I. Of Treason and Tradition
It was a cool, early spring morning in Canterlot; the crisp mountain air, patches of frost coating the grass, and the warming sun chasing Winter's cold away all a testament to the beauty surrounding me... or, rather; the coach which carried me to my destination. I've never much fancied Canterlot; too refined for my tastes. This wasn't to say I was a stranger to the lavish, by any means; I am a Countess after all. I always was a more... "practical" mare, however. Even the most elegant of parties I hosted at my hall in Trottingham were nowhere near as decadent as the day to day life here in this, the capital of our Kingdom.
"Why so somber, August?" The Mare sitting across from me asked.
She was Silver Tongue; my first cousin, once removed. A generation older than me, at that; and the closest embodiment of everything stereotypically associated with Aristocracy I knew or genuinely cared for. "You know why." I replied, a hint of bitterness in my tone. Not that I meant to direct it at her; she'd done nothing to upset me... lately. She, meanwhile, seemed to get what I meant.
"Come now; this is a fascinating opportunity to see the workings of another world applied to our own fair nation. Her Majesty, Princess Twilight only advocates reform with the best of intent, I'm sure..." She said, attempting to soothe the discontent I felt, as expected
"Mm, yes; I suppose her fascination with the wonders of another world justifies this as well." I retorted sourly; drawing attention to my new anatomy; the same anatomy ponies throughout Equestria now shared. Namely presenting the odd appendage with five protruding digits known as "hands"; which still felt very much alien in place of the hooves I was so used to.
"The public statement her majesty released claims it was an accident, a mere magical mishap. Nopony seems to mind, really; if anything I'd say it's made things easier on all of us. And don't pretend as though you weren't adapting your skills with the blade in light of these changes the past several weeks." She said in defense of the crown.
I pondered for a moment, conceding this part of the argument to her. "I suppose it is silly to rile myself up over that matter." A brief, uncomfortable silence falling over the coach before I continued. "Nevertheless; I still don't approve of this 'Parliament' Princess Twilight is proposing. Let alone the irresponsibility of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, displays in allowing Commoners and Nobles alike to partake in this government. Neither are worthy of such powers beyond those which they've traditionally held, and you know it. Just look at how prosperous we've been the past thousand years and tell me we honestly need any form of change. I believe the craftsponies have a saying which fits well here; 'There's no sense fixing what isn't broken'."
She sat there silently, pondering my points for a moment. "A fair assessment, I suppose... Nevertheless; one should never judge a book by its cover. We should be arriving any minute now; we'll be able to witness this system in action soon enough. All I ask is that you refrain from passing judgement until we've seen for ourselves how a Parliament operates."
I said nothing, offering a nod for affirmation. Beyond that, however, the remainder of our journey carried on in silence. Eventually we arrived; the building wherein the "Parliament" would be gathering apparently still undergoing refurnishing. I recognized it from earlier visits to Canterlot; an estate belonging to Prince Blueblood, winter or summer... I wasn't quite sure, nor did I particularly care about that little detail. Though it did beg the question; what extremes did Princess Celestia have to go to in order to get her... "charming"... Nephew to surrender the use of this building?
I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Blueblood being thrown out on the streets, left with nothing; which was far more generous than the swine deserved. I quickly found myself brought from my thoughts to the here and now as one of the stallions whom had been pulling our coach opened the door, bowing respectfully to my cousin as she stepped out, acknowledging his respectful gesture with a nod. I, myself, stepped out soon afterwards; bowing my head to the stallion. From my belt I produced two small, though nevertheless generously full, purses of bits for each whom had provided us transportation here from the foot of the mountain.
He and his companion bode us a fond farewell, Silver looking to me as I turned away from them, allowing the two to carry on about their business. "Ever the generous gentlemare, aren't you?" She asked, walking alongside me towards the door, in front of which stood two royal guards.
"If I had to harness myself to a coach and subject myself to the whim of every entitled cretin in this city day after day, I'd expect a generous pay as I'm certain they do. Wouldn't you?" I asked, knowing there'd be no time for an answer.
