Prologue - An Unexpected Meeting
It was a quiet, pale morning over Equestria's countryside. and though the sun had not yet risen, the calls of wild birds could be faintly heard in the air. it would've been a relaxing scene for practically anypony to witness…except for one.
Twilight Sparkle, the newly crowned Princess of Magic, straightened out a crease in the periwinkle blue formal gown she wore, looking outside at the passing scenery with an air of unease and fear.
Normally, a train ride to Canterlot would've been no issue, as she had done so many times in the past. However, there were a few circumstances that revolved around this train ride that made her nerves quiver.
First, she was alone. Apart from the crew and two Solar Guards, who were stationed at the entrances and exits of the train car, she was unaccompanied. Second, she was specifically instructed by Princess Celestia not to tell a soul about the specific circumstances of this trip. Lastly, it was those exact circumstances that set this journey apart.
Twilight glanced over at an unfurled scroll from her mentor, and took in a breath to reassure herself. The scroll, once tightly sealed, now lay flat, the message within having been re-read at least seven times by now.
My dearest student, Princess Twilight Sparkle,
Though this request may come as a surprise or even as unusual, I must ask you to come to Canterlot tomorrow morning, just before I raise the sun. I must also ask you to wear attire suitable for your new station, as this meeting holds great importance to not only our realm, but another that we hold as a close ally.
I know this summons will catch you off guard or unprepared, but please understand that it had to be this way, due to circumstances beyond my own or my sister's control.
And please understand that whatever should happen, I only ask you to trust me in this matter.
Princess Celestia.
As Twilight settled back into her seat, her eyes slowly began to close at the soothing feeling of the train's wheels and pistons humming beneath her. Sleep had been elusive to her on the previous night, and now, she was beginning to feel its pull on her, wearing away her resolve to stay awake.
"Princess?"
She quickly snapped herself back to the land of the waking, and turned to see the two Solar Guards that had accompanied her approach.
"We've arrived at Canterlot Station." the first Guard reported. "Princess Celestia's orders stated that we are to escort you to her office without delay."
"I understand." Twilight replied, standing up to look herself over in the window. Upon seeing that everything was in order, she began the trek to Canterlot's Royal Palace, the two Guards by her side. Thankfully, there were few citizens that were awake, and those that did notice bowed out of respect and stepped aside to let them pass without incident.
Twilight returned the gestures with nods and small waves, and as they approached the palace gates, Twilight was surprised to see six strangers, clad in green and brown cloth with steel-colored armor, standing at attention across from a row of six Solar Guards, waiting at the doors.
"Who are they?" Twilight asked one of her escorts. "Or do you know where they come from?"
"My apologies, Princess, but we don't know." the Solar Guard replied. "All Princess Celestia would tell us was that they are soldiers providing protection for a visiting dignitary, and they were to be treated with great courtesy and respect."
Twilight nodded in reply, and as the doors opened before them, Twilight could see an additional soldier, clad in the same green and brown cloth, although his armor was more ornate and bore a command sash, standing to the side in the corridor that led to Princess Celestia's office.
As Princess Twilight approached, the soldier bowed, and opened the door for her with his hand. Waiting for her inside was Princess Celestia, as expected, but to Twilight's confusion, there was also another.
He was thin but well-built, with straight auburn hair kept in a presentable yet casual style. He wore simple yet regal robes with a green fur-trimmed sash, and gray trousers with hiking boots. A sword in its sheath lay to his side, at a reachable yet respectable distance.
His green eyes were full of life and curiosity, and his reserved feeling around him gave Twilight the impression that wherever he came from, he was of some great importance.
"Ah, Twilight, thank you for coming on such short notice." Princess Celestia said kindly as the Princess of Magic sat down. "May I introduce our guest, First Prince Mathias Orren, of the Cydonian kingdom."
"My pleasure to meet you, Princess." Mathias said, and Twilight nodded back with a small smile. He reminded her of a younger form of her older brother, Prince Shining Armor, only a little smaller in stature.
"Likewise, Prince Mathias." she replied. "I don't believe I've heard of Cydonia before, though. How far is it from Equestria?"
"It's only a few hours' voyage to the southeast, but we have been isolated from the rest of the world for some time." Mathias replied. "Which does bring us to the matter of prominence that brought me here."
"What might that be?" Twilight asked.
"You see, Princess Twilight, I don't suppose you've heard the story of the battle and treaty of Agamid, have you?" Mathias asked, and Twilight shook her head.
"I see. That doesn't surprise me, as it's not a very well-known story outside of Cydonia, I will admit." Mathias continued. "Princess Celestia can take it from here, as I have heard the story many times, but I am not the most qualified to tell it."
