Shining Armor Hates Anon - Chapter Four

>This is it, the start of a path that’s going to lead down a whole new life.  Nothing can stop you now.
>Floating in that strange state of nearly awake, you float over to the mahogany beast inside your head.  Ticking away the seconds, you pull yourself up to its face.  Ten to six.
>Early enough.
>Waking up is easy when you keep perfect time.  Opening your eyes, you are greeted by the thin sliver of the crest of the moon as it descends behind the mountains to the west.  Faint stretches of pink battle mighty swaths of retreating purple as the sun begins her ascent on the other side.
>With a few stumbling steps, you lean out of your window and bask in the pre-dawn symphony, a wide smile on your face.  A chill still lingers in the air, common at this altitude, and the hairs on your arms prickle as they touch the icy stone.
>Truly, this is where you belong.
>As a new day begins, you pay special attention to your hygienic needs.  A few extra minutes in the shower and in front of the mirror shaving can go a long way in looking presentable on your first day.
>Slapping each cheek twice, you flash your reflection a grin and make a gun out of your thumb and forefinger. Your reflection winks and jerks his wrist back as you mutter
“Pow.”
>and go to dress yourself.
>Considering that the castle quartermaster had absconded with your leather armor last night, you were forced to dress in something a little more, casual.  Button up shirt, white, and a pair of charcoal slacks.  You decide to finish off your ensemble with a black belt and shoes.  It’s hard to go wrong with a classic.
“Looking pretty good, Anon.”

>Contorting yourself to get a view from the back, you chuckle.  Not too bad at all.  Adjusting your belt one last time, you make your way towards the officer’s barracks, where you’ll be meeting your mentor.
>While the path is ingrained into your head from Shining’s directions, you do take some time to enjoy the interior of the castle.  Quite unlike anything else in Equestria, it boasts marble columns, interspersed with elegant statues and stained glass, among other odds and ends.
>Taking a moment to enjoy the scenery, you pause in front of a particularly interesting pane of glass.  A large black unicorn mare and another white unicorn mare, clashing with one another over Canterlot.
>“Greetings, wayward guest.”
>Flinching, you turn towards the sound.  Princess Luna approaches you, her head held high, though the bags around her eyes are evident from a night of labor.  Standing beside you, she turns to the glass.
>She’s not quite as tall as her sister, but still strikes an imposing figure, her mane as dark as a starry night.  She glances over the picture before turning to you.
>“This story, it interests you?”
>Unsure if you should be speaking at all with any Princess other than Cadence, you flash her a small smile and nod.  Better be as proper as possible.
“Uh, verily.  If thou, couldst… explainith…”
>The Princess’ tired face brightens a little at your failed attempt at formality.  Chuckling to herself, she brings a hoof to her muzzle and smiles.
>“It is acceptable for you to speak in the common tongue.  It will assist in the acquisition of the modern language of our subjects.”
“I, suppose I am then.”
>As the Princess nods and turns back to the glass, she smiles.

>“It is a story of mistakes and confusion.  Of dreams and nightmares.  If you would accompany us to our quarters…”
>Flashing you a sly grin, the Princess of the Night raises an eyebrow.
>“We would gladly share this”
>She pauses, flicking you with her tail.
>“tale, with you.”
>Wut.  That, sounds suspiciously like a proposition to be a bed partner.  Which is something you definitely don’t want to be doing first day on the job, sleeping with your boss’ boss’ sister.
“Sorry, I need to get to the Officer’s Barracks for my assignment.”
>That catches her off guard.  Keep it up.
>“Oh, so, you are not a guest then?”
“Ah, no, I’m afraid I’m just a guard.”
>That smile’s back.  Brace for impact.
>“We see.  Then, perhaps we should order you to accompany us instead?”
“A-apologies Princess, but I am in charge of Princess Cadence’s well being.  I can’t shirk my duties.”
>“Mmm, indeed.”
>The Princess pouts a little, averting her eyes as she mulls over that latest bit of information.
>“Very well, guardspony.  But, when you are up for reassignment, know that we would be more than happy to have such a, devoted member, in our guard.”
>Whipping you once more with her tail, Princess Luna trots off towards her room, leaving you shaken and disturbed.  It would be best to hustle to see your advisor.
>
>“Ah, good morning, Guardspony.”
>Shoulder heaving, you hold up a finger and try to catch your breath.  The bolt across the castle really took it out of you.  With a hack and a cough, you right yourself and smile.
“Guardspony Anonymous, reporting in.”

