Diplomacy 6

>Be Twilight
>You and Princess Celestia had been walking for hours up and down the market, trying to awe your guests
>Never, in all of the years you had lived in Canterlot, had you spent this much time in the market and, oddly enough, you were pleasantly surprised with what you were finding there
>A dozen bookstores that you didn't know existed, a charm and hex shop, half a dozen stores that sold only herbs and other potion-based items
>You had a feeling that some of the stores weren't exactly on the up-and-up, especially since a few of the store owners looked more than a little nervous when you poked your head into their places of business, but you made a note of them all of the same
>Legal or not, you might find something very interesting in those stores
>Maybe you'd luck out and find some long forgotten spell books written by a famous unicorn!
>And if there was something fishy about a store, you could always have a few guards check everything out...
>Still, bookstores and magical shops aside, this was about your guests
>The lord Aegis and his men-at-arms
>The lord and his knights surrounded both you and Princess Celestia
>At first, you had thought it was because the stallions were nervous and were huddling together like groups of stallions were known to do, but as time went on you realized that that wasn't the case
>They weren't scared; like a unit of guards they had surrounded you and the princess with their hands on their weapons, so that you and Princess Celestia weren't chaperoning them as they were guarding you
>And it felt... odd
>Having such a big group of stallions surrounding you, so silent and focused
>You weren't too fond of them holding and flashing their blades like they were, and they might have been a little too rough pushing ponies out of the way as you all navigated the crowds, but there was something almost neat about it


>Most mares couldn't say that they had a guard that consisted entirely of giant, fierce, exotic males
>It was almost like one of those dreams you had after drinking way too much ginger ale
>Except this was real, and these stallions weren't wearing nothing but ball bras
>Unfortunately
>You couldn't help but puff up in pride when you saw looks of disbelief and jealousy that were thrown your way
>Out of the corner of your eye, you could see your old teacher puffing up a bit as well as she talked with Lord Aegis
>The lord was quietly listening to what he had to say, tapping his giant warhammer against his shoulder while he did so
>If you had been a nosier pony, you might have perked your ears up and tried to listen in on their conversation, but you knew better than to do that
>The princess knew what she was doing--she was the PRINCESS after all-- and you had no doubt that she'd tell you what they were talking about later
>So, leaving the two of them well enough alone, you continued to do what you did best
>Spouting random but educational facts
"--That little building right there may look like nothing special, but it used to be the home of the famous painter Dot Spot. She was the pony responsible for bringing about the modern expansionist style and--"
>Since you weren't really much of a tour guide, you had decided to unleash your steady flow of information to one of the knights and hope you were being loud enough that they'd all hear you
>The stallion that was bearing the brunt of your verbal assault was standing next to you, a knight that went by the name of Ser Kyilth
>Ser Kyilth was one of the smaller stallions in the group, with almond skin and the blackest pair of eyes that you had ever seen
>The stallion's hair had been completely shaved off, revealing a very complex and ornate tattoo that made its way down his neck and back
>You had asked about the markings, and the knight had been happy to answer with short, quick sentences


>The markings were a right of passage for his people
>When young boys came of age, they were taken to what he called a "village mother"
>They were then put in a chair, where they'd be forced to sit while the old mare used a giant needle and hammer to make the markings
>You, of course, had been horrified by the news, so horrified that you nearly forgot about the tour you were giving
>What kind of mare would do something like that to a stallion?!
>It was SICK!
>You might have made a spectacle, if the knight had not explained himself further
>The marks were a right of massage that turned colts into stallions, he had said, one that would immediately stop if the young stallion were to make so much as a sound
>He went on to explain that the further down and more ornate the tattoo was the more prestige the young stallion would get
>Some males had markings all the way down to their ankles, while some had elected to have markings expand around their bodies so that not only their backs were covered but their chests as well
>This information did absolutely nothing to calm your fears, but from the way that the knight talked, and the way that some of the other knights that had similar markings perked up in pride, you knew not to voice your outrage
>Cruel or not, the stallions seemed to take pride in their tattoos
>If you said anything bad about them, or how wrong it seemed to you that their village mother would do something like that to them, they might take offense
>And if they took offense Lord Aegis might get mad
>And if he got mad he might up and leave, ruining the whole diplomatic trip and maybe WORSE!
>So, you could only swallow your outrage and continue forward
>Though that didn't mean you couldn't promise to beat the horse apples out of this village mother if you ever saw her
>The monster...
>As you told the knights about an old section of wall that helped hold off an army of bandits when Canterlot was still in its infancy, you let your gaze wander


