It was the morning after the meeting of Princess Twilight, Týr, and Skadi. A raven had flown for two days after spotting Princess Twilight and her entourage on the second day of their journey into the North to bring the news to the lofts of spymasters Hunin and Mugin, the Raven Twins. Odin had been informed of the approach of the Princess by his spymasters and had called his council. General Rollo and the Earth Pony Sublords of the North, Lords Rolf, Floki, Baard, Geiri, and Lady Ylva. They were all assembled and sitting at the council table with Odin sitting at the head. However, they were one short. Prince Baldr was nowhere to be found. And they had been waiting for half an hour.
Odin had been adamant that they wait for Prince Baldr before starting. He was a patient stallion, but now even his patience was waning. He was about to declare the meeting begun when the council chamber doors opened and Baldr calmly trotted in, carrying a saddlebag of parchment and scrolls.
“Your Majesty and Lordships pardon me for my tardiness. I was busy making the final preparations for my report to the council last night and I slept in. I apologize for keeping you all waiting.”
Odin's face did not change as he motioned for Baldr to take his seat at the other end of the table. After he sat down, Odin spoke up.
“Now, last night, I received word from the ravens that the southern princess has entered the North with an entourage. According to the report from the raven twins, she is two days into her journey and will soon be making contact with my chosen escorts, Prince Týr and Princess Skadi. If all goes well, she should arrive here within the week and we will welcome her with open hospitality.”
Lord Rolf spoke up. “If I may inquire, Your Majesty, the reason for this invitation to the southern princess. We have been asking for nearly a week and have not gotten an answer as to why she is coming here or why it is important for her to be here.”
Odin nodded at this. “A good question, Lord Rolf, and I shall answer it. Recently... I have been having troubling dreams. Dreams that foretold of a coming battle between Ponies, Caribou, and... and an enemy that I could not see. The dreams always ended the same way: Our forces destroyed and routed. Our people slaughtered and the North drenched in blood and fire. And laughter. Endless laughter.”
The council table was silent. Lord Baard finally spoke up. “What you describe, Your Majesty... it sounds like Ragnarök. The end of all things.”
“Exactly,” Odin replied. “Then, a couple weeks ago, the dreams changed. The laughter was gone. The dreams ended with a violet unicorn with wings. She told me.... “When you see me again it will be time for us to unite. I talked with a soothsayer after the first time she appeared and the soothsayer confirmed that the Winged Unicorn was from the South. The second appearance of this unicorn was a week ago. The night before Prince Týr and Princess Skadi departed, she came to me. This time without the vision of horror. She just said, “It is time. Send them to me.” I had no other alternative. I had to send them to meet her. And from what I've learned, she and her entourage have arrived in the North. And by now, she has met my children. And they are on their way. I am certain that with her help, we might be able to understand what is coming. How to prevent Ragnarök. How to ensure that our civilization will continue! That is why it is important for her to be here. I know, My Lords and Lady, that it seems mad to put all our hopes upon this, especially an outsider, but I need you all to trust me.”
None of the Lords assembled spoke. Odin looked at General Rollo and then at Baldr across the table. And this is how I lose them, he thought. By telling them of dreams. Dreams and visions that often foretell madness in a pony's mind. Fine King am I.
The response he did get was from Lady Ylva. “My liege, we are at your your beck and call. We at your Council trust you and your judgement. There have been signs of war. My spies have told me that the Pegasi have been requesting a lot skysteel and iron ore for their forges from my mines. My people have also seen the forges at Sky Mountain alight at night. The clanging of hammers forging weapons of war. I fear that Blizzard is preparing to make her move on us.”
Lord Rolf nodded. “She has been rather vocal with her criticisms of your rule. She has claimed that you are not worthy of being the Protector of the Realm. She has cited examples, such as your age and the Pegasi's former status as protectors of the realm. We fear that she might move against us.”
“Which brings me to my sad news,” Baldr spoke up. He removed the scrolls from his saddlebag and passed them around the table. “My recent diplomatic trip to the Diamond Fort yielded some unfortunate results. While I was there, I was able to spy upon Lord Mund's forces. He is amassing an army. An army that, if it joins forces with Commander Blizzard's Valkyries, we cannot stand against. My words to Mund might have delayed his encroachment on our lands, but it will not be enough. We are facing a war on two fronts. A war within our own country and a potential war that my father has foreseen.”
Lord Floki spoke next. “Or perhaps they are one and the same. A war that will consume us all from the inside. We must stamp this out before it turns to full blown civil war!”
“And how do you propose we do that,” Lord Geiri asked. “If we try to fight them one at a time, our forces will be stretched thin with each encounter. And we do not have the horsepower necessary for sieges. If we try attacking Sky Mountain, we will be bombarded by Valkyries. If we attack the Diamond Fort, we will not last long. That fort has withstood long sieges before and it can do it again! Plus, they have magic on their side. Magic that is unavailable to us. I hate to say it, Sire, but we cannot engage them without preparations to counter their advantages over us.”
“And what do you propose we do,” Floki asked, his voice rising. “If we do nothing, we will allow them more time to gather their forces against us! We need to do something!”
