The Royal Wedding - IC

[Metronome]

The dark purple and black chariot was quickly approaching the kingdom of Equidia. Drawing the royal cart were four big, heavily armored dark pony pegasi, the royal guards. Inside the majestic vehicle, however, was not-so-majestic brawl. Prince Zinzie was bumbling about, making all sorts of calamity as Ormond tried to pin him down. Finally, the smaller earth pony landed a hoof on the prince's neck. Armed with a very strong comb in his mouth, he began to attack Zinzie's mane. Zinzie squirmed as his messy locks were slowly detangled.

"Stop moving!" Ore grumbled around the comb. He finally managed to achieve the impossible by ridding the prince's mane of all knots. It was actually rather nice and silky when it wasn't neglected. It was black like Ore's own, but shinier. "There. Now how damn hard was that?"
"Aw bro, you know I'm all kinds of tender maned." Zinzie rubbed his mane gingerly.
"Too bad. You're going to marry a fucking princess for crying out loud! At least try give the impression that she isn't giving her life away to some immature foal." Ore snorted as he put the comb away. "And try to remember that we are doing this for the good of our kingdom. That means you cannot fuck this up! Promise me you'll be on your best behavior so that I can get some actual work done without having to hold your hoof the whole time!"

During Ore's long winded nag session, Zinzie had scooted closer until they were flank to flank. "Aw, don't worry 'bout me brother!" He wrapped a foreleg around Ore's shoulders. "I'll be the most princely prince this kingdom ever did motherfuckin' spy. You'll see!"
Ore mumbled something to the tune of "I'll see, alright" under his breath. Despite his bitching and grumbling, Ormond cared more about Zinzie as a pony than just about any other pony they knew. Even Zinzie's own parents seemed to think of him more as a power over the throne than an actual living, breathing being. Ore just couldn't believe that the prince was getting married. If someone had come up to him a month ago and told him this, he would have laughed his ass off. But yet here they were: in Equidia, getting ready to plan the event.

The chariot touched down on the road leading to the place. There was a curious crowd waiting, eager to get a glimpse at this dark pony prince. Zinzie stepped off the chariot with his usual goofy-ass gait. Ore had to give him a stern bump to remind him to compose himself in a halfway dignified manner.

[Rarity]

☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀

Harmony stood at the golden road of Equidia, it was the only roadway that led out of the kingdom as the rest of it was blocked in by the impressive marble walls that were spoken of throughout Equestria. Legend had it that Equidia had shut itself in for two years during an attempt of invasion from an invading army. She had a bright smile on her face and watched as her people gathered around her impatiently. The princess continued to smile anxiously as she stood tall and regal in an attempt to calm down the ponies around her. She remembered the way that they had reacted to the news that not only was Ruffiana being brought back into the kingdom but that she was going to wed the Prince as well. It did not go well, even now there were some ponies who refused to even show up at the Prince's entrance into the Kingdom as a sign of disapproval. She sighed, hoping that this would go over well.

If it didn't... Princess Harmony's gaze fell upon a small filly in a carriage as her parents conversed among themselves. The next generations would be the one to pay for a lack of resources. She knew that eventually she was going to have to take a backseat in their lives and when she had taken a more passive role she wanted there to still be enough for everyone. Which is why the caves that were full of heavy metals and dense forests that Ruffiana held were crucial to keep Equidia growing.

Looking up in the sky and saw a violet and black chariot descending onto the golden road and Harmony took a step forward. That had to be the Prince's chariot. She heard some of the ponies behind her spot it as well and start conversing amongst themselves. She flapped her wings lightly as the chariot approached and her citizens moved forward.

"Citizens of Equidia, please." She stated and they quickly fell back in place to allow enough space for the chariot to enter the kingdom's gate. When she first took over her mother's position the ponies in the kingdom were not as approving of her as they were now, some ponies even threatened to secede from the Kingdom from the change of leadership but that all changed swiftly enough as she ushered in an era of prosperity and wealth. Now her every word was followed within seconds of her speaking, it was odd but pleasant and she truly cared about her subjects.

Her eyes widened a bit as two dark ponies had stepped off of the chariot and began walking into Equidia. She actually had never seen the Prince until this moment, she had communicated with them only through letters and sending ambassadors into Ruffiana to speak on her behalf. The thought that an actual dark pony would finally be crossing into Equidia and nearly a millenia was an event of itself but to think he was also the fiancé of the Princess added on another layer of firsts.