Silver passed the guards with another acknowledging nod and a friendly smile. I, on the other hoof... or rather, hand; passed without a word or gesture. In hindsight, this was rather rude of me; though at the time my mind was otherwise occupied with other matters, matters which seemed far more important at the time.
Gradually turning my thoughts outward to my surroundings once again, I began to take note of just how many ponies had come to attend this little gathering. Fellow Nobles, their retainers, staff in service to the Crown and guards keeping a vigilant watch over the crowd. The antechamber teemed with self-indulgence reminiscent of that which I'd seen at the Marelin Masquerade I'd attended not several weeks prior. It was at that event I'd met many ponies whom I saw now as allies. Friendly faces in the midst of these... turbulent times. Even then, calling them friendly was a stretch. As usual; there were many whom I cared nothing for, and a few whose dedication to our cause I actually questioned. Still; if Equestria was to be saved, I had to see these several dozen as more than circumstantial allies.
Fortune smiled upon me, as it seemed we were to be starting not a few minutes after my arrival. "Stallions and Gentlemares; this way, please." A servant directed upon emerging from a set of double doors leading us into the chamber in which we were to meet.
One by one; everypony and their attendants made their way into the chamber. I, myself, kept well behind the mass of pomp as each individual waltzed their way into the chamber for the new "House of Nobles" which would exist alongside the "House of Commons" in this Parliament of ours.
When I finally felt comfortable entering, I saw the whole design was vaguely reminiscent of an Amphitheater; with the realm's Aristocracy sitting in rows of seats, each subtly higher than the rest, encircling four thrones in the centre; two of which I noticed were occupied; by the Princess' Twilight and Luna.
I found a seat and made myself comfortable; the lavender-coated Princess standing, looking enthusiastic at the turnout she'd received. "Welcome, everypony." She opened, drawing the attention of everypony in the room as she spoke. "It's wonderful to see so many of you took the time to attend this session. Before we actually begin integrating this into our government, I wanted to go over the basic functions of this system with everypony; provide a better understanding of the direction our country's going in, and in turn help everypony feel more comfortable with this..."
I must say, she was getting better at public speaking... at least by the standards of my "peers"; enough so that they wouldn't snicker at or mock her under their breath. Beyond this, however, everything she said fueled a fire raging inside me. That smile she wore so easily, while she slowly, torturously drove her figurative knife into the very heart of this country... I found it difficult to keep a level head as things stood; and with a deep breath, my thoughts turned to lighter subjects. I began to drown out the words of that damned reformationist speaking, focusing instead on the Masquerade I attended in Marelin...
The room was filled with the sweet, soothing music of the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra commissioned by Marelin's duchess. All around me was a bright, colourful, frivolous display of Aristocratic lifestyle; ponies dressed in costumes, with barely a patch of fur exposed. Then the masks; those along with the flashy headdress of many a substantial Noblemare, and the occasional Stallion who managed to inherit a title and estate.
I, personally, kept to myself away from the display; never having been one for social gathers, especially when other Aristocrats were involved. Few shared my outlook on life; that we should be more imperious as a nation and generous to those we govern over, bearing in mind that while there were only a handful of us; there were millions of commoners whom could, at any such time they felt discontent, rise against us with disastrous results.
Most were content to keep to tradition; living with little interference into the lives of the commoners, except for those serving our respective houses directly. While the neglect of the lower classes had been benign thus far, I still felt some amount of disappointment with my peers for lacking the ambition to be anything more than they were. Still, the whole reason I'd even bothered appearing at this otherwise intolerable display of flippancy was due in part to the fact that, while utterly disinterested in proving they deserved the titles they were born with, a sizable amount of Aristocrats did indeed concern themselves with the internal affairs of our nation. There were those whom had seen the direction we were being led in as concerning; and here I stood now, waiting for them to finish entertaining themselves that we may conduct our business in private.
Somepony approached me; it was difficult to tell who they were until we actually started speaking on account of their attire. "Guten Abend, August; you do know you stick out like a timberwolf among sheep with that attire, yes?" The Duchess of Marelin, Equity, asked; commenting on my appearance.
