//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 - Unwanted Inheritance 
// Story: The Elohim's Lament 
// by MangaBro 
//------------------------------//

Queen Cadence sat upon the crystal throne, glaring aimlessly at the window down at the Crystal Empire, her eyebrows knitted and her eyelids tense and drawn up. It had only been an hour since Twilight’s disappearance, but that didn’t lessen her concern.

This hadn't been the first time that Twilight had escaped their sight, in fact, it had been occurring for months on end after she had declared Twilight as the next successor to the Crystal Empire, a decision supported by the majority of Equestria, except for Twilight. 

Royal guards were sent to watch her, and yet, she kept finding new ways to escape their sight, making it difficult for any highborn to pledge their allegiance to protecting the queen’s heir. In the grand scheme of things, most who lost sight of the princess for too long were stripped of their honor and sent overseas, and every knight knew just how important honor was, especially in Equestria. If the princess was in danger now, their vows would mean nothing. The number of knights to guard the queen lessened nearly everyday.

As for now, the only recent knight who had pledged his loyalty to protecting her was Euphor Black, a young knight who was thirty-eight of age, also known as “The Sword of the Night," along with those who served under him. He was a tall, powerful stallion whose fur matched that of the night, while his eyes had the same light-blue glow of the Crystal Empire at daybreak. He was one of the bastards of Trottinghelm, an independent land in the south of Equestria. However, Barston Black, the warden of Trottinghelm, made the announcement for the young stallion to inherit his last name before sending him to the Crystal Empire to serve as the queen’s appointed knight, as well as the second commander of the royal guards.

Cadence feared that she would once again have to strip the honor of another knight . She hated doing that, but it was the Equestrian law created by Celestia and Luna (One who fails their duty is stripped of all ranks and titles) 

"Where is that hard-headed horse now?" She mumbled to herself, pressing a hoof against her cheek. 

Luckily, it seemed that she would not have to do it today. The giant doors to the throne room bursted open, revealing Euphor Black, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. "I've found her, your grace!" He announced, his voice staggered. Beside him stood Twilight, hanging her head low. "She was in the unity cavern, roaming around aimlessly."

Cadence sighed deeply as well as Twilight. "Go on and alert her brother, and order him to my courtroom." She commanded, "I'll speak with her, alone."

Euphor nodded and bowed down before leaving, the royal guards who stood in the room did the same. Cadence forcefully shut the doors behind them, glaring at Twilight with furrowed eyebrows.

An unwavering silence filled the room, tension crackled as they awaited one of them to utter a word, no matter what it word. Cadence wasn't foolish enough to expect an apology from Twilight, she wasn't going to listen. On the other hoof, she could not let her off without punishment.

She raised her wings and descended from the throne and to Twilight. She still didn't bother to acknowledge her. "Do you know how many knights we've sent overseas over the past month?" She asked, her voice dripping with disappointment.

"How should I know? I never counted." Twilight asked, scowling.

"Twenty-nine!" Cadence announced in her royal voice, stomping a hoof onto the ground, causing a forceful wind to graze Twilight.

Cadence then began to frantically trotting back and forth, her eyes searching for answers. "The other lords are beginning to see us as incompetent! Over seventy-two knights were sent back to their homes in this past year! Soon, there won't be any more highborns to pledge their loyalty! You keep on running off and off like a little filly in a market! It's embarrassing!"

Twilight felt she was going to erupt into flames from Cadence's pestering. "Do you think I care?" She asked, causing Cadence to stop and stare. "It's not my fault they can't do their jobs!"

"Nopony has your magic, Twilight. You know that!" Cadence said.

"Exactly, so why bother?" Twilight asked, obviously annoyed.

Cadence sighed once again and walked over to her, raising her chin with her hoof. Twilight only stared back with sharp, sparkling eyes. "Twilight," she called, Twilight responded by rolling her eyes. "You were born an Alicorn, and because you are, you must learn how to act like one!"

"I thought Alicorns were able to do whatever they wanted." Twilight whined, pouting.

“Just how blind are you?” Cadence asked, appalled. “Do you see me, an alicorn, go wherever I want?”

“But you’re a queen–”

“And you’re a highborn!” Cadence reminded as she stomped a hoof, this time with greater force to punctuate her statement, her angered eyes lingering over Twilight, she then added, “But above else, you’re crystal born, one who was born an Alicorn to be clear.”

“But I never wanted to be a highborn!” Twilight argued, angrily yanking her head away from Cadence’s hoof. She then made her way to one of the windows, aimlessly staring down at the city, her sad expression staring right back. “Besides, I’m not your blood sister. I didn't asked to be saved by you ponies, so why me?”

Cadence’s face then held a look of pity. Those words always made her heart ache. She had been hearing it ever since she was a filly. Just five years ago, Cadence had found Twilight, along with a young Shining Armor, when she was just a filly upon a small hill not too far from the kingdom. It was like nothing the ponies of the Crystal Empire had seen before, some even claimed it to be "A gift from God," it was almost impossible, a pony with no blood-relation to the Alicorn race just randomly appearing upon a hill.

Despite the questionable circumstances surrounding her true heritage, Cadence named her heir that day. Ever since then, Twilight had never seen Cadence as her blood-related sister, nor claimed her to be, even when asked.

Cadence went over to Twilight and stood behind her within an inch behind her. "Why don't you just make Flurry Heart your heir instead?" Asked Twilight, "She's your actual daughter."

Cadence answered by placing her wings over her back, Twilight gave her a tragic look. "She's too young, and my time as an Alicorn will be up into the next fifteen years, more or less!" She said, "You have inherited my last name, making you my successor!"

Twilight forcefully smacked Cadence’s wing off her back with her wing, "I never wanted your last name, Mi Amore Cadenza!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face, "I never wanted to be an Alicorn! I never asked your last name, and I don't want to be queen! All I want is to explore the world, that is all. I'm not fit to be queen."

"In the grand scheme of things, do you think that it matters what you want or do not want?" Cadence asked, Twilight hung her head low. "Tradition is what holds this land together, and it must stay that way. The creator made you an Alicorn for a purpose, and that purpose is to rule the Crystal Empire. Whether you like it or not, you're my heir and that's final."

Twilight turned, "But—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Cadence shouted with a snort. "Now, I want you to be competent and stay within the eye's reach of the castle. If you try to escape from your room again, I will place you in the dungeon until I decide it is time for you to be released. Your brother will also speak to you about this!"

Twilight's mouth quivered intensely, all she heard from Cadence's words were, "You're the next queen, and I could care less about your feelings" Breathless with ambivalence, Twilight frowned, her tears flooding the carpet, she then scowled and turned tail and ran out of the room. Leaving Cadence filled with uncertainty. 


To Be Continued!