“On your mark,” Rosewater called, resisting giggling along with the foals that held their boats still in the calm, fenced in shallows set up for just the purpose they were setting it to. “Get set…”

“Go!” Dazzle cried beside her, and fell over giggling when she had to swallow the same command and coughed.

“Brat,” Rosewater said with a laugh. Her heart was lighter than it had been even that morning. Lunch with Collar and Cloudy had both been tense and enjoyable. What would come from that, she still didn’t know, but she was more glad that she had taken the chance opportunity the stars or the Mare had thrown her way.

“Look, look!” one of the foals called out. “I’m winning!”

“Nuh-uh. My boat is gonna catch up. Just you watch!”

Someday, she might be doing this for her own foals. Or she might be one of the parents standing beside their child, shouting encouragements at the swirling, dipping boats as the meager current caught them and pushed them towards the goal, a floating rope anchored to one of the stakes holding the fence steady and on the bank.

The foals and parents grew more and more fervent as the race lengthened without a clear winner.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Golden Glow murmured on her other side.

“I didn’t. I wanted to, though,” she whispered back.

“It’s very good of you,” Fervent added, her ears limpening as she watched the foals dancing and slapping their hooves in the muddy grass. “I want children, Goldy.”

“I do, too.”

Rosewater’s heart swelled with their sentiments. She wanted this, too, for her future. More than ever.

“No place better to raise foals in Merrie than in the Garden,” Dazzle answered both of them, winking and rolling back to his hooves. “If you wanted to stay, I mean. I don’t think we have an economist yet.”

“Mr. Primrazzle,” Golden said with a laugh. “Are you trying to entice us to stay?”

“Entice? Perish the thought. Convince, though… that’s a much better description.” He grinned at her and winked.

Rosewater edged closer to the water as the foals crowded down the shore towards the finish line, and then she was among them, their attention only being diverted briefly to grin up at her while they followed half a step behind. Even so close, there was no clear winner, and four of them had clumped up into a barge that swirled and turned as eddy after eddy caught them and spun them. Another boat joined the clump just before the end, leaving only one bumbling along the shore far back from the pack.

“Come on! Come on!” The two foals that had built that boat with their parents huffed and puffed it away from the shore again and again, the only thing they could do according to the rules.

“Down to the wire,” Rosewater called out to the watchers. “Who’s gonna win? Who’s gonna get the basket of candy?”

Renewed cries rose from the gaggle of foals as they crowded around her forelegs and strained to hoof and puff from too far away to do anything to the gaggle that had, by then, bumped against the fence and spun faster, increasing the chaos as foals cried out in joy and frustration as their boat, then another took the lead.

No doubt some of the glue had gotten wet and caused them all to stick together.

“What do you think?” Dazzle whispered at her side, having to step over foals carefully to bring his lips close to her ears. “Split the prize?”

“I think so. It would hurt a lot of feelings for chance to gum that up.”

“Poor Dancer and Flit, though,” Dazzle murmured, the pair that was huffing and puffing still a pace down from the gaggle of ten swarming around them.

“I don’t doubt they’ll get a share from their friends,” Rosewater murmured. “But that’s going to need some parental tending.”

“Mmm. They’re a full four-way marriage, and he’s their only foal for now. I understand Silver is planning for their next already.”

“She told me. She’s going to declare for Rumble next week.”

Dazzles brows went up. “First I’m hearing of that. They’ve kept it quiet.”

“They have.” After Raindrop had had issues with Dancer’s birth, they’d all been scared to try again. But they’d taken Rosewater’s return as a good omen, and Silver had put her hoof forward. The discussion hadn’t even been a thing for who would be the father. Rumble and Silver had joined the marriage as a pair, and while their sex lives were intermingled completely, they’d never really left the idea behind that Silver’s first would be Rumble’s. “They’re planning on making it public when they declare for each other.”

She was so focused on the gossip that she almost missed it when the boats all passed the rope, with at least two prows passing at the same time.

A hush fell over the little crowd as Rosewater froze the boat clump in place with a spell and stepped forward to examine it, her hooves squelching into the mud of the bank, supported barely by the thick grasses

“I think,” Rosewater announced, keeping her voice carefully neutral, “That we have a tie. A five way tie. It’s just too hard to tell which boat crossed first.”

