It was all worth it. The hard work, long days, pain, and stress were all going to pay off. Training would be over in a mere three weeks and I’d not only be a royal guard but a member of the Canterlot Guard. One of the elite. It was everything I had dreamed of and worked for since I was a colt.

The whole company was at attention on the parade ground waiting for inspection. This wouldn’t be a normal inspection either. At week nine the royal guard training regimen called for the Captain of the Canterlot Guard and other officers to come and personally take a look at us. We were the group that had not quit after being worked over for nearly two months. It was our time to shine since we were all that was left of the original 200 ponies that dared to try.

I stood perfectly still: eyes forward, shoulders square. I noticed some of the other trainees’ heads moving as they tried see if the officers were already on the way. It was poor form. My posture and stare were unrivaled. They were traits inherited from my father. He had drilled me since I was a colt to be quiet, speak clearly when spoken to, and never let anypony shake my cool. I’m sure he’d have been proud to see me that day.

The instructors left us out in the sun for about half an hour before returning. Walking alongside the senior instructor was Captain Shining Armor. There were a few other officers as well but he would be the one to impress if anypony wanted to be on the Palace Guard or the even more exclusive Princess Celestia’s House Guard.

Shining Armor took his time looking us over. He tried to make it look routine but nothing had been routine for my class. The whole royal guard had been on edge during and immediately after the Nightmare Moon incident. Princess Celestia had just simply vanished without warning and it wasn’t the royal guard that got her back either. It was hard for anypony to believe and the strain of it showed on the captain. It wouldn't have been obvious to most ponies but one soldier can read another.

It wasn’t long before it was my turn to be inspected. Shining Armor paused when he got to me. In hindsight I don’t think it was because I was a particularly impressive looking trainee. It was more likely the fact that he and I actually look somewhat alike. We’re both white-coated, blue-maned stallions.

My mane is darker of course and then there is the fact that I’m a pegasus and he is a unicorn. In any event, if you didn’t know any better, you may think that I’m a cheap knockoff version of him. That isn’t my fault! I wasn’t born too long after he was and have looked this way all my life, even before he rose to the lofty rank of colonel and took on the title of Captain of the Canterlot Guard.

Once the last trainee had been looked over and the inspection was complete things really got interesting. Shining Armor moved to the front of the formation and stopped to address us. That was highly unusual. Typically by now the captain and associated officers were on their way back to their duties. This was supposed to be largely ceremonial, after all.

He took a moment to address us. “Many of you know or have heard about the recent return of Nightmare Moon. You’re all also aware that she was defeated and that Princess Celestia was safely returned. What you may not know is Princess Luna has shed the guise of a villain and now walks among us for the first time in 1,000 years.”

When I say professional decorum was lost I’m being polite. The polished trainees let out a collective gasp and there were murmurs in the ranks. It was as if somepony had blindsided us all. It was what he said next that led me to the life I have now.

“It is by the royal decree of Princess Celestia that a new royal guard unit be created for the protection of Princess Luna. Who will volunteer to join her House Guard and protect her?”

That was what he said, word for word. The murmurs gave way to dead silence and blank stares. The captain was asking us to guard Nightmare Moon!

There was no sound or movement for what seemed like hours. It would have been comical if it weren’t for the fact that everypony was ignoring the Princess’s desires. That might have motivated me. It might have not. To be honest I’m not really sure why I did what I did but, in school, I had always felt like Princess Luna was more than just a villain. Things had been tough on her as a younger sibling. That happens sometimes. I think that played a role in my decision.

Without a word I stepped out of line looking calm and confident. In my head I was screaming, “Stop hooves, stop! You’ve got a chance to join the Canterlot Guard. Why would you do something so foolish?”

My hooves didn't stop, however, and I quickly felt like I had a hundred pairs of eyes on me.

The senior instructor walked over to me and Shining Armor followed. The captain asked, “You volunteer? What is your name?”

“Silent Knight, sir,” my senior instructor chimed in for me. “He doesn’t say much but he is an exemplary recruit. Always by the book and professional.”

Shining Armor stared at me. “Why volunteer for this? Everypony else seems to think you’ve made a mistake.”

Looking back, I sometimes laugh at the thousand different thoughts that went through my head. At the time, I had no idea why. Every fiber of my being said I’d done something foolish but, like Dad had always said, never make it obvious to an opponent you’ve made a mistake. Of all the options I had to choose from, I probably selected the one that makes the least sense.

“I have an older sister too, sir” was what I said. What does that even mean?

I guess at that point Celestia was watching out for me because he actually smiled at me. “Well, Silent Knight,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that but come along then. You’ve got a very important appointment that you don’t want to be late for.”

The captain turned and started to march off the parade ground. I fell in step behind him. At that point I was completely committed. “Go with your gut and never back down,” I heard Dad say in my head. I’m certain that advice extended to hooves.

We left the parade ground and crossed town to the palace. It was a route all recruits knew well. In the course of training any royal guard hopeful would march, trot, or gallop this road no less than once a day. I never appreciated the palace for its size prior. When you go by quickly it is just like any other building. When you’re going inside it is miraculous. Only a princess could live in a place so elegant.

Shining Armor led me to a small meeting room off of the main hall. “Wait here, please,” he said before disappearing.

Waiting is something I’m good at. I took my parade stance again. Eyes forward; shoulders square. There is always comfort in that.

It wasn’t long before he returned and in his company was Princess Celestia herself. To some ponies this may have been commonplace but, even though I had always prepared myself to be one of her guardians, I was awestruck. With only a second’s hesitation I bowed down and averted my eyes.

She was radiant, beautiful, and perfect. A flawless pony the likes of which made us all seem crude and mundane. Princess Celestia is also a lot larger up close and personal. I’m above average for a stallion but she still towered over me. Those were things that I caught at just a glance.

What struck me was that when she spoke I heard a slight melancholy in her tone. “Only one?” she asked the captain.

“For now, Princess,” he replied. “I thought it would be a good idea to go to the recruits first as we could train them differently and get to them before they had any biases. Unfortunately, they most likely have career plans that don’t line up with such a wild and sudden deviation like this.”

Shining Armor then shrugged. “Many of our active guards feel as if they failed you and are uncomfortable with the idea of guarding Princess Luna. For now though we do have one and I believe he might be a great one. May I present to you Silent Knight.”

At that moment my eyes had lifted to risk a peek up at Princess Celestia. She caught me doing so, too. So much for professionalism on my part.

“Silent Knight, do you not have career plans? Do you not fear Princess Luna?”

Always speak clearly when spoken to. Even to a princess. “I did and no, ma’am,” I replied honestly.

“Are you certain?” she asked. “You may still decline.”

Was I certain? How could I be? I could decline, play it safe, and probably end up in the palace guard. That felt wrong, though. That was the easy way out and a challenge has never frightened me. Lifting my head I said, “It bothered me that no pony stepped forward. Royal guards are supposed to look after their job before they look after their career. I still believe that even if no pony else does.”

She actually smiled. It was like watching the sun rise after the blackest night. At the time I had never seen something so beautiful. Of course I may be biased as I’ve always liked it when unicorns smile at me and the princess was a unicorn and then some.

“He will do fine. Please select current members of the royal guard that will also be suited to the task and reassign them. Perhaps if they set an example for their peers we’ll have less trouble filling the vacancies in the future,” she told the captain. “And see that Silent Knight is made a House Guard immediately, unless you think he’ll need the remaining weeks of training. He seems to have the appropriate attitude.”

Shining Armor nodded and said, “Yes, Princess.”

And just like that, she was gone. I stood up and back at attention. Alone with the captain.

“You handled that very well. I hope you honestly meant it.” He then asked me plainly, “Do you need any more training?”

What I said was what I meant. All I could do was nod that it was so. Then I replied, “No, sir.”

It was true. I wasn’t the best trainee in the company but I was up there. If you make it nine weeks the rest is pretty much learning ceremony and how to keep your mouth shut. I was the best pony in that department. Being quiet, that is.

The captain nodded and said, “Very good. Well, come along then. We had best get you situated. Since you were brave enough to volunteer I’ll give you the tour. By the way, the Princess’s best designers have put together something special for Princess Luna’s House Guard. I think you’ll like it.”

That seemed like an interesting thing to say. Armor was armor… or so I thought at the time. We walked together in silence. The whole time I started making notes about where things were in the palace. If I was going to be on the House Guard I would need to be very familiar with the Princess and her home. There would be research to do and facts to memorize. That didn’t bother me; it was my sort of thing.

The palace is a surprising place. It looks large from the outside but not ridiculously so. On the inside, however, it is almost labyrinthine. The captain showed me the commissary, the throne room, the gym, and all of the other support areas. Eventually our tour ended in a simple barracks room at ground level. It was exactly regulation: two beds, two foot lockers, two lockers, two armor stands, one table, and two chairs.

“This is all yours now. I’ll find you a roommate and you’ll be all set. For now Princess Celestia’s House Guard is keeping an eye on Princess Luna. I’ll be adding you into their rotation as soon as I get all of our paperwork straight. Any questions?”

With a shake of my head I replied, “No, sir. Thank you, sir.”

He nodded once and then left me alone. This day had not gone the way I had imagined. Not in the least but I was in the palace. Dad would be proud.

Two weeks. It took a full took weeks just to find enough ponies to minimally staff Princess Luna’s House Guard. Captain Shining Armor had been careful and rightly so. Each guard was hoof picked by him, interviewed repeatedly, and had their entire guard file audited. The goal was to end up with a group of ponies that were as skilled and as dedicated as the ones that staffed Princess Celestia's House Guard.

