Chapter 4: A Friendship Torn and Broken:
“No, it was just Claudia. I told you it wasn't too important, Silver.” but even as the words left Cadence's mouth, she wasn't sure they were true. A nagging feeling tugged at the back of her head telling her that she needed to talk to Claudia, that she should go after her.
“Of course, darling.” Silver Scales smiled at his wife and she smiled back, meeting his loving gaze with her own and the nagging voice began to quiet down. His horn glowed blue and pulled the door the rest of the way shut behind her. “Now... where were we?” His eyes took on a playful fire as his magic wrapped around her middle and pulled Cadence closer.
Giggling, the princess pushed against the pull of his gaze and his magic. “Silver... I really think I need to go talk to Claudia. She seemed.. upset. Out of sorts. Like something was really bothering her.”
The prince's smile faltered for a moment as his horn dimmed, releasing the magic that held her in place, but he shrugged it off, “If you think that's necessary, Love. But if she really wanted to talk to you right now, wouldn't she have stayed and said what she wanted to? You told me she never has trouble speaking her mind.”
“Well... that is true,” Cadence walked toward her side of the bed and jumped up, curling up next to Silver. “She's always told me what's on her mind in the past... but something felt different tonight. Like she was holding something back...” Cadence pursed her lips and thought hard about it. Even though the conversation had just ended, the princess found that it was quickly slipping her mind what had actually transpired, becoming a fuzzy blur in her memory.
Silver Scales placed a hoof on her shoulder, drawing her gaze. “My dearest, why don't you wait until morning? Give Claudia some time to cool off a little. She did sound rather angry, maybe going and talking to her right now would not be the best course of action.”
Cadence found herself nodding slowly in agreement, as the niggling voice in her head finally fell silent. “Yes... yes, of course. You're right, sweetie. I should give Claudia a little time.”
“Unless you really think you need to talk to her-?”
“No, no, you're right. I should let her cool off and calm down.” She giggled again, a gleam in her eye as she snuggled closer to Silver Scales. “Besides... we were right in the middle of something...”
“Oh, indeed.”
~~~
Candlelight danced merrily around the small office, a direct counterpoint to the foul mood of its occupant. Papers crowded the small space, leaving only enough room for the lavender dragon to stretch her claws. Throwing down another cracked quill, Claudia hissed angrily at the black smudge that littered the otherwise immaculate parchment. “Damn it all! Now the scribes will have to draw up another letter to the Crafting Guild! This will put me behind another week- at best! By the Sun, Moon, and Stars!” This last remark was directed at a rather timid knock at the door behind her. “Well come in, Graceful Stroke! Come in already! These papers won't be moving themselves, you know!”
The door cracked open slowly as Claudia blew a gentle flame over the spilled ink to dry it and set the roll of parchment she had soiled on top of several other documents her foul mood had caused her to ruin. “Um... Claudia?”
“What is it Grace? I need you to take both stacks of papers down to the clerks! This one to be rewritten and this one to be sent out to the ponies that need to receive them! It's the same as it always is! Why must you constantly-”
The dragon's angry tirade was silenced by a much more commanding, “Claudia. What is the matter with you this evening?”
Turning violently in her chair, the young dragon jerked to face the annoyed pegasus behind her. “Oh. It's you princess. Whatever are you doing up at this hour? Shouldn't you be asleep, dreaming away this peaceful night while other ponies do your work for you?” The heavy sarcasm in the dragon's voice couldn't be ignored, even by the most benevolent and kind of rulers, of which Cadence was one.
“Claudia, what had gotten into you lately? It's like I don't even know you anymore!”
The dragon laughed a long and bitter laugh, “I could say the same of you, Princess! What has gotten into you lately? First you've been ignoring duties and now you completely let me down today! I only wanted you to come do a routine check of the day guard with me! How hard is that? But no you had to go and forget.”
“Forget? I didn't forget!” Cadence's voice was confused, but Claudia could not hear it. All she heard was her anger echoing in the princess's voice.
“Hah! You completely stood me up! You weren't there when I wanted you- when I needed you- and now you have the audacity to say that you were?”
“But... but Claudia...” Cadence's voice was quiet and sorrowful, “I was there....”
“Don't you pull this crap with me, Princess! You know good and well you weren't there this afternoon! Captain Iron Point and I waited from three o'clock onward until nearly nightfall and you never showed up!” Claudia huffed angrily as Cadence tried to hold back her budding tears.
“I swear I was there...”
