A Canterlot Unicorn in Princess Platinum's Court

CHAPTER TWO v2

PRINCESS PLATINUM'S COURT

The sunlight was oppressive. It suffused the chamber; there was nowhere you could look where you wouldn't be blinded, and nowhere you could stand that offered any better than partial shade. The heat was such that I could feel it even through Solomane's Nameless Spell - though I could feel more strongly the magical effort the spell was investing to spare me the brunt.

I took a moment to check how well the spell was holding up, and found that it had formed two envelopes - one of cool air around me, and another of brutally superheated air around that. I didn't dismiss it, but took a moment to magically dissipate the heat and alter the spell to store it somewhere less noticeable. I settled for the cores of my horseshoes.

The literal climate seemed to dictate the political climate; the unicorns in the most impressive robes and finery stood at the furthest edges of the room, in raised alcoves or behind corners. Lesser nobles and courtiers milled about behind pillars or statues. Servants flitted from shadow to shadow with trays of chilled drinks and sliced fruits balanced carefully in the air with magic. Those of no noble status or employment, myself and the dame included, were worst off, trying to work their way into some patch of shade. I was only mildly uncomfortable, protected as I was by my spell, so I stayed where I was.

In the center of the room was a single enormous platform, made of the same marble that constituted the walls and floor. It was shaped like a stylized waterfall of stone, made up of elegant droplets and sweeping curves that seemed to defy gravity. It gave the impression of having been carved where it sat, and its workmanship was so delicate that I couldn't make out a single chisel mark or imperfection.

Atop the platform, resting on cushions and silk, sat the princess. She needed no introduction or announcement. Her coat was utterly white, combed to a blinding sheen. Her mane was bound up in silver chains embedded with emeralds and pearls (so much so that I couldn't make out the color), and her gown was similarly adorned, so much so that I doubted she could move from where she sat. Therein lay the ease of identification; she was too heavily encumbered by her regalia to climb down from her throne, meaning she must expect others to come to her.

Of course, the fact that the sun itself hovered only a few meters above her head, filling the air around her with a radiant corona of light so intense that I couldn't bear to look directly at her, also aided in the identification process.

We stood waiting for some time, and I was reminded of the aching in my hooves. At first I tried to sit, but as more and more unicorns crowded into the room it became infeasible and I stood again.

Being an academic, standing for long periods of time was not something I was used to at all, and, frankly, beneath my dignity. It was after only fifteen more minutes of standing, by which point my legs were so sore I was beginning to feel I might topple over, that I felt I had to sit down again. I pushed through the crowd until I was at the edge nearest the princess, where the ponies were much less thick and almost invariably struggling to force their way closer to the wall.

I sat again, and almost immediately, one of my horseshoes started to melt. This close to the sun, the heat was so much that even within my spell it felt like a midsummer day. The heat, stored in my horseshoes, had reached the tens of thousands of degrees, and, reaching the end of even Solomane's ability to contain it, started to leak to the edges.

Fortunately, Solomane's genius shone through - the spell kept the melted iron from conducting heat to my hooves. Still, obviously I'd miscalculated. I pulled as much heat out of my horseshoes as I could and, lacking anywhere else to put it, stuffed it into my mane and tail. It took a minute of playing with oxygen and aetheric membranes before my hair stopped combusting, then another to recast my horseshoes into their original shape (not something I could've managed if they hadn't already melted), five more to replace the parts of my mane that had burned to ash*, and another ten to work a second casting of the Nameless Spell on top of the first one. This new casting I left to store the heat in the air like it normally did, lacking a third place to put it.

Then, finally, the princess rose. The babble of conversation choked off in a fraction of a second, replaced by a silence so absolute I could hear my heart beating. Long seconds dragged out before she spoke, and when she did her voice was high and clear.

"We," she said, "her highness Princess Cynosure Platinum XI, call to session the ninth Sunset Court of the third lunar month of the thousand and first year of the reign of the Platinum Throne. May the petitioners come forth at this time."