Princess Celestia's House Guards were, without any doubt, the finest guards I'd ever met. While the captain was putting together the unit I got to know many of them since I was temporarily assigned to their commander, Lieutenant Astral Dyke, and worked with them to protect Princess Luna.

It was clear to me that the task was not exactly appreciated by them but they did the job without question. Despite that, I was an outsider. They only let me in so much and I understood that. Royal guard units, especially one so elite, are like that. New ponies have to earn their way in and all I had done was step forward on the parade ground.

Matters took a turn for the worse when my regular issue armor was replaced by a new set that was designed specifically for the new unit. The uniform and dress standards for Princess Luna’s House Guards were different than that of our peers. It was done that way to better reflect the princess’s style and give her something that felt uniquely her own. At least that is what the mare in charge of the design told me and to be honest it suited me fine. I was never a fan of gold.

My armor was byzantium with heliotrope highlights. That was the designer’s fancy way of saying dark and light purple. All of the segmented plates were light with the darker colors set into the breastplate. It looked rather impressive but also just a little bit sinister. At the time I didn’t really feel like it made a huge case for Princess Luna not being Nightmare Moon.

What did I know, though? I was just a rookie guardspony on his first assignment. It just so happened that my first assignment meant immediately guarding a princess.

 

 

The door to my barracks room opened and the captain walked in. Immediately I rose to attention and he said, “At ease. Silent Knight, there is somepony here I want you to meet.” He stepped out of the way to let a unicorn mare walk past.

She was tall for a mare, silver in color, and had a coltish pink and turquoise mane. Her cutie mark was a silver shield with a rainbow on the front.

“This is Iridescence. She is your new partner. Pay attention to her alright? She’s been with the palace guard for three years. I’m certain you can learn from her experience.”

She was a guard? She seemed a bit too pretty for that but I certainly wouldn’t have said so out loud.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, levitating a few bags into the room and setting them on the bunk opposite of mine.

“Likewise.” I looked to the captain and nodded. “Will do sir!”

“Very good. You two get acquainted. You’ll be working opposite shifts.” He turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

Slowly I sat back down on my bunk.

Iridescence started going through her bags and unpacking. “Have you been here long?” she asked.

“Two weeks.”

“Ah, so not long.”

I shook my head.

She glanced over at my new armor and raised a hoof. “That certainly stands out a ton against everypony else’s armor. You probably get a lot of looks.”

It was true. I nodded.

“Alright… well, I’m just going to unpack.”

“That sounds good.”

She seemed nice enough. Slowly I rolled over into my bunk and picked up my procedures manual. It was the one used by Princess Celestia’s House Guard. We would be adopting it for Princess Luna and I wanted to make certain I knew it cover to cover. That sort of thing comes in handy.

 

 

The first lesson that anypony has to learn as a royal guardspony is that even though you spend most of your career training for the worst possible situation your average day will be far more mundane. Guarding Princess Luna meant remembering two rules: keep your mouth shut and stand no further than two paces away from the princess at all times. If you can do that for twelve hours on end then you’re set.

That also sums up my first month on duty when I was on shift. Truth be told I was starting to feel like a pet. Wherever Princess Luna went I followed close. Breakfast? Me watching her eat from over her shoulder. Official meetings? Silent Knight against the wall. Late night skeeball at the palace arcade? Two paces to the left of the machine. Once I was almost struck directly in the face by a ball that went wide.

Twelve hours a day I was two paces away if we were anywhere other than her chambers. If we were, I was by the door so that I could stop any intruder that happened to wander in. That was, of course, assuming they got past the gate, two companies of palace guards, and all of the support ponies.

When you spend that much time with anypony you get to know them. My VIP (very important pony) was different than most though. Not because she was an alicorn or a princess, but because she had been stuck on the moon for 1,000 years.

Princess Luna was struggling to fit in. There is simply no polite way to put it. She didn’t know anypony, didn’t have any friends, and relied heavily on her sister to assign her duties. There wasn’t any royal function that was her own. The palace staff and royal guard also weren’t a big help either. They typically gave her a wide berth and it wasn’t out of respect.

On the face of it most ponies were polite to her but very few tried to get close. There were always rumors about her being evil or strange and, while she kept a stiff upper lip, when she thought no pony was looking I could see the pain in her as plain as day.

That is how it is sometimes. If you’re doing your job right the pony you’re guarding forgets you’re there. You’re just a piece of the background. At least, that is what I thought.

One evening, after raising the moon, Princess Luna was standing out on her balcony looking into the night sky. It wasn’t uncommon for her.

“Silent Knight?” she asked, catching me off guard. She’d never spoken at me, much less used my name. I wasn’t even aware she knew it.

Gathering my wits, I responded, “Princess?”

Turning from where she was gazing up, she made eye contact with me. “Is it true that thou were the only pony to volunteer for our House Guard?”

Speak clearly when spoken to. That part I had down. Never tell a lie. Got that too. The princess struggled enough with ponies not relating to her. Telling her that yes, only one pony wanted to be on her guard seemed like a bad idea. It would probably be a bad idea to mention that everypony else was voluntold to join the unit.

To be safe I thought I should gloss over the truth with an elaborate but believable tale but “Yes, Princess” is what my mouth replied while I was still working out the details. Stupid, honest mouth.

She turned away from me. “We see. And why did thou volunteer?”

Important ponies are always interested in motivations. It would be a lie to say I didn’t think for myself. I certainly did but I was also a guard. Guards follow orders and do what they’re told. Thinking is for their superiors. In this particular case, however, I knew I’d have to answer and answer carefully.

“I didn’t believe you were Nightmare Moon, Princess. Still, that is. You probably had a good reason, too. With all due respect, Princess. My preference is always to meet a pony and then make a judgement.”

The princess seemed to ponder that answer and I thought that I was in the clear. She was silent for a while longer before speaking up again. “And thou risked thy career just for the opportunity to meet us?”

No, that certainly wasn’t true. I couldn’t tell her that. Plus she might be thinking I was trying to fraternize and that was just not going to happen. I knew I’d have to take another stab at it.

“Not exactly, Princess. Royal guardsponies are supposed to stand up for the little pony. It upset me when no pony else stepped forward. When they didn’t it was clear I had to.”

What an elegant and great speech Silent Knight! Other than the part where you called the princess a little pony. That is what royal guards refer to as a resume generating event.

“Thou thinkest we are a little pony?” she asked. Her tone held a note of confusion. That was a step up from angry, at least.

Never let anypony shake your cool. That was certainly easy for my dad to say. He wasn’t staring down Princess Luna alone on a balcony. I could feel my cheeks turn red and willed them to stop. They won that battle.

“No, Princess. It is an expression. I meant no pony stood up for you so it was my duty to do so. Everypony should have someone in their corner.”

I could feel a bead of sweat running down my forehead inside my helmet. I had not strung together this many words since before secondary school.

Her head tilted curiously. “What dost thou mean, in our corner?”

Seriously Silent Knight, couldn’t you have made it another two hours until your shift ended? Stupid, honest mouth.

“Princess, it is another expression. It means having somepony that looks out for you. That supports you no matter what. Like a friend or sister.”

I made a mental note to spend less time in the gym and more time reading philosophy or psychology. Anything to make talking to ponies easier.

Princess Luna smiled just slightly at me. She didn’t do so often, so it was nice to see her smile. Frightening, like I was about to be tossed into a dungeon or off the balcony, but nice.

“And thou art in our corner, Silent Knight?”

Ah honest mouth, it was your time to shine. “Yes, Princess. Always.”

“This pleaseth us,” she replied as she walked past me and back into the palace. “Thou hast a clever way with words. Though thou mayst wish to report to the medic. It is not warm this evening and thou art looking feverish with all of the sweating.”

Never let anypony shake your cool. Easy for Dad to say. My shift was over in two hours. After that I would report to the medic. Just in case.

 

 

Iridescence sat on her bunk familiarizing herself with my procedures manual. She didn’t have one herself. Who knew why. Not that I minded sharing and my thoughts were too focused on the letter in front of me to worry about where her manual was.

Dear Winterspear

You’ll never guess what happened. I’m not really sure I understand how it happened myself. Either way, and I know you won’t like hearing this, Dad was right. All that hard work was worth it.

Being left in Canterlot alone was frightening but it did a good job preparing me to deal with the type of ponies that live here. Plus all of that education and the chance to train at the central royal guard academy paid off.

I’m a House Guard! Can you believe that? My first assignment is to the House Guard. Princess Luna’s House Guard, but still. It was worth it.

Congratulations on making sergeant. Few ponies deserve it as much as you.

Your brother

Silent Knight

Carefully I started to try and fold the letter. That isn’t something easy to do with hooves but I usually manage. After struggling a minute it floated away from me, wrapped in royal blue magic.

“If you don’t mind, Silent Knight, I can do that for you.” Iridescence said, her horn illuminated.

Magic, unicorn magic. It wasn’t something I was used to even after all of these years. Truthfully I was wary of it but she was being helpful. “Thank you,” I replied and let her do the folding. Once she was done I stuck the letter in an envelope and headed off to mail it. It was a shame I’d waited so long. This one was long overdue… but Winterspear understood. She always did.

After the night on the balcony my shifts with Princess Luna were different. I wasn’t a backdrop anymore even if I wanted to be, at least not when the two of us were alone. When we weren’t at an official, semi-official, or casual affair she would talk at me.

I should clarify what I mean by talk at me. To say Princess Luna didn’t have a lot of friends would be putting it kindly. There was Princess Celestia of course and a hoofmaid or two. Outside of that, everypony else was all business.

That left a lot of time for her to be alone. At least as alone as a VIP can be, which meant being alone with a guard or two depending on the security situation. During my shifts she would talk at me. I would listen and be quiet unless she asked me something specifically. Which, mercifully, she rarely did.

