Gallant paced his room, indignant. His back and knees were still sore from Dark Striders beating; Dark Strider hit him! He shook his head, as hard as it was to believe someone he had known since they were both colts could do that to him, and Twilight... He hadn't known her long, but he liked to think they had already become friends, and now he felt as though he had betrayed her; true he hadn't known of his Fathers orders and Dark Striders intentions, but if he had not been so willing to believe. He heard the sound of hoof steps outside his door and then the sound of the key in the lock turning.
“Your Highness” it was Dark Strider, his so called friend
“Hello Strider, or I should I call you Turn Coat?”
“I am Sorry Gallant-”
“Don't call me that. Only My Friends Call me Gallant, you will address me by my proper title you cur.”
Dark Strider's ears fell “Yes your highness, His Majesty has granted you an audience.”
“About time.” Gallant Stalked past Strider and into the hallway.
~~~~
Meanwhile, spike had woken up from his drug induced slumber to a small dark chamber. He blew a breath of flame to illuminate the room, hay was squished up against the walls from which chains hung suspended. A small grate near the ceiling gave some ventilation but it was facing west and allowed very little light. The was a heavily enforced door opposite the window, a bucket with water and a bucket for well, he guessed for after the water. “Twilight?” he called, hoping she was in a cell nearby, but he heard no reply. Using the chains on the wall as a rope he levered himself up to peer out the window. It looked out into an enclosed courtyard, and he could see pony feet marching in the dirt. “Twilight?” he called again hoping against hope that she might hear him. He watched the courtyard for a long time, his hope plummeting by the minute. She was alright he was sure of it, but wherever Twilight was, she couldn't hear him.
well Spike, Twilight is always there for you, maybe this time, you have to be there for her. He eyed the stones the bars were set into speculatively... he did eat gemstones after all, how bad could could granite taste really?
~~~~~
Twilight woke to a headache so large she thought maybe for a moment she had missed hearing about pinkie's twitchy tail and a piano had fallen on her head, again. When she opened her eyes to the chamber she was in, memories of the day before flitted through her head, and she took stock of her situation. On of her hooves had a manacle on it, and following the chain attached, she say it lead to an iron ring set deep in the stone beneath the bed. So, running out the door when it opened not an option. She felt an unfamiliar restriction around her middle, and as she investigated she found a leather harness and been lock around her wings, preventing them from opening, so flying out the window, even if she could loosed the chain from the wall, would have to wait till she found a way to remove that, maybe she could unlock it with her magic? She thought of the right spell, formulated it and as she tried to pull the magic up her horn she felt a piercing pain like a nail driven down her horn shoot through her, she released the energy with a gasp, What had just happened, something was wrong, with her magic?
~~~
King Strong Hooves watched his son as he entered the room, he had expected Gallant would be unhappy with his choices, but he hoped his son would understand the motivation behind them, Unicornia just couldn't compete with their neighbors without magic. As things stood, the Gryphons were poised to push them out of their ancestral territory.
“Your Majesty,” Gallant began stiffly which Strong Hooves correctly interpreted as his way of informing his father how unjust he found the situation “Dark Strider and his Guards have assaulted Princess Twilight Sparkle and her companions, who were welcomed as Guests, and whose efforts cured you of a deadly poison. Further more, when I tried to halt this treacherous action, Dark Strider attacked me, your only son and acknowledged before the throne your hair and rightful descendant of the throne, an act, which you well known has always carried with it the stigma of treason against the crown and yourself. They did this claiming that they did so under your orders. I demand satisfaction under the law.”
“You are correct my son, in saying that one who lays hoof against my chosen heir is the same as laying hoof upon myself, however, I had also given orders that should my son, in unknown defiance of orders from the crown, which is in itself treason, resist Dark Strider in the execution of his orders, you were to be, temporarily, removed from the position as crown prince. I am not young my son, but neither am I so old as to be unable to sire another colt.”
Stunned Gallant gazed at his father “You do not even have a wife, as mother passed on five years hence, who would-”
“Just recently an Alicorn Princess took up residence in our fair land, if needs must, I am sure there are ways on which my heir may be gotten there.”
Gallant felt the anger rise from his chest and burst out of his horn before he had time to tamper it “You go to far Father, King or no King, what you are suggesting is an affront to all, I demand you release Princess Twilight this instant and make amends for the assault on her person and her company.”
“You are not in a position to make demands. Our country needs an Alicorn Princess or it will be consumed from within and without. With her to increase our magic-”
“No Father, what you are doing is wrong, how can you not see that?” Gallant lunged forward and the guards in the room quickly grabbed him and restrained him as he surged forward toward King Strong Hooves. “You have to stop now before it is too late.”
King Strong Hooves looked sadly at his son. “Gallant Heart is hereby stripped of his title as Crown Prince, and is henceforth no longer a prince of the realm. Take him from my sight and lock him in his rooms. I will decide what to do with him later.”
Gallant let them take him from the room, as they headed to his chambers his mind moved faster trying to decide what he could do for now, Alone he was of no help to Twilight, he didn't know what had become of her guards or her friend Spike, but from the conversation he had just had with his father, he feared the worst. He heard the lock click in the door, and felt as though a key had been turned in his mind. He needed to get help, and he needed to get back to Equestria.