Dusk Swirl reappeared about a week after Cadance's talk with Shining Armor. Cadance had spent the majority of her free week catching up on mounds of paperwork and organizing side projects; essentially diving into the depths of bureaucracy while she had the time. At the beginning of the next week, during an open court in the Spire is where we re-join Cadance.
"Amber, can you recount the request in it's entirety?"
Cadance found open court in the Crystal Empire to be a rollercoaster. Sometimes ponies would bring in comments or requests or bills that were mind-numbingly boring. Sometimes ponies would ask for weird favors or would otherwise do something hilarious. Cadance's favorites were wholesome or simple requests she could solve personally. Everypony likes to see their work impact immediately via smiling faces.
Amber at the moment was going on about some provisional ground breaking request for an internal company requesting a something or other. Half way through Cadance had accepted the request, but there was a whole pomp and whathaveyou she learned was good to go through for the observers. It went along with the courtroom, which happened to be the only public space in the castle Cadance let the staff decorate as opulently as they could.
The unprepared tourist would describe it as: "Doctor, I can't feel my eyes."
There was a lot of crystal furniture and glass windows facing the sun.
Cadance took her head out from leaning in her hoof as soon as Amber finished talking and addressed the yellow-coated stallion in front of her, "I'll grant your groundbreaking request, just make sure you actually start work tomorrow so that the paperwork has a chance to get into the right hooves first."
"Thank you, your highness, I ap-" the courtroom doors couldn't exactly be slammed open, as they were propped open during court hours, but somehow a mare still pulled it off.
Here's the wild thing to get the evening going
"Princess!" Said who was now identified as Slim Fitting, a purple furred and grey maned unicorn. Who also just happened to be the head of the Noble House of Facets, or Facet, Cadance wasn't really sure. Slim stomped into the open court, past the line and straight into the center of the chamber with a scowl on their face and the rest of their temper shown through the rapid twisting of their ears and flicking of their tail.
Cadance waited
"Princess, I require satisfaction immediately to some snub-nosed upstart!" Slim spat hard enough she had to take a breath, "The absolute nerve!"
"Slim Fitt-"
"This mare by the name of Quick Silver is an absolute disgrace to the halls of the Empire and I demand their house be struck down at once!"
"Slim Fitting!"
Slim stopped their fuming momentarily, giving Cadance a chance to take control of the conversation, and by proxy, the situation.
"Thank you, can you please start from the beginning?" Cadance put on her best 'disapproval face' "and I hope this is important enough that you felt the need to disrupt court." At this point the stallion before Slim's appearance had already made for a hasty retreat.
"I, uh- Well yes of course, your highness, and I promise you this is of great importance." Slim put on what Cadance could only describe as an 'announcer' voice, and began turning to address the crowd and Cadance in equal measure.
"Less than thirty minutes ago, I sent my son to go welcome the old House of Silvers back into the Empire. He returned to me distressed and in tears! Apparently this 'noble'" She strained the word "Had berated and insulted him! For barely a reason no less!" Slim continued to add flair and extravagance to her body language and her story.
Definitely the sensation of the day, I remember who she's talking about though.
"As such, I went to confront the mare, verbally attacking my poor boy like that! The nerve I tell you! Only..." pause for dramatic affect, "I received the exact same treatment! The mare ignored me until I outright demanded her attention, and then! AND THEN! This mare barreled out of her abode, a ghastly place I might add, and insulted me and demanded that I leave."
"Far beyond this point, I had had enough; and promptly challenged that fool to a Duel of Titles"
Cadance's eyebrows raised subtly. She thought she heard a couple of ponies gasp.
"To which she scoffed in my face, ruining my day dress, said 'No' and shut her door in my face! I rushed here immediately to sort out this whole debacle and eject this despicable mare from our city." Slim, who had been making plenty of accentuating gestures through-out her story, stomped her hoof and looked up to Cadance in a fluid motion.
I have no idea what a Duel of the Titles means
Cadance turned to Amber, "Amber, can you recite the main laws surrounding the Duel of Titles for the court?"