My guess is that having a confidant gave her peace. She knew I would never repeat anything she said because I was obligated not to. Also, I’m pretty sure she got the impression that I’m not big on talking in general. I let my actions speak for me and, since I’m not good at interpretive dance, her secrets were safe with me.

Princess Luna spent a lot of time writing, even during her free time. Her work seemed endless and I wondered if she ever took a moment for herself. There were documents in her office, in her chambers, in her game room, and everywhere in between. It made me appreciate that my job was to stand there quietly.

One particular evening she paced back and forth in front of her desk with three pieces of parchment floating in front of her, levitated by alicorn magic. She looked at them and then at me. That look always meant I was no longer a prop and was about to be talked at.

“Silent Knight?” she asked.

“Princess?” I replied immediately. It seemed I was wrong. This would be a talking to and not at. I had somewhat become accustomed to being spoken to by that point.

One of the parchments glided down to the table and a quil rose in its place. She scribbled something and then asked, “Thou went to school in Canterlot, did thou not?”

Thank Celestia. An easy question with a straight answer. “Yes, Princess.”

“Why didn’t thou attendest school in Cloudsdale close to thy family?” she asked, scribbling something else. Was she writing down my answers?

“My father said I would have a better chance of being accepted into the royal guard if I was already in Canterlot and familiar with its ponies. It would be an advantage.”

“Is that so?” she asked, which was a very loaded question.

Was it so my father said that? Yes. Was it true? Possibly. I was now, in fact, a House Guard. How could I know for sure?

“So he said, Princess. Whether he was right or not I can’t know. I am a House Guard, however, and assigned to a princess. There must have been some wisdom in his mindset.”

Once more her quill scribbled on the parchment. Was she working and holding a conversation or was she taking notes? It was quite unnerving. “Were thou not frightened to come to Canterlot as little older than a colt?” she asked.

In that moment I really thought the whole speak when spoken to part of my upbringing was going to be the death of me. The princess didn’t know it but this was a sore subject in my family. My mother and sister had been against it. My father for it. He typically got his way so picked me up and dropped me off in a city full of ground ponies.

“Terrified, Princess. It was right before I started secondary school. I lived alone in a tiny apartment but I received the best education my parents could afford.” Terrifying was probably an understatement. It did allow me to learn to be self reliant though. That sort of thing makes a pony tough.

Princess Luna let a second parchment glide to her desk before levitating another one. “Thy father’s council is most wise though I may question his methods. He was a royal guard as well, was he not?”

Finally, a change of topic. I could talk about my dad all day. He was a hero. Well, a hero to me anyway. “Yes princess.” I paused, “Well, technically no princess. He was eventually but most of his career we was actually part of the Equestrian Army. He served Equestria well until he took an arrow to the knee in a battle with some gryphons.”

The princess brought a hoof to her muzzle and stifled a laugh. That was rather confusing and, honestly, a little agitating. “Princess?”

“Surely thou jests,” she replied, smiling behind her hoof.

“No, princess. A gryphon shot him in battle. He was wounded… in the knee… by an arrow. Is that humorous?” I was pushing a line but I take my father very seriously.

The princess looked at me with big eyes, the smile vanished and she shook her head. “Our apologies. That is not humorous. It is just that the situation reminds us of something we once saw in a story. Perhaps thou hast not seen such?”

Somepony wrote a story about my father being hit in the knee with an arrow? Nonsense. I shook my head and said, “My apologies, Princess. I’m unfamiliar with that of which you speak.”

Princess Luna looked a bit sheepish before saying, “Then this is not funny at all.” After that she quickly went back to her duties while I tried to work out what had just happened.

 

 

The palace commissary makes better food than most chow halls. That was what I had been told. One major difference between the two, however, is that I had to pay to eat in the former. Bits were something I had to be careful with. Royal guards don’t make a lot and I sent most of mine to my parents.

Unfortunately for me there wasn’t a proper chow hall in the palace. There was one somewhat close at the Royal Guard Central Command Campus but, when pressed for time or worn out, it was just easier for me to go to the commissary.

As usual I sat alone quietly eating my dinner. It was some sort of noodles with carrots and peas. At least that was what I hoped it was. Again, just because somepony tells you the food is better doesn’t make it true.

From across the dining area a pink mare approached me. Her armor had princess Celestia’s cutie mark on the breastplate and a sergeant’s pin by the collar. Ponies tend to look alike under armor but she was somewhat familiar. She also didn’t have any food.

“Mind if I join you?” She asked.

I shook my head no and she sat down.

“Are you settling in okay?”

“Yes sergeant,” was my response.

Lightly she cleared her throat, “My name is Radiant Orchid. You and I met a couple of times when you were working with us. Prior to your unit being stood up.”

That was it. She wasn’t the sergeant that had been assigned to the duty but she’d filled in one day. “Right, yes sergeant. What can I do for you?”

Sergeant Orchid shook her head. “Me? Oh nothing. I’ve just seen you here eating alone a lot. I thought you might like some company.”

“That is very kind of you sergeant. Have you already eaten?” I waved a hoof to her empty side of the table.

“What?” She laughed. “Oh! No. No…” Lowering her voice, sergeant Orchid added, “The food here isn’t that great. I just wait until I get home. That is a perk of having a kitchen. You’re kind of on your own there I guess.”

My nose wrinkled and I whispered back, “I appreciate that somepony else noticed. I’ve been told repeatedly that the food here is better than the chow hall.”

“No chance of that. Personally I’m hoping that at some point the palace manager brings in a new staff or something. It is almost a crime that the palace should serve such awful food.”

A crime. Poisoning a royal guard was a crime. That could be a way to get things moving. Although that also involved the downsides of being poisoned. I pushed the noodle mush away. “Maybe I’ll trot over there tomorrow.”

“You’ll live longer if you do. Listen, I know you’re new and there aren’t any other green ponies in your unit. If you need anything you can come see me. Alright?”

“Yes sergeant.”

“Good. Have a good evening.”

 

 

Silently I stood outside of Princess Luna’s chambers, guarding her door. She wanted some personal time and had asked me to step out. That was completely within regulations and allowable so I didn’t put up a fuss.

Princess Celestia had gone to a lot of effort to build an entire wing for Princess Luna. She wanted to be certain that her little sister had all of the same comforts that she did. Everything was still being hammered out… literally and figuratively. About the only rooms that were totally complete were Princess Luna’s private chambers.

Outside of them, however, was an entirely different story. It amazed me at how many construction ponies came and went. Lumber, nails, bricks, and other materials went by in carts and I had to give great respect to whatever pony had insulated the Princess’s chambers. None of this was obvious from in there.

Just after a brief squabble between an architect, foreman, and construction worker, Captain Shining Armor turned the corner and headed in my direction. He had an unfamiliar mare in tow. She was a petite earth pony with a dark brown coat and an almost black mane.

My body stiffened to attention as the captain drew close.

“What was that about?” He asked.

“The architect and the foreman had different opinions on what an arch is sir. The construction pony had a different opinion on physics than the two. The three of them all disagreed on whether the opening to the administrative wing should be an arch, doorway, or drawbridge. Then it got a little physical.”

The captain blinked, paused as if he was going to say something, and then just shook his head. “Not our department. Listen, this is Miley Hooves, the latest addition to the House guard. When you get off duty I want you to show her around and explain her duties. Can you do that?”

I could but why? Shouldn’t the sergeant do that? Was something wrong with the sergeant? Should I ask? The captain was staring at me, waiting. “Can do, sir!”

“Thank you!” Miley Hooves chirped happily before quickly falling silent when Shining Armor looked back at her. Typically you don’t interrupt a conversation between an officer and another pony.

The captain pressed on. “Good. Also, I audited your file this morning. Your scores at the royal guard academy were excellent. You should have graduated as a guard 2nd class. That got lost in the shuffle. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It had not crossed my mind sir. This posting threw me sideways.” That was true. It hadn’t even dawned on me. Being posted to a House Guard was exciting enough.

He nodded. “Fair enough. Still, a mistake is a mistake.” His horn illuminated and unicorn magic surrounded my 3rd class pin. It amazed me at how little unicorns used their hooves or mouths. From a pouch he levitated a 2nd class pin and attached it to my armor. “I also notified payroll. You’re entitled to the difference in bits between grades. That should be a decent little sum.”

Promoted. Granted, 2nd class is pretty much automatic, but it was still nice. It helped shake that “green pony” status a bit. Plus more bits would help my parents. That would be one less thing to worry about. “Thank you sir!”

“Don’t thank me. I just corrected the mistake. Carry on.”

“Yes sir.” I responded and settled back into my place outside of the door. Only now I stood just a little bit taller.

It was early evening. Iridescence arrived right on time: fifteen minutes before my shift ended. We stood at our posts in silence for a little while before she asked without breaking her forward gaze, “Anything to report?”

“Quiet day,” I replied.

Iridescence was a top notch guard. She was always buttoned up, on time, and dress right dress. Under her armor she was also an attractive silver unicorn. Of course I’m speaking professionally. I would never let that fact get in the way of our working relationship. We were partners working opposite shifts and traveling with the princess when necessary.

“I did your laundry for you,” she said quietly. Iridescence was nice. She was always looking out for me. Of course I also didn’t have a lot of laundry. Just the gambesons I wore under my armor.

Thank you. You’re a thoughtful partner.” Then we stood in silence for the rest of the shift change until it was time for me to go. “Good night. Hope you have a quiet shift.”

On the way back to our room I bumped into Captain Shining Armor outside. I saluted, he nodded, and I returned the gesture with the intention of heading inside. I guess he had something on his mind because he called me by name.

