So great was her reign and Brilliant her Glory

Princess Celestia, Princeps of the Scullion Sea, Regina of the EverFree Forest, Grand magister Solis, and all her many titles sighed as she dipped a quill in ink. Her hands ached with pain as she signed her name and stamped the imperii insigne onto the parchment. Her horn ignited into magical fire as an aura of golden aether engulfed the parchment and rolled into around a small wooden roll. The magic quickly intensified minutely as she levitated the scroll into an empty slot in the shelf next to her. Celestia groaned as she stretched her neck, the white fur shifted as muscle rippled and bulged as she moved. A small pop rang out as relief flooded her aching muscles.

"Princess." A guard called out as he knocked at the door, his voice deep and gravelly, the voice of a veteren, this was the voice of her domus Legios Legate Swift Throne.

"Yes Legate?"

"We've received more reports of Legionnaires going absent without leave while on deployment, this makes thirty percent of our legions, at this rate we may have to begin drafting just to keep up our numbers for the Maximum Peregrinus."

Celestia grunted as she began to think. 'This has been going on for years now, at first it was barely noticeable but it has been picking up speed...' her thoughts derailed as a shadow flew across her window.

"Legate, call some of the guards, I believe something might be happening." Celestia called out as her horn ignited.

A sword flew out of her cupboard, the gleaming gold plated Steel Zweihander normally gave even the strongest of earth ponies trouble to wield, but for a mare of Celestias strength the blade was hardly as heavy as a Bastard sword.

"Yes your highness."

Swift Throne could be heard running as his cloven hooves clacked on the marble tiles of the Everfree keep. Celestia began to don an armored Chest Plate. The armor was two large plates bolted onto a leather tabard, steel chainmail ran from the ending of the bottom plate down to her mid thigh. Large pauldrons adorned her shoulder, the left pauldron was engraved with various forms of old Equish texts and significant heraldry while her right pauldron was plated with with more gilded steel. Another flash of magic had her legs encased in armor as well, more engraved steel armor molded over her legs and connected to a knee plate on a hinge bolt. Her hands became encased in simple leather gloves studded with small cast iron metal balls.

"Your highness, I have brought 10 guards from various non essential locations, each one is a member I trust," Swift called through the door as clanking could heard as could the static sub-ethereal echoes of magic being charged.

"Enter," The door opened with barely a creak as 11 armored Equestrian legionnaires marched in.

Their bodies were completely encased in 7mm thick armor, not a single strand of fur showed through the enchanted gold metal. 2 of the ponies had massive Zweihanders, the blades glowed with magic as enchantments to lighten the blade slightly and to provide a permanent sharp edge flowed through them. Two others had large Hoplon shields of steel with a single handed pike, enchanted to project solar magic in a concentrated beam. The final four merely carried kite shields and long swords. Each pony was an Earth Pony, their massive strength making them the only ones who could handle Celestias elite armor and weapons while also retaining agility.

"Alright stallions, I've noticed several shadows flit past my window and I'm expecting an assassination attempt, if it happens then we shall fight, if it doesn't then I've grown paranoid."

Just as Celestia finished her sentance the window shattered and several Thestrals charged in. Their features may have been covered but a Thestrals eyes are unique in being slitted. All the Assassins wore a Black formfitting leather body suit with a shawl wrapped around their heads. Each thestral was using a small Buckler and a serrated shortsword, the swords lacked grips and had dire wolf heads carved into the pommel.

Metal clashing against metal began to echo through the room as the Guards engaged the Assassins. Gold fought against Black as blades were either deflected off shields or merely bounced off the Thick armor worn by the guards. The two Zweihander guards swung their swords in massive arcs. The blades keeping the Thestrals at a distance while the two spear wielding guards stood behind them, spears firing energy at the assassins. Long sweeping arcs of magic beamed out from the spearponies as they hunkered in a corner. The other four swordsponies were locked in combat against the bulk of the Assassins group.

Celestia charged her opponent, a large bulky thestral carrying a sword almost as big as it's entire arm. The thestral swung his blade in arc at her, the large blade slow in the Thestrals single handed grip. Celestia merely dodged the blade, her blade sung as she slashed at him, his shield catching the blow and slightly staggering the pony. She pressed the attack, her massive Zweihander overwhelming the assassin who just stood there and blocked the hits. Still Celestia forced on, her blows beginning to break the small leather shield and hurt the ponies arm.

Celestia grinned slightly as she brought her sword up into in overhead swing, the momentum tore through the shield and arm of the pony and into the Assassins chest. Blood sprayed out as his lungs exposed to the air. Blood bubbled and frothed at the dying ponies mouth, white with oxygen.

"Die, traitor," Celestia muttered as she cleaved the Assassins head off, blood sprayed and stained her armor as the corpse slumped forward.

"Your highness, we've finished off the last of the Assassins and have patrols searching for more," Swift Throne announced as he marched to Princess Celestia, his armor once gold now stained crimson.

"Excellent, have guards check my sister to see if she is alright and send a detachment out into the city, double the patrols on the walls and begin scouring the slums for any possible hide outs." Celestia commanded with authority, her snow white fur matted with red.

Celestia looked out towards the moon, he mane waving in the Ethereal winds that flowed underneath existence. The light of the moon outlined celestia, making her look truely celestial. But the light that shone upon her cast a large shadow.