Guarding the Heart

Some Time Earlier

SHIELD

"Waters?" Shield called out in a pained voice.

The light blue pegasus had a frustrated look about him as he ushered the injured stallion into the alleyway, using his wing to shove him further into the darkness and around a bend to the left of a building. The alleyway was cluttered with construction materials for building an expansion on a nearby house, a maze of boards and scaffolding lacing the alley as they pushed deeper away from the street. Waters shoved into him pushing Shield and the Princess faster, the different tools and materials splayed out around the ground catching his hooves causing Shield to nearly topple over.

Then Shield watched as the pegasus quickly bit the strap of his satchel and dropped it to to the ground, a splay of bandages peaking through the lip of the bag. Waters then quickly scanned the sky above them before looking at the wounded Princess with a look of worry in his eyes. Looking towards her wing he saw the open wound dug through it and bits of flesh exposed to the air as blood continued staining her pink feathers red, his pupils shrunk in fear.

"You better have a good explanation of what the fuck is happening when I get back," the armored pegasus snapped turning to Shield, "Five minutes, do not move from this spot," he ordered, pointing a hoof toward the bag on the ground, "use 'em", Then Waters moved toward the half built structure to the side of the alley, lifting a wing and shifted a wide sheet of wood to an angle, motioning the stallion under.

Quickly Shield ducked under the cover and watched as Waters jumped backwards and, without turning around, quickly flew backwards. Weaving in between the different boards and jutted out sections of construction with ease, then spinning around he planted his hooves onto the ground and trotted out into the alleyway they had came from.

Shield listened as he heard Waters start calling out to others. A moment later the sound of other pegasi quickly flew overhead. Then silence took the cramped passage they hid in. Slowly Shield bent over and slid the Princess gently to the ground, rolling her against the wall and freeing himself up to move. Turning over towards the satchel Shield took the bandages out quickly and began to wrap the Princess' wounds, starting with the wing then moving towards her head. Carefully applying pressure in the, very likely, case of a broken bone or two. He watched as the Princess stayed motionless aside from her faint breathing. He needed to get her somewhere safe.

As Shield took out another roll of bandages suddenly a sharp pain flashed a hot white in his mind. He threw himself down to the ground to relieve pressure on the wound, the spear that had embedded in his front shoulder finally catching up to him. Looking down towards the punctured flesh he realized that despite the wound bleeding profusely, most of the bleeding instead caked against his fur instead of leaving a trail. Shield didn't turn away luck when it appeared, hopefully the traitors wouldn't be able to track them here.

As Shield tended to his damaged shoulder, he glanced toward the Princess. The words of Waters coming back to him, 'I have no idea what is happening'. The lack of information he had at his disposal was causing a piercing headache in him, or perhaps it was slamming into the ground from the fall?

Suddenly a blur of movent shot through the alleyway again, weaving past the construction so quickly it looked like it phased through it. Then skidding to a stop next to Shield the blue pegasus stared at the two, sweat pouring from his brow and soaking his fur.

"They are saying you kidnapped her Shield" Waters spoke in a hushed voice, glancing towards the injured stallion on the ground.

Looking up at the pegasus Shield recalled when he darted away from him at the entrance to the throne room,
"You seen what happened up there! It's a lie!"

"Well I know that," Waters said in a condescending tone, "but the whole of the guard doesn't, and may I remind you, all they know is the horny fucking bodyguard just ran away with the damned Princess" Waters barked, stomping his hoof into the ground and flaring his wings.

"Horny?" Shield asked baffled at the descriptor.

Shooting a quick look down at the stallion Waters began to shake his head back and forth comically,

"Cadance this, Cadance that, blah blah blah, Horny!" Waters stomped his hoof again, "and now you brought me into this mess!" With a huff Waters looked towards the Princess again with a pained look, "we need to get you two somewhere safe"

Looking back towards the alley that they came from Shield shuttered as memories came flooding back to him, pushing the fear aside he looked up towards Waters and spoke.

"I know of a place"

Present Day

SHIELD

"Then I helped Waters get you on his back and he flew you to the treeline, I followed behind at a distance. We managed to get out of the main city proper unseen. I don't believe we were followed but there isn't a good way to be sure" Shield finished recalling the day, looking up towards the Princess with a sorrowful look in his eyes. The pink alicorn shifted her gaze from Shield and looked toward the pegasus now sitting on the countertop.