“Yes, sir?” I replied and stood at attention.

“At ease, I know you’re off duty.”

Officers… Dad always said that when they’re around, even if you’re off duty, you’re on duty. He didn’t raise a fool. “Thank you, sir.” I relaxed my stance slightly.

“How are things working out for you? Are you getting on fine?”

I quickly nodded and replied, “Yes, sir.”

He looked at me for a long moment, as if he was waiting for me to elaborate. I didn’t. The captain shrugged and went on. “Princess Luna has said very positive things about your professionalism and dedication. She is very pleased with your performance.”

“She is most kind, sir.”

Shining Armor sighed slightly. “Listen, Silent Knight. You’re an excellent guard. As your commander I’m proud of you. You stand out and you’re top notch. Even more so considering all your peers have a lot more experience… but, from one stallion to another, I worry a little. There is more to life than the job.”

My head tilted. “Sir?”

“I asked around. You seem to spend all your time on duty, practicing, doing physical training, or studying. That is commendable and in no way am I chastising you. I just feel like that sort of life isn’t sustainable.” He paused and shifted uncomfortably. “I should know. My little sister was… or maybe still is the exact same way.”

He elaborated and I could tell it was somewhat tough for him. “All she did was study her magic and worry about her next test or project. It was getting so extreme that her mentor, Princess Celestia herself, stepped in to help her. It was a kind thing she did. My sister made some friends and even has fun every now and then.” He smiled a bit. “So, as a mentor, I hope you’ll take my advice. Maybe actually take a day off now and then when you have your days off, ok?”

Shining Armor was my mentor? The Captain of the Canterlot Guard? Was this a test? He wanted me to work less? It didn’t make any sense to me. My father had always coached me on keeping my edge and staying focused.

I did sometimes wonder about what else was out there, though. Now the captain was telling me to relax a bit, and I shouldn’t disobey an order. I also noticed he was staring at me, waiting for me to in some way acknowledge what he had said. How long had I been standing there in silence?

“I understand what you’re saying, sir,” I started. “Order received. I’ll start using at least one of my days off to relax and find something fun to do.”

The captain laughed and shook his head. “It wasn’t an order, Silent Knight, but I’m glad you’ll take my advice. Be sure that the something fun doesn’t look too much like royal guard work,” he replied before patting me on the shoulder and heading off towards home. “Goodnight,” he called over his shoulder.

“Goodnight, sir.” I headed to the room I shared with Iridescence. We were off shift the next day. When she got back from her watch I’d ask her what to do. She knew more about these things anyway. Maybe we could go for a gallop together… no, that was too much like training. Sword fight? No. Archery? No, darn… hat shopping? Yes! We’d go hat shopping.

When I got to our room I noticed that Iridescence’s bunk wasn’t perfectly made. I set her pillow and accessories carefully aside and remade it for her. It was exactly how the manual stated. I replaced the pillow and then set her stuffed animal Wolf in front of the pillow. That wasn’t regulation but it made her smile and the officers never seemed to mind little personal touches.

I straightened up our room and put away all the fresh laundry she had done and left on my the bed for me while I thought about hat shopping. I really didn’t want to do that. I’m not a big fan of my helmet, much less hats. Plus spending bits on something silly didn’t make sense. Almost all of my money still went back home to my parents. Without Dad being able to work, my sister and I did everything we could to make them comfortable.

Tomorrow was going to be awful. I hate hats.

 

 

“You want to do what?” Iridescence asked before placing her hoof on my forehead to check my temperature.

I lightly pushed her hoof away and repeated, “Hat shopping. We should go hat shopping today.”

“Why?” she asked, still eyeing me as though I was crazy.

I took a few moments to explain what had happened the night before and she started to laugh at me, which she may have exaggerated a bit because she fell back onto her bunk. “Silent Knight, he just wants you to relax and cut loose a bit. Do you really want to go hat shopping?”

With a very definite shake of my head I replied, “No, I hate hats. It was the only thing I could think of that wasn’t like being a royal guard.”

More laughing. She was actually in tears. Iridescence looked good laughing. Well, typically she looked good doing most things but she was my partner. No time for unicorn looking.

When she finally managed to get herself under control she said, “We can have fun and not go hat shopping.”

“We can?” I asked.

“Yes, we can. Good Celestia, didn’t you ever have fun as a colt?”

I quickly nodded. “Of course. I trained with my dad. I was on teams in school. Things like that.”

Iridescence gave me a look that seemed to border between mild amusement and pity. I had never seen it before and it unnerved me.

“I have a better idea than hat shopping. Why don’t we go out to the country, have a picnic, and watch the sun set? Would you like that better?” she asked.

“I would.” Which was extremely true. Of course anything was better than hat shopping.

“Good,” she said as she closed on me. The unicorn met my eyes and then they narrowed a bit. “I was going to ask you to get the food but I’m worried you’d go to the chow hall or something. I’ll handle that. You just stand here and not think about work. Okay?”

“Okay. Stand here. Got it,” I replied.

With a quick nod Iridescence was on her way. I just stood there contemplating what was wrong with the food in the chow hall. It was better than the commissary. I then shifted my stance to be more loose and casual since standing was technically work. I felt silly.

 

 

It took about two hours for Iridescence to find everything she wanted and then another hour for us to find the perfect spot in the country. I laid out the blanket she had brought and inspected the area for ants while she set out our dinner. Unicorn magic is handy. Creepy, but handy. Getting out all of those fiddly bits with hoof and mouth would have taken a while.

Once it seemed everything was to Iridescence’s satisfaction we started eating. I am unwilling to admit that the chow hall food wasn’t good. I liked it fine. At the same time, wherever she found those sandwiches, fruits, and other things she brought must have been a world class restaurant. It was amazing.

While we ate she would occasionally look my way and we’d make eye contact. She had wonderful eyes. Hers were an icy blue and crystal clear. They were unlike any eyes I’d seen before.

It was also quiet out in the country. Very peaceful and beautiful to look at. So this is what relaxing is like. Sitting around with no purpose and enjoying what was going on around us. I could get comfortable with that. At least every now and then.

Iridescence finally broke the blissful silence. “You don’t talk very much.”

Ah, she had noticed. Being quiet was one of my talents after all. I nodded in agreement and replied, “Thank you.” That was, evidently, not the correct or expected answer.

“Thank you?” she repeated. “You’re proud of not talking much?”

I tilted my head and asked, “Should I not be? I was always told a good guard keeps quiet and speaks clearly when spoken to. It isn’t polite to brag but I’m probably the best pony at being quiet.”

My unicorn partner laughed again, which was good. She shook her head. “You know that you don’t have to be a guard 24 hours a day. You can just be Silent Knight when you’re not in the armor.”

It seemed like a lot of ponies had given me advice on not being a guard. I was starting to question if I’d been doing something wrong but I understood what Iridescence meant though. There is more to the pony than the job my mother had said. Dad always said free time could be used to get a leg up on the lazy. They never agreed about that sort of thing.

I ate my tiny sandwich and said, “I’ll talk to you. What do we talk about?”

“I’m honored,” Iridescence said with a slightly teasing tone. “Why don’t we start with something easy.” She pointed a hoof at my flank and said, “How did you get your cutie mark?”

My cutie mark was interesting. It had both obvious and curious elements to it. Like many ponies destined to be royal guards it featured a sword. A silver sword to be specific. The odd part was that it was set against a light blue crescent moon. That never made any sense to me.

It had been a while since I’d thought about getting my mark. “I used to carry a wooden sword and pretend I was a great warrior. Even before I knew anything about wanting to be a royal guard. My older sister, Winterspear, would pretend to be a villain and we’d spar like ponies in adventure stories. She always wanted to be the bad pony for some reason.

“Most of the time she would defeat me easily. She was four years older after all. One winter, however, I hit a growth spurt and ended up being large for a colt. We were playing a game where I was trying to rescue a princess that my sister, the evil queen, had hidden away. At… well I guess the climax of our little adventure tale, there was to be a sword fight. Instead of her winning, I did! I bopped her on snout with my sword and she dropped hers. I won! My cutie mark appeared right then. The sword makes sense but I never understood the moon.”

Iridescence was wide eyed.

Nervously I asked, “What?”

“You just strung together more words in the last five minutes than you’ve said in the entire time we’ve been partners,” she said with laugh. “Clearly you were just destined to protect Princess Luna.”

I thought that over. Could that have been it? I didn’t think so. I never really believed in fate. Besides, I got my cutie mark while Princess Luna was still trapped in the moon. It was somewhat convenient and coincidental though. “Maybe. “Thank you for not agreeing to buy hats with me. This is much more fun.”

Iridescence smiled at me and scooted a little closer. “You’re welcome. Is there anything else you like or think you might like?”

“Games. I’m pretty sure I’d like games. The kind with little pieces. When I was a foal I never had time for them.”

Her tone changed. “Oh, well then you should get some games. I think Princess Luna likes games too. Perhaps ask her?”

“Maybe,” was all I said.

We sat quietly, ate the rest of our dinner, and looked out to the west. It was just about time for the sun to set and I thought about how it was weird that I had never paid it much mind. It really was an amazing thing. All of the colors, the light disappearing, and the fact that it was all done by one powerful pony. Some ponies forget that Princess Luna and Celestia aren’t just nobles. They’re alicorns.

While I was distracted and pondering the wonders of the sun, sunsets, and alicorns Iridescence managed to sneak up right next to me. She moved silently. That was one of her talents. It was a little chilly out so it made sense. We lingered for a while longer. I didn’t move.

She asked, “Silent Knight, have you ever had a mare friend before?”

“Sure,” I said. “My sister.”

She shook her head, “No, that isn’t what I meant. I’m talking about a very special somepony.”

