Amor hollowly screams as a feign mute, trampling her hoofs into the Highwood bed to muffle her exhibited seething. Jumping down from the jumbled furniture where she rests her head at night, to the rough cinnabar floor causing it to sound out in protest. She sneaks with her barrel almost causing friction with the floor; she reaches her destination under the green-glass window. The glass was true to its name as around the edges of the acacia wood frame, the glass was an opaque lime tint but nearer the center, it allowed light through and with that sight.
The copper coat mare crept from below the window frame and peered out with ears swept back.
Look at them unaware of the spy that dwells among them, how she watches their every action and if willed their very thoughts. If the Unicorn were a emissary of evil, oh what malicious she could sow. Her brains grasps many spells, one such would allow her to slowly let seep the mercury in the cinnabar floors, no-pony would be the wiser as they slowly turned insane. “Oh, Master why you imparted such vile intellect into my psyche?” She muffled the words. Ponies strolled on the shale road outside my quarters, which lays on the ground level, and that is how I desire it… for now.
She sets on her romp further from the window, anger building and falling with every deep inhale and exhale.
Why the Crown seen to propel me on this mission was no puzzle but why the clandestine nature? For these five years in Dawnpick, I was to live as impostor among good ponies before those years, three more traveling the kingdom as some mock regal engraver. I would achieve anything for the Princess and King; my will is their will… but this causes my heart to smell of brimstone. Sometimes the lies become the reality and the truth becomes a cadaver. “I am not some Common Cuckoo.” More words subdued by her lips.
A telekinetic field envelops a wild strawberry chest at a bed’s end and levitates a few centimeters from the stone floor. The mare aims for the window for a moment and lets the magical field explode; clunk goes the trunk on the vermilion ground. The Little Pony drops her rage like the red chest.
It has been decades since she was a filly, not today will she throw a tantrum akin to one. Amor chooses how to act and feel, not the aristocratic, they may have dealt her these cards but she decides how to play them. She am going to canter right into the baroness’s office and inform the truth… “Horse-apples, I did not consider that far.” She utter under a short groan. She pads to the green glass portal to her room, stopping short so she gets her full reflection in its gloss. She returns to her rump, her fore-hooves landing in front of her muzzle. “My Lady Virtue, I am a Pretty-Pretty Princess. My father’s duchy is contesting for Dawnpick and the Crown favors him.” She mouths into the polished glass.
The mare breaks the harebrained act and returns her hooves to the floor; she turns as she gets up to walk over to the Highwood cabinet on the other side of the window opposing the bed. Laid atop it was the source of the Unicorn’s paroxysm, an inconspicuous envelope bearing only the Little Pony’s alias.
With her magic, Amor warms the sealing wax enough just to open it with telekinesis and remove its contents; then melts another seal. Reading the encrypted writing twice, faintness replaces her vexedness and she plops against the wall, She coos: “Oh, my King if not for your lover’s heart, I would kiss much more then your hoofs next time I depart.” Angst soon returns to her mind as the concept of telling the truth now would be arduous. “Our will be done.” She sighs.
The mare puffs her unkempt goldenrod locks from her emerald eyes and gets ready for an audience with her Baroness. She acquires a royal rope reed manuscript along with other documents from a hidden compartment in the floor under her kist. To claim her birthright she had to bring poof… even if they were royal sponsored forgeries that bear the real imperial seal.
Oh, what garb would be fitting; uncolored peasantry cape-like jacket and flounced skirt was just right for the cooler weather at summer’s conclusion? “Any pretext to cover my flanks.” Amor says, peering into the poor mirror sheen of the green-glass door as she dons the attire; paisley pattern shawl replaced with a similar ornate saddlebags on her back. Whimsical, how the nobility espouses the customs and costumes of other parts of the realm, even from outlandish lands. Such as covering the cutie mark; concealing two or more limbs under an uncountable layered dress and even slip in a heinous corset.
The Unicorn mare retches at the notion of herself in a corset. She levitates the documents into her bags and trot to the door undoing a hidden embedded lock within the glass that only magic can contact. Subsequent she departs her room, behind her the door closes and relocks. She enters a masquerade of both blissful and magical ignorance. The mare steers her path, as not to avoid anypony on the road on her face is the expression of a goal.
Distractions from ponies are normal just make acquaintances; do not elongate into a chat and press-on if they move along. Past the paranormal perpetual motion water will; avoid the bloodletting infirmary; the sock filled guard captain’s office and finally the marble peel tower glinting in the midday sun. She should have trotted around more to clear my mind; Amor breaks into a sweat worthy of summer. Her right hoof ascends and clops against the marble door. “I am vassal Kiln Kurollodel; I seek audience with Baroness Virtue if she wills it.” Her voice vibrates the door more so then my hoof.
