The Siege Of Canterlot

The Holy Army rode and marched out of Canterlot, down into the valley below, where they joined with their first batch of reinforcements. Each Province of Equestria had a standing army, usually some ten thousand soldiers, which were enough to deal with most routine threats. Each fortress and fortified town also had its own garrison, varying in strength depending on their size, and each Province could also raise its own levies, civilians pressed into service, volunteering from the ranks of farmers, labourers and others who had minimal training but were eager to serve. They had minimal training but could certainly wield a musket or spear well enough to fight. As well as the provincial armies, Equestria maintained a large military force centered on Canterlot and two other major fortress-cities, Baltimare in the far north and Stalliongrad in the west. They would act as regional reaction forces, powerful and ponderous, able to respond to any major threats and ride to the relief of any besieged city or fortress if the provincial forces were not capable of doing so.

From the messages they had received from Saltsburg, there was no doubt that the city was in danger of being overrun, along with much of the eastern plains, if reinforcements did not arrive soon. The provincial governor had sent a begging message, penned in his own writing and sent from his palace inside the city walls.

My Princess,

Your loyal citizens are in dire need of your aid this day! I write this with a trembling hand, for the enemy is at our gate. Saltsburg is threatened, and with it, the safety of not just the entire province, but the entire nation. We were not prepared to resist such an incursion as we had no knowledge of it, no time to react. Even as I write, I can hear the thunder of their cannons. My generals advise me we have but one month's food for the populace. There was no time to evacuate them. The city garrison is at full strength but we have no reinforcements and no communications from the great fortress at Hornburg. If the enemy has already reached it, then I fear for the safety of Canterlot itself. Your Highness, you must send assistance at once, else the entire province may be lost.

Your humble and obedient servant, Governor Silkworm.

With Canterlot being the closest of the three major military stronghold cities, Celestia had taken the decision to lead the relief force, some twenty thousand to begin with, but gathering additional levies and support from the central province's military, trebling their total number by the time they reached Saint Swiftmane's Pass, the northernmost of the two major cuts through the Foal Mountains that possessed a fully maintained metaled road, allowing easy passage for supply wagons and artillery. They marched east, any nerves at heading to war tempered by the presence of their Princess at the head of the line.

It would be at least a weeks' march, and the army did not expect any further communications to come out of Saltsburg. When a city was besieged, ground communications were the first thing to be cut off. Horseback messengers were unlikely to make it out safely through the enemy lines. Pegasi could still fly, but that was only practical against certain opponents; namely, those without wings themselves. Even then, accurate musketry could still fell an airborne target. Against the Griffons, other ponies with Pegasi, or, in this case, Changelings, all of whom could fly, even a daring and fast messenger was likely to be overhauled and caught. What the situation was likely to be by the time they arrived could only be guessed at. They would link up, it was hoped, with provincial forces at the Hornburg, the grand fortress erected after the Zebrican invasion to form the lynchpin of a line of forts that were the modern backbone of the eastern defences. If Saltsburg fell but the line could hold, then there was some hope of recapturing the rest of the province. If the Changelings got through the gaps and decided not to invest the forts, but rather keep up their advance, then they could reach Saint Swiftmane's Pass in just a few more days. That was why the Holy Army had to ride out to meet them.

With Celestia gone from Canterlot, somepony else had to be left in control not just of the city, but of the nation. While in the field, reliable communications with the Princess would be a luxury even at the best of times, and she could hardly be expected to rapidly react to any changing circumstances when having to rely on a relay of messages that could take days, even assuming the messengers actually managed to find the army. Whoever was left in charge had to be wise, experienced, with a level head and a great mind, just like the Princess they would be deputizing for. As it had whenever Celestia was away in the recent past, that responsibility fell upon the wizened shoulders of Starswirl The Bearded. The great unicorn mage was both Celestia's court mage and her closest adviser and friend. In fact, he had been her mentor as a young filly, when she was still learning the trade of being a royal, ahead of inheriting the kingdom. He had trained Luna, too, but things had not quite worked out the same way with her as it had with her elder sibling. Starswirl was ancient; thanks to his own magic, not quite discovering an elixir or life, but able to preserve and prolong his own through complex and esoteric magic so as to continue aiding and guiding the Princess. Some would claim that such experimental magic bordered on black sorcery, the kind of obscene spell that only a heretic would dare to cast, for only the Princess should have such a long life, and that was not by magic, but by nature, her nature as a goddess in physical form.

