A Guard for The Princess

True to Princess Luna’s word, Proteus was released by a reluctant Guard the next night. Though he was in no way going to miss sleeping on that dank, dirty dungeon floor, wrapped in chains, he did appreciate that it was amazingly quiet. Now, he’s going to be sleeping under Stone Shield’s snoring face for the rest of his career, if the Captain didn’t request a move, that is.

Proteus was led onto the training course, where the other new Recruits, and Stone Shield, now brandishing a bandage over his muzzle, were waiting for him. The already well trained Guards were busy working out in their designated areas. The recruits stared at Proteus and Stone Shield, anticipating what was coming next. Slowly, the Captain walked over and stood right in front of Proteus. The tension could be cut with a knife.

“In my years of being Captain of the Royal Guard…” Stone Shield calmly said, “Nopony has ever had the guts to strike me. A few threats…but never any action.” Proteus doesn’t say a word, allowing him to continue with what he had to say. “If you were any other Recruit, and that was all that you did, I would have you sent home in the suitcase you came in with. However, you took down four of my most highly trained soldiers. It took nearly my entire platoon to bring you down. I have to say…I’m impressed.”

Proteus slowly smirks at Stone Shield’s comment. The Captain turns back to the Recruits, who were leaned in to the conversation.

“Alright, Recruits! Listen up. Last night, the Private…demonstrated his skills at fighting multiple opponents! He had power and speed on his side, but, there was one fatal flaw. Anypony take a guess at what that was?” Silence. “Nothing?” Still nopony speaks up. He looks back at Proteus. “Anger.”

The Recruits mumble amongst themselves, as Stone Shield walks next to Proteus.

“What the Private showed you, is that unchained anger can only lead to your downfall, no matter how strong you are. He was sloppy, uncoordinated, with no clear target in mind.”

Proteus took the flaws in his fight in stride. Stone Shield was absolutely right, and he made no protest about it.

“If you don’t take down your opponent quickly, and effectively, he’s just going to get back up and clock you on the head. When that happens, it’s lights out for good. Isn’t that right, Private?” he says, looking a Proteus with a smile.

“Yeah.” Proteus rubs the back of his head, feeling the bump where the Captain struck him.

“Part of the training requires that I teach you how to control your anger. Because, let’s face it, anger can be an ally in battle, but it can also be your greatest enemy. You must learn to keep it together, and to use it against your opponents effectively. I will teach you to down your opponents with grace, and efficiency, so that you won’t even have to raise a second hoof, or fire another blast of your magic, to bring him down.” he looks back at Proteus, “Get back in line, son.”

Proteus nods, doing what he is told.

“Fillies, welcome to the next few months of your lives.”

Training in the backyard was nothing, compared to training in Canterlot. Here, the courses were longer, tougher, and could cause injury; more than doesn’t inspire one to keep going. Every recruit, even Proteus, received their fair share of bumps and bruises through the various courses. It wasn’t all the same for everypony; the Unicorns has to vault over obstacles, practice shooting their magic at wooden targets, and test their agility through instances of dodging various objects.

The Pegasi were relegated to flying through hoops of different types. Sometimes, the hoops were on fire, to simulate a possible situation of flying through fiery chasms. The one thing that was mostly the same, was combat training. Everypony had to use their hooves at one point or another in a fight, and they were all subjected to fighting either dummy representations of their opponents, to sparring with the castles Minotaur, a being much bigger than any of the recruits. All had their troubles, but most prevailed….after about ten or so tries. Those who kept failing refused to give up, an admirable trait for a Guard.

Proteus struggled just like the rest of them; he didn’t receive special treatment, nor was any better than the Recruits he was training with. He may have been strong, but he was just as inexperienced.

He wrote to his mother every day; talking about his training, the other recruits, and his experiences of staying up all night, as opposed to being out in the daylight. He was proud to be in Canterlot, and Twilight was proud of him. Proteus even managed to make friends with the Guards, and soon, they began to cheer him on, and he would return the favor by cheering them on. They were the definition of a rag-tag group of soldiers.

