After weeks of meals that would make your stomach turn over itself at the description of the ingredients, Leisha flipped over in her tiny cage. Her once beautiful white fur was now caked with unmentionable filth. Brown splotches of grime and dirt smeared her fur. The sapphire eyes that once watched over a kingdom with a caring smile, were now filled with sadness and a hidden anger tucked away behind it. The teal mane and tail that once added to the Queen's beauty was torn and brought to shreds, strands longer then others, strands sticking out of place. Her unique wings were tattered, and sore from the lack of use. She groaned and looked out the bars, to see Pearl staring at her.
Pearl looked at the tattered queen, and sighed. He had been sitting here for countless hours watching her, making sure she wouldn't find a way to escape. Which he knew was just absolutely impossible. The walls surrounding her were concrete, and the only thing that wasn't was the cage door. How could she escape?
Leisha looked around her tiny cell with despair. Her kingdom was probably in ruins, her ponies dying from hunger. She had no heir, no upcoming ruler, just... Her. She couldn't age, and thought that she had zero problems with the neighboring kingdoms. So what was the point of conducting an heir to her throne?
Silver walked into the room with a small bag filled with donuts and 2 cup fulls of coffee on his back. He handed a coffee to Pearl, and then half of the donuts in the bag. Leisha stared at the delicious delicacies, just a foot or two away from reach. She felt her mouth start to water with the undeniable desire for a donuts and coffee, and she sat up straight looking at them. Her eyes were focused on them, just wanting one little taste. One small bite. A itty, bitty taste. That is all she wanted, was it too much to ask?
"Oh does Queen Leisha want a taste of these delicious donuts...?" Silver took a slow bite into the fluffy, delectable, sugary breakfast item. Leisha felt the drool drop from her chin, as the doughnut started to disappear into the stallion's mouth. He laughed, and continued to eat, taking slower bites to make Leisha suffer. What seemed like weeks later, Silver finished his 3 donuts. He had risen and walked out of the room, leaving Pearl with Leisha once more. He was only on his second doughnut, and was looking at a carriage magazine. She sighed, and put her back to the stallion, not wanting to be tortured by the deliciousness.
Leisha started to drift off, into the dreamland where everything was happy. Back to her kingdom. Back to her loving subjects that she called family. The ponies around her trotted, talking happily. Leisha was walking through the crowds, and they greeted her with friendly hellos and sad goodbyes when she started continuing on through her stroll. They all loved her to death, would do anything for her. And she knew it.
"E-Excuse m-me?" A small voice said from behind her. She turned, and a small unicorn was looking at her with sad, fear-filled eyes. Leisha got down to her knees and looked at the filly in near heartbreak. She was bruised, dirty, and alone.
"What's wrong dear?" Leisha whispered, petting the filly's overgrown mane from her face. She took a step back in fear, unsure of what she was doing.
"M-My dad-daddy sent me h-here for help... Ba-Bandits at-attacked our c-carriage, and he needs help... H-His head w-was bleeding... Pr-Pretty bad..." She whimpered, looking up to Leisha for help. Leisha gasped, and grabbed the small filly. She looked around for nearby guards to go help the wounded father, but none were around. Her kingdom was so safe, she didn't feel like she needed guards walking the interior.
"I'll go get you daddy... Can you show me the way?" Leisha asked, looking at the small pony. She nodded frailly, and pointed towards the west gate. Leisha held the filly close to her chest, and shot into the air. She had to save this filly, save her father. She just hoped she could make it in time.
"There." She pointed to a carriage with a stallion laying out front, his head bleeding severely. Leisha landed right next to him, and gasped. He was in really bad shape. The filly jumped out of Leisha's hooves, and ran over to her father. "Daddy... I got help... I got Queen Leisha..." She said, looking at her father, tears in her eyes. He looked at her, and his eyes were clouded. Leisha knew she was too late.
"G-Good..." He coughed, petting the filly's mane. "L-Listen Delilah..." He coughed again, looking at his daughter, tears in his eyes. "D-Daddy isn't going to be able to m-meet you at home... Daddy's hurt. You know that."
"Daddy please... Don't..." She sniffled, staring at her dad with fear. Her eyes pleaded her father to not continue his doubt.
"Baby I love you..." He said, and coughed again. His life was fading before their eyes.
"Daddy no. No No No!! Please Daddy!" She nuzzled into her fathers face, and some of his blood was now smeared on her muzzle. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "P-Please daddy... Don't leave me alone daddy..."
"Queen Leisha will take care of you... I know she will..." He coughed again, and his eyes were struggling to stay open. "P-Please Leisha... Take care of my baby Delilah... She... Is... My..." His eyes shut, and he barely whispered, "baby..." He waited for Leisha's response, his chest barely rising and quickly falling.
"Daddy don't talk like that! We will make it through this together!" She whispered, crying.
"I will... I will treat her as my own." Leisha barely said, tears choking her up.
"T-Thank you..." He coughed, and finally exhaled once more. He didn't inhale again, just laid there, cold as stone.
"DADDY!!!" Delilah screamed, staring at her fathers corpse. She shook him as best as she could with her tiny hooves, and sobbed. "Please.. Wake up Daddy... Please..." She sobbed, hugging her dads limp body. Leisha started to cry as well, and looked at Delilah. Delilah was in a depressing state, and looked at Leisha. "C-Can you help m-me bury him... P-Please..." She whispered, and began to light up her horn. A little piece of his mane was starting to be picked up by her magic, but he was too heavy for such a tiny unicorn to carry. Leisha used her magic to help her, and went inside the castle grounds and buried him in the cemetery. Delilah just stared at his grave, and his tombstone that Leisha had created with her magic. "Thank you.." She whispered, and fell asleep on her dads grave. Rain started to trickle down the two ponies, and Leisha covered the unicorn with her wing to keep her dry. She finally dosed off with the tiny filly, with tear stains on her cheeks.
Leisha woke up with a feeling of something touching her tail. She sniffled her tears away from the past dream, and looked at the item in her cage. A small chocolate doughnut was sitting next to her, with a small note on it. She picked up the note, and read it silently.
"Thought you might need this after that nightmare.."
"~Pearl."