Part the Second
Part the Second
Thirty First Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, 1224
My eyes flick around the room, taking in everything, but seeing nothing. “Mi Amore,” Father says, laying a hoof on my shoulder. “Are you--” his words cut off, replaced by a wet, hacking cough ”--are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Father, but are you okay? That cough doesn’t seem to be getting better. You’ve had it for weeks.” I take a step forward to check Father’s temperature, but he pushes me back.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. This is your day, not mine.” Father takes a step back, looking at me before stepping forward and readjusting my veil. “Are you sure about this? This isn’t Equestria, divorce is not acceptable in the Crystal Empire, and especially not of a mare in your position.”
Emboldened by Father’s friendly demeanor today, I level a surprised stare. “You approved it first, didn’t you?”
“I approved it for the state. I believe he is an excellent match, politically. I decided to leave it up to you whether he would fit romantically.” Father doesn’t even bat an eyelash. I suppose he is used to being stared at, especially in Council.
“I... I thought so...” I turn away to look at myself in the mirror, or at least, what I can see. Most of my vision is obscured by a thin white veil. I can see, but not too much definition. What I can see is supplemented by memory, painting a mental picture of a flowing white dress down my back, trimmed with lace and gems a deep blue, not unlike my cutie mark.
Over my shoulder, I see the fuzzy lines of my Father. “You look beautiful, mi Amore. I’m so proud, and your mother is, too.”
I turn around and nuzzle Father. “Is... is it bad that I’m somewhat nervous?”
“Do you want to hear a secret?”
I cock my head to the side. “Maybe...?”
Father chuckles softly. “Before I married your mother, I was very nervous as well. I was constantly worrying that I had made the wrong choice, not for myself, but for the Crystal Empire. I tried to spare you that problem, by ensuring that your eventual husband would be good for the nation, but I left you for you.
“Personally, I feel you made a good choice. None of your other suitors have ever made you seem so happy.” Tears spring to my eyes, and I go to hug the stallion before me. Just as I am about to pull him to my embrace, the music starts, and I freeze in fright.
Father slings a hoof over my shoulder, and leads me towards the door. “Come, mi Amore,” he says. “Time to take the first step in the rest of your journey in life.” Before I can protest and call the whole silly affair off, we are out the door, and down the middle of an aisle in one of the largest churches in the Crystal Empire.
A string ensemble sit in a corner, playing their instruments with the feigned indifference preferred by Council members, and hated my most everypony else, myself included. The carpet underhoof is soft, and leads straight to a small raised platform, where Sombra stands, in the same suit as the night of the Guild Ball, and a priest of the Church of Life.
I move down the aisle on shaky hooves. Thankfully, Father’s presence steadies me somewhat. That, and the figure of Sombra standing on the dias coalesces a small, hopeful fire inside of me, which turns into a blaze when I see Mother, sitting in the front row, cheeks slick with tears of joy. A small smile spreads across my face, growing larger with every step forward.
After uncounted eternities of walking, I find myself on the dias, across from Sombra. Father kisses my head and moves back to take his seat by Mother. Realizing that looking backwards is somewhat rude, I turn so that I can see both Sombra and the priest, and flash the former a small smile; one that is returned.
The music stops, and the priest clears his throat. “Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to join these two ponies together under the light of the Sun, and the gaze of Her protector. I present to you Marquise Cadenza and Lord Sombra of House Darkhoof, who have asked that you all honor them with your presence here this evening. Would the guardians of these two lonely souls please rise and consent to this union.”
Father and Mother both stand, as does Lord Glade. “I am the Regent of the Crystal Empire,” Father says, “And I consent to this marriage.”
“I am Lord Glade, with power of attorney of the late Lord Sunflare and Lady Dew Drop, parents of Lord Sombra, and I consent to this marriage,” comes the replying call from the other side of the aisle, from the brown stallion. I notice that the color of his coat is an even dimmer brown than the last time I saw him. Apparently, the flu is more widespread than we had first imagined.
Mentally, I’m halfway through a plan to present to Father to investigate, and put a quarantine in necessary, before the priest’s words finally register. A covert glance around shows everypony in view staring intently at me, as though waiting. “I do,” I say, hoping that it was a question, and that is the right answer.
Apparently, it is, because the priest, and expectant stares, all move towards Sombra. “And do you,” the priest begins, “take Marquise Cadenza to be your wife, and with it, accept your place as her Second, and all of the responsibilities of every job socially and politically implied?”
Sombra nods.
The crowd bursts into cheers, mirroring the glee on the priest’s face. “Then you may now kiss the bride!” he shouts over the roar of the audience. Sombra moves forward and draws me into a kiss. The ponies watching from the church’s pews fade into the background. The only thing that matters is myself, Sombra, and the small but powerful connection between us.
<><><><><>
The rest of the day passed quickly. We were taken aside, along with Father and Lord Glade, to sign the official papers that tell the state--myself--what they--I--already know, that Sombra is now my Second, and my husband. After that came the reception, a party that lasted for hours; late into the night.