“Oh, no. I guess not,” I admitted.

With a nod she replied, “I can tell.”

“You’re a more perceptive pony than most. Reading others seems easy for you.” It was true. She was excellent at that sort of thing. I had seen it on some of our days off. Usually I just stood beside her while she did all the talking.

“Even an unperceptive pony would notice,” she said with a quiet laugh.

“Ah.” I said and contemplated that. Iridescence wouldn’t lie to me and I valued her insight. If she said it was so it was probably true. While I was thinking we just sat there quietly for another hour until it was time to head back. I liked relaxing. I made a note to do that more often.

“Pardon me, Princess?”  I asked for clarification.

“We would like to go out this afternoon and shop with our loyal subjects,” she repeated.

That was not a great idea. “Princess, perhaps you’d rather stay and discuss some games? We could play one together. It is a little irregular but it would still count as guarding.”

“We would rather not stay. We will go out shopping!” Her tone was rather insistent.

It was short notice and certainly against standard procedures. With a quick nod I replied, “Princess, I’ll need to run this by the captain. You’ll be exposed and procedure dictates for you to have a second guard to ensure your safety.”

Princess Luna stood from her desk and asked, “Surely thou dost not think that we would be in danger in Canterlot, Silent Knight? Thou wouldst not be enough security for us?”

She was right, of course, but we have procedures for this sort of thing. When the princesses go outside the walls we plan for it. We set extra security. We cover our bases. She wanted to go out on the fly. “I may be, Princess, but procedure-”

“Art we a prisoner in our own palace?” she asked, cutting me off.

“No, Princess. I was just-”

“Then let us away to Quills and Sofas.” She tossed on her saddle bags with a flare of alicorn magic and made for the door.

Her stride was much bigger than mine and she was on a mission. It took a near gallop to keep up while also staying one pace left and two paces back. This was bad. The princess had made up her mind and if I left her to follow procedure she’d probably go alone. If I followed her I’d break procedure.

The princess was clearly not going to give me enough time to work it out. She walked swiftly and purposefully through the palace, into the grounds, and out of the gates while I looked pleadingly at every other guard we passed. No pony left their post to help me. Gold-clad, Princess-of-the-Night-fearing jerks.

Once we were away from the palace and on the streets of Canterlot, Princess Luna slowed down to a normal pace. She seemed glad to be outside. The citizens of Canterlot were less glad. As she passed they bowed deeply and didn’t move until she had gone by. Many were trembling in fear and I heard unkind whispers. Thankfully Princes Luna didn’t seem to notice.

We strolled slowly by all the fancy stores, peering in the windows, and admiring the wares. I kept my cool on the outside. It wouldn’t help to let anypony know that something was amiss. Confidence would do more to keep away would-be attackers than anything else.

“What dost thou thinkest of this hat, Silent Knight?” The princess asked me as she looked in a window.

Hats. Why did it have to be hats? I couldn’t really see it from my position behind her but she had asked me to look. Oh what the hay. I’ve probably already lost my job, why not move closer and take look? That is exactly what I did.

It was an outrageously big white hat with a wide brim. There were also purple flowers on it and, in general, looked like it could shelter several ponies under it. I’m no expert on hats but I’m pretty sure this one was ugly. What if the princess liked it though? This would need to be a delicate operation.

“Flowers would be most suitable for a mare, Princess, and I believe you like purple.” Thank you stupid, honest mouth for not saying you thought the hat looked silly. Because it was a silly hat.

“We do,” she said but then turned and walked on her way. “We thinketh we might look silly in a hat so large.”

Knight one, hats zero. “As you say, Princess.” I fell back into my position.

We walked in silence until we reached the store she was looking for: Quills and Sofas. It was a strange combination of items and I thought Couches and Quills would have made more sense for a name.

The Quills and Sofas staff were shocked when Princess Luna strode in. I followed along behind her and found that the store lived up to its name. It was nothing but sofa after sofa and aisles of quills. Simple quills, fancy quills, and quills so large that I couldn’t imagine a practical use for them.

The manager approached and knelt down in front of Princess Luna. “How may I help you, Princess?” he asked.

“We are just browsing,” she replied loudly in the royal Canterlot voice and made her way to the quills. All of the customers and staff seemed too awestruck to move. All except one.

At the back of the store was a white-coated unicorn mare with a long blonde and pink mane that had been done up with some sort of heart-shaped braid. Normally I’d have paid attention to the fact that she was pretty and had big colorful eyes but I was too busy assessing her as a threat.

She was staring at us intently while hugging a notebook to her chest. The look in her eye was a little weird and overly excited. The same fear that had overcome the staff and other patrons seemed lost on her. It was unlikely that she was actually out to do the princess harm. Despite that, I still kept myself between her and the princess. Fanmares…

Princess Luna browsed the various quills in silence. I estimate she picked up and looked at no less than thirty boxes. I wasn’t sure if she was looking for something specific or just wasn’t ready to return to the palace.

After a time she settled on two different boxes and levitated them to the counter. “We would like to purchase these,” she announced.

The clerk stared at her with a mix of fear and indecision.

“How much do we owe thee?” the princess asked. Still no answer.

I walked up to the counter and lightly waved a hoof in front of the clerk. “How many bits?” That seemed to snap the stallion out his stupor. I guess I’m less intimidating.

“Twenty five, please,” he stammered.

Princess Luna levitated the bits to the counter while the clerk bagged up the quills. Once he had rang her up she settled her purchase into her saddle bag.

“Thank thee,” she said and we were on our way.

Thankfully it seemed like we were heading back toward the palace.

“Silent Knight?” she asked.

“Yes, Princess?” I replied.

“Dost thou thinkest that pony were afraid of us or of Nightmare Moon?” she asked.

I thought on that a moment and then replied, “I believe that those ponies were unaccustomed to having an alicorn shopping in their store. I am certain if that occurred more often they would not react as such.”

The princess nodded. That answer seemed to satisfy her initially but then she pressed on, “Then we shall have to be a patron to their store more often.”

Great. More last minute trips outside of the palace without proper security. Oh well, that will probably be the next pony’s problem. I doubted my career would survive the day.

“Of course, Princess.”

We walked the rest of the way to the palace in silence. It was drawing near the time for  Princess Celestia to lower the sun and Princess Luna would have her own duties to attend to. It was immediately evident word had gotten out when we crossed through the gate and into the grounds. I could hear some of the other royal guards talking quietly to each other as they stared.

Once we were inside, as expected, Captain Shining Armor was waiting for us. Well, for me, really. The princess would probably be unaware. Tomorrow there would just be a different guard working opposite of Iridescence. My hope was that I could at least remain her roommate. It would have been sad if we couldn’t be because some things were starting to make sense between us. I’d worked out that she and I were friends, not just partners.

“Princess,” Shining Armor said cordially with a bow. “Welcome back. Did you have a good trip into town?” he asked with a smile. Officers...

She smiled in return and gave a quick nod. She genuinely seemed happy and, at that moment, I was okay with losing my job. Sometimes it is easy to forget that even though the princesses are alicorns they’re also ponies. Ponies who get lonely or have their feelings hurt. If quill shopping made Princess Luna happy than by Celestia she would go quill shopping!

“We did, Captain. We found exactly what we were looking for and more,” she responded. “Perhaps next time we shall look at sofas.”

Shining Armor’s smile brightened a bit and he said, “I’m glad to hear that. That would be an excellent idea. I know your furniture is not something you selected. Cadence has expressed a concern to me that your space should feel more like your own.”

Princess Luna seemed to ponder that before nodding. “We agree. Perhaps we will indeed go look at sofas and other furniture. Thou hast my gratitude, Captain. If you will excuse us, we have duties to attend.”

The captain bowed again and replied, “Of course, Princess.” Then he looked at me.

Here it comes. He didn’t look particularly angry but anger wasn’t professional and you didn’t need to be mad to relieve a guard of his duty. Procedure had been broken. Policies were not followed. That was a fact and he was just doing his job.

It still put me in a bind. Should I stop to talk to him or continue with the princess? I was still on duty and chose to fall in pace behind Princess Luna like normal. The captain dropped into step close beside me. So close I was worried I was going to stumble over his hooves.

He spoke very softly to me. “Went out alone?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied, matching his volume, eyes forward, and completely in step. Never let anypony shake your cool. There would be no disputing of the facts.

“Anything to report?” His voice was little more than a whisper.

“Most town ponies were afraid and kept their distance. One unicorn mare was very excited to see the princess. Pretty, petite, not big enough to overpower me but could have been a distraction. Unlikely though. She seemed more starstruck than anything and kept her distance.”

Shining Armor nodded. “That is to be expected. Not the mare part, but everything else. Good work thinking quickly on your hooves.”

Good work? Seriously? What did he mean by that? “Sir?”

“The princess wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She needs to feel like she has some control. You stuck with her instead of trying to argue her down or let her go alone while you did the paperwork. That is keeping your eye on what is most important,” he explained in hushed tones. It gave me a lot of confidence.

“Thank you, sir. I would never leave her side,” I whispered back.

He smiled and nodded. “I know.” He then paused and added, “You did break procedure though.”

“Yes, sir.” What else could I say? Rules are rules and they’d been broken. There would have to be some sort of repercussion.

“Next week the senior instructor of the guard academy has requested that I send him a royal guard. He needs somepony to give a lecture on making quick judgment calls. There is value in giving trainees practical experience so that they know what to do when faced with a tough choice.”

Shining softly clapped me on the back. “You’re now that pony, Silent Knight. Enjoy.” I can’t say for certain but I swear it seemed like he was delighted by my misfortune. The captain smiled once more and immediately broke off before I could respond.

