Royal Duties (Private W/ Mr. Market)

(("Majestic Castle"))

He took a deep breath as he did exactly as told, walking over to Celestia when called upon. Leaving his previous thoughts on the back of his mind, he moved with good posture, similar to marching cadence, yet his movements were not stiff or unrefined or forced, but rather with practiced formality given the circumstances. Along the way, he did feel it was odd that there was not a single guard in immediate sight. He knew the meeting would be private, but wasn't expecting it to be entirely literal in the grand hall of the throne room as he expected at least some security in the far corners. "Hm... Points for having confidence in her strength then." He had assessed her might earlier in the day, and assumed they were alone in the grand hall for being quite capable of protecting herself as it were, but didn't forget that he was there for his next task and had a rising feeling that whatever he'd be told to do would be of utmost importance and may well be put to the test in ways he never even imagined.

Upon coming close to the base of the stairs, he stopped walking, placed his left arm over his chest, and gave a light curt bow before standing up straight once more and looking at her directly as he addressed her. "Good afternoon, Princess. I'm ready to receive my next task as scheduled." As much as he would have liked to claim that gazing upon her form would make him feel at ease now that they weren't facing each other, it didn't change the fact that he was there for work. Even so, his casual greeting, he felt, was not out of place nor needed to be discarded as he got to the point with his intentions almost soon after.

Celestia stood up from her throne, turning to the right and gesturing for him to join her. "Walk with me, Sugary Market." Waiting for him to join her, she walked down the steps to the throne and off to the right, opening a door and going through it, heading for a staircase. "I suppose you're wondering why I singled you out of that group of sellswords earlier for a meeting today." Turning, Celestia began walking up a staircase, each stride clearing 3 steps as she ascended the staircase with him. "One part would be that odd flying ship you have hovering by the mountains outside the city. My sisters agents were running over it while you were occupied this morning. Such a curious contraption..." Reaching the top, she lead him across a bridge to a tower, guards stepping out of their way as they walked. "Another reason would be that you showed great skill and creativity whilst sparring with me earlier. Not many have the nerve to stand against an alicorn in single combat, yet you did remarkably well, all things considered. Thus I have found a use for you beyond training my already competent guard." Stopping at a large door, Celestia opened it and stepped inside, holding it open for Sugary and closing it behind him.

Before Sugary now stood Celestia's personal chambers, though apart from the luxurious bed one would have a hard time telling, it looking remarkably humble, most furniture being made of solid sturdy wood. The only other stand out piece was a large marble basin, almost identical to a bird bath in shape, which stood about as high as the stallion, though most of the furniture was appropriately sized for both her and him. "Welcome to my personal chambers Sugary Market. Please take a seat. I've yet to actually reveal the true purpose of you being here, and I'd like you to be comfortable while I make you a proposition."

He followed her as guided, having to walk a little bit faster than usual due to her very long legs compared to his own to keep in pace with her. Along the way, he flinched internally as he pondered, slightly worried, just how many agents had actually gone through his belongings, and how much they managed to learn about him that he'd prefer to keep himself. He wasn't a local, at all, and that would not likely be hard to notice if others had searched and investigated thoroughly. He worried it might be a cause for concern for them... And yet, she had made no mention of it as they made their way to her own room, and thought that perhaps nothing came of the search so far.

He was, once again, grateful for the compliment in their duel, thanked her genuinely for holding the door for him, and as told, tried to look for a spot to sit in the meantime. He liked the room as it was, as it felt welcoming to him due to a lack of high luxury decorations. He was, of course, impressed with the sheer size of some of her furniture and other features. While it was clear she had things in her room suitable for smaller guests, he still felt like he was a toy in a mare's room. He even entertained the idea to sit on one of the bigger chairs and have his legs dangle in the air, but thought better against it and just moved to the nearest couch better suited to him.

Once he was comfortable enough, he took off his hat and placed it on the shoulder of the couch to his right, and stared back up to her. "Well, Princess... As you said, I am very curious as to why you'd ask for me like this... And I am now especially curious as to these agents that were in my ship and home, but I guess I can't blame you for that... Please, spare no details with the proposition or anything else that needs to be discussed..."