Amber, used to her job at this point, didn't even bat an ear. "The Duel of Titles is a dueling ritual specific to the Nobles of the Crystal Empire. Specifically for settling disputes between the Noble Houses, it follows most of the normal rules for dueling. Notably it's to non-lethal combat, and has political rules for dignitaries and ambassadors. For this particular circumstance, it should be known that a Noble House, for all intents and purposes, can't refuse a Duel of Titles." Amber had pulled out a book from the stand hidden beneath her desk, and was flipping through it during her explanation.
"It says here that settling any disputes for a Duel of Titles needs to be handled directly by the next highest power." Amber looked up at Cadance, as did everypony else.
Cadance steepled her hooves underneath her snout and thought.
If I'm going to be required to sort this out, I'm either going to have to postpone it until court is over or close court early. After that, I now have to deal with potentially reneging on a house acceptance, which should be fine since it's another Noble House doing the ejecting, unless of course this mare wins the duel... Hold on a moment
"Slim fitting, can you describe Quick Silver for me?"
"Absolutely, your highness. The criminal in question is a disgustingly metallic white furred pegasus, with a dull grey mane, far more saturated than mine."
...Crap
Cadance tried to hold her expression, "Would you say this is something that should be dealt with immediately Slim Fitting?" Cadance went to comment on the fact court was meant to be open still, but Slim beat her to the punch.
"Of course, your highness."
Cadance turned towards Amber, "Amber, please close court for the day and fetch my husband, I'm potentially going to need him to help me sort this out."
This is bound to be all over the papers tomorrow.
Amber simply nodded, and started gathering the paperwork that had accumulated over the court day. Cadance turned back to Slim Fitting, who now sported a look between smug and malicious. "Slim, would you please lead me to the Quick Silver estate?" She turned to the guards present, not really caring about Slim Fitting's response, "Guards, I'd like a four pony escort there, just in case."
The guards mobilized, Slim Fitting led on, overjoyed to be the center of attention, leading the princess out of the throne room and on their way.
It's nice to be outside at least
Around about midday in the Crystal Empire, Cadance, lead by a Unicorn Noble along with their four guard escort of crystal guards made their way away from the castle grounds and out onto the streets of the Crystal Empire. It was a nice enough day for a walk, though Cadance found herself stressing over their arrival.
In just under a week, he'd have plenty of time to get here. To plan this whole thing from the start though. Possible?
Cadance tried to keep an even smile on her face as she walked through her city. Waving at the occasional passerby.
Unlikely.
In short order they reached the home in question. It was put away from the rest of the houses on the road, slightly set back and away from the street. Not anything special, the architecture seemed similar to the rough but practical crystal construction of the older homes in the Empire.
"That's the house Princess, this is the yard where I was verbally assaulted!" Slim Fitting presented.
"Thank you Slim Fitting, if you wouldn't mind heading home, I have this situation well in hoof."
"Absolutely not Princess! I'd never have you confront this heathen on my behalf and not be here for you!"
So you want the spectacle. Right
Nobles made Cadance tired. She humorously considered the new noble here, also making her tired
"Just stay with the guards then please." Fitting nodded and Cadance turned to walk up to the home in question, less then a couple of strides and she was there, and gave a quick and simple three knocks on the door. The sound was more of a ding than a thud, the door being made of crystal will do that.
No response.
Cadance knocked again.
She rolled her eyes.
She heard a voice from inside, too far and too 'on the other side of a wall' to make out, just before hearing a set hoof steps come up from the other side of the door. Cadance took a step back as the door swung open inwards, and a metallic white pegasus mare stepped out into the noon-day sun.
Yup, that's him
"Is there something I can help you with Princess?" The mare said with a firm but melodic voice. Like somepony was reciting a poem, or singing a song without any effort to hit the notes.
Not his voice though
"I guess..." Cadance tried to stagger her words and give herself a moment to think, "I'm here to clear up an issue that was brought to my attention."
The mare looked around Cadance at Slim Fitting, who's son was just arriving on scene with Shining Armor, Amber, and two more Crystal Guard ponies. After a gaze that settled longer than normal, the mare's eyes flicked to Cadance, and gave her an upturned eyebrow raise.
"I don't know what issue you could be here to solve, mayhaps you could clarify?"
"This mare here with me, Slim Fitting, claims that you insulted herself and her son."
"That's correct."
"To which she challenged you to a Dual of Titles?"
"Yup"
"And then you refused."
"That's right."
Cadance, expecting nothing else simply added. "I'm afraid by law, you cannot refuse."
