Lords of Equestria

by ZatGeneral

Chapter 5: A Lord and His Lady

Chapter 5: A Lord and His Lady

Lord Land Caster stormed down the marble halls of Castle Alabaster. His armor rattled from each powerful hoof stomp that echoed in the long hall. Blazing braziers of bronze lit the walkway and made Land Caster’s finely polished steel shine. He threw open the oak doors to the King’s council chamber, a heptagonal room with large stained windows for each phase of Equestria’s largest moon. In the center stood a large marble table lined with chairs of oak. The Masked King sat on the largest, leaning heavily on the table with the silver light of the moon shining behind him.

“SLANDER!!!” shouted the Lord Land Caster. “Which one of you COWARDLY, bastards of WHORES is spreading rumors about me!?!”

Several of the other lords stood up in anger, eager to defend their honor at Land Caster’s insult. Many reached for their sheathed swords. Insults and words of curse echoed in the great hall for a time until the room fell deathly silent. Lord Stopper of House Cork was the first to respond calmly to an angry Land Caster.

“Not just rumors,” Lord Cork’s playful and flamboyant tone of voice mocked the severity of Land Caster’s earlier outburst, “it is the truth. Assuming the rumors you are whining about are the one’s I am thinking of.”

“I am speaking about the FALSE accusations that I abandoned my duty like a coward!”

“Ah but you did, ‘Sir’ Caster.” interjected Lord Tangle of House Vine. “The latest news is that Castle Light Tower came under attack by Fengarian forces after you gave up your position as Captain of the Guard.”

Lord Land Caster was furious. He could barely recall the events of that day nearly a month ago other than happiness after being relieved of such a honourless position. A loud snort flew out of Land Caster’s flared nostrils.

Lord Flake of House Snow rose out of his velvet chair. “Might I add, you, a stallion of a most prestigious birth and title, gave your post to a commoner whose father was a disgraced noble turned criminal. Not to mention said peasant repelled the attack.”

“One wouldn’t think that this peasant knows more about honor and duty than a certain Lord...” mocked Lord Cork as a smug smile grew across his face.

That was the last straw for Land Caster. He drew his longsword in front of the entire crowd. Many of the other Lords responded in kind and the sound of twenty blades being drawn from their sheaths fills the entire room.

“And which one of you cowards started these false accusations! I’ll strike you down where you stand!”

The room remained silent. Both the King’s Guard and many of the Lord of Castillia stood ready to strike at Lord Land Caster.

“So the second your petty lives are at stake, nopony wants to mock the lord of Castle Caster!?!”

The silence remained until the screech of a chair being pushed a short distance across the marble floor drew everypony’s attention to the source. There, the Masked King was slowly rising to his paws.

“Stay your blades. All of you. I will not have pointless bloodshed in my castle.” The King stood to his full height, his figure displaying strength and pride over his apparent illness. “If you wish to strike down your King for telling the truth, then do so. You, and your family, will be dishonored... forever.” said the King as he turned to Lord Land Caster.

Lord Land Caster’s expression turned from anger to fear. “You-... Your Grace? It was you?... who-who...”

“Yes you stuttering fool, it was I who told the other Lords and Ladies of your dishonor.”

“My Lord! Why-why... would you.. the King... do such a thing to one of your most loyal vassals?” Land Caster started to kneel in disbelief.

“Why? You ask why?” The King started to walk around the round marble table, his mithril gauntlet tips catching each of the smallest carved niches in the gilded table. “You abandoned your duty as captain of the guard in Castle Light Tower. And for what? Honor, glory? Is the safety and welfare of the entire Kingdom beneath you... ‘Sir’ Caster?” The King slowly walked over to Land Caster.

“I...I...” Land Caster was at a loss of words. Even as the King stood over him, he could not explain why he abandoned his duties. He felt fear, anxiety and worst of all, the sharp blow of the King’s mithril gauntlet across his right cheek.