He walked into the gates and Princess Harmony smiled warmly before clearing her throat and speaking up. "On behalf of all of us here, I would like to welcome you to the magnificent kingdom of Equidia!" the Princess announced, speaking more to her people than to Prince Zinzie. As soon as she finished her welcome fireworks were released and the orchestra began playing the Kingdom's anthem. Flowers were being thrown and Harmony smiled politely as she took a few steps back to let Zinzie see all of the Kingdom.

[Xivilai]

All around the perimeter of Equidian Wall, armored Pegasi flew about on patrol. On the ground, Earth Ponies and Unicorns also patrolled on foot. They had a job, a simple one, which was to keep things running smoothly until this wedding business was over. And who was the one giving them orders, well, besides the Princess herself? A red-maned Earth Pony in Captain's armor named Lonestar. Walking around the castle wasn't exactly a job he was used to. He'd spent so long fighting on the front lines that the peaceful-yet-hectic wedding preparations was like watching paint dry by comparison. Still, at least he could look forward to going back home after all this was over.

He stopped what he was doing and watched a cart touch the ground. So, he was here already. He could tell instantly by the Darkies pulling the carriage that it was Equidia's soon-to-be prince. Star had never seen the guy before, so he figured he'd have a look. He watched as a unicorn and the prince seemed to wrestle their way out of the carriage, cocking his eyebrow curiously and having to stop himself from making a curt remark. This is the fella I'm gonna be bendin' my knee to at the end of the day? I miss the war already. Lonestar did his best not show what he was thinking as he stepped closer to the Dark Ponies. They had to be greeted, and whoever was in charge of their security would need to be briefed. That's where Lonestar came in.

"Milord." he said, finally addressing the guests and giving a reluctant bow to the prince. Someone had to be the bigger pony, and judging by the look of him, it sure as hell wasn't gonna be the prince, "Welcome to Equidia, sire." he continued, his Apploosian accent giving away his upbringing, "If I may, I need to have a word with whoever's in charge of yer security, there're security details what needs dscussin'."

[politicalmind]

Even though he was a mere unicorn Janus Quartz was positioned near the royalty, instead of being bunched in with those commoners who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Prince Zinzie and his delegation of Dark Ponies. Being forewarned of this arrangement prior to the official announcement diminished any sense of anticipation he had about today’s proceedings. Janus stifled a yawn; recalling that sometimes these royal functions could be a tad droll, but as a member of the Royal Court he was obliged to attend. If the common yolk of society only knew of the gratuitous expenses being dished out of the treasury to cover this event, they would be brandishing pitchforks and torches…again. Speaking of the treasury, Janus could not help to notice that the newly appointed Royal Treasurer was looking rather uncomfortable as of late, the poor mare was probably pondering her job security as the last seven Royal Treasurers only lasted mere months before quitting over increased pressure to properly address Equidia’s diminishing natural resources.

When the Princess decided to make something such as the preservation natural resources a hot-topic, it was not his job as a so-called “professional” courtier to openly question her actions; rather he would voice any advice he had in an indirect and polite manner…recognizing his regent’s superiority over him, but not completely bending to their every ridiculous whim. In fact Janus prided himself on his ability to subtly persuade the reigning power to bend to his own will and whims; becoming an almost indispensable presence.

Janus was aware that he had the ear of the current Princess and if he even hinted that this marriage proposal was in fact a negative or worthless endeavor; he could be certain that she would have called of this venue. His influence over her was helped by the fact the he was the only member of her mother’s court to openly back her ascension to the throne. While, those around her threatened rebellion or secession; Janus made sure he was the shoulder that Princess Harmony chose to cry on when time were rough, becoming her confidante and mentor. In time she won over those that once challenged her legitimacy to the throne, but Janus was sure that she had not forgotten his initial loyalty to her as he still held his lucrative position on the Royal Court and was granted a place of honor near her royal presence.