The mare walked around Cadance, and onto the grass, leaving Cadance stood in front of the door. 'Quick Silver' had placed herself in between Cadance and her guard retinue, something she noticed because of her tactically minded husband rubbing off on her.
"Why?"
"Why?" Cadance responded, a higher lilt to emphasize her confusion.
"Why can I not refuse?"
Slim Fitting, who was still standing behind the guards called out, "Because it's the law you mule"
Racism, classic Nobles
Quick Silver laughed, "A law written by Sombra, and I doubt you want to fight me really. So I refuse."
"Hearsay!"
"Slim Fitting that is enough thank you."
"On the contrary, Little Princess, I think it's not nearly enough." Quick Silver said, turning to face Fitting.
So it is you
"You realize that if I were to go about this duel, you'd have to fight me directly, in actual combat?" Silver had started gesturing at themselves and Fitting, confusion plastered over their face.
"Well I'd get to choose a champion wouldn't I?" Fitting rebutted, snarking, and sticking her nose into the air.
Amber, who had been reading during the interaction, glanced up at Slim Fitting and said "Actually, only the wronged parties, initiator of the duel, and immediate family can participate."
Slim's eyes widened, and her mouth blubbered momentarily before her son came to the rescue. "Worry not then mother, I shall be you champion then." Her son, a relatively large purple unicorn stallion with a deep orange mane, levitated/unsheathed a unicorn style rapier from a hilt over his back. Apparently he had went to arm himself.
Amber looked at Cadance and mouthed a phrase they had coined together early in their partnership. It simply meant that there was nothing Cadance could do about what was going on. At least not for any legal reason.
Quick Silver looked over her shoulder at Cadance, "You really want me to do this?"
Sounds like a coded phrase, he, uh, they know they can't get out of this, what they're really asking is
"I don't think you have a choice."
Ie: 'go ahead, just don't really hurt anypony'
"Alight then." Quick Silver rolled their shoulders and flexed their wings, bounced a couple of times on their hooves and called out, "Come on up then boy, let's see what'cha got."
Shining, who was observing wondered aloud, "Is that a Trottingham accent?"
"Manehatten actually"
Shining, immune to the nonsense of the nobles, nonchalantly made a 'huh' gesture, and went back to calmly observing.
"Where is your weapon?" Cadance said
"Don't need one Princess"
The opposing combatant smirked, "Well then this should be over quick then." Before anypony could respond, he rushed Quick Silver and struck out with his telekinetic blade. Quick Silver, who had taken a step forward as soon as they noticed they were about to be attacked, simply lifted a hoof and caught the blade in the frog of their hoof.
It being a rapier, and the attack being a stab, the blade sank down to Silver's shoulder. Only the small grip on the hilt was visible.
Cadance's eyes bulged, and she heard several gasps from nearby. Silver then ripped the blade from the telekinetic aura suspending it, took another two steps forward, and punched the stunned Stallion in the jaw with a right hook that sent him tumbling over.
Nopony moved. Silver went back to a casual stance. The currently unnamed combatant groaned. On the floor.
Slim Fitting rushed from the guards to her son, "My baby! Get away from him!" She ran up and scooped her son into a hoof to check on his snout.
Silver walked up to the two of them, and kicked Slim Fitting in the face as well. Slim, who had significantly less bodyweight than her son, went skidding across the grass, and began to cough as she struggled to stand.
Everypony looked on with wide eyes.
"This duel is over!" Cadance shouted, "There is a clear winner! I declare this duel over!"
The stallion, found his legs and glared at the pony that just attacked his mother. "Nonsense! I have yet to yield!"
Silver, who up until this point was keeping their left front leg straight and stiff, bent her limb at the knee, and pushed the tip of the blade out of her shoulder. The act sprayed a bit of blood onto the Stallions face, and Silver grabbed the blade in her teeth and pulled it out through her whole leg, once it was removed, she straightened up, and spat the blade at his hooves, and said "Then yield."
The stallion, stuttered in fear at Slivers gaze, and somewhere in there, he yielded. Silver announced "Cadance is right, the duel is over. Now if you'll all excuse me, I've been a bit busy as of late." Silver then tuned back to her home, gave a quick glance to Cadance, and then began walking towards the door again.
