From One Unicorn to Another
Princess Platinum sat on the cold throne as she flicked her beautiful blue eyes to the ponies below. Their disgusting sackcloth cloaks were full of holes, matted with dirt and sweat while their eyes filled with tears. They had a youthful look in their faces, but their outstretched hooves caused her stomach to lurch. They were unbearably skinny, like they had lived on scraps and crumbs their entire lives. Judging from the horrible odor wafting about the room, they likely had no access to running water or soap. They were peasants, the underprivileged lot that her kingdom was built on top of.
Rolling her eyes, Princess Platinum sighed as she shifted in the throne, leaning on her right hoof. They were pleading with her, begging for more food and warm clothes, but their voices sounded far away. As they kept pleading, she nodded to the guards at the far end of the room, who promptly marched to them. One of them screamed at her as the guards led them away, but Princess Platinum looked down at her hooves, examining the small chip in the enamel on the edge of her hoof. From the other side of the room, the doors creaked as they opened and closed with a resounding boom. A pain shot through her chest, but she did her best to ignore it.
Sighing, she placed her hoof back down as a new pony approached, this one clad in black and gold armor. She stiffened her posture as the pony removed its helmet, revealing a long mane of orange and yellow.
“Princess Platinum,” her visitor spoke in a scratchy voice. She bowed her head quickly. “I am Rainheart, envoy of Commander Hurricane.”
Platinum resisted the urge to scowl at that name. “Noted. What does he demand of me this time?” she asked, her tone terse.
Rainheart’s eyes flashed as she looked back at her, poorly hiding the anger behind them. “He requests a meeting with you to resolve the dispute between us pegasi and you unicorns as soon as possible.”
Princess Platinum raised an eyebrow, catching the slight change in Rainheart's voice. “I have no interest in meeting with him," she replied in a bored voice.
“Princess, I ask you to reconsider,” Rainheart said quickly, the irritation in her eyes revealing itself in her voice. “It is not often Commander Hurricane asks to speak with anypony, let alone a rival.”
Princess Platinum looked back at her hoof, examining the chip with the same disinterest she had prior. “Commander Hurricane only asks to speak with me when his lot are in danger, Envoy. If there is a problem he cannot handle, why does he not come to see me personally?”
Rainheart stomped a hoof into the cold stone. “Because he is needed elsewhere at the moment! Unlike you, he takes an active interest in the welfare of his kingdom!”
A wind colder than the icicles outside swept through the room as Princess Platinum slowly returned her gaze to Rainheart. Once they made eye contact, Rainheart bowed her head, wearing a scowl that seemed too familiar to her features.
“Forgive me, Princess. I spoke out of line," she said quickly.
“Indeed,” Princess Platinum replied, her voice as icy as the wind. “Begone from here, Envoy. Tell your Commander that if he truly wishes to achieve peace, he is to see me personally and to refrain from sending any more of his... peons to do his dirty work.”
Rainheart’s head snapped up, but the hoof of the guard grabbed onto her shoulder before she could say anything. Glaring, Rainheart put her helmet back on and spit at the foot of the throne before marching back towards the door. Princess Platinum cringed as she stood, maneuvering around the minute dribble of spit. Throwing her fuzzy purple cape back, she adjusted her silver crown before stomping her hoof twice. Immediately, two ponies ran up to her, dressed in the filthy sackcloth of the earlier peasants.
“Do clean my throne of that vile beast's expulsion,” she said coolly before walking towards the end of the throne room.
At the door, the guards saluted crisply and the door flew open at her presence. The hallway on the other side was stuffed with bodies, all unicorns and earth ponies. All of them were filthy and thin, causing her to resist another grimace. As she stepped out of the room, they all bowed to her in total silence. She nodded to them and they all rose, parting as she swept past. Faces appeared at the corners of her eyes, each one becoming dirtier and more bitter as she forced her way through the halls.
Glancing at the windows, Princess Platinum raised an eyebrow as she traced the crystalline patterns etched into the panes of glass. From what she could see, the blizzard was still raging outside as more flecks of white whipped past the patterns. There had been no respite from the fury of winter for months. Everything outside was beginning to be buried by the endless snowfall, including the kingdom's precious remaining farmland. If this winter didn't end before the month was through, there was a good chance they were all going to starve.
Turning away, she ignored the piercing cold of the blizzard clawing at her chest and hurried off, leaving the staff to stare at her with curious expressions. She twisted and turned through the labyrinth of hallways in her castle before she stopped at a rather plain looking door. Inscribed on it was a three leaf clover and Princess Platinum nodded to the guards standing at attention. One of them rapped on the door.