“A tie?”

Groans rose up from the ponies around her. “Now, now… we could race again, but I think all of your boats decided to gather together and win the race together. Look.”

Carefully, Rosewater lifted the paper boats from the water, their bottoms dripping and soggy, and not a little bit of water in the bottoms, but they were still seaworthy. Also, she’d been right. The glue had melted and flowed together along the sides.

She set the boat on the grass and nudged it lightly. “All together.”

A moment later, Dancer and Flit came back up with their dryer boat, the bottom glazed with some kind of paint. Things started to make sense. It’d floated too high and been too coerced by surface currents rather than the deeper, steadier current that had pulled the other boats along even as they started to sink slowly.

“We lost,” Flit cried.

“This time,” Dancer said seriously. “We’ll win next time, Flit.”

“What’s a tie mean?” one of the other fillies asked Rosewater, prodding at the boat mass and trying to pry away her and her partner’s boat. It moved all of them, and she gave up, looking like she was about to cry.

“It means everyone gets some candy, and you all get to make new boats and race again.”

“Will you judge it again, Miss ‘Water?” another one of the foals asked.

“Sadly, I can’t, but I think Mrs. Glow and Mrs. Wish would be happy to stay and help with everything.”

Fervent spluttered for just a moment, and Golden laughed softly before she nodded vigorously. “We’d love to. Come on everypony, let’s go enjoy candy and make boats!”

Cheers, even from Flit and Dancer, rose up and followed the pair as they headed back towards dryer ground.

“Good of you,” Dazzle murmured. “That will tie them closer to the garden with a dozen tiny hooks.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Rosewater murmured, grinning as she watched the parents and organizers of the next boat race make a parade of it with the glued boat as a sort of talisman for victory. “But I would be happy if they chose to stay. They’re good ponies.”

Dazzle leaned against her for a time, watching them retreat and the general hubbub of the fringes of the festival as the day advanced towards evening. Not far away, the band that would sing and play the night away for dancers that wanted to stay, was warming up and discussing the bill of songs they would play.

“More Dammers this year than any other,” Dazzle murmured, then pushed her gently. “You and I need to go wash our hooves. You, especially, Miss Mudmucker, need to wash up to your cannons.”

“Mudmucker?” She squeaked as Dazzle bolted away, laughing, and dashed after him. “You’ll pay for that!”

“I wish we could have stayed.”

Cloudy glanced at Collar, again at his watch post, his spyglass on Rosewater and Dazzle so close to the river that they could have called out to them.

“That pair of Merrieguard looking for us afterward is the reason we were right to leave.”

“I know. But stars, look at how happy she is.”

“Collar, maybe we should go home,” Cloudy nipped his chin. “You moping about watching her and pining after her isn’t doing your mood any good.”

“Maybe.” His glass stayed fixed on Rosewater until they disappeared into the village’s public bath. They’d be in there for just a few minutes cleaning off the mud, but they’d probably also share a kiss or two, and likely Collar was imagining that. “I want to be able to be open with her. With everypony.”

“Stick to the plan,” Cloudy murmured. “Dapper and Lace are right. We can’t just spring this on ponies. We have to show we’re all friends first. We have to show them that Rosewater isn’t a monster, and she deserves love. Otherwise, Wing and all of his bloc will cry that you’ve been enchanted.”

“I have been.” Collar chuckled. “Stars, those bad romances of yours come in useful at the strangest times.”

“Hey! I love those books.” Cloudy pouted up at him, huffed, and nipped his shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

“I do. And I know. That doesn’t make the waiting easier.” He sighed and turned his attention to the east. “Stride should be coming by soon.”

“Sure, change the subject,” Cloudy grumbled. It was like him to make a step forward, then need to stop and think about it before accepting it and moving on. He was getting better at following his instincts instead of hedging before he accepted that what he wanted was what he wanted.

“He starts east, right?”

“He does. Like clockwork on his runs.” Collar chuckled. “If he were a slow flyer, I might chide him about predictability, but…”

“He’s not beaten me yet.”

“Oh? I do believe he’d disclaim that claim.”

“He could try to disclaim the claim, my lord, but he would lose again.” Cloudy huffed and glanced east past Collar’s shoulder. “There he is.”