>You stared at the bald, tattooed men that refused to wear helmets; and the lathe, squat men with their golden hair and bright blue eyes; at the pale, shift-eyed men with skin so hard that it was almost black; at the men that stood above all the others, with their massive frames and well-kept beards
>Northerners, southerners, easterlings, and westerlings
>Four tribes of humans, each so radically different from each other, yet all standing before you
>You knew nothing about the human's history, nopony did other than a few accounts and husband's tales
>And, looking at each knight, you couldn't help but wonder WHY
>Why were all four tribes together now?
>Why did they look so different?
>Were they always united, or were they like the ponies before the tribes came together?
>Did humans even call their different peoples tribes?
>There was so much to ask
>You had questions that you wanted to ask, so many that you'd no doubt be able to fill books with them
>If you were just able to sit down with a few of these stallions you'd cast a light on Humeyithal and it's people
>You'd educate millions
>MILLIONS...
>You tore your gaze away from the knights, biting your lip
>A shiver ran up the length of your spine, causing you to ruffle your wings, but you managed to mostly keep yourself together
>You'd be with Lord Aegis and his knights for a few days at least...
>There was a good chance that you'd be able to ask them a FEW questions...
>Looking back at the stallions, your gaze settled on the young colt that Lord Aegis kept as a page
>Just like the others, he was looking cautiously around, a hand on the dagger that hung on his belt


>Your brow furrowed in thought as you continued to look at him, trying to remember what his name was
>You were SURE somepony had said it yesterday...
>...
>Anon...
>It was Anon...
>A smile came to your face at the realization
>Maybe you'd be able to ask him a question or two...?
>You slowed down your pace until you were walking side by side with the young page
>He eyed you cautiously, but unlike many of the knights walking around you it wasn't in suspicion or outright hostility
>Good...
>Clearing your throat, you turned toward the colt and gave him your best smile
"So how do you like the market so far, Anon?"
>Anon jumped, his gaze snapping over to you, his grip on his daggering tightening
>You resisted the urge to step away from him, keeping your smile on your face
"You know, I've been around this market since I was little," you continued. "So if you want to see something I'm sure we can stop for a second so you can check out a store or stand!"
>Anon's nose scrunched up
>There was a bit of hesitation in his eyes, as if he was deciding whether or not to talk to you
>Around the two of you, you could see the knights eyeing you meaningfully, making you painfully aware that you had quite a few very large and very armed stallions surrounding you
>"I... The market is very nice, your highness," Anon said, inclining his head
>You sucked in a lungful of air through your teeth at the sight
"Please, there's no need to bow or call me your highness," you said. "Just Twilight. Please."
>Anon looked like he was ready to bow again--much to your horror--but, thankfully, he stopped at the last second


>"Of course, pr--Twilight," he said, his tone careful. "And thank you."
"You're very welcome," you said with a nod
>All around you, grips on sword hilts went slack and the tension left some of the knights shoulders
>Alright...
>You're doing good, Twilight...
>Just ease into it...
"Anon? Would it be alright if I asked you which tribe you're from?" you asked
>Anon's head cocked to the side
>"Tribe?"
"Yes, tribe. You know, the Northerners, southerners..."
>Anon's eyes widened in realization
>"Oh, I'm a westerling," he said, running a hand through the mop of hair on his head. "Your hi--er, I mean Twilight."
>You looked over at one of the stallions with his tattoos
"Which tribe would he be from, if you don't mind me asking?"
>To your surprise, the stallion that you had gestured towards turned to look at you
>"I'm a easterling," he said, with an accent so foreign that you almost couldn't understand him
>Anon nodded
>"Yeah. He's an easterling, I'm a westerling. Ser Araoon is a southerner, and Ser Telfi is a northerner," he said, pointing out one of the stallions behind you, who nodded in confirmation
>Another shiver ran up the length of your spine
>You'd give your wings to have a piece of parchment and a quill right now...
"If you don't mind me asking, why do you name your tribes after directions?"
>"We don't call ‘em tribes, girl," one of the Northerners said, tugging on his beard
>Your head snapped toward him
"If you don't call your different races tribes then what do you call them then?" you asked
>The knight shrugged


>"I know we don't call ‘em that."
>Okay...
>Still though, you were getting somewhere!
"Well, can you tell me what's the difference between your peoples? If you don't want to answer that's completely fine, but I've just..."