I'd chosen the dress of a duelist; a non-heraldic tabard over a gambeson; with leather gloves and leggings. A far cry from what the Duchess wore; a custom-made dress from a shop in Ponyville; belonging to one "Rarity" if I was remembering the name correctly. There were few who could believe such a stunning display of simplistic elegancy could have come from a rural community of that manner, and I will concede; it had come as some surprise to me as well, both the origins of the dress and the willingness of Her Grace to wear this dress made by a commoner. "Am I truly that easy to recognize?" I asked rhetorically in response to her comment. "I suppose it's a good thing we're both of a more practical mentality, Your Grace; I find it easy to forget there are ponies underneath all this pomp surrounding us."
Lady Equity chuckled at my quip. "Yes, it would seem some concern themselves more with enjoying their title, and flaunting the prestige their predecessors earned. Nevertheless; the time for them to prove their worth approaches quickly. Come; we'll speak more of this during the intermission." She said, motioning for me to follow; the orchestra's piece coming to an end, the ponies playing taking some time to rest and tend to matters of importance before the next piece began.
There were a fair amount of ponies following the Duchess and I towards the private rooms of the estate; moreso than I'd anticipated, to be honest. This came as a relief, seeing many whom I wanted to believe were sympathetic to our cause; though a dozen other possibilities crossed my mind, few as pleasant as that which I wanted to believe...
We gathered in a large conference room; around a circular table which was filled to capacity within mere moments. Taking count of all whom I assumed weren't retainers watching over their respective Ladies and Lords, I counted roughly forty whom I recognized as holding some title of Nobility and/or an estate; once they'd removed their masks that was. This wasn't taking into account all of their personal retainers, the Ponies-at-Arms they could summon from their individual fiefdoms' population, and other variables which could greatly affect the outcome of any action we took against the Crown.
"A fond welcome to you all." The Duchess said once everypony had taken their seats, Lady Equity panning the room once before carrying on. "I won't waste any time; we all know why it is we're here. To those of you who haven't had the time or inclination to keep up with court politics as of late; Her Most Esteemed Majesty, Princess Celestia, has been swayed to approve the formation of the Parliamentary system as part of Princess Twilight's proposed socio-political reforms."
An unsettled silence fell over the room; I could see a wide variety of angered expressions coming across the faces of some of the more prominent Nobles, whilst those supporting these houses for whatever reason seemed to react to this development with greater indifference.
After offering another glance over those present, Her Eminence continued. "She means to call an opening session for the new 'House of Nobles', which will consist of anypony and everypony holding any landed title in our Kingdom. To introduce us to this system, at least such is the statement she made. There will be a House of Commons in addition; taking elected representatives from the lower classes to work alongside us in the drafting of a Constitution."
The room exploded then and there; cries of outrage rising from some of the more Traditionalist Aristocrats, while the few who remained level-headed tried to calm them. Their bickering came to an abrupt stop when the Duchess stood, slamming her fist down on the table and glaring at everypony with a look which demanded their attention.
"Enough," She said, when the room calmed down enough for her to be heard. "Cease this childish in-fighting; our gathering here tonight is so that we may resolve the matter. And rest assured, we will be solving the matter. Are the Princess' actions intolerable? Absolutely. Have we made our stance on the matter of reform clear? Of course. She ignores us, however; hiding behind Princess Celestia, whom we've entrusted since time immemorial with the responsibility of governing our nation. We expected her rulership to be strong, centralized, unifying. Now, however, it's becoming quite clear she's lacking in that capability our ancestors saw in her all those years ago. Rather than return to us the powers our predecessors invested in her, she's been swayed in favour of having us share authority with the commoners, to bring us closer to some semblance of ancient Earth Pony 'Democracy', and at the highest echelon of Government at that. Such a breach of tradition is utterly unacceptable."
A moment of silence as she collected her thoughts, having a clear effect on her audience, myself included.
