Sipping my tea, I put the cup on a table in passing as I moved into the throneroom from the rear door. The throne room was almost completely packed with nobles, the guards working to keep order.
As I rounded and moved up to the throne, it only took seconds before I was spotted,
“Lord Page! Lord Page! Where is Princess Celestia!”
Ignoring the voice I very much recognized as Lady Bronzeshine, I walked up to the throne before I jumped onto it and turned to the nobles.
I just watched them idly as they yelled for answers.
It took a couple of minutes before they got with the program and started to quiet down, the ones that kept talking being hushed down by the ponies closest to them.
Once they had settled down, I spoke up,
“Yesterday, Canterlot was attacked. The forces of the Storm King engaged the garrisons at Canterlot landing and disrupted the royal wedding. Meanwhile, further forces attacked the outer districts of the city. While a large number of ponies were hurt in the fighting, some critically so, because of the brave and valorous guard ponies protecting the city fatalities have been keot at a minimum. During the attack, Queen Chrysalis and Princess Cadence were hit with magical spells, temporarily turning them to stone. In the end, the hostile forces were defeated and either driven off or brought into the dungeons. I will now answer questions.”
The throne room erupted into yelling again. I waited until they got the idea again and went quiet before I pointed to a unicorn mare with a white coat and blonde mane.
“Are we going to war, Lord Page?” she asked.
“We were at war the moment those airships entered Equestrian airspace,” I answered her, “the specific answer to their actions is still being decided.”
“Where is Princess Celestia!”
I ignored the yell and just turned to look at him. Lord Bubblewater glared at me before he lifted his hoof and I pointed at him.
“Where is Princess Celestia?” he repeated.
“Princess Celestia along with Princess Luna are currently occupied. If you didn’t notice, there is a war going on. Princesses Sparkle and Sparkle are currently preparing for the spell to turn Princess Cadence and Queen Chrysalis back from stone,” I answered him, “As for the specific details, they are currently classified.”
Lord Bubblewater yelled again, “Who is going to pay for the windows of my mansion!”
That set of an avalanche of yelling from the rest of the collected nobles.
I just looked at them in contempt for a long moment before I took a deep breath and let my magic drift along my horn in a slight spell and spread my wings, the shadows of the throneroom seemingly darkening and gathering, flowing across me, creeping in from the corners, the bright sun outside fading behind the coloured windows as I wrapped the large room in my illusion, letting the shadow of my wings cover the entire back wall of the throneroom as I gathered the golden glow of my magic to my eyes.
Even the canterlot nobles could take that kind of hint.
With me trying hard not to be pushed into the role of royalty, trying to stay out of the limelight more than even Twilight, it was almost like they forgot that I was an Alicorn.
I let the shadows retreat back to nothing before I spoke up again, “Does anypony have anything to say related to the security of Equestria or the safety of its citizens?”
Quiet. You could hear a pin drop.
I nodded, “Good,” and jumped off the throne, “Then I’d say this court gathering is concluded for today. Those with damaged property are welcome to report it to the royal treasury for an impartial assessment for insurance purposes. I wish you all a good night, ladies and gentleponies.”
Exiting the throneroom, I folded my wings around, letting the door close behind me before I sighed and rubbed my forehead beneath my horn.
Damn it.
“...I didn’t know you could do shadow magic, sir,” Thunder Cloud commented as he stared at me.
I smiled at him and picked up my tea cup again before blinking at it. Somepony had refilled it with fresh tea.
I don’t know who you are. But I will find you and I will reward you.
I still cast a spell Luna showed me to reveal most poisons before I sipped at it, “I don’t,” I told him, “It was all a show and just an illusion spell. Well, mostly anyway. Actual shadow magic is more Luna's thing, I only know the very, very basic stuff.”
As in, it was a very advanced field barely tied at all to illusions and not nearly as tightly bound to my Realm as it was to Luna's. I could make shadows flicker if I worked at it. Much easier to just fake it with illusions.
“Where to now, sir?”
“Now, back to the tower,” I said, “About time for Luna to wake up.”
Insurance company: We regret to inform you that as previously stated, your policy does not cover natural disasters, acts of Gods, Alicorns, Changling invasions, or invasions in general. Invasions are an act of war, and your policy does not carry the act of war provision. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Lol Page was epic there :D
Why you need to solve problems with arguing, shouting for silence and negotiating, when magic enhanced intimidation can solve every social and hierarchy misunderstandings much faster and simplier. And it's no wonder, that Page used this way, this is no time and place for any instability in country. But I still wonder how Celestia will react on the news about this court session.
Also nobles are pricks as hell. War is ongoing and they still care about money for them. Better they stand still, as war taxes are thing and in such dire national situations rich ones are first ones to fund war machine by will of goverment.
Rare to see the reverse Liam Neeson
I think you mean "kept"?
9901391
Celly will most likely be understanding about his reasoning, but still very disapproving about it.
9901452
Liam Elbowdaughter?
9901391
At this point, given the brazen attack against Equestria's capitol, of course Equestria is going to war. The noble who asked that was either an idiot or had wanted assurance that the Royalty was indeed taking the appropriate actions required to defend their nation.
Which, in fact, the royalty are doing.
