“Yes, king Wiwian am goin’ to host dah cewebwation at dah pawace! Actuawwy it seems wike he’s in mowe of a peacefuw state. Cwosah to himsewf, pwe accident.”
[Quote from A Royal Servant answering a question, about if the celebration of the 100th anniversary of velvet’s coronation was still going to be held at the White Palace. And wasn’t going to be canceled because of King Lilian’s mental condition]
Today was the day. I sat on my bed looking at my hooves, in a few hours I was about to take my oath infront of King Lilian, but even though it had been months it still felt so unreal. Dorri told us to stay in our bunks, as they were still preparing the ceremony outside. As I continued looking at my hooves Ix spoke to all of us.
“Where you think, there going to assign us?”
Charles spoke trimming his hair.
“Wet’s hope that’s its not a pwace wike Happyfawm, pwace am a compwete shithowe if 'ou ask me.”
Charles chuckles at his own comment as I speak.
“Pewsonawwy Emiwy hopes it’s Seaside, am stawtin’ to get wowwied about my Daddeh. My Mummah stiww hasn’t wwitten back to me yet. 'Ou think my wettah maybeh hab got wost?”
Charles shrugs as Ix turns to look at Dar and speak.
“Hey Dar, where do you want to be stationed at?”
Dar who was on his bed looking up at the ceiling, speaks with a slight humorous tone.
“Ix, if dey payed me enough. I’d accept anywhewe, eben dah depths of Dah Gwow itsewf.”
Dar now give’s a grin as ix responds humorously.
“In The Glow? You’d burn you’re damn balls off our there!”
Hearing this we all erupt in laughter. Around 2 hours of chatting away later, we heard a knock on the door with 4 fluffies coming in a few seconds later. Each one carried a corner of a large box, and once the box was in the middle they stated to leave with the last one speaking right before exiting.
“Get youwsewf equipped an’ head outside.”
Curious by what they meant we went over to the box and opened it seeing what was inside.
Inside the box we found 4 kits of Royal Guard armor, all tailored exactly to our sizes. Grabbing the kit with my name on it, I notice the armor looks a lot like the one Dorri has with the only difference being that there was no orange stripe. (An orange stripe indicates higher rank) I look at the helmet for a second, it’s shiny metal reflecting my face than with a full breath I start putting on the armor. Once I have it on, the armor feels strong and heavy. Like it was able to take a blow from the strongest of weapons, but there was no way I was able to run for more than 2 minutes in it. Everyone else was now also wearing their armor and after a few seconds of admiration and compliments, we exited heading to the yard. Once outside I saw that it was dusk, with the sky looking like a beautiful mix of colors. All the recruits were outside wearing there armor, in there bunk groups. We walked up finding an empty spot to stand as we waited for the Royal carriage to come rolling inside, and the King to begin the ceremony. We waited, and waited… And waited some more. It was now night when finally we saw the carriage enter, instantly we all got up getting into a waiting position. And when the carriage stopped we saw Dorri get out, walk towards us, look down for just a moment. and speaks.
“Dewe has been some difficuwties at dah pawace, His Majesty King Wiwian am cuwwentwy habin’ an “episode” an’ wiww not be abwe to attend. Su in his pwace Dowwi pwesents, Cwown Pwince Baeu.”
There was a quick moment of shock and a few whispers as we saw someone start to come out of the carriage. I felt disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to see His Majesty, but I stopped thinking about nerveless today was supposed to be happy. Once the figure finally came into view, we finally got a look at Beau Crown Prince of Motor.
Beau was a Pegasus a bit older than me, with a white coat, and a long following dark red mane. He wore some of fanciest garments I had ever seen, with every piece of clothing being long but never to big, and the jewelry he wore sparkled in the night sky. Beau now next to Dorri speaks in a soft but authoritative voice.
“Beau wouwd wike to deepwy apowogize fo’ dah absence of my fathew, many know he am a man that suffews gweatwy with iwwness of dah mind. Buh nu mattah ou hab waited wong enough, wet dah cewemony begin!”
The ceremony was pretty simple, from numerical order each bunk would approach a large fire at the end of the yard overlooking The White Tower. And when they got there, a small table with the banner of Motor and Dorri and Beau awaited them, with the recruits putting their hooves on the banner while Beau said the oath, and the recruits saying it back. We were number six so it would take some time before it was our turn but even as we did wait I felt my heart facing. This was it, my life’s dream! after around 25 minutes of waiting bunk 5 had finished there oath’s and now we were up. Approaching the table we were in for a slight surprise, a large portrait of King Lilian infront of us.