"So in light of all that's happened, and with the assurance that we have provided fair warning and do in fact possess casus belli; I would request that after tonight, everypony present gather their forces. Raise your levies; arm, outfit, and train them properly. We have less than a month before this 'Parliament' opens; when it does, we shall all attend to see for ourselves the lengths Princess Twilight is willing to go to in order to destroy this country, and shall declare our lawful intent to stop her from doing so. Are there any objections?"
Nopony spoke out against this resolution. I could see some held reservations; and I could certainly say the idea of taking action against the Alicorn Princess' was... a very terrifying thought. War in and of itself seemed terrifying enough, especially considering our nation hasn't known its horrors for centuries now. I reassured myself in both regards; telling myself that Celestia would never act directly against the ponies of Equestria, and that nopony could ever truly be prepared for what lay ahead of us... I held my tongue; the plan being sound, whilst anything else at this point was mere nitpicking.
Lady Equity, with some concern evident behind an expression of forced resolution, nodded slightly. "Very well, then. Steel yourselves, friends. By Springtime, we march on Canterlot. For Equestria!"
"For Equestria!" Everypony exclaimed, some having an easier time masking their fear with confidence than others.
"For Equestria!" I proclaimed alongside them, my own doubts eating away at my mind... Doubts which were erased as I heard the distant words of Twilight Sparkle, pulling me from this memory back to the present.
"...And hopefully, we should be able to form a government capable of seeing us through good times and bad easier than we currently can. One which will be fair and inclusive to everypony." The young Princess said, finishing her public address.
That did it. I couldn't take any more of it. Barely taking note of Lady Equity, who sat two rows down, as she started to stand; I almost leapt out of my seat, vocalizing my discontent. "No!" I exclaimed, drawing over a hundred pairs of eyes within moments. It took me a moment to compose myself, setting my social awkwardness aside, filling that void with the outrage I felt towards the insolence and inconsideration of the recently-coronated Twilight Sparkle. "Who are you to break tradition so?!" I exclaimed, staring her down with an obvious flame raging behind my eyes; taking note of her expression and her ears folding back against her head. "Who are you to deny us our ancient rights?! What do you think this will accomplish? I see nothing in this system but the unnecessary complication of a problem which always had a simple solution, and the creation of yet another overly complicated problem to boot! There's a reason Unicornia was a vastly superior state to the Earth Ponies of ancient times! By Tirek, even the Pegasi were intelligent enough to recognize the concept of 'Democracy' was a stupid idea!"
That caused an uproar, as expected. I didn't care at that point, merely raising my voice to be heard above the others. "Your obsession with the human world and its workings have blinded you! Your manipulations lead our beloved Princess Celestia astray, and your blatant negligence towards this nation's traditions might as well be akin to treating a wound with salt! You would condemn us all and as far as my comrades and I are concerned, there's only one solution to this matter; War!"
The room fell silent at the mention of that last word; war... A concept alien to everypony who stood in this room; one my allies feared and one my enemies approached with disbelief. The look on Princess Luna's face... is a look I'll never quite forget. I was surprised she hadn't stepped in to quell this talk of rebellion... I wasn't quite sure how to take the fact she'd sat there throughout all this, listening with greater interest than she had been when Twilight spoke.
Coming out of my stupor, I realized Equity had picked up where I left off; from a much more calm and collected point of view. "Recognizing the ancient laws of our Kingdom; I speak for my colleague, Lady August, and a number of others when I confirm our intent to escalate this issue. We've made it quite clear to the Princess' Twilight and Celestia numerous times that reform is unwanted, as it is unnecessary. These reforms are in violation of the rights held by our respective houses, and of Equestrian tradition. Our demands are for an end to the reformation effort, and the abdication of Twilight Sparkle from her position."
The look of confidence and eagerness on the aforementioned Princess' face was all but gone now; replaced with a mix of shock, fear, and personal injury upon hearing all this. I could tell she was trying to take it all in, and at the very least I sympathized with her in that regard. Many things ran through my head as our plans were made public, in front of a higher authority no less... and while Luna had nowhere near as much of an intimidating effect as Celestia would have, she still added a great deal of tension to an already tense situation as she pondered what was being put forth.
