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History and Lore of the Journey

by Jay David

Chapter 7: House Apple

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When people imagine the great and noble Houses of the Green Lands, their minds immediately conjure up many images. Finery. A magnificent crest of arms. Castles. Knights in shining armour, awaiting glorious battle. Which is why, so often, those people will be struck silent when they encounter the Apples. Though indeed a noble family like the great House Solaris, they have, more often than not, rejected the trappings of aristocracy, instead electing to maintain the more humble appearances of their origins. So unlike the other Houses are they that, in all honesty, they never even bothered to come up with family words for themselves.

Much like House Sparkle, the Apples' rise to nobility began during the Gryff war, at the Battle of the Border. Theirs were among many of the conscripts and volunteers drawn up to help combat the warring Gryffs of the north, and many in their family went willingly alongside King Solaris to do battle with the fearsome foes. And fight they did, for of all the peoples of the Green Lands, the Apples, perhaps more than any other, are blessed with a natural strength that rivalled even those northern barbarians, causing them no end of trouble once the fighting began in earnest.

But, their greatest accomplishment in that fight was the one event that, like Solaris' life being saved by the young Twilight Sparkle, helped tip the balance of the combat back in the favour of the Greenlanders. And that event was, of course, the slaying of Grover, the King of the Gryffs. Grover was a towering figure, a full head taller than any other warrior at his command, and he had cut a bloody swathe through many a Greenlander during the battle. Into this mix came Smith Apples, patriarch of the Apple family at the time, who, armed with sword and shield, met the Gryff-King and engaged him in single combat.

But, as with many of his family, Smith was a farmer, not a warrior, and though strong, he was vastly outmatched by the gigantic King. In each hand, the towering Gryff bore a greatsword, both stained red from the many Greenlanders he had already slain that day. With one swipe, he had disarmed Smith of his shield, before promptly kicking the man to the ground. It might have been the end for the Apple then and there, had it not been for the Gryff-King's overconfidence. For he stood above the fallen and presumably-beaten man, laughing loudly for all to hear, and this, in the end, would prove his undoing.

For while he revelled in his supposed "victory", Smith leapt up from the ground and, with a speed that Grover was too cumbersome to match, swung his sword so hard that he severed the King's right hand. A great cry of agony rang out across the battlefield, causing many a Gryff to look to their now-injured monarch. Many lost heart, knowing that Grover was the greatest fighter among them, and so, began to flee. This was the turning point, and the Greenlanders, under King Solaris, who himself had just had a recent brush with death, rallied together for a final push. But for Grover, his fight was far from done.

Though injured, he was nevertheless enraged from this humiliation, and in a delirious fit, he raised his remaining sword, ready to end the life of the Apple who had humiliated him. But, as before, Smith was too quick, and discarded his own sword in favour of the very greatsword Grover himself had unwilling dropped with the loss of his hand. With the Gryff's remaining sword raised above his head, his chest was unguarded, and with an almighty thrust, Smith plunged the King's own discarded sword through his heart. The effect was immediate, and in that moment, both their king and the battle was lost to the Gryffs.

Again, like the Sparkles, this act of bravery earned Smith and his family a position of nobility, granted to them by Solaris himself, as no other King had survived the battle. And while Smith accepted the honours gladly, he curiously turned down any offers of wealth or land Solaris offered him.

"We're apple farmers, yer Majesty. Always have been, and always will be."

Such was what the sun-King was told by the brave Apple, and so, Smith and his other family members simply returned to their ancestral home, a large apple orchard by the name of Sweet Apple Acres. And there, they have remained ever since. Granted, the main home of the place has expanded slowly over the years, and in times of crisis, such as the occasional resurgences of the Gryffs, they have left their homestead for battle once more, but even so, the Apples always go home in the end, going right back to the farming life that has so come to characterise each and every one of them.

And to their credit, they are indeed fine apple farmers. During my travels across our domains, I happened upon many a market stall that bore their fruit, and I can safely say that, if all of their apples were as high a quality as the few I was fortunate enough to eat, then their tender loving care of their lands and trees has certainly paid off for them.

But, lest we forget, they are indeed a noble family, and as such have often been requested to aid their land in times of need. As mentioned, they have always answered the call, placing a value on their fellow Greenlanders just as much as they do on their own family. And for this, the realm is truly indebted, for their aid has helped in many a battle and struggle throughout our country's history, be it from Gryffs, or any other threat that has reared its ugly head.

And, as ever, they bring with them the one spoil of war from that first war against our northern enemies; the fallen greatsword of the Gryff-King. Smith took it back home with him, and it has served as a kind of heirloom for their family ever since, reminding them of their greatest moment, and of their continued duty to the realm. The family have named it "Bloomberg", but among the Gryffs, it has taken a somewhat less-flattering name; Grover's Bane.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Apple family, without question, is its size. They are, undoubtedly, the most numerous of any noble House within the realm. So much so that, by common phrasing, "if you put two Apples in a room together, there'll be a dozen by the end of the year". A rather raunchy and inaccurate phrase, I know, but it does go to show just how large a family they are if such things can be said about them by the common folk.

Whatever their origins, and whatever their habits, the Apples, like the Sparkles, have remained steadfast in their duty to the realm. They have always sought to be brave and loyal, both to their own, and to others. And though they may never quite live up to the mental image many have of what a noble family should be like, they are, even so, one to admire.

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