The Queen and her Bodyguard

by Monochromatic

Twilight's Doubt

Lying on the infirmary bed, all bandaged up, Twilight couldn't help but think how pitiful it was that she couldn't get out of bed without hissing in pain.

The attack had been brutal — or so she heard.

She didn't remember much of it, honestly. A few images, the silhouettes of the assassins, some screams, and that was it. It was hard to remember when she kept fading in and out of consciousness like waves of the sea, her memory cleared away with each high tide. The only real proof she had of the attack were the painful gashes and cuts it had left all over her body…

And the memory of Rarity gasping in pain, of course.

It was the only vivid memory Twilight had of the attack. In fact, it was this memory — that sharp intake of breath — that had awoken Twilight from her slumber. She had wanted to go and look for the unicorn, but the nurses forbade Twilight from even trying to get up.

She's fine, they said.

She's busy, they insisted.

She'll be along, they affirmed.

Have a book to read, they offered.

Excuses excuses excuses, they meant.

Though not many have had the privilege of encountering the oracles, Celestia and Luna, named for their control over the sun and moon, it is said that a meeting with either one will almost always result with their eternal blessing. There are many theories surrounding their motives against our land (theories we will discuss extensively in following chapters), but it has been made clear that they do not desire control over the kingdom. In fact, during the years following the Great War of Foalsville, a rumor circulated that Commander Dawn Bright, the bodyguard of His Majesty King Silver Rare, was rewarded by Celestia for the outstanding way in which he had defended the king — not a single injury was inflicted to His Majesty throughout the entire war.

"Argh," muttered Twilight, closing the book and pushing it away. Even books, her greatest friends, seemed intent on reminding Twilight of how she had failed to protect Rarity from some measly assassins. She closed her eyes, the darkness freeing the grim thoughts ensnaring her mind.

Maybe she wasn't the right pony to protect Rarity. Maybe Rarity had made a mistake selecting her all those years ago. Maybe Captain Latimer had been right when he said Twilight wasn't up to the task, maybe she—

No.

She was the only pony in the entire kingdom who had been trained specifically to undertake the task. She worked herself silly every single day with hours of physical and mental training. There was no other pony better prepared than her! She was Twilight Sparkle, Sister of Captain Shining Armor, and she had been chosen by the Queen to protect her!

Except she hadn't… had she?

That cursed memory of Rarity's gasp once more pervaded every inch of the soldier's psyche.

Rarity could have died.

She didn't, but who was to say next time she wouldn't? Twilight glanced down at her wounds. If a simple assassination attack had left her in these conditions and had left Rarity with a wound, what would be the end result of a second attack with more assassins? What if she lost Rarity next time?

"Protect her with your life, Twilight. She is the queen of our kingdom, her life is the single most invaluable thing you will ever be put in charge of. No harm can come to her."

That had been her only task, and she had failed it. She slammed her hoof against the bed, ignoring the stinging sensation. She slammed it again, and again, and again, until she re-opened the wounds on her foreleg and pain forced her to stop.

"In here, Your Majesty. Nurse Remedy is on her way."

"Thank you."

The sound of Rarity's voice snapped Twilight out of her inner monologue, prompting her to painfully turn her head towards the door. The nurse stepped in first and then in came Rarity, proving to be a sight for Twilight's sore eyes.

Anypony else would have thought the queen was in perfect condition, but years of being Rarity's shadow had taught Twilight how to read every single subtle cue that revealed Rarity's true state. To the nurse, Rarity no doubt looked as if totally relaxed and in-control, barely even caring about the gash on her hind leg. To Twilight, however, she looked very different. For example, she knew Rarity was exhausted judging by the excess make-up under her eyes, probably there to cover bags under her eyes. She could also tell Rarity was in pain, if only by how the queen's ears would twitch with every step she took.

It was because of this that Twilight decided she'd act like the cold and logical pony so many thought she was. She was going to put up her walls again, if only to fool Rarity into believing she was perfectly fine.

