Untitled Journal in Blueblood's Study

by Crowne Prince

V. Trust

I grew impatient. One day I interrupted Magick during an explanation of poisons. Diagrams and illustrations floated around the room, and I’d lost track of which of us was holding what. Half of the things fell to the floor when I cut the flow of magic.

“What am I learning all of this for? I decided to rise to meet my destiny, but nopony has told me what that is!”

Silver light scooped up whatever it had failed to catch during the sudden outburst. Magick said in her ever-distant and distracted way, “Hm, yes. You are learning all of this in order to protect Princess Celestia.”

“That is what the Captain of the Guard tells me. If I am to be her royal-blooded defender, then I should like to speak with her again. I need guidance. I have not seen her or my own family in months.”

My demands fell unheeded on Magick’s ears. She turned and a sparkling glow began to pull books for me to read out of the library she could conjure out of nothing. “The Princess is too busy mentoring her own protégé. As for guidance, you have four of the finest specialists at your beck and call, though your position of power means you should be careful in whom you trust.”

“I don’t follow how I am so powerful. I’ve only met the Princess once and I have no special knowledge or skill. Why aren’t you telling me the whole story?”

“I see you’ve been spending time with the Lady de Lis. When you first began you would never have picked up on the fact there was something I did not tell you.” Magick lowered a set of three books onto my desk. “The reason I have reserves about what I say is because of what I iterated not four seconds ago: trust.”

I opened my mouth to object, but Magick cut me off. “I am not referring to you, but to my three friends.”

“You don’t trust your closest friends? That’s outrageous.”

“Is it? Consider your life as if it were a story. A young, easily influenced pony with no living parents suddenly inherits a right to the throne and the ear of the kingdom’s leader. There are many ways for this to end badly. He could be corrupted, driven mad for power, turned into a spy, made to trust somepony he should not. In a situation where the prize is large amounts of money, prestige, or power, even a good pony will give in to temptation.”

Silver light tore a book from one of the shelves and snapped it open inches from my eyes, forcing me to see the contents. The image at the top of the page showed two royals staring into each other’s eyes. Instead of pupils, large black hearts clouded their vision. Printed underneath were the words ‘Love Poison’.

The Headmistress said darkly, “All great betrayals come from people close to the protagonist. Friends, family, lovers.” She flipped through the pages, drawing after drawing of the terrors that befell the kingdom after the love poison corrupted its victims. “It would be stupid for me to think that nopony will take advantage of this opportunity.”

She snapped the book shut. “Wherever there is trust, there is betrayal.”

What kind of pony thinks their friends will turn against them in the end? Such a bitter life that must be. I did not agree with Magick, but there was nothing I could say to change her mind, so I remained silent.

What happened to Magick to make her this way? I do not know.

Comments

[Edragon]

Hrm...a difficult lesson to learn, and one harder to balance.

[Camolot the Creator]

I can number the amount of people that I trust on one hand.
Allies and "friends" come thicker and faster than a mud flow, but true companions, those that will take the knife meant for your back and stick it in the person that gave it to them, are rarer than any mineral.