Amber spoke up from the crowd, "Silver wait! You've won the Duel of Titles, before you can leave you must claim a boon from the house you defeated."
Slim Fitting, having recovered, and in a furry began yelling, "Excuse me! Absolutely not! She attacked me! I am a non-combatant, She threw the duel! She doesn't get anything!"
Amber, shrunk under Slim Fitting's yelling and spittle, and Shining Armor interposed himself between the two of them. "Actually ma'am, because you placed your hooves on one of the duelists, you became a combatant. It didn't matter that it was you son, it still put you in the ring."
Slim Fitting only became more enraged, "That is absolute nonsense! Nonsense I tell you! How dare you side with this mad dog!"
"Slim Fitting that is enough! You have made a clear and utter fool of yourself! You should b-"
"It's okay," normally nopony interrupts Cadance when she's tounge lashing somepony, but the softness and nearness of the voice stopped Cadance in her tracks. Quick Silver, from her side, waved with their bleeding leg and called out to Amber, "I don't want anything."
Silver then entered her home.
Cadance didn't really know what to do in the moments after, and in the moment during the silence that followed she raced to come to a decision for a course of action.
"Then that's it. Amber, can you please send me the correct paperwork for filling all this out when we return to the castle?"
Slim continued her nonsense, "What!? What do you mean 'That's it'! You have to do something about this! About her!"
Before Cadance could respond, Shining Armor, the Love of her life, did it for her.
"And what exactly would you have us do? By your own account, Silver broke no laws besides ignoring your duel, and now that the duel is over, still no laws have been broken. We can't arrest or prosecute somepony who did nothing wrong."
"Nothing wrong! I aught to-!"
"We can however arrest a noble who causing a public disturbance."
That mollified Slim right quick. Her son had approached from behind and mumbled something along the lines of 'maybe we should just escape with our dignity'
Slim turned back to Shining with a scowl and with a "Fine then" absconded with her son, making a quick trot away from the crowd that had formed, the guards, and the Princess.
Cadance approached Shining. "That's him."
Shining looked back towards the stallion following after Slim, "Who?"
"No, Quick Silver. It's him" She said and made a 'please understand what I'm saying face' and nodded towards the abode in question.
Shining's eyes widened, and he looked past Cadance towards the house, "Oh. Him."
Cadance waited for a more complex response, Amber meanwhile, "Who's him? To be clear Princess? Unless I was mistaken, Quick Silver is a mare."
Cadance turned towards Quick Silver,
uh
"Cadance is referring to the Changeling, Quick Silver."
Amber's eyes bugged out, "The-!"
Cadance put a hoof over her mouth, and looked at Shining and silently yelled "WHAT?" Over Amber's shoulder.
"Don't worry Amber, we know of them, and they're here on our express permission, right Cadance?"
Ah, I get it now, quick. Nice
Cadance let go of Amber, "Yes, but it's all hush hush, so please don't yell out Amber?"
Amber recovering from the shock, simply nodded and didn't say anything.
"Me and Cadance are going to go talk to 'Quick Silver'" He said with a conspiratory tone, "And meet you back at the palace, okay?"
Amber nodded and turned looked at Cadance while tucking the book she brought onto her back, "I'll make sure I have all the paperwork ready for you when you return Princess, should we plan to re-open court?"
"No, we're probably going to be out for at least another hour."
Amber looked between the two, and without any signs of obvious issues, Amber turned away and began making her way back to the palace.
Shining sidled up next to Cadance as she turned to face the door. "So what now" He was quiet enough that nopony would overhear, but was still mostly talking normally.
"What now? I don't know!" She rushed out as they began walking towards the door together.
"I thought you said you had a plan for this!" He whisper shouted
"An big picture plan, I wasn't ready for this in particular"
"So there's no plan?"
Ugh
"No."
"Good thing I've been practicing then."
As they stepped up onto the home's foundation Shining started casting a spell. In a couple of moments, a spell matrix appeared at the tip of his horn, and Cadance began to glow in his aura. Runic structures began appearing around her, and a fur-tight golden shield congealed around her before becoming translucent. Shining cast the same spell on himself moments after.
"Dark magic wards, Twilight sent me an all purpose spell."
"Nice, and quick thinking with that changeling call"
"Thank you"
They shared a quick kiss and Cadance knocked.