He wanted me to give a lecture? I think I would have rather been relieved of duty or executed. Either would be preferable. Officers…

 

 

My room had never looked so great after such a stressful shift. Between the unscheduled trip out, the punishment assigned me, and just the normal day to day I was beat. All I wanted to do was nestled into my bunk and get some extra sleep.

After removing my armor and settling it on the stand I noticed that there was an unopened letter on the table. It had my name on it so I scooped it up, carefully tore it open, and hopped onto my bed.

Dear Silent Knight

Putting aside the comment about Dad let me say that I am proud of you. A House Guard? Right out of the academy? You must have done something right!

Thank you for the congratulations. It has been a long road but I’m glad to be here. Now that I have my own squad I have more time to do paperwork and write letters. Plus more time for fun!

Are you having any fun? Have you made any friends yet? I worry about that. You’ve been alone a while.

Your sister

Winterspear

Worry? Why would she worry? Iridescence was my friend and that was one more friend than I had had in school. I’d mention that when I wrote her back. For now though sleep was my priority.

Iridescence helped me polish my armor one more time as we stood in the hall of the Royal Guard Training Academy. She had volunteered to come with me for my punishment which says a lot about her character.

It was our day off. She should be out doing whatever it was she normally did in her free time. Probably getting her mane done. Her mane was always styled even after wearing the helmet. Most of the mares complained a lot about that. Somehow she’d found a way around it.

Very few things scare me but speaking in public was one of them. Despite how bad I felt for taking up my partner’s time I was glad that she had come with me. That is why royal guards always work with partners: there is always a pony to watch your back.

“It’s time. Are you ready?” she asked me in a soothing tone.

I nodded. “Yes.” Which wasn’t a lie. I was ready to go inside the classroom but not ready to speak. What could be worse than 60 ponies who idolize royal guards staring at you while you let them down?

Oh well, never let anypony shake your cool. Orders were orders and mine were to give a lecture. Iridescence bumped her flank against my own and pushed me towards the classroom door.

Being stared at has never bothered me. Royal guards are trained for that, but there were a lot of eyes looking at me. The instructor motioned in my direction and said, “And right on time, as all royal guards should be.”

“Listen up, ponies,” he said gruffly. “This is Silent Knight. He isn’t just a royal guard. He is one of Princess Luna’s House Guards and became so right out of this very academy. We should all aspire to achieve what he has. Give him your full attention. Silent Knight.” He indicated to me and stepped aside.

Great. Just great. I wasn’t any sort of special pony. I just did my job and happened to be on Princess Luna’s House Guard because I was stupid enough to volunteer. It wasn’t like I was part of Princess Celestia’s House Guard…

That thought gave me pause and my head tilted to think that over a moment. Actually, why would one House Guard be less than the other? That is what created Nightmare Moon in the first place, right? Ponies not giving Princess Luna her due.

I smiled ever so slightly at the thought. How about that? I am on a princess’s House Guard. My princess was as good as any other princess. The sisters were equals! It was in that moment that I felt satisfied. My dream had been achieved already. Right out of the academy too! Perhaps I was a special pony after all.

My ears twitched, catching the sound of a soft cough. “Silent Knight,” the instructor repeated, snapping me back to reality. How long had I been standing there without saying a word? I cursed my internal monologue and realized I was, in fact, some kind of special pony.

Okay, it was show time. Iridescence had helped me with my lecture by drilling it into me. “Just memorize this, stand there, and repeat it,” she had coached. During each shift change I had stood next to her and given the speech. It was all in my head so now it was time to repeat it once more and that is exactly what I was going to do.

I nodded at the instructor. No need for him to suspect me of daydreaming. My silence was just making a point about the weight of my lecture. That was only fitting. “Thank you.” My eyes fixed forward.

Looking out at the group of ponies that were not much younger than myself I began, “As a trainee of this academy you will learn many skills. You will also learn many procedures. Skills become muscle memory and procedures become routine. They make up two halves of a guard’s knowledge that you must be able to execute without thinking.” So far so good.

“What challenges us as royal guards is the fact that sometimes we’ll find ourselves in a situation where the hard-trained skills do not apply. As an individual you’ll face a problem where you must deviate from your routine. That is when you must use your most important weapon:” To make the point stick I lifted my hoof and tapped my helmet. “Your mind.”

I paused for dramatic effect and then paced back and forth in front of the room. “You will not be trained for every possible situation nor could you be. That is the true power of a royal guard: the ability to think. It is because of that very fact that you must prepare yourself by strengthening your mind. You must have faith in yourself that you can make good decisions with the information you have on hoof.”

“When you do face those challenges outside of the norm… and you will… always keep your eyes on what is most important. What is the basis of our duty? To protect!” I raised my voice for that bit just like Iridescence had and held that tone just a minute more. “Take responsibility and make a choice. Make the best one you can to ensure that whomever or whatever you’re protecting will be safe first and foremost. Sometimes that may mean deviating from procedure.”

That notion seemed to disturb the assembled ponies a bit. It was opposite from what they were taught day in and day out. In some ways the academy offered little more than a foundation. Everything else was learned on the job.

Pressing on, “That very idea was frightening to me and it should be to you as well. Fear is okay. Fear keeps you alert and alive. It heightens the senses. Terror is your enemy. Terror will paralyze you with indecision and no decision is the greatest danger.”

“Control your fear and as long as you use your mind and keep your eye on your duty you’ll know the right thing to do.” I paused once again to let that point sink in. “But, and I do want to stress this, do not make it a habit of breaking procedure. If you do so you could be relieved of duty, imprisoned, or even be required to speak in front of trainees. Although you probably shouldn’t say that last part.”

“Thank you.” With the lecture finished I turned and walked out of the classroom without looking back. There would be no question and answer session. My commitment was done. In the hall Iridescence was staring at me wide-eyed. She had both hooves against her mouth and looked like a pony that desperately needed to laugh but was holding back out of politeness.

“What?” I asked.

 

 

My best attempts to blend into the wall were usually not productive. Royal guard armor just wasn’t the greatest of camouflage. That didn’t mean I didn’t try. The more I blended in the less I’d be engaged.

Princess Luna had been busy with decorating and making the space her own. Her office and chambers were now a light shade of purple. It didn’t quite match my armor but it was close enough and I willed it to be more so. That way I could blend in better. Of course it should also be noted that white pegasi tend to stand out against purple walls.

“Silent Knight?”

Blast, my camouflage attempt had failed yet again. Perhaps next time I’d stand guard from inside of a cardboard box. “Yes, Princess?”

The princess levitated a parchment my way and asked, “Would thou readest this and tell us what thou thinkest?”

What I thought? Who cares what I thought? I’m just a guard. I don’t have any opinions on official documents. It would be inappropriate for me to… “Yes, Princess.” I replied and then mentally swore at my mouth. The parchment arrived and I lifted a hoof to balance it.

The words on the page were intelligible but it certainly didn’t have the format of any sort of paperwork I’d seen before. That was as utterly confusing as the princess asking me to check her work.

“Well?” The princess asked, a hint of… nervousness in her voice.

I was quiet for a moment longer and then replied, “Princess, it seems like a very interesting account of somepony named Daring Do and a dragon. Are we at risk of dragon attack? When did this occur? I’ll inform the captain after my shift.”

Princess Luna floated the parchment back to her desk, smiling a bit. “Thou likest it then?”

Liked it? It was a report. Typically reports are either well written or not. “It was very accurate and clear. I don’t know that I like the idea that a dragon may attack. That is more concerning than anything else.”

The princess laughed. It seemed to me that a lot of ponies around me laugh when I speak. “Fear not Silent Knight, tis but a work of fiction.”

“A false report, Princess? Who would do such a thing?”

More laughter. It was nice to see her laugh since she was usually so serious. Although why she was laughing at me I didn’t understand. “Thou art too serious Silent Knight. We wrote this. It is fan fiction.”

Was the princess admitting that during all the time she seemed to be working she was, in actuality, just writing false reports? That didn’t seem right. Surely she did some work. I sensed that she saw my confusion, mostly because she said, “Thou still look confused. Perhaps we should elaborate?”

“Please, Princess.” It was time to get to the bottom of this. Filing false reports was a crime after all. Arresting the princess would probably not look good though.

“It is stressful for us now that our royal duties have been resumed. We also do not…” she paused and thought before continuing, “have many social engagements yet. As such we write stories to entertain ourselves. Tis truly for fun, not mischief.”

That made more sense and was far less treasonous than originally imagined. “You write stories like mothers read to foals,” I said in understanding… or so I thought.

“Nay, Silent Knight!” She said quite seriously. “Our stories are not for foals! They are for ponies of all ages who like adventure and intrigue. Even royal guards may read them and enjoy!”

Literature was not really my strong suit. When I was at the Canterlot secondary school I focused more on easily applied skills. Reading and writing are clearly important. I mastered them but never took an interest in poetry and fiction. There wasn’t a lot there that translated into royal guard skills but if the princess said they were for everypony then it was so.

It was sensible to just nod and, instead of just leaving it at that, for some reason I said, “You called this fan fiction princess but I did not recall a fan being in your story.”

“Thou art being quite literal,” she replied. “The character Daring Do is not our creation. Nay, a wonderful writer by the name of A. K. Yearling created her and crafted many books about her heroism. Those books are known and beloved all across our land.”

“We are a fan of these books and it is not uncommon for literary-minded fans such as we to take a character and write their own stories. It helps grow the fiction and many build communities around these stories.”

That was interesting to me, that you could take somepony else’s work and expand on it. “And that is acceptable to do, Princess? Even though you did not originally create this Daring Do and your stories may not be what the original creator wanted?”

