Discord Daze

Chapter 4: Love

The great hall of the castle is filled with rows of ponies. The room is decorated with white, pink, and royal purple flowers and linen. The center aisle has a long, white carpet rolled out; on one end of it lies a decorated white archway, and an altar. Hidden behind the archway is the throne. Every member of the crowd is in uniform, or some fanciful attire. A small orchestra of trumpets, violins, and an organ are off in the side, and their music runs through chamber. In a spot before the archway sits Starry Knight, wearing his decorated uniform. To his side are lined Copper Arrows, followed by a few others. On the other side is Crystal Clear's friends, each in identical, artful attire. In the front row, on the side of Crystal's family, are seated the Queen, the Prince, and some other, lesser nobles, followed by friends in the rows going back. On Starry's side, an older alicorn wearing a decorated uniform of his own, and beside him, only friends.

I realize you haven't met my family yet. Unfortunately, there's not much of it left. I was an only foal, and my mother passed away some time ago. My father, sitting next to family friends, served in the military before. He retired as a commander, and now lives in Castelle, a town on the northern border of the kingdom.

At the other end of the hall, through the large, castle doors, Crystal Clear trots through, wearing a luxurious gold-trimmed wedding dress, accompanied by her father on one side. They make their way slowly down the aisle to the altar, and the King leaves his daughter to go and sit with the Queen. Starry smiles as he sees his bride, and Crystal returns the smile.

The music stops.

"The power of love is great," Sir Daycaster says as he approaches the altar, and stands in the arch behind the couple. "Love drives all creatures to do both terrible evil, and boundless good. It is though, more importantly, the bond that holds us all together. Today, we cherish and celebrate that love. Sir Starry Knight, take you this oath of love: that you will always and forever take our dearest princess, Crystal Clear, as your one true companion in love as long as you may live, before witness of the paragons?"

The longer version of this oath is never used anymore, and comes from ancient times, before the Alicorn Kingdom.

"I swear it," Starry Knight says.

"And do you, princess Crystal Clear take this oath: that you will always and forever take Sir Starry Knight, as your one true companion in love as long as you may live, before the witness of the paragons?"

"Yes, I swear," Crystal says, excitement in her voice.

"Then by the authority of the paragons, may you both be bound by your oath in the name of Love. Now go on and give us a kiss." The Sunraiser steps down and takes a seat with the crowd.

As Daycaster sits, Starry and Crystal share a passionate kiss, and the crowd gives a cheer. Soon after, the King rises and makes his way over. Some helping hooves move the altar and the archway aside, revealing the throne that was behind them. The kiss ends just as the King takes his spot, and draws a ceremonial sword. Crystal Clear takes a half step back as Starry takes a bow before the king.

"Sir Starry Knight," the King says, "Declare to us the Alicorn Oath." After a brief pause and facehoof from a few members of the royal family, the King corrects himself. "I apologize. Declare the Alicorn Creed."

Starry, with a smirk, nods and speaks. "By the might of our magic and the kinship of our fellow alicorns, we shall protect and serve the kingdom, and the royal family."

. . . and when I'm King, that's the first thing to go. I really hate saying that now.

King Iron Scepter taps the end of the sword to Starry's shoulders, and then sheaths the weapons again. "I pronounce you Prince Starry Knight. Rise." Starry Knight gets back up. "Welcome to the family," the King then says as he signals for helpers from before to start rearranging the room, preparing for the soon-to-come celebration.

Starry Knight goes back to give his new wife a long hug, and another deep kiss.

As the sun rises the next morning, Starry slowly awakens. The day before was like a dream. Giving out a yawn as he stirs, he stretches one hoof and touches at Crystal—his new wife—on the other side of the bed, and starts to come back to reality. A soft murmur comes from the mare as he does, and he slowly draws his hoof back, so as not to cause her to wake. He next tries to slip free from the covers and out of the bed, but is soon interrupted by the waking mare.

"Good morning, handsome," she says, and then lets out a yawn of her own, waking up.

