The Night's Record

by JakeDrake

A Fitting Meeting

He stood relatively still as the mares continued to sew and measure him for the cloths they were making, looking around he saw a few mosaics of what seemed like ponies doing similar things for nobles and the Princesses through the ages. He felt a needle poke into his arm and he jerked it a bit.

“Sorry,” Said one of the mares as she started to make a few stitches to a sleeve she was working on. The others were starting to argue above him about sketches of the outfit they were making, eventually they agreed on something and they flew around the room with blinding speed. How they didn’t crash into one another or get tangled in the hanging banners was beyond him.

“So, how does it feel to be an Equestrian hero?” Asked Artemis as she started to measure his neck and got rather close to his face.

“Huh? Hero?” He asked as the others laughed a bit. “You mean the pushing the Princess out of the way thing?”

“Of course, you should see the headlines.” Said another mare, who he overheard named Selune. “Everypony in Canterlot is spreading all sorts of rumors, saying you were some vigilante, that you were actually some prince from a far off land, or that you are secretly a lover of Princess Luna.”

“Oh well uh…” He said blushing as the girls tittered and continued to sew before finally pulling most of the cloth off of him and Selune flew in front of him.

“That’s not true, is it?” She asked with a wide grin showing her long fangs, as Amber shook his head quickly she frowned a bit. “Aww that would have been a cute one.”

“So what exactly is the Night Court?” Amber asked as he heard a fair amount of machines start to work, he glanced over and saw three of the mares now focused on sewing machines. He had heard of them, and how expensive the new machines were. Of course as these were royal employees he could how they could afford them on the budge, when he turned back around he saw Artemis again. Though now she was five inches from his snout and upside making him jump back in surprise.

“The Night Court is a bit like the Court of the Sun,” Artemis explained turning back over smiling, “Though it deals with things that more happen at Night or are in the control of what Luna governs as a Princess. Things like business deals, alcohol sales, and certain guard rotations, along with nobles who think they have to talk to the Princess about something.”

“It honestly won’t be that hard for you to help out,” Selune said as she swooped down and started to put one hat on him after another, tossing a few far behind her into the mess of the room and the ones she clearly did like in front of him. “Hmm, I’m thinking…” She reached down and brushed one of the hats off of the ground. Then dashed off toward and upper balcony to start to fiddle with what Amber thought was a top hat.

“The others will be working on the outfit and some other ones similar to it for the next hour, come on I’ll show you where you can wait.” Artemis said as she hovered over a large pile of purple cloth that Amber walked around when he saw a relatively clean area that was almost like a living room. A few couches and a large coffee table with glasses and a pitcher of some cider to drink.

“So…what really happened?” Artemis asked as she sat down across from the unicorn smiling as he poured himself the glass of cider. “I mean with the whole part where you got injured saving the Princess, I heard a few stories but I want to hear what really happened.”

“Well…” Amber said as he took a sip of the Cider and enjoyed the sweetness, “I was sweeping the front walk in front of my family’s shop, and I saw a carriage barreling down the hills toward the Princess. I didn’t know who it was so I just sort of…ran and pushed and hoped for the best.”

“I’d go with the story of how you caught Fenris for the Princess before the sun came up.” Artemis said pouring her own tall glass of cider and draining it quickly.

“Who’s Fenris?” Amber asked before he felt something dropped on his head, glancing up from his cup and using his magic to pull off a rather stout top hat. He rose a brow and saw it was ripped at the top and had a hole unpatched there to make it look as if the hat was well worn, as he turned it around he saw a light design of twinkling stars on it that seemed to look like an exact copy of the night sky.

“Oh just one of the Princess’s pets, a rather large Canis Minor who has a habit of tearing through some of the halls.” Artemis explained as Amber spun the hat around to inspect it, “That hat is one we found in one of the Princess’s personal stores, we fixed it up a good bit and decided the little tear at the top gave it a bit of character.”

“What is with the design? It’s like I’m looking up at the night sky.” Amber asked he touched it lightly with his hoof and felt it was made of some sort of silk. As he pulled his hoof away he saw where he touched a constellation had outlined itself relative to where he touched. “Oh that’s cool…”

“The Princess calls it Star Silk, made of something dealing with magic but it’s about as strong as normal silk.” Artemis explained as she reached over taking the hat and pushing it back over the unicorn’s horn and onto his head. “I think it looks good on you, perfect for an assistant to the Princess of the Night.”

As Amber shrugged and adjusted the hat, his horn barely sticking out of the hole at the top to allow him to realize it also had a more practical use the seamstress in front of him didn’t want to admit. As he poured another cup of Cider he heard a shout of what could be triumph from above causing Artemis to bolt up to one of the upper levels of the room.

“That was really quick girls; I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make something so quickly.” Artemis said as the bat ponies darted down from the level carrying a small pile of cloth. Amber blinked a bit before he realized they were all around him.

“Oh this is gonna not be-“He started before the girls pounced on him like a lion on a sleeping gazelle. He yelped as the girls were not so fragile with the application of the vest around his still bandaged side. Eventually he went limp and felt himself be tossed into the air before a small tornado was used to keep him aloft before he landed gently on the ground.

It took a few minutes before anypony said anything louder than a whisper before they all silenced suddenly, a familiar set of hoof steps closing in. Amber’s eyes still shut before he heard a light giggle. He felt a light hoof tap on his nose as the others seemed to continue the whisper.

“Thou may open thine eyes now.” The Princess whispered into Amber’s ear making his eyes shoot open and him stumble backwards away from the much taller mare causing the bat ponies to laugh. “I must say the looks of a duke fits thee rather well.”

Amber looked down at him a bit; he looked as if he were wearing a rather average suit. It was fully black and had the design of a few rather morbid subjects; the skull constellation in golden thread covered a small pocket in the vest that held a chain. Amber pulled out the chain with the magic and saw a silver pocket which that, when opened, had a selection of lunar phases. The one it was currently on was that half the moon was covered in light while the other was dark.

“Now that the art properly attired. We must go attend our duties.” The Princess said as she turned and nodded toward Artemis, “I thank thee for thine service fair Seamstress, you and your fellows shall receive a rich commission for this.”

“Ties a pleasure to serve you Princess.” Artemis said hovering off the ground, bowing her head with the rest following soon after. Watching the Princess leaving the unicorn soon followed after her, at a near run to keep up.

“I hope you are ready for thine first duty as the Night’s Assistant.” The Princess said looking down at him with a smile as they walked down a long hall way to a set of huge double doors made of obsidian with all the phases of the moon set in polished silver. As they opened for the Princess he looked into and saw it was to the main throne room that was holding at least a hundred nobles from Canterlot and other places as well.

He saw The Princess continue walking and he followed and saw a small seat placed next to the throne, as the Princess of the night walked up the small set of stair case, he heard whispers about him. He grimaced as he looked at her and nodded for him to continue. As she sat into the throne, clearly only for the Princess of the Night with the symbols of the moon, stars, and some nocturnal creatures. He sat beside her quietly at her nod, hoping little more attention would be placed on him tonight.

“My Fair People!” The Princess shouted causing all the turn their gaze on her, including the Unicorn right beside her. “This is Amber Shine, my savior of the hooligans and currently my royal assistant in the matters of the Lunar court. I hope you all shall treat him as you would treat him with respect and not spread dastardly rumors concerning how he had been brought to the castle on mine own back.

This got the crowd whispering, Luna smiled as if she had done exactly the right thing. Amber was horrified and could only mutter under his breath so the Princess wouldn't here.

“Oh Buck me…”

Comments

[reader238]

oh wow asking nobles "not" do something will pretty much ensure that it will be done