Rosewater was still drying off when the cry came, spread like wildfire, and echoed around the bathhouse like the tolling of doom.

“A foal fell in the river!”

Rosewater teleported before she knew where she was going to go, her heart hammering in her chest, and failed. The riverside was blocked. Farther away, then. She tried again even as she started running for the door, and failed again. Something was blocking the space where she was trying to teleport.

Further away. She aimed for the dancing platform, a good hundred meters from the river, but still far closer than she was right then, and landed on all fours with a startled band raising the cry as well.

She arrived just in time to see a pegasus in Dammeguard blues drop like a thrown stone towards the river, hear the hue and cry of cheers, and saw the reason why she couldn’t go anywhere. The entire festival had surged at the the news, and ponies were running through every available space to get closer, to do something. Dammers and Merriers standing shoulder to shoulder, calling back the play-by-play as Rosewater closed the distance and began shoving her way through the crowd, Dazzle on her tail, though dazed and wobbling.

Another teleport ripped at time and space as two figures disappeared from the bridge in a single flash.

Before she could even get close enough to hear anything, the same pegasus leapt skyward, caught a wind, and stopped briefly on the same rooftop Collar and Cloudy were departing. He dropped something off at their hooves with barely a pause, and cracked the air on his way back towards the heart of Damme.

In the next instant, Cloudy had taken off, and the cracking sound of her reaching the same speed as the savior’s reached them only a second later.

“Get back!” Seed’s roaring voice came up over the murmuring shouting crowd. “Give him some room, he’s breathing! Give him air!”

The surging crush of bodies paused, then began to disperse in clumps of fours and fives, all of them talking and wondering just who the pony who’d dived for the foal was.

Rosewater’s heart settled back to a swift gallop instead of a panicked and hasty sprint, and she raised her own voice. “Thank you for the swift response, everypony. Those with medical talents, please stay. You may be needed.”

“Good thought,” Dazzle murmured to her, and raised his own voice. “Did anypony see who saved the foal?”

Hardly important right now, Rosewater almost hissed, but shook it from her head and finally breached the wall of ponies slowly moving back from a circle of force Seed was maintaining around the choking, coughing form of … Raindrop Dancer.

Silver Drop was there, too, laid out in the mud with her son’s head resting on one of her forelegs while he coughed, breathed, coughed more, and settled in to breath more easily, though he kept his eyes closed.

Seed met her eyes as she stepped into the invisible circle ponies had made, and made the circle more tangible with a misting spell. It’d be easier to see, and harder to see inside. Silver needed a little bit of privacy with her child.

“Keep an eye out for any ponies with medical talents,” Rosewater told Dazzle. “Pass them through, but keep others out aside from Dancer’s family.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said crisply, the Dammeguard training coming back. He leapt back across just as Seed met her a few paces from the foal and mother.

Before Seed could even open his mouth, a matronly mare with a foal in swaddling for a cutie mark ducked inside, glanced briefly at Rosewater and Seed, then promptly ignored them to make her hurried way to Dancer’s side.

“What happened?” Rosewater asked, glancing over Seed’s shoulder as Petal came up, a Dammeguard helm held to her breast.

“He fell,” Seed said softly, and glanced up towards the obscured bridge. “He was trying to race his boat better, I think. He wanted to win.” He closed his eyes, looking tired. “I tried to reach him from the bridge, but he was too far by the time I teleported and reoriented.”

“You did all you could. Do you know who it was that saved him?” Rosewater nodded her head to the helmet Petal still held. “That’s his?”

“It is,” Petal said, clutching it tighter with her spell, then relaxing. “Can you get a scent from it?”

She could smell it from where she stood. A musky stallion scent, full of sweat and toil, and a touch of fear. Faint, presumably before the helmet strap had broken. No doubt it was his regular helmet.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Rosewater murmured, and glanced past them to the midwife just as a taller mare with a doctor’s bag cutie mark, and accompanying doctor’s bag and festival helper tabard bustled in. “Good, thank you for responding so quickly, Roseheath.”

“Of course, m’lady,” she responded without breaking stride and opening her bag on the way.

