Diplomacy 2

>The following few weeks went by in a blur
>You woke up, went to the library and struggled through dull, dry textbooks
>After you finished a few chapters of whatever you happened to be reading that day, Lord Aegis would barge in and take you to the field for some training
>When that was finished, you went back to reading
>And if you thought you were busy, your duties were nothing compared to your lord’s
>For days at a time he was holed up in his quarters
>He saw to getting men and supplies ready for your journey
>Everything from grain to weapons had to be bought or forged in the short time that the king had given you
>Hundreds of letters were received and sent to the king and even Equestria itself
>From what you've heard, the Equestrians weren't too happy with the fact that King Drfual wanted to send someone in his stead
>They had important matters to discuss; matters that they didn't trust any with but the king
>The fact that the king was sending Lord Aegis, a lord who openly despised non-humans and had been a blood-thirsty bandit once upon a time, probably added to their reluctance
>But King Drfual was insistent
>Lord Aegis was more of a brother to him than his own kin
>If they wouldn't speak with him than they wouldn't be spoken to at all
>The princesses had, of course, tried to protest, but the king wouldn't hear any of it
>In the end, they had agreed for your lord to enter their kingdom, even offering to send their personal train to transport all of you
>Humeyithal, of course, had no trains or railways, so you and your group of thirty knights had had to march all the way over to the minotaur lands so that you could use their railways
>In secret, of course; your lord wasn't going to be escorted anywhere by the empress's soldiers
>So, after almost two months of preparation, you, lord Aegis, and his personal guard packed up your things, said your goodbyes, and left the safety of castle Nurgle
>The trip to the minotaur lands, all-in-all, was a pleasant one

>The skies were free of rain
>No one tried attacking or stealing from your band
>There were no injuries except for one knight accidentally chopping the tip of his thumb off while he was juggling knives
>The cows mostly kept to themselves
>The few that you did meet were polite, if a bit grabby
>In less than five days you all had found the train station where the princesses personal train was waiting
>It was a massive thing, made entirely of metal with black smoke coming out of its top
>When you had first seen it you had thought it was some great monster
>But, walking up to it and placing your hand on one of it's massive wheels showed you that it was nothing more than a machine
>A machine unlike any that you've ever seen, but a machine nonetheless
>Since all of you were eager to let this great metal thing do the walking for you, you had all piled into it
>That was when the trip took a turn for the worse
>This train was nothing like a manticore or even a wagon
>It was loud, rocked back and forth, and moved far, far too fast
>Twenty minutes into the ride some of the men started to get sick
>Twenty minutes after that everyone was sick
>Beautifully crafted windows were yanked open so knights could empty their stomachs on the sides of the train
>Every bathroom was continuously filled
>A pair of knights would always be at the back of the train desperately holding onto the edge of the railing as they puked
>It was horrible
>You couldn't read any of the books you had brought because every time you did you got sick
>Mouth-watering treats. Candies and chocolates and the like were stocked in the trains larder, but none of you could eat it because you couldn't hold anything down
>There were a pair of servants on the trip, big, strapping black stallions in bright red vests that tried to help you as best as they could, but it was no use

>In the end, you had all huddled on the floor, refusing to look through the windows, hugging your legs to your stomachs while Lord Aegis swore loudly and often that you weren't going to take this monster back
>And, to be honest, you didn't have a problem with that
>A week's worth of hard marching was leagues better than this…
>You might have gotten sore legs, but you’d rather have that than puking up your body weight...
>For three days and three nights you all suffered like this
>You had wanted to speak to the stallions, since you had never seen a pony before, but you were all so sick and Lord Aegis's temper was so foul by the end of the first day they only came into your section of the train to give you water and what little food you could choke down
>You didn't get to see the land change from the rough and rocky lands of the minotaurs to the wide, open plains of the buffalo
>Los Pegasus went by unnoticed, as did the White Tails Woods and Ponyville
>But, as you were traveling through the Everfree forest, you finally managed to peek out a window without wanting to puke your guts out
>That was when you saw it
>The white city of Canterlot
>It loomed over everything, perched atop of the largest mountain on the unicorn range
>Massive, majestic, perfect
>High, white walls
>Towers tipped with gold
>A massive waterfall streaming out of its middle
>It looked like a city where the angels would live...
>"Do you see it, boy?"
>You tore your gaze from the Equestrian capital to look at your lord
>Lord Aegis had his back pressed up against the wall, his eyes closed and his face green
>In his hands he held his iron-studded club
>It was a big, heavy thing you knew
>Made out of walnut and just as tall as you
>The same one that he had used to kill the last minotaur empress, one of the knights had told you
>But you knew that wasn’t true
>You knew the stories like any other boy your age

