//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Rocinante and the Wedding at Canterlot // by Charliemane //------------------------------// “Princess Cadance” rubbed her temples as she sat down in the foyer of the tower. These ponies were certainly giving their best for “her” and finding harsh critiques for their efforts was getting harder and harder. Looking back at the closed doors, in the direction of the yellow pegasus and her choir, Chrysalis heaved a tired sigh, her remarks had left everypony busily preoccupied with the wedding, but her plan was far from over. She had successfully left Twilight behind at the reception hall, and her bridesmaids had gone out the back door to be refitted for their new dresses, but the ever troublesome guards were still waiting for her out the front door. It was nice to be alone for a moment, but there wasn't any time to actually enjoy it, there was still far too much to be done. Chrysalis closed her eyes as she thought about the knight outside. What was his relationship with Princess Luna? Could that be exploited or should she just use him to create friction between the two sisters? Her guise changed in a flash of green fire as she rose from the floor. If she was going to find out what she could do, she would have to get more information first. Sassaflash sighed as she looked up at the darkening skies. She had never realized how tiring it was to stand guard all day. Even her cousin, who was eagerly searching for a challenger like a little colt, was finally beginning to show some weakness as he yawned in between his continuous scans. The sound of the large castle door closing behind them caused both Sassaflash and her cousin to jump. Spinning around, the were greeted with the most unexpected sight. Princess Luna smiled warmly as she walked down the few steps from the door to where they were waiting. “Ah my loyal knight and squire! I'm glad to see you are well!” Sassaflash and her cousin swiftly bowed and welcomed their Princess. She looked notably better in Sassaflash's eyes. Evidently a short nap could do wonders for the Princess of the Night. “How are you feeling, Your Highness?” Luna nodded and stepped by them, gently brushing against Rocinante as she passed. “I feel much better, thank you. Would you give us a moment alone?” Sassaflash cocked an eyebrow toward the Princess, but quickly turned away. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite place her hoof on it, so she figured it was probably her imagination. As Sassaflash rounded the corner of the building, Chrysalis, with a dark smile on her face, began strolling off towards a secluded tree near the edge of the wall, brushing Rocinante gently with her tail as she walked next to him. It was a simple action that would have put any stallion in her hooves, yet as she turned to bat her eyes at the confused knight-errant, she couldn't make out what sort of feeling was dwelling in his heart. There was a spark inside of him. It was small, like Luna's, but it was there. Once they reached the tree, Chrysalis lowered her face to be level with Rocinante's. The knight didn't blush, or stammer, his eyes only filled with a bewildered curiosity as she used her horn to push his helmet out of the way and rest her forehead upon his. “Noble Grace...” “Please... call me Luna.” “Noble Luna, are you quite certain you are feeling well?” Chrysalis resisted the urge to frown as she kept her eyes locked into the knight's and onto the spark behind them. The spark didn't change even the slightest since she first came out of the tower. Was this pony truly so oblivious? No, there was a spark, which meant there was something. This pony's heart wasn't moved easily and immediately Chrysalis knew she was dealing with the most irritating of love sources, an idealist. Backing up and readjusting her mane, Chrysalis sat down across from the knight. Being flirtatious with him wouldn't work. She would have to be Luna to get to his heart, and that was a task that no changeling could perform without first studying their target closely. If Chrysalis wanted to siphon any power from this potential relationship, she would have to hope she could steal it from Luna. “Perhaps my nap has left me in a dreamy state. I should go and fly around a bit so that I can wake up more.” The knight bowed and stepped back. “Of course, Noble Grace.” “Oh, one other thing.” “Yes? Gracious Highness?” “I need you to strengthen the guard at the gate. I believe Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will be safe within the castle walls.” Rocinante bowed again as Chrysalis spread her wings in preparation for flight. “As you command, Noble Grace.” Rocinante was never much for moving quietly, and the plodding of his hooves alerted Sassaflash that her cousin had returned from his meeting with the Princess. There was a lot on the young pony's mind as she turned to meet her cousin and his blank, contemplative stare into the ground implied to her that she was not the only pony confused by the situation. “Was something wrong with Princess Luna?” Rocinante, interrupted from his thoughts, looked up from the ground. Forcing a weak smile, he turned and looked over his shoulder in the direction the Princess and flown off in. “Her Most Noble Highness did seem... out of character, but she has assured me that she was simply drowsy from her previous nap.” Sassaflash gave her cousin a incredulous look. “Being a little slow and clumsy would be fitting for somepony who just woke up, but Her Highness wasn't really acting sleepy she was acting... uh... Well you saw how she bumped into you.” “That would be in accordance with the definition of clumsiness.” Sassaflash frowned as she kicked the grass. She supposed it wasn't completely infeasible, but something about the whole situation made her uneasy. “I don't know... she's just been acting really strange since we arrived in Canterlot. I mean... she was really edgy when she told us the guard the granary, and then she when she found us guarding it she got super mad, then she didn't even remember ordering us to do it? I don't know. That sounds really suspic... err... strange... to me.” Rocinante slowly started walking towards the gate, but as Sassaflash followed, she noticed that his steps weren't as light as they usually were and his faced seemed almost melancholy as he looked up towards the moon. “Hey... Are you alright over there?” Seemingly snapped out of his trance, Rocinante looked around surprised for a moment before he realized the voice came from right next to him. With a weak, but growing smile Rocinante yawned and turned to his cousin. “Of course. I was merely contemplating our Noble Princess's predicament and how best we might relieve the undue stress that has rested its most ignoble presence on Her Most Noble Grace.” As he yawned again, Sassaflash reached out with a wing and playfully shook him. “Careful now. I don't know what I'll do if you start acting all weird on me.” Rocinante gave a light laugh as they reached the main gate in front of them. “Fear not, dear Sassa. Tired as I may be, I have already thought of how best to... to...” A slow and long yawn interrupted his train of thought and soon the knight-errant was leaning up against the gate with an overly relaxed expression. Sassaflash sighed as she sat down and fought off her own yawn. “Perhaps we should divide our watch into shifts?” “A most excellent idea, cousin.”