The princess nodded happily and said, “Verily! This is so, thanks to Equestria’s weak copyright laws and the absence of a giant mouse corporation that compels bureaucrats to extend such rights well beyond what is reasonable.”

There were giant mice and they were able to form corporations? That was a frightening thought. Beyond that, to be honest, I didn’t understand half of what the princess had just said but I think I got the gist: “Score one for the little pony.”

“Of course, I knew she was writing fanfiction,” Iridescence said to me. “What did you think she was doing all the time?”

“Official business,” I replied and paused to think about it. “Plus it doesn’t seem like it was any of my business to pry into her tasks. She does her work while I stand by the wall and keep any harm away.”

Iridescence chuckled at me while we walked down the street. We were out in town on our day off. “She does that too but she has to have a life of her own. Writing is currently her creative outlet and she is very good at it.”

That wasn’t a shock to me. “She is the princess, so of course she is,” I said confidently.

Iridescence bumped my flank with her own. “No… She is good at it because she is good at it. Being a princess doesn’t make you a good writer. Nor would I say she is good just because she is a princess. That would hurt her feelings.”

Ponies were complicated. Iridescence saw my confusion and asked, “What would you say if I said you were good with a sword because you’re a royal guard?”

“Thank you.” Which was clearly the wrong answer.

“No! Not every royal guard is as good with a sword as you are. Didn’t you learn to use yours before you were a guard? Isn’t it a matter of pride that you learned enough to best your older sister? Do you really want to boil it all down to the fact you’re just a guard?”

That phrase bothered me - “just a guard.” All I had ever wanted to be was a guard but when it was said that way it seemed meaningless. Iridescence had a point. Princess Luna wasn’t just a princess and I barely learned anything about using a sword during my time at the guard academy. My skill with the blade was well beyond the other ponies due to the fact that my dad had trained me since I was a foal.

That was a far different perspective than any I’d ever considered before. It was a revelation, actually. All royal guards aren’t the same. My cutie mark had a sword in it. Iridescence had a shield in hers. We did the same job but we had different talents. I’m not sure why but when Iridescence explained things they made sense. How could I express that to her?

“I see.” Nailed it.

“Good,” she replied before looking up at a street sign and then turning at a corner. “I heard there is a new store in town. The Phial and Filly Alchemist Supply. It sounds like a neat place. Why don’t we check it out?”

“Alchemy? Isn’t that magic? That sounds… good? Tell me one more thing. Princess Luna said she liked to write her fan fiction but some ponies complained because she didn’t like to ship in it. What does that mean?”

My unicorn companion looked over at me, ignored my reservations about magic, and asked, “Do you ever speak back to the princess or do you just listen?”

“She talks at me a lot,” I said, somewhat defensively.

“Of course. You know you can ask questions if she is engaging you. Perhaps even have a conversation? Princess Luna does very much need ponies to talk to, not just talk at,” Iridescence reminded me.

She went on, “Shipping means forcing characters into a relationship. Say Princess Luna was writing a story about you and I. A fanfiction writer likes that story and decides to write their own about us and, in that story, they decided you and I would become very special someponies even if that wasn’t the princess’s intent.”

“That would be silly.”

I’m not sure why but Iridescence gave me a look and it wasn’t a good one. It was something like the look an opponent gives you before a sparring match. “Why would that be silly?” She asked.

Finally, an easy question. “We’re partners.”

“You’re a special pony, Silent Knight,” she quipped before shaking her head. “Anyway. Princess Luna doesn’t “ship” her original characters with any of the main characters the original authors write about. She only puts hers in relationships with the other original characters she wrote. Some of her fans don’t like that.”

Thank Celestia for Iridescence. “You’re saying somepony writing a story might do something silly like have Princess Luna fall for me and then we would become very special someponies?”

“Exactly,” Iridescence said.

“That wouldn’t make any sense at all,” I said cautiously and looked over at her. I got a nod. Finally, I was catching on. What sort of pony would ship me with the princess anyway? That would just be weird.

“Wait, did you say fans? How in Equestria are ponies getting Princess Luna’s stories? More importantly, how is she hearing about what they think about her writing? I’ve never seen any ponies coming or going during my shift.”

Iridescence’s brow arched. “How can you be so observant and miss all of this? The green journal that shows up once a week? The princess reads it cover to cover. She sends her stories to the group that prints it, they publish them and other stories, and then forward all of the fan mail. They don’t know she is the author but it is still a pretty big deal for her. She converses with a lot of ponies via mail.”

“I’d never made the connection between the journal and the writing.”

“You’ve never asked.” Her tone was chiding. “Learn your VIP Silent Knight. Rookie mistake there.”

Conversing with the Princess wasn’t something I really imagined doing but Iridescence was right. Rookie mistake.

 

 

After wandering around Canterlot we finally found the Phial and Filly Alchemist Supply store. It had a big grand opening banner hung over double doors that were propped open. The whole place was packed with ponies and most of them were mares.

Shopping is not a talent I possess. Iridescence, however, was a master and I was becoming comfortable with being her pack horse. My task was to carry the basket and hers was to fill it wherever we went.

I often wondered where she found all the bits to shop like she did. Royal guards don’t make a lot and she was the same grade as me. The price tags frequently caused my heart to skip a beat. It wasn’t my place to ask where the bits were coming from. That was just rude.

In our usual fashion I held the basket and walked behind her as she looked around. Iridescence took her time so that she could touch, smell, and explore the various potions and products. When we reached the section labeled “Mare Care” she stopped and started levitating bottles.

“Which one of these would you prefer I smelled like?” She asked me and started floating opened potions by my nose. It was like an assault on my sense of smell. I’ve crawled through mud and muck. I’ve showered with a bunch of sweaty stallions. I even fell into the sewer once. Nothing ever smelled as intense as the bottles floating by.

My vision went blurry and I was certain I was going to faint just before one particular scent went by. It was subtle and sweet. It smelled like berries. “That one,” I gasped before covering my nose with a hoof.

The bottle levitated into the basket and the rest went back on the shelf. I eyed them warily. It would probably be a good idea to check if these qualified as weapons and inquire if the proprietor had a license for them.

Iridescence picked out a few more things before we went to the counter. A grey pegasus stallion with green eyes was waiting to ring us up. He was wearing some sort of green flat cap. I kept an eye on it as I set the basket on the counter. Hats…

“Thank you for coming in today,” the stallion said warmly. “I am Runic Phial, the proprietor. Did you find everything you needed?”

“Yes.” I stated flatly

“Almost everything,” Iridescence corrected. “Would you happen to have any love potions?” Her tone was teasing and she nodded in my direction while winking at Runic Phial.

I nodded back. I’m not sure why. It just seemed appropriate.

Runic Phial looked confused and nodded too. “Love potions, hmm? Romantic scents for your special somepony? I make perfume, bubble bath, coat glitter, and hoof lotion. Something like that?”

Shaking her head, Iridescence replied, “No, real love potions. The kind that make a pony fall in love with you?” She nodded back at me again and looked from Runic Phial to me and back.

I wasn’t sure what we were doing so I just nodded again.

Runic Phial also nodded, clearly perplexed. He started ringing up Iridescence’s purchases and said cheerfully, “I’m sorry ma’am. Those aren’t something I can make. Ethics and all that. That will be 54 bits please.”

I was still nodding. She wasn’t so I stopped. Iridescence paid and looked a little grumpy. I’d be grumpy too if I’d spent 54 bits on toxic potions. Runic Phial gave me the shopping bag and I carried it out.

“Don’t worry Iridescence. You won’t need a potion to have a special somepony. You’re smart, attractive, and nice. Any pony would be lucky to have you.”

That made her smile and that made me happy. She leaned a little closer and asked, “Really?”

I nodded and smiled back. “Yes, really… and I promise I’ll help you find him.”

 

 

Royal guards get a decent amount of days off because of our long hours. Most of mine were spent training. After a 12 hour shift I was rarely in the mood to go to the gym so off days allowed me to catch up.

Exercising was a passion of mine. Not because I had to do it for my job but because it made me feel good. Back in secondary school I’d been a hoofball player and had gotten bit by the “work out” bug. My teammates rarely spent as much time with the weights or on the track as I did.

It was a habit that had largely paid off as a royal guard since my fitness rating was always A. There was also the perk that the palace had a gym in the basement. I didn’t have to go far to indulge my passion.

My usual workout involved a lot of repetitions with low amounts of weight. That always got the heart going and kept me fit. Plus it is dangerous to do heavy weights without a pony to spot you.

That was what I was doing when I caught a burst of pink come through the door. It was Lady Cadence, the captain’s Fiancée. I’d heard she was pretty but this was the first time I’d seen her myself. The rumors were true. She was a magnificently beautiful unicorn. Good for the captain.

My tastes have always slanted towards unicorns and Canterlot had no shortage of them. They were usually smaller than pegasi mares and more elegant. It may have been a condition brought on by living around them so long. Either way, when Lady Cadence hopped up on the treadmill and started trotting it became more difficult to just focus on the weights.

“Silent Knight, I didn’t expect to see you here on your day off.” The voice was the captain’s and from behind me.

My head whipped in his direction and almost directly into the bar resting in the bench’s crooks. “Sir! I was… working out.”

“I see that,” he chuckled. “It is still your day off though.”

Maybe he hadn’t seen me looking. “Old habit. I played ball in school. Never looked at exercise as a chore.”

“Good stallion. You want a spot? You can use more weight that way.”

“If you’re willing sir.”

Shining Armor nodded and slipped two more plates on. “No problem. Just be sure you keep your attention on the bar when you’re lifting.”

White pegasi don’t hide blushes well. I’m certain my face was red… literally and figuratively. “Yes sir,” I replied meekly before we went to lifting weights.