He stops trying to get out of bed, and rests with her for the moment. His hoof moves back to her, and wraps over her side as he smiles and hugs her close. "Mornin'."

She giggles as his hoof moves around her, and kisses it softly before turning around to face him with a smile. "Fun night?"

"Yea," he says, "I may not be remembering this right, but did your brother make out with your best friend?"

"Yes," she says with a smile, another slight laugh moving out, "He drinks more than my father sometimes. But, that's not what I was talking about, my sweet prince."

"It isn't?" he says, a bit confused. When he comes back to his senses and realizes what she's talking about, he blushed. "Oh—oh, 'last night' he says. Yea, last night was nice."

Crystal laughs at him, and pulls him into a kiss. She then turns and gets off of the bed, stretching out her legs and wings before moving to her wardrobe. Starry soon follows, getting himself up and stretching in suite. "So what do you want to do today?" she asks him.

"Today?"

"Yeah, it's our honeymoon . . . technically."

He trots over to her and kisses her cheek. "Today I have to get to the refugee town, and oversee things."

"Aw, but what about us?"

"There will be plenty of time for us," he says, "But right now, the refugees have a problem with thieves."

"Thieves, huh? Likely story."

"True story. I'll see you later, tonight if not today. After all, we're in the same bed now."

She shoves at him playfully. "Nuh-uh," she says, "If you're going to be up all night doing guardpony things, don't you wake me up trying to get into bed. You can sleep with the thieves, then."

"I'll steal some flowers for you," he jokes back as he grabs his gear and heads for the door.

"Starry, wait," she says, trotting after him to give him another kiss before he leaves, "I love you. Bye."

"You too," he says and gives her a peck on the lips in return, "Bye." He leaves after that, and she returns to getting ready.

"Mi'lord," a guard says as he enters the prince's chambers, "We found him." Another guardpony throws a pegasus pony into the room. Both sets of his hooves are bound, as well as his wings.

"Thank you," Silvercoat says as he straightens up his dress shirt, and turns to the pony on the ground, "And the things he took?"

Another guardpony walks in and sets down a bag full of various trinkets and valuables. Stolen things from the refugee camp.

"Good," the prince says, "Now speak of this to nopony. You've done excellent work, and I'll see to it that you're rewarded handsomely when I take my rightful place on the throne. Now leave us."

"Yes sir. Thank you, mi'lord." The three guardponies leave without another word, and the last one out closes the door.

"Now," the prince says to the bound pony, who looks up at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity, "Tell me, what is your name?"

"No."

"Well this isn't getting anywhere fast, now, is it? If I don't have something to call you by, then how are we going to make this work?"

After remaining silent for a few seconds, the pony speaks. "I go by Sly."

"Sly, then. Tell me . . . what is it you were planning to do with all of these things?"

"Sell them. Or use them."

"Practical," the prince responds. He trots slowly around to the pegasus on the floor. "How is it that you went on so long without getting caught?"

"I only lasted a few days, you know that."

Silvercoat raises a brow. "Is that so?" He then takes the bag and empties it. More than trinkets and practical items fall out—more than to be expected from a camp of refugees: polished, decorated silverware, perfectly clean and polished gold and silver trinkets, jeweled objects. "Are you aware of how long we've known these were missing from our castle?"

The tone changes quickly. 'Sly' goes silent, and blank-faced for another moment. "How did you find those?" he asks.

"You have your methods. I have mine."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Kill you? Oh no no no no no. Your skills are far too valuable to de disposed of. Where did you learn to steal like you do?"

"Nowhere!"

"Oh come now, Sly. I promise, this will be just between you and me."

Silence.

"You're kind of small for a northern pony, aren't you?" the prince changes directions in his questioning, "Where are you from Sly?"

"Not the north."

"Where then?"

"The east."

"The east? Don't lie to me. There's nothing but desert for miles and miles out there."

"Exactly. Discord wouldn't look for us in a place he meant to be so unbearable."