Though they all started training as imperfect, Stone Shield saw to it that they were going to pass through with flying colors. He was proud of the colts that he trained; even if he would still insult them every chance he got, the colts soon realized that he was only doing it to motivate them further.

One night, four months into training, as the Recruits prepared for another night of rigorous training, Stone Shield came walking in without his armor, looking as serious as he’s ever been.

“Soldiers. Tonight, there will be no training.” Everypony looks at him, confused. “Tonight…” he moves out of the way, revealing a massive table full of barrels of Sweet Apple Acres Special Cider. “There will be DRINKING!”

Everypony cheered in happiness; pleased that whatever bruises they sustained for the past few months can finally have a day to heal. They all got their cups, and spent the next couple of hours drinking, laughing, telling stories. Proteus looked upon his friends, happy that he had finally been accepted into a group. No longer was he looked at with disdain, now, they look at him with admiration and pride.

“Okay, okay!” Stone Shield said, on his eighth cup of cider, already showing signs of drunkenness, “I got one…your first loves!” All the experienced Guards groaned, while the Recruits laughed at their response.

“We heard this one already!” Lieutenant Emerald Blade said.

“The new ones haven’t yet! Leave me alone, or I’ll court marshall you!” he slurred, “Who wants to go first…ah, forget it! I’ll go first!”

“Here we go…”

“It was twenty years ago, and I went into Ponyville for the first time. When I got there, I was hungry, so I decided to go into a bakery. And there I saw her! The most beautiful mare I had ever seen! She had a blue coat, a wonderful mane, that I swear was made of cake frosting…”

“And a big fat RUMP!” Emerald interrupted. Everypony roared in laughter.

“Shaddup!” Stone Shield yelled, “It was a perfect size!”

“Yeah, if you wanted to use it at a pillow…maybe five pillows!” More laughter echoed along the barracks.

“Ah, forget you! Anyway, it turned out the mare was married, and I heard she had a couple fillies that are in college now.”

“Hey! Maybe you can get with one of them, right?!” a sergeant named Brawny Boulder yelled in the back.

Stone Shield got up to beat him up, but the other held him back. It was all in good fun though, nopony was in much danger.

“Alright fine! Anypony else wanna have a go?” Silence. “Anypony? Come on! I’m not the only one here with a first love story!” his eyes turn to Proteus, “Proteus! Surely you have something?”

Everypony turned their heads to Proteus, who laughed it off.

“Nah, not tonight guys. I’m not nearly drunk enough for that.” he says, as he takes a swig of his fifth cup.

“Come on!”

“I’m sure it’s a good one!”

“I can’t, it’s not that funny, anyway!”

“We’ll be the judges of that!”

“There’s got to be somepony that caught your eye!”

Proteus heavily sighed, as he finished the rest of his cup in one sitting, preparing himself for the story he’s about to tell.

“Okay, fine.” The colts chuckled in anticipation. “But, you promise not to…ah, hay with it; you can laugh if you want.” They laugh. Proteus clears his throat, trying to get the bubbles out of his throat, so he can speak clearly. “It happened when I was around eight years old.”

“What? Did you lose your virginity?” one said. The others around him playfully smacked him around for interrupting.

“No.” Proteus answered with a chuckle, “I was on my way home, from visiting one of my mother’s friends, when I saw this mare, a unicorn, couldn’t have been much older than I was, being bullied by some colts.”

“Why didn’t she just use her magic?”

“I thought that too, but I figured she was probably scared or something.”

“What did she look like?”

“She had a dark red coat, very dark, like blood red. Wavy silver hair, and gorgeous green eyes, it was incredible.”

“Sounds hot.” Emerald said.

“She was like eight years old!” Stone Shield said, “And you think I’m the weird one! Sorry Proteus, continue.”

“So anyway, I did what I always did. I stepped in, and told the colts to leave her alone. They were much older than I was, bigger too. I got beat up real bad that day, but somehow, I managed to fight them off; don’t ask how, even I don’t know. All I remember after the fight, was them running away, screaming how their muzzles were broken.”

