Professor Fluttershy was by far the meekest so-called hero of Equestria that Caecus knew. The yellow mare no doubt hid in the background as her friends dealt with the threat, or if she had a bit more of a backbone maybe gave moral support. Either way, she was a weak mare. It had been the first thing he noticed about her.

Caecus had not heard a word of Fluttershy's lesson, in large part because kindness would be of little use on the field of valor, or in the games of rulers. The only class he was willing to hear out was Rainbow Dash's, and that was due to loyalty being prized in his homeland with only courage and honor its equal.

With a sigh Caecus started to copy down what was written on the board; it was some nonsense as always. Last time it had been on assertiveness and how to remain kind when being assertive. Something that seemed counterproductive to the goal of assertiveness. If his father was kind in dealing with other kingdoms or nobles, Aquinas would have been torn apart and would be little more than a remnant of his past glories, or a ruin lost to time.

How Caecus hated his morning classes, as the next one was with that insufferable pink mare. The way that Professor Pinkie seemed to go through life without a care in the world, and seeking to make friends with every last sentient creature, and a few non-sentient ones, was something that the prince would never understand.

Caecus could not be bothered to know which students were even in his morning class. However, by the light smell of sulfur, he could tell that the dragoness was in his class, and with the sound of talons tapping on a nearby desk that made it clear that either the griffon or hippogriff was nearby.

The prince was gazing out the window when he heard a timid voice ask," Caecus?" He looked around to find Fluttershy with a questioning look on her face.

"Aye?" Caecus replied, unsure why the yellow mare had said his name.

"Are you going to join your group?" Fluttershy asked.

The prince glanced around the room and found the students had broken into groups of three, and to his dismay, the dragon and griffon were the only group that was missing a member.

"Nay," Caecus replied.

Fluttershy unsurprisingly was not angry and did nothing to try and use any of her authority to make him join the groups. Instead, she took a seat next to Caecus while the groups went about whatever they were doing.

"Is there any reason?" the yellow mare asked in her kind tone.

"Your class is pointless to me, and the lessons would put my life and the ponies I will one day lead at risk." Caecus didn't honor the mare with a glace.

There was silence for a long moment, no doubt the professor was planning her words.

"Why do you believe that? Wouldn't your father tell you to be kind, and care for others?" Fluttershy asked.

"Aye, he said to care for your subjects, and never said a word about kindness." Caecus held back his thoughts on the matter. He could recall his great-grandfather who was said to have been kind, which was what lead to his demise. The prince had no ambitions to follow that example. Better to learn from his uncle and father and lead with the rod of iron.

"I see... So are there any you are kind toward?" Fluttershy questioned.

"Nay, it only leads to weakness and sorrow." Caecus turned as he replied.

Fluttershy looked at him with pity. She had piercing eyes that made it hard for Caecus to look at her. The professor didn’t speak for a few moments, simply studying him.

"Why do you think that?" the yellow mare asked at last.

Caecus just glared at Fluttershy but held his tongue. After a moment he turned away. After a few minutes, the yellow mare got to her hooves. "You know, for somepony who thinks that kindness is a weakness, it’s clear that you don't truly believe it," the professor said as she went back to the front of the class.

The prince just shook his head. He was ready to laugh at the notion only to feel the weight of his medallion. Caecus forced the thoughts to the back of his mind. He would not let those foolish ideas take hold again. After all, he could do far more for his kingdom if he followed the paths of his great ancestors. Each a mighty warrior who did marvelous deeds on and off the field of valor.

After the class was over Caecus dragged his hooves a bit as he made his way toward the next one. He wondered what torment Pinkie had planned today. If it wasn't for the simple fact his father would look down on failing to attend any of the classes, he would have skipped them. He stopped in front of one of the windows, not wanting to reach the class before it started.

It seemed a shame to waste such a nice day, even if Equestria was warmer then he liked. The thought of sparring and practicing combat spells filled him with longing. Caecus wanted to hold a blade or halberd in his magic as he bested opponents, wished he could be out mastering Shield breaker spells. He was getting close to damaging a master level shield before he left, only to be trapped in a class that taught laughter, kindness, and other things useless in combat.

Why any of the students at this school willingly came here was beyond Caecus’s understanding. All he knew was that if he wasn’t following his father's will he would never have set hoof in this place, and would never have talked to non-ponies without a blade in his magic and soldiers at his back. How his father had thought this a better move than finding new allies closer to home was a mystery.

Equestria had a powerful military in numbers, but they were soft, weak, and not fit to enter combat beside the legions of Aquinas. With a sigh, he turned from the window and started toward his next class that was taught by a mad mare who had too much sugar. However, Caecus did have to admit he would be terrified of Pinkie if she put all that time and energy into the art of war.

Well, this chapter was fun to write.