That apparently concluded the formalities, because she sat back down. Frankly, I was surprised by the shortness of the speech; Princess Celestia's Day Court could take as long as ten minutes to get through all the bowing, pleasantries, rituals, and, of course, Princess Celestia's many, many titles. But, then, Princess Celestia provided cushioned chairs, whereas Princess Platinum forced her subjects to stand within thirty meters of the sun itself, so I supposed it made sense to keep it concise.

I wasn't sure when it was polite to present myself, or even why or how I was to do so, so I kept still. In any event, the first dozen or so petitioners came from the highest echelons of the nobility, so I supposed there was an order to it.

The first petitioner was a pale green unicorn wearing a sable robe. He made his way slowly before the throne, keeping his head bowed and his eyes on the ground. I wasn't sure if it was only custom, or because of the heat and light, but I made note of it anyway. It was probably both. He slowed as he approached, and finally stopped well short of the throne itself, throwing himself to the floor.

"I," he said, "his excellency, Gambol Halcyon II, do humbly beseech your most merciful highness on behalf of my cousin, Indue Halcyon-"

"Denied," said the Princess. "The next petitioner will come forth."

Almost gratefully, he retreated to the back of the room. It had taken longer for him to walk to the throne than to make his case. I suddenly felt a deal more nervous about my own petition, whatever it was.

The next was a unicorn so swamped by his cloth-of-gold robes that he almost had to crawl down the stairs. Atop his head were no fewer than three crowns, stacked atop one another in an almost comical fashion.

Eventually, he judged himself close enough to the throne and bowed low. "We, Radiant Grace, Lissome Emollient," he said, his voice a plaintive whine, "do formally beseech the Platinum Throne to lift its ban upon-"

"We acknowledge no such ban," the Princess said evenly. "Begone from our presence, and do not return. The next petitioner will come forth"

The next petitioner wore little finery - only a bow of silver upon her head - but came from the farthest edge of the room. She came to the very base of the throne before bowing, and she shook from the pain of enduring the heat so close to the sun.

"My princess, I am Felicity Evanescent," she said. "I bear no noble title, but-"

"If you bear no tile, you speak out of turn. Begone, and do not return on this evening. The next petitioner will come forth."

The evening wore on, as the princess worked her way through the petitioners, and my mind whirled. I wasn't long before whispered conversation picked up, and when no one seemed at risk of being beheaded as a result I worked my way back to the dame.

This Canterlot was suddenly seeming slightly inhospitable, and it suddenly occurred to me that I probably needed a story of some kind.

I found her soon enough, and, as the princess had already reached the lesser nobility, tapped her gently on the shoulder. She raised her visor and shot me a smile and a wink, then let it fall with a resounding crash.

The petitioner who was presently speaking let out a squeak at the sound, but the princess didn't bat an eye, instead taking the opportunity to dismiss the mare and call the next.

"I need your help with something," I whispered. "I, ah, am not familiar with the rituals of your court."

"Ah!" she stage whispered, drawing the looks of a few nearby us but again no chastisement. "Never fear, it's very simple. When our turn comes, I will announce you for the princess. All you need to do then is approach the throne, as close as you can - to show respect, you see, by enduring the sun to be in the princess's presence - speak your titles, and offer your deepest respects. Merely a formality, and I have no doubt the princess will welcome you graciously."

(For the sake of my readers, I've chosen to write in modern Equestrian rather than repeatedly translating. In truth, I don't remember the exact phrasing in, so it's no more or less accurate one way or another.)

"Ah," I said, the gears turning in my brain. I somewhat doubted 'personal student of the Princess of Equestria' would fly. "Forgive me, I'm from so far away, and our language has changed over the years; perhaps my home is known under a different name here? With which principalities are you in contact?"

The dame looked surprised. "Why, we none! The lowlands are so suffused with barbarians, we rely on those brave few who brave the journey from farther cities. With some, such as Prince Eloquence of Vanhoover and Princess Imbroglio of Prance, we share only some rare contact. From others, we have only scant legends and what letters and maps we've preserved from the bravest of explorers."

I became aware that the lesser nobility had all finished their petitions, and did some hasty mental geography. Briefly, I considered claiming to be from the Crystal Empire, but I wasn't entirely sure that even existed. The barbarian comment I filed away for further research

"Then I'll speak it in my own tongue: I am" -I did a quick rundown of noble titles- "Margrave-Reticent Twilight Sparkle of Trottingham."