As a filly, I loved wedding receptions. The food, the dancing, the friends I made in the cheerful atmosphere of realized love. Now, I hate it. All the reception accomplished was to keep Sombra and myself out in public, forced to greet ponies neither of us know, but that decorum dictates that we must invite. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the party, but I wish we had been able to move it to maybe the next day, or the day after.
However, all of my distaste for the occasion was redeemed when the reception was almost over, and Sombra pulled me to a side room, to unwrap a special present he said he had for me...
<><><><><>
“Sombra, a present? We’re married, you dolt, we don’t give each other the presents,” I say as we slip away from the party into a side room. The chamber is mostly bare, except for a large box on top of a table.
“Just hush and go open it,” he breaths in my ear, passing by me to take a seat at the table, looking expectantly over at me. I sigh and make my way over to the nearest chair before reaching out a hoof and grabbing the bow. I playfully toss it over at Sombra, only to look away in embarrassment to the tune of his laughter as it falls not a foot away from me.
“Oh, shut up,” I say, reaching out again, this time coming back with a hoof full of wrapping paper. A few more trips, and all that sits before me is a plain brown box. Somewhat curious now, I pull at one of the flaps, then the second, third, and fourth. Taking a deep breath, I get to my hooves and lean over to look inside.
“What is this!” I shout, reaching into the box and pulling the gift out, resting it on the table with a dull thunk before absentmindedly whacking the box onto the floor. Now resting in the center of the table is a large, deep blue gemstone, but not just a hunk of rock. Somepony had carved it into a heart, a perfect replica of the one on my cutie mark.
“Well, what do you think? Personally, I feel some of the proportions might be a little off, but--”
Before he can even finish his sentence, I pounce, wrapping him in what may be the biggest hug I have ever given, burying my face into the fur on his neck. “It’s beautiful, and I love it,” I mumble through his coat. “Thank you.”
“That’s where I went after the Wilds attacked. I spoke to your father, and he agreed that would be the best time. I carved it myself, but if you think it could be better, we could always send it to the gem cutters in House Firestone.”
“No, I respond, letting go and pulling the gem onto my back. “You’re not allowed to change it.” Ignoring his protest, I walk back out to the reception, and plant the gem in the middle of the serving table, displacing the ice sculpture to the punch bowl in the process.
<><><><><>
Ninth Day of the First Lunar Month, 1225
Today, while I attended a lunch with Lord Glade, Sombra, and other assorted Council nobles--by that, I mean Sombra and myself sat in the back, amusing ourselves by imitating the other lords and ladies as they put on airs and graces--when a messenger arrived.
As if to spite the happy feeling surrounding my home since I married and Sombra moved in with me, the messenger informed us that Mother had taken seriously ill, and has been sent to the upper branch of Crystal Regional Hospital. Of course, we excused ourselves, and, after a brief trip home to pick up some things and get changed, we rushed to the hospital, and Mother’s bedside...
<><><><><>
I hate hospitals. I’m not saying that I hate what they do, they serve a necessary function, but I don’t like them. They smell of sickness, and the thought of ponies suspended in agony by advanced magic makes me shudder. No matter my feelings, however, the hospital is exactly where I find myself just after one in the afternoon, Sombra and Father by my side, as we sit at Mother’s bedside, waiting for her to wake up.
“Your mother has come down with a rare illness,” the doctor says as we walk through the door. Guards rush out to hold back the swarm of reporters who had followed us throughout the city, looking for the latest news of the “Catastrophe of the Year.”
“We do have a cure, but it is not always successful. I am sorry to say, but the Lady Regent has a one in four chance of survival.” The words replay themselves over and over as I sit in the room. Nothing else matters. Not Sombra stroking my mane, not Father pacing over by the window, not the guards standing by the door, not Father’s intermittent coughing, not even the nurses coming to check up on us. All that matters are the words of the doctor, and the slight rise and fall of Mother’s blankets.
“How?” I ask. “She is out of the house less than I am, and neither us nor the staff have this, how did Mother get it?”
The doctor shakes his head. “We don’t know. The Lord Regent gave us permission to start the treatment. If she gets up within the next twenty-four hours, she will live. Otherwise, she will slip into a coma, and is not likely to wake up.”
I feel Sombra plant a kiss on the top of my muzzle, and I spare a moment of my musings to give him a small smile, but it is a fleeting comfort. All that matters is the rising of Mother’s blanket.
Every so often, it looks like her breathing deepens, signaling that she is awake, and we all rush to her bedside to welcome her back, but every time we are disappointed. As the minutes stretch into hours, I feel the small flicker of hope within grow dimmer and dimmer.
Around eight, Father leaves to have our dinner delivered from home. A half-hour later he returns with several servants, all carrying assorted trays of what I am sure is wonderful food, as always. All of it sits on a table, only to be nibbled and picked at. None of us has any sort of appetite.
Just two short hours after that, Father finally stops his pacing and moves a chair right next to the hospital bed. He takes and holds one of Mother’s hooves as he settles into it. A short while later, he too is sleeping. Feeling more weary than tired, but unwilling to stay and watch the seconds tick by, I curl up against Sombra and close my eyes, begging for sleep.