“That’s Proteus! Always breaking some poor saps muzzle!”

“What about the mare?”

“She watched the whole thing. After it was over, she slowly walked up to me, smiling at me. A real pretty smile, too. She lifted my head up to hers and…she kissed me.”

The colts let out a collective “Woah.”

“And it wasn’t just a peck on the cheek; it was a REAL, full on kiss.”

“Including tongue?”

“Well, maybe not that full on.” The colts chuckled in unison. “But it was the first kiss I ever received.”

“What was her name?” asked Boulder.

“That’s the thing, I never found out. After she kissed me, she ran off. I looked for her for days, asking everypony in town if they’ve seen her. Nopony had even heard of her, like she didn’t exist. Either that, or they did, and they didn’t want to help somepony like me. But…I never forgot about her. In some way, I’ve kept looking for her ever since.”

The colts were silent, not knowing what to say.

“Well, that’s depressing!” Emerald Blade broke the silence, “Let’s keep drinking!”

Everypony, except for Proteus, cheered for that option. They resumed their drunken fun, singing songs about beautiful mares on the ocean seas. Proteus couldn’t bring himself to do such things. The thoughts of that mysterious mare came flooding back to him, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. He got up from his seat, and walked outside.

The stars were especially bright out tonight, and the moon was out in full. Proteus sat down, looking at the night sky, as he did back at home.

“Nice night, isn’t it?” Stone Shield said, taking Proteus by surprise. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” he sits down next to Proteus; he can see the somber look in the Private’s eyes. “Ya know, I may be a drunken old stallion, but I know a sad look when I see one.”

“Is it that obvious?” Proteus asked, with a smirk.

“Like a one eyed unicorn.” he takes a swig of his drink, held tightly by his wing. “That was a hell of a story you told back there.”

“I never told anypony that story before. Not even my mother.”

“Then how did you explain the beating you took?”

“Oh, I told her about that part. She was so mad at those colts. Their mothers were practically cowering in fear.” Proteus chuckled; remembering the past like it was yesterday. “But, I never told her about the mare.”

“She must have been quite something, if you look the way you do now, just by thinking about her.”

“She never even said a word to me. Not one.”

“You need a drink. Scratch that, you need like ten drinks.”

“No thanks.” Proteus chuckled, “I like to have some sort of consciousness, and I’m currently running on five cups as it is.”

“Ah, you’re no fun.” Stone Shield gives Proteus a slap on the back, “Still, thanks for the story. Now, I know I’m not the only hopeless romantic around here.”

“Thanks for not kicking me out of the Academy. If you did, you would have never found out that you weren’t the only hopeless romantic around here. By the way, how's the muzzle?"

"Just fine." he says, rubbing the place where the bandage used to be. "I'm still finding a way to get you back, though."

"Make sure you let me know ahead of time, okay?"

The two share a laugh. As their laughter subsided, they could hear the sounds of approaching wings, coming from behind them.

They turn to see Princess Luna landing before them. They bow to her.

“At ease, Gentlecolts.” They stand. “I see you two are having a good time, I am glad.”

“Want some cider, your majesty?” Stone Shield asks holding the cup out.

“No…” she chuckles, “Maybe later. For now, I want to speak with the Private.”

“Yes, your highness.” Stone Shield gives Proteus an even harder slap on the back. “She’s all yours, kid.”

The two watch as Stone Shield stumbles back into the barracks. They could hear the cheering of those inside upon his arrival. Both Proteus and Luna snicker at the antics.

“I see you two are getting along quite nicely.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“I told you that you can call me Luna.”

“Sorry, Luna.”

“Just…don’t mention it to anypony else. Okay?”

“Our little secret?”

“Exactly.” she winks.

Proteus smirks, but isn’t entirely sure whether to take what she said seriously or not.

“You mind taking a walk with me, Private?”

“N-no.” Proteus stutters nervously, “N-not at all.”