>That particular club had split in half when your lord had used it to cave in the empress’s head
"See what, my lord?"
>Your lord covered his face with a hand, tapping the tip of his club against the floor
>His face contorted, and you half expected him to jump up and run to the bathroom or to the back of the train
>But, with a show of will, he beat his sickness down
>Taking a few deep breaths, he let out a quiet groan
>"I swear to the gods that I'm going to kill him," he muttered to himself. "I'm going to take this club and beat his brains out for making me come to this horse-infested shitehole..."
>The wall creaked as he pressed his weight against it, looking as miserable as you felt
>Breathing in deeply, he opened an eye and looked at you
>"Do you see the capital? Do you see Canterlot?"
"Yes my lord," you said with a nod. "I can see it off in the distance."
>"Good, that means we'll be getting out of this metal demon soon."
>You looked back out the window
"It's a very pretty city, my lord," you told him. "It's so... big, and white, and gold..."
>Don't let it's looks fool you boy," your lord said. "There's nothing pretty about that city."
>Still looking out the window, you nodded again
>You had read enough to know that the city of Canterlot had a bit of a reputation
>Every mare and stallion that lived there had royal blood in some way or another, from the shopkeepers to the guards
>It was a close knit city
>The nobles protected their own fiercely
>They also had a very bad habit of indulging in some very dark vices
>Male trafficking, drugs, black magic, kidnapping, rape, murder
>Most ponies didn't speak of it; most didn't know about it
>If a stallion went missing or a mare wound up dead almost no one was ever prosecuted
>The guard was so corrupt that all one needed to do was toss some bits at the right ponies and all of the evidence would disappear
>Over the years, the princesses had done their best to clean up the city, but with very little success

>Princess Celestia and Luna might have ruled Equestria, but it was the nobles that ran Canterlot
>And they weren't the type to give their power up freely
>A shiver ran through you when you remembered a passage from one of the books that the king had given you
>Apparently some of the viler nobles like to take male children
>The book didn't say what they did to them, only that their families never saw them again...
>Your lord tapped his club against the floor with a little more force
>The loud thud it produced made you jump
>Tensing, you looked over at him
>"Remember to stick close to us at all times, boy. Don't eat or drink anything we don't drink. If a pony says something to you or you think they're trying to bewitch you tell me so I can bash their heads in," he said, eyes still closed
>You nodded
"Yes my lord."
>"Always be on guard. They'll have eyes on us every second that we're here."
"Yes my lord."
>"And if you're stupid enough to get lost, remember your training. You might be a little shite but you're still of our Order."
>You looked down at your side, where a small knife hung from your belt
>You might not have had a sword or an axe like the other knights--mostly because you weren't allowed to carry one yet--but you knew how to use this knife
>...
>At least you hoped so...
"Yes my lord."
>Grumbling to himself, lord Aegis grabbed the edge of a chair and pulled himself to his feet
>"Alright lads! Get up and get ready. We'll be in that whore of a capital soon and when we step out of this train I want those ponies to see Knights of the Red Heart, not a bunch of great horned girls!"
>Groans erupted from all around you
>Pained, sickly groans
>Nevertheless, you saw knights slowly climbing to their feet

>"Boy, go and fetch my armor. We'll show these ponies who they’re dealing with..."

~_~_~_~_~_~

>Silence greeted you as you stepped off of the train
>There was no shouting, no crowds
>The entire station seemed deserted
>It was only when you had all exited the train did you see a group of ponies making their way toward you
>There were a group of guards and two mares
>These mares were simply dressed, but they had the look of nobles about them
>...At least you think they did
>You had no idea how a normal pony carried themselves...
>Seeing your lord, the two mares bowed
>"Greetings, lord Aegis. I trust that your trip was a pleasant one."
>Your lord, still a bit green, pushed you behind him
>"It was... something," he replied, eyeing the guards
>Lifting their heads, the mares smiled
>They weren't very nice smiles you noticed
>There wasn't any warmth or joy in them
>In fact, they almost seemed... cold, predatory
>"Her royal highness Princess Celestia sends her deepest apologies that she couldn't come down to greet you herself. Something very important came up at the castle, so she sent two of her most trusted servants in her stead. I'm lady Butterscotch and this is--"
>Lord Aegis took a step toward the two
>These ponies weren't very tall, maybe a little bigger than a wolf hound, but compared to your lord they looked like toys
>Many of the guards took a nervous step back
>Even the noble's hollow smiles lessened just a hair
>"Let's get on to the castle," your lord said, looking over the two at the street
>Your lord’s dismissiveness seemed to throw off the mares, but only for a moment
>"Of course, my lord," one of them said. "We're sure that the trip was hard on you and these other lovely stallions. Please, allow us to escort you to the castle
>Nodding, lord Aegis turned back toward you and the knights
>"Boys, formation."
>Armor rattled as the knights formed up
>Two knights stood on either side of lord Aegis