Starswirl had little time for such mutterings that sometimes spread among the priesthood and some of the citizenry, for he had one goal- helping the Princess in any way he could. As her wisest and most trusted advisor, that put him in a position to take over from her whenever she was away. Some, especially those in the extended royal family tree, the higher echelons of the nobility, and especially the military command structure, had great misgivings about such an arrangement, but Celestia had decreed that it would be so, and thus, it would be so. The duties of ruling over Canterlot would be his, until Celestia returned.

The main rival to Starswirl's position was General Hawkeye, the commander of both the Canterlot garrison and thus, by extension, the whole military of the Central Province, the most prestigious military appointment in the entire land. If Celestia had not chosen to lead the Holy Army herself, then it would have been Hawkeye at the head of the column. Like Starswirl, Celestia had decreed that Hawkeye should remain in Canterlot and oversee its military preparations in case the Changelings should break through. They had to be ready, and though it rankled with the black-coated, blue-maned earth pony, she had no choice but to accept the judgement of the Princess. She knew full well that Celestia was a fine strategist, tactician and fighter herself, but to be denied the chance to lead her own troops into battle had not sat well with Hawkeye. It was still a noble calling, perhaps, to remain behind and protect the capital, but protect it against what? Celestia and the Holy Army were unlikely to fail in their task, and if they did, they could retreat and block the mountain passes. The Zebricans had not managed to break through to the capital during their invasion. Why should the Changelings be any different in that regard?

Missing out on the opportunity for leading the army to glory was one thing, but having to suborn herself to Starswirl's judgement was something else entirely. Hawkeye did not get along with the ancient wizard. Not because of his age-lengthening spells which caused dismay among some of the priesthood; she did not care about that. Who would not wish to extend their years in service to the Princess if they were able? No, what upset her was Starswirl's apparent disregard for the military prowess of Equestria. He preferred to believe in what she considered a fallacy; that magic alone could protect the nation. He had been studying various potential spells and enchanted artifacts that he believed could perform such a role. Hawkeye emphatically did not agree. It was nothing to do with her being an earth pony, and Starswirl a unicorn. She had long ago. as a filly, accepted that she would never cast spells or perform any kind of active magic. It didn't bother her. What bothered her was the implication that Starswirl thought he could achieve something that the Princess could not. If anypony could protect the entire kingdom using nothing but magic, it would be Celestia, not Starswirl. That was Hawkeye's emphatic belief. Her faith said it had to be so.

That said, Starswirl was somepony she still respected, though less for his magic and more for his intelligence and calmness. He had been Celestia's adviser for Hawkeye's entire life, almost entwined with the Princess in terms of how the history books would view him. He was part of her reign, part of her power. If Hawkeye was- or was supposed to be- Celestia's mailed fist, then Starswirl was that part of her mind which tempered her anger, calmed her rage, and soothed her impetuousness. Not that any would dare accuse Celestia of being angry, enraged or impetuous, of course- other than Starswirl, not many would get away with that without, at least, a loss of face, and at worst? Well, it had been an awfully long time since anypony had taken that risk, and from what Hawkeye understood, that pony soon found that they no longer had the hereditary titles they had taken for granted. It was far safer to gently nudge the Princess, rather than openly suggest that she was, perhaps, not thinking clearly on any given issue.

Then again, by the same token, Starswirl had often been accused of being cold, aloof, and detached, both from Celestia's other advisors and from the population at large. When ponies in the street looked at the Princess, they saw a benevolent figure, a mother and a goddess both, guiding her flock through the turbulence of life, empowered by the heavens themselves to be their leader; someone who was loved by them, and who loved them in return. When they looked at Starswirl, they saw somepony who cared more for his magic and his alchemical experiments than he did about them. His advice to Celestia may well have been calm and scientifically rational, but that did not necessarily translate to being morally right.

