Matthew's head swirled as his vision blurred white. A massive light was shown in his eyes, which made the headache all the more painful. He called out to his brother, "Mark! Mark!"
"What?" Mark said in a whining tone with a hint of pain. His stomach nagged at him and twisted in funny ways.
"Did we smoke weed?" Matthew asked in a worried tone.
"Am I sixty yet?"
"No"
"There you go."
"Thank you." After the thanks, Mark put up a thumb up.
Matthew only had enough enthusiasm to roll over on his stomach and groan. Mark did the same, but positioned himself in the recovery position, anticipating the vomiting fit that usually plagued him after late night drinking parties with his brother. Mathew propped himself up on his forearms. As he did, he noticed two feet standing before him. He looked up with hazy eyes and could see someone dressed in white.
"Mark. I think we're dead." Matthew said. Mark groaned a 'what?' "An angel is standing right in front of me." The figure bent down to his level. When they did, he could see that it was a woman. "Correction, it's the Blessed Virgin." The figure outstretched her hand and touch Matthew's shoulder.
"Did the world end?" Mark asked with a sense of worry.
"If it didn't happen five years ago, it aint happening now." Matthew said in a less than graceful tone.
"I don't think you know where you are?" said the angelic woman.
"Where are we then, Mary?" asked Matthew.
"First of all," she began. "my name is not Mary. Secondly, you're not dead." She gave a hopeful smile to Matthew.
"Did you hear that, Mark?" Matthew said turning his head. "We're not dead."
As a symbol of his relief, Mark gave his signature noise. Which sounded like a happy, gargling, purr. The woman laughed a little.
"She laughs at your noise." Matthew said.
"No." Mark replied. "She laughs at the size of your dick."
Matthew grabbed the crown that the female was wearing. "Please, excuse me." He then threw it at his brother with a tiny grunt, and hit the back of his head.
"Ooowww!" Mark cried. "Ya jackass!"
The woman issued and angry stare to Matthew as the crown rolled back to them. She grabbed the headpiece and placed it back on her head. He only stared back and shrugged. Matthew stood up slowly and dusted off his black shirt and denim jeans.
"Sorry." Matthew said with sincerity. "What were you saying?"
The royal, what he thought her to be judging from the crown, adjusted the headpiece and cleared her throat. "You are not dead. You are just part of an unfortunate accident, perpetrated by my student's mistake."
Matthew, with his vision not so clouded anymore, looked around the room that he was in. It was a library, a large one at that. Books stacked on shelves in a neat and orderly fashion. After taking in the surroundings, Matthew noticed there were two women, not just one, standing in the room. The first, the one speaking, had a head of shimmering multicolored hair that cascaded and wisped softly even though not a breeze graced the room. She stood about an inch or two shorter than Matthew, but had a stance that could only come from royalty. Her garb also gave it away. Clothed in pure white silk, her dress had a flowing accent to it. The cuffs on her wrists were made of patterned lace, and her white strapped sandals almost looked like they were ivory. The most astonishing feature was what looked like two tattoos on her upper arms. They both shared the same forms. Suns. The second female shrunk quietly backwards. Her face was partially covered by her purple hair with a hot pink stripe running through her mane that was known to him as a skunk stripe. She was considerably shorter than Matt, but something about her said that her size really didn't mean anything, for if he learned anything, it was that size matters little. And she appeared to be a student of some sorts. She wore a simple purple dress and boots of the same color, along with a worried expression.
"I got to say," Matthew said after returning his attention to the shimmering haired lady. "This is one of the most interesting accidents I have been in."
Mark belched and got up from his recovery position, obviously feeling better. He got up and stretched a little, then recognized the two females in the room. He turned his gaze away from them for am moment and admired the architecture of the place. "Wow, Matt." he said. "This looks like the study back at your house." His gaze fell back to women in the room. His face went from confusion to a sense of overwhelming.
Matthew looked to his brother and then turned back to the royal, then said "Please, excuse me while I consult with my brother." Matthew turned on Mark and put an arm around his shoulders. "Mark." he whispered. "Do you know where we are?" Matthew was on the verge of sheer excitement.
Mark smiled stupidly and said "Are we at the Wonka Chocolate Factory?" His brother gave him a firm slap upside the head and shot him an angry glare.