“Who goes there?” a voice on the other side responded.
“Princess Platinum demands an audience with you,” the guard spoke in a deep voice.
Shuffling came from behind the door as it glowed with a periwinkle aura. It swung open and a tall spring green unicorn stood before her. He wore a cloak of the same sackcloth the other peasants wore, but his was much longer and in slightly better condition. His dark blue mane was swept back and lined with a sliver of purple and pink, giving him a mad, yet regal appearance.
“My princess,” he spoke, bowing his head and stepping aside.
Princess Platinum wasted no time, brushing past him and through the stacks of tomes piled around his chamber to the ceiling. Small glass containers hissed and bubbled around her with all sorts of colored liquids on well worn tables and the candles around the chamber burned brightly with an unusually fierce orange flame, even those at the end of their wicks. Grimacing, Princess Platinum heard the door shut and turned to the stallion as the locks clicked into place.
“How can I be of service, Your Majesty?” he asked, smiling.
She inclined her head to the door and the smile faded from his face. His horn glowed in a periwinkle aura before fading.
“I fear this is a conversation best kept secret,” she said, releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
“I see,” he said before placing a hoof on his chin. “I presume this has to do with the envoy and Commander Hurricane’s demands?”
Platinum blinked once, but her face betrayed no emotion. “You are well informed, Clover the Clever.”
Clover cracked a small smile. “It pays to be aware of who is visiting the castle, Your Grace.”
Platinum’s face remained stoic as her horn glowed and a large pillow popped into the air behind her. Planting her rump into it, she looked at the floor and let out a sigh. “I seek your advice, Clover. Commander Hurricane is growing desperate and I fear for what may come if I act rashly.”
She looked up to see Clover trotting over to a small workbench littered with open tomes and a vial of smoking red liquid. His face remained neutral, but he frowned slightly as he looked up. “I am not one for the affairs of rulers, Your Highness.”.
Platinum raised an eyebrow. “You would deny aiding your princess?”
Clover shook his head, letting out a small chuckle. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Princess. I am just very weary of the infighting between the three of you, as I think the rest of the kingdoms are.”
A stern silence filled the room as he glanced up to her. “Be careful what you say next, old friend. Those are treasonous words,” she said slowly.
Clover snorted, his smile gone as quickly as it appeared. “I only speak the truth, or perhaps do you wish to have your ears tickled?” he said in a bitter tone.
Platinum scowled back. “I would prefer you to hear what I have to say before dismissing my concerns, servant, else I shall find a new consultant.”
Clover stared at her, his eyes twinkling with what she could only assume was anger before he sighed. Glancing down, he pressed a hoof to his forehead before looking back to her. “Forgive me,” he said. “I forget my place.”
Platinum eased her piercing gaze, but refused to break eye contact. “Noted. Can I anticipate you will listen now?”
He nodded. “At once. So, Commander Hurricane is desperate.”
“Yes, his envoy made that clear enough,” she replied, remembering the ugly face of the pathetic pegasus envoy.
Clover tapped his chin thoughtfully, but looked at her with a confused face. “I see, but how is this concerning to you? Surely news of him growing this desperate is what you've been waiting to hear.”
Princess Platinum looked down, her blue eyes scanning the titles of Clover's many tomes. “I fear he will take more drastic action than we are ready for,” she whispered. "We can't fight a war."
He nodded slowly, bringing his hoof to his chin again. The smoking liquid on the bench gave a small shudder as he glanced over to it. “It is true Commander Hurricane is prone to emotional reactions and unpredictable bouts of anger, but I know he is no fool. If he sent an envoy to speak with you, he doesn't have the resources to fight a war.”
Platinum nodded as well. “I thought so as well. However, the longer this winter drags on, there will be little I can do to prolong the fight he is itching for.”
Clover sighed, turning to the potion on the table and flicking it with his hoof. “So, he does wish to go to war?”
She nodded again, allowing a tense silence to fill the room. She kept a close eye on him as he trotted around the room and examined tomes that levitated around him. His red potion shivered again, spraying a small bit of foam onto the table that instantly evaporated into a heart shaped puff of smoke.
“I don’t suppose you’ve considered using the advice I offered last time, have you?” Clover asked, peeking at her from behind a floating tome.
Platinum's face hardened. “You mean befriending him?”
