//------------------------------// // The Mare and the Council // Story: Macintosh of Arabia // by Crisis_Vyper //------------------------------// The next morning is very pleasant for the Equestrians, for they managed to have a nice rest for once in Saddle Arabia. The reasoning for such a nice rest however are quite different for each one of them; for Big Macintosh it is just being able to smell the aroma of leaves and fruits, For Nurse Redheart, it is being able to sleep on a decent bed for once rather than sleeping on the ground, and for Vinyl it is being in a place that made her a pony, free from being treated as something lesser than a pony. Before long, the servants enter their quarters with the serving of food and once they have done their duties, they left the room to let the Sheikhs, the Saddle Arabians and the Janissary bodyguards to eat their breakfast in peace. Vinyl was about to take the first bite before one of the Janissary stopped her. Vinyl wonders what is going on before the Jannisary tasted every morsel before them and sip on each of their beverages. The Sheikhs did not stop the Janissary, and so Vinyl assumes that this is some normal ritual that they always do before everypony else eats. Big Macintosh and Nurse Redheart knew better of course, as this behavior is unlike what they have seen before. Usually everyone will be digging into their meal now, and this act is utterly uncharacteristic of the hospitality and generosity of the Saddle Arabians. The Janissary waited for a little while before giving everyone else his approval. Soon enough, everyone else digs into their food and started eating their breakfast. It was halfway through this meal that Sheikh Fahd answered the thoughts that are on the Equestrians' mind. "Rashid here was tasting our food just in case it was poisoned. It is their role as bodyguards in a setting like this." Vinyl then stopped eating for a while, and realized the implications of it all. Her face became even paler than usual. "But we did not have that the first time we had a feast with you Sheikh Fahd....." Big Macintosh said, and he realize that the light brown stallion shakes his head in disagreement. "It is not our clan's way to poison a rival from the same clan. It is forbidden in fact, so our clan always does things rather openly when it comes to two clanspony vying for power and the Janissary only respect the strongest of the clan. In the company of other clans, anything goes and the Janissary take no chances." The Sheikh said in a matter-of-factually way. Sheikh Fahd had caught on to the subtle body gestures of the Equestrians and went about explaining the justification of such an action. "Remember ponies, that we are in the heart of the lair of serpents. Our rivals are everywhere, ready to strike. We only wished for your safety here as well as our own." The burly Sheikh said before he sips on his tea. This unnerves the Equestrians even more and the Equestrians could only wonder how these ponies could even say such a thing without even a change in their tone or mannerism. Big Macintosh is now worried about how he will survive in this byzantine political culture, and how this is entirely a different world from his simple farm life in Ponyville. Nurse Redheart is worried that she might be already too late to save her patient-to-be, and whether she would be blamed for his death. For Vinyl, it is a much more simpler thought; Buck, what have I gotten myself into? Nurse Redheart seriously wonders why did the Healer's Organization not told her about the unnaturally byzantine bureaucracy of the Saddle Arabians. She was expecting to meet her patient immediately so that she could assess his state of health. But instead, here she is, the only mare in a room filled with mostly old stallions Sheikhs. The room is rather large and it is actually very plain as compared to the rest of the palace's architecture, with the exception of an empty throne that is made from a single unblemished piece of marble. Unfortunately, as a result of the spartan nature of the hall, she noticed a lot of glances from the other stallions, some staring at her to the point that if their stares were razors, her dress would have been eviscerated right about now. To add to her lament, none of the stallions even remotely fits her type so that she could at least forgive them for looking at her. She begins to miss the rather tight and shapely flanks of Big Macintosh as she endured the glares of the stallions in the room, before she snaps back to reality. Bad Redheart......don't think about his heavenly flank right now. I need to focus here..., the white mare said inwardly. It was then that the equine that the white mare recognized as the Grand Vizier proceed to speak to the rest of the stallions about the agenda for the morning. "This morning's agenda is that of Nurse Redheart's