Marks expression and tone quickly turned south. "Fuckin' lighten up, dude. We're in Equestria. Can't you turn off the seriousness for once and enjoy yourself?"
Matthew's expression turned confused. He had been up tight, even more than before actually, since he made it to the rank of Sergeant in the Marine Corps. He saw the logic in his brother's reasoning. Though his brother's claim was an assumption, it was not too unbelievable due to the fact that the woman dressed in white showed little to disprove that she was what was known to them as Princess Celestia. Her hair also gave it away. However, she did not seem to share the equine form that they have come to know and love. He let out a sigh and tried to unclench his muscles.
Matthew looked the woman. "There is a question that is nagging at me, ma'am. Is there a way back from this?"
"Of course." she said. "I can send you both back at the same time you came here." she said in a reassuring tone.
"At any time?"
The woman nodded.
"Let me consult with my brother again, please." Matthew took the same position and whispered to his brother. "Are you processing this information like I am?"
"Like this?" Mark began. "Staying here for as long as we can and have a fuck ton of fun and a life time of experience when we go back."
"Bingo."
"We need to remember the date and time though."
"Of course. I do remember looking at my watch last and it saying the 25th of July at 10 p.m. We can write it down and store it away for later."
"Cool."
Matthew turned his head back to the woman for a second and then went back to his brother. "My head is all over the place right now."
"Well." Mark replied. "Let's start with the basics."
"Your basics are different than my basics."
"Mannerisms and all that shit. Then we ask about why we're here and all the other corresponding questions."
"Okay. I will follow your lead because if you follow mine, someone is going to end up being interrogated."
"We will also need to acquire the certainty that we can return home."
"Given. We also need to establish the times we are in. The purple haired girl, obviously being Twilight Sparkle, has not yet left Canterlot; Princess Celestia's school; or puberty for that matter. She looks really young. We also need to keep in mind that we are in, what is considered, a hostile environment, solely on the lack of intel. So, we got all this?"
"I think so."
"I am so glad I'm with you on this and not some tard. I can't even think in tandem with our brother, Michael. Let alone some dumbass from my platoon."
"The feeling is mutual. These guys at the Naval Base are intelligent people, but they sometimes lack the intuition that should come with the position and training."
"As long as we keep our tandem thinking, we can make sense of this mess we are in."
The duo broke the small huddle and turned back towards the pair of females. Mark spoke first. "Please allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Mark and this is my brother Matthew. And we are pleased to make your acquaintance.
The shimmering haired woman gave Mark a confused look and said. "Can you say your names again, please?"
"Of course." Mark cleared his throat. "I am Mark and this is Matthew, my brother."
The woman still gave him the confused look again. "I-I just can't hear the names. I see you mouth them, but no sound parts from your lips when you say them."
Mark gave an annoyed look.
"You need to consult with your brother again?" the woman asked as she read his expression.
Mark nodded and went back into a huddle with Matthew. "Got any ideas?"
Matthew nodded. "We can pick different names. Names that we can remember right off the bat."
"Like?"
"Our Confirmation saint names. My name would be Ignatius and yours would be Aquinas. Sound good?"
"Yes. Break."
The pair turned back to their female counterparts. Mark spoke again. "My name is now Aquinas and my brother is Ignatius. Did you hear that, madam?"
The lady still gave him a confused look. "I'm sorry, but no."
Mark put his palm on his forehead and let out a sigh of frustration.
The angelic female giggled. "I'm just joking. I did hear your names, Sir Aquinas."
At that the brothers exchanged concerned looks. "The plague." Matthew, Ignatius, said in a ghastly voice.
"Now that we have that out of the way." Mark said as he turned back to the women. "What are your names?" As if he didn't already know.
"I am Princess Celestia." said the woman dressed in white. "Ruler of Equestria. And this is my student, Twilight Sparkle."
"A pleasure to meet both of you." Ignatius said with a slight bow.
"We are sorry for this whole mess." said Celestia. "We were only trying to summon two pigs, when, well . . . I guess we succeeded!" The Princess laughed.
Matthew gave a snort of contempt. He didn't like to be made fun of.
Mark, on the other hand, laughed hysterically. It wasn't every day that one is able to be graced by, Trollestia herself. So whatever she would throw at them, Aquinas hoped that she would give it all she's got. He loved to laugh. "And you tried to summon these pigs from another plane of existence?" Mark's seriousness returned. "And you also said that you can send us back."
