Prologue: Trottanian History.
Lush green hills of rolling pastures of grazing, clean stream waters fresh from the cold arctic peeks over head, and the most beautiful and pristine of pony workmanship making for the grandest stone walls that have ever been seen by ponykind. That was but the first glance one would be treated to when they came upon Trottania. Trottania on the outside was a beautiful, untouched landscape with but a few outposts here and there for public protection. The fields, though used for tilling and providing the citizens of Trottania with food, was as rich with history as the city pass the outer walls. However, unlike Equestria, Trottania was not so well known for keeping exact records of those rich histories...
And also unlike Equestria, Trottania itself was the capital city, trade point, and as well the only city under Trottanian rule. This however does not speak well against Trottania as a whole, seeing how their lands roll and stretch further then their king can see. It is only that their king, in all of his wisdom and greatness refuses to let his subjects expand civilization further then he can see; much like a father not wanting his children scamper off into the unknown where he can't protect them. Even still, over the tests of time and war, Trottania has evolved without the need for expanding outside the capital's massive stone walls or deep moat lining the brim of the outside. Should anyone disagree with that knowledge, The Round is always willing to disagree with them on the king's behalf.
Who are the Round? A smart question if you are to go to Trottania. You see, despite Trottania's great fighting ability and (barely recorded) rich history, it for the longest time lacked idols for the citizens to look to except their devilishly handsome king. So, the king with all of his time devised the plan of forming The Knights of The Round, or The Round for short. The Round would be formed from the mightiest stallions and mares that the king could find, ones that if given time and life would become the greatest knights that the world would ever know. In time, he formed his Round of knights. Each one skilled, loyal, and most of all ideal. They became the protectors, saviors, and indeed the figures that the ponies of Trottania deserved as well as needed. Even still, for their king it was not enough.
No, for him there was something much more pressing besides his subjects' happiness; however, this matter would in hopes aid to that as well. But to Camelot, king of Trottania, the Scarred King, there was one goal that he had never realized. Celestia. That name alone brought nothing but boiling rage to Camelot; not from hate, but tested patients. For times passed, he has waited for his answer from the princess of Equestria, and has never received it. Most stallions would quit after ten years of waiting, but after 909 years, Camelot still waits. And waits. And continues to wait. There has never been anything more in Camelot's life that mattered more then to gain his answer from Celestia.
That is why with this news of chaos wreaking havoc, her sister's return, and the attack by the Changeling horde, Camelot feels it's finally time to beat his request in one final time. And this time, Celestia will not deny him...
"...Did you get all of that, squire?" a single bleak eye swayed to the side to look at the unicorn etching against a piece of parchment with a quill as fast as he could.
"Y-Yes my lord!"
"Good fellow!" that eye sparked to life and the unicorn colt watched as its own started to turn over to look at him directly.
The colt straightened up his posture and rolled up the piece of parchment with his magic hold, not once looking away from the albeit shabby looking stallion turning to look at him. "I do like some prudence in these matters. So may I trouble you with another task?"
"Of course your majesty!"
"You're on your way boy..." the stallion chuckled, a cough sneaking into his lets of joy. "I will need you to gather my Round..."
"Gather the Round? Whatever for my liege?"
At first, the old stallion did not answer and instead started to walk over to a nearby outlook in his throne room, his back right leg lagging behind him with a wooden 'thunk'. The colt squire watched the aged stallion move slowly to the outlook before straightening up once more as he heard a familiar cough. "I will be leaving for a trip soon, boy. And leaving without my finally finished Round wouldn't look very professional of me when I arrive, correct?"
"Yes, of course my liege."
"Grand. Now... Where are my knights?"
Scrambling for another scroll beside him, the squire hooked his magic into a much smaller paper than he already had. "Yes, well... You see-" the squire listed off the locations of Camelot's knights one by one, knowing his king was listening as much as he could.
Sadly for him, Camelot was already too far gone in his own thoughts as he pretended to listen intently. "Equestria... Celestia... after so long you will see just how life has changed... And more so how I have changed... Granted I've seen a few too many dragon's lately," as he thought, he felt the empty limb of his back right leg and gravely scarred wing, "But growth has never come without casualties... And you will soon see the power of my Round! The power I shall show you! You will finally accept my wishes! This... I... know!"
"--And Kay is-- King Camelot? Are you listening?"
"What? Oh... Of course Arthur, certainly I was," Camelot felt his gray face burn with embarrassment. "That aside... Please see to it that my Round be gathered before me within the dusk."
"As you wish..." The squire bowed his head and proceeded to exit the lengthy throne room, leaving the old stallion to himself.
Camelot took a moment of the gained silence to breath in calmly. "Mustn't grow to anxious. I must be poised for this..." returning to his throne, he say his flank down and eyed the distant golden ordainment hanging in the center of the room. So many memories flew through him as he looked against the shimmer of that old blade, bringing a smile on his face. But just as suddenly as it came, it fell back when a thought came to his mind. "The Round of late are a bit young... Physically so at least. They wouldn't--? No, no... Nothing to worry about... Business before pleasure is part of the Code. They won't let me down."
Part 1: They Call Themselves The Round.
Knights Of The Round... Never heard of them, have you? Very few outside of Trottania and neighboring lands knew anything about the name. But if you had heard of them, you would want for nothing more than for the world to know about them. Hoof picked by Camelot himself, the Round are seen as the vigil of Trottanian pride. They embody loyalty, chivalry, nobility, and above all... Class.
