//------------------------------// // Forseen Complications // Story: The Guardian // by Karrakaz //------------------------------// If she had ever been more tense or nervous than she was right now, Rarity couldn’t remember the time. Walking— Marching through the castle, with her bodyguard-to-be in tow would have raised eyebrows regardless of who she had picked, but having that pony also be a convicted criminal raised said eyebrows a few inches further, and had her barking orders at any guard that made a move to restrain Private Sparkle. They listened, to an extent, but it didn’t prevent the two mares from picking up an entire flock of guards on their way to the dining hall where Rarity was sure she would find her father this early in the morning. She didn’t doubt that Twilight could handle herself, but unfortunately, the mare currently looked more like one of Rarity’s friends, rather than she did a bodyguard. With her mane done up, and the beige dress hugging her flanks, she turned heads other than just those of the guards, and Rarity had to admit that it was only partly due to her efforts in making Twilight look fetching. But it was all in favor of Rarity's plan. First she would introduce Twilight as one of her friends. Her father had never really bothered to learn any of their names and was generally uninterested in them, and so wouldn't look too closely. Then, after taking a meal together, Twilight would excuse herself and slip out to don her armor. She would then walk back into the room, startling the king and thereby showing that, if she could hide that she was a bodyguard from him, she could easily blend in and stay close to Rarity at all times. Any would-be assassins would be in for a nasty surprise if they thought she was unguarded. Twilight had expressed her concerns about the plan more than once—insubordination being one of her more persistent problems—but Rarity had waved them away. Her father needed to be handled delicately, or they would be in big trouble. At the very least he is going to have to admit that she is better than the idiots he selected, she thought darkly, casting a glance back at the two muscled stallions that followed them not so much with a concerned frown, but rather a smitten smile, brought on by the pretty mare that had suddenly emerged from the room they were supposed to be guarding. How they had become guards at all was beyond Rarity; perhaps their strength had been enough to sway her father. Even had that been the case, she doubted a similar thing would work for Twilight. Rarity reached the limit of how much she was willing to tolerate at about the same time they reached the doors to the dining room, and turned around to their unwanted entourage with a scowl. "Enough is enough. If any of you are that concerned about what we will be doing, you can wait out here. Twilight Sparkle and I will be entering the room unaccompanied." She cast a glance over the assembled guards. "Is that clear?" She did not get the same fervor and devotion her father commanded in the guards in his employ, but they nevertheless all made their acquiescence to her command known in one way or another. With an inaudible huff, she turned and opened the doors, beckoning for Twilight to come along. The dining room felt a lot bigger than it did usually, and upon reflection, Rarity guessed that it was probably because she was anxious. If she had to have a bodyguard, she didn’t want it to be those idiots her father had assigned her, and from the guards she had seen a few days prior, only Twilight had really made an impression. She smiled politely at her father, hiding the frown that wanted to sit on her face. Twilight had made more than just an impression, but because of that, she was also considered a criminal. She held on to the knowledge that she had a good plan, and could adapt to the situation if necessary. Like so many plans, it did not survive contact with the enemy. “Good morning, father,” she began smoothly, sitting down and mentally preparing herself for the conversation that was about to come; persuading her father would be anything but easy. It took her a while to realise that her father wasn't looking at her, but at some point right behind her. She uncomfortably cleared her throat. “Father?” Diamond frowned lightly while giving Twilight a once over, but it cleared up when he looked at Rarity. “Good morning, daughter. Who is this? Another friend of yours?” Rarity cleared her throat and nodded. “Why yes.” She turned to Twilight and nodded. “Why don’t you sit down, darling?” “Have we met before? You look familiar.” “Of course you’ve met her before. She’s—” “Is she a mute?” Diamond asked brusquely. “No, of course not.” “Then let her speak for herself, I asked her the question, not you.” “Never in person, Your Majesty.” “Hmmm.” Diamond sat back and lifted a few blood-daisies to his mouth with his magic, chewing slowly while his gaze remained on Twilight. “Are you sure? Maybe you're one of the painted mares I had hired for the ball a few days ago?" He smirked. "If you are, I could use a diversion from all the paperwork they saddle me