“I realize a lot of you may want to go to the Grand Galloping Gala tomorrow night but we’re going to need extra security so I’m asking for volunteers to work it. If there are enough I won’t have to assign ponies.” Shining Armor explained to the group.

My hoof went up. Iridescence shot me a look. Other ponies were also volunteering.

The captain started counting hooves and then cleared his throat. “We’re going to need about ten more. Any other volunteers? Otherwise I’m just going to have to pick some at random."

At my side Iridescence sighed and lifted her hoof. A few more ponies did the same but with less sighing.

Shining Armor counted again. “Close enough. I’ll post the rosters shortly. Thank you everypony. Next year I’ll give preferential treatment to the volunteers when it comes to leave. That is it for today. Dismissed.”

There weren’t a lot of “whole palace” meetings where both House Guards and the Palace Guard got together. The Gala was a special occasion though. The palace would be open to a large group of ponies. It was far more access than normal and that meant additional security concerns.

Volunteering was easy for me. I’d never been to the Gala, didn’t have a ticket, and didn’t really care. That seemed more like Iridescence’s thing and she seemed grumpy about it.

On our way back to our room she said, “We were off.”

“I know, you didn’t have to volunteer too.”

“We’re partners,” she reminded me.

“I appreciate that.”

That seemed to be the end of it once we reached our room. Iridescence removed her armor, set it on the stand, flopped unceremoniously on her bunk, and started to look through a magazine. She didn’t utter a single word.

While that was an unnerving thing there was something that needed doing. I went to the table and started to work on my response to Winterspear. It was probably passed time for me to do that.

Dear Winterspear

Yes, I’m having fun. Most of my off days allow me plenty of time to work out in the gym. That always relaxes me and gives me a sense of progress. It is work-like but I was doing that long before I became a Royal Guard.

Did you know alicorns have to exercise to stay in shape? I didn’t. They do though! Princess Luna likes to swim. I don’t think that is a secret but don’t spread it around. That would be a silly thing to end a career over.

Yes, I’ve made a friend. Her name is Iridescence. She’s my partner. Before you pick up the pencil to write that that doesn’t count, it does! We do things outside of work. We go shopping together, have an occasional picnic, and spend our off days together. That all counts.

I actually think she is mad at me right now. We have the Grand Galloping Gala coming up and I volunteered to work so other ponies could go. That seemed to set her off but I can’t understand why.

Mares aren’t as obvious about things as stallions are. No offense.

What about you? Is there anything new going on? Are you taking your job as sergeant serious enough? You may not be patrolling anymore but that is no excuse to loaf.

Tell mom I said hello if you get a chance.

Your brother

Silent Knight

That was another letter complete. I set the pencil down and lifted the paper up. “Could you help me fold this?” I asked Iridescence.

She shot me an unkind look but then sighed and did as I’d asked. She must have really not wanted to work that night. Still, she didn’t have to volunteer too. “Thank you.” The folded paper went into the envelope and I headed out to mail it.

Once that errand was done I’d go get Iridescence a treat. Ice cream or something. Mares like ice cream. Maybe that would make her feel better about having to work… or at least less angry with me. Our room was too small to hide from an angry mare.

 

 

“Princess, are you certain you don’t want to go to the Gala? It is the biggest event of the year,” Iridescence said while I stood quietly behind her.

The princess waved a dismissive hoof and replied, “We are certain! We would not know anypony there. It would not amuse us.”

Well that was that. The princess didn’t want to go. We’d have a nice quiet night in her chambers.

“But you might have fun, Princess. You may even meet new friends,” Iridescence said over my thoughts.

Princes Luna paused, as if to think it over, and then replied, “No, thank thee for thinking of our feelings. Perhaps we can watch from the balcony? We three can make our own fun, can we not?”

“Of course, Princess,” Iridescence said and looped her hoof around mine and tugged me closer. “Silent Knight and I will be happy to do that. Right?” She gave me a look that read danger.

I had only one response to that: “Yes, Princess.”

“Huzzah!” She said before levitating a box from one of the shelves. “Shall we play a board game?”

“Yes, Princess,” we replied in unison.

Playing games on duty. That wasn’t procedure but we had a lot of extra security for the Gala. Two house guards and several palace guards. Iridescence could play while I kept an eye on things.

Princess Luna left her quarters and set out for the big second floor balcony that overlooked the main hall. We fell in behind her and followed. The whole area had been roped off and was relatively quiet in comparison to the noise coming up from below.

The princess set the game on one of the tables and took a seat. Iridescence sat as well while I went to look over the balcony. Things were just getting started and ponies had not been admitted yet. Then I went to look out the window. There was a mass of ponies approaching together.

“Come on Silent Knight, come sit down,” Iridescence said to me.

“There appears to be a mob gathering outside the gates. They are... singing... and dancing. They are also well choreographed. I don’t think they’re a threat,” I replied and came back over. Princess Luna and Iridescence were levitating pieces into place with their respective magic. Despite knowing better I settled at the table with them.

Sitting while on duty felt weird. Iridescence levitated the helmet off my head and set it aside. My hooves wiggled after it in a failed recapture attempt. I looked at her. Playing on duty and out of uniform? So it was to be a mutiny.

“Have thou played before, Silent Knight?” The princess asked me.

“No, Princess.” I replied

Iridescence spoke out of turn and said, “We are so surprised.” Both of the mares laughed.

An instructor had once told me that I could have had a career in comedy. Maybe he wasn’t just being a jerk.

Princess Luna smiled. “Fear not Silent Knight, we shall teach thee to play. Thou might even like it.”

The board was an old time map of Equestria and had colored lines all over it. The princess slid a group of pieces towards me. I took one in my hoof and peered at it. One of many blue train cars. She then slid four cards over to me.

“Thy goal is to complete the routes on thy cards. Pretend thou art riding the train and exploring our great land.”

Pretend. I used to do that a lot with my sister Winterspear. We played all sort of games. At least until our father got wind of it. He said we spent too much time with our head in the clouds. Which, at the time, my sister thought was hilarious. You know, since we’re pegasi.

Dad… well, Dad didn’t find that funny. Winterspear caught the worst of that. She always did. We focused more on our studies afterwards. Orders were orders, though.

“Yes, Princess. I’ll pretend,” I replied and she set about explaining the rules to me.

They were simple enough and I caught on quickly. It was a game about trains but there was a lot of strategy to how you laid out your routes and blocked others’. I had to win! I also had a job to do. On Iridescence’s turn I got up to look down on the ballroom. The Gala was in full swing but there was something out of place.

A pink mare with a cotton candy mane was making something of a scene. “There is a pink mare acting peculiar down there,” I said.

“That is fine Silent Knight, there are guards there. Come play your turn.” Iridescence replied.

I wasn’t sure. “She has a cannon,” I added. “Should I take her out?”

“No Silent Knight. It is thy turn.” Princess Luna said.

I put the crossbow down and came back over to the table. “Yes princess.” Much to the dismay of the mares I laid down six cards of the same color and placed my train cars. Were they expecting an easy victory over the new pony? Strategy is my middle name!

We played a while. Iridescence and Princess Luna chatted like two familiar ponies might. It seemed a little like fraternizing but I knew my partner. She was a professional. Between turns I would keep an eye on the ballroom below. Toward the end of the evening things seemed to get out of hoof.

“Is it typical for everypony to be running in terror at the Gala?” I asked.

Iridescence got up and replied worriedly, “What? Quit fooling around.” Both she and Princess Luna came over to look at the bedlam below.

Things had gone sideways for sure. The pink pony dove off the stage and sent a cake flying. As it approached the crowd a rather cowardly unicorn stallion used a beautiful unicorn mare as a shield. I’d been told he was a princeling. Not an actual prince that was in the royal succession.

The princeling bumped into the large statue of Princess Celestia that dominated the center of the room and caused it to topple over. To my amazement a blue pegasus mare managed to catch it and somehow support its weight.

Unfortunately she immediately bumped it into a support column, knocking it down. I was seriously starting to question the structural integrity of the palace. It seemed that relying on the lowest bidder for royal construction was not paying off. Celestia knows I’d seen some insane things going on with the ponies building over in Princess Luna’s wing.

Just a moment after the column went down a herd of animals burst into the ballroom with a yellow and pink pegasus mare chasing them and screaming “LOVE ME!” At that point all decorum broke down and the Gala descended into a riot.

I looked to Iridescence and she looked back at me. I’ve known her long enough to read her expressions. It was telling me: no, Silent Knight, this is not typical for the Gala.

“Should we move the princess?” I asked.

Iridescence considered that and then shook her head. “Not from the palace but certainly from here. This situation could spill upstairs in a hurry and we’d be overwhelmed. I don’t much care for the idea of knocking down regular ponies who mean no harm but are panicked.”

She was right. Of course, she usually was. I nodded and said, “Princess, shall we finish our game in your chambers?”

“Yes, we would not mind that at all. It is getting quite loud out here. Tis a silly event,” she said and, with little effort, levitated the board, all the pieces, and cards with her alicorn magic. That always amazed me but I didn’t have time to enjoy it or eye it wearily.

Taking the lead, Iridescence said, “If you’ll follow me Princess...” and started to head towards Princess Luna’s chambers. I took up the rear, keeping an eye behind me. There were still sounds of chaos and commotion coming from the ballroom.

Thankfully we reached our destination without any excitement. I closed the door behind us while Princess Luna and Iridescence set the game back up. When it was clear that it was safe I resumed my seat.

We played on quietly until I asked, “Should the columns have been that easy to knock down?”

Both mares looked up at me.

“What?” I frowned. “No pony finds that weird?”