“A peasant. You allowed yourself to be replaced by one who you deemed lower than yourself.” The King moved his talon under his cloak once more and glanced at the many lords around the room. “The rest of you could learn something from Land Caster’s mistake... put the Kingdom before your own needs and you will be rewarded. Act selfishly, and you will be punished. Now... get out of my sight, Land Caster...”

In a state is disbelief and panic, Lord Land Caster got up and exited the room without thinking. Only after walking down the long hall he had stormed up earlier did he realise the full extend of what happened. Anger began to brew in him as he paused to look out over the courtyard. This wasn’t his fault, it couldn’t be, not for a lord such as himself. He desperately thought of a scapegoat and he found one. His burgundy cape fluttered in a fel breeze as he thought of ways he could punish that peasant.

“The meeting go sour for you, my lord? I myself enjoy them for a time but when it gets to the name calling and the hot air blowing, I tend to retire early.”

Land Caster could never forget this shrill voice. He turned around, careful to hide his emotions. “What is it you want... Guirbaden?” It was indeed Guirbaden, standing in his finely gilded armor. Land Caster had always thought that Guirbaden’s armor was an insult to real armor, then again, Guirbaden was anything but a soldier.

“I just want to help another lord in anguish. Is that a problem?”

“The problem is that you always have an... ulterior motive.”

“What could I possibly want from a... ‘specialized’ Lord such as yourself?”

“Money, land, a scapegoat,... a puppet...”

Guirbaden placed a talon on his chest and leaned back in offence. “Oh my Lord, you hurt me with your words!”

“Good, then you’ll squeal when your flesh tastes my steel...”

“Such violence! Such anger! And to think I only wanted to help!”

“Well, if you wanted to help, you can tell me where your Captain of the Guard is...”

_ _ _

It was a perfect day in the jousting fields outside of castle Honeywine. The sky was as clear and as vast as the oceans west of Castillia. The sun was shining and a cool summer breeze brushed the grass lightly. The air carried the sweet scent of honeybread across the entire field, a smart move on the baker’s part as crowds of hungry people returned to their seats after paying a visit to the snack stalls. Banners fluttered in the breeze displaying the colors of the houses competing.

Steel Lance was lost in the moment between the scent of honeybread, the colorful banners of House Light Tower and House Honeywine that swirled and danced to the tune of nature's song. The colors of the many wildflowers painted the hills around the jousting fields in shades of yellow, purple, and white. But the wildflowers were not the flowers that interested Lance. He was only interested in one flower, Lady Lavender. Her rich lavender mane, coffee coat and opal eyes had won Lance’s attention. Her kind personality, generous nature and pious soul won his heart. He stood at the end of the tilt barrier, leaning on the crude wooden fence while taking fleeting glances at Lady Lavender’s beauty as she sat in the bleachers. A lady of her stature would certainly elevate Lance to a respectable position and it was not unheard of for noble lords and ladies marrying peasants. It was a dream for Lance, but a reachable one. All he had to do was impress her.

Lance’s bliss was broken by the royal trumpets signaling the arrival of his competition. It would have been fairly easy to spot the Knight of Roses. His white steel armor would have glittered in the bright sun, each jewel studded in his breastplate was as beautiful as morning dew. But it wasn’t the Knight of Roses Lance would be facing today. He was caught flat hooved at the sight of Sir Pernach, a knight born of common blood much like himself dressed in blackened iron. Lance was worried about Sir Pernach’s reputation. Stories depicted him as the “hundred stallion slayer”. Bar maidens spoke of his strength and skill in battle. Lance had expected to joust with a pampered and untested knight. Instead he would be jousting with a Griffon who had much greater experience in battle than him. Both he and Sir Pernach walked over to the seats where the Ladies of Honeywine and Lords of Light Tower sat. Lance bowed low while Sir Pernach only seemed to nod. Lance was surprised that Sir Pernach didn’t take time to bow to the Ladies of Honeywine as he walked back to his end of the tilt barrier and lowered his visor.