He nodded, glancing quickly back at his potion before returning to her.
She returned her gaze to his. “Then you should know my response. I have nothing I can spare to offer him as a token of good intentions.”
He sighed, turning back to his little project. “You still don’t see it, do you? You're still so wrapped up in this power struggle, you fail to see what the real problem is," he replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Platinum rose to her hooves, her eyes flashing dangerously. “I see it perfectly, Clover," she said, her voice edging with anger. "The warrior leader of the mighty pegasus army is demanding me to give up part of our homeland, force the mud ponies we protect to give him half of what little food we share and yet you think that by, as you said it, showing friendly intentions, will change his mind?”
Clover kept his gaze averted. “You never know until you try.”
“Silence, you stupid pony!" Platinum yelled, her composure breaking. "You know nothing of politics, yet you advise me to acquiesce to his demands in the spirit of friendship? Do you know that if I do as you say, all of us will starve? Both unicorns and mud ponies? I am forced to turn away hundreds of starving peasants already in order to just maintain the rationing for our army!”
Clover parted the tomes and opened his mouth, but a purple aura surrounded his maw and Princess Platinum stomped forward, her eyes filled with rage and sadness.
“I cannot believe you would think of sacrificing the only means of protecting the lives of the innocents here in the spirit of goodwill! They would all die should I give in to him, yet you act like I am the fool. Do you think, Clover? Do you think of… of…”
Tears streamed down as she hung her head, her aura disappearing from his mouth. The crown sagged, pressing down on her brow and she shivered slightly with each breath. Clover looked her over, frowning as he did so. Placing a hoof on her shoulder, he rubbed it slightly and she pulled away, turning around to face her pillow.
“W-W-What can I do?" she asked, her voice brittle. "I c-can’t even f-feed my own subjects, let alone g-give half of it to our enemies.”
Clover's face paled. “Princess…”
Platinum looked up, her makeup streaking from her tears. “I-I mean, how can I condemn all of th-them to death on the possibility Commander Hurricane will change his mind? I-If this winter doesn’t end soon, I won’t… I can’t…”
She wiped her face with a hoof, smearing black mascara on her flawless coat. Renewed tears flowed down, making her shiver again. Despite every effort she had made, though, there were still mass graves out there already filled with those who had starved to death under her rule. Guilt tore at her heart, causing her sobs to grow louder.
“Princess, please,” Clover said, his tone sad. “There is no need to cry.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” she yelled, rounding to him. “He has refused all my offers, even those that will destroy the kingdom slower than starving to death. What do you expect me to do?”
"I don't know!" Clover yelled back before biting his tongue. He sighed, looking at the stone floor and unable to answer.
Furious with his hesitation and empty suggestions, Platinum trotted up to and shoved him, nearly knocking him into the table behind him. Her sadness and guilt melted into a blazing anger.
“What do you want from me?” she demanded. “What more can I do? I have no means to force a truce between him and I! Tell me, Clover the Clever! Tell me what I should do if you're so wise!”
Clover flashed a glare at her, his teeth starting to bare. The air around them grew colder as he opened his mouth. “I can’t solve every one of your problems for you, Princess! I am not a prince, neither am I a king! You are the ruler of Unicornia, so you figure it out!” he roared back.
As the words left his lips, a blast of cold air rushed through the room, extinguishing the magical candles. Platinum's teeth began to chatter as Clover pulled his cloak tighter, looking up at the ceiling.
“W-What is Tartarus was that?” Princess Platinum asked, looking around the room. "This chamber is in the heart of the castle."
He knit his brow and squinted at the roof. “It seems like something… reacted to me getting angry," he said slowly.
Platinum snorted. “Or the walls are starting to freeze.”
Clover kept staring. “No, this was not natural. The cold… it's getting worse. You can feel it, right?”
She huffed as Clover’s horn lit, followed by the glow of the candles. Looking back at her, Clover closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Forgive my outburst, Princess. This problem puzzles me as much as it does you. I am afraid I cannot offer a simple answer to you other than to pursue peace with Commander Hurricane.”
He glanced up, his magenta eyes twinkling slightly. Platinum looked down at him, despite the faintest hint of a blush appearing behind her smudged makeup. “I shall warn you against using a tone like that with me in the future, but I do forgive you.”
Almost immediately, the room began to warm as Clover lifted another tome into the air with his magic. “Thank you, Your Highness. I will endeavor to make amends for my outburst.”
She snorted. “Yes, but this still leaves me with the problem of Commander Hurricane.”
