//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Where Only Silver Shines 
// by Etyco Filly 
//------------------------------//

The yard behind the west wing of the Hockney manor was as noisy as ever, the clang of steel from sparring recruits, as well as the shouts of their instructor filling the air.

In contrast, the wing’s interior remained as quiet as ever. A group of younger trainee guards sat hunched over their books. Some of them occasionally whispered to each other, only to be hushed by their teacher.

Further down the hall, most offices either stood empty, or were occupied by a pony filling out paperwork.

In one of them, however, a pink-maned white unicorn endlessly paced. Pearflower occasionally bit her lip, clicked her tongue, sighed, or glanced at the clock, then at the note on her desk detailing her assignment. After several more minutes of this routine, she finally shook her head and walked towards her desk.

A few moments after she sat down, a knock sounded at the door. Her eyes shot wide, her muscles tensed, and she scrambled towards it. Pearflower took a deep breath, and her tail flicked before she pulled the door open, revealing a stallion clad in blue dark-steel armour.

Pearflower blinked, looking down at the pegasus in front of her. Despite the dark rings under his eyes, he wore an amiable smile. “Hello, Pearflower,” said Silverstring.

After holding her breath for a few more seconds, Pearflower relaxed. “Silver, what a surprise. Never thought I’d see you again, to be honest. Where have you been?” She furrowed her brow, mouth slightly ajar as she took another glance at his armour. “Wait a second, don’t tell me you’re here with House Fell.”

He chuckled. “I am.” Donning an amused, cocky grin, he raised an eyebrow. “Is that really such a surprise?”

Pearflower rolled her eyes. “Still as serious as ever, I see.” She shrugged. “I guess that explains why they put me in charge of making sure the viscount has a good stay for the negotiations.” She chortled. “I’m hardcore relieved to have you here. You know I’m not the best with words, so I was super-duper worried I would mess it up.”

“Yeah, I remember. You more than made up for it with volume, though. I don’t think poor Sapphire Edge’s ears have recovered.” With a laugh, he added, “Neither have mine, for that matter.”

Pearflower’s smile turned sheepish. “Heh, sorry.”

“Anyway, if we want to keep catching up, we should probably do so in a place that’s not in the middle of a hallway.” He shrugged. “Oh, and I have a long trip behind me, so it would be nice to get out of this suit.”

“Oh! Right.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “We should probably get the viscount to his quarters, too. Deeefinitely shouldn’t make him wait.” She gestured down the hallway. “I’m guessing he’s waiting in the entrance hall. Need to go past it anyway to reach the guest rooms. You’ll have your own as well, right next to his. Are there any other guards with you?”

Silverstring’s grin widened as he left Pearflower the space to exit the tiny office. “Just me and myself.”

As Pearflower locked the door, Silverstring took a few steps forward. When they both started walking, her eyes were drawn to his flank. In the twenty-one years since his disappearance, he had gained a lot of muscle. Without blushing, Pearflower averted her gaze. His face had lost its childlike fat, leaving behind a sharp jawline. While his remaining wing covered one of his flanchards, the runes engraved on the other side showed the real value of this armour set, and, indirectly, Silverstring’s importance.

Pearflower gasped, prompting Silverstring to turn his head and raise an eyebrow. “Your wing!” she cried. “What happened‽”

He replied with a rueful smile. “It’s a long story. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“I’m so sorry…” she muttered.

“It’s all right. I’ve learned to do without.”

For the next few minutes, they continued down the corridor in silence.

When they reached the empty entrance hall, Pearflower’s eyebrows furrowed and lifted. “I think we have a problem…” She quickly checked behind the pillars, as if a pony could hide behind them. She gulped. “Where’s the viscount?”

Yet as she met Silverstring’s eyes, he wore a smug, confident smile. “The viscount came alone.” Pearflower blinked. Silverstring chuckled. “Like I said, we have a lot to catch up on.”