With Celestia gone, Starswirl had called a council, to be held in the planning room of the palace, where the strategists oversaw wars in times past. Hawkeye had attended, along with the provincial governor, the city mayor, the Royal Guard's captain and the High Ecclesiarch. The large, stylized map of Equestria that dominated the room had featured small wooden figurines to indicate fortresses and armies; the Holy Army was represented by a golden figure carrying Celestia's personal royal standard, a regal purple border with a sun that matched her cutie mark upon a field of azure, with a golden crown atop it. Saltsburg was represented by a small castle, ornately carved and suitable for the finest chess set. The Changeling army was represented by a skull topped with their national flag, a black banner with a winged eye at its centre.

They had held fruitful discussions over what steps to take; precautionary, of course. Just in case the Holy Army failed and the Changelings broke through to the mountain passes. Canterlot could become their target, and it was wise to start preparing for that eventuality, though in a limited way and without frightening the citizenry. Thus, it had been decided to strengthen patrols along the city wall and at the gates, as well as across the Great Plateau and its approaches, to start the city blacksmiths working on additional simple weapons, spears and swords, to arm able-bodied citizens if needed, and to start stockpiling some food from the farms on the plateau and in the valley, just enough to boost supplies without arousing panic. Once the meeting was over, Starswirl had approached Hawkeye and asked to speak with her for a moment. She nodded and stepped aside with the old sorcerer.

"General, I wish to speak candidly with you, if I may," Starswirl began.

"Yes, Your Excellency?" Hawkeye replied, giving Starswirl the courtesy of using his formal title since he had addressed her by her rank.

"I understand your hesitancy in these...delicate matters," Starswirl began. "You would ordinarily be in command of the army and not merely the garrison. But I should remind you, General, that the Princess herself has tasked you with this mission. She chose to lead the army herself, but that does not mean that she does not trust you. If anything, it means she trusts you all the more, for defending the capital is a great responsibility. This is not merely a city, but it is a symbol. As much as symbol as the Princess herself, almost. It is her seat of power, it is where she lives and was crowned. It is Equestrian history in physical form."

"And it is home to half a million ponies," Hawkeye pointed out, more to underline her doubts about Starswirl's compassion than to make any military point. In the event of an imminent threat to the capital, many of the citizens would flee. Evacuation plans were always rather half-baked because the rich and able would run early, taking their servants with them, whereas the poor would have a more laborious exit, perhaps searching for days to find somepony with a spare cart big enough to take their sick grandmother, or finding somepony to take the foals to safety while the parents went to join the militia.

"Indeed it is. But you know as well as I that Canterlot is more than just a place for them to live," Starswirl retorted. "The Princess has placed me in command of the nation while she is away on campaign, and I, in turn, am delegating the defence of the city to you, as it should be, for that was why the Princess deigned to leave you behind instead of taking you with her. She knows you are the most capable pony for the job."

Hawkeye nodded. "There is some wisdom in what you say, of course..." She looked over at the map. Canterlot, a large castle figure, was broadly central in the landmass. The Changeling nation lay to the southeast, and from what the reports said, it suggested that they had committed the bulk of their army to the attack toward Saltsburg. It was the most logical route, for if they moved their forces south and tried to attack straight up the valley, parallel with the Foal Mountains, they would have to pass through difficult terrain at the border, break through the line at Trottingham, and cross the Henbane River before they had anything like enough room for free maneouver. They would also have the issue of their own border with the Shadowlands, a nation whose status as a friend or foe had changed frequently so far as the Changelings were concerned. Troop movements too close to their frontier might elicit the wrong kind of response from King Sombra, and that could derail any planned attack. No, the attack on Saltsburg was their main thrust. It had to be. It was too large to simply be a diversion; the Changelings, even with their rapid rate of reproduction, could not field enough troops for two major campaigns at the same time.

