Steadfast blinked. Waking was always a little disconcerting for him. He always felt that he was leaving a world that he had no ability to predict then react to, and returned to a world that he had some idea as to what every pony could and would do. He rolled out of bed and started to walk to the kitchen, glancing at himself in the looking glass.

He was a very simple earth pony with a coat of a light brown and a main of coal. From a distance he looked like nothing special. It was his eyes that made the statement; Piercing honey mustard yellow that glinted slightly in the right light. His cutie mark was what looked like an eye with a swirl green iris.

Upon leaving his room, he started to notice small things out of place. He lived alone, so this was an indicator of an intruder. However the nature of the things indicated a casual thing and not malicious. A book off of a shelf here, an empty glass there, but most noticeably a smell of waffles. Before he even entered the kitchen he said, “Hi, Lancer, make any for me?” As he made the turn, he saw his friend sitting at the table, mouth full and reading the newspaper.

“Nope bland one, you slept in,” was Lancers response. He was a colt with a white gray coat and mane of red in a spiky style. He did have an uncharacteristically long unicorn horn.

“You know I wake up same time every morning, just because some of us have an uncanny ability to stay awake almost indefinitely doesn't mean the rest of us don't still need it,” Steadfast said, going for a glass of orange juice and making some oatmeal before continuing in a playful tone. “But please, help yourself to my home and food, it's not like you haven't gotten away with this before.”

“Thank you, I think I will.”

A short pause as Lancer continued to read and Steadfast gets some water on to boil “So why are you here anyways?” Steadfast asks as he turned back to his friend.

“To bring in your paper,” he magicked it over to Stead for him to read, still open to the comics, “and to invite you to join me and feather brain for a night out. Who knows, we may find a special somepony to spend our evening with.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Steadfast.

Steadfast laughed and shook his head. “Sorry, but the last time you used that line on me I was glad to have said no. Drinking that much cider, and talking to that lady like that was not a good idea.” He proceeded to look at the head line that read ‘Search for the Missing Queen Continues.’ So once again, nothing new.

Lancer blushed a little. “Yeaa... but my dad was big enough to get me out of trouble, and I didn't mean anything by it.”
Steadfast's smile dropped as he turned to add the oats. “Honestly the way you throw your family's weight around is appalling to me. Don't you care about your family's name?”

Lancer shruged as he takes another bight. “Hey, its my family's name that's making me such a big target for the authorities. Besides I have a reputation of my own to consider. I'm celebrating my newly launched line of instruments, and let me tell you, it's gonna be big! Its gonna transform music as we know it!”

Steadfast poured himself some oatmeal, and then after getting the pot out of his mouth, murmured sarcastically “I don't doubt that.” He takes his bowl and goes to the table. “So this is a celebration more than just a night out?”

“I knew you would want to come.” Lancer says.

“Hold on, I didn't say that.”

“But you will come anyways, right?”

At this Steadfast smiled. “I'll tell you what, I'll join you tonight if I have something happen today that takes me by surprise.”

Lancer huffed, “If you know all the ponies involved, you are never surprised. You need to stop living for your dad's job and get out on your own a little.”

“Well when my dad is head of Parliament and I am a member of said parliament, it's natural for me to do all I can to help him.”

“Your loyalty to your family is ridiculous, but I suppose if you weren't so loyal, you would only be half the friend you are to me.”

“Amen to that.”

Just as Steadfast was about to take his first bite, his front door started to get an assault from a heavy hoof. He grumbled as he got up to answer it, but the pony at the door didn't wait for him and opened it himself. “Steadfast! Where are you?”

Steadfast rolled his eyes before sitting back down. “In the kitchen, Dad.”

His father is a heavy built pony with much evidence of a hearty diet and low activity life style showing thru his cream cote. His graying brown locks of main is immaculate as always and his clothing showed his status as the ranking official in Parliament. “Good, now get up and come with me.”

Steadfast jumped up again and started to go for his coat, leaving his oats untouched. “What's the rush Dad? I haven't even eaten breakfast yet.”

His father puffed out his chest in pride. “I'll explain on the way, but to sum it up you have been summoned by the King.”

At this, Steadfast stumbled and looked back at his father. “WHAT?”

“I know! You're going for an interview with the King! You may be able to join in on his inner circle if you do well!”

“WHA!”

“YES. Now hurry! We don't have all day!” Steadfast's father started pushing his stunned son to the door, but before he is able to leave he heard his friend shout from the kitchen.

“THIS COUNTS AS BEING SUPRISED!”

* * *

“Okay, so you have questions, now is the time to ask them.” His father said sitting across from him. In his father’s carriage, Steadfast was still reeling from his snatch and grab by his father. But now that he was sitting still, he was able to start to come up with questions that consisted of more than one word.

“Well, I would like to know what brought this on, why is this happening out of the blue?”

“As you are aware, the Queen is missing, and the people want that branch of power filled until the princess is of age, or the Queens return. They also want to have things set up so if this happens again, it isn’t a crises.” His father continued. “Well, the parliament is in the works of coming up with this modification as we speak and it is due to come to a vote and be sent to the King.”

“You know I will vote to have it pass, so why the sudden summoning from the King? What’s the connection?”
“I was getting to that. The King is starting the interview screening process. He is looking for some ponies that he can count on to be loyal to him and the new office.”

A small pause as Steadfast waits a few seconds for his father to continue, only realizing what his father was implying. “Oh, well… I’m willing to do it, but… How? How does the King even know about me, and why me?”

His father smiles, “He obviously knows about you through me. I have been in talks with the King for some time now. In our passing conversation I have mentioned you and your efforts to make my efforts go over smoothly. This is exactly what he needs and has asked me to retrieve you for the interviewing process.”