Twilight turned to look at her mentor as Celestia began to speak.
"Five hundred years ago, Cydonian trading vessels landed in Equestria, and shortly after, I met with the current Cydonian King and Mathias's ancestor, Saladin. The talks were peaceful and amicable, and we were in the process of establishing formal relations when word came…that Equestria had been invaded from the west."
"Who were they?" Twilight dropped her jaw slightly. "I didn't know that there was civilization that far outside our borders."
"That is the case for good reason, Princess Twilight." Princess Celestia replied. "They came from a land known as Aethus, under the orders of their High King, Aitanus. He had heard mystical, fantastical stories of Equestria's supposed "wonders", and wanted them for his own."
"Was invading Equestria necessary to accomplish that?" Twilight asked.
"Unfortunately yes, in the High King's eyes." Celestia shook her head sadly. "The High King was very ill in both body and mind, from years of searching for a supposed "Elixir of Life". He wished to be immortal so he could rule his realm forever."
"He ordered his soldiers to interrogate any form of leadership among our people for any information on the Elixir, among his other pursuits. I appealed to him to leave our borders in peace…and he refused." she finished.
"What resulted was the Battle of Agamid." Prince Mathias said, as Twilight turned to him to listen. "A combined force of Cydonian and Equestrian soldiers, led by both Princess Celestia and King Saladin…stormed the enemy lines around the fort of Agamid."
"The High King turned out in his own battle armor to challenge us…and was slain afterward." Mathias added. "His forces then surrendered out of fear. Apparently, the High King had established such a facade of health and power…that his own soldiers feared him above all else, even in death."
"After the dead were counted, the Aethusian General asked for the king's body. so it could be cremated upon his return home. After we did so, he promised us that the next time the eastern world and the west met, it would be a peaceful matter, no matter what."
"And with that, Princess Twilight, I signed the treaty of Agamid with King Saladin." Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. "In exchange for their services, I promised them that whatever they should ask for, it would be granted to them under an eternal oath."
"Now, they have come to have my oath fulfilled."
"What did you ask for?" Twilight turned to Prince Mathias, who looked away all of a sudden. Twilight turned to Princess Celestia, who breathed in and out several times before speaking.
"My dearest student, Princess Twilight Sparkle…Prince Mathias has asked on the treaty of Agamid…for your willing hand in marriage, as his betrothed."
With those words, Twilight's heart stopped in its tracks, and she turned to Prince Mathias, who slowly took out a small velvet box, inscribed with golden thread. Slowly, he opened the top, revealing a simple yet beautiful silver ring.
Twilight's jaw dropped and a hand went to her heart as she struggled to find her voice. Before she could respond, her vision went dark, and then…falling. The last thing she could feel before she slipped into unconsciousness was a pair of arms circling around her warmly and a voice whispering into her ear.
"Please…Princess Twilight…forgive me."
Author's Note
Well, it's finally here at long last. It took me a few revisions to really nail down a plotline for the Battle of Agamid, but I'm happy with this final version.
I based the High King of Aethus off of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, and his similar searches for the elixir of life. (At least the High King didn't take daily doses of mercury, like the Emperor did.)
Anyway, I hope you like this remaster, and I'll have more out soon.
Chapter 1 - A Fair Chance
Princess Twilight gave off a quiet groan as she came to her senses, and upon realizing that she had fainted, she took a quick look around. To her relief, there was nopony else in the sitting room she now occupied, and a blanket had been drawn over her. As she sat up, the door opened, and Princess Celestia soon placed a reassuring hand on Twilight's shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" the Solar Princess asked. "You gave us all quite the fright when you fainted."
"I'm feeling just fine, thanks, but…how long was I out?" Twilight asked.
"Only an hour or so." Celestia gave a warm smile. "Prince Mathias sheltered you all the way here, and wanted to keep watch until I persuaded him otherwise."
"Oh...right." Twilight then remembered the reason she had fainted in the first place. "Where is he?"
"He's with my sister in the dining room." Celestia helped Twilight to her feet before adding, "He asked if it was possible to have a quick meal before you both return to Ponyville."
"What do you mean, "both"?" Twilight wondered. "I thought he would be returning to Cydonia."
"Twilight…you missed a good amount of conversation on both the part of my sister and I and Prince Mathias." Celestia said, as they exited the room and headed into the hallway, escorted by two Solar Guards. "He asked to stay with you for about two weeks, three at the most, to help acclimate himself to Equestrian customs, and allow him time to befriend the Elements of Harmony. I accepted this and his proposal of marriage on your behalf."