>The unicorn pony nods, floating over a mug of coffee.  You accept, graciously, taking a quick sip.  Bitter, but not bad.  Clearing his throat, you turn your attention back to your mentor.
>“Good to see you made it without incident.  Captain Shining Armor has informed me that you will be seeing to the welfare of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza during the daylight hours.  For the next two weeks, I shall be your second, my name is Lieutenant Laurel Wreath.”
>Despite his grizzled, scarred torso and wrinkly face, the LT seems to be a friendly sort, boasting a wide smile.  Motioning for you to sit down, you do so.  He slides a single piece of paper in front of you.  On it is a schedule of Cadence’s daily regimen, which, as of today, is yours as well.
>“You shall be present outside Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s door at promptly seven.  Members of the royal family, as well as any visiting guests or dignitaries shall dine at seven-thirty.  Unless invited to dine with them, you are only to observe and see to the needs of the Princess.  I advise you to eat your fill before coming on duty, either in the barracks or grabbing something from the castle kitchen.”
>Giving a brief nod, you make note to do so after leaving your meeting.  Seeing he has your attention, the officer pony continues.
>“After dining, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza will have four hours of tutoring.  Unless you request additional assistance, you shall be her only guard during this time.  Lunch is served at noon, and I advise you again to eat on your down time.  After lunch, Cadence has free reign of the castle and upper city until six.”

>Leaning in, Laurel taps his hoof over the large block of time.  It’s an awkward motion, but you understand his attempt to emphasize this next point.
>“During this time, the Princess will be most vulnerable, so your vigilance is required.  Should she desire to leave the castle grounds, you must ensure her safety in every regard.  Dinner is served between six and seven, with the rest of the evening being spent in recreation.  The castle slows down for the night around nine, when your shift ends.”
“Fourteen hours is quite a while to be on your feet.”
>Laurel stares at you for a moment before catching your meaning, and then nods, chuckling.
>“It is, indeed.  Thankfully, you have the privilege to call other guardsponies to see to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s well being, if you need to step aside for a few moments.  If you were so inclined, you could have another pony oversee Cadence’s tutoring sessions, and spend some time training with the other members of the Royal Guard.”
>“However, you must also consider yourself the last line of defense for the Princess, and it is not simply something you can place on another pony.  You are her guardian, first and foremost.”
>Allowing yourself to nod again, you let your eyes roam the schedule.
“How often does the Princess leave the castle grounds?”
>“Not too terribly often.  Much like the other Princesses, she is easily recognizable.  With such recognition, trouble and harassment often follows.  It is easier for her to stay within these walls.”