A moment of silence and Steadfast asked a final question. “Do you want me to do this?”

His father sighed still smiling slightly. “I know you wouldn’t ever do anything against this family. Your loyalty has never failed to come threw for our cause and our needs before all else. Your votes have always been in our favor, you're skilled in your speeches and debate, and never once have you taken a bribe to do anything against us. Granted, I was worried when you started to be friends with that Lancer fellow, even his father says he has been trouble, but even in your private life, you have maximized our cause by being a dutiful friend to an ally’s son. ”

This made Steadfast go numb out of shock at first, never having realized he had done that much for his family. This feeling was then replaced with a swell of pride. He had stood with and for his family without fail, no matter the adversity, But more than that, his father wanted him to do this for the cause, and he wasn’t about to start to fail in this calling, not when his own father wished him to try. It was Steadfast's turn to smile, and smile he did. “Then I will do everything within my power to get that position.”

His father nods and smiles just as broadly. “That’s the spirit, and it looks like we are here.”

* * *

Alas, all things worth having are things that are worked for… or waited on. This was proving to exceptionally true for Steadfast. The waiting for the King is something everypony does. After all, he is the King. When you are that important, and many ponies need your attention, you tend to need some time to yourself if your not busy with some other pony. This doesn’t mean that Steadfast was happy with the wait, he still hadn’t had breakfast yet, and it was an hour before noon.

He was just about to ask one of the standing servant ponies to fetch him something to munch on when he was summoned. “Steadfast,” the pony said as soon as he entered the door.

“That is me.” The proper pony said as he stood.

“Follow me.”

Steadfast did as he was told and fell into step behind the pony he assumed would be bringing him before the King.

He followed the pony out of the room and down a hall of stained glass windows. Here they displays of Commander Hurricane, Chancellor Puddenhead and Princess Platinum bickering and giving the wendigos strength. There where also another set of windows displaying Clover the Cleaver, Secretary Smart Cookie, and Private Pansy all banishing the wendigos. This story had little fascination to Steadfast, but his father had made sure he had learned it; not to teach the common associated moral of get along with everypony, but to make it clear that working with the right ponies could make power far bigger than others power. In short the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The windows weren’t the significant part, it was what was on the other side of the hallway that was significant. “Isn’t this the way to the palace gardens?” Steadfast asked the pony he was following.

“Yes it is, sir.” the pony quickly replies still leading the way.

There was a short silence as Steadfast waited for the pony to explain why, and after receiving no hint as to an explanation, he decided to inquire. “Does the King wish to hold this official visit in the garden?”

“Yes sir.”

Another short pause. Getting information from this guy is like squeezing blood from a turnip.

The dull pony led him to a set of doors that have guards posted at them. As they approached, the guards open the door for them and let them pass without making them pause.

Steadfast walked into a beautiful garden and looks around. There he sees the King levitating a teacup as he looks around the serenity that is the garden. The pond and waterfall within the lush landscape send up a therapeutic sound, and the flowers were as full of color and overflowing with fragrance. The King was obviously relaxing and in a state of peace as he sipped and sighed. He was wearing a loose cotton shirt and a ringlet around his head. He was a gray unicorn with black mane, gray muzzle and a strong build, not to mention the air of authority he gave off.

Steadfast walked forward and bowed before the King. “Your Majesty sent for me?”

“Rise, Steadfast, I have no need to be formal here in my garden. As long as you are here, we can talk as equals.” The King remained as he was, enjoying the moment of quiet.

Steadfast was taken slightly aback, the King wasn’t known for his wishes to treat others as equals, but here he was requesting to be talked to as an equal. What was Steadfast suppose to do but get up and stand by his side?

Steadfast didn’t wish to bring the King out of this moment of peace, but he couldn’t keep from Fidgeting a little due to how anxious he was about the interview, not to mention his hunger was not far from his mind.

The King finished his tea and turned to Steadfast. “You at least know how to respect serenity, even if you don’t try to enjoy it. What is on your mind Steadfast?”

This took Steadfast back again. It could be that the King dropped his title at the door, but not having even heard of this side of the King before was making it very strange to deal with the royalty standing before him. “I heard you are looking for a pony to fill a new office, and that you had asked for me directly for an interview. I want to know why.”

“You do want to know that,” the King said as he turned to the pavilion in the distance and motioned Steadfast to walk with him, “but there is no interview happening”

Steadfast fell into step behind the King. “I am... confused. I was under the impression that I was here for an interview for the new position.”

“Then you have been mislead. I very much doubt it is intentional, after all I was the one who told your father I was interested in having you fill the position.”

“Then why have me come out here if you already have the position filled?”

The King turned to Steadfast, and looked him in the eye. “This isn’t an interview, this is an orientation.”

Steadfast took a small step back at this. He was having no control over today, and he wasn’t liking the lack of control, things were starting to get out of hoof. He needed to sit. The King noticed this lack of assurance, and replaced his confidence with a look of concern. “Is something the matter with my offer?”

Steadfast closed his eyes and places a hoof over them. “Sorry, but I just haven’t had enough time to process this. I heard of the new office less than a couple of hours ago, I don’t know what the duties would entail, and yet, here I am being told that whatever it is that the position is, it's mine? This just feels like it's moving way too fast. if I wasn’t so hungry, I would think I was asleep.”

The King smiled, “And that is why we are here.” The King leads the way into the pavilion where the now potent smell of lunch resides. “So, shall we discuss your future over lunch?”

Author's Note

So, yea. I know you may be a little lost as to what is going on. just know that the prologue wasn't to introduce the characters, but the plot and the premise of the story.