As the Prince and his fellow Dark Ponies exited their carriage; Janus expression changed from that of contained boredom to that of intrigue. Dark Ponies were an interesting lot, almost as interesting as Changelings. He did not possess any ill-will towards those that hailed from Ruffiana like some other members of Royal Court did; he viewed them as he would any other pieces on a chessboard, while unique they would ultimately become subject to his will and whims. Janus not only saw the strings that controlled the system, he wielded them to his own benefit.

[Metronome]

Zinzie, of course, couldn't help but bend down to try and eat one of the flowers thrown at his feet. Ore scowled and elbowed him in the gut. Zinzie lifted his head back up and looked towards the princess, a grin on his face. "Aw you didn't have to be all rollin' out the welcome wagon for us."
"Oh my god," Ore growled under his breath. Was having an ounce of class really that hard?
"Whoa...hey Ore, come look at this place! It's bitchin' over here!"
"I can see it just fine," Ore grumbled loudly. The short, dappled grey was about to go reel the prince in when some pony came up to them, asking for the head of security. "Well, since our merry band of fucking morons doesn't arrive until tomorrow, I'm in charge of all things dealing with his royal dumbass."
"Yeah, my bro Ore's got it," Zinzie said with a grin as he looked back at them.

[Aikalynn]

"No, no, no, they're supposed to be roses, not lilies!"

What a disaster--at least, that's how the scenario was playing out in Red Ribbon's eyes. The Prince was arriving at any moment, the Princess waiting for him, and these bumbling baboons didn't know red from green! Well, perhaps most ponies didn't differentiate white from off white or orange to salmon, but if it wasn't such a big deal, then any ordinary pony would've had her job. But since she was doing it, then everything had to be perfect.

The pegasus in question was hovering over the mantle wrapped beautifully around the poles of the entrance. Some nitwit had placed white lilies rather then white roses as a decoration along the base, and it was, to say the least, infuriating. What in the world was the point of putting forth an order if no one was going to do it right? White roses symbolized marriage and new beginnings, and while the meaning may not have mattered to anyone they were also visually stunning, and the image of lilies just couldn't match.

"Please get this corrected as soon as possible, we're running short on time." Red Ribbon said to the Earth Pony below. "And make sure the bouquets in the front are in order, red, orange, yellow, white and pink, with the balance being 3:1 from red to any other color. The Princess herself is coming to see what we've got so far and I refuse to let any little mistake be seen. Understand?"

The Earth Pony nodded and scuttled away as she touched down on the ground. Details were everything, after all. Luckily the room itself was gorgeous--perhaps too much so? She did try to incorporate both dark and light elements into the grand hall, to let the Prince was welcomed, but the decorations seemed to favor color. No, that wasn't it, it was that the colors simply outshone the darker elements. It was natural, really; light always outshines the dark. It couldn't be helped, sadly.

The room was decorated with many flowers--most of Princess Harmony's favorites--and the curtains were draped with tasteful dark blues and greens to compliment the nature. Ponies were running around, fixing tables and polishing the windows. And her job was easy, they said! Well, she would rather be here, and it was an honor after all.

She snapped out of her daydream and wandered over to the food being prepared. "These need to be fresh and sprinkled with water, we mustn't serve anything but the finest!"

[Gothpuppy95]

Star Dancer was in charge of weather for that day which confused her to no end. She is a night weather pony. When she saw the carriage she realized why they had her out here. While clearing the clouds she showed off her grace for the chariot that approached. After it landed she finished her last few clouds moving them around. She then dove down and pulled up at the last second.

Upon landing she bowed down showing respect to the prince even though she was very tired.

[Rune Alchemist]

Rune was watching the other ponies arrive with mild interest. He had been hired by somepony in the nobility to make sure things went smoothly tonight. To be honest though, he had been hired to do much more exciting things. Beating a pack of Timber Wolves or getting rid of a Manticore or two came to mind. Still, the pay was just too good to pass up, and he fully expected things to go awry at some point. There were a lot of ponies who didn't want this little alliance to happen, he was one of them. It meant less money and less jobs for him. He wasn't about to go and announce it to the world though, it probably wouldn't be good for his reputation.

As absorbed as he was in watching the growing crowd, as soon as prince Zinzie arrived his gaze immediately locked on him. He had seen the prince a few times, though he had never met him. Still, it was good to see that he had arrived on time and seemed to be in good spirits. Wait...did he just try and eat a flower that had been thrown? He sighed and rubbed a his forehead with a hoof. It was going to be a long day.