Clover bit his lip as he moved another tome in front of his face. “If you’re absolutely certain you cannot offer him some token of friendship, then might I suggest a summit?”
Platinum narrowed her eyes, shifting on her hooves. “Explain.”
“A summit is where a group of--” Clover began.
“No, no! Explain how this will work as an alternative!” she demanded.
“Oh,” Clover said, moving the tome away from his face and pressing his ears to his head. “Well, it might help prevent an escalation of tensions if the two of you and Chancellor Puddinghead all spoke face to face. I mean, have you actually met Commander Hurricane in person?"
Platinum scowled yet again, remembering his burning red coat and eyes that bored holes into you. “Yes, long ago and far away. I will not allow him into my castle, though.”
“I did not mean the summit needs to take place here, My Princess, but you could host the summit at one of the castles along our borders. It would prevent Commander Hurricane from gaining access to the heart of our kingdom, but it will show him symbolically that you are willing to meet him halfway.”
Princess Platinum placed a hoof on her lip, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Glancing away from Clover, she mumbled to herself incoherently before lowering her hoof. “How can I be sure he will agree to this summit? Chancellor Puddinghead will come, but Commander Hurricane is not one to merely discuss problems, should his military actions be any indication.”
Clover shrugged. "He sent you an envoy. I’m sure if he truly is desperate, he'll cave in and come.”
“And what of his forces? We can hardly match him should he decide to use this summit as a trap,” Platinum said, raising an eyebrow.
Clover rubbed a hoof on the back of his head. “Well, it goes without saying that summits only require minimal armed guards for each representative, but I can see him viewing this as a chance too good to pass up if he's still wishing to go to war.”
“And I cannot bring an army to the site. Should I make a show of power, he will no longer doubt this will be a declaration of war," she replied.
They both fell into silence as they contemplated the problem before them. Once more, the vial of bright red liquid frothed and jiggled, spilling more of the contents and forming a heart with the smoke.
“What is that, Clover?” Platinum asked as she pointed to the vial.
Clover turned to it, momentarily still. “That? Just a side project I’m working on.”
She raised an eyebrow. “No doubt. What is it?”
“A potion designed to be the essence of love," he replied before turning back to her. "I’m making for... er, research purposes.”
Princess Platinum snorted as she glanced at Clover, who was still rubbing the back of his head. How could a fool like him be smart enough to distill love? she thought. Returning her thoughts to the problem of Commander Hurricane, she thought for several minutes when Clover finally spoke up.
“I could, uh, accompany you, if it would make you feel safer.”
Platinum raised an eyebrow. “And how could you protect me better than a legion of guards?”
He gulped. “Well, you are coming to me for help. I can also get a sense of Commander Hurricane’s motives myself and help you make an appropriate plan of action then.”
She placed her hoof back on her lip and considered this. Clover was her most trusted servant, even going as far to consider him something like a friend, but there would be no way he could protect her alone. She still needed guards, unless…
“This might work," she said. "But we need all the delegates to bring only a trusted advisor. There's a castle near the border guarded exclusively by earth ponies, so the security will be made up of those guards at the castle. Other than that, no armed forces from any tribe are allowed within one thousand yards of the castle, both unicorns and pegasus.”
Clover smiled. “Wonderful idea. Now you sound like the princess of Unicornia I know.”
A small smile broke on Princess Platinum’s face as she blushed a bit, a warmth permeating her body. Glancing back at Clover, she noticed he had not given her a smile like that since the blizzard had started.
“I shall send the invitations at once,” she said, teleporting her cushion away and walking towards the door. “I expect it will be one week before I have an answer from Chancellor Puddinghead and Commander Hurricane, so do not busy yourself with any more experiments or concoctions.”
She motioned to the vial on the workbench, which was now frothing consistently. Around it, a heart was fizzing rapidly and Princess Platinum scrunched her nose up at it. “Do you have any idea why it’s doing that?”
Clover shrugged, standing next to her. “I can only offer theories, My Princess.”
She smirked at it before turning to Clover as the door opened. “I thank you for your council, Clover. You have been invaluable.”
She nodded to him and Clover smiled back, bowing to her. “My Princess, if there is anything else you need, my door is always open.”
Her smile grew wider before leaving, allowing the door to shut with a boom. Clover watched the spot for a few more seconds before turning to the vial. “Now, what am I going to do with you?”
Author's Note
An old story from a competition long ago. Hope you liked it.