Trottingham, of course, besides having definitely had unicorn settlement as far back as two thousand five hundred years before my birth, was on the other side of the continent from Canterlot, separated by an inland sea and two mountain ranges. If anyone did make it that far, it'd be my word against theirs. Also, I actually had been born in Trottingham, for all that was worth.

"Goodness, I can't say I've heard of it," whispered the dame. "How exciting!"

And then it was our turn.

The dame kept her distance from the throne, but separated herself from the crowd and cleared her throat. Raising her visor, she bellowed, "may I present before the court, Margrave-Reticent Tw-" there was a crash as her visor came back down "-of Trottingham."

A gentle murmur swept through the crowd, though I suspected most were only asking their neighbors if anyone had caught my name. Hesitantly, I approached the throne. I considered dismissing my spell, for fear it would be seen as cheating, but as I came closer the heat became so intense that I dismissed the notion. Better impolite than roasted, and I could probably just play it off as a Trottingham thing.

I knelt at the very base of the throne, my forehead resting against the burning marble. "Your royal highness, I am Lady Twilight Sparkle of Trottingham. I come before your throne to pay my deepest respects" - and at this point I became aware that I was outright plagiarising the Saddle Arabian ambassador, who'd come before Princess Celestia a few weeks before, so many years in the future, but it was too late to back out now - "to yourself and your most magnificent-"

"I challenge your claims, so-called Lady Sparkle," declared a voice. It wasn't a commanding voice, and wavered between quiet and loud, as though the speaker were unsure of herself. I turned, and so did the crowd and the princess, to where a dark unicorn mare strode down towards me. Her cutie mark was a constellation - Sculptor, it looked like, though I wasn't sure. She wore a robe of midnight blue, and sparks shot from her hooves when she walked.

The sparks were nothing but a stupid parlor trick, and she'd have been laughed out of court for it if she'd tried it in my Canterlot. Apparently she had a reputation here, though, because ponies scrambled out of her path regardless.

"Trottingham," she said, "is separated from Canterlot by an inland sea and two mountain ranges."

"Horseapples," I muttered under my breath. At least I hadn't said I was from the Crystal Empire.

"This mare claims to have traveled the width of a continent, farther than any unicorn has in over two centuries. Lies. She comes before the throne in mock respect, but does not sweat a drop. I see the magics she has worked, though I cannot say their extent-"

"You digress, Clover," the princess said, though not unkindly. "Do you offer proof of her guilt?"

Clover cleared her throat. "Yes, your highness. I have in my possession a rare treasure, depicting the city of Trottingham as it was two hundred and fifty years ago. I ask the Lady Sparkle, then, to describe Trottingham. If her description matches the painting, I will withdraw my objection."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. That wasn't bad at all. So long as I kept it vague...

"Trottingham sits on a floodplain," I said, "by the edge of a river that flows into a shallow bay. The soil is rich, and there are rich deposits of silver and kaolin. The city is surrounded on all sides by gentle, forested hills. It's theorized that it was volcanically active in the distant past due to the telltale signs of melted rock, but the erosion of the hills indicates that was at least two hundred thousand years ago."

Clover was smiling brutally, and I felt the strangest sense of vertigo. A servant rushed to her side panting, and gave her a silver cylinder. From the cylinder, with the greatest possible care, Clover retrieved a roll of fine paper, which she unrolled.

I realized, below the dull roar that was filling my ears, that I recognized the painting. It was in better condition than when I'd seen it, and part of the bottom, which had been torn off some time before it was added to the Royal Canterlot Museum's collection. It depicted a walled city on a tall, steep hill, surrounded on all sides by dense forest. In the distance, the ocean was visible.

"We, by the authority of the Platinum Throne," intoned the princess, though I was hardly listening, "do hereby acknowledge the challenge. Lady Twilight Sparkle, for the crime of speaking falsehood in the presence of our highness, you are hereby outlawed. The next petitioner will come forth."

I was seized, and dragged away. It didn't even occur to me to try to escape until I was being thrown in my cell. By then it was, in any case, too late.