Celestia nodded in affirmation. "I can."
"Well that explains the who, what, when, where, why and how, but I can't rap my mind around one thing."
"What is that?"
Mark thought hard before he spoke. To reveal the true, or what was considered true, nature of Equestria and its inhabitance, would lead to more than a million questions, all directed towards the brothers. So instead, he said, "Equestria is mentioned in our plane of existence in legend, but parts of the stories are untold. I am wondering what period we have stepped into."
Matthew chimed in at this point. "How long has it been since your sister was banished to the moon?" His blunt question was rewarded with an icy stare from his brother. Matthew only locked his gaze to Celestia. "It would help to know this information."
It was Celestia's turn to ponder her answer, and the next question. "It would be 990 years to the beginning of next year's Summer Sun Celebration. How does this information help you?"
"It gives a base point of reference for the time period. Like my bother said. Some of the legend of Equestria is not spoken of, and this is one of those parts."
"So what you're saying is" Celestia inquired "that you know not of what happens now, but know what is to happen in the future?"
Ignatius shrugged. "Even that is uncertain at this point. However, because we have entered this so early, we have time to prepare for whatever twists and turns that the future may or may not take."
The four stood in the room in silence for a moment. Both sides digested the words the other spoke. Celestia wondered many things about these two men. Who were they really? Why these two men? And more importantly are they hiding something? The males wondered, in tandem, what was going on here. Why had they been brought here and not the pigs? Why can't their names be spoken? More so, why was Matthew picturing a bacon sundae in his head at a time like this? The silence lasted for a good minute, but it felt like an hour passed by. The silence was broken when a guard was heard bounding up the stairs. Matthew's ears recognized the pace. They were urgent and quickened steps. The guard had some important news. When he finally made it up the stairs, he leaned on his knees which were gilded plates of metal. He panted heavily. He muttered something indecipherable and tried to recuperate.
"Guardsman." Celestia said. "Calm yourself. Collect your thoughts, your breath, and then speak."
The guard took a few long breaths, and then stood up, presenting himself with a measure of dignity. "Your highness. Your steward is searching for you."
The Princess nodded. "I will see her shortly. Thank you, guardsman." The guard issued a salute and did a facing movement before leaving. "Royal duty calls. If you could, gentleman, I would like you to join me. On the way, we can talk more."
"And what of your student?" Ignatius asked.
"She has her studies to tend to, don't you Twilight?"
"Yes, princess." Twilight said. "Spike!" As she called, a biped lizard came into view from behind a case of books. He wore a white, cotton twill shirt under a purple vest that complimented his scales which shared the color. The dark green cotton pants went well with his emerald eyes. He stood no taller than waist height on Aquinas. His feet and hands were uncovered, as to freely use them for climbing. The most interesting feature though was the row of spines on his body. Some of them stuck out from his shirt from the holes cut in it. "Ignatius, Aquinas, I would like you to meet my assistant, Spike."
To the brothers, he looked like a young Argonian from the Elder Scrolls games that they used to play back home. But seeing as how this was Equestria, it was safe to assume that Spike was, as per the legend, a dragon. A baby at that. It was almost kind of weird to see him like this. Almost. It was more than a treat to see a real dragon.
"Hi. I'm Spike, and I'm a dragon." said the scaly biped with a sense of pride.
"I can see that." Aquinas said. "I understand that your kind possess special abilities." Mark's inquiry was met with a knowing smile from Matthew. They wanted to see him send a scroll to Celestia.
"That's right." he said with enthusiasm. "I can breathe fire, climb on walls, and see in the dark."
"Interesting."
"Spike." Twilight chimed in. The dragon babe shrugged embarrassingly as he turned on his superior. "I need you to get these two a book on Equestrian history."
"Also." Matthew said. "We will need something written down."
"What's that?" Spike asked.
"A date."
Spike pulled out a scroll from his pocket and ran to the other side of the library and grabbed quill and ink. "Ready."
"25. J.U.L. 17." Matthew said at length.
"25JUL17." Spike repeated. "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Put it in a book on Military History." Matthew answered. Mark gave him a thumbs up in approval for his easy choice for a keepsake spot.