It comes reluctantly. My sleep is plagued with dreams of funerals and death, always haunted by a pony wearing a black cloak. My subconscious must realize that sleeping is just as painful as being awake, for I wake up not even two hours after I fell asleep. Sombra’s head is resting against mine. Now, I am the only one in the room in the grip of insomnia.
Dawn creeps slowly over the Crystal Empire, slowly peeking its early rays into the silent hospital room. Mother still has not moved, and though I hate to say it, I fear that the medicine has not worked. Even if it didn’t, there is always the chance that she will wake from the resulting coma and fight off the virus on her own, but I won’t be holding my breath.
The doctor comes back in around noon. “The nurses tell me that there has been no change,” he says. Father looks up at him with sad eyes and slowly shakes his head. “I feared as much,” the doctor continues after a brief examination “I’m afraid she has slipped into a coma, and she is not likely to wake up. Now, we have a few options. First--”
“Wait,” Father says, holding up a hoof and cutting off the doctor. “Mi Amore, Sombra, you don’t need to hear this. Please, go back to the manor. I will return when the business here is finished.”
Sombra looks like he wants to argue, but I nod my head. “Of course, Father. I hope to see you soon.” I trot over to Mother’s bedside and kiss the top of her head before returning to the door. “Come on, Sombra. I need another nap.” With a mighty sigh, Sombra exits the room with me, and we begin the long trek back home.
<><><><><>
Eighth Day of the Second Lunar Month, 1225
Mother still has not awoken from her coma. As horrible as I feel for saying it, every day that passes I lose a little more hope that she will. When Father returned from the hospital, he immediately called a Council meeting, and invited reporters from across the Crystal Empire, and even a couple who report directly to a newspaper in Equestria.
He told them all the story of what had happened, and said that until such a time as Mother would return, I would be taking her political duties as Regent’s Second. This was news to me, but I accepted graciously. Ready to assert my new power after years of impotence, I called for volunteers to research the illness Mother had, If we couldn’t save her, maybe we could save any others who may have it.
The Medical Guild of House Deepstone--the ones mostly responsible for the crystal mines we are so well-known for--graciously volunteered to devote as much horsepower as they could to researching the illness, and if they could, a cure.
Today, nearly a month later, they asked for a meeting with me, to share their results...
<><><><><>
It is strange, having an office to meet ponies in. So strange, in fact, that this is the first time I’ve ever been in it. It was Mother’s office, but she always handled her business with Father in his office. I sit down in the large chair on one side of a rather large desk when somepony knocks on the door on the opposite side.
“Lady Regent? The research team from House Deepstone is here,” one of the servants calls through the door.
“Send them in, please,” I reply, sitting back in the chair and hoping my nervousness isn’t obvious. This is really my first foray into politics without Father and Mother behind me, and I fear it shows. For a moment, the irrational fear that the entire team was coming to debrief me, but thankfully, only a small mare in a white labsaddle walks through the door. I wave a hoof, and she takes a seat in the chair opposite mine.
After an awkward moment, I hold out a hoof and she shakes it. “Hello, I’m Lady Glimmer, Guild Master of the Medical Guild of House Deepstone. A pleasure to meet you, My Lady Regent,” she says in the affected accent that annoys me so much.
“Charmed,” I say. “Look, I assume you already know who I am, and to be honest, I’m somewhat tired. Can we skip the small talk and get straight into why you’re here?” My curt tone hurts even me, but if this information can save Mother, the sooner I get it, the better.
“Certainly.” She takes a moment and straightens her posture, and accepts a very business-like attitude. “To answer the question I know you wish to ask, no, we have not found a cure. We think there may be one, but it is inaccessible.” She holds up a hoof to stop my incoming question. “Let me finish.
“We cannot get to it, for it is a Wilds virus. It is actually a biological warfare weapon, a special type of poison that was developed while the Crystal Empire was still under the guidance and protection of Equestria. We have sent a letter to the ruler there, but have received no response as of earlier this morning.”
She sighs and shakes her head before telling me the news I had dreaded since I began the project. “Because of the origin and our lack of the magicks that we did during the reign of Equestria, we are unable to do much research of the virus itself, and as such, we have no hope of developing treatment, cure, or even a rudimentary warning system. I’m sorry.”
I hang my head over the bare desk face. “Thank you,” I mutter some time later.
“Of course.” I can’t see her, but I imagine Glimmer nods. “We will keep a small team on it, just in case. I will also have our notes forwarded to your office later today.” Hooves clop against marble, and the door softly opens and shuts. I am now alone in this large office lined with bookshelves. My soon-to-be-late mother’s former office.
Without warning, guilt and sadness engulf me, and I rush from the room.
<><><><><>
Fourteenth Day of the Second Lunar Month, 1225
Mother stayed in her coma almost another week before she calmly passed in the night. The doctors say that her passing was painless and a mercy, and maybe they are right. But their words won’t replace the emptiness that echoes throughout the halls of my home.
They also won’t help Father. Ever since the news of Mother reached us, he has spent more and more time locked in his office. The few glimpses I have of him worries me. His rich sapphire-blue coat is dulling, and his cough from the flu seems worse every time I see him. He is becoming withdrawn and absent-minded, and more and more of the Regent’s duties are falling to me.