The Little Pony’s brain works akin to a duel processor formulating and organizing at light-speeds but it does her no good. The same conclude comes up and she may attempt treason today; why necessary the truths be treason and fabrications the edict. Worse yet was her actions already foreseen and she cannot leave this game until her death. Now the mare recalls her revulsion for politics.
Virtue looks up from the stock records she was attending to as somepony knocks at her door. "Oh, of course! Come in," she calls to whoever it was.
The copper and goldenrod mare pushs the door open and closes back as she enters. Her joints and nerves leak her nervousness in crackles and pops but she soon is consume in a cool claming breeze by her effect on the door.
“Baroness; thank you for allowing my presents.” Amor pronounces with newfound strength as she walks to Virtue’s desk. She bows out of respect before the gray tint mare.
“Can I set myself down? This may take a long time…” The Unicorn looks away for a second fearing her Virtue's eye would read her falsehood before she could let free the truth.
Virtue nods and motions for her to take a seat. "Of course, what did you want to talk about Kiln?" Something seemed to have the mare spooked. Virtue sighs mentally. She was hoping to avoid more stress, but if it was something she could help Kiln with, she'd do what she could.
Amor sighs as she acquires the seat that Virtue motions to…
She returns eye-contact and thinks a flash of a thought and recollects her will power to confront the Baroness. One does not simply tread on the trust of others, but after such tramping how to re-establish it before it is lost. “Baroness, what is it that compels ponies to lie?”
Her tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth, but her awareness of this habit causes its sound to not leave her jaws. How much Virtue's words could harm Amor now and she has no clue, how much hers are going to also hurt her too. Amor drops the formalities fully and adopt a more comfortable pose; more Virtue's sake then hers. “Also, Virtue what do you sincerely think of liars?
Virtue's expression grows concerned, despite her best efforts. "I... well, I suppose there are a lot of reasons for that... and..." She looks away briefly before returning her eyes to Kiln. What did she mean by that? Was she about to lie to her? "Well... I don't like the idea of lying to anypony... but... there are things sometimes... that are best kept from others... for one reason or another..."
Virtue’s words turn to arrows in the copper mare’s mind and fly towards the Unicorn but all are off their mark… or did they hit just fine?
“Virtue, in my experience I can read lies and dodged questions. If you expect others to be truthful with you then you must be truthful in return. Please enlighten me to the truth?” I huff but keep my cool. Why does she dodge my questions? I want to be candid; can she not see that in my eyes? She tilts her head and stares like one of her foals would.
Virtue sighs almost imperceptibly. "What I said was true. To put it... bluntly... I don't like lying or being lied to. But I do see its purpose. Sometimes lying is the least... bad... option, when there are no good ones. That is how I truly feel. Why, what troubles you?"
Amor sets up with her docks in the stool and in contemplation she claps her hooves together slowly as not to make a resonance. Hearing the words of Virtue as they sound of glass in her ears, the Baroness’s words may be what she want but not what she should receive. “We… I have been living a fabrication for the last eight years. Five here doing very little nothing but evading ponies and spying; three more on journey around the kingdom even past the great seas as royal engraver but once more as a spy.” She says but the words hollow my heart.
I must say more, no I will. “What do you have of me? What of my thoughts? I wish only to live in the light of the truth. There are no reasons of my own to sow such lies…” Her forces drops and she slump with the conclusion that she is the very thing she hates… a shadow among shadows. “…but it was my will.”
"A... spy?" Virtue feels her spine ice over. For who? Who would spy in Dawnpick and why? "Kiln... a spy? Wh...why? For who? Why here?" She pauses. "And... you want to live in the truth? Do you mean you don't want to be a spy anymore? Or..." she trails off, eyes wide. "I... I'm sorry, this is just so much to take in..."
Amor sits back up slowly and seizes control of the situation. “Forgive me Virtue, I am better at these things then I may appear but you have this effect on ponies. Understand I gave-up my rights to an identity; most of all friends and numerous others privileges. It was all for the right ponies but not the right method; we could have avoided deceit…”
So not to provoke my Baroness she motions to her saddlebags. “May I show you a manuscript that may ease your fears?” She moves in such a way to allow Virtue full sight of the contents in her bags before removing the over elaborate document. When she allows her she shuns the use of her magic and physically remove it herself gifting it to her on the desk.
Here is the Artifact "Cedebat Sanguis per dux" (Duke by Blood Forgery), there are only two like it. The paper is Masterfully made from rope reed thread; adorn with Exceptional script in Sliver barb black dye that pertains to the nature of Amor Kurollodel as Duchess over the land-holds that Dawnpick occupies. The sovereign Coupledye hoof-shoe sigil relief embellishes the middle of the paper. The Pink Lemon symbol of The Meandering Gloss with prostrating ponies is within the relief.