with these days." Next to her, Twilight stiffened, her breathing growing shallow. Rarity herself almost choked on the sip of wine she'd taken. "Honestly, father!" she all but yelled "How can you even compare her to one of those... hussies?" Diamond chuckled softly and waved a hoof. "Apologies, forgive an old soldier his jokes." Rarity didn't know if it was the joke, the fact that the 'escorts' had long since been a sore subject for her, or because she now had a bodyguard and felt a little safer around her father as a result, but Rarity could not contain her tongue. "In very poor taste I might add. Bad enough that there's no female of influence save for myself at any of your gatherings, but the hiring of escorts shows just how little respect you have for me, or mares in general,” she said hotly. "I have the utmost respect for them." Diamond replied, the light tone gone from his voice. "They are as valuable to me as any soldier, and masters of their craft. Their services have helped me uncover a lot of scheming, and it is you that doesn’t respect them enough by thinking that I only hire them because they look ‘pretty’." He smiled at Rarity. “Which is also why I want you there.” Rarity didn’t like being compared to a common whorse, nor did she particularly believe her father saying that those mares were essentially spies. She didn’t know him to be crafty enough for something like that. "So I am another tool in your bag of tricks, then?" "A masterpiece,” Diamond said with a smirk. “You've indirectly saved me many a headache, Rarity, which is something you should learn before you take the throne yourself." He gestured for wine to be poured, nodding at Twilight slightly more respectfully. "Like the sword, your sexuality can be a tool, and in the right circumstances can save you from a lot of trouble.” “That’s a horribly jaded way to think, father.” Rarity said, glaring daggers at him. He chuckled appreciatively. “Perhaps. As a king, I cannot afford to have weak points, however, too many ponies would take advantage of our country if I did.” Diamond nodded to a nearby servant who was waiting to refill his wine. “So she isn't one of mine. Is she yours, then? I had thought you preferred the rougher sex, but I won't begrudge you this one, so long as you still produce an heir when the time comes.” He let his eyes wander over Twilight once more. “She is quite beautiful." “W-what?! No!” Rarity felt her face go red-hot with embarrassment. “I’m not... she’s not...” She realised that she was stumbling over her words and grabbed the wine goblet, draining it in a single go and almost choking on the liquid when some of it went down her airpipe. “She’s a friend!” she said quickly, reaffirming it with: “Just a friend!” when her father nodded knowingly. “Some of the best romances have started as such,” he said casually before taking a sip of wine. “Just try not reveal anything too important during the pillow talk. I remember when your mother...” Rarity hid behind her goblet, ears burning. Gone was the perfect plan she had spent days coming up with, all thanks to her father’s infuriating segues. To make matters even worse than they already were, Twilight was smiling at her; one of those knowing smiles that said that she was, if not openly enjoying her father’s rhetoric, then at least interested in learning more about the royal family. With a wave of her hoof, Rarity called the servant to refill her goblet. She needed time. Time to gather her wits and put the pieces of her plan back together. Turn all of this to her advantage somehow. “Father please!” She said. “Can we at least try not to dishonor my mother?” “She did a fine job of that herself, daughter.” Diamond let out a deep sigh. “But I suppose you are right. I do miss her, despite everything. At times, I regret sending her from me.” He shook his head. “Sometimes the crown weighs very heavily, and makes the stallion beneath very cold and hard. Forgive me.” “I will, if you stop rambling for a moment and listen to me.” Rarity said, pouncing on the opportunity to segue into her original reason for being here. “I’ve made an important decision, and I would like your blessing, as you promised me.” Her father cocked an eyebrow but nodded after a time. “Alright, I’m listening.” “I’ve chosen a bodyguard, as you requested.” Rarity hedged carefully. “My choice is a very accomplished private, but there was a bit of trouble, and I had to intercede.” “What kind of a lousy bodyguard would need you to get them out of trouble?” The king asked suspiciously. “If you’re telling me he was being inappropriate with you I’m fully prepared to deprive him of some choice bits to keep that from happening again.” “She, actually, and no, nothing like that.” Rarity said quickly. “But I would remind you, you did promise you would support my choice. Are you prepared to accept my decision?” “You’re hiding something.” The king said, bluntly. “Out with it.” “Not until you answer me, father. You placed this decision in my hooves. This is my very first royal duty. You’ve said yourself in times past that what royalty declares to be so is so. I’ve