As such, Sombra has begun taking more of the role of Regent’s Second, the position I held for a little more than a month. He seems to be rising to the task, however. He is also getting better at calming me down so I can sleep at night without too many shed tears.
For, though things are okay for the moment, I know deep inside that it is going to get worse, and may never get better.
<><><><><>
“Council will... will now come to order!” Father shouts from his chair beside me. As I have seen for many, many years, the room falls silent almost immediately. Now, just like every session since I became Regent’s Second, I am in the chair beside--rather than behind--him, arrayed once again in a lovely light green dress. “Lord-General, please present your report.”
The large stallion walks down to the central dias, armor gleaming in the morning light filtering from the massive windows. “My Lord Regent, Lady Regent,” he says as he mounts the dias. “I am sorry to report, but it appears the Wilds are drawing closer once again.”
As Father’s silence stretches into a minute, I speak up, “What can we do?”
The Lord-General switches his attention to me. “Well, my Lady, we could do as I suggested last time, and send a score or two of soldiers outside of the walls to deal with them.”
“And how unprotected would that leave us?”
“We would probably have to pull the entire guard detail of part of one of the city walls, my Lady.”
I shake my head. “Not acceptable.” I turn my gaze out to survey the lords and ladies of the various houses. “How many soldiers could we raise?” As the estimated numbers are shouted to me, I turn back to the Lord-General. “With those numbers, what sort of defense could we raise? Would it be possible for us to reinforce the Lower and Middle Walls so the Wilds couldn’t even break into the city?”
The stallion looks down for a moment. “Yes,” he says, raising his head. “But for that sort of draft and strategy change, I need the approval of the Regent.”
I look over to my right. “Father?” After a few moments of silence, I try again, but louder. “Father?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Glimmer quickly rise from her seat in the right risers and make her way to the podium where our chairs are, but I’m not paying too much attention. I am on my hooves in front of Father’s chair, gently shaking him and calling his name. “Father? Father, are you okay? Father?”
“Please stand back,” Glimmer says from my shoulder.
“No,” I growl, ears perking up. “I won’t leave him!”
“Please,” she tries again, placing a reassuring off on my shoulder. “I just want to help.”
“Darling,” comes another voice to my left. I look over to see Sombra looking down at me. “Let the doctor do her job.” My gaze shifts back and forth between them; the two ponies trying to keep me from my ailing father. After a brief internal debate on the possibility of fighting both of them, or just having the Guard escort them out, I sigh and step back to my husband.
“Thank you,” Glimmer says, though if she is addressing myself or Sombra, I do not know. She steps forward and quickly and efficiently administers a basic vital test, something I know how to do, but the thought escaped me. Looking for support, I scooch closer to Sombra, taking comfort from his stalwart presence. A few short minutes later, Glimmer looks over at me, worry contorting her face. “We need to get him to a hospital. Now.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I raise a hoof. “Guards! You heard her, get him to a hospital, quickly!” A quartet of armored guards rush over to Father, lift him up, and run to the doors, bursting through and out of the Council building, heading towards Crystal Regional Hospital.
“Finish up here, then meet me at the hospital,” Glimmer says before following the guards from the room.
I barely stay long enough to say, “C-Council adjourned until further notice,” before bolting out the door myself, Sombra not far behind.
The trip through the Upper City to the Crystal Regional Hospital is like a walk through a nightmare. Every day Mother had been in her coma, I had come almost this exact same route to go visit her, and now it would seem I had to do the same for Father.
I just hope he makes it.
The room is just as I remember it. It isn’t the same room as Mother’s, but it might as well be. It has the same utilitarian bed, the same uncomfortable chairs, the same table next to the bed, and the same stench of antiseptic covering the smell of sickness.
Father lies in the bed, surrounded by a herd of doctors and nurses rushing around, setting up the various runes and pseudo-magical devices used to monitor a patient’s status. One of the doctors notices me and breaks away from the pack to stand before Sombra and I.
“My Lady Regent,” he says with a slight bow. “Your Father is in stable condition. I understand from his file that he recently suffered from a bout of the flu, yes?”
I nod.
The doctor turns and mutters something to one of the nurses who rushes from the room. The coated stallion turns back to me. “It would seem that the virus might have been the flu, or may not have been, but it has since evolved into a bad respiratory infection, and has worked its way into his lungs. Thankfully, we seem to have caught it in time, and we are beginning the treatment as we speak. He should be fine within two weeks.”
The snake of anxiety coiled around my chest shatters like glass, and I take the first deep breath I’ve been able to in the last hour and a half. I cough and sit down hard on the cold stone floor. Both Sombra and the doctor look down at my worriedly. “I’m fine,” I reassure them with a wave of a forehoof. “I’m fine. I just... need a minute.”
The doctor nods and again says something to one of the nurses surrounding Father. She spreads the word, and soon, only the four of us are in the room. “If you need anything, call for Doctor Stone, and I’ll come back.” With that, he leaves. Now the room only holds three.