~_~_~_~_~_~

>Be Celestia
>You were watching your student with a small smile on your face
>All around you, you could see Lord Aegis’s men staring at the purple alicorn, some of them even chiming in to answer her questions
>The suspicion was still there, as was some hesitation, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been when you stepped out of the castle...
>Your chest couldn't help but puff out a bit
>You should have known that you had nothing to worry about
>Twilight, though she was a bit funny at times, could make friends with a pony at the drop of a hat
>You were sure, if she had a day or two with these stallions, she'd win each and everyone of them over
>Especially the young colt in the group, Anon
>The little stallion was answering most of Twilight's questions, and, to your delight, he was even asking questions of his own
>You could see excitement in the page's face, the same excitement that you had seen in Twilight's eyes when she was little
>It was the excitement of learning
>Broadening your horizons and doing your best to know more than you had the day before
>The sight filled your chest with a pleasant warmth
>This was the first step...
>And with it friendship...
>Out of the corner of your eye, you could see lord Aegis eyeing ponies in the market, completely ignoring Twilight altogether


>He would be the hardest to win over, you knew
>From what you had gathered from the Minotaur Empress, this stallion had a reputation for disliking the other races
>For very good reasons no doubt, from what little history of Humeyithal you knew
>But that just meant you had to work a little harder to win him over...
"Is there something wrong, my lord?" you asked
>Lord Aegis didn't answer you for several seconds, his eyes scanning the buildings around you
>"We're being followed."
>...
>What?
>Your ears perked up
"Excuse me, my lord?"
>Aegis's grip on his hammer tightened
>"Someone is tailing us," he said. "I have a feeling that they've been tailing us since we left the castle."
>You were about to stop and look around, but thought better of it at the last moment
>Somepony was tailing you?
>That was nonsense!
>You were sure a curious pony or two might be tailing you so they could get a better look at the lord and his knights, but there was no tailing!
"Are you sure, my lord? You may just be imagining thin--"
>"When I was a younger man I lived in the capital of Humeyithal, in one of the poorest, most crime-ridden sections of the city," Aegis interrupted, staring at you with the utmost seriousness. "I know when I'm being followed."
>You opened your mouth to calm the stallions fears, but found that you couldn't
>As silly as what he was suggesting sounded, what if he was right?
>What if you were being followed?
>Slowly, you looked over your shoulder
>There were all manner of ponies around; far too many to single out one with less than noble intentions


>The warmth in your stomach disappeared
>It was replaced with stomach-knotting nervousness
>Oh filly...
>Here we go...
"...You wouldn't happen to know where this follower is, would you?" you asked quietly
>"That's what I've been trying to figure out since we've left," lord Aegis quietly replied. "But if they're anywhere they're up on the rooftops."
"Rooftops?"
>The lord nodded
>"Aye. It'd make the cunt following us harder to see, and let them keep pace with us."
>Your brow furrowed
>So if there was a stalker--which you weren't saying there WAS-- they'd be a pegasus, or at least a unicorn that knew levitation
>But why would somepony be following you...?
>Unfortunately for you, the answer came in a sharp, metallic sound, which was followed by the sound of something flying through the air at terrifying speeds
>Out of the corner of your eye, you could see something flying toward lord Aegis
>You let out a cry, your horn sparking to life, but it was too late
>A crossbow bolt slammed into the lord's shoulder with a sickening, meaty smack
>Lord Aegis, though he was a giant of a man, was launched forward, falling face first into the ground
>His warhammer fell from his hands and the lord went still
>Deathly still
>No...
>NO!
>Nonononononononononono!
>The lord's knight's spun around, letting out cries of their own
>A few feet away, a stallion screamed
>Ponies gasped
>You stood there, frozen
>Nonononononononono...
>Your heart skipped a beat as you looked down at him...
>Only for him to jump back up a moment later, his teeth gritted and his eyes blazing
>"YOU SOD-CUNTING BASTARD!" he roared, the steel tipped bolt sticking through his shoulder. "YOU PIG FUCKING, SHIT EATING MOTHER HUMPER!"


>Already, the lord's wound was bleeding heavily, but he didn't seem to notice, bending down and snatching up his hammer with his uninjured arm
>As he did that his knight's drew their weapons
>"I SEE YOU!" Lord Aegis snarled. "I SEE YOU, YOU CROSSBOW WIELDING BLIGHTER!"
>He pointed at a rooftop
>Straining your eyes, you could see the head of a pony just before it disappeared
>Lord Aegis let out a growl, gritting his teeth
>The sight made you take a half step back
>"Come on boys, we got a coward to find!"