made my choice, will you abide it?” “I won’t do a thing until you tell me why this is so important all of a sudden.” “Because I believe a grave error was made, and I won’t have my choice taken from me because of it.” Rarity said, refusing to break eye contact with her father. “Name the bodyguard, or I will name one for you, daughter. We can talk about your intercession once I know who it was for.” Rarity took a deep breath, and spoke the name. “Private Twilight Sparkle.” Diamond stared at her, his head whipping to the mare at her side, viewing her in an entirely new light. "What were you thinking bringing a traitor into my presence, Rarity?" he growled. The muscles in his neck straining against the sudden tension of barely contained anger; he looked like he could explode at any moment. "As I’ve been trying to tell you—" Rarity glanced back at Twilight. The large unicorn had tensed along with her father, but she looked uncertain, rather than angry. "You did promise, father..." "Enough! Bulwark, take care of her!" The hulking stallion seated next to the king was up in an instant, armed in two, and upon Twilight in the third. He almost knocked Rarity over when he brushed past her and she turned around just in time to see Twilight jump back, dodging the first of Bulwark's attacks, that put a dent in the floor. For so big a pony, Bulwark was remarkably quick, and his second strike would have put several holes in Twilight had she not dodged that one as well. The spiked shield sailed through the air inches from her head while she rolled to the side. Bulwark's third attack was even closer, one of the spikes slicing through the hem of Twilight's dress. It was no contest. Rarity had her doubts that Twilight would have been able to take on Bulwark even at her full strength; right now, unarmed and stumbling about in the high heels Rarity had foisted upon her, it was a forgone conclusion. Rarity averted her eyes from the slaughter waiting to happen, choosing to glare at her father instead. Diamond, it seemed, was just as upset as she was, and for a time, theirs was a battle of wills, played out in silence. The questions of how long it would have gone on, or who the winner would have been, went unanswered. Their line of sight was broken by Bulwark who stumbled into the side of the table after one of his more vicious attacks missed its target. The stallion was on his hooves quickly, and chased after Twilight once more, but the tension between Rarity and her father had been broken. “Father—” “I don’t want to hear it,” Diamond said, turning away from her and watching the spectacle that was Twilight getting nicked by one of the spikes on Bulwark’s shield, tearing a gash on one of her forelegs. Though he probably hadn’t anticipated the mare to pick up a chair in her magic and smash it against the stallion’s head, leaving him dazed. Had Twilight had a weapon, that might have been a concern, but as it was all it bought her was a few seconds of respite. Rarity ground her teeth. The bastard looked like he was enjoying it. She spared a glance for Twilight who, while acquitting herself admirably considering she still hadn’t fully recovered, was starting to lose focus. It wouldn’t be long before Bulwark pulverized her. Rarity set her jaw and stuck out her chin. "You gave me your word, father! Is the king’s word worth nothing now?" Her father nearly fell from his chair in shock, and turned back to her with a furious glare. "My word is not the issue here! I will not rescind an order I have given, and I will not let you place your safety in the hooves of a traitor!” "Then you are no fit ruler, if you cannot even keep your promises to your heir!" Diamond slammed a hoof down on the table, making all of the silverware rattle. "Listen to yourself. She nearly crippled an able-bodied soldier. She should have been struck down on the spot!" Rarity swallowed heavily. She was treading on thin ice. She had seen her father angry before, but never like this. Still, she couldn’t back down, not now, not if she wanted to be a better pony than her father wanted her to be. "And that makes her a traitor?! Isn’t injuring others what soldiers are paid to do anyway?!" "Not the ones they are supposed to fight alongside!” Diamond bellowed. “She nearly cost a good stallion two of his legs!" "Just as it nearly cost her her life to even perform the technique she used to do it!” Rarity shot back before continuing in a softer tone. “I was there, father. I thought he was going to kill her, and if she hadn’t done what she did, he would have!” She leaned forward a little, looking her father straight in the eyes. “Would he have been a traitor too?!” Diamond had no immediate reply, leading to a momentary silence across the table, which Rarity used to press on. “You told me that you didn’t want me to pick a ‘smarmy young colt who had never held a sword’.” She swept a hoof over to Twilight. “She isn’t ‘smarmy’, she certainly knows how to handle a sword, and she isn’t a colt.” She could see the hesitance in her father’s eyes, and barreled on, not giving him time to form a reply. “She’s even held off Bulwark