Roselyn slipped in just after, leading the rest of Dancer’s family, her face flushed and her breath coming in pants. “I found them all. They were getting ready for the dance.”

She didn’t have to direct them to the site, but Silver rose to stop them, and nodded to the two ponies working on Dancer.

“I think we’ve done all we can,” Rosewater murmured, shaking her head as she shrunk the misting barrier to just large enough to cover the family. Just as she did, and Dazzle rejoined her, the sound of jangling straps and buckles sounded the distinctive cadence of the Merrieguard at a quick trot. “Stars, what next.”

“My lady Rosewater,” Kiss said, glancing over at the misted bubble, then back to Rosewater. “We received an official offer of aid from Damme if any is needed. Lord Collar and Cloudy Rosewing saw the entire event from their vantage.”

And she without any momentum. She must be beating herself up for not leaping first. “Everything appears to be handled, but I should go meet with him and explain that the situation is in control now.”

“I’ll go with you, auntie,” Seed said, his voice more subdued. “I should thank him for his swift offer. And offer our thanks to Dancer’s savior.”

“Of course.” Rosewater nudged her nephew lightly with her shoulder and glanced behind. “Petal, can you handle events here if anything happens?”

“I’ll stay to help, too,” Dazzle said, glancing at the bridge, then back to Petal. “I have some first aid training. It won’t do much good, but I can at least assist Roseheath.”

She was still wearing the ribbons in her mane, though her hooves up to her cannon were streaked with mud still, though diluted. She looked… tired, too. Far more than he’d ever seen her aside from the first time he’d met her without the veil of animosity between them. She’d been nearly dead on her feet then.

Now… it was the adrenaline fading tiredness that he recognized all-too-well. Seed, beside her, seemed less the sleepy layabout he always pretended to be, and more actually tired, his eyes haunted by what might have been.

Prim Platinum, at his side, seemed to misunderstand his mood and set a hoof to his leg. “It’ll be okay, my lord. Cloudy can calm him down.”

“I hope so.” Collar swallowed the next question. It would have to wait. This wasn’t Platinum’s duty station today. She was supposed to be on patrol duty. But she and a few other Dammeguard had seen Strides and Cloudy streaking away and surmised there was trouble.

“I heard you had lunch with her,” Platinum whispered to him in an aside.

So quickly? He’d thought he’d have at least a whole day before someone asked him. “I did. She’s a good mare, Platinum. Misunderstood, perhaps, and an efficient soldier, but good at heart.”

Streak, at his other side, didn’t quite scoff. He wouldn’t do that while Collar was in earshot, but he did shoot Platinum a glower. “I hope her mother doesn’t show up.”

“Stars, me too,” Collar said with a grunt. “I don’t doubt she’s been informed, but I hope she views it as a lesser emergency for now.”

“Is she wearing…” Streak’s voice came out incredulously as he stared at Rosewater, still beautiful with her braided pink mane and Damme-blue ribbons woven throughout. “Stars, she is. What in Tartarus?”

“Today’s festival in Merrie was meant to be a celebration of both cities,” Collar reminded him gently. “She takes her duties seriously, even that of representing her home when it’s fostering unity.”

Streak stared at him, incredulity plain in his eyes, but he glanced at Rosewater and her… nephew, as he understood their relationship, as they stopped to talk with the Merrieguard guarding the center span of the bridge.

“My lord, far be it from me to question your changing views on matters, but she’s the Rose Terror,” he hissed, drawing a sharper look from Platinum. The name had been forbidden from the halls of the palace, and had been spreading through the ranks with rather less enthusiasm. “She tried to capture you twice!”

“She didn’t. Rumors to the contrary are lies, Lance Corporal Streak,” Collar said rather more harshly than he’d intended. “What she did was protect me from her mother’s advances.”

Streak seemed about to continue, but a shake of the head from Platinum, and a firm frown promising a dressing down later settled him back on his haunches, unhappy, but at least quiet. It seemed that he’d have to talk to Captain Pink about Rosewater’s image, despite the meager amount of work they’d been able to put into repairing it thus far.

“Please trust me, Streak, when I say that I’ve had the mare’s measure for some time now. She’s a soldier. You and Platinum didn’t have to raid Damme, so you don’t know what it’s like to have to capture ponies and hold them against their will for ransom, but she does, and she regrets every one of them. But… she was a soldier, following orders. Nothing more.”

