shall duel at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. Then we will see who will live to see the light of day."
-
"Aunt Celestia. I humbly request your permission to hold the right to duel." I should have done this years ago. I have tolerated his insolence for far too long. From my farthest memories I can only see him there, mocking me with his that condescending tone. Speaking and telling me what to do and often times, leaving me to suffer so many indignities that he rubbed salt on by lecturing me afterwards. It was no wonder he had stolen his ponies. They think he is better than me. That he has some sort of power over me.
"You can't mean... no. I refuse you the right. Duels have been outlawed for a very good reason." Yes, since foalhood I've been reminded of it. Everyday I wake up each morning and see at the family home an empty seat beside my mother. A place where my father would be. I'm told some vagabond had killed him, he died defending my mother's honour. They thought his death was a cautionary tale for me to learn from.
Indeed I learned. I learned that my father loved my mother very much and he was willing to die for her dignity and grace and honour to be retained. I will avenge my honour and rid myself of the scourge of that old stallion.
"He has only been watching over you, Blue blood. Merely talking to ponies for your interest. He-" Celestia in her seemingly infinite wisdom, had worked out my intentions. And within character to a wise and noble ruler trying to calmly dissuade me.
"He spins lies and conspires against me! I have only come here as a mere formality. If you refuse me my legal right, then damn the consequences, I will have my honour restored with or without your consent." Mayhaps another foal would fall for Auntie's dissuasion but I am no pony that is intimidated by her. I am a prince, a person for all intents and purposes her equal in station.
"I hope, in the end, you will do the right thing. Nay, I trust that you will." I know this trick of her too. When a pony is beyond her gentle persuasion. She would prepare her power over the kingdom and shift matters so that they would result in her given ideal scenario.
"Have your guards follow me, like you fully intend to. I will have no more skulking around in the shadows for something this important." The surprised look on her face was priceless. I had been acting as a meek and humble nephew for years and this was the first instance that I showed myself beyond her control. Mayhaps it will come back to bite me, but for now I will enjoy his feeling of superiority.