The two walk through the Canterlot garden. Its beauty in the day is only amplified at night. It’s calm, serene…romantic. While Luna walked with all the grace a Princess such as her had, Proteus was everything but graceful. Combined with the cider running through his system, and his heart beating miles a second in her presence, Proteus was sweating waterfalls. Luna takes notice quickly.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yeah…no…I’m just a little…drunk.”

“I see. I thought I was making you nervous.”

“Nervous? Me? No, of course not. I don’t get nervous. Why? Who told you?”

“Calm down, Proteus.” she laughs, “This is just a walk, nothing more. Relax.” She liked this side of Proteus. She’s never seen it before. She did her best to hide that she is charmed by him. “Actually, I did want to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure if you have heard about creatures from Mt Tartarus trying to escape their prison.”

“I’ve heard only rumors, but that was weeks ago.”

“Well, since the last attempt, they’ve been upping security exponentially. Being a Princess, it’s my duty to head over there every other week; to make sure that everything is running smoothly.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what does this have to do with me?”

“As you can see, somepony like me can’t be going around the kingdom at night, all alone; vulnerable to attack. So, I’m going to need protection. A personal Guard, if you will.”

“Understandable, but…” Before he could continue, he could see Luna staring at him intently. He figures out quickly what she’s asking. “What? Me?”

“I could think of nopony better. Stone Shield has spoken very highly of you.”

“But…I’ve only been here for a few months! Can’t you get somepony more experienced?”

“I need the more experienced Guards here, at the castle.”

“I…I don’t know. This is all kind of fast, isn’t it?”

“You want to get your chance as a Royal Guard? Here it is. What do you say?”

The decision, despite being a little drunk, was an easy one.

Moments later, Proteus returned to the barracks. The Colts were still having a good time, their cider almost completely gone, and they were all drunk. No doubt, they were in for some pretty nasty hangovers in the morning. Stone Shield noticed the look of shock on Proteus’ face. Everypony looked back at the Private, stopping their jolly tunes.

“What happened?” Stone Shield asked, “Did you make out with the Princess?”

“She…” Proteus replied, “She asked me to be her Royal Guard.”

“And?” They all leaned in to hear his response.

“I said yes. I start tomorrow night.”

Silence. Suddenly…

“YEAH!” Everypony screamed for joy, rushing to Proteus, holding him up to the ceiling. He was caught off guard by this, letting out a loud scream, as he is lifted it. They throw him up and down, chanting his name. He didn’t care that they were all wasted out of their minds. His shock turned into laughter, as they continued chanting…..until they stopped to go off and vomit.

Proteus woke up early next evening, his head was pounding, but not because of the drinks. No, that honor was going to the many soldiers still writhing in their beds, Stone Shield included. Further down in the castle, he visited a talented griffon named Blacksmith. That wasn’t his real name, but he insists on everypony calling him that. Anytime somepony asked him his real name, he would glare at them like he’s going to murder them. Proteus was fitted with typical guard armor. It was of a much stronger metal than what he wore in training, and a heck of a lot shiner too. The Blacksmith excelled at his craft, as the armor was ready within only an hour or so.

“You seem familiar.” the Blacksmith told him, “Have I fitted you before?”

“No.” Proteus told him with a grin, “I just have one of those faces, I guess.”

“Forgive me; I must be getting delirious for my age.” the Blacksmith shook his head, “But, I swear I’ve seen you around.”

“It’s okay.” Proteus assured him, “I get that sometimes.”

Proteus returned to the barracks, as he had about an hour before heading off to see Luna. He looked at himself in the mirror, still in awe that he is now in this position. His dream of becoming a Guard had come true, albeit in a much faster fashion than he ever imagined.

“You look like your father.” Stone Shield, awake, and with a bag of ice on his head, says behind Proteus. “Though, he didn’t have any wings.”

“I just can’t get over the fact that I’m here.” Proteus says, “It’s what I wanted.”

“You scared?”

“No, I’m just fine.” Proteus tries to laugh it off, but he’s not fooling Stone Shield.