That was the last straw for Claudia. Digging her claws into the back of he chair, she screamed, “But you weren't! Stop lying to me, Cadence! Just stop it! You weren't there! You were not! Stop saying you were! You're a horrible liar and I hate you! I hate you so much!” Claudia turned back around and sat down, yanking another quill out of her inkwell. “Now if you don't mind, I have lots of paperwork to take care of, so leave me alone.”
Cadence stood open mouthed in the doorway, tears streaming unbidden down her cheeks. “Claudia...” her voice was so soft it was a whisper and a sob. “I remember being there... with you... and the Captain...” the young princess shook her head, her mane whipping around her face, as she quickly backed out of the room and rushed down the hall.
Claudia turned around again as the door swung on it's hinges, settling half open and illuminating the hall and Cadence as she fled tearfully into the depths of the castle. The dragon, angry as she had been only moments before, stared down the hall after her friend, a sense of confusion and guilt hung in her chest that she wasn't used to feeling. Nor did she like it. But the anger that bubbled so near the surface for all dragons quickly blocked out the guilt and kept Claudia from following her friend. Muttering under her breath, Claudia tried to convince herself that Cadence deserved the tongue lashing she'd been given, but as the evening wore on, she ultimately could not.
Well there's nothing I can do about that now. Claudia thought to herself as she yawned and blew out the now much smaller candle. Perhaps I can talk to Iron Point in the morning. He might know what I can do to make things right with Cadence... that is if she wants to make things right again... and I wouldn't blame her in the slightest if she did not.
~~~
“...and then she just ran out of my office. Like she was actually upset by what I'd said.” Claudia looked up from her feet as she walked next to the guard captain and met his steady gaze with her own. “Which isn't like her at all... at least not these days. Nothing seems to get her down when she's around Silver Scales, but at night these past two days she's been different-”
“More herself, I would think.” Iron Point pointed out in his direct manner. “I'm not an expert in these things, my dear Claudia, but it seems as if our princess is more than just love-struck.”
“Does it?” Claudia was surprised and then paused, nodding slowly, “I suppose that does make sense... and it would explain her interest in royal affairs two nights ago verses her day-to-day ignorance of them.”
“Indeed it would.” the captain agreed.
“But this doesn't help me find a way to repair my friendship with her...” Claudia sighed. “If what you say is true, it won't matter what I tell her during the day, she either will ignore me completely or will forget what I say by nightfall.”
“Nor will she remember what you spoke of last night, it would seem, since she had no knowledge of her promise to come to the inspection yesterday. I would say that your only option will be to hope that tonight she decides to seek you out once again. If that fails...” Iron Point shrugged. “I am not sure what you should do.”
Claudia nodded slowly. “I suppose you're right. Well... I suppose I should get going... have to plan the Crystal Fair and all...” She started moving back towards the castle, but paused and turned back to the captain. “And... thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you right now.”
Iron Point smiled and waved her off, “I know. Now get going. The Crystal Fair won't plan itself!”
~~~
The whole day Claudia sat in her office surrounded by stacks of papers and scrolls only half paying attention to what she was reading and signing. Most of her thought and attention was on what she would say to Princess Cadence that night. Eventually the sun sank below the western horizon and the dragon was forced to light her candles to continue her work.
As she whipped her quill across the dotted line at the bottom of an exceptionally long scroll that she'd just skimmed over, there was a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” Claudia called out as she dropped the quill back down in its inkwell. Turning in her chair, she watched as the door opened and a young mare stepped in. Claudia's scales drooped as it turned out to be Graceful Stroke and not the Princess. “Oh... hello Grace.” she couldn't keep the notes of disappointment out of her voice as she settled back into her chair facing the window. “Uh... everything is where it usually is. Just... take it downstairs... you know... like usual.”
“Of course,” Graceful Stoke lifted the stacks of papers carefully into her saddlebags and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her with a click.
Claudia sighed and unrolled the next scroll, carefully skimming the writing and waiting, anxiously waiting, for another knock at the door behind her.
As the evening wore on several more knocks came, but none of them were the princess. Discouraged, Claudia blew out her candle early and headed back towards her rooms. Well... I suppose it was a tiny bit optimistic to think Cadence would come visit me tonight after the welcome I gave her yesterday... Maybe tomorrow night...
But as the next evening came around, Claudia's hope diminished. She went about the motions of work as best she could, but for the first time in a long time, her heart wasn't in it. What if Cadence was close to pulling out of this, but I was stupid and selfish and chased her back when she needed me most!