The portrait was pretty detailed with it showing that. King Lilian was an earthie, with a deep chestnut coat, and short graying black hair. On his person was an array of royal garments similar to his son with the massive difference being the crown of Motor atop his head and those… Deep mad eyes. Beau looks at us and after a second of getting ourselves ready, we go up and place our hooves on the orange cloth and Beau speaks.
"Am ‘ou dah wecwuits Chawwes,Emiwy,Daw an’ Ix.
We all nod at the same time as BEau speaks again.
“Den 'ou am pewmitted to take dis oath, fowwow what beau says.”
Beau clears his throat as he begins speaking the oath.
“I, citizen of Motow hewby take dis oath.”
We follow beau’s lead, speaking in unison.
“I, citizen of Motow hewby take dis oath.”
“To sewbe an’ pwotect hew, an’ hew wightfuw wuwah.”
“To sewbe an’ pwotect hew, an’ hew wightfuw wuwah.”
“To sewbe dah Doe dynasty, eben if that incwuded gibin’ my own wife.”
“To sewbe dah Doe dynasty, eben if that incwuded gibin’ my own wife.”
"An’ if I wewe to faiw dis oath, may Anu himsewf stwike me down."
“An’ if I wewe to faiw dis oath, may Anu himsewf stwike me down.”
Beau looks at us smiling and speaks.
“Congwatuwations, guawds. May Anu guide 'ou.”
I take my hoove off of the banner, looking at it. I did it… With me looking down I was a little suprised when Dorri started to speak.
"Nao ,you nu can sewbe Motow wiff am bawe hoobes! We had these wewe fowged wastes’ week.
Looking I saw Dorri going under the table grabbing something, Swords. Each of the 4 swords shined like the jewelry Beau wore, with them looking sharper than anything I had ever seen. Each sword hilt was made of wood and iron and the pommel (bottom of the hilt) having the symbol of the Royal Guard on it. Each of us were handed a sword and a scabbard and we begin to walk to make way for the next bunk. As we walk to the mess hall where a giant feast is already underway, I look at my sword and have a realization. There are a few times in you’re life where you feel something so significant happen, you know it will never replicated again, I’m having one of those feelings right now. I will never feel as proud as I do right now, not for the rest of my day’s.
[1 Month later-The Stablelot gate]
After the ceremony me, Charles, Dar and Ix were all made into a single unit, that being Royal Unit 6 (or unit 6 for short) And the location we were assigned to, was The Stablelot gate. Our tasks were pretty simple, stopping troublemakers, searching suspicious wagons for contraband, ending petty disputes between fluffies or traders, or on rare occasions escort an official or important fluffy. Overall we didn’t really see that much action, with the only upcoming things being the 100th coronation anniversary in a few months, and when next year’s spring arrives, and we get leave for month and a half (I miss my family so much!) I was now sitting on a wooden chair during a boring day, looking at my sword, I was trying to come up with a name for it. I wanted something that both felt strong and deadly, while also being elegant and iconic. I was still thinking when I heard Ix coming in looking a bit exhausted speaking.
“Ugh, damn these beds are so uncomfortable. you up early?”
I speak putting away my sword.
“Yeah, pwetty mownin’ out.”
I could now also see Charles and Dark entering as well, I speak.
“Things seem pwetty intewestin’ outside, we hab ouw fiwst twadews an’ bisitows fwom Chicago stawtin’ to awwibe.”
Ix hearing this sighs and gives a look of stress. I understood why she felt this way. Even a century after the war between changelings and the Chicago peoples, there was still a lot of bad blood between them. With Ix saying that arguments and drunken brawls between changelings and Chicago puffies and fluffies, were quite common on western trade routes.
Since now we were all properly awake, there was a debate about if we were going to get some breakfast, either we could go to the mess hall or leave to head to the markets. There was an instant unanimous decision to go the market (nobody wanted to go to the mess hall, all they served was literal slop!) We all got our things and began to make our way down the wall, reaching ground level and exiting the wall. We begin to make our way to the market, and with it being morning the streets were a little less crowded than usual. Once at the markets we begin to look around seeing anything that looked appetizing, in our Royal Guard uniforms a few of the fluffies around us, payed their respects by giving a small bow, with us giving one back. Once we all got the things we wanted (I just got a small cup of stew) We began to make our way back, that was until we started hearing something… Screaming. We put our food down near a market stall and began to run to the screaming and once we started approaching Charles spoke.