Personally, I'm wondering how long it's going to take some of the nobles to remember their part in supporting Equestria in times of war. Some of the more obstinate ones may be in danger of losing their House's charter if they decide to be obstructionists. Depending on how their particular House charter works in Equestria. While I expect that military support is probably more traditionally a part of a Pegasus noble's House charter, given their militant pre-Equestrian culture, there are most likely at least some noble Houses from the other two major tribes who also have such pledges as part of their House charters.
9901524
Blueblood, unfortunately, has a compass rose for a cutie mark and therefore will almost certainly be shipped to the officer corps instead of being shot at.
9901502
I don't see why she'd disapprove. The fact that you have a throne above the normal floor of a palace, is to convey power over the person or persons who are addressing you. Generally nobles are supposed to be respectful to their leige, but Equestrian nobles are mostly portrayed as idiots.
Some one is getting a raise!
9901590
I think she'd disapprove purely on the fact that i think that this story's Celestia seems to be a pacifist. And thus not approving when someone uses violence/intimidation to make others shut up.
Not much to go on, but it's what i choose to believe.
I guess the nobles that actually care for the citizens is out there help and securing people's safety.
9901567
Blueblood would end up as an officer for the simple fact that he's a noble, not due to whatever his Cutie Mark may be. Assuming he didn't get out of it by supporting the war effort in another way (such as throwing money at it).
Fun bit of speculation: Prince Blueblood either has a twin brother or he had his Cutie Mark changed for the Equestria Games. Because in the Equestria Games a pony with his body type and colors, but with a fleur de lis Cutie Mark instead of a compass rose, was sitting in the Royal Box with the Princesses, the Saddle Arabian representatives, and the Duke and Dutches of Maretonia. If this is a brother, then presumably one of the two would be signing up directly.
9901380
Sadly (or funnily) enough, most insurance companies would probably use this as an excuse to avoid paying out a claim.
Good work ! This was good, also good thing blueballs shut up for once too ! And, all hail Page, all hail Page
I believe, that main problem with Page-nobles relation may be fact, that nobles may still treat him as lucky commoner, nobody, who managed to woo princess somehow, who try now to order them, true bluebloods, so they don't respect him. He may be alicorn, but he is "protege" of "new" princess, so he don't have such backing as Twilight.
Are the majority of nobels are shallow scumbags?
That court Session was hyped in chapter so highly... Im dissapointed
Nice magic illusion but a double tone dark echo would be a welcome epic additional detail
9901380
Purrrfect excuse that hopefully only get used on nobels Very creative
9901452
Its my first time reading it... N-e-a-t
9901524
9901590
It was mainly nobels but probably only the ones undeserving of there titel. Guess the 'good nobels' were bussy actualy doing something
9901567
One can still hope for some 'unlucky' situation he could get into
9901848
He has earned his place not like many that sit on there ass and think beeing born rich is a archivment But to be fair... They were raised this way... I know a fic were Celestia gives some of them a 'run for there money' so to speak...
9901380
Sounds a lot like my Farmers home owners policy. Nyerk!
Canterlot's Ninja Maid Squad strikes again!
9901954
Most standard policies exclude acts of God, war, and natural disasters such as flood hurricanes and tornadoes. Bottom line, the more likely there will be a lot of claims all at once, the more likely it'll be excluded.
I think he handled that court well. It definitely fits his theme of "take no shit, and carry a big stick."
Hang on, did I just make a malaphor? Maybe, but it surely describes his direct approach to things through the fastest route to victory.
Its confusing because another story I'm keeping up with is at the same point in the story as here, so I kept thinking that derpy got stoned here too, so they could have tested the de-petrification spell on her. But alas, that's not this story, but in "Off the Mark"
I'm excited to see what happens next.
(For the alternate twilight's problem, why haven't they considered going back in time to before her arrival, becoming intangible and swapping the scrolls so they destroy a copy, and they take the one with the universe link back to the present so they can get home to their timeline? Surely discord can go back in time without changing anything? Heck, discord could go back and get the universal signature without needing to take the scroll.)
Love the story, please keep writing them, brings a smile to my face when a new chapter is posted
9902774
Bootstrap paradox - she can't because she hasn't.
Or, more to the point, she can't because the variant of the spell she knows is not capable of creating a bootstrap paradox solution in which the action to be taken in the past would negate the need to take said action. Instead, it only creates stable time loops (once around and done, but every action you remember taking still happens).
What Midnight would need is for somepony talented enough in modifying spells to alter Starswirl's timetravel spell to permit free action in the past. And nopony is about to risk granting this continuity's Starlight Glimmer access to that spell at this point in her reformation, as that would just be asking for trouble.
9902623
Weird thing is that insurance has a $5,000 roof deductible, roof repair companies charge $10,000 to the insurance company, but you can pay $5,000 cash to the same company to fix the roof. How effed up is that.
I have personally experienced this.
Because Page has a long list of names to give to Luna
Celestia did ask the bloodshed be kept to a minimum.
Page intends it shall be.
9903666
He's not quite a 21st century schizoid man yet. That'll take at least 2 more court sessions.
I had to do it.
You would have too.
This man pulled a Gandalf outta his arse LMFAO XD
I love Page. He can make the biggest fools see reason... Speaking of... Storm Bitch King ~♡
fifth time reading this series and this sentence keeps making me laugh
Page knows to rule the spoiled idiots.
Did you mean kept?