Chapter 1: The Citizens' Tale
She of Gold:
The Citizens' Tale
Long, long ago, in a land not far from here, there was a kingdom. This kingdom was mighty, although it was young, having been built in the lifetime of its king. The capital of this kingdom was magnificent, filled with light and love, and happy, smiling, prosperous ponies; it was decorated in white and gold, and was often called the ‘City of Miracles’, for, although it was a large city, it had sprung up in such a short time. A kingdom of peace, it was neighbored by like-minded nations, the eastern Country of Violet, and across the western sea, the Land of Blue. The kingdom itself was known as the Kingdom of Gold, for its elegance and prosperity.
Similarly, the kingdom's royal family were beautiful and pure: a tall, fair-coated, unicorn king, who harboured a love for poetry and art alike; a willowy, auburn-haired, pegasus queen, who had somewhat of an obsession with order, but was nevertheless known for her heavenly singing and accurate painting. Their filly was as wonderful as could be expected of these parents: a slim, tall unicorn, with a daisy-coloured coat as soft as clouds, and a long, shiny luscious mane in all the colours of a spring dawn, which seemed to eternally float in an unfelt breeze. While this unearthly being was a twin, the other filly had sadly not made it from her mother's womb.
Despite his apparent good health, the king soon fell ill, and his queen was required to rule in his stead; however, she was an able ruler, which was fortunate, as he soon passed away. The Kingdom of Gold mourned the loss of its founding ruler for many days and nights; court closed, the streetlamps weren't lit, and an air of grief and depair hung over the city like a plague. However, life somehow returned to normal, slowly.
In light of this, the sole heiress to the throne was quickly guided to be the princess that was required of her. Soon after, the queen fell to the same illness as her husband had. While the kindom's atrachment to the queen had not been so strong at first, her reign had changed that, becoming almost as close as the late king was to his population. While the effecrs were not as severe, they were long-lasting, and for an unknown amount of time, the populace would likely carry the fear of their monarch being snatched from them.
After the lengthy period of grieving, for both the princess and her citizens, the young girl was crowned as the queen, at the tender age of fourteen. However, in respect for her mother, she chose to retain the title of ‘Princess’ until she was of age.
But, despite her apparent innocence, she soon realised the power that she alone held, and began to heavily abuse it. Her heart turned black, and her gluttony and privilege knew no bounds. Her flowing locks required many exotic products to keep it in such good condition, and her luscious, cotton hued coat had to be brushed daily. She had a loyal, steadfast servant, the finest food and drink, and furniture littered her palace, although it was rarely used. She taxed the ponies heavily for all this, and executed any who openly opposed her. Thus, she became known as the ‘Queen of Evil’.
Before long, the young Queen’s eye was captured by the pegasus Prince across the sea, in the Land of Blue; however, she was enraged to find out that he was too in love, but with one in the land of Violet, not her. For something the Violet maid had no control over, she had her servant assassinate her, hoping to draw the focus of the Blue Prince. And it did…
Immensely saddened by the death of his love, the Blue Prince sought out the Spectrum Rebel. Fortunately, she was not difficult to find, as her vibrant, rainbow hued mane stood out in nearly any crowd. Many knew that she opposed the Evil Queen, but she was neer seized, as there was no proof to be found. Her father, a knight from the Auburn Queen's time, had attempted to aid the population during a famine, and when the Queen had noticed her meals becoming ever more meager, she found the root of the problem, and had him killed. Upon finding his body by the riverside, his daughter swore revenge.
Together, they founded a movement against the tyranny. Inspired by the harrowing tale of the Spectrum Rebel, and the tragic story of the Prince of Blue's love, many rose to join something none had dared to lead before. The revolution rapidly grew, town by town, till it encompassed all in the Kingdom of Gold, even the servants and guards of the Queen of Evil.
As the few remaining guards fled, the Golden Palace was stormed, hall by hall, room by room, till the Blue Prince and the Spectrum Rebel found the Queen, sitting calmly in her rose garden, sipping her afternoon tea. The Spectrum Rebel recounted the Evil Queen’s many crimes against the countries, while the Prince of Blue simply looked on, sadly. The Queen put up no fight as she was chained and taken to the dungeons of her own palace, where she had sent so many before.
The next day, the Daughter of Evil was brought to a stage that had been erected in front of her Golden Palace, and forced to her knees beneath the guillotine; she was but another victim in the short, bloody history of the contraption. As the town clock loudly tolled three, the blade whistled down.
Now, the Kingdom of Gold is free, and more wonderful and prosperous than any before it. And, despite being difficult to forget, the Daughter of Evil has already become nothing more than a tale to frighten foals. However, many claim to have seen a filly of the same age, and similar appearance, in a fishing town to the east. But of course, those are nought more than rumours; after all, the town has been searched many times, and nopony of that description has been found. And yet, the hearsay never goes away...