Spike carried out the order for Ignatius and Twilight at the same time. It just so happened, both books sat next to the other. Spike put the note on a random page of the Military text book and grabbed the history tome. On returning, he handed the book to Ignatius.
"That book will help you if you plan on staying here." the young girl's intuition earned her some points in brothers' mental records. "Do bring it back in good condition."
"Sure." Matthew said. "I will have to take good care of it if I wish to know more about the land we are in. I thank you, Twilight Sparkle." Ignatius gave a slight bow and walked towards Celestia with his brother in tow.
"So." Celestia began the conversation. "I see you favor the military. Are you both combatants in your world?"
"Yes we are." Mark responded. "I am a Ensign in my country's Navy, and my brother is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps for the same. A former Airman . . ." Mark got a look from his brother. Mark was prepared though.
"Airman?" Celestia asked.
"Yes." Mark said. "Our air power is unmatched. The greatest flyers in the world."
"You have Angels in your world?" Celestia was intrigued by this. Angels. That word rung in both their ears. They both figured that reading the history book would give them the answers they seek.
"Yes." Mark said without lying, on the fact that he was referring to the Blue Angels. "We do."
"Fascinating."
"Ya." Matthew said. "We are the best." His charisma was almost as abundant as pineapples in the tundra.
"Did you fly well, Ignatius?"
"I didn't fly." he said with an even tone. "I was part of the force that didn't need flyers, but workers. I was an engineer. I built roads and airfields."
"Why the switch?"
"It's a long story that I would not like to tell, but if your curiosity is getting the better of you, the short version is, I wanted to see combat, so I joined the few and proud."
"Did you see combat?"
"Plenty. I joined the Marines after our war on terror ended in one of the foreign desert countries, but a new war began in the same region after active hate groups in a neighboring nation spilled over to their neighboring nation and a whole war ensued after our embassy was attacked. Under our president Romney, we were able to issue total war and it ended with us winning within three years. It was a bloody ass conflict."
"What is that like?"
"What's 'what' like?"
"To kill someone?"
Matthew was stunned. He didn't expect her to ask such a question. But he was happy to oblige her abundant curiosity. "Well." he said. "It's kind of like when you're holding an egg and that egg is someone's life. One twitch can break it. Holding it though gives you . . . kind of a rush. To decide if a man lives or dies. For me, it was like getting a taste of what it would be like to be a god."
Celestia recoiled a bit from the response. She wasn't expecting an answer so grim. To her, it was as if he enjoyed killing. Mark wasn't surprised by his brother's answer, and not just because he had already heard it, it was because he had an idea of what it was like. He had been in some scraps in bars, and he almost killed a man with his fists. Though that man lived, the twenty-six that Matt faced did not. It did give kind of a rush, but what Celestia didn't ask is what it is like after you kill them. The princess just shook her head quickly. Showing that she would like to change the subject.
"What is it like in your world, Aquinas?" asked the Princess hastily. She asked the latter because she feared what Ignatius would say.
"Our world" Aquinas said. "is very rich and beautiful. It is full of many wonders. Wonders and marvels that I hoped to experience while in the Navy."
"Aren't marines in the navy?"
"Yes. That's why they are a corps. Yet they operate as a separate branch of our military."
"So in retrospect, you are your brother's superior."
"True. But I know better than to lord something like that over my brother. Especially with the fact that Ignatius has plenty more military experience than I, let alone I have just gotten out of officer school not too long ago."
"Have you and your brother always been close?"
"Since my birth."
Princess Celestia looked to Ignatius who couldn't help but smile. She had felt a sense of distance from the man, even though he stood closer to her than Aquinas did. Yet, when she saw his petit smile, she felt a warm glow. She knew that Aquinas was going to be an easy feet to figure out. He was lively and appeared to have an exceptional amount of social skill. Whereas, Ignatius would probably prove to be the biggest puzzle of her life.
"What of you, princess?" Aquinas asked, snapping her attention back to him. "What of your family, and how is your life?"
"Well." she began. "You already seem to know that my sister had been banished to the moon. I can guess you already know the story behind that. But when I was young . . ." the princess trailed off. Her memories still stung, even though they happened so long ago. "My parents, died. They suffered under a tyrannical ruler named Discord. Famine and sickness took both of them, but my sister and I were able to bring harmony back to the land with the use of our combined magic. Together, using the Elements of Harmony, we were able to defeat Discord by turning him to stone. And as for my royal duties, they are as you can expect from what you have seen with rulers of your world."