"What?" Twilight gasped, all other things in her mind coming to a screeching halt, her jaw falling in disbelief. She took in several breaths, all her emotions rising up in a mix of shock, disbelief, betrayal, and fear.
"I thought…that…why did you?..." she stammered.
"Twilight Sparkle, my dearest student, please listen." Celestia said in a voice that made Twilight pause, as it reminded her of her own mother, Twilight Velvet's voice when a clear understanding was necessary between them. "I know that Prince Mathias's proposal was out of the blue, but you must understand that this was an arrangement over five hundred years in the making. I cannot deny the Cydonians what was promised to them any longer."
"Furthermore…I can't…I won't stop this from going forward. It would go against everything I stood for and believed in to promise an ally something I cherish beyond belief, and then take it away at the last moment."
"But I'm not ready for any of this!" Twilight protested. "I've known Prince Mathias for less than two hours, and I'm supposed to marry him? This is…this is completely impossible! How will my parents react to this? Or my brother and sister in law? Not to mention my friends!"
"Twilight…" Celestia started to speak, trying to reach out to comfort her student, only for Twilight to shove the outstretched arm away from her.
"No! Don't even try it!" Twilight said, tears emerging to her eyes. "How could you even do this to me? Just tell me this is a dream, a mistake, a misunderstanding, anything! Right?"
"RIGHT!?" she cried again. Celestia was silent, and Twilight fell to her knees, fresh tears hitting the carpet. Twilight was so distraught, she didn't notice Princess Luna and Prince Mathias approach. Luna took one look at the sight and turned to her sister, who motioned for her to stay quiet, along with the Cydonian Prince.
Prince Mathias, however, had other ideas. He pushed his way past the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, and unclipped the clasp of his emerald-colored, patterned cloak. Before Twilight could push him away or even speak, he had wrapped it around her shoulders, and embraced her tightly, letting a single, gentle hand rest on her hair, the other on her shoulders.
Twilight dropped her jaw slightly as she heard Mathias whisper into her ear.
"Princess Twilight, I am so indescribably sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and please be assured that I wasn't fully prepared for this meeting either. However, I…I knew that for the sake of both our nations' futures, I had to accept this arrangement."
"I've…read many stories about you Princess, and the other Elements of Harmony. I've…always wanted to meet you under better circumstances, maybe even befriend you…but this is just how things played out."
"I'm not asking you to marry me the second we arrive in Ponyville or Cydonia. I'm not even asking you to immediately be my fiance'. All I want to ask of you is…"
"...Is what?" Twilight asked, her voice barely standing out from her shaking throat.
"A fair chance." Mathias replied, making Twilight's eyebrows rise as she genuinely thought his words over, with the tears flowing down her cheeks starting to stop. "Whatever you need from me, Princess…it will be done."
Twilight looked into his eyes as he guided her face gently to look at him, and she could clearly see the sincerity and honesty in his eyes. She wiped the last of her tears away, and slowly settled back into his arms as she spoke a single word that made Mathias give a relieved, small smile.
"...okay."
Mathias guided her to her feet, and she lowered her head to his shoulder as he continued to speak quietly.
"We can work out all the details later, I promise you that. For now…are you hungry?"
"Mhmm." Twilight affirmed, giving a small nod.
"Then let's get some breakfast." Celestia said, guiding the two of them towards a nearby dining room. While they walked, Twilight returned Mathias's cloak to him, and he pressed his hand into hers.
"Don't worry." he said, as Twilight looked at him in a confused manner. "Whenever you're ready…I will offer that ring in a proper manner. For now, as a matter of fact, I might have an idea."
"What sort of an idea?" Twilight asked. Mathias then took out a pocket watch from his shirt pocket, and undid the clasp, letting the thin silver chain fall free. He then retrieved the ring from the box, and slid it through the chain.
Then, he placed the improvised pendant at her neckline, and using his magic, took the clasp off of the pocket watch and merged it with the chain. Twilight gave a faint blush, and as they entered the dining room and sat down, Twilight quietly spoke.
"Prince Mathias?"
"Yes?" he replied immediately, looking at her with kind eyes.
"Thank you." she said."I'm sorry that I melted down like that…"
"It's fine, Twilight." Mathias nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, is there anything you'd recommend here? I'm not exactly up-to-date on Equestrian cuisine…"
"I'd imagine you will be soon enough." Twilight gave a small laugh, and as the waiters came around, and she helped Mathias order, she looked to the window. The sun had risen, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen in the vibrant blue sky..
She smiled and relaxed, knowing that whatever happened next…she would be ready to proceed with a clear mind and a renewed spirit.