Celestia took a seat opposite of him, clasping her hands together. "Well they found nothing I should be concerned about, although something seemed to put a smile on my sister's face when she sent me the message." Shaking her head, she continues. "I'll get straight to the point Sugary. In a few weeks I'll be taking a trip to Saddle Arabia for a summit with the native species and the heads of the Griffin Clans. Apparently there's been a territorial dispute between the two of them, and I've been called to mediate for them. I need a bodyguard for such an occasion, and you're the best I've seen. Skilled with both magic and melee. Granted my sister has assigned her best to me as well, but he'll be in the shadows, watching from afar. That leaves me with the need for a personal guard who can stand by my side amongst the crowds. I'd also like to use your ship as my means of transportation there. It will allow us to bug out far faster than simply going on wing, or using extremely risky long range teleportation. Would you be willing to accept this responsibility?"

Sugary went a bit wide-eyed at the proposition. Bodyguarding for Royalty was often considered an unofficial mark of great trust, ability, and prowess among his peers and superiors at the guild he was from. While he had to wonder what it was the the younger royal sibling had learned precisely, it did not seem to be a cause for concern. Not that it would matter, as he was fully attentive of the actual proposition instead. Serving as a guardian during a diplomatic meeting was most certainly something he was willing to accept. It was just a matter of the conditions, specifics, and variables at this point.

He smiled a little at Celestia as the first visible sign of interest before actually speaking, his tone tinged with a bit of added enthusiasm as well. "Princess Celestia, I'd gladly accept... But it goes without saying there is more to discuss before then... Will I be meeting this other guardian at some point to distinguish him from the guests? Are we to arrive at the Summit location directly, or would we be staying somewhere close by it days before at another chosen location? Would this affect the rates of the initial contract? -Yes, I am leaving that up to you- Am I to dress a certain way, or will I be allowed to be in full gear at my own discretion once there? -Though I can understand if there might be a restriction on weapons specifically either way- ... Also... There is one more thing in particular I have to ask..." He looked at her from top to bottom and back again. "... Are you aware that you might not travel very comfortably in my airship? Yes, it's fairly fast, and it's essentially a cargo cruiser... But chances are you'd be ducking the entire time inside, unless you were in the storage room where the ceiling height is higher or outside on the deck. And it goes without saying that, while I do have four beds and two bedrooms, they aren't very big to begin with and the only beds I have are all Twin-sized at the moment... I could certainly try and make adjustments in the meantime of course, but that's the gist of it... Just know that I'll gladly accept the mission in full once we iron out the details. I'm sure there is still plenty more to discuss."

She nodded. "Of course. You two will be coordinating my defense together. As for your armor and equipment, you can wear whatever you desire, as long as you try to look as intimidating as possible. Your goal is to project an aura of impregnable defense. Half the job will just be dissuading whomever may wish to harm me. Luna's agent's job will be to deal with the cowards who will try to attack from a distance. Between the two of you, and the normal contingent of guards that will be accompanying me I should be perfectly safe. Especially with the aerial advantage you bring with you. And as for my size issue..." Celestia stands, closing her eyes and shrinking down to just a few inches taller than Sugary himself. "You'll find that I can adopt a wide manner of sizes, the one before this one just happening to be my natural size. As for what more is to be discussed, that discussion will be with Luna's agent, in her tower on the opposite side of the castle. He's waiting for you there now. Once you've gotten acquainted, report back to me. Understood Sugary Market?"

Sugary made special note to maintain an imposing presence when the time came to do the main part of his work. He also smiled a little bit at Celestia actually decreasing her size for him just to make it easier on him to tend to her needs, which he was rather grateful for. "A Mini spell... I was gonna suggest that later if it became an issue, but she went ahead and did it with no hesitation whatsoever... Guess she's not full of herself at all despite some naysayers if she's willing to do that."

He put his hat back on, stood up, and gave a light bow to her, still smiling. "Understood, Princess. And that form would be very convenient for the trip... Even so, I'd like to discuss if you'd have need of any special arrangements to the ship during the trip. Please consider them if you do have any while I head out for now and meet back here. As for the rest, I'll do and act as needed. See ya later, Princess..."

As he began to make his way back out, he stopped near about halfway to the door and looked back at her, staring at her wings briefly before addressing her once more. "Ah... By the way, sorry about grabbing your wings like that. Even if it was practice, I know that's still unpleasant for a flyer... Kinda meant to say that since this morning." He took another light bow and left out the door at last.