"I see. It sounds like you hail from a smart group of ponies. What prompted your move to the Northern Kingdom, then?"

"Nothing."

Silvercoat turns toward him again. With his magic, he fidgets with a decorative knife, prodding a wooden table on his side of the room. After a moment of silence, he speaks. "You know. I'm really starting to lose my patience. That's something to be proud of, Sly—making me lose my patience. I'm a very patient stallion." The knife moves over to Sly, and comes within an inch of his eye. Sly reels back. "I've kept my patience for a very long time now—waiting for the poison I've been slipping my father to kill him; waiting for my mother to grow weary enough with him to finish the job, so that I could pin the whole thing her when it happened. But now something has happened while I've been waiting all of this time. I have use of your skills, Sly. But I need a background check before I can employ you." He gets up and moves in close to the petrified pegasus, and leans close to him to speak. "So are you interested in the position, or not?" Silvercoat pulls the knife back, and cuts away the bindings on each set of Sly's hooves.

Once free, Sly sits up, and looks at Silvercoat fearfully. "I'm interested."

The refugee camp is quickly starting to look like a real town. Starry trots through it, glancing over at an old oak tree and smiling as a memory of Moonlight floods his thoughts. It's the same tree that he had awoken under the day the northerners arrived. He quickly snaps back to reality, and continues trotting towards the town's center, to a small tent set up for the advisors to do their job in planning the distribution of labor and resources.

"Any new robberies last night?" he asks the council when he gets there.

"Just one," an older advisor speaks as he writes some things.

"Report?"

"Someone saw the tail of the thief as he—or she escaped through their window. The thief must have gotten spooked, because he didn't steal anything."

"That's good news."

"Howso?" the advisor asks.

"What color was it?"

"Solid black. But it was also dark, so it could have been any dark shade."

"Rats."

"Terrifying isn't it," the pony's tone was very droll and uninterested as he spoke, "I can't even remember a time when one pony got away with something for so long. I'll bet he's a professional of some sort."

"That would make sense. Let's hope not. Any other news."

"None."

"Really?" Starry questions. He looks around, "Aren't you a few ponies short?"

"Technically, no. Feather Quill and Sanskrit quit."

"Who? Or—why?"

"Why? Probably because nopony important ever bothered to remember their names." The advisor kept on writing, and looking through scrolls and papers.

"Oh, sorry." After an awkward silence, Starry finally asks, "What was—"

"Senex . . . "

"Isn't that Greek for—"

"Yes."

Starry makes an awkward click with his tongue and nods. "Destiny, huh?"

"We can't all be king when we grow up."

Feeling nothing but awkward in the conversation, Starry nods and heads off, trotting back to the city, and wandering around for a bit. A part of him searches for Moonlight, while another part of him tries to decide if he shouldn't. Eventually, he settles to wait outside the back of the theater where she played. An hour of waiting passes before she shows up, trotting up slowly as she sees him.

"What are you doing here?" she asks as she approaches him while he isn't looking.

"Moonlight!" he says, rushing to hug her. She doesn't hug back. "Something wrong?"

"No," she lies, "Nothing's wrong. I need to practice."

"I promised you that I wouldn't let this change how I felt for you."

"Yes, that you did." She wiggles free of his embrace, and heads for the door.

"That's it?"

"What's it?"

"This," he says, "I came here to see you? What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?"

"What's wrong?" she repeats the question, rolling her eyes. "You got married. That's what's wrong." Frustrated, she opens the door and trots in.

"I'm sorry," he pleads to the wind as the door slams shut behind her. "I'm sorry..."

As the sun sets, and night falls on the kingdom, Silvercoat and Sly finish their conversation. "So," Sly says finally, "All I have to do is follow this colt, Starry, and report back to you anything suspicious."

"No," Silvercoat says, "I want you to report back his every move, and the time he makes it. I want to know everything."

"Gotcha. And in return?"

