Let all who see my final stride to my inevitable death take note. Be not a friend to those who, on day one of pledging the downfall of an empire, let you meet a similar fate. The guards and servants alike gave us little mind, oh, only if they knew. Sabre strode behind me, rapier clinking against his side as he went. Solemn, my tutor and recruiter the same, begrudgingly walked ahead. He seemed stuck between revulsion and an upset stomach. Bright hadn't followed. There was little he could have done, so he rested on his laurels as I met my fate. They would hear my screams through the halls, as I now mere meters from her highness' doors did I march.
"Sir, you look ridiculous."
Sabre's thoughts broke me from my internal diatribe. My pout hadn't left my face since I'd been walking from my chambers. I will give Sabre this if nothing else. He got things done quickly. I was surprised Solemn agreed. Though if I were to judge him by his own mannerisms, he was doing this at a begrudging ask.
"Says the guy who will get me killed," I hissed under my breath.
"It will be fine, sir. This is intel, not a coup."
"I'd keep those thoughts to yourself," Solemn said from ahead.
He was right, and if he could hear Sabre, then any passersby most likely could as well. There would be no pretty end to that fiasco. It was at that point our march was at an end. We stood in front of queen Nightmare night's study. It made sense she did personal calls away from the court, but did she really have to have them at the exact opposite wing of the castle?
The guard gave our trio a dubious look. I returned it with gusto. "Appointment?" one of the guards asked. It felt more like an order, but it was an ask for now.
Solemn stepped forward and stood tall, his wings only twitching slightly. "Appointment for report, Solemn Mind, Noble house DeNoir, and guest."
The guards looked at each other, one rolling his eyes and nodding. "Proceed, though your dog will need to wait outside."
I didn't need to look to feel Sabre's icy glare. He kept his tongue, though, which meant, for the moment, we'd at least get our hoof in the door.
"Of course," Solemn said.
With that, the guards stepped aside, and Solemn led the way, slowly opening the door to Nightmare's inner chambers. I slowly followed behind and tried not to meet the guards' eyes as I went. I could feel my skin crawl as the door closed behind us.
Nightmare's study was a tasteful sort. Expensive tapestries hung with care, several large bookcases brimming with subjects of every kind. The centerpiece was a richly poised desk that gave off the faint scent of maple. The fireplace beside it crackled and sputtered in the dull light of the room. The lack of windows certainly did little to illuminate the suite. Though I suppose a ruler needs to take certain precautions, crazy matriarch or not.
The mare in question says behind her desk, eyes glued to a spread stack of papers, quill flowing just shy of her head, the ink already dried upon it. Solemn said nothing, and I took his lead. He stood and waited as Nightmare continued to scan the papers. After several minutes, she let forth a grunt, slapped a hoof hard into offensive parchment, and finally looked up from her work. She blinked several times before our presence seemed to register.
"Ah, Solemn Mind, I'm glad you're here. I apologize for the wait. However, those defunctary fools in the treasury have had mine in a vice all night. They are lucky they are in the position they are, lest I rend their flesh and bone alike."
Solemn said nothing nodding along with her majesty's woes.
"And, of course, your newest student, Stargazer, if memory serves."
I nodded. I wasn't sure if we were even allowed to talk at this point. Nightmare rested her quill in a shiny metal holster to the side of her work and smiled.
"I must say, you've done admirably with such little time if yon Solemn Mind has deemed you worth review. I am pleased."
Solemn kneeled. "Of course, Your Highness. I live to serve."
"I only aim to be worthy of such praise." I also kneeled, and court etiquette had been one of my weaker skills from our lessons. I chewed on my inner cheek and suppressed the bile in the back of my throat as best I could.
Nightmare tapped the desk, and both Solemn, and I rose. She leaned back in her seat and let her toothy grin grow wider. Her canines sparkled in the firelight. "As you shall."
Nightmare reached for a small silver bell on the far side of the desk and rang it twice. A pair of maids scampered in from a supposed secret entrance in less than a heartbeat. They certainly had not arrived from behind us.