>You stood behind your lord, holding his mighty club
>Weapons weren't drawn, but you could see from the looks on some of your fellows faces that they wouldn't hesitate to draw steel if needed
>The noblemares must have saw this, because their smiles became a bit more forced
>"Yes, well, let's be off. We wouldn't want to keep their majesties waiting now, would we?"
>The mares turned around
>One of them let out a whistle that had the guards scrambling to flank them
>"Now, if you'd follow us gentlecolts."
>With that, you all stepped out onto the streets of Canterlot
>There were ponies everywhere, you saw
>Merchants, nobles, and workers walked this way and that
>A hundred different smells filled the air
>Ponies were laughing, screaming, hawking their wares
>It was just like back at home, except instead of humans, waist-high ponies were running around...
>The noblemares lead you through the crowds, using the guards to push ponies aside
>Your lord and the rest of your group made sure to keep a healthy distance away from them
>To your left and right, you could see knights scanning the crowds, their hands on their weapons
>"Keep an eye open boys," you lord said. "Don't let any of them get too close."
>You could see mares eyeing your group
>Most of the glances were just curious
>Others, however... weren't
>"Don't worry about the crowds, my lord. The guards will keep them in check," one of the noblemares said, looking back at him with a smile
>Your lord grunted, too focused on scanning faces to pay her much mind
>"Yes, we'll get you up to the castle in a jiffy. Though, if you'd permit, I'd be happy to point out some of our more famous landmarks on the way."
>One of the knights leaned forward and whispered something in lord Aegis's ear
>Your lord nodded, slowly wrapping an arm around the knights on either side of him
>The noblemare, somehow, took that as a yes

>"Great! If you’d look to your left, you'll see the famous Canterlot theater, where ponies such as the great Twinkle Hooves and Marquee Strings played so long ago..."
>The mare continued to chatter, pointing at this building and that
>While she did so, your lord pointed out one of the alleyways that you were coming up to
>The noblemares and guards, so focused on talking and leading that way, they didn't notice when the front row of your formation turned toward it
>Keeping in formation, the rest of you followed, slipping into the alley with your guides none the wiser
>Somehow...
>"Remember that we have to make our way to that bloody castle sometime today, lads," your lord said, looking behind him. "Now come on, let's go before someone has the sense to tell them that we've left."
>The ponies wanted to take you through the main road
>This was where they could have guards stationed to keep an eye on everything
>They had been no doubt cleaned every inch of this road and its shops, and the nobles had been no doubt warned about misbehaving
>The princesses wanted the city to be on its best behavior while you all were here
>Your lord had said as much before you had all gotten on the train
>He had also said that nothing brought out the true face of a city like walking through its alleyways
>And you hadn't come to Canterlot to see it drawn up in a false light
>So marching through alleyways you went
>The chattering of the ponies lessened the deeper you went into the darker parts of the city which, oddly enough, was still clean
>Not clean-clean, but far cleaner than an alleyway should be
>No rats ran amok, and what garbage there was had been placed in metal cans
>The walls even looked like they had been scrubbed recently
>"Huh, still clean," one of the knights said as he looked around. "'Wonder if they just went and cleaned the whole city for us..."
>"Maybe," your lord said as you all turned a corner. "Or maybe ponies just like to--"

>A high-pitched, terrified scream filled the air
>The noise made you jump
>What was that...?
>Without hesitation, the knights drew their weapons
>"That came from the left," one of them said
>"Maybe a hundred feet away, if these damned walls aren't throwing the voice," another added
>Your lord, who hadn't drawn his club, frowned
>"Keep in formation," he ordered. "We're going to see who's screaming. Boy, if you hit me with my club I’m going to feed you your own shoes."
>You twitched, looking down to see that you were clenching your club as if you meant to swing it
"Y-Yes my lord."
>Lord Aegis nodded
>"Good lad. Now let's move out."
>Armor rattled and rubbed together as you picked up your pace
>Drawing closer to the origin of the noise, you could hear the sounds of a struggle
>"P-Please, I don't have--"
>"Shut your bucking mouth."
>"Applewood! Get that bucking shot. I need this colt nice and hard."
>"D-Don't hurt m-me. I'll give y-you--OW!"
>"I said shut your bucking mouth. Everclear, get those ropes. I don't want him kicking when we start."
>A sob filled the air
>Your lord and his knights picked up their pace
>"There we go... Shush, shush, it's alright. My girls and I just want to have a little fun before we send you home."
>"B-B-But I can't--"
>"Shush, just shut that pretty trap of yours and let the medicine do its work."
>Turning one final corner, you saw them
>A trio of mares hiding their faces behind a red cloth surround a bruised, crying stallion
>One of them was holding a knife to the stallions throat while another was tying him up with some rope