"I am certain it will not come to that, however," Starswirl continued speaking as she mused over the map. "The Holy Army will defeat the Changelings in battle before they can reach the mountains."

"I certainly hope you are right, Your Excellency," Hawkeye replied. The prospect of defending the city with depleted reserves and limited assistance available from the remaining troops of the Central Province was not exactly one she wished to dwell upon for too long, for though Canterlot was strong, firmly fortified and well protected with cannons and thick walls, the city militia had not been called upon for anything more than ceremonial duties for centuries, beyond the lifespan of any resident save Starswirl and the Princess. The regulars had rather more experience, though mostly of field warfare and of laying sieges, not fighting them off. Hawkeye, however, had experience of both, being the well-heralded Stalwart Of Trottingham, having held the city against a major Changeling border incursion two decades earlier, which had possessed the sole objective of trying to take the city to throw Equestrian plans into disarray before, the enemy evidently hoped, a larger-scale invasion could be mounted the following spring, as soon as the snows thawed. The attack had come just as the autumnal weather began, a surprise as most field armies could only operate effectively in the spring and summer, thanks to the weather, darkness, and ground conditions that beset any attempt at major movements and operations during the colder months. The Equestrian Army had been late in coming to their aid thanks to those same issues, but under Hawkeye's direction, the city had weathered the storm with minimal casualties until the Changelings were forced to withdraw to their winter quarters before being trapped. The city was saved without the need for Celestia's relief column, earning Hawkeye her nickname.

"I believe I will be proven correct," Starswirl nodded. "Do you doubt the Princess?"

"Of course not," Hawkeye replied defensively. "But something does not sit right with me about this. We had no warning of this attack."

"Is that unique?" Starswirl asked. "History will show numerous surprise assaults in the past."

"It will, yes. But this one makes little sense. The Changelings have been...relatively quiet of late," Hawkeye answered. "We know of no reason why they should strike now. There is no special strategic advantage to this date. It is not an Equestrian Feast Day, for example, when our readiness could be reasonably expected to be lower. It is not a period of unseasonable weather when they may catch our field armies unprepared for the march. Nor have we received any formal declaration of war, or indeed any kind of diplomatic messsages at all, from Queen Chrysalis."

"You have met her, correct?" Starswirl asked, bringing a fine briar smoking pipe to his lips using his magic and lighting it with a single spark.

"Chrysalis? Yes, once," Hawkeye nodded. "At the Conference of Pearls."

"What did you think of her?" Starswirl questioned, puffing on his pipe.

"She was...difficult to read," Hawkeye replied. "She had only just become Queen...her mother had died, leaving her the new matriarch."

"Died? Or perhaps she was assassinated?" Starswirl speculated.

"By who? By us?" Hawkeye asked. "I've never heard of this story before. Are you certain?"

"Not by us, no." He shook his head. "By her own daughter."

"What?" Hawkeye blinked. "Chrysalis killed her own mother?"

"We cannot be certain, of course..." Starswirl replied. "But we believe it to be fairly likely, yes. We felt it best to keep this knowledge a secrete, lest it...interfere with our attempts at diplomacy with the new Queen."

"Well, that seems to have been a great waste of your time," Hawkeye grunted. "It seems that diplomacy has failed us on this occasion."

"Indeed it does, General," Starswirl nodded, casting an eye over the map. "Indeed it does. But beyond being difficult to read, what did you make of the new Queen?"

"She seemed remarkably intelligent...very swift-witted, for certain. I noted that she made one or two harsh barbs against the Princess. Her tongue is as quick as it is sharp."

"Both literally and figuratively," Starswirl added, for Changeling tongues were quite long and forked, like those of a reptile.

"She was eager to talk, but not for any productive purpose, it seems," Hawkeye continued. "However she did not show any overtly aggressive tendencies toward us, nor did she threaten war or anything of that nature."

"Then perhaps she was hiding the truth from you," Starswirl suggested. "For it seems that war is exactly what she now brings to our lands."

"Changelings are masters of deception and disguise, Your Excellency, as you well know," Hawkeye replied. "I hope that this is the only surprise the Queen has planned for us."