"Tea, for my guests and me."
The maids said nothing, curtsied once and vanished to their mistress' bidding. That done, Nightmare returned her gaze to Solemn and me. I managed a side-eye in Solemn's direction. He had managed to keep his composure thus far, not even the wing twitch from our way here, and he looked almost statuesque with his undeterred attention.
While we waited for refreshments, I would ask my newest servant several questions. After our last supper, I have come to ponder your placement in full."
Here they come. Solemn and I had both expected this. We'd come up with dozens of potential questions and even more answers. We could only hope they'd be enough.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
I took a single step forwarded and waited for the interrogation to begin.
"I shall start. I am in wonderence to what skills you possess that could best serve my whims. Thy name and cutie mark give a hint but no finite definition. This was one of Solemn Mind's most poignant goals. I hope between you both that you have answered most satisfactory."
Her question was a fair one. A leader is still a leader, and as such, one must surround themselves with those who can do the task at hand. An interview as such was a reasonable start. It was also one of the first Solemn, and I discussed. We'd done so even before his proposal. Bright had been quite enraptured by that discussion.
"Well, firstly, allow me to divulge my cutie mark's meaning. As is clear, my cutie mark fits firmly in your infinite and wondrous night. My mark is one for direction, to guide your lost herd back from wherever they stray."
I would have cringed at my own dramatics should that not have resulted in a fate most foul. Nightmare, however, seemed quite taken by my bullshitery. Though I suppose any stroking of her ego was to her liking.
"A star cartographer it is then? Even as I dazzle the sky with my whims?"
We had her attention and intrigue. I took a deep breath and felt my mind go blank. The fact Nightmare can alter the sky at large meant mapping the world with stars was complicated, to say the least. It wasn't impossible, though, so all I needed was—
My thoughts were left to the wayside as Solemn stepped forward to give his thoughts on the matter.
"It is, of course, know that your artistic prowess with the sky above is unparalleled. However, there are, of course, exceptions taken, such as Polaris, the north star."
Nightmare nodded, though her smile did falter. "This is true."
"It is with these exceptions and an eye for patterns I can, within a certain margin, better decipher your craft. It is, of course, known that such a caring and dedicated ruler would never lead her astray with intent." I said, jumping onto Solemn's nudge.
Please buy it, please, please buy it. I wanted to wilt as Nightmare seemed to mull over my answer. She seemed to cast her glance from me to Solemn and then to the fire beside us. After a full minute of silence, our salvation was foretold by the arrival of tea.
Once more, the ghost maids appeared with a trolley of tea and an assortment of light snacks and pastries. This drew the queen's attention, and the icy chill on the back of my neck warmed just a bit.
"Ah, tea, lovely." Nightmare said, magicking the trolley beside the desk and waving the maids away. To whom were gone in a blink. "Please, gentlecolts, help yourselves. As you do, I would say that your skill is as useful as you make it sound. I believe Blueblood, the sniveling wretch he is, would have a need for such skills. While he cartographers the lands, my skies are lost on the poor whelps meager wits."
The way she spoke of this Blueblood was less than pleasant, even though her smile and the taste of an eclair I'd taken to nibbling on, though my stomach was hardly apt for it. It was at least a momentary withdrawal of certain death.
"An excellent idea, my queen. The horned dolt could use any help at all. I am surprised he can dress himself most days, even as he reproachfully sits in court."
So Solemn was putting this Blueblood guy on blast too. I'd try to be civil, should I meet him, kindred souls and all that. It must suck to have everyone around you hate you.
"I would be honored to assist him or any other in your name."
I offered a quick toast as I waited for the tea to cool. Nightmare indulged in a tip of her cup. It was nice. Bonding over the suffering of a third party felt like politics now. That settled, Nightmare circled back to me.
"That settled, I shall have a servant collect you tomorrow to introduce you to the wayward spawn of the sun. If only he were more like my niece."
