The Forsaken Princess

Prologue

As I emerged from the black abyss that was my childhood, I knew one truth. Trust no one, and feel nothing. Never leave yourself open; never leave yourself weak to those who want to harm you. When I was just a filly, my parents were slain. Slain by the stallions that pledged to protect them, their crownguards, the Black Cloaks. I remember it vividly. It was cold that night, awkwardly so, for a clear night at the apex of summer. The war had raged on for two years by then. Ah, I should explain. About two years ago, my father issued the command to invade Pegasura to end the autonomy that the Pegasi enjoyed there. To keep their country racially clean, the Pegasurians would capture or execute any unicorns or Earth ponies and leave their corpses on poles on the outside of the walls of their holdings, to warn any ponies unfortunate enough to wander into their territory. The war was going rather well for my father, until the battle of Misthold, where several of my father’s commanders were killed. That was several months ago, and since then the entire conflict has reached a stalemate. It would make perfect sense to me that the Pegasurians might send a small force to get past Liberna’s walls, but that wouldn’t make sense, as the stallions who murdered my parents were all unicorns.

I’m getting ahead of myself. You see, my name is Lulu, short for Lucella. I was born in the city of Liberna, the capitol of the kingdom of Equina. I’m a princess… was a princess. My parents were Jerros and Lucille of house Grandeur. I was an only child, I didn’t have any friends. I suppose my only friends were my parents, and my hoof-maiden. How I miss them all….

I apologize, I’m getting sidetracked again. Jerros, my lord father was just ending a council meeting in the Hall of Knives. Some matter involving an ambushed shipment of cider. I was in the yard, playing with my crystal figures that my caretaker had carved for me. My mother was watching me at play, when we heard it; the sound of almost a hundred hoofsteps against the marble floor. “What is the meaning of this,” I heard my father say, “How did you get past my-“

His voice was cut off by the chorus of swords being unsheathed. I remember looking at my mother then, her beautiful, green eyes rounded by fear. She got up and trotted into the council room. Then, it happened. As my father stood to run, his own guards took him from behind and thrust their horns into his neck, killing him instantly. The army of strange men descended on my mother. I didn’t see what happened to her, as my caretaker took my mane in her mouth and gave me the universal sign of “run”. So we did. We ran from the courtyard to the larder. Marcella, my caretaker, pushed a stone jutting from the wall with her hoof, causing a food shelf to swing open.

As we ran into the darkness, there were millions of thoughts running through my head. What’s going on? Where’s mother, where’s father? Did I do something wrong? Has Celestia forsaken us? Moments later, we emerged from under the outer wall, outside of Liberna. I looked to Marcella, and burst into tears. She embraced me, and held me for what felt like hours. “Lulu, my sweet, it will be okay,” she said between whimpers, “I will protect you, we will be safe.” I wish she was right, as I wouldn’t be here, writing this. I would be far outside the borders of Equina, perhaps even so far as Equestria. But alas, just moments after those words left her mouth; a dozen armed stallions surrounded us, with magic-imbued blades aimed at us. They killed Marcella there, but took me. Where? I have no idea. They blocked my vision with a cloth, clapped me in irons, and took me here, this prison, wherever it is. I believe I’ve been here for about three weeks, though it’s hard to tell as no sunlight leaks in, and the only light I have to write even this is from a candle that they provided me. They’re quite hospitable, oddly enough. Despite this cramped, smelly, rat-infested chamber I was given, they actually respond to many of my requests. Although the guards don’t talk, not even to each other, they still provide me with some of the things I ask for. I get two meals a day, consisting of bread, water, and sometimes even an apple. They’ve given me ink, parchment, quills, even a softer pillow. They denied me when I asked for my freedom, though. The fact that the guards would actually go out of their way to do these things for me though, probably means that they want me in good condition. I assume I’ve been ransomed for an arranged marriage or perhaps as a hostage to send back to Pegasura. Every day, I make sure to attempt to confront the guards about it, but they simply ignore me, as if they don’t even understand what I’m saying… perhaps they don’t. For all I know, I could be at the other side of the world from Liberna.

Well, it seems that my candle is beginning to die out, so I believe I’ll stop writing here. I’ll attempt to write in this journal as much as possible, but I doubt that will be too often, depending on whether or not the guards want to give me more candles.

                              -Lulu