"If that last part is the case then I'm going to snap your neck in three." Ignatius said rather grimly.
The princess obviously didn't take the open threat to kindly as she stopped dead in her tracks and gave him a look, then positioning herself in a stance. Her eyes shot daggers into his. Ignatius stood comfortably. His muscles were relaxed, ready to move in any way to defend himself and then attack. Aquinas jumped in between them and gave both concerned looks. He approached his brother first and took him back a few steps. "Matt." he whispered. "You have no idea what you're dealing with here. She has magic on her side. Your skill is strong, but still weak compared to the countless years of magical experience she has. And your blunt statements are getting us nowhere but in a hole, a hole filled with punji sticks. Please, dull your tongue around the princess." Ignatius issued a long snort and nodded. Mark turned away from his brother and took Celestia in the opposite direction with the same distance. With the same hushed tone he said "Princess, you will have to excuse my brother. His time on the battlefield has left him harsh and cruel. His tongue is sharp, so a lot of what he is going to say will be rather blunt."
"How can I excuse such a threat?"
"I don't ask you to dismiss that, I ask for you to understand. The rulers Ignatius has seen have been absolutely cruel and corrupt to the people under them. He had seen first-hand what those people have done to their subjects and to say that you are the same sets him over the edge."
Celestia sighed in submission. Though it stuck in her mind that now Ignatius was going to be twice as hard to deal with on account of his prejudice towards monarchs. Both sides gave the other expressionless looks and threw mental daggers at each other. It wasn't until a minute passed that they let down their gaze and continued walking. The silence lasted until the trio came to the throne room. When the guards opened the doors, they saw that a woman paced back and forth before the large gold and velvet chair. Her hair was a shade of brown and her cloths matched it with them being a woodland brown gown with tan edgings on the cuffs and bottom lining. The sleeves displaying a vine-like pattern with the same color. Her outfit spoke volumes about her personality to Ignatius. Her plain clothing and frantic pacing along with her indecipherable muttering gave him the thought that this woman had stick shoved pretty far up her butt, figuratively speaking of course. When the trio made it farther into the room, the woman turned on the white gowned matriarch.
"Where have you been?!" shouted the plainly clothed lady. Her tone and forwardness perked Ignatius' eyebrows and narrowed his brother's. Celestia took it as a friendly 'hello', on the account that she could not take it any other way.
"Ignatius, Aquinas, this is my steward, Alvi. Say hello, Alvi." The Princess' smile and light heartedness returned in full at this moment.
The steward just huffed. "My question, your highness." The lady crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
Celestia waved her hand in a circular pattern. "You know how things are since I took up Twilight Sparkle as my student."
"That's no excuse. I have had twelve letters come in today from the Canterlot elite. Banquets and parties. I need you to handle your schedule. I am already having enough problems with that Griffin King. His father was easy to deal with, but now, his son is a pain in my ass."
"I thought that was because of the stick." The princess laughed. Alvi did not take kindly to this. Her face screwed up as she saw the princess giggle.
"Oh." she said in a growl. "If it wasn't for the pay you give me, I would have left your court a decade ago."
Celestia knew this was an empty threat. She always loved to see her steward so riled up. It wasn't because she was sadistic or enjoyed people's misery, it was because her steward was choosing to be angry. She always got all stressed out over nothing. "Oh, alright." she gave in. "What seems to be the trouble?"