>Grunting, you allow yourself one last look over the page, before folding it up and placing it inside your pocket.  Laurel gives you another smile, and then levitates a small wooden box onto the table.
>The wood is different than most you’ve seen before, a solid brownish grey affair, hewn from a single piece of wood.  Roughly ten inches by eight and five deep, it closely resembles a jewelry box back on Earth.  In the dim morning light, it glistens like steel.
>A key rests upon the top of the box, likely to the latch keeping it closed.  The unicorn reaches out, pushing it closer to you.  Taking the key, you place it into the lock and turn.  With the audible click echoing through the air, Laurel speaks again.
>“I advise you to keep that key on you at all times, or, if you can’t, in a very safe place.  The chest is hewn from an Ironbark tree, nigh indestructible, but light enough to be easily moved.”
>Nodding, you flip open the latch and lid.  The velvet inside is tired and worn, no longer a deep lush red, but more of a faded pink.  Set inside the interior are three small items, two large badges on either side of the case, and between them a bracelet with a heart charm attached.
>Your lip curls a little as you pull the bracelet out, causing your second to laugh as he watches you.
>“Not the largest fan of jewelry, are we?”
“Not especially, no.”
>“Well, you’ll want to hold on to that one.  Take a closer look at the other side.”
>Trying to hide your displeasure, you do as requested, noting that there are a series of engraved symbols on the other side.  While some of them do look familiar, it’s clearly not written in common tongue or Equestrian.

>“That there is perhaps the most important thing you now own.  The badges legitimize you as the Personal Guard Attendant to one of the Royal Family.  For most any guardspony, seeing those will be enough.  That charm, however, is one of only a handful from the days before Equestria.”
>“The metal is malleable, and the magic within is a seeking spell.  Currently it’s attuned to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and so it resembles her cutie mark.  That little piece of metal can guide you to her, no matter where she is.”
“Sounds pretty useful, if your charge has a tendency to wander.”
>Chuckling, Laurel nods his head a few times.
>“Mostly, it’s to keep track of younger members of the royal family.  However, due to recent instances, Captain Shining Armor ordered that we assign one to each member of the royal family, just in case.”
“Mm, is there anything else I need to know about?”
>“That does it for the trinket, just make sure it’s locked up each night.  In the wrong hands it could result in her kidnapping, but as long as it’s in the box, it’s certainly safe.  As far as the badges go, attach one to your armor and sew the other into your guard dress uniform.  With that you should be well prepared to see to the Princess.”
>“Speaking of, it’s nearing seven now, the Princess will be expecting you.”
>With a nod, you stand and snap a salute to the Lieutenant.  He responds in kind, bringing his right hoof to his chest and nodding his head.  The ironwood case is snapped closed and secured in the crook of your arm as you make your way into the depths of the castle.

>At the stroke of seven, you are in position outside of Princess Cadence’s room.  Your stomach is full, badge, key and bracelet clicking together in your pocket, and the lock box secured in your bedroom.
>Taking in a deep breath, you wait and put on your best smile as the door creaks open ten minutes later.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, good morning.”
>She’s picture perfect, as usual, not a hair out of place.  Cadence offers you a small smile and a nod, before allowing her eyes to roam your body.  Stiffening under her examination, you stand a little straighter and try to avoid eye contact.  That earns you a laugh.
>“Well, you look less threatening without your armor, but I think you’ll do.  Shall we?”
>Trotting up beside you, she flashes a grin and raises her eyebrow.  Without waiting for a response, she continues down the hall.  For an instant, the familiar citrus scent lingers in the air, feeling sharp against your tongue as you take a deep breath.
>Turning on your heel, you make your way after Cadence, walking a few steps behind her.  Despite your best attempts, you can’t help but notice the liquid smooth side to side rolling sway of her flank.  Clearly practiced to perfection.

>It’s difficult, but you drag your eyes up her back until she resides in your lower periphery.  This is how you’re going to have to walk from now on, so you may as well get used to it.  Plus, getting caught staring at the Princess’ hindquarters is a good way to get Shining Armor riled, you imagine.
>“Now, I hope that you’re prepared to change your ideas about how things work here in Canterlot.”
>Cadence’s warning draws your attention back to her.  She sighs and looks towards a pair of large double doors, two guardsponies standing in front, prepared to open them.
>“There’s a lot of talk about how great and noble the Princesses are.  All that I would ask is that you keep an open mind and your mouth shut.”
“I can manage that much.”
>Relief spreads across her face as Cadence nods to the guards.
>“Good.  Welcome to Canterlot Castle, Guardspony Anonymous.”