this long. Without a weapon no less! If she had been an assassin, you would have been impressed, but instead, I want her to work for us. For me.” She leaned over and smiled at her father surreptitiously. “You know it would be a waste to have her hanged, father. She’s deserving of a second chance.” Diamond was silent, brooding as he watched Twilight desperately dance around his seasoned bodyguard. Rarity held her breath. Though she had not been struck down yet, Twilight was on her last wind. She realised, only now, why the mare had been adamant about not wanting to wear the high heels Rarity had picked out for her, it made walking more difficult, let alone dodging in a fight. Twilight had managed so far, but it had cost her a great deal of energy, and each of her subsequent dodges became slower and less skillful. Two stumbling dodges after that, it seemed like she had found her limit, and was knocked to the ground by a headbutt from the larger stallion. It turned Rarity’s blood to ice in her veins and she reached out across the table. “Father! Please!” “Bulwark, stand down,” Diamond said at last, looking away from the spectacle and back at his daughter. The giant halted his advance immediately, his shield mere inches from crushing Twilight’s head. He righted himself and put the shield on his back. If not for the accelerated breathing both ponies and the sweat dripping from Twilight's face, Rarity could almost have convinced herself that nothing had happened. But something did happen. And it would have cost Twilight Sparkle her life but for a single moment. Rarity evicted the accusatory thoughts from her head. She had kept the promise she’d made. How she had done so or how much time it had taken didn't matter, only the result did. “Very well, daughter. Your king keeps his word, despite his better judgement. He defers to yours, hoping it will prove correct.” King Diamond turned to Twilight Sparkle, his visage an impassive mask. “You, traitor, will have your sentence suspended. Your execution will be carried out the moment I hear my daughter has been harmed in any way. Serve her well, her well-being is in your hooves, as yours is in mine.” Twilight bowed solemnly. "I understand, Your Grace." She walked over and stood behind Rarity rather than sitting down again, an almost perfect mirror of Bulwark who kept his eyes trained on her while doing the same. Diamond’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, before he downed his glass of wine with a grimace. He turned his head back to Rarity, a wry smirk on his face. “Well, I suppose you’ll want to get her outfitted. She’s not much of a deterrent in that getup.” Whereas before it had felt appropriate to put Twilight in a dress, his comment made Rarity aware of just how out of place it felt. Rarity picked up a blood-daisy herself, and waved over the servant, who had wisely stayed out of the way during the entire spectacle, to refill her goblet once more. “Yes. But—” Diamond dismissively waved a hoof in her direction. “Yes, yes. I’ll tell the guards. She can’t exactly protect you if she’s being hauled off to a cell every time she passes one of my men.” With any and all thoughts of having a proper meal with her father before revealing Twilight having been ruthlessly shut down, Rarity found that she would rather be anywhere but here. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, father, I think I’ll take Twilight to the armory so she’ll be better prepared to do her job.” “Fine, fine.” He stood, walking over to her, and gestured for her to rise. When she did, he gave her an awkward embrace. “My misgivings aside, I’m proud of you, daughter. You spoke as a queen would, and you stood your ground when it mattered. Well done.” Rarity did not have a reply, or rather, worried that she might say the wrong thing were she to do so. Instead, she got up, nodded to her father, and left the room with all the grace and elegance expected of a princess. It was a symbol that everything within the room had gone well, its execution only slightly marred by the fact that Twilight Sparkle’s legs were trembling as she followed. Given that the mare had just fought for her life, however, Rarity was willing to overlook that fact. When the doors opened, they walked into a wall of guards, all of whom were pressed up against one another in what Rarity figured was an attempt at listening in to the goings on in the room. They swiftly disentangled themselves and prevented Twilight— and by extension, Rarity—from moving any further. At least, until the king’s voice thundered orders at them from inside the room. “Princess Rarity has chosen Private Twilight Sparkle as her bodyguard, and isn’t to be hindered anymore than the princess herself is. See to it that every guard in the castle knows, you lazy louts!” Just like that, the group scattered in all different directions, leaving Twilight and Rarity to continue their journey uncontested. “Well,” Rarity said when they had passed from the main hallways and into the section of the castle that lead to her room. “That went rather well, all things considered.” The incredulous