"In return, you'll have so many riches that there won't even be an appeal to stealing. You'll be the chief spy in my kingdom."

"Right."

"Will you need anything?"

"No."

"When can you start?"

"Immediately."

"Well then. I bid you the best of luck, Sly. It's been a pleasure doing business with you. When can I expect you—" as Silvercoat turns around to face Sly again, and finds him missing. The pegasus had already left. "I like this one."

"How long have they been here, again?" asks Crystal Clear as she trots alongside her husband.

"Only four weeks now." It had been three weeks since the couple was wed.

"They sure build fast for being mostly non-magical ponies."

"I know," Starry says, "It's amazing. They've left me with almost no work to do." They were wearing some rather eloquent outfits. He wore a suite, no ranking symbols or merits of status. He was becoming more well-known, and his place as prince spoke for itself. She wore a sparkling silver dress, with a white, fuzzy trim.

"Ever been to a concert before?" she asks.

"Yes," Starry admits, "It's been too long though."

"Well I hope you enjoy it. I know I will."

The couple arrive at the theater before the first part of the performance. They sit in a balcony seating—a royal treatment with a personal waiter and plush seats. The band quickly files in as the lights go out. Among them is Moonlight, now playing the lead violin.

I knew she would be there. But I didn't try to talk Crystal out of it, because I didn't want a hint of suspicion, especially not for something that was . . . over.

As the music began playing, a rather sad melody came up at a point. It was gone within a few moments. Starry took notice of Moonlight the whole time, and nopony else. She saw her in his seat of power.

Earlier that day, Crystal happened to be trotting past her brother's door when she had heard an unfamiliar voice on the other side. She went in, and saw only Silvercoat.

"Other than spending a lot of the day doing nothing important, Starry's not a hoof out of line," she swore she heard.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Are you imagining things again?" Silvercoat asked. This had not been the first time.

"Don't lie to me. I heard Starry's name."

"Did you?"

"Please. Whatever it is. I beg of you, stop it. I know you may not like it, but he's my husband. I love him."

"No harsh words? My sister, you seem awfully calm for this time of the month."

She stopped speaking, and stayed silent for a moment. "Just . . . look. I know you never liked mom and dad, neither have I. I know you've spied on them before, but I know you love me. Please, for me—"

Silvercoat shook his head. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'll make a deal with you." It was clear she knew his secrets for certain. "Promise me you won't tell him. And I'll call off the spy."

"I promise," she said and then left, her nerves were about her.

In the rafters above the curtains, Sly kept watch, his eyes watching Starry.

"Normally," Sly said after climbing back into the room from outside of the window, "I can tell when somepony is lying. But with you—"

"It was a lie. Don't act like you couldn't tell."

"I was going to say that I'd better be sure."

"We need to meet in secret from now on. We'll come up with meeting places through written letters."

"I can work with that." Sly was then gone.

As Moonlight takes notice of Starry in the theater, she looks at him longingly. As she does, Crystal leans in to whisper into his ear.

"I'm pregnant."

The words draw Starry's attention for a brief moment. He looks at her with love—confused love, but love none-the-less. He soon responds with a short-lived kiss, forgetting all about Moonlight for that moment in time.

When she sees the kiss, Moonlight turns her head down, and for a few seconds, tears build in her eyes, and a single drop falls to the ground while she plays more perfectly than she had ever before a String Quartet.

Starry's eyes linger on his wife too long to see it. But Crystal notices as she looks back at the stage. "Look at her," she says.

"Which one?" he asks.

"The dark one. I swear I saw her cry for a moment."

"Poor mare . . ."

"I wonder why. Maybe she has some lost love. The way she stares at the ground, I imagine he's in the audience."

"That . . . is some imagination you've got." Starry sighs and fights back his own tears before they surface.

"You getting all sensitive on me?" Crystal smiles at him sincerely, and then turns again to watch the show go on. "You can almost feel her emotions by the way she plays."

Starry nods and watches, eyes on Moonlight the entire time. Not another word is spoken during the performance.