“Ebewyone stand back!”
I saw a crowd had already formed around somebody and once getting a good look I saw a trader , a puffy griffon from Chicago. He was holding his bloodied left eye and was on the ground. Charles getting close to him speaks.
“What happened!”
The puffy griffon looks at Charles and speaks in quick breaths.
“Thieves attacked me!, they stole all my cash!”
Charles speaks.
“Whewe did dey go!”
The griffon points to a direction and once the crowd makes way we could see what looked liked 5 figures running, Charles speaks.
“Fowwow them!”
With that we began to run at the thieves, with the markets and people making it hard to pass sometimes. As we started getting closer and closer to the thieves Charles yells at them.
“STAHP BY DAH AUTHOWITY OF DAH WOYAW GUAWD!”
They didn’t listen. Turning a corner around a building we were now in the workshop district of Stablelot, with it being a lot less crowded, since the work day for most didn’t begin yet. At Hooves length the the thieves, they were not shouting and a lot more desperate with them turning one last corner only to end up in a dead end alleyway. And once there we take a few gasps for breaths and take out our weapons, Charles speaks.
“'Ou am undah awwest! Gib back what 'ou stowe!”
The 5 thieves chat amongst themselves before one of them speak, trying to mask his desperation with confidence.
“Oog knew these wouwd come in handy! C’mon cwew wet’s spiww dewe bwood!”
All 5 of the thieves pull out smuggled short swords and raise them at us and Charles looks at us and speaks.
“Wooks wike whewe in fo’ a fight, nu kiww them!”
And with that we both charge at each other in attack.
One of the Thieves decided to focus on me, so raising his short sword he went in for the attack. I a little taken aback that this was my first actual fight am able dodge the sloppy strike pretty easily. And with our swords crossed the thieve speaks in a mocking tone.
“What did dah Woyaw Guawd dwop dewe wecwuitment standawds! To easy!”
Hearing this I feel my blood boiling as I step back to make a strike only for the thief to dodge it. For the next few seconds we strike each other dodging the others blows before finally, I get sloppy. When trying to strike, the thief seeing an opportunity also strikes and I feel a rush of pain coming from my right check. I take a few steps back as I feel my blood running down my face and the thief laughs, and I feel… Scared. The thief slowly starts going up to be prepared for another strike, but just than there blow is dodged, and I see Dar holding the thief back and speaking.
“C’mon Emiwy wet’s finish dis!”
Now back to my senses I raise my sword ready as both me and Dar start fighting the thief easily overpowering him. Once we get him to the ground he drops his sword and raises his hooves in surrender, and looking I see Charles and Ix with the stolen money and all the other thieves, who were also surrendered with some having cuts and bruises. We tie all of them up and I have my cut bandaged and we begin to make our way back to the griffon. And once we walk I hear one of the thieves speak.
“‘Ou pieces of shit! I wiww wemembah am face! an’ once I get out I’ww swit am fwoat in am sweepies, ou duwan’s!”
Duran, was that some kind of new underground insult of something? Once back at the griffons location, we saw him with around a dozen city guards asking questions. Once they see us Charles speaks.
“We got dah stowen cash, an’ dah thiebes.”
We hand over the thieves to the city guard while the griffon comes to us and speaks.
“Thank you so much, my hero’s!”
The griffon give’s each of us a shake of his Talon, only stopping and giving a stare for a few seconds when getting to Ix before ultimately shaking her hoove quickly. Walking back to the gate we grab our (Now cold!) Food and begin eating it. And as we make our way back I think about the fight and how I got scared, I can’t let that ever happen again! Than my mind goes to the insult I heard from and than it hits me, I speak.
“Emiwy thinks she has a name fo’ my swowd, Duwandaw.”
Ix looks at me a little confused, about why I named my sword Durandal. She speaks.
“A play on the insult, why Emily?”
I speak.
“‘Cos if it am an insuwt, may my bwade embody it. A painfuw insuwt to aww those who oppose me, an’ His Majesty.”
Ix hearing this shrugs, as we all make it back to the gate wall and enter. Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done in a few day’s to a week, and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!