I get up shakily and push a chair over next to Father’s bed. Just like he had done, I take one of his hooves before sitting down. This time, unlike Mother, he turns his head slowly and smiles at me. “Mi Amore, are you alright?” he asks with a raspy voice.
Before I can answer, Sombra walks over and gently puts a hoof on my shoulder. “I’m going to go in the hallway, and leave you two alone for a bit. Call if you need something,” he whispers into my ear before leaving. To be honest, I had forgotten about him up until now, and a little mite of guilt begins eating away at my insides.
“Don’t worry about me, Father. The real question is how are you?” I say, turning my attention back to the ailing stallion.
“Can’t say I’ve ever had a flu quite this tenacious,” he says with a small, dusty laugh. “But more importantly, what happened in Council?” I try to convince him it wasn’t important, but Father is stubborn, and I eventually break down and tell him. As I finish my tale, he nods. “Very smart, mi Amore, calling on the Houses to provide soldiers for increased defense. It is a good plan, one that works quite well if you can get the Houses to actually do it. Either way, I think you will make a fine Regent one day.”
I smile at the praise. “Hopefully that won’t happen for a long time.”
Father laughs again. “Yes, let us hope.”
<><><><><>
Twenty-third Day of the Second Lunar Month, 1225
Four days ago, Father, from his hospital bed, officially handed the Regency over to me. Two days after that, he died. Somehow, one of the ponies treating him got the medication mixed up. The one he was taking via IV had no effect on his infection. Too much fluid entered his lungs, and he passed.
Sombra, he... I am blessed to have somepony like him by my side. During this whole ordeal with Father, he has been the one running the Crystal Empire, the broad strokes anyway. As Regent’s Second, he doesn’t have the power I do, but he has done brilliantly, and I love him more for it.
So, that being said, today was my first day back to Council. And what a day it was...
<><><><><>
“...my only question is, is she fit enough to assume the Regency?” one of the lords shouts down from his place in the risers. “Both of her parents have died in the last two months, and she hasn’t been seen in two weeks. How do we know she can run the Empire with any sort of effectiveness?”
I open my mouth to speak, anger clouding my face, but Sombra places a restraining hoof on mine. “I have full faith in her,” he says. The protest dies down at once, though I hear a few scattered grumbles. “Thank you. The floor is yours, my love.” He sits down and waits, looking at me expectantly.
“Right, thank you, Sombra.” I rise to my hooves to address the entire Council. “As you know, my father passed a few days ago. In accordance with his will, and his last living wishes, I am now Regent of the Crystal Empire. Lord Sombra is my Second. Anypony have a problem with that?” Silence follows. “Good.
“Now, as the Marquise, I watched Father try to do great things to improve the standard of living for everypony in the Crystal Empire, and watched as every single time, one or more of you came up with shameless excuses as to why it was impossible, to the point of refusing to send soldiers to help defend the city against a Wilds attack. I am telling you right now that this will not be tolerated while I am Regent.
“Our form of government was established in mimic of our parent state of Equestria. And, as some of you know, the Equestrian state is run by the two princesses. They have a Council, like ours, but more as an advisory body. Now, I know we had some trouble with Regents obsessed with complete power, so there are now restrictions to my office, but none that prevents me from punishing those unwilling to give spare resources towards the bettering of our home, and I don’t mean our houses.”
To my surprise, the speech I had anticipated would have me lose support in Council was met with scattered applause. It seems a majority of the Council is not, in fact, corrupt as I had believed, only some of the higher Lords and Guild Masters are. It is easy to see which ones will be against me most often. All I have to do is watch for the ponies that stop other’s applause.
“As such,” I continue after receiving my mental list of enemies. “Failure to comply with several key defensive and ponitarian actions will be punished. Severely.” Finally finished, I take my seat, thankful that my first ordeal is over. Sombra looks over and gives me a warm smile, hidden from the Council.
Suddenly, the doors to the Council chamber burst open. Guards on either side draw weapons, before quickly putting them down. A lone soldier in battered, bloodstained armor rushes in, stopping just in front of me, on top of our raised dias. “M...My Lady Regent, I... I am from...” He stops and falls into a coughing fit, spewing specks of blood onto the ground.
I leap from my chair and kneel down next to him. “Don’t worry about formalities. What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Wilds... Outer Wall... Garrison is holding, for now....” Message dispensed, the poor soldier collapses before me.
“Lady Glimmer! Get him to Crystal Regional, now!”
“Aye, my lady,” Glimmer says, making her way from the risers accompanied by two Guard. They arrive and begin to shuttle the injured pony from the room whilst I climb to my chair and stamp my hoof for attention. Sombra moves to stand near me, giving me a look, one that tells me not to do anything stupid.
Well, I don’t think it’s stupid.
“Enough!” I shout as loud as I can, forcibly instilling silence in the chamber. “Enough of this! My parents dead not even a month, Mother from a poison only made by the Wilds, enough I say! Sombra,” I say, turning to face him. His brief nervous looks turns to one of determination.
“Yes, my love?” he asks.