“There’s no shame in being scared, but you have to get over it, and fast. You’re a Guard now, and it’s time to act like one.” His serious tone that’s present during training, makes his way to his tone of voice. “The first day is always the most stressful, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Thanks, Captain.”

“You’re welcome…Private.”

Proteus made his way to the outside of Luna’s chambers. This was it, his first official act as a Royal Guard…and it’s knocking on the door.

“Who is it?” Luna asks.

“It’s Proteus.”

“Come inside.”

Proteus slowly opens the door to walk inside. His eyes nearly bug out of his face, when he sees Luna’s chambers. It’s a room beautiful beyond words; his time down below has made him susceptible to being awed by the mere sight of beauty.

Luna emerged from the bathroom, wet, and wearing a bathrobe. Her mane wrapped in a towel. Proteus immediately stood at attention.

“There’s no need for that.” Luna says, “Be yourself.”

Proteus could only raise an eyebrow at her comment. After a few seconds of thinking about it, he loosens up a bit, standing how he would normally stand, as if he were in casual conversation.

“That’s better.” she says, removing the bathrobe and the towel.

He can see her hair was a mess, nothing like it normally would be. Without her royal garb, she was completely naked in front of him. He shouldn’t find this strange, as he lived in a community where most of the ponies he knew wouldn’t wear anything at all, but he does. His eyes slowly scan her body, but quickly look away as she turns back to him.

“Sit down.” she commands, “I need your assistance.”

He sits down right on the floor, as she disappears into her closet. Leaning forward to take a peak, he sees hundreds, maybe thousands of royal garments. The closet alone looks bigger than his room back at home. She emerges, holding up two chest pieces, one being her signature black, the other sparkling silver.

“Which one do you prefer?” she asks, moving the pieces to her neck back and forth.

Was this going to be his duty? Give her fashion advice? He felt he had no business telling a mare what clothes make her look attractive or not. It was awkward enough when his mother, and her friend Rarity, would ask him, when they would make trips to Canterlot. Still, he had to answer her.

“The black one.” he said.

“I thought so too.” she smiled, “Black it is.” She tosses the chest piece back into the closet. He watches her as she sits at the mirror; carefully brushing her mane. The once frizzled mane, is now becoming the beautiful, flowing sight that it always was.

“If you don’t mind me asking.” Proteus began to inquire, “Where are we going?”

“How rude of me, I apologize. We’re just making a trip down to the city. Canterlot gets very lively during the night, and I always like to go down there, and mingle.”

“Going to the city?” he thinks, “Sounds simple enough, but I’ll stay on my guard.”

Within minutes, Luna was all dressed, and ready to go. She stands in front of the Guard, posing for him.

“How do I look?” she asks.

He stares at her in surprise, and awe. In surprise, because she’s posing in front of him like some sort of model, and awe, because she’s as flawless as she has ever been.

“You look…nice.” he eeks out.

“Don’t be modest.” Luna giggles, “My guards must be completely honest with me, no matter the question.”

“Okay.” he says, “You look beautiful.” He blushes at his own statement.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” she smiles, “Let’s go.”

The two walk into the streets of Canterlot. It has been a while since Proteus has seen the city outside the castle walls, so everything seems very much new to him. Luna was correct; the city is positively bustling during the night. Jazz music can be heard playing at the nearby clubs, the restaurants are filled with fancy looking ponies of different financial calibers, and the bars are producing loud noises of drunken ponies, having a fun time.

“A little different than you imagined, huh Proteus?” Luna looks at him, grinning.

“Very different.” he tells her.

As they walk along the streets, various ponies spot them, galloping to them in absolute giddiness. Proteus stands in front of her, to protect her from anypony that wants to harm her. She calmly nudges him back, letting him know that everything is okay. Still he looked at everypony standing in her presence, prepared to deal with any punks. Though she told him to be himself, he was being anything but.

A few journalist ponies, brandishing camera, quills and paper, get right in front of them.

“Princess Luna! Princess Luna! Who is this stallion with you?” one intrepid Reporter asks.