Virtue reads the manuscript slowly, taking in the enormity of what it says. "Kiln... or... Amor? Is... is this true? Are there really other claimants to these lands? From... your family?"
Amor peers at Virtue in her analysis; does she buy it? To stake her intelligence Virtue must believe it; the manuscript is very much genuine but not fully so in context. Her tongue returns to its clicking; then holds off her habit as she listen to the Baroness’s words. She reads at express, Amor gives her that. “N… yes my family declare Dawnpick and so does two others houses. But we have yet to place even a count. …I wish to go by Amor from now on…” Her voice betrays the lies; why in almost nine years does it do it now.
Amor would launch across the desk but she control herself; the truth is so easily turned aside. Her ears sweep back and she looks down to the marble floor… She casts a shadow on its white surface. “I hold further secrets and even more lies… even now the truth evades us.” Amor look up as an innocent beast beaten by its livid master. “Do you want to hear them… even if it is treason?”
Virtue is speechless for a moment. "I... I see. I don't understand... why would the king grant us these lands and a title to me if it was not rightly ours?" She gives Amor another concerned look. "Kiln... I mean, Amor... I won't ask you to do something that would endanger you on counts of treason... but, I will listen to anything you have to say."
She perks up in concern for Virtue. “Treason can not only be what action I achieve or statement I could utter; Our very ears are capable of treason.” Amor says, not even looking for eavesdroppers in the foreknowledge that there is none. Her treason would become Their treason. “Much of what I alleged is true but I am only a pawn… a lowly one in my opinion.” She face-hoofs at the arrogant foal she is. Her Master’s lessons were too good; and in the end she always wins.
“These lands are yours but the Crown knows these lands worth; the right hooves must have it. And my father the true Duke is favored by the Crown…” She attempts not even to hide the truth. “Reality is everything I do may even be in favor of the King and his Princess. The truth; the lies, all of it.” She says with no verve.
“Can you forgive me?” Sorrow is left in her words. “Even if it is your will to accept me; what of your vassals? I could see it easily why they would accept me without knowing even of me; I was more then accomplished in avoiding others. I was less then than a footnote in their minds.” Amor looks to the door as if to freedom. “I could claimable up the tallest building and announce the truth?”
This was... complicated. Virtue nods in feigned understanding, trying to buy a moment to process everything. "I... I think I understand. There may be... contention for the land and resources here..."
She listens to Amor's plea for forgiveness and nods with a small smile. "Yes, I forgive you. And I thank you for coming forward with this information." She widens her smile a bit. "I wouldn't worry too much about everypony else. If... if you feel the need to tell them all the truth, then I won't stop you, but I don't think it's necessary."
Inside, she was a whirlwind of questions she wasn't sure there were answers to. What did this mean of Dawnpick's future?
Amor's ears turn forwards at hearing my Baroness’s forgiveness but she controls her excitement. “Thank you Virtue. Now the long wait until I forgive myself.” She says looking into her eyes; her very own betraying my age of one-hundred-and-seven. “I will reflect on my future actions but announcing my truth to the world atop the fort might make me appear as some pony possessed.” she has a light laugh. They had enough possessed ponies here.
She lightens up and attempts to rebuild her confidence. The desk was piled with work that no pony could do alone… unless that pony was Virtue. “I desire no special station at this time but maybe I can accept some of your burden. I am an adequate mathematician see.” She stand and out loud counts her hooves that ascends and descends but stops short of five. Amor pokes her tongue out in tease. “Also in my travels as artisan of stone I am more than an expert in masonry.” She lets her body fall into the routine she picked up by her three years as mock regal engraver and mimics holding a chisel and hoof as hammer.
They talk more but of diminutive things; this is the first authentic discussion Amor had had in over five years. Virtue and her could talk the day away but she had responsibilities in Amor's opinion that outweighed hers, so she excused herself before another hour passed us by. Amor was more then proficient in letting ponies go.
As Amor leaves, Virtue settles back into her work, more than a bit concerned. If what she'd just been told was true, then the future of Dawnpick was uncertain. Would the lands be contested? Would there be fighting? How much of this would she see and how much would she be tasked with dealing with?
Not for the first time since she'd come to Dawnpick, she wished there was somepony else leading the ponies here. She'd managed so far, but how long would it be until she made a horrible mistake that cost ponies their lives? She'd give up her title in an instant if it meant preventing something like that. Was this going to turn into a decision like that?
She mentally sighs and sets back to work. She was going to need some time to think about this and what it meant. Perhaps the politics would all be above her head and she'd never hear another word of it. But somehow, she doubted that.