“She should have refused,” Streak grumbled.

“A sentiment I can assure you she shares.”

Whatever the jam had been cleared a few tense moments later, and one of the Merrieguard, a pegasus, took off and swung towards the Rose Palace, presumably to tell Roseate that all was handled.

“Will you give his name?” Platinum asked suddenly.

“I—” Collar hesitated, glancing at both of his guards and knowing they would expect Stride to be targeted if he gave the name. He might, if the wrong ears were listening, and the blame would fall on Rosewater. “I won’t.”

Streak nodded, but his hurt pride would be a problem, and he would likely bring his grievance to Wing. Yet another burr in the elder Primfeather’s butt when they met.

“Thank you, my lord,” Platinum said, offering him a smile. “I know they aren’t all Rosethorns. Even the Rosethorns aren’t… well, they’re not all like Roseate and…” Her voice trailed off as she studied the mare making her way up the shallow curve of the bridge to the center span. “Like Roseate,” she said finally.

“Not all Rosethorns are as bad as the matriarch,” he said softly. “You’re right about that, Platinum.”

“My lord Primline Collar,” Rosewater’s voice rose above the rush of the river below. “We would have a treaty peace to talk. I, and my community have thanks to give.”

The sound of her voice, sonorous and rich, sent a thrill through his heart. So soon after the realization of love, hearing her after being parted for even two days made him want to hold her, to kiss her. In her eyes, he saw the same ache, hidden behind layers and only visible in the way her eyes lingered overlong on his before they swept over his entourage.

Soon. Just another few days of waiting. Then he could tell her, make that ache go away, and reassure her that he wouldn’t leave her.

“I saw the aftermath,” he said in as soothing a voice as he could. “Please, tell me the foal is unharmed.”

“He is, to all appearances. Our village doctor is looking him over,” Rosewater said with a small smile. “Thanks in large part to your courier’s efforts, though he did not stay around to let his family properly show their gratitude. I think he was scared off by the crowd.”

The stallion at her side coughed, a faint flush and a sheepish grin making him seem all the more familiar to Collar, but no name came despite the nagging insistence that he knew this pony. “Rose Seed, my lord. I, er, apologize for my people’s enthusiasm. We’re a close-knit community and, well, when somepony does such a great deed, they tend to think about little things like comfort last.”

“Rose Seed.” Collar blinked as the name triggered more memories. “Last year’s Autumn Gala in Merrie. You showed me around some of the sweets and pastry vendors. And, as I recall… rather a goodly few vintners as well. And your own”

“Ah, aheh, yes.” Seed’s ears flattened further and he coughed into his foreleg. “I recall I got rather… sauced.”

“Maybe so, yes, but I had a good time all the same. It was a refreshing taste of something different.” Collar smiled, bowed his head, and turned his attention back to Rosewater, who was also looking rather sheepish, though she banished it with the skill of nobility. She, he recalled now, had spent the night mostly in the company of a pretty earth pony and disappeared early. “My lady, I would be happy to convey any thanks to the courier, should he be able to be found. He took off at quite a clip.”

Rosewater narrowed her eyes briefly at him, then relaxed and nodded. “I barely caught a glimpse of him myself, my lord, I was hoping you would know his name. The family is grateful. More than grateful. He’s a hero, Lord Collar, and he would be well looked after for the day, the week, if he chose to visit.” She paused, her eyes meeting his firmly as she added, “I would personally ensure his well being.”

Streak snorted, drawing Rosewater’s attention and Collar’s instant ire, but he seemed to recognize that almost instantly and backed away to loiter behind one of the larger earth pony guards.

“My apologies and thanks at once,” Collar said, forcing himself to keep a serene calm about him. “For my subordinate’s disdain, and for the offer. We were, of course, happy to save the foal, and no thanks is necessary. This conflict between us has nothing to do with the youngest of both of our cities, and it’s my wish that the young foal… what is his name?”

“Raindrop Dancer,” Seed said, offering an upturned hoof. “He’s a wonderful little colt, and he really does live up to his name. Every rainstorm, he’s outside, dancing to his heart’s content.” He chuckled, his eyes crinkling as he smiled broadly. “Little guy really brings up the vineyard’s spirits.”