Seeing that he was already being waited upon according to Celestia, he would practically march his way over to the other tower, only really slowing down to ask for some directions to make sure he was going to the right place in the castle which he had never been in before for good measure. Eventually, he'd find the actual tower he needed to go to and made his way to meet with the agent...

Celestia nodded in agreement and returned to her normal size, sitting back down. "Indeed. Its quite convenient to be able to alter one's size at will. And fear naught Sugary, my wings are far more durable than you'd think. Now go. I'll await your return."

As Sugary approached the Lunar Tower, the only pony he would see is a grey pegasus clad in silver armor with a blue mane, around a full head taller than Sugary and obviously waiting for him. Bowing, the stallion spoke. "Greetings. You must be the mercenary I was briefed on, Sugary Market. My name is Sword Symphony. If you'll follow me, we have much to accomplish in the next few hours." Turning, he opened the door and started up the stairs, trusting him to follow.

Sugary would of course follow as expected. Work was still work, and he had not been dismissed. While walking behind him, he figured he'd ask for something that had been on his mind for a while. "Hello yourself. And I didn't think this job was gonna be lacking in details, so I'm ready for whatever preparations still need to be done... Also... As an agent of Princess Luna, if I'm not mistaken, would you mind telling me if anything was actually taken from my airship? I'd rather I didn't have to look around for my own things on a fool's errand..." He doubted he would get a straight answer, but felt he may as well try and get something out of the short walk up the tower before moving on further with work. He also assessed the overall look of the Agent, seemingly looking a bit into who his work partner was to be. "... This stallion... Such focused eyes he has... And those scars are not just for show... This guy is definitely a notch above most of the guards..."

"The devil is in the details, as they say. As for what we found on your ship, nothing of concern, and we didn't take anything." Sword chuckled as he opened the door to the top of the tower and stepped into the room, leaving the door open for Sugary. "I don't steal, unless ordered to. Now, lets get down to business. This is a map of the griffin capitol." he stood at a table with a large map set atop it, pointing down a long, large street. "This is where we'd normally bring the Princess down. Its a bloody nightmare though, requiring such a large security detail that it'd blow our cover. Thankfully, due to your airship, we can reduce her security detail to just me, you, and Princess Luna coordinating. I'll be deploying under cover of night. Luna will be making it a new moon out for me. Total darkness. I'll be set up in a tower overlooking the courtyard where the 3 leaders plan on meeting with that..." Sword points to a corner, a rather large looking crossbow set atop a stand. "I'll be watching for other snipers such as myself. You'll keep her safe from the ground and magical assaults. All you have to do is stop a surprise attack. Once she's alerted, you'd best bug out to your ship. Celestia's likely to use her null magic field on the entire courtyard, which will limit your capabilities severely. You have any questions?"

Sugary eyed the map in general almost like reading a book while listening on Sword's plans and explanation. When the agent mentioned the crossbow, he stared at it with a light smirk before returning to a normal expression as memories from bow and arrow practice weren't particularly fruitful for him as a Trainee years back. "Hm... Two for now, but one's a personal issue. How do I cover for a mare nearly twice my size without magic...? I guess I'll have to ask her if she'd be willing to shrink before the meeting. Here's my real question though... Surprise attacks, or just outright assault, would it be going too far to attack either of the other representatives if they happen to be the ones going for her? I can't rule out anyone under these circumstances, but I doubt doing so would sit well with whom they represent as is... I know it's unlikely, but now is as good a time as any to know how far I'm allowed to go to ensure her safety at the worst case scenario. Just Fleeing doesn't always cut it."

Sword gave him an odd look. "You don't. You cover her with magic until she nullifies everything. Then, you engage in melee while I provide covering fire with my crossbow. My rules of engagement are not to be seen, ever. You won't see me closing to melee unless I perceive the threat to be so overwhelming that the princess and you would be overwhelmed. A direct order from Princess Luna to me. As for the Princess's safety..." he walked over to his crossbow, pulling it off the rack and beginning to check over it. "Protect the Princess by any means necessary. If an ambassador attacks Celestia, you destroy them. This demonstrates Equestria's strength to its foes, and that the princess's guard is to be feared and respected. If possible, minimize civilian casualties if you decide to use area of effect magic, but again, the Princess comes first. You were chosen because of your versatility, the fact that you're not native to Equestria, which makes you hard to prepare for, and the fact you have a flying ship. We've the upper hand in this scenario." Scoffing at his own statement, he loaded a bolt into his crossbow, checking the sight. "Which just means we've got the worst hand out of the whole deck..." Turning, he aimed, and pulled the trigger, sending a bolt through a target made of one inch thick steel, him nodding with approval. "Perfect... now, take this map with you to your ship, and bring her around to the castle gate. We leave tomorrow evening."