The hiss at the end of 'sun' was enough to send a crawl down my back. My ears flicked back as I tried not to shrink as she leered at the imaginary stallion in question.
"Next, we would like to ask what has become your past? We have already verified that you are no brazen changeling. To that end, we will admit fault. However, we have found nothing of your prior existence, which is still of concern. We are a noble ruler, thus will give you the chance to satiate such thoughts. So, what say you?"
Nightmare leaned forward, eyes narrowed. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, my throat had tightened up, and I wished I were anywhere else.
"I, um, my past," I couldn't quantify any serious thoughts and looked at my hooves lest I mean Nightmare's judgemental gaze.
"He has not yet relearned his entire past. He has, however, remembered bits and pieces. Names, locations, a spare thought from whence he came. It has created a notable lead to follow, Your Majesty."
Thank the high heavens for Solemn. Nightmare sat back in her seat and looked back at my tutor with the interest of a speck in the wind. For his part, Solemn held himself better than I, though he has had a lot more practice.
"A lead, you say?" Nightmare asked.
Yes, my queen, we have discussed it in length. We've even gathered some points of reference, like his birth date and age. Those are certainly an excellent start. I've taken it upon myself to document such findings here."
Solemn pulled from under his wing a manilla folder that seemed to have a collection of whatever Solemn had dreamed up. He obliged his queen and gently sat it on the desk before her. She eyed it for a moment and nodded.
"Very well, I shall grant you a bit more time. Solemn Mind has dutifully gone beyond his post. Thusly, a boon I shall grant, for now."
I might vomit. I managed a bow and looked over at an all to, pleased with himself Solemn, he indeed played the game well.
"I would like to discuss more, but I have more work that needs my attention. I shall have your findings looked over, and with luck, your past will be found, and you shall be left to live with my blessing upon you. For now, you have your orders, be off and have a wonderful night."
Once again, more of a command than a request, but I couldn't be bothered to care. I bowed again and followed Solemn as he led us out and free of the hooven fury of the oh-so-wonderful Nightmare Moon.
The guards gave us a look. Then returned to attention. Sabre had taken post across the hall and seemed at least a little less tense when we made to leave. We made it a hundred paces out before I heaved the biggest sigh I'd ever managed.
"Survival."
"Anything new, sir?" Sabre asked.
I milled over Nightmare's conversation and blew a raspberry. "A niece?"
"Ah, you caught that as well. I find that particular as well. It is one thing to discuss a niece, and it's another to reflect upon Blueblood in the same breath."
"That and I'm to meet Blueblood tomorrow. So there is that. Maybe he knows something?" I asked.
"He might. He certainly has no reason to aide Nightmare's rule," Sabre said.
"Neat, so I'm done with life for today. Sleep awaits."
"It's not that late, sir."
I turned and looked up to Sabre like one who just heard the dumbest factoid ever might in such regard. "I'm going to bed."
Sabre rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir."
Solemn seemed lost in thought as he began talking under his breath.
"Solemn?" I asked, tapping his shoulder.
"Oh yes, yes, sleep. You do that. I have some reading to do."
That said, Solemn was off, and thus the night of many heart palpations came to an end, and with it, another string of questions to my never-ending list.
"So, who is Blueblood, by the way?"
Sabre grunted. "A pain in the flank."
I tutted and patted my guard's shoulder. "Now, now, we need to all get along."
"He's a noble from before Nightmare. A unicorn noble, which if you ask me weren't much better than the thestrals are."
"Huh, how long was that?" I asked.
Sabre shook his head. "Not long enough. Though if nothing, I bet Her Highness has taught the walking ego a little humility."
"Well, we can certainly message said ego if it nets us a few big ones."
I smiled and increased my gait just a tad.
"If you say so, sir."
Thus we made our way across the palace and back to my domicile, where I could get a few hours of sleep with any luck. If Bluelblood were that far up his plot, I'd need it.