role of being the physician for our dear Emir Shaddam Khalifah the Fourth, whom we all know as not being in the best of shape. For the sake of the Equestrian, this meeting shall be conducted in Equestrian." Suddenly one of the elder equines started saying something in Saddle Arabian in an angry and insulted tone. Before long several other Saddle Arabian elders are also voicing out their discontent. Of course, none of the stallions know that Nurse Redheart understand their language. "Why do we have to speak in the language of the infidels Milord?!?! Not to mention we have to stoop down for a mare so that she could understand our fine and proud language! This is blasphemy!" "Indeed, we all know that mare healers are more suited to helping other mares give birth, and they are unable to understand the complexities of the finer arts of healing!" "If it suits you all Milords, you may conduct your council in Saddle Arabian for I do understand what all of you are saying. In fact I am willing to go on your level when it comes to the talks, so that I can better describe of my credentials as a healer befitting that of your Emir. If your stallion healers have such credentials that would rival my own, I would not be needed here at all." Nurse Redheart's tone is calm, but its sting is utterly painful for the stallion's pride. The whole atmostphere of the room had just gotten more colder, but Nurse Redheart would take none of this horseshit. "Indeed, indeed. On behalf of the Emir, I seek your forgiveness Miss Redheart. As of this moment, you are the best healer in the whole of Saddle Arabia, and your expertise is much appreciated in helping the Emir to a road of smooth recovery." The Grand Vizier bows in apology. The other stallions that had belittled the mare did not even apologize for their mannerism. Sheikh Fahd could only wonder if this would go down well at all, as he could already sense the antagonism and misogyny of a number of the Elders. However, they are not the stallion that he is after, but instead he is looking for those that are more sympathetic towards the healer mare. "Milady, I may be an old stallion but nonetheless I do know of a great healer when I see one. May I ask, based upon what you have heard of our Emir, can you tell us of the illness that troubles him so?" A very wizened old stallion with heavy lines on his face started speaking, and his voice is raspy and dry. Sheikh Fahd immediately recognized the stallion as the Chief Healer of the Emir, and if he started speaking the other Elders would not be able to refute his words. "With pleasure Milord. Based upon what I have heard, I can safely deduced that his ailment is that of the soul rather than that of the body." Soon enough there is the simmering sound of murmurs throughout the room. "Oh? Do tell, Milady. I would like to know myself of this 'ailment of the soul'." Nurse Redheart paused for a little while as the council now pays attention to the foreigner who apparently could speak fluently in their language. "Milord, the reason why I used 'ailment of the soul' is because I am unable to translate the proper term from Equestrian to Saddle Arabic, and thus this is the best word I can use. From what I have heard, the Emir shies away from people, not eating properly, always in a low mood and unable to experience the pleasures in activities that were formerly enjoyed. The symptoms are there for the diagnostics, but without being in direct contact with the Emir, I will not be able to see if the condition inflicting the Emir are truly what I feared. This is why I must ask the Council as a whole to allow me to tend to the Emir in order to help him." The old wizened stallion clops his hooves, giving her a smile after hearing her explanation. His smile is that of a stallion who had finally found somepony who could help him in his royal duties of understanding something that he is utterly clueless about. However after the clopping hooves, Sheikh Fahd's ears are greeted with the ringing of the deafening silence in the hall espite the silence the Sheikh could understand the fear that they have for the mare. On one hand, the fact that the Chief Healer of the Emir is ecstatic about her explanation showed that her skills are on par with the Chief Healer of the Emir, the most learned equine in the arts of healing throughout the whole of Equestria and she could indeed heal the king. On the other hand, she is a mare and no mare other than the concubines and the Head Wife shall touch the Emir. Thirdly the fact that she is a foreigner means that nobody could trust the mare at all. For all they know she is an assassin hired by Sheikh Fahd to assassinate the Emir for his bid for the title of Emir. True enough all of these thoughts are spoken out loud by the Elders. "Even the Chief Healer had approved of her credentials. Why not let her