"The trouble is," Alvi said with a measure of calm. "that King Hansvilter is still complaining that we are mining on his land. That's the big issue. Not to mention that all these summer festivities are coming up. Then, after all that, we have our usual dealings with the mayors and their respective towns." The steward allowed herself a breath before letting this one out. "And not to mention that we have two men in here that I know nothing about." She walked around the royal and looked at Aquinas quizzically. He just stood there and smiled. His cheerful domineer was expressed fully. He figured, why not bring some relief? It was the wrong move as he soon learned. "What are you smiling at?" she quickly shot. Aquinas' expression turned from happy to insulted so fast, one would have thought a mask dropped off his face. Alvi's eyes shifted over to Ignatius who wore the same serious look he would wear for any occasion. A scowl and low set eye brows. With his eyes fixed like scopes on a sniper rifle. He bored into her with his gaze, analyzing her garb and posture. From what he saw, this woman had more to her than meets the eye. He got a taste when she said, "Combat veteran." He didn't know how she got it, but his question was soon answered. "I can tell by your stance. Your feet are at the eleven and four o'clock position. A universal sign to a fighter that you expect open confrontation." Her mood was a little less threatening. Maybe because she applauded a good fighter when she saw one, or maybe because she knew that if it came to blows, she would rather choose Aquinas over Ignatius as an opponent at this point. More than because she thought the former would be below her skill set. She would be right. Mark demonstrated his ferocity in bar scraps more than a couple of times. It was like watching a bear tear apart wolves. That was it though. Marks size and fighting style would not hold up to Matthew's, and on the same note, Alvi's. It would come down to form and discipline. Two things Mark lacked during a brawl. His size and hit strength seemed to make up for it in a fight with other undisciplined street thugs or non-combat hardened militants. However, Alvi was neither. She was about six or so inches shorter than Ignatius, and Aquinas outweighed her by about 100 pounds. To make up for her stature she would have to possess skill, and a lot of it to be able to stand up to a what the Navy football team nicknamed the Minotaur. But she also had enough sense to spot a lost fight when she saw one, and she saw her end in the eyes of Ignatius. Something about him threw off an aura that told her that this one was dangerous. She liked that. A lot. "So what is your name?" A gleeful smile followed her inquiry.
"Ignatius." he said with a slight bow. "And yours was Alvi, was it?" She did a curtsey in affirmation. Aquinas stood there dumb founded. He was rather insulted by this woman when he showed kindness, and was treated with hostility, yet she was completely polite to his brother.
"What kind of crap is this?" he spoke out loudly. His outburst was met with a threatening glare from the steward. He took that as his cue to advance on her position. Bad move. As if it were a lightning bolt striking him, Aquinas felt a stunning amount of pain in his abdomen. As if that weren't enough, he was then flopped on his back. He bounced a bit as he hit the marble floor. He groaned slightly echoed throughout the room.
"Mark?" Matthew questioned. "Are you going to be all right?" Mark's second grunt told him 'yes'. He turned his head back to Alvi who was comfortably standing a few feet from his fallen brother. "Was that really necessary?" She gave an innocent smile. To him that meant 'no, but it was fun'. He gave a cross smirk to her and went to help his brother up.
"What happened?" Mark asked in pure confusion, with a hint of shock.
"Long story short," Matthew explained. "You got your ass handed to you by the better fighter." His brother's expression still bore confusion. Matthew extended his hand, which Aquinas promptly grabbed and hoisted himself up from the ground. As Aquinas rose he gave Alvi a quizzical look. He looked over her petit size. This woman stood no more than 5'5" and was on the thin side. She didn't seem to be a threat. Just then, lightning struck twice. Mark mentally scorned himself for his incompetence. The lesson that he learned right off the bat from his brother when Ignatius had taught him combatives rang true in his head more than ever. Appearance means nothing. And this woman showed only a loud mouth and small stature, but was hiding the skill to rival her obnoxious voice. Mark just stood there, waiting for another onslaught, but if he did, he would be waiting there a while. With Ignatius standing next to him, Alvi would not try anything, as previously stated, she could see that Ignatius was beyond her skill set.
"Are we done with such pleasantries, Alvi?" the princess was tapping her foot anxiously. She never liked how Alvi dealt with personal annoyances. On top of that, she also didn't like how she added injury to insult. "Because if we are, I would like to handle the matters that you have placed before me."
Alvi gave a sigh. "Fair enough." she said as she turned back to the royal. "I have many letters that need replies and decrees that need updating. After the paper work we will discuss how we are going to deal with the Griffin King."
Celestia was about to speak but stopped herself. She looked to the two brothers. "Why don't you two find some rest, while I deal with this? I will have my guards show you to a room."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Aquinas said with a bow. Ignatius saluted and gave an about-face and followed the guard who volunteered to guide them. As they both left, Celestia let out a sigh. She was washed with a feeling, a unique feeling that their presence here was not by accident, but by some work of fate. She let it go after a second's passing, and began going over the day-to-day business of her royal duties.