Pernach revelled in his own glory. His arms were outstretched and raised as if asking ‘Well! What is it!’. The crowd was cheering and praising their local champion, something Lance envied greatly.

I’ll take him down a peg or two... Lance let out a sigh, trying to release some stress before his joust. No...no... I don’t know how good he is at jousting... Focus, Lance... Focus.

The roar of the crowds was briefly broken by the blaring of the trumpets signaling the charge. Lance tried to think of ways he could win against a sturdy Griffon like Pernach but there was no time. Pernach was the first to make a move, he unfurled his mighty wings and charged. Lance pushed himself forward as fast as he could and only a few seconds passed before they collided in a hail of splinters. Lance felt a heavy blow to his breastplate but saw that Pernach’s head recoiled from his blow.

Only ahead by one point... Sir Pernach isn’t as good at jousting as I am it seems...

The two rounded the tilt barriers and charged once again after servants rearmed them with fresh lances. Lance, confident of his skills, decided to employ one of his jousting tricks. As Sir Pernach’s lance nearly impacted, Steel Lance raised his shield just enough to cover the blow, then he angled his shield just so the wooden lance would scrape harmlessly off of it. It worked perfectly while Pernach’s blow glanced off, Lance’s blow shattered across Pernach’s helmet again. He looked back to see Pernach nearly crashing into the ground but managing to recover.

He’s tough... I’ll give him that, thought Lance as the muffled roar of the crowds echoed in his helmet.

Steel Lance was given a new lance on his way around the tilt barrier. He could see Pernach, slightly struggling to stay on his paws. Victory was close and with it, the title and prestige that came with it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but Lady Lavender would be his. He flapped his wings hard, intending to knock Pernach down with this final blow. Pernach responded by charging forward, not in flight, but a hellishly fast sprint. Despite being unprepared for the sprint, he still managed to hit his mark as he had intended. A sharp blow right under the neck where the collar bones meet. 'Lance was ecstatic at his attacks success, but his happiness was short lived. Before he knew it, Pernach’s blow struck Lance’s breastplate dead center. The crowd grew silent, stunned at both jousters going down at the same time.

The crowd cheered as Lance stood, the first of the two to rise back up.. He looked at Sir Pernach, lying motionless on the ground before turning to the to the nobles above. The Lords of House Light Tower were ecstatic at their champion’s victory, the Ladies of Honeywine, less so but they seemed impressed at their former jouster’s improved prowess. Lance bowed low at the nobles, hoping to earn a little more respect among them. The sound of Pernach’s heavy armor clanking and rattling gave Lance a small amount of relief. Judging by the consistent rattling, Pernach was not physically injured, though his pride might have been. Little did Steel Lance know, some people’s pride is all they have.

As soon as Lance stood up from his bow, he felt Pernach’s gauntlet grab his left pauldron. Before Lance knew what was going on, he found himself lying face first in the dirt. Driven by instinct, Lance tried to scurry forward in his confusion. Even though he was still dazed from an apparent blow to the face, he could still make out a deep and angry call from Pernach.

“SWORD!”

Never had a single word instilled so much fear in Lance as he staggered to his hooves. He could hear Pernach keeping pace. The thick rattling of Pernach’s platemail was accompanied by the rapid trotting of his squire and the worried chatter of the crowd. Lance fell down after taking two weak steps. Unable to stand up with his head spinning, Lance rolled over to get a look at Pernach. He watched in terror as Pernach drew his sword from his squire’s halfsheath. This sickly looking weapon was made of blackened iron, just like Pernach’s armor. The sword did not narrow down to a point but fanned out so that the tip was more like a shovel’s head. Lance, terrified at Pernach strutting towards him, once again tried desperately to crawl away but found that Pernach’s heavy boot was pinning his tail to the ground. Lance struggled to pull his tail free but couldn’t.