look she got from her bodyguard when she looked back was almost a declaration of disrespect; and therefore a crime by itself. “‘Well’ she says,” Twilight muttered darkly, and although she was muttering Rarity had keen hearing. “How did it go, Twilight? Oh, it went ‘well’, I only almost got killed, and got my ass handed to me because the princess wanted me to look pretty.” It was followed by a few expletives that colored Rarity’s cheeks with equal parts embarrassment and indignation. “Twilight Sparkle!” She said, stopping dead in front of the stairs that led up to her room. “Such language might be common, and even accepted in the barracks and out in the field, but I won’t have those kinds of words pass from the lips of my bodyguard, is that clear?” “Crystal,” Twilight replied, scowling at Rarity and almost biting the word in half before it had left her mouth. “I was just waiting for a chance to ask if you wanted blood on your carpet, or if I should go to the infirmary first.” Only now did Rarity take the time to get a good look at her brand new bodyguard. Twilight’s dress—what little was left of it— hung around her in tatters. Bulwark had obviously come too close for comfort on more than one occasion. The neat bun Rarity had done her mane up in had come undone and from the looks of things, that too had gotten in her way during the fight. Last, and perhaps most importantly, were the noticeable quakes in Twilight’s otherwise steady posture, as well as the trail of little droplets of blood that formed a somewhat macabre trail, almost like breadcrumbs, all the way back to the dining hall. Especially now that they had stopped moving, Rarity was suddenly very much aware of the blood running from a small wound behind Twilight’s left ear, and from the gashes in her front legs. Other than the shakiness in her legs, Twilight did not seem worried about her injuries in the least, but Rarity didn’t feel the same way. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, moving to Twilight’s side so that she could support her guard if it became necessary. “Why didn’t you say anything!? I could have sent for a doctor. Should I send for a doctor? Can you make it up the stairs okay? I can support you if it’s really needed.” Twilight snorted with amusement. “Who would you send?” Rarity looked at her bewilderedly. “W-what?” “To fetch a doctor.” “Why I would send the nearest serv...” Rarity’s sentence petered out as she looked around and came to the discovery that she and Twilight were the only ones in the corridor. “I guess that’s not much of an option... is it?” She asked sheepishly. “Well then, should I run to fetch a doctor?” Twilight shook her head. “You can relax, Princess. These...” She lifted each of her forelegs in turn and inspected them. “Are relatively shallow wounds.” “Uhm... you also have one behind your ear, and it is bleeding a little more seriously,” Rarity helpfully supplied, pointing out the spot without actually touching it. This was about as close to blood that wasn’t her own as she’d ever been, and earlier experiences had been a skinned knee at the most. A purple hoof traveled up to softly dab at the wound. “Ah, so there is...” Twilight said almost absently. She dabbed the wound again and put her hoof down. When she put weight on it, her leg buckled, but before Rarity could step in to keep her upright, she recovered. “I should be fine, though I’d really like to get out of this dress and under some sort of shower,” she said said through gritted teeth. “If... that’s... alright with you, Your Highness.” Just like that, Rarity realised that she’d not really been acting like a princess, and her posture stiffened considerably. Despite that, however, she made the only decision that seemed feasible, princess or no. “Forget the shower Twilight Sparkle. This is partially my fault—” Twilight barked. “Ha! Partially?” Rarity fixed her with a glare for a few moments. “Perhaps mostly my fault, so I will allow you to use the bath in my chambers again.” She looked Twilight up and down, trying to ignore the small, but growing, pools of blood on the floor. “And after that, We’ll need to get you something to wear.” “As long as it’s not a dress,” Twilight playfully replied, though she bowed her head when Rarity glared at her again. “Apologies, as you wish, Princess.” “Hmmm, I suppose not for day to day activities. But you do look fabulous with just a little effort.” Rarity looked her up and down, considering. “I don’t suppose they make much in the way of lightweight armor you could wear under a gown? Something with harnesses for hidden blades should you need them?” Twilight began to nod, but ended up shaking her head. “It does exist... but it doesn’t offer the same amount of protection. Besides, those sorts of tricks are for Assassins. Soldiers should wear their armor openly.” Rarity had her own opinions on the matter. The more she thought about it, the more she felt for the idea of having a bodyguard that didn't look like a bodyguard. For now, however, she saw fit to keep her ideas to herself. “I see. Let’s just focus on getting you out of those rags for now.”