“All the more reason I would wish for him, and his entire family,” he said, fixing Seed with a look that he hoped conveyed he knew the four parents would be welcome, “be free of the conflict that so drives our cities apart. Please give them my thanks, and I wish I could do more, but we’re busy with preparations for the gala, but our city is open to them should they wish it.”

“My thanks, my lord. And speaking of the gala, we’ll be there, my Petal and I,” Seed said laconically, a lazy smile gracing his lips.

“Of course, of course,” Collar chuckled, flicking a look at Rosewater that she didn’t miss, and she gave him a minute twitch of the lips in return. Message received. “I would give you prime pick of real estate to set up, Rose Seed. If you would visit the palace oh, say in five days time, at around two in the afternoon? I have some free time.”

Rosewater gave him a curious look, but nodded and smiled at the end. “Do not forget, my lord, we have our negotiations that morning as well.”

I didn’t forget, and neither did Primfeather Wing. “I have not forgotten, my lady. Your cousin has been a delight, as many of my guard can attest to, some more personally than others.” He bowed his head as Platinum’s ears went rigidly straight and her coat shivered. Yes, I know about you and Rosemary, and I approve. “Would that the rest of your family were so courteous.”

“I try to set an example,” Rosewater said with a sigh, then rolled her gaze to Seed. “He is as good as his word, Seed. Should he find the pegasus and the pegasus be willing, you will have your name and I will do all I can to facilitate a meeting between family and saviour. I doubt he knows that he would be lauded and loved.”

Seed gave her a long, searching look, then nodded briefly. “Of course, my lady. He, er, also left his helmet behind. The, aheh, the family said they wanted to hold onto it until they could give it to him personally. Not as a ransom, I assure you.”

Collar chuckled. “A padded helm makes a poor hostage in any case.”

“That it does, but they kept it because they want to show him how grateful they are. He would be a guest of honor at our table, and theirs, and his safety assured.”

“Doubly,” Rosewater added, fixing Collar with a firm look.

“Point well taken,” Collar said, raising a hoof and smiling placatingly. “I will do my utmost to ensure that he is found and that he knows just how much his actions are appreciated.” He tapped his hoof lightly on the ground before either cousin could start in on him again. “Now, I believe that we ought return to our cities and continue our businesses.”

Rosewater’s eyes flinched up to meet his, then away, and licked her lips before she regained control of herself. “Of course, my lord. I have no doubt that little Dancer will want to dance, once he’s had a chance to warm up and take a nap. And we still have our dance tonight.”

It was an invitation, and he knew it was. She was all but making it explicit. Rather than let it linger in obscurity, he addressed it directly, “As much as I would love to join you for a dance, my lady, I’m afraid that this night I have other duties.”

She stared at him, her jaw dropping open for a moment before it clicked shut.

He feigned obliviousness for a moment before Platinum coughed at his side. “Oh! Stars, Rosewater. I do apologize. I meant one of the group dances your city is known for.” And he immediately kicked himself when the instant of hope vanished, the hurt look subsumed almost faster than it had come upon her features by one of her masks. “Though, if the opportunity presented itself, it would serve the promise of unity well if we were to share one of the energetic partner dances.”

“Then… you’ll come?”

“Sadly, I saw enough Merrieguard sweeping the festival that I would not feel safe, my lady.”

“Your safety would be guaranteed by the treaty, my lord, and myself personally, as I’ve done twice before.” She wanted it so badly, he could see, and he wanted to give it to her, but…

“I’ll accompany you, my lord, as added protection, if you truly wish to show our ponies that unity and cooperation is possible,” Platinum said from his side, her eyes locked on Rosewater. “I admit to being intrigued by the event.”

“Then, let this be my formal statement of intent. I’ll be there for the dance tonight. I must arrange a few things with my parents and Cloudy first.” He wouldn’t risk her presence potentially interrupting the dance by having Merrieguard attempt to arrest her. He, at least, didn’t have an arrest warrant in Merrie that he was aware of. “But I’ll be there before the festivities begin.”

Author's Note

The Rose Way
Carapace's story starts here.

Next post is going to be a real treat.