He perked up though as one of the ponies mentioned security. Apparently whoever was in charge here wanted to meet with the head of theirs. He would have normally not said anything and just stood on the sidelines and watched for trouble, but since the prince had said that their security detail wasn't here yet, it meant that there was more of a chance things could go wrong. He trotted up to the prince and the security pony with a small nod to the prince.

"So, I heard your incompetent security detail isn't here yet. He grumbled in a somewhat irritated tone. "Lucky for you, somepony hired me to make sure tonight goes smoothly. Names Rune. Soldier and mercenary at your service."

------------------

Remedy sighed. "This waiting is utterly boring." She thought to herself as she ran a hoof through her purple mane. She had known this wasn't going to be what dark ponies considered a lively event, but she didn't expect to be this boring. Still, it was a good business opportunity, and she was not about to let a little boredom get the best of her. She just had to play her cards right and she'd have a whole new place of business. Her profits had been down since this little alliance had been proposed and the war had stopped. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a wasted effort. For the short time she had been here, she had gathered that dark ponies didn't have the best of reputations.

As soon as Zinzie's carriage arrived though she breathed a small sigh of relief. Perhaps things would get a little more lively now that some dark ponies were showing up. She doubted it though. Any nobility had the tendency to be rather...aloof.

[Rarity]

☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀

Princess Harmony forced her smile not to falter as she watched the Prince bend down and eat some flowers before being reprimanded by the other Dark Pony. She took a few steps back and watched as they entered the kingdom. This was a momentous day after all and she should be happy for her people but she was still not warming up to the idea of marriage. She knew it had to be done and it would be the best for her people but marrying someone she barely knew was still disconcerting.

"Please, follow me." Harmony stated as she walked over to the stage that had been set up by her aides. Everyone was here, and she could see that some dark ponies had already started taking advantage of the open border policy between the two kingdoms already. They stuck out like sore thumbs against the mostly pastel colored ponies.

Harmony walked up onto the stage and cleared her throat as she stood behind the podium. "Today, is the beginning of what I'm sure will be an excellent age. Everyone will remember these upcoming days and you all will remember just where you were when our glorious kingdom reunited with its long parted half." The princess watched as the Prince walked up to stand next to her before turning back to the crowd. "The union between the Prince and I is symbolic of the one between the two kingdoms and the prosperity that will follow after we become one."

"Everyone is invited to the wedding which will take place in the capitol in due time." Harmony smiled at her people lovingly "As I consider all of you my friends and family just know that this marriage is something that I think will not only bring great happiness to myself as an individual but to all of us as a kingdom." She stated confidently, despite her internal insecurities the Princess always knew how to give a speech and exude confidence and reassure her people. It was what turned the naysayers into supporters after she had taken over for her mother.

"Let's show the prince just how exciting it is to be in Equidia, let the welcoming festival begin!" Harmony stated before looking up into the sky and releasing a blast of magic from her horn. The bright yellow beam exploded high over the kingdom and signaled for more fireworks to be launched. The bright blue sky quickly was filled with a variety of colors and sounds. The ponies quickly began chattering amongst themselves as carnival shops opened up and merchants began peddling their food and trinkets.

It was fun, safe, and hopefully welcoming. Princess Harmony quickly turned to the Prince and cleared her throat before speaking up."Well, I suppose this isn't a better time than now to actually greet one another in person." She stated calmly.

[Xivilai]

After speaking, Lonestar found himself approached by two different ponies. The first was the one who had ridden with the Prince, and the second was a mercenary. Lonestar had had his share of experience with mercenaries and, to say the least, he never trusted them. In his experience, they were greedy, arrogant, and would turn around and stab you in the back if the money was good. As such, Lonestar was naturally wary of the mercenary that claimed he was hired to beef up security. Lonestar didn't know who had actually done the hiring, but he assumed it was the Prince in one way or another since the Princess had plenty of loyal soldiers to defend her, hence Lonestar's presence in the first place.

Oh well, it was best to just clench his teeth and get this wedding over with, "I see." he finally said in the response to the Prince's... er... servant? It wasn't really made clear what this pony's job actually was, "Have them report to me when they do arrive." Lonestar gave the pony a quick bow, mostly out of respect for the Princess's wishes, "I'm Captain Lonestar. Shouldn't be hard to find me. I'll be up on the walls."