heal the Emir?" A green stallion started speaking, his voice very supportive of allowing Nurse Redheart to go about her duties. However another stallion interjects with anger. "Are you mad, you senile fool?!?! Have you forgotten about the rules of the Harem? This mare can never touch the Emir!" The orange stallion now looks at the blue stallion with daggers in his eyes, piercing through the crowd. "Nonsense, exceptions must be made for our Emir unless you truly seek for his death!" This time, a plump green Elder started to speak, pointing accusingly at the orange stallion. "She is a foreigner, and she could corrupt our beloved Emir and forced him to become a puppet for Equestria! We will not stand by this as she used her bewitching ways to turn our own Emir against us!" A black, old stallion started voicing out his thoughts to the rest of the council. Suddenly all of these arguments stopped as one white stallion shouts out loud and points at Nurse Redheart with bloodthirsty eyes. "I say we kill the mare! She is an assassin! She will poison him while she 'heals' him! Suffer not the mare to live!" Nurse Redheart could see the malice in his voice. The awkward silence in the room is such that even the Janissary and the Eternals are looking at each other with great unease, seeing that perhaps something really bad is about to happen in the room and their services may be required after all. It was then that a fuchsia stallion scolds the white stallion. "Do you honestly even think at all you bloody idiot?!?! We would have a diplomatic roll if an official envoy of the Healer's Organization is killed! Saddle Arabia could ill-afford this debacle!" The fuchsia stallion stomps his hof on the ground. "Who cares about the infidels?!?! They deserved to be purged!" Nurse Redheart could not even believe the fanaticism of this particular stallion against foreigners, but that saying even back in Equestria there are nobles who believed in the purity of their blood. However, the horrible thing is that she can see that some of the equines in the room are agreeing with the white stallion. Once again there is an awkward silence, and Sheikh Fahd walks beside the mare and puts a hoof on her shoulder. She turns around and looks at the Sheikh with her azure blue eyes, not believing this utter nonsense. The Sheikh could only shake his head, and the mare could see that even the Sheikh is utterly disappointed with the current state of affairs. "This is going to be a very long morning isn't it?" Nurse Redheart facehoof as she understands his disappointment with these stallions. As the council meeting comes to a close, Nurse Redheart had endured hours of misogyny and utter racism, in addition to many name-calling, slanderous remarks and verbal twisting between the nobles themselves. It seems that the council is equally divided in allowing Nurse Redheart to even do her duty as a physician, and each stallion in the room have their own reasons for doing so. Some are petty and outright stupid, such as the fundamentalist white stallion, while others are trying to stall for time until a greater solution could be found that would benefit them as well. Some are functioning with a much more complicated agenda that are as convoluted as it is confusing. "And thus with the court being equally divided, we shall proceed with even more meetings until this issue is unanimously agreed or disagreed upon. By the power invested by the Nine Steps of The Grand State of Affairs of Saddle Arabia, this meeting in regards to the allowance of the Equestrian physician to meet with the Emir is adjourned." With a single hoof clop, the meeting is over, and now the other stallions are moving out from the room in unison, muttering things that she could not listen to. As Nurse Redheart, Sheikh Fahd and the Janissary walks out from the council room, she could see that already some of the stallions are in their own little world of intrigues and plot, making and breaking alliances in the courtly manner of this nation. Nurse Redheart of course had no idea about the intricacies and rituals of this byzantine court, for she only wanted to uphold her medical oath and be done with it. It was then that she noticed a middle-aged turquoise equine coming up towards them. He bows in respect, and the Sheikh bows in return. The stallion then turns his attention to the mare, his steely silver eyes looking at her own blue eyes. "I am truly sorry about the way in which my countrypony acted in the hall. However, this is not why I am meeting you here right now. Please come to the Halls of Healing by late afternoon and tell the receptionist that Ramallah had send for you. " The old pony bows and fades into the crowd before the mare could even say anything. "Nurse Redheart, it seems that we have gotten ourselves a very big fish." Sheikh Fahd says with much certainty.