“What little trick are you going to use now?” grumbled Pernach as he prepared to bring down his massive blade.

Lance braced himself for the inevitable. The sword sang its deathly song as it cut through the air, then silence. He thought the sword had surely cleaved through him, he thought he was dead for sure.

“Sir Pernach, stay your blade!”

Lance opened his eyes to see Lady Lavender crouching over him, her horn aglow with arcane energy and keeping Pernach’s blade at bay. Lance was amazed that Pernach’s blade was mere inches from Lady Lavender’s head and unable to move.

“I will not ask again Sir Pernach! Stay your blade in the name of your Lady!”

Pernach lifted his sword away from Lady Lavender and Steel Lance but not before spitting in Lane’s direction. The Griffon threw his sword at the ground in anger and stomped off leaving his squire to recover the hellish blade.

Lady Lavender turned to a stunned Lance and offered him her hand.

“I must apologise for Sir Pernach’s atrocious behavior.” said Lady Lavender as she pulled Lance onto his hooves. “Sir Pernach... as is obvious... is a sore loser.”

Lady Lavender’s apparent affection for Lance dulled his senses to the point where there wasn’t any pain coming from where the blow struck.Though he was still a tad dazed, Lance found both the will and courage to speak to the mare of his attractions.

“T-th” stuttered Lance. He cringed knowing the stuttering would make him look less of a knight and more of a fool. “T-thank you... My Lady. For saving my life.”

“Castillia needs all the knights it can get, Sir Lance. To lose even one in a frivolous joust is an insult to the Kingdom.”

“Are... are you not upset that I defeated your champion, my Lady?”

“Again, a waste of time and money. I personally don’t care for the plot of land the Light Towers gained through this event. It’s not like House Honeywine lost anything of importance. That plot of land could not be tilled nor were any valuable ores discovered.”

Lance was a bit shocked at Lady Lavender’s claim. Most members of great and noble houses faun over the amount of land in their holds. Though in retrospect, the patch of land that is the Aldun Mer, consisted of a marshy island in the great Eben Roeie.

“Maybe they plan to build another ludicrously tall castle there.” chuckled Lance as he realised that his joke wasn’t that good.

A smirk on Lady Lavender’s face, though small, made Lance’s spirit soar. She reached for for his face, touching it lightly it her hands. Soon all Lance could feel was a warm sensation on his cheek.

“There. Are you feeling well, good sir?” said Lady Lavender as she removed her hand from Lance’s cheek.

Lance rubbed the area healed by his Lady. He felt neither pain or sores. His blood had been staunch and skin mended.

“Muchly. Thank you, My Lady.” said Lance as he smiled in gratitude.

“No, it is I that should be thanking you. Despite Pernach’s brutish behavior, you didn’t fight back like a chivalrous knight would.”

Should I tell her I was scared out of my mind?... Lance thought to himself. He desperately wanted to show Lady Lavender that he was not only a knight, but a gentleman.

“I...” Lance paused once more, planning his course of action. “I didn’t fight back because of chivalry...” Lance’s ears drooped as his eyes shifted to looking at the ground. “I was caught flat hooved, I didn’t think Sir Pernach would lash out at me like that... To be honest... I was frightened...”

Lady Lavender stood still and silent for a moment. Lance though for sure she’d think lesser of him. A coward, unworthy of his knightly title.

“It takes more courage to admit one’s fears than to gloat about their victories.” said Lavender with a surprised, but pleased tone.

Lance didn’t even have time to look up before she grabbed his hand and thrust it into the air.

“THE VICTOR! SIR LANCE OF LIGHT TOWER!”

The crowd, deathly silent before churned in a roar of applause. Everypony stood from their seats and clapped. Lance couldn’t be happier with his life right now. As he looked on the cheering crowd, he noticed one finely dress lard glaring at him. He wasn’t sure, but that lord looked similar to Land Caster.