And now he looked at the mercenary, "As for you," he said, with an ever so slightly noticeable lack of the same courtesy he had given the Prince or Ore, "I s'pose yer comin' with me, then." he then began to make his way back to the walls, expecting the mercenary to follow him. It wasn't hard to figure out that Lonestar didn't trust him. And after the kind of crap he'd had put up with regarding mercenaries in the war, it was hard not to understand why.



Amongst the crowd at the welcoming festival, a certain indigo coated pony drifted about. Darkhorse, despite his unique colors and above-average height, was surprisingly good at blending into crowds and keeping himself unnoticed. Just one of the many things he'd learned to do in his long, long life. When he heard that there was to be wedding between the royalties of Equidia and Ruffana, Darkhorse was intrigued enough to come all the way here to see it. So far it seemed like the prospect of the wedding was going well. Then again, there was always time for somepony to start a fight or something.

Equidia, Darkhorse noticed, was rather nice this time of year. But now that he thought of it, it had changed quite a bit since his last visit. In fact, this very section of land was still independent at the time, but had since been fully annexed into Equidia. Then again, it had been a good three hundred years or so since Darkhorse had last been to Equidia, so naturally there were bound to have been many changes. But just the same, it was nice, and the ponies (for the most part) seemed in high enough spirits. Perhaps there were more supporters of the marriage than Darkhorse originally believed there would be? Either way, the festival was fully under way after Princess Harmony's speech and everypony seemed to at least be trying to get along. But then, as Darkhorse walked around...

"...so ya gonna apologize or what?!" the voice of a pony, obviously Dark, was being aggressive to a fruit cart owner.

"But... but you bumped into me..." said the owner, a mare, in a meek voice.

"Oooooh, did I, now?" asked the dark pony, looking back and forth at two compatriots before quickly turning around and bucking the cart, causing it to break and fall apart, "Is that my fault, too, or you gonna apologize for it, bitch?"

Darkhorse had walked closer to the dark pony by this point and cleared his throat before speaking, "I believe thou art the one who oweth an apology." his voice was calm, and yet somehow commanding. Darkhorse was definitely not a pony to be trifled with.

It was a shame the dark pony didn't realize this. He chuckled, his friends joining his laughter, "Would ya listen this guy? I didn't realize we were still in the Dark Ages!" this got laughter from his friends.

Darkhorse could only raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Does it matter how I speaketh to thee?" asked Darkhorse, in a dead serious tone, "The truth remaineth, friend. It is thee who oweth this mare an apology. Now showeth some honor for once in thy life."

The dark pony was getting angry this point. Dark ponies hated being told what to do, and this one was no exception. Instead he stomped up to Darkhorse and looked ready to throw the first kick, "Why don't you make me, Mr. Honor?"

"Please do not do this." replied Darkhorse, remaining unblinking, "This festival is one of peace. I wish not to soil it with such dishonor. I would ask thee to do the same and apologize for thy behavior."

"Wrong answer!" and without warning, the dark pony whipped around and threw a bucking kick with his hind legs. Unfortunately for him, Darkhorse had been around the block a little too long to be hit with such a simple attack. He effortlessly twisted himself to dodge and then powerfully slammed his body into the dark ponies, sending him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him completely.

The dark pony's friends were about to jump in, but then a trio of armored solider ponies appeared, "What's going on here?!" they demanded, "Anypony caught fighting is to spend the night in jail. Captain's orders!"

"This young pony," said Darkhorse, gesturing to the dark pony he had winded, "was causing a scene when this mare had mistakenly bumped into one another. He demanded an apology, and attackethed me when I asked him to apologize instead." the mare nodded, confirming Darkhorse's story as truth.

"Very well, then, thank you for performing a civic duty, sir." they said and with that they escorted the dark pony and his friends away.

The mare then went to clean up the mess, when Darkhorse knelt beside her to help, "I am deeply sorry, milady." said Darkhorse, "I wished for him to apologize to thee but he would not."

"It's alright. He could have done worse had you not stepped in. Thank you very much."

"'Tis nothing, milady, I did only what an honorable pony wouldst do." Once it was done, he bowed politely to the mare and disappeared back into the crowds.