"How many?" She asked after what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, much to my surprise.
"The County of Hoofstein stands with Duchess Equity!" The countess of the aforementioned fief stated.
"The County of Bitvaria stands with Marelin."
"The Duchy of Mareseilles stands with Duchess Equity!"
"The Viscounty of the Shetland Isles stands with Duchess Equity."
"The Dukedom of Baltimate stands with the Duchy of Marelin."
"The Barony of Hollow Shades stands with Marelin."
...
Forty-seven... Duchess Equity's own holdings included. "The Country of Trottingham stands with Marelin!" I added towards the end, making it officially forty-eight; forty-eight out of one hundred and seven Nobles of varying rank gathered here today.
Another tense silence fell over the room, Princess Luna contemplating this as the last few Nobles in favour of this rebellion stated their allegiance. "Your demands are... recognized." She said, her expression becoming solid and difficult to read. I could have sworn I saw a hint of sympathy for a moment, though perhaps I was merely hoping too hard for a friend amongst the royalty. "You're all guaranteed safe passage out of Canterlot. I will bring your demands to Princess Celestia. I hope you'll consider a more peaceful alternative, Lady Equity. You're dismissed."
With that settled, those of us siding with the Duchess headed towards the exits. Those who remained loyal to the crown took our rebellion in a variety of ways; some casting bitter glances while others seemed terrified. Some seemed to be taking everything in, absorbing the exchange between Madame Equity and Princess Luna; and there were plenty on both sides who seemed utterly conflicted in terms of feelings.
I'd be lying if I said I felt any differently from them. Whilst I was decidedly against all which was being imposed upon us, taking it to such an extreme... A part of me felt as though something more could have, should have, and maybe even would have been done. I offered one glance back at the thrones which sat in the center of the room. I took careful note of Princess Twilight, how she seemed on the verge of tears; overwhelmed by everything. I pondered how she'd deal with it, catching an ominous glimpse in the resentful expression she shot everypony as we left the room. There was no withdrawing now; my slip of tongue had brought us to this point, and... Luna, if only I'd known what manner of hell I unleashed that day.
II. The Threshold of Chaos
Another warm spring morning. The chill of winter had just barely faded into a mere memory. The landscape flourished... flowers blooming, trees leafing, birds chirping amongst the foliage and overhead, while a number of curious critters watched this gathering from the underbrush around the nearby river. It had been less than a week since the declaration of war was made and our demands put forth to the Royalty. Their response was made quite clear when agents under the employ of Duchess Equity reported several regiments of Royal Guard had set out from Canterlot towards Marelin and other large fiefs. A call to arms was promptly sent to all the outlying Lords and Ladies and, naturally, I set out with as many ponies as I could muster.
To call them soldiers would be... the worst of overstatements anypony could ever make. As expected, none had ever seen conflict beyond a petty personal squabble. And whilst I had recovered some fine military manuals from my estate's library, there was only so much that could be taught in a month. Even then nothing would compensate for the experience. Not to put myself above them at all, no; I knew I was just as poorly versed in matters of war and warfare as any of them were. They knew this and some took comfort in that fact. Others found it even more demoralizing. Still, I stood alongside my ponies on the field this day, determined to involve myself directly and command with competence... or at least learn how to do so.
The only other pony who seemed to share my sentiment in this regard was the Duchess of Marelin herself, standing at the head of her levy. She kept cool as she watched the progress of the approaching Royal Guard closely. I made up our left flank alongside the militia sent by Hoofstein, commanded by a retainer of the aforementioned fief's Countess. The levy from Bitvaria made up our right, positioned next to the river which snaked its way through the valley and the center of the very city we meant to defend. As with Hoofstein, the Countess had sent one of her retainers to fight in her place, though at least in her case such was justified. The Countess of Bitvaria was rather weak and sickly.
With the heraldry pained onto shields and displayed by the tabards of the troops, and fluttering banners working alongside those to compliment the blooming landscape around us, it certainly was a colourful display we found ourselves putting on for our enemy. A part of me feared that was all it would be... then I reminded myself; these ponies were strangers to conflict, just as we were. We'd see how their discipline held up when it finally came to blows.