>Seeing this, lord Aegis's eyes narrowed
>Signaling his knights to stop, he drew himself up to his full height and marched over to the would-be rapists
>The ponies, so focused on the crying stallion, didn't notice as he slipped behind the mare holding the knife
>Looking down at her, he cleared his throat
>The mare tensed, whipping around with weapon at the ready
>"Who the buck...!"
>She trailed off when she saw lord Aegis standing there with his arms crossed
>Her eyes widened
>"I would suggest that you drop that knife," your lord said. "Otherwise--"
>With a yell, the mare darted forward
>She thrust her knife into your lord's armored belly
>Or at least tried to
>There was a spark as metal hit metal
>Your lord's platemail, made of the finest northern steel that could be bought, took the blow with ease
>The knife wasn't so lucky, snapping in half and cutting the mare’s cheek and lip
>Lord Aegis let out a sigh as the mare reeled back, letting out a cry of pain
>"I did try to let you surrender peacefully," he said. "Just remember that."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

>Be Twilight Sparkle, newly crowned princess of Equestria
>It was an exciting day
>No!
>It was THE most exciting day!
>You were finally going to meet humans!
>One of the most reclusive creatures on Equus was coming to the castle as we speak!
>And you had soooooo many questions!
>Questions about their culture, their people, how they did things and why they did them
>Ohyouweresoexcited!

>Princess Celestia, who was sitting next to you on her throne, let out a chuckle
>"I don't think I've seen you this excited in a very long time, my dear student."
>You stopped your excited, happy-fun-time wiggles to look at the princess
>Realizing that you were probably making a fool of yourself--who were you kidding, of course you were--a blush came to your face
"Sorry, princess..."
>Smiling, Princess Celestia wrapped a wing around your shoulder
>"There's no need to be sorry, Twilight. You have every right to be excited. It has been a very long time since a human has entered these halls."
>Long time?
>Try almost TWO HUNDRED YEARS!
>Even dragons made their way to Canterlot every few years or so!
>...
>No, bad Twilight
>You were a princess now
>No matter how excited you were, you needed to act like it
>Taking a deep breath, you leaned into your teacher's touch, letting it calm you
>While you did that, your eyes wandered toward the door
>They would be here any moment…
>You were about to see history in the making...
"It's too bad Luna couldn't be here to greet them with us..."
>"I would have these humans be eased into our negotiations as gently as possible," Celestia said. "This lord Aegis has a bit of a... reputation and you know how Luna is around stallions."
>You couldn't help but wiggle again
>Ohh!
>You were going to learn SO MUCH these next few days...
>Maybe you'd even--
>Your ears perked up as a sound wafted into the room
>What was that...?
>Leaning forward, you listened hard
>It almost sounded like armor banging together
>As the sound grew closer, you could hear yelling right outside of the door
>"Sir! State you busin--"
>"Move."
>"Sir! I must--"
>"Move. Now."
>"A guard scurried into the room, pale and wide-eyed
>"P-Princess!"
>Without saying a word, Princess Celestia rose to her hooves

>You stood up as well, your horn crackling to life
>What the hay was going on?
>Were you being attacked?
>Was it the Changelings again?
>Did something happen to the humans?!
>Pleasepleaseplease don't' be that!
>Five seconds later you saw who was causing all of this commotion
>An armored human, stepped into the throne room
>Tucked under a arm was a mare, bloodied and bruised
>Tucked under his other arm was a shaking, crying stallion
>...
>Huh...
>He tossed the mare over to you and Princess Celestia
>She hit the ground before either of you could grab her with your magic
>She let out a whimper from the impact, curling into a ball
>More humans began making their way into the throne room, looking just as happy as the giant
>You noticed that they were carrying two mares, just as bloody and bruised as the one at your hooves
>Gently setting down the stallion, the giant human dusted himself off
>"Good afternoon, ladies," he said, wiping a bit of blood from his face. "I am lord Aegis. My king sends his greetings."
>Your teacher, ever cool under fire, was the one that managed to find her voice
>”Yes, well... hello to you too."