Thoughts like this plagued the young dragon as the day went by and nothing Iron Point, or any other pony, could say affected her mood.
She tentatively let her hopes start to rise again that evening as the sun set and each time there was a knock at her door, but they were quickly dashed time and again as Cadence continually failed to appear at Claudia's office door.
“Grace... I'm heading to bed,” Claudia said only a short time after the guards called the midnight hour.
“Of course, Mistress Claudia.” the young servant nodded as she shuffled papers into the saddlebags she wore slung over her flanks. “Did you finish everything early?”
“No...” the dragon pushed papers out of the way so she could blow out the candles in the window. “I'm just... too exhausted to continue right now.”
“I see... Then this is everything?” The mint mare stood awkwardly in the doorway waiting for a snappy retort from the dragon.
There was a soft sigh from across the room before Claudia said quietly,“Yes, Grace. That's all.”
The mare nodded again and hurried out of the crowded room and down the hall towards the clerks offices on the lowest level of the castle. Claudia carefully locked up the office and twirled the keys absently on her claws, a habit she'd gotten into when deep in thought. As the keys spun carelessly, they jingled merrily giving discordant rhythm to Claudia's thoughts.
Cadence has probably gotten over her couple nights insomnia... It's not like her to be avoiding me so, even after a horrible argument... but... we've never had an argument like that before... With a sigh the dragon continued walking towards her room, glancing out the window every few feet along the moonlit hall until something caught her eye. Two ponies were walking out towards the city- from a distance it was hard to tell exactly who they were, but as the smaller pony raised her pink wings, Claudia did a double take. Squinting slightly, the dragon paused in her steps and moved closer to the window. There's more than one pink pegasus in the world. Claudia thought to herself. Even in an earth pony country. Just because it looks like Cadence from here doesn't mean it is.
Claudia had almost convinced herself that the pony below was not in fact Cadence when the pony turned, her mane blowing momentarily in the breeze, the pink, purple, gold of her mane shimmering dimly in the late winter moonlight. A smaller, metallic glint nestled in her locks convinced Claudia beyond a doubt. Either it was the princess's identical twin, or the young monarch was avoiding her. The dragon felt her claws clench and dig into the windowsill before her as hot, angry tears began flowing unbidden down her face. That... that's it. Cadence obviously doesn't care at all about the well being of our friendship or the kingdom as a whole. Angrily she moved down the hall, her vision blurred as she walked. So blurred in fact that Claudia nearly walked into one of the night guards as he patrolled the upper level of the castle.
“Miss Claudia, are you alright?” The young stallion stepped awkwardly out of the dragon's way, clumsily keeping a hold of his spear.
“Yeah,” the dragon sniffed as she rubbed her eyes. Fortunately the shadows hid her face and scales don't turn red when crying, but even so, Claudia felt her dragon rage burning at the thought of another creature seeing her like this. “I'm fine.” She made her voice sound hard and uncaring as she brushed by the soldier.
“Oh... okay...” the young stallion wasn't convinced, but he knew enough about Claudia, and dragons in general, not to push his luck. “On your way then.”
Turning down a side corridor, Claudia cast one more glance out the windows, but she could no longer see Cadence and whomever she was walking with. Who cares?The dragon huffed angrily to herself as she walked. Obviously Cadence doesn't, so why should I?
~~~
At the same time Claudia was leaving her office, Cadence was up and about, unable to sleep for the fourth night in a row. No matter how hard she tried to sleep, a nagging voice in the back of her head kept her firmly in the waking world. Frustrated and angry at her unbidden insomnia, the princess had spent a fruitless evening the night before fighting for sleep until, in the wee hours of the morning, pure exhaustion gave way to a dark and dreamless slumber.
Now, disheartened at the prospect of a similarly fruitless night spent fighting to sleep, Cadence stood bleary-eyed on her balcony. Uninterested in flying, she had already spent a good long hour doing so, and unwilling to toss and turn in bed for hours, the pink pegasus desperately wracked her brain for something- anything- to do. Going down and helping Claudia crossed her mind several times, but she pushed those thoughts away. Painfully she recalled the looks of anger, hurt, and finally hatred that had been written on the face of her best friend. Brushing tears out of the corners of her eyes, Cadence shivered in the wintery wind. No, seeing Claudia for any reason was too painful to endure.