The Guard stopped, however; their commanding officer, an aging Pegasus, removing his helmet and stepping forward with a small entourage. Lady Equity and her retinue advanced in response, the two meeting in the middle of the field between our armies.
"By the order of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, you are to disband your forces immediately. To surrender all your holdings, along with yourself to be tried for treason." The crown's puppet said, clear and concise, his voice raised slightly that the rest of us might hear him as well.
"Is that so?" Equity asked, casting a quick glance back at all of us gathered. "Tell Celestia if she wants me in irons, she can come chain me up herself." The Duchess said defiantly, turning from the Stallion and marching back to our lines. Her retainers kept a watchful eye on their lady and the Guard, ready to protect her with their lives if necessary.
The Guard Commander watched her for a moment, a scowl coming across his face shortly before he placed the helmet back on his head, withdrawing to his own lines. "Arms at the ready!" He exclaimed, a wall of shields and spears forming in front of us; whilst Pegasus lancers hovered in the air above, taking on a more defensive role than offensive. "Advance!"
With that, the seemingly impenetrable phalanx marched towards us, starting at a steady enough pace... which picked up when they realized we weren't firing on them. Looking to the Duchess, she nodded in my direction; signaling it was time we put out own plan into action.
I gestured for my ponies to start widening our formation, taking the bulk of my force and moving them as far to the left as I could. Meanwhile, the Hoofstein levy took their entire company to the left and forward. As anticipated, the lancers took note of our movement and recognized that we meant to surround them. Their advance slowed in response to this, the regiment changing formation. A square of spears and pikes formed, contrasting the more mobile wall they'd been using before.
So far, so good... next came the matter of distracting the Pegasi. We ordered the archers within each of our respective levies to let loose a volley, which they did with some success. This managed to scramble the Pegasi, who otherwise deftly avoided the projectiles. Taking this opportunity, we had our own Pegasi take flight. None were armed our outfitted anywhere near as well as the lancers they opposed, though this only gave them more of an advantage in terms of aerodynamics. Lightly armed and outfitted, our ponies took to harassing the airborne Royal Guard, who responded in turn with vain attempts to catch their rebellious brethren. All the while, ponies were sent back to the city proper to fetch the weapons which would aid us in breaking the defensive square formed by the Guard.
It was like watching a dance... seeing the Guard and Militia alike lash out at each other, only for one to swiftly dodge the attack of the other. I could only imagine how thrilling it was; and watching these ponies twist, turn, dive, and more with the great dexterity they displayed... it made me slightly envious I lacked the ability to experience what surely would have been a joy, had there been no threat of death.
Inevitably, blood was spilled, and by Celestia... nopony was prepared when it finally happened. A Lancer failed to recover properly after his charge was avoided; the pony from the Marelin Levy taking this opportunity to make her own attack. She ran her blade through his back, where his armour was weakest. Time itself seemed to slow at that point. It felt like eons passed, watching him plummet to the ground... if the steel hadn't killed him, then the fall certainly had. Everypony watched the scene in stunned silence, none having seen the life of another taken before; let alone by the hands of another pony. A mare beside me with a weak stomach couldn't handle the sight, releasing the contents of her stomach onto the grass in front of her. A mix of emotions surged through everypony present, and I could see the mare responsible for this, the first blood of the war, staring at her bloodied sword with a horrified expression.
"B-bastard!" One of the nearby Guardsponies shouted, charging toward the mare responsible for killing his comrade. She barely collected herself in time to weave around his attack; the Guard, in his blind rage, finding himself struck by an arrow through the throat.
Those who couldn't pull themselves together in time found themselves impaled on the lancers namesake weapons, the fortunate merely brushing with death. In either regard, it was still very much demoralizing to our ponies; who must have been thanking Celestia by the time the withdrawal was sounded. Archers on the ground kept all but the most enraged of Guardsponies from pursuing our Pegasi back to our lines, those ponies' lives ending rather abruptly.