“You know the Lords and Houses better than I, take the best minds you can, from any Guild and House, the ones brightest and most trustworthy, and find a way to turn the present you gave me for our wedding into some sort of defensive shield. I know a gemstone of that quality can hold a powerful spell. Take whatever else you need,” I command, turning my attention to the risers and arrayed Council members. “And you all, assist him in whatever way you can. I don’t care if this is my only act as Regent, the threat from the Wilds stops now.
“In the meantime, elders, speak to the Lord-General and Lord Glade, they will tell you where to send your forces to best aid in the defense of the Crystal Empire. Then--”
“But, my Lady!” one Elder, Lord Fire Stroke from House Skylight exclaims. “We need our soldiers to help defend our homes!”
“Look at it this way,” I reply heatedly. “Do a good enough job, and the Wilds won’t even make it past the Outer Wall. Lord Glade, Lord-General,” I say, getting a salute from the two stallions, “report any who do not cooperate to me, then conscript any forces you need. I will deal with dissenters and deserters personally.”
Various nods and salutes grace my sight. Sombra, Lord Glade, and the Lord-General rush to their assigned tasks, speaking to Lords and Ladies throughout the hall. I allow myself a small smile, though a small rock of uncertainty has formed in my stomach. I believe I am making the right choice; I just wish Mother or Father were here to help me.
<><><><><>
First Day of the Third Lunar Month, 1225
There is plenty of good news coming in on all fronts--the Outer Wall is holding fine, Lord Glade and Lord-General have plenty of recruits, and we have had two changes of power in the Houses, Lord Fire Stroke of House Skylight and Lady Chrysanthemum of House Steelcliff. I have heard rumors of issues in other houses as well. It would seem that my “inaugural speech,” as it was, stirred up something in the Council to do away with those in power and corrupt.
Sorry, I got sidetracked. The Outer Wall is holding, plenty of recruits, and Sombra’s crack team of research ponies--an amalgamation of Lords, Ladies, and some brilliant commoners--believe they may have a more permanent solution, there is just one problem.
We don’t have a viable way to power it.
<><><><><>
I lie in bed. It is the middle of the night, the clock in the Council building just struck two a few minutes ago, but I am no closer to sleep than I have been since lying down hours ago.
Too much runs through my head. The death of my parents weigh heavily on me. Their sudden passing, coupled with the weight now left firmly on my shoulders would be enough to give anypony pause. The only real reasons I am able to go on is because of the support Sombra provides, my parents’ memory, and the crisis looming over all of our heads; the crisis that I am determined to make extinct.
I feel the other side of the bed move, and turn my head to look into the captivating ruby orbs of my Second. I move forward and gently nuzzle him, resting my head on his chest as his hooves move to encircle me. “Are you alright?” he whispers softly into my ear.
I deign not to answer, instead satisfying myself by burying my head into his soft coat and letting my tears do the talking for me. I feel his embrace tighten as my sobs become audible. “Why?” I sob to nopony in particular.
“I don’t know, love,” Sombra replies softly. “Don’t worry, though. It will all be better soon. I promise.”
“How?” I ask plaintively, turning to face Sombra’s dark form. “How do you know?”
“One of the lords, Lord Titan, I believe, sent a letter to the Equestrian Princesses asking for aid and explaining the situation. Her Majesty Princess Celestia replied, promising a permanent solution within two months. In the meantime, however, she did give us a temporary formula to power the Heart. With both of those things in the works, I can now report, Regent, that the Wilds will not be a threat much longer.”
I lean up and give Sombra a quick kiss. “Best news I’ve heard all month.”
<><><><><>
Second Day of the Third Lunar Month, 1225
Once again, I find myself unable to sleep. This time, however, Sombra is not lying next to me. He is with his team, toiling into the night to create an alchemical solution to power the Crystal Heart, what we have begun referring to my present as. Sombra says that when powered, the spell he has interlaced into the stone will repel all who mean the Crystal Empire harm, and prevent them from entering our borders.
It is strange how much the lack of Sombra’s presence bothers me. I had always laughed at those fairy tales of princesses who find their prince, only to fall to pieces when he was gone. Little did I know then that I was going to become one now.
I rise from bed, telling myself that there is no point staying there when I cannot fall asleep. Best to get up and try to get something done, even at this late hour. Goal in mind, I slip out of the dark room and into the hallway of the manor, heading towards the library.
I’d always thought this old house was too big; nothing but a huge maze of rooms, connected by hallways of oak panels, dotted here and there with portraits of former Regents and Seconds trying their best to look neutral and intimidating. As the library grows closer, I notice a thin strip of light under the wooden door.
“Hey, darling,” I say, throwing the door open wide and stepping inside. “I couldn’t sleep, and wondered if you wanted some... company...?” Much to my surprise, the room is empty. All of the lights are on, books are strewn here and there in various piles, suggesting a large group of ponies had been using them, but the room is devoid of all life.
“Sombra?” I slowly make my way into the disaster zone, careful not to tread on any stray papers or books, as I do not know how necessary they are. On the desk near the far wall, only far enough away from the shelves to allow for a chair, there is a letter.