Sugary nodded, and replied with what Sword might see as a rather simple summary of the orders. "Protect the Princess, provide transport, and try to keep innocents uninvolved... Gotcha." His face then went from stern to puzzled when told they'd be departing sooner than what Celestia had told him. "Tomorrow? I thoug-... Nevermind. I'll be ready." He took the map as instructed, and marched his way out while giving it a few glances along the way before folding it and placing it in his Inventory before exiting the tower he was in and eventually made his way out to his airship.

He still wondered why the departure was different from what he was first told, but assumed it for the time being as a test of his reliability; He was working after all, and had to be ready for just about anything. It was no issue for him to pilot his airship towards the directed location, along with some ground guidance for good measure, though it was odd for him to place his home closer still to the castle, or any castle for that matter.

As Sword made no mention whatsoever to return to Luna's tower, Sugary made his way over to Celestia's tower after settling down his airship properly, and double-checking to make sure it was closed off well. He'd be back at the grand door to her room, and ask the guards to allow him to enter to see her once more...

The guards at Celestia's door nodded silently and parted way for Sugary to enter. Whenever he did, he'd find Celestia sitting right where he'd left her, browsing through a file as he entered. Not looking up, she spoke to him. "Ah, welcome back Sugary Market. I saw you bringing your ship around. It seems Luna has decided we should leave a day earlier. She wants her agent on the ground ahead of time so he can perform a HALO jump and infiltrate the city before we arrive. Is there a limit to the altitude you can take your ship? If you could get us above 30,000ft, that'd be optimal conditions for his deployment."

She then stands, setting the file on the table and gesturing at the couch. "As you'll be my bodyguard for this little escapade of mine, you'll be sleeping here tonight. Hopefully this doesn't inconvenience you much. And besides, it'll give us a chance to speak casually to each other. A rare opportunity for me, I must say."

Sugary respectfully entered the room as he did before, though getting the answer he wanted in regard to the early departure was certainly a question raiser as he began to think hard on what the Black Mambo could manage performance-wise when pushed to the limits while Celestia explained Luna's plans.

Then, when told he'd be spending the night with her, he felt a deep feeling of curiosity from then onwards. He had no problem spending the night with an employer; In fact, it was often recommended in case his sort would be needed on a moment's notice. The real curiosity came with her wanting to be casual with him, which truly made him wonder: Just what would an ancient Diarch, a living legend and goddess, want to talk about with him freely? That tantalizing question aside, he looked at her with about as much confidence as he could while rubbing his chin in thought."Well... The Black Mambo and airships like it aren't normally meant to go that high, due to safety reasons in their design. The issue is the turbulence and air pressure and how it forces them to their limits to work even remotely well... But I should be able to make even my old ship perform safely at that height, with careful adjustments and monitoring that is... And no, I don't need extra time to do that... And no, there's no problem in me spending the night over. Got no problem having a chat either, Princess, so you could talk to me about whatever really. Should I go get my stuff now, or is there something else?"

Celestia dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "Controlling the weather will be simple, we'll create optimal conditions for you. But enough of the military stuff. I've a rare chance to speak casually, I'll not be squandering it on mission details. Now..." She studied him for a moment, then clasped her hands together. "What do you like to eat? You must be famished after all that running around today. Just give me what you'd like, and I'll have the kitchen send it up for us. I could do with a bit of food myself. Also, what would you say to a game of questions, back and forth? We'll be working in close proximity for awhile, so we might as well get to know each other. As for your stuff, don't dwell upon it. I'll have bedding pulled up here for you as well."

He blinked, and stopped rubbing his chin as a smile came over to the edge of his lips. "... This is almost sounding like any old sleepover..." He chuckled lightly with mirth at the change of concerns. It might have been her request, but even he knew that there was only so much planning that could be done and spoken of, and even then things could change at the last moment.