The Marelin Levy's ranks broke as the Duchess' ballistae were brought forth, adjusted appropriately, and fired. By the time the Royal Guard realized what we were doing, it was too late. The steel-tipped bolts of the archaic siege weapons broke through their shields; penetrating two or three ponies before coming to a stop. The rank was broken; the leadership struggling to get them back into formation, whilst many were finding it difficult to deal with the fact friends and comrades they'd known for years were gone now. The harassment of our archers certainly wasn't helping them regroup either.
Using this chaos to our advantage, the Duchess gave her order. "Forward!" She exclaimed; her levy reluctantly charging forward.
The Hoofstein levy began to charge as well, my own the only which remained behind; along with the Bitvarians. It was at this point I realized I'd frozen; somepony from my retinue shaking me out of my stupor. "My lady...?" He inquired, his concern evident.
I turned to face my ponies, taking careful note of the expressions of as many individuals as I could. It was safe to say that most, if not all, were scared. Mortified by the death of others, and the idea that such could happen to themselves as well... I felt horrible, demanding they go forward and face this unwanted inevitability. It was far too late for any peaceful resolution now. I overcame my doubts, putting on a brave face for their sake and turning once more; drawing my sword and pointing it towards the broken square the Guards struggled to mend before the hordes of militia reached them. "Advance! The enemy may have Celestia on their side, but no matter; we have right on ours!" I shouted, my retinue bearing their weapons and cheering. Their enthusiasm spread slowly to the commoners, who cheered and shouted as they began to run forward. I hesitated for a moment, running alongside them once a dozen or so had already passed my staff and I.
This seemed like the longest run of my life, our destination seeming to stretch farther and farther away with every step closer. Somehow this seemed all the more unbearable rather than relieving. Every other sound was drowned out by the thumping of a hundred feet as they struck the ground, lifting up only to strike again a little further away from the last patch of earth. The Marelin and Hoofstein levies had already engaged the enemy, breaching the gaps which the Guard had failed to fill. My own levy neared a segment of the square left relatively untouched, the Crown's Soldiers too preoccupied holding off the Germanes to take note of us until we almost literally trampled over them.
Somepony to my left threw herself into a Guard's shield, attempting to tear it away from him that she might have nothing between her and the killing blow. Another to my right found himself impaled on a spear the lucky bastard of a Guardspony held up at the last moment. The sound of shouts, both enraged and agonized alike, mixed with the clashing of steel against steel. Many Guards had forsaken their Spears in favour of the sword, one such barely having had the chance to draw his before I brought my own down upon him. All around me I could see a number of ponies falling; dead, dying, injured... I had to give credit where credit was due, the Crown's puppets fought well. It seemed for every one of their own which fell, they took a number of ours as well. Not that I approved of this, seeing those I felt responsible for dying without the proper retribution being dealt unto our foes. This in mind, my fear began to give way to rage, rage which worked with the adrenaline pumping through me, strengthening my blows as I took the life of one Royal Guard after another.
The battle was decided, we were winning in spite of the casualties we'd sustained. The Guard began to give way, their Pegasi fleeing from the field; whilst their forces on the ground preformed a withdrawing action. In the midst of the carnage, I could see Equity engaged against several Guards, most of her retinue having fallen. She shouted orders, holding her own against the "professionals" who fought with the intent of killing her. One fell, then another, and another... All seemed well until the last, whom she'd knocked to the ground. The Guardspony took hold of a spear from a fallen comrade, thrusting it up towards the Duchess, penetrating her ribcage before she had a chance to deliver the final blow.
Equity fell back into the arms of one of her remaining retainers, another settling the score with the fallen Guard on behalf of his injured mistress. I saw the blow this had struck to morale, taking quick action as it seemed some were ready to bolt. "Stand your ground! I'm still alive! For Luna's sake, stand your ground!" I shouted in a bid to be heard over the chaos, attempting to rally the ponies around me. A wounded Guardspony took my moment of distraction as an opportunity, slashing at me, the attack damn near meeting its mark. I stepped to the side, the Pegasus stumbling over the bodies, joining them soon after as I drove my blade through him.