“Enough,” Odin shouted. “I understand the need for action, Lord Floki, but Lord Geiri is right. We cannot make a move just yet.”
“But, my King-”
“I will also not allow this kingdom to fall into civil war!”
Odin raised himself up in his seat so that it looked as if he were towering over the council table. “My father saw in a vision from the Four Gods themselves our people ruling over the North! He saw his bloodline ruling over the North in a dynasty that would outlast the Unicorn's. We are not going to fall to either of these Usurpers! My father won the North for our people and I will be damned if I lose it to a pompous usurper and a hotheaded soldier!” He finished his speech by slamming his hoof upon the table.
For a moment, the council was quiet. Allowing the words to sink in. Lady Ylva was the first to speak. “My Liege, we will do as you say. We shall bide our time until the time you feel is right for us to strike.” She gave a smile of assurance.
There were mutterings of agreement from the council members. “We stand with you to the end, My King,” General Rollo confirmed. “To the end.” Rollo gave the same smile to Odin.
Odin smiled at his old friend and sat back down. “The Council is adjourned for the day. Return to your estates and await further instructions from me.” As the Lords and Lady rose from their seats, Odin turned his gaze to Baldr, who was placing his parchment in his saddlebag. “Not you.” Baldr halted what he was doing and looked at his father, his smile gone and replaced with a look of sullen annoyance.
Baldr looked at General Rollo who gave him a shrug. He bowed to the Prince and to the King and departed from the room with the rest of the nobles. Odin remained in his seat staring at Baldr, his eye betraying nothing. Finally, he spoke.
“I do not know if the Gods are punishing me for some wrong I have committed in the past by giving me a son that shirks the duties of a Crown Prince. Goodness knows what I did to deserve a son that shirks his duties, keeps the Council waiting, makes merry in taverns with those of ill repute, and ruts about with one of my serving mares on a regular basis!”
“Your Grace-”
Odin interrupted him abruptly. “Your place at Council you are soon to lose thanks to your laziness and tardiness! You are soon to lose your place at court if not your future crown if you keep this up! The hope of your future is at stake and the Lords and Ladies at court think you a fool!”
Baldr lowered his head and scuffed the tiles with his hoof. It was true about the serving mare. For a while, he had been seeing a lovely little mare by the name of Helga. It was nothing romantic for Baldr. For him, she was simply doing her duty to her prince. Nothing more. And he had been careful, at least he thought he had. But it appeared that the walls did have ears. Whether Helga had been gossiping or bragging to her fellow serving mares, the King knew. And that did not fit into His Majesty's plans for Baldr and the King's ward, Kelda.
Odin was not done talking. “Your marriage to Kelda is still going forward when she comes of age and you will stop dishonoring her with a common serving wench. You will arrive to Council meetings half an hour before they begin and you will cease your activities at the tavern. I should not have to speak to you like this at all. You understand that?” Baldr nodded and Odin walked up to his son and stared him in the eye.
“You were born into a life that no other pony in the North can claim. You born lucky. You were the first born and thus you have the right to rule in the North. You will one day control the lives of every pony of the North. But before you take the crown and the throne you need to prove to all who serve under you that you are a pony that is worth following. A pony that is worth dying for. And you need to show that you are worth twice any jumped up lord or lady that thinks he or she would be better suited to wearing the crown than you. You will be King one day. Prove that you are worth the crown.”
Baldr nodded. “I shall, my thrice gracious Lord, be more myself.”
Odin nodded and looked him up and down. “Now... if there is nothing else, we have other business to attend to. Namely, our soon to be arriving guests and our plans for our enemies.”
Baldr nodded and followed him to the table where a map of the North had been spread out. It detailed everything. To the west was Sky Mountain, home of the Pegasi and the Valkyries. To the east was the Diamond Fort, home of the Unicorns. To the far north were the mountain ranges with the high seas beyond them. To the south were the lower lands. Lands that belonged to the Caribou and anypony brave enough to farm there. And beyond those were the lands the old rulers had gone to. And in the center of it all were the small mountains that ringed around Valhall. The North. Their kingdom.
“Now, we both know that sieging either the Diamond Fort or Sky Mountain would waste resources and troops. They know these locations and how to use the land against us. They can outlast us.” Baldr nodded keeping his eye on the map. “That is why we need the princess and her entourage.” Baldr looked up at Odin in shock. Odin smiled at him.
“Forgive me, Sire, but how is a princess and her entourage going to help our country not devolve into Civil War?”
“Simply put: They are X-Factors. They are unknowns. Blizzard and Mund know us. They know how we think. They know how we fight. And they know how to beat us. They do not know the princess or her entourage. That is our advantage. We use them to the best advantage we can. And we stop the war before it begins. And then when the wars are stopped we turn our eyes southward.” Baldr's eyes widened when the reality of Odin's words.
Odin smiled and paced around the table. “You are now wondering what I am referring to. It's simple. It is time for the North and South to unite. When we have dealt with the oncoming storm, we will appeal to this princess for our two countries to be united. Our people will place a hoofhold in the South. Our houses will merge with a marriage and soon, we will be the rulers of all we see. North and South.”
Baldr smiled as he realized just what was happening. Let it never be said that King Odin was a pony without ambition.