“He’s my Personal Guard.” Luna proudly states, grabbing Proteus, and bringing him against her coat. His eyes widen, and his cheeks are flushed with red. He’s never been this close to her before. “His name is Proteus, and he is protecting me from any dangers that I may encounter.”

Flashbulbs go off, as Proteus is blinded by the cameras. As they continue to ask away, Luna takes Proteus over to a nearby restaurant. The waiter sees them both, immediately giving them the nicest booth in the place. Proteus can only look around, as he admires the architecture, the band playing soft music, and the gathering crowd of citizens and reporters outside.

“So, how do you like Canterlot?” Luna asks, leaned in closer to Proteus.

“It’s a little…surprising.” he says.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you how ponies get around me.”

“Is it always like this?”

“Every time I come here.” she confirms.

The two order their meals. Everything about the situation he’s in seems both nice, and kind of…odd.

“What’s the matter, Proteus?” she wonders, “Do you like this place?”

“Yeah, it’s great, but…” he pauses, “Is this a date?”

Luna suddenly bursts out laughing, sending Proteus reeling back in surprise. The other ponies in the restaurant look back, but only briefly.

“I appreciate you thinking that…” she says, her laughter dying down, “But, this is just me welcoming you to my personal guard. I do this for everypony.”

“How many guards have you had?”

“Only a couple, including your father.”

“Did you bring him here?”

“Of course. It’s a nice place, and the food is delicious.”

Just as she says that, the food arrives. She wasn’t kidding, the food was amazing. Much better than the meals he would get back in the barracks.

As they ate, they talked about what he had been up to since he first met her, telling her how he always wanted to be a guard, and various events in his life leading up to him ending up in Canterlot. She listened intently at his stories, laughing at the appropriate times, and feeling sympathy for him when he got to a less than pleasant area of his tale. He told her how rigorous the training was, and how he had a tough time at first, but eventually fell into it. She just smiled at him, as he continued to talk. He was talking for so long, that he almost failed to realize that she had barely said a word to him since he started his stories.

“Oh my goodness.” he said, “I must be rambling.”

“No, I like it.” she tells him, “We’ve never really had a chance to talk, so I'm glad you’re like this.”

"But, I've been talking for so long, I never asked you about yourself."

"It's alright, Proteus. You're my Guard now. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in due time."

He smiles, a hint of blush adorn his cheeks. After paying, the two exit the restaurant, and head back to the Castle.

He escorts her back to her chambers. He watches her take off her crystal slippers, carefully placing them on her mantle. She then jumps onto her bed, stretching her hooves out in relaxation. Proteus clears his throat.

“I had fun tonight, Luna.” he says, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” she smiles at him.

“Well, good night.” He says, as he heads for the door, ready for a good day's rest.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Back to the barracks.”

“No, you’re sleeping here from now on.”

He freezes in place. Sleeping with the Princess? He had to clarify.

“I’m sorry, but...I’m not sleeping in your bed, am I?”

“And what if you are?” she slyly asks.

Before he can respond, she starts to laugh the same way she did at the restaurant. “I’m just kidding!” she laughs, “You have your own chambers in the next room. Don’t worry about your things, I had the staff put them in there, when we were gone.”

Proteus walks to the door she was pointing at, opening it up quickly. The room looks very much like hers, only slightly smaller. His things are on top of his bed, ready for use. He cocks an eyebrow, still in disbelief.

“Oh…okay then.” he tells her, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Wait!” she stops him from leaving. He looks back at her, wondering what her next move it. “I forgot to take off my crown. Can you take it, and put it on the mantle, next to my slippers?”

An odd request. She could do it with her magic. “Maybe she’s just tired.” He thinks to himself. He walks over to her, and uses his wings to carefully take her crown. Slowly, he goes to her mantle, placing it gently on the head of an alicorn pony-quin. Looking back at her, he can see her giving him a friendly smile. A bead of sweat falls down his cheek.

“Good night, Luna.” he says, going to his room. As he closes it, he can see her still looking at him…still smiling.

“Good night, Proteus.”