Seeing no possible way in which to win this, the Guard Commander ordered a withdrawal; his troops bolting and leaving the day to us. Those who weren't fast enough either fought back in vain, paying for this decision with their lives, or surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. A cheer rose among the Mares and Stallions of our collected levies while they watched the remaining Royal Guard flee. I, myself, was overjoyed with the prospect of victory... my joy giving way to grim contemplation as I looked down and around at what seemed to be a horrifically costly victory.
Most everypony had returned to Marelin, the wounded being tended to at the local hospitals, whilst a select few volunteered to remain in the field and count the dead, along with recovering any injured we might have otherwise missed. I found myself in Equity's chambers, her personal physicians tending to her; cleaning the wound she'd sustained before administering healing potions. Even still, she'd be bedridden until the threat of infection had passed, and the restored tissue had a chance to strengthen properly.
Once the matter of her health had been tended to, she dismissed the doctors and attendants for the moment, leaving the two of us alone in her room. She looked out the window, the sun having peaked in the sky, signifying it was midday. It felt like days had passed since the engagement not a few hours behind us now, however.
"It certainly wasn't what I was expecting..." She began after a few minutes of silence, looking to me with a remorseful expression. "I imagined it would've be worse than that, by leaps and bounds." She said with a smile, trying to bring a bit of light to the situation.
I honestly wished I could see it so as well. I broke contact for a moment before looking back at her. "Even still... it's an experience I don't fancy repeating." I said, well aware that it was a matter of necessity rather than preference.
"I can relate." She said, thinking for a moment before carrying on. "Even so; if this is the way it must be, then let it be so. We'll grow used to it, as will they... whether for better or worse, I can't honestly tell. I wouldn't waste my time mourning the fallen until there's time to do so. And there'll be plenty of time when our enemies lie defeated and this nation made whole again. Until such a time, all we can do is learn from them; to keep their sacrifice in mind, to take their dedication to heart and improve ourselves as leaders. That we may be worthy of seeing such brave ponies through this anarchy. Don't be afraid to take risks, my friend. Just bear in mind that their lives are in your hands, and they'll be forever stained with their blood should you act recklessly and without compassion towards them." She said, her eyes glazed with tears as she took her own words to heart, reflecting on the recent battle and its costliness. "A part of me wishes I would have died out there... alongside them. Heroic sacrifices make for good poetry, however, and that's all. I suppose..."
Before she could continue, we heard a knock on the door. Equity took a deep breath, not too fond of our being disturbed. "Enter." She said with a mildly disgruntled tone.
One of her servants opened the door with an open letter in hand. "A message from the Duke of Sacramaneto, my lady;" He said with a bow, explaining his intrusion.
"Continue." Equity said, her tone much more even than before.
"His city is under siege by the Duchess of Vanhoover. He requests your immediate assistance." The butler summarized, giving his lady a moment to ponder.
She looked to me after her moment of contemplation. "Fräulein August; would you lead my army in my absence?" She asked, much to my surprise.
I'd been standing there, listening to her words attentively before we were interrupted. I took what she said to heart and gave deep consideration to everything said up until this point. My attention found itself diverted to her as the question was put forth. "I... it would be an honour, your Grace." I said, bowing my head respectfully. Doubts ate away at the back of my mind; questions I couldn't answer. Possibilities existed which frightened me, and I was finding them difficult to overcome without some greater distraction to drawn my attention away from the issue.
"Excellent, feel free to leave at your discretion. I bid you a fond farewell and wish you the best of luck, both in battle and your travels." She said, smiling confidently. "You show a lot of promise, friend. I'll pray for your safe return."
I nodded, thanking the Duchess for her kind words and dismissing myself from the room. I proceeded through the halls of the estate, a great deal weighing down on my mind. What would this make of the nation? Of its ponies? Of... myself? No answer was definite this early, a frustrating fact I forced myself to accept. For now, however; I resolved to bathe, rest, and recover myself in the wake of all which had happened today. Luna knows I earned it... and how long it would be before I could enjoy such relative peace.