To The Regent of the Crystal Empire
From the Desk of Her Royal Majesty, Princess Celestia
Lady Regent of the Crystal Empire, the news of your plight saddens me, as does the recent loss of the old Regency. I knew your father well, and I have high hopes that you rise to the lofty horseshoes you have to fill. Upon hearing your first endeavor, and barely a week into office, I feel that my hopes will not be unfulfilled.
Unfortunately, at the moment, I am unable to spare anypony to send north to help, nor does it sound like the Empire is safe for travelers at the moment. I can promise personal aid in the future, either from myself personally or from a very accomplished magi chosen by my hoof. I do not intend to leave you helpless, however.
Given the close relationship our two countries have shared over the years, I feel it is safe to divulge this information to you. Cognisant of your lack of unicorns, and as such, the limit of your arcane ability, enclosed is an alchemical recipe developed a very long time ago, one that was employed in the early defense of Equestria itself.
My hopes are that you can use this formula to fuel the Crystal Heart until such a time as somepony can be sent to provide a more permanent solution, though it bears to understand that no solution is truly permanent. There will always be a need to refuel it after a certain interval, but we can discuss that when the time comes.
Until then, use what I have provided to the best defense of the Empire, and I wish you the best in all of your present and future endeavors.
Her Royal Majesty
Princess Celestia of Equestria
After finishing, I pick up the letter in my mouth, making sure to leave the alchemical recipe alone after taking a quick glance at the confusing jumble of ingredients and procedure. I walk around to the back of the desk and try to open a drawer to file the letter away, as I usually do, just to be stymied by the lock, which is strange. To my knowledge, even when Father and Mother were still alive, I was the only one who ever used this desk.
Luckily, I have a spare key in my possession and so, after a quick walk back to my room--the room I have had since I was a small filly; I haven’t even gone into Mother and Father’s room--to get the key, I return and unlock the drawer.
Before I am able to pull it open, however, a shadow steps into the doorframe. “Ah, hello, Cadence. I thought you were asleep.” My breath catches in my throat. I look up quickly only to expel it in a nervous laugh upon seeing Sombra.
“You scared me,” I say, clutching a hoof to my chest. “I couldn’t sleep, so I came here to keep you company.”
“You should stay out from back there,” Sombra replies, ignoring me and stepping into the room. “We are using it to store the more unstable chemicals and magical components for the Crystal Heart.”
“Well, I have to get my things out then. Can’t have important documents ruined, now can I? It’ll just take a second, promise.” I lean forward and grasp the drawer handle in my mouth.
“I insist. I will take and bring your things to you tomorrow.” A black hoof extends and holds the drawer shut. “Go back to bed, dear. I’ll be there shortly.”
I spit out the handle and take a step back to look at Sombra. “Why are you being so weird?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I pause for a moment. “Well,” I say once I’m done thinking. “Why don’t you pull the stuff out and give it to me now? I can’t sleep anyway, might as well get to work organizing the things from this desk into the one in my office.”
“I said don’t worry about it,” he growls, making me flinch. “I’ll take care of it.”
Now I’m really curious, and a little suspicious. Sombra has never acted this way towards me before, so why is he being so secretive? What is he hiding in this desk? “Alright,” I say, dropping it for now. “I guess I’ll go back to bed.”
“Good night,” Sombra says to me as I walk of the library, shutting the door behind me.
<><><><><>
Fifth Day of the Third Lunar Month, 1225
I cannot get Sombra’s strange demeanor towards the library desk out of my mind. He has been perfectly normal since then, to the point that any outsider would have no idea, but I know, and it bothers me. I’m afraid that maybe he tricked both Father and myself, and is only after the power of the Regency.
It isn’t that I don’t trust him, however. I love him, I do with every ounce of my being. But my curiosity will not let this matter rest. I have tried multiple times to get inside the room in the days since, but he has always been there or around. Not today, though. Today, I’m getting into that desk, one way, or another.
<><><><><>
After several long minutes of mental preparation, I poke my head out of my office. Nopony to the left, nopony to the right, excellent. I slip from the room, taking care to quietly shut the door behind me and make my way to the staircase, then to the second floor, then over to the library in the east wing, taking care to make sure I am neither noticed nor followed.
At long last, the door stands before me. Holding my breath, though I know Sombra and his team are at the Council building--the exact center of the Empire--setting up the Crystal Heart for testing, so there is nopony to stop me. With another deep breath, I open the door, slip inside, and close it without any difficulty.
Now, it is the moment of truth. Once again, I pick my way carefully over to the desk--now devoid of all of my things, as promised earlier--and unlock the drawer Sombra adamantly asked I stay out of. I slide it open and inspect the contents, gasping at what I see: a small vial of strange liquid, and a liquid-filled bag, not unlike the ones used in hospitals to administer drugs.
“I thought I asked you to stay out of there.” The voice freezes me like a filly with her hoof caught in a cookie jar.
“S-Sombra, I thought you were at the Council building,” I say, trying to quietly shut the drawer before he notices.
“I was,” he says, stalking around the desk to stand next to me, following my hoof to the still half-open container. “It is unfortunate you found this today. I was going to get rid of them tonight.”
“W-What are they?” I ask in a squeaky voice, taking a step back. Before Sombra can respond, and answer flies through my head. “...it is a Wilds virus. It is actually a biological warfare weapon, a special type of poison that was developed while the Crystal Empire was still under the guidance and protection of Equestria....”
“I’m sorry, Marquise, but your father has perished. I am afraid one of the ponies caring for him made a mistake, and the wrong antibiotic was administered. You have my deepest condolences...”
“It was you,” I accuse. My voice sounds hollow and echoes in my ears, as though traveling from a great distance. “You killed them...”
To my surprise, sadness clouds Sombra’s face. “Yes, it was necessary to advance the plan...”
“The plan? The plan!? What plan involved killing my parents!?” What started as incredulity quickly escalates to pure anger. “The rulers of the country, no less!”
“That’s just it, though,” Sombra replies in his calm voice, though his eyes burn with passion. “They were ruling, but not well.”
“Ex-cuse you!?”
“If you would calm down and let me explain--”
“No! No I will not calm down! You are saying the most... horrible things I’ve ever heard! I can’t believe that you think th--” I am cut off by Sombra pushing his muzzle up against mine, forcing me to move back to stay out of his way until I’m pressed up against a bookshelf; anger replaced by fear.
“Listen to me. Your parents were brilliant rulers, although your mother was a little strange. But there was one major flaw in how they ruled: their dealings with the Wilds. I worked my way through House Darkhoof to rise to the top to join the Council, so I could turn your father’s ear to my plan that would simultaneously end the single greatest threat to our nation, and propel us up to the level of Equestria.
“I tried your mother first, hoping that if I could sway her to my cause, she would be an invaluable aid to bring about my plan, but she balked. She called me insane, refused to speak to me. Threatened to expose me. I could not let it happen. However, I did not wish to hurt you, and so for the first time, I found my ascent to the top stopped by something I could not push past. That is, until that fool Lord Sunspear opened his big mouth.
“That whole fiasco with the revolution from House Darkhoof was staged. Had Lord Sunspear just kept his bumbling mouth shut, he would still be here, and a valuable ally no less. After his outburst in Council, I was concerned that I would lose you, the one thing I cared about more than my plan.” He reaches up and gently strokes my cheek with a hoof, and I bat it away in disgust.
“So, in order to protect my position and well-being, I called in a few favors. They attacked him while he slept, and knocked him unconscious. He spent the entire ‘revolution’ locked in a broom closet while one of my supporters, in a magically crafted guise, ran the entire thing. After we put down the ‘attacks’, it was a simple matter to have him brought to the roof and hung. Nopony was the wiser, and I had one less detractor in Council.
“By then, I was afraid your Mother suspected something, so, I asked for your hoof in marriage from your father. I spent so much time crafting the perfect proposal, almost every single day I had a plan, but every time, I was too nervous to go through with it. But then, seeing you against that sunset...” His voice trails off. “Anyway, once I married you, it was a simple matter to have somepony poison your mother’s drink at our wedding reception while I gave you your present.” A drip of water rolls from my cheek onto the floor, followed by another.
“Your father was even easier. All I had to do was switch his IV bag and let nature take care of itself. I almost don’t even count that one, I didn’t have to do anything.”
“Why!?” I shout through a tear-choked voice. “Why did you do this to me? If you didn’t want to hurt me, why kill Mother and Father? What did they do that was so bad?!”
“They were fools!” Sombra roars. “They chose to repel our greatest resource rather than simply conquering them and using them to our advantage!”
Slowly, all the pieces fall together in my head. “The Wilds.”
“Yes! The Wilds! Those fools refused to listen! I proposed that we wait until after one of their attacks, and then prepare one of our own, take them while they were recharging and mustering their forces, then capture them! Imagine if we had a workforce like that to mine our crystals! We would never have to hear of another Lower City mare left widowed with two foals, would never have to hear about families cast out of their homes because they couldn’t pay rent. The Crystal Empire would evolve into utopia!”
“That’s slavery!” I shout in rebuttal. “You’re talking about enslaving an entire race! Are you mad!?”
Sombra doesn’t reply until the last faint echo of my accusation is finished bouncing through the room, when he heaves a heavy sigh. “I had hoped you would see things my way,” he says, his horn lighting up. I wonder what he is doing, until I feel myself become immobile. “I really do love you, Cadence. I would have been happy to step aside and let you take the reigns of our nation into a golden age. But it turns out you are as closed minded as all of the others.”
Sombra takes the two steps that separate us and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Goodbye, ‘mi Amore.’ I’m sorry, but nothing can stop this plan. I cannot allow it.” The implications of his words counteract the single tear rolling down his cheek as I feel a needle stick into my withers.
Within moments, I lack the energy to even breathe, and everything falls into darkness.
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Just finished this part.
.... Not quite as good as the first part.... but God, that cliffhanger. Y U DO DIS?!?!
Ah, well. Time to read the Epilogue.
Oh that cliffhanger!
Part of me almost wanted Cadence's mother to die before the wedding, as I have seen this happen in my line of wedding work. I have seen brides do small dedications to passed relatives that have been beautiful.
I look forward to seeing the story continue!