Rarity glanced at Twilight briefly before looking back to the nurse and asking for a few moments in private with her personal guard. She waited until the nurse left before finally dropping her act and going over to Twilight. "Hello, sweetheart," she murmured, sitting next to the bed and caressing Twilight's cheek.

"Hi," was the soft reply Twilight offered, her resolve to be cold melting away at Rarity's touch. Her eyes drifted towards the bandages on Rarity's body, and she felt a lump forming in her throat. "Does it… does it hurt a lot?"

"Don't be silly. 'Can't even feel it!" she exclaimed, smiling brilliantly.

Twilight looked away, ears flat against her head. "Liar," she whispered, cracking Rarity's perfect smile. "I can't believe you had to fight… I should have never let it get to that..."

Rarity gently brushed Twilight's mane with her hoof, drawing the unicorn's attention. "Darling, really, how could you not expect me to try and help you? Besides, I needed the excitement," she said, taking back her hoof and placing it on her chest. "Being queen of an entire kingdom can be soooooo dull."

Twilight wasn't sure if it was the faux-dramatic way in which Rarity had said that, or if it was the unicorn's relentless positivity despite the situation but, before she could stop it, her lips curved into the smallest of smiles.

The action did not go unnoticed by Rarity. "Ah, that's more like it," she whispered, smiling lightly. She leaned in a little and said, "Twilight Sparkle, I would walk to the ends of the earth for your smile."

And just like that, Twilight's smile grew a little wider, her cheeks turning pink.

Rarity leaned in a little more. "I would wage entire wars for your ridiculously adorable smile," she continued, obviously enjoying Twilight's increasing fluster. It was only when Twilight suddenly had a minor coughing fit that she stopped her verbal flirting attack. She sighed and once more played with Twilight's mane. "The nurse said you'd have to take it easy for at least a few weeks. Captain Latimer has..." she drifted off into silence.

"Already found a replacement for me," Twilight softly finished, once more looking away with an air of dejection, smile evaporating from her face. "Right?"

"But it is only a temporary measure!" Rarity quickly added. "I'd be dead if not for you, so I'll make sure you can go back to your duties the instant you are able to."

Twilight opened her mouth to point out that Rarity would be uninjured in the hooves of any other soldier but ultimately decided against it. Even if she felt like a failure, she couldn't bring herself to imply that Rarity should replace her.

As such, she answered without answering, and the agonizing silence went on for what felt forever until Rarity finally broke it by whispering: "Unless you'd prefer to be relieved of your duties..."

Now that made Twilight look up. "Huh?"

"I mean, I'd completely understand, you know?" Rarity went on, speaking a little faster. "Maybe you'd like becoming the library guard? Think of all the books you'll be able to read!"

"Rarity, there isn't such a thing as 'library gua—"

"Well, there could be! I can create the position!" Rarity interrupted, suddenly agitated. "Or any other position you'd like! Librarian, library defensor, libra—"

"If you don't think I'm good enough to be your personal guard," Twilight interrupted, frowning at the unicorn, "just say it."

Rarity looked appalled at the remark. "I don't think that! I just think that perhaps you should be allowed to re-consider the job you chose now that you've witnessed firsthand the dangers of it."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Rarity, you picked me."

"Then perhaps I should have given you the option to choose for yourself instead of assuming you'd be willing to throw your life away for mine!"

Twilight tried to sit up straight, suddenly very confused. "Throw my life away? I'm not throwi—"

"Yes, you are!" Rarity interrupted, stomping her hoof against the floor and pointing at Twilight's bandages. "Look at yourself! Look at the state those brutes left you in! You're lucky you're the best we have, or else I'd probably be burying you right now!" She took a step back and started pacing around. "What if next time you're not so lucky? Another name to add to the blood-soaked list of ponies that have died in the name of protecting my family!

"I don't want to risk losing you!" she continued, going back to Twilight. "I can't lose you knowing you died because of a job I forced upon you! If I relieve you of your duties, however, you won't ever risk your life for me again."