Down below movement caught her eye as a pair of dark shadows moved out from the mixed blackness that spread out from beneath the castle. Turning her attention towards the ponies below, Cadence was surprised to recognize both the captain of her day guard and a corporal of the evening watch. As the guard changed both at sunrise and sunset, it was strange to see guards from either watch mingling together. Her curiosity piqued, Cadence lifted her wings and stepped gracefully off the edge of the balcony, gliding down beside the two stallions who talked quietly together.
“Princess Mi Amore!” The corporal exclaimed in surprise as he and the captain bowed. Corporal Buckler if memory serves, Cadence thought as she nodded to both. “Wha-what are you doing awake at such an hour?”
The princess smiled cordially. “I was unable to sleep this evening and felt some fresh air would suit me. I saw you two walking from above-” she indicated the balcony she'd flown from with a wingtip- “and came down to investigate... Also I wish a private word with Captain Iron Point, Corporal.”
The midnight blue stallion shifted uncomfortably a moment, “It's captain, actually, your Highness... I was promoted nearly six months ago... surely you recall?”
Cadence blinked in surprise, but smiled and nodded in ascent, “ah, yes, of course, I apologize, Captain. It slipped my mind for a moment.”
The young captain nodded, accepting the answer, and turned to Iron Point, “And thank you for your advice, it is, as always, greatly appreciated.” He bowed low to his princess once again before moving off in the direction of the guardhouse.
Turning to the older captain, Cadence allowed her face to fall into confusion. “When was the corporal promoted? He said six months ago, but that can't be right. Six months ago Captain Bowyer was talking about resigning, but he never went through with it. Course, he was always threatening to resign.”
Iron Point chuckled softly, he remembered the previous night watch captain fondly, but shook his head, “Princess, Captain Bowyer resigned in September of last year and Corporal Buckler took his place.”
“September...” Cadence thought for a long moment before finally shaking her head, “I don't remember that.”
“It was several months after your marriage, Princess...” the captain paused, mulling over his words before slowly adding, “not that you were there. Claudia arranged the ceremony.”
The princess blinked. Something about what he'd said seemed off, “Several months after our marriage? But Captain, it can't be more than a couple of months since the Crystal Fair.”
“Princess, it's nearly March. The Fair is about to come around again.”
Taken by surprise, Cadence laughed, "You're not serious."
"I am quite serious, my Lady." It wasn't his words, but the finality in his voice and the sober look in his eye that convinced Cadence that what he said was not some ruse or joke. Not that the captain was known for a flippant sense of humor.
“No! It can't be! It can't be nearly a year already, it doesn't feel like a year!” Cadence shook her head violently, “No, no no no. It's still May, we just had a late winter snowfall. Quite common. Summer is right around the corner and...”
“Princess.” The captain's steady voice cut through her babbling and Cadence looked up to meet his gaze. Laying a hoof on her shoulder the captain nodded towards the city, “Walk with me.”
The city this late at night was utterly silent. The crystal buildings shimmered palely in the weak winter moonlight and the snow twinkled merrily on the ground just as the stars did in the heavens. Cadence looked around at the icy kingdom, her mind spinning hopelessly as she thought about a whole year passing without her knowledge. No wonder Claudia was so furious with me. If what the captain said was true then I've been ignoring my royal duties for more than just a few weeks or a month... but a year! A whole year! “It seems impossible!”
“What seems impossible, my Lady?”
Blushing slightly as she realized she'd spoken aloud, Cadence elaborated, “that I've been ignorant of a whole year passing by. I had no idea... it seems so strange!”
The captain nodded, “you and the Prince have been quite... distracted with one another. I'm not surprised if time flowed differently to your perception.”
“But then why didn't Claudia come to me?”
“Perhaps she tried, but you were unwilling to listen?”
“Impossible. I always listen to Claudia, especially when she needs something of me. I'd never let her... down...” suddenly thoughts of the young dragon yelling angry and hateful words at her two nights before rose in her mind and the princess tapered off.
Silence reigned for a long moment. Nothing but the snow muffled sound of their hooves against the cobbled streets could be heard until Iron Point broke the silence. “What about the other day?”
Shaken from her thoughts, Cadence blinked and glanced at the captain, “what do you mean?”
“The other day Claudia told me you had promised to come do an inspection of the guard with us, and yet you never showed.”
“But I was there!” Cadence felt her wings bristle angrily for a moment, but she forced them back down against her sides as she took a calming breath holding her right hoof against her chest as she breathed in and extending it before her as she breathed out. “As I told Claudia, or tried to, I remember being there. You reprimanded three different soldiers for mistreated armor and equipment, one for lazing about, and one for continued mistreatment of rank. Two soldiers were on leave at the time and you had to run their inspection later.”