"Horny?" She said in a bewildered tone

"Oh please, it was obvious to everypony and their pet," he said teasingly, looking over toward her and raising an eyebrow. "couldn't help yourself huh 'Cadance~'" he finished looking the Princess in the eye.

"Hold your tongue I am your Princess and you will-"

"No" Waters interjected, still holding eye contact with her. Shield shifted and stood, staring daggers at Waters.

"No?" the Princess asked in a tense voice.

"No. I joined the guard and transferred over here to the Crystal Empire to have an easy go about things. I didn't want to struggle like Mr. Bodyguard over here," gesturing towards Shield with his hoof, "But of course you two had to go and catch feelings and now the Prince wants you dead!" Waters snapped angrily.

Suddenly the Princess' expression shifted from her dominating persona to a more vulnerable one,

"No I still love Shining that isn't," Cadance fumbled on her words, shifting away from the accusation.

"Waters! Silence! You have no right to insult Her Majesty!" Shield piped up, coming to Cadance's aid.

"Why in the deepest depth of Tartarus do you think your words hold any weight to me? May I remind you that you tried to go after, not only a mare who is married, but a Princess" Waters finished pointing a hoof at Cadance, a look of exasperation on his face.

"Shining Armor didn't attack me because of Shield and I," Cadance snapped back. Her senses finally coming back to her, "I believe it had something to do with that plan that King Maker had in his autobiography" she finished with a fierce look at Waters. "and do not dare speak like that to me again, Guard" the Princess ordered, a piercing look fixated on Waters face as he glared back at her. Their attention so locked they didn't notice the way Shield's form shrunk at the mention of King Maker.

Waters looked at the Princess, switching to a lackadaisical expression before replying,

"I saved your life and this is the thanks I get?" he asked curiously.

"You saving me doesn't grant you the right to disrespect me" the Princess answered quickly.

"You're right. Saving you isn't why I am allowed to disrespect you," Waters replied shifting off the countertop and sliding onto his hooves, using his wing to reach for his helmet,
"You being so predictably royal is why" he hissed while sliding his helmet back onto his head, covering his messy white and blue mane.

Before the Princess could reply to his comment Waters stomped a hoof onto the old wooden floor causing a board to creak under the weight, then he spoke again.

"I am going back to announce the search in the woods came up short, you both stay here while I gather intelligence. Exit only at night to scrounge for food, I will be back" he answered in an annoyed voice and flew to the door, swinging it open in a blur and flying out into the night. Leaving the two alone.

Shield looked over towards the Princess as she sat glaring at the door, the expression she held was so complex he couldn't quite convey what she was thinking in that moment. Shield leaned back down into the chair he was resting in, taking weight off his injured legs. Despite the deep sinking feeling of being back in the place that caused him so much grief, there was an odd sense of nostalgia about it.

Remembering when he was a foal wondering what the inside of this place looked like and being amazed at the size of the house compared to the shed he and his siblings grew up in. They sat in the dimly lit dining area, the sound of the torch crackling as embers fling off the flame dancing about the dusty space. As Shield sat lost in thought the Princess shifted and took a seat next to him, laying her hooves out on the table and slamming her head down in aggravation.

Shield jumped in surprise of the action, then slowly raised a hoof over towards her form and gently rested it on her front shoulder. Shield watched as the pink alicorn turned her head to look at him, her flowing mane falling down in front of her face.

"Did this happen because of me?" she asked, a sadness in her voice. Then not letting Shield answer she continued,
"My jumbled confusing feelings... If the guards knew then... Shining must have too" the tears beginning to spill as she spoke. Coughing as the weight of the day hit her in full.

"Let's go rest. We need to recover" Shield gently suggested, turning his head to attempt to see into her eyes. He watched as the Princess pushed against the wooden table and sat up, staring away from him and replied.

"Yes. I suppose we should", with that she stood quickly and began making her way towards the stairs again.

"Your Majesty... I was wondering..." Shield's voice caught in his throat as he wondered what exactly he wanted to ask, before he could find the words however the Princess spoke up again.

"Goodnight... Shield..." Then she trotted up the stairs and soon after he heard the sound of the bedroom door close.

"Goodnight Cadance..."