"Yes I will!" Twilight replied without missing a beat. "I didn't risk my life because it's my duty, Rarity! You can make me the official… library guard? And I'd still protect you with my life! If anything, logically, I'm the best pony to have as your personal guard because nopony cares more about your life than I do!"

Rarity's face flushed at Twilight's bold statement. She opened and closed her mouth several times, apparently at a loss for words. "Well, stop caring so much," she finally gently complained, leaning over and nuzzling against the other unicorn.

"You stop caring so much," Twilight retorted, smiling again, a light blush on her cheeks.

"How can I when you're so hopelessly adorable? Somepony needs to take care of you."

Twilight giggled. "Hey, I thought I was the one who had to take care of the other," she playfully pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." She pulled back and smiled confidently. "Well, since you aren't going to back down and I'm not going to back down, we'll simply have to compromise and train harder so neither of us has to face the possibility of losing the other ever again, hm?"

"We? Does that mean you're going to start training with me? Wow, I didn't think you were actually listening when I suggested you exercised more!"

Rarity snorted. "Me? Do all that work?" She put her hoof on Twilight's forehead. " Twilight, I think they might have struck a nasty blow to your head because you've clearly gone insane!"

"Oh my goodness, you're right! What was I even thinking?" Twilight gasped dramatically, taking Rarity's hoof and shaking it. "I clearly have gone insane! Quick, get the nurse!"

As if having heard Twilight, the head nurse suddenly knocked at the door. "Your Majesty! It's Remedy! May I come in?" she asked, barging in and barely giving Rarity enough time to regain a much more professional demeanor.

The older mare looked at the two younger ones, raising an eyebrow at their terrible attempts to stop smiling.

"Ah, y-yes, Remedy! I was just checking up on Twilight," Rarity quickly said, cheeks slightly pink. "She seems much be—"

"Your Majesty!" Remedy snapped, stomping her hoof against the floor. "You are in no condition to be giving anyone impromptu visits! You should be resting in bed!"

Rarity's face flushed. "I… Well, Remedy, I can hand—"

"And agitating poor Commander Sparkle!" Remedy continued, going over to Twilight and re-adjusting her bandages. "What lack of consideration!"

"B-but, I wasn't—!" Rarity stammered, looking at Twilight and finding the unicorn looking at her quite sternly.

"Shame on you, Rarity!" Twilight mouthed, grinning cheekily when Rarity shot her an appalled look.

"It's just like when you were a filly, keeping patients awake until three in the morning and insisting your presence would cure them!" Remedy shook her head and gave Rarity a stern look. "Come on, out you go! You both need rest!" Remedy trotted off and left the room, mumbling under her breath. "Honestly, when I was young..."

"'Insisting your presence would cure them'?" Twilight repeated the moment Remedy had left the room, sniggering at the mortified Rarity.

"Wipe that smug grin off your face, Twilight, or I give you my word that my presence here will do the opposite of healing you!"

Just as Twilight opened her mouth to reply, Remedy's voice boomed from outside the room, demanding Rarity leave the room.

"I'm coming!" Rarity called before turning to look at Twilight and leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Twilight's nose. "Try to get some rest, sweetheart." She ran her hoof through Twilight's mane one last time before turning around and trotting off towards the exit.

"Rarity?" Twilight asked, prompting Rarity to stop and turn to look at her. "Can you come back tomorrow?"

Rarity's expression softened for a second, before being replaced by a confident smirk. "Tomorrow? Twilight, I'll be back here in a few hours if I can sneak past old fusspo—"

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

Rarity quickly trotted out of the room. "Alright, alright!"

Once Rarity was gone, Twilight rested her head on the bed and closed her eyes, a smile gracing her lips. All of a sudden, the ache of her body had seemed to disappear almost completely, leaving only a warm sensation in her chest.

Look at that, she thought, deciding she'd never again make Rarity go through the fear of losing her. Maybe she can cure ponies just by being there.