“Quite an excellent memory you have, Princess,” Cadence beamed at the praise, but quickly her mood fell as the captain continued, “but that was not the inspection from earlier this week. You are remembering the last inspection you oversaw. Which was nearly a year ago to date.”
“But... but how can that be?” Rubbing a hoof against her forehead, the princess groaned and Iron Point laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I mean... I suppose I don't quite remember being there, but at the same time I don't remember not being there either. It's... it's all kind of fuzzy, like I drank too much wine.”
The captain was silent a moment before speaking slowly, choosing his words carefully, “It seems, my Lady, that you have a different perception during the day than you have a night. You make promises under the moon that you do not, or cannot, remember while in the light of the sun.”
Taking a step back in horror, Cadence looked at Iron Point and asked,“Are you saying that I'm suddenly... lunar?” The princess watched the captain, hopelessness and worry etched on her face. Being lunar, active only at night, was a rare and incurable phenomenon found among a few ponies who, for some reason, were cognizant only at night. It was something a pony was born with, so the thought of being lunar her whole life and not realizing it quite horrified the princess.
“No. No, Princess, I do not believe you are a lunar pony.” Iron Point laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder, “although all your recent behavior points to it, you have not shown the characteristics until now. I doubt that is the case.”
Cadence couldn't suppress a sigh of relief, “but... but what could it be then?”
The captain shrugged. “I am not sure, my Lady, but perhaps there is somepony who does.”
“Who?” Cadence asked, feeling a small glimmer of hope as she watched the captain.
“Sharp Retort.”
“The apothecary?” Cadence blinked in surprise, “what would she know?”
“She might be able to tell us if this is just a normal thing- you falling in love, for example- or if it's something more... serious.”
“You mean magic.”
“A spell, yes.” Iron Point turned and began moving back towards the castle, “Just because we live in a nation of earth ponies does not mean we can ignore, or brush off, the possibility of magic. Especially when your husband is a unicorn.”
“I see...” Cadence nodded slowly. “Yes, if any pony would know if my... condition is a spell or not, it would be her. But we can't let her know why we're asking,” The princess added quickly. “We can't let it become common knowledge that my... that I have been compromised in any way.”
“Indeed we cannot,” the captain agreed. “However, I think we can trust Sharp Retort with the truth. While she is quick to speak frankly, she has never broken my confidence. If there is anypony in the palace we can trust, it is she.”
“You're absolutely sure we can trust her? I cannot allow word of my... absence... to be broadcast outside our borders. If other ponies knew we were this vulnerable it could be...”
“Disastrous. Yes.”
“It's a wonder no pony has found out yet...” Cadence murmured.
“Claudia has been covering for you very well in the past months, however rumors do spread and we have not been able to stop them all. However, we have been able to keep proving those rumors nearly impossible.”
“Thank you, Captain. Then we can assume that it is really only you and Claudia that know how I have been for the past... year?” Cadence asked as she and Iron Point returned to the castle proper.
Again the captain nodded his head, “it's just the two of us and a handful of castle servants who bring you and the prince meals. Now, you have much to think upon and a whole day to do so, but I must leave now if I am to be well rested in time for the changing of the guard tomorrow morning. Or, rather, this morning.” Iron Point smiled as they stepped back under the shadow of the main castle before turning and heading towards the guardhouse.
“Wait... Captain?”
Turning around on the steps, Iron Point nodded, “yes, my Lady?”
“I just wanted to say... to say thank you. I appreciate your willingness to help me though this... whatever it may be.”
The captain bowed, “It is my honor and duty to do so, Princess.”
“Indeed,” Cadence said quietly as her captain of the day guard walked off. Stretching her wings, the princess lifted off and headed back towards her quarters, her mind buzzing. I still can't believe it! A whole year? That's absolutely inconceivable! Landing gently on the balcony, Cadence stifled a yawn with her hoof, pushing open the clear crystal doors with her shoulder and moving towards the bed where she collapsed next to Silver Scales.
Lifting her head up slightly, her mane falling over one eye as she gazed lovingly at the soft gray form of the stallion she loved. Gently she caressed his mane with a hoof as she settled in next to him, her body curving around his so she could press herself closer. Sighing contentedly, Cadence wrapped her arms around his sides, her muzzle nestled in his mane. Slowly her eyes fluttered shut as she passed silently into sleep.