So, taking her offer in good spirits, he activated his Inventory and put away his hat and cape to begin letting himself dress more comfortably before making his choice for the meal. "Hm... Gosh, what do I ask for...?" said he in a low voice. "Um... Well, light meals tend to be good at the end of the day... How about fruit cocktail and waffles with some pie...?" He finished the question with a hint of uncertainty as he stared at her, seemingly waiting for an approval to his choice. In a way, it might sound like he was asking for something like breakfast, but the fruit was good for any time he thought, he liked waffles, and just about any pie seemed like good dessert on top. In short, something dry, something juicy, and all around sweet. He then added, to not leave things in doubt "... But I'm open to ideas. And sure, a question game seems fine... But..." He chuckled again. "Who goes first?" He knew full well of the irony in asking more questions, but in a way, it was to buy himself a bit of time since he could ask all sorts of things out of her and he had no clue where to even begin.

Celestia lit her horn as he listed the items he wanted, taking a moment to kick her legs up on the end table. "Indeed, light is nice at at the day's end. It'll be a bit before our snack gets here."

Leaning back, Celestia had herself a chuckle at Market's attempt to buy time, and had a clever retort prepared as well. "Well if that's the first question, the answer is you, Mr. Market." she replied with a smile. "So what do you want to know about the immortal sun diarch of Equestria?"

Sugary looked curiously at Celestia as she lit her horn, though his attention was somewhat abruptly shaken when she very casually placed her long beautiful legs on her table. It was even more obvious by then that she intended to keep casual as far as he knew as he briefly stared at them before turning back to face her and faux-groaning internally at being told to make the first question.

Having no choice but to oblige, he went with what's been on his mind for hours. "Alright, alright... I actually do have something I'm very curious about... A little birdie told me you rarely fight with your own guards... Why did you pick a total stranger like me for that in the first place?"

"A good question. For starters, you concealing your abilities was highly irritating to me, so that right there was the first step. Second, it was far easier to determine what you were capable of by simply forcing it out of you, rather than asking and possibly having you lie to me. I chose the path that made things easiest. After fighting with you, I could tell your abilities would be well suited for being my personal guard." She answered, now crossing her legs. "I believe that makes it my question now. Enjoying the view, Mr. Market?" she then asked with a coy smile, gesturing at her legs.

Sitting on the couch, he felt reasonably odd at being told she was irritated at something he did not intend to cause, but ultimately could not complain over the results. When asked the question however, he was caught way off guard and in his mind several thoughts and possible answers came in before he would eventually speak. "... Is she flirting with me?

Great, she totally noticed me checking her out!

Her legs are simply divine!

I can't believe she'd ask that!

I like everything I see~"

Of course, what would ultimately come out of his smiling mouth in the few quick seconds once his mind actually came with a genuine choice for an answer from possible ones, he simply answered with "Heh... Yes, I am... And I truly had no intention of upsetting you or deceiving you; That was meant for the Guards... On that matter... What's the first thing to come to mind that you enjoy doing? And I don't mean as a Diarch, I mean as a mare..." The way he phrased the question might have been blunt, but since she did request for a casual conversation, then he figured he'd try and zone in on what the mare that was Celestia was truly like, even if it would take time.

Celestia beamed as he answered, pleased at the honesty."Well there's a rarity: a stallion who's actually able to admit that I'm attractive without completely freezing up. Now as for the thing I enjoy most...." She promptly stands up, and strides over to her bed, standing at the edge of it for a moment before promptly flopping into it, sighing contentedly. "Sleeping, Sugary. If I could fall asleep for a year, I would. The last thousand years have been miserable on the sleep side of things..." Rolling around for a moment, she blinks out of reality and appears back on the couch, this time lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "Hmmmm..... I will ask you the same question Sugary: What do you enjoy most? As a Stallion and not a Mercenary."

Sugary watched with great amusement as to how the great Diarch flopped onto her bed without a care in the world, but then felt a tad quiet within his own thoughts when she spoke of having trouble sleeping for 1000 years. And having gathered enough rumors and information to work with and travel about, he knew eventually it likely had to do with her sibling. He thought that perhaps Celestia needed more time for herself since even he noticed that she spent a tad too long on the bed before she moved, only to remain in a resting position.

Being in good spirits nonetheless from her reaction to his answer, and her next question, he gingerly began to respond with a light glint in his eye, clearly enjