Azure Flame

by Silver Page

Paths of the Bloodlines

“…and that is why I believe we should expand the Sky-Ship docks down at Nice. The economic benefits outweigh the temporary disruption construction would cause.” A tall, dark blue coated Unicorn stallion in a black business suit stepped away from the chalkboard, which had diagrams and bits of paper stuck to it. Behind a long, sprawling desk an elderly mare looked up from several notes she’d been scanning.

“Your proposal has merit, Duke Bleu. I shall evaluate the figures and contact you if we believe it shall proceed.”

“Merci, your Lordship,” the stallion replied, turning from the desk and walking out, a servant wheeling away the chalkboard behind him.

Arch-Duchess and Lord-Governess of Prance Au Natural sighed and massaged her temples as soon as he was out of earshot.

“Red Tea! I need some refreshment!” She called out, her voice magnified by a quick Amplifier spell. She settled back into her chair to wait, and looked over her multitude of papers. Her coat was a pale pink color, with her dark red mane streaked with grey done up in a bun. Her Cutie Mark was obscured by the desk, but if it could be seen, one would see her flank displayed a single white Lily of the Valley. She wore a conservative blue business dress, and wore a golden necklace with a sword crossing a horseshoe, both made of platinum, around her neck. The Chain of Lordship, the symbol of her office and its authority.

Au Natural was fifty eight, and had held her position as Lord-Governess for half of those years, succeeding her father upon his untimely death. She ruled fairly, and tried to rein in the more impulsive nobles, but not always successfully. And, if she was to admit, she was not a paragon of chivalric virtue either, skimming small sums of bits off the treasury’s bottom line and holding special charities that deposited good dividends into her own accounts. Still, it could not be said she was not fair and didn’t do her job well.

The door creaked open, and Red Tea, a red coated Unicorn mare with a black mane, stepped inside. Au Natural smiled at her loyal attendant, but it soon became a frown as her aide shifted nervously. And without her requested refreshments.

“Is there a problem?” She asked primly. She wouldn’t have entered minus her request without a good reason, but it never hurt to show her displeasure. Keeping the help on their hooves, and all.

“… You have a visitor.” She said, unconsciously smoothing her maid uniform.

“Is Lord Fairfields here already? His appointment isn’t for another hour.”

“Um, your Ladyship, somepony from Canterlot is here.” Au Natural raised an eyebrow. Canterlot? That was unusual, especial without prior warning.

“Who is it?”

“… Prince Blueblood. He requests an audience with you.”

Time seemed to freeze, and the Arch-Duchess waited for the punchline. When none came, her eyes bugged out, and Au Natural all but jumped from her seat and sprinted to her aide.

“What?! Why?! How?!”

“I don’t know, my lady, but he is waiting in the Small Gold Business room,” Red Tea squeaked. Taking a deep breath, Au Natural calmed herself, and collected her wits.

“Take me to him,” she commanded, and the younger Unicorn nodded hastily, escorting her mistress to her unexpected guest.

“Has he passed the checks?”

“Yes, my lady. He is not a Changeling, he has no illusions upon him, nor compulsions or mind magic, no recording spells, and carries authentic documents and Writs of Authenticity.”

In her thoughts, Au Natural swore. When a member of the Royal Family goes missing, it is hard to cover it up. Princes of Equestria don’t just up and leave for no reason, and as a World Leader, she knew that Blueblood had disappeared to seek out the Anti-Royalist group Black Phoenix. Whether or not on his Aunt’s orders was something else, and Au Natural wouldn’t put it past the Solar Diarch. If he was in Prance, it meant he either had some leads, or he needed them, and both options would be troublesome for her.

Another reason of concern, or to be truthful, the real one, was his position. Head of the Canterlot General Affairs Office may have seemed like a pointless title and only hold power in Canterlot, but the truth of the matter was that position allowed the official to perform an investigation on any citizen of Canterlot. And all nobles were considered to have Duel-Citizenship with the capitol of Equestria. And, as a Fiefdom of Equestria, any and all Prench Nobles were considered to be official citizens of Canterlot. Thus, even one as high placed as herself could not refuse or obstruct a Royal Investigation carried out by the Canterlot General Affairs Office. The penalty? At best, imprisonment or fines. At worst? Complete stripping of rank, titles, and any privileges and authority they might have contained.

Reaching the hallway to the Small Gold Business Room, Au Natural took another calming breath, plastered a smile on her muzzle, and opened the door.

“Swanky,” Slim murmured, taking in the opulent surroundings. He was stuffed into a tailored suit and pants, both navy blue as black would simply be lost against his fur color.

“Close your mouth, you look like a tourist, not a bodyguard,” Creepy hissed. He was also in a fine suit, though his was dark grey, accompanied with a red tie.

“Maybe you should follow your own advice, and wipe the drool off those crown jewels we passed,” the Minotaur shot back, earning him a glare from the Donkey.

Blueblood just sighed, and leaned back in his overstuffed couch. His two friends were masquerading as he bodyguards, and as such stood a few feet behind him. The Prince also took the time to observe his surroundings, but with a more critical eye.

They were deep in the Palace of Mare-sailles, a sprawling castle compound, built during Prance’s founding as the fortified residence of the local aristocracy. It was just barely on the outskirts of the city proper, away from the lights and noises of the city, and was accessible from either the urban streets or cross-country roads, and was a popular tourist attraction. Over time, it played host to various lords and nobles, but after the War of Undeath, was used as the primary residence of the Lord-Governor of Prance, and as the center of government. Much like the Royal Castle at Canterlot, many, if not all, of the nation’s primary governance and bureaucracy was done within, wings and floors dedicated to specific functions, groups, and offices. Tourists were thus limited to only certain parts of the building during the work days.

It was ritzy, no doubt about that. The room they were in made of beautiful dark brown hardwood, with soft rugs on the floor and tasteful pictures on the walls. A marble bust of some old and possibly important Unicorn was in the corner, and opposite Blueblood’s couch was a coffee table and a padded chair, built specifically for equine bodies. No windows, however, as they were within one of Mare-sailles inner rooms, where more private settings could be found. Few tour groups were led down here, and the walls were sound and magic-proofed. He’d checked.

“I still don’t think just walking in and announcing yourself was a good idea,” Creepy said after a while, addressing the prince. Blueblood rolled his eyes.

“It was direct, and that was what mattered. Plus, waiting for weeks while a normally submitted Audience application is ‘processed’ would cause too much delay. Do it now, do it fast,” Blueblood responded. His ear twitched, and he looked over to the door, hearing the click of a hoof on the doorknob. The others looked in the same direction, tensing for a fight, but relaxed slightly when they saw a middle aged mare accompanied by a maid enter. Blueblood, however, did not ease up his guard.

The mare with the golden necklace and hauty demeanor looked around the room, taking in its occupants. Her eyes lingered on Creepy for a while, a strange look in her eyes, but she eventually looked away, and Blueblood dismissed it as an effect of the Donkey’s unusual magical aura.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord-Governess Au Natural,” Prince Blueblood said, taking her hoof and kissing it.

“To you as well, Prince Blueblood,” the Arch-Duchess replied, accepting his greeting with a stiff smile. “I must say, I was not expecting you to visit.”

“Understandable, your ladyship,” Blueblood said as she got seated across from him. As she shifted, trying to find a comfortable position, the two aristocrats were silently preparing for the mental battle that was politics.

“Tell me, do your esteemed Aunts know you are here? They seemed quite distraught after you left.” Au Natural inquired. ‘Should you be here, you naughty colt?’

“They trust me with my job, and any actions I take are for the good of my investigation,” Blueblood replied. ‘Perhaps, but let’s keep my presence here between ourselves for now.’

“Very well. How might I be of service?” ‘What the hay do you want?’

“Aid. As I’m sure you know, I am seeking out a group of Anti-Royalists that go by the name of Black Phoenix. Unfortunately, I have reached a dead end. I found evidence of their actions that pointed here, but am stonewalled by the populace of your fair city. It would be most appreciated if you could assist.” ‘You know what I want, so give it up willingly.’

“Black Phoenix is a name I know all too well. Their actions and motivations deplorable. But, how do you know I won’t just turn you over to them?” ‘Make it worth my while.’

“Because they’d stab you in the back as soon as they could, with or without me as a bargaining chip. Anti-Royalty means Anti-Nobility. What I’m asking is access to records. Anything that pertains to their actions, past and present, and any possible clues to their future maneuvers. Plus, names of anyone who is suspected of being a contact, agent, or sympathizer that I could use. And what I’m offering is not to look too closely at your own records.” ‘I know you’ve got back-room deals, but I’ll let them stay locked up if you help.’

The two combatants paused, staring at each other and sizing the other up. Meanwhile, Red Tea, Creepy, and Slim just stood there, eyes glazed over with incomprehension.

“You do know I have my hooves tied? They won’t try anything large or on a national scale as long as I don’t give them a reason to. Sure, a few nobles will perish, but those will be the ones too stupid to hide their dealings or too evil to keep their desires in check, and those are losses I can accept for the good of Prance as a whole. What you want me to do is kick at the bush around the serpents den and lure it out, avoiding the fangs all the while. I must decline, Prince Blueblood, to offer you any help.” Au Natural said, a hint of smugness in her tone. ‘You get me to help, and lots of blood will be on your hooves.’

Blueblood smirked, and the Arch-Duchess’ expression faltered momentarily before reasserting itself.

“I don’t think you have much choice, Lord-Governess. Do you know how I came to Mare-sailles?” Au Natural raised an eyebrow at the odd question, but then the bit dropped, and her expression filled with panic, hastily suppressed.

“I see you caught on. Yes, your ladyship, I entered through the front doors.”

“Red Tea, is this true?!” Au Natural snapped at her assistant, who cringed. Slim and Creepy snapped back to reality at the noise, focusing on the new development.

“Y, yes, my lady. He came in through the front entrance.” The aristocratic mare turned her glare towards Blueblood, who just smiled in return.

“How many tourists saw me? How many regular citizens saw me? How many of them, pony or otherwise, recognized the Prince-in-Waiting of the Equestrian Royal Family? How many of them were Black Phoenix agents, ready to report to their superiors that I, Prince Blueblood, trotted in to Mare-saille, headed up to the front desk, and asked to have an audience with you, the Lord-Governess of Prance?” Au Natural’s jaw clenched, and he could almost heard the grinding of teeth.

“Regardless of what actually get spoken of, regardless of what actually happens, how long do you think it’ll be before rumors spread, and one of Black Phoenix’s leaders decides you and I are in cahoots?” Blueblood leaned back in his seat, a satisfied grin on his face. ‘Checkmate. What now, beyotch?’

Silence. At first, Blueblood was still confident and smug, and his comrades equally so, and hiding it less skillfully. However, the silence stretched onwards, and soon Slim and Creepy began to feel uncomfortable. Red Tea had been shaking in her shoes the moment the Prince had revealed his plan. Blueblood soon found himself worrying, and though he did not openly show it, his stomach was clenching in instinctive fear.

“Yes, you have indeed cornered me into helping,” Au Natural said icily, finally breaking the silence. “But, do not celebrate your paltry victory. I meant it when I said you would cause problems by messing with things you do not truly understand. Blood is going to be spilt in the streets of my city, Prince Blueblood. Because of you, my citizens will tear themselves apart.” She leaned forward, a dark glint in her eyes that made Slim and Creepy step back involuntarily and Blueblood unconsciously try to escape backwards into the couch cushions.

“We are not so different, Prince Blueblood. At least in the sense of having loved ones taken from us by these butchers and terrorists. My father was killed in an ‘accident’ while visiting one of his mistresses. My fiancé was murdered on the way to the altar, leaving me a widow and an expecting single mother before our vows were even taken. Understand that while I hunger for revenge, and grieve for the graves Black Phoenix has already forced me to dig, I can do nothing about it. I have a city to run, ponies to guard, lives to protect. Unlike you, my duties are not so light, and easily cast off.”

Au Natural got off the couch and stood, her posture rigid, and her expression dark. “My family is directly descended from Lady Roan Arc, one of the Heroic Trinity who fought against Grogar, and was personally given these ranks and responsibilities by your own Aunts. My lineage is over two thousand years old, and we have ruled Prance for half as long. We may not always have done what is right, and I am not a model of virtue, but I am Arch-Duchess and Lord-Governess Argent Cheri Au Natural of Prance.”

She trotted over to the door, pausing with her hoof on the knob, her maid scampering over.

“I respect and admire your drive to do what you think is right, and the courage you have to actually carry through with this. But know that from this moment forth, there is going to be blood on your hooves, Princeling. Innocent or guilty, it is blood all the same.” She opened the door, and before exiting, gave him a measured look, with anger and pity hovering just behind her mask.

“The Records and Archives of Mare-sailles are open to you, and you and your associates have full permission to conduct your investigations. Personally, I’d suggest looking in the ‘Closed Cases’ stack, forth shelf.”

With that, the regent of Prance stepped out, leaving Prince Blueblood behind, and her words, spoken and unspoken, hanging in the air.

‘Congratulations, you got what you wanted. Will it be worth it?’

Author's Note:

Politics is serious and dangerous business.

Now, about updates and new chapters: Starting in March, I will be uploading 1 chapter every month on the 15th. If I have time to spare, I will try and upload one on the 30th.
As for February updates, there will be one chapter on the 1st, and then one on the 15th.
This is how I hope to balance school and social life with my desire to write.

Until next time, people!

Comments

[SageBrony07]

Wow. It looks like things just got real. I wonder what the next chapter holds. I guess we will see soon. Good luck with the next chapter.

[Frankie2]

Now, it looks like the game is on.

[Amethyst Blade]