"Galahad, don't you dare make a scene..." a rather built, tan pegasi chastised to the graying earth pony who had his back to him, clearly paying him no mind.
A small assemblage of mares and stallions had gathered around the two stallions, all of which stunned by the distinguishing capes they each sported. The two had the same cape except for the trims and prime color. Many started to chatter and talk over the site before them, which only made the pegasi more so uneasy. "Galahad..."
"Hm?" Finally after the pegasi's latest hiss, the Earth Pony turned about to face him. "Oh Lancy! I had no idea you were--" Galahad was quickly cut off when he saw the steely glare he was now receiving from his partner and fellow knight, Lancelot. "...I'm getting the feeling you're not happy."
"Whatever brought that to your mind?" Lancelot's steely glare never once faltered and his hooves scraped up against the stone ground, "Now please... Let us go before we make a mockery of Lord Camelot even more...!" though Lancelot wanted to keep his tone low his voice went to an overly barking pitch that the mass could hear.
Not a single mare or stallion however would call a member of The Round out for any such action, but Galahad could never be counted among those single mares or stallions. "Of course," Galahad's voice dripped with sarcasm to the point Lancelot fought every urge in his body to go at him right there in the pier, "Far be it for me to make a scene and make Camelot look worse than he already does."
Though Galahad and many others in the mass snickered at the comment, Lancelot started to boil over. "You dare speak that way about our king?!" all attempt to keep his voice low finally shattered as Lancelot started to fume with rage.
"Lighten up, Lancy," unfazed by Lancelot's usual anger towards him, Galahad continued to tease him.
At that moment, the gathered villagers were treated to a rare sight as they saw Lancelot beginning to draw a blade from the sheath on his side. "I shall have you 'lighten up' for the both of us as I cut you to ribbons..." the audience gasped in anxious anticipation as they saw Lancelot's blade starting to touch the day's light.
However, before the blade could be fully drawn, everypony's attention was brought to a young colt wearing a simple Trottanian tabard and carrying a rolled up piece of paper in his mouth. The colt ran between the two knights, visibly huffing out around the paper and searching the two of them with quick eyes. Recalling who the colt was and who he represented, Lancelot sheathed his blade with a flick of his wing. "Arthur... You bring us news?"
"News... Yes..." his breath labored from his trot over, Arthur finally took the scroll out from his mouth with his magic and unrolled it but waited for his breath to catch up before reading it, "Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, his lordship Camelot has placed an order upon you and the rest of the Round to gather before him by dusk. I would assume that he wishes for you to meet him in the usual spot."
Both Galahad and Lancelot exchanged looks, Galahad's fun would have to wait for now. No acknowledged was given to young Arthur as the two broke out from the crowd, Lancelot by air with his massive wings and Galahad by hoof. With that, the crowd didn't remain for much longer and dispersed with mix chatters amongst them, leaving Arthur alone. "Simple enough," Arthur noted, scratching two names from his list, "Best move onto the next... Would be going faster if I got Pen to help me, but knowing the Knights... Best not..." with that final thought, Arthur moved onto the next destination, hoping for just another easy retrieval.
"Boys, can we stop dallying?" the navy blue unicorn wearing the mantel of The Round looked between her two cohorts with a fidget.
"Don't get ya' knicks in a knot, Noir," a rather slim pegasus of a white coat replied while his wings were scooping a load of mead into his mug along with the one beside him.
Once the two mugs were filled the pegasus lifted his drink up high and clacked it against the other mug. The mug that was clacked was also brought up by a very fit and muscular earth pony with a purple mane. "Cheers!" the stallion said deeply before knocking his drunk back and down his throat.
Noir impatiently waited for her partners to stop their drinking, feverishly tapping her back hooves against the dirt floor. As the moments went by, the pegasus looked to the female knight and sighed, submitting to place his mug down. "Constantine... Party's over."
The stronger of the two stallions followed his smaller friend's eyes and looked at Noir, clearly noticing her mounting unease. "Would seem so Mordred..." taking a final swig, his mug too found itself against the wooden counter.
"Oh?" Noir raised a brow, her impatiens seemingly gone, "You two're done?"
"Yeah... Mordy just needs to settle up," Constantine noted before quickly taking Noir off down the road and leaving Mordred alone at the sales counter.
The lone knight opened his mouth to protest but saw it to be in vain given the distance the two had already made. "Every bucking time..."
Hundreds of miles away, over the rolling fields and across many rivers and bends was the quaint kingdom of Equestria; and its capital of Canterlot. Normally, Celestia -co-ruler of Equestria- would have been hard at work preparing some sort of celebration or decree of some sort. But, on this day, in her throne room, she received a surprising visit. One of her carriers burst into the throne room and stood before her as well as her sister, Luna. "Princesses! I have a letter that was ordered to be brought straight to you!"
"What is it? A fan letter? Perhaps another suitor for my sister?" Luna's tone was dulled at the very idea.
Celestia on the other hand smiled sweetly and nudged her sister ever-so slightly. "Now Luna, we have to be accepting of everypony. So, let's see that letter," the carrier presented the piece of paper to his princess who picked it up with her magic and unravelled it before her eyes.
For a moment the princess's eyes scanned over the written words against the paper, her subjects and sister watching her for some sort of reaction. When she finally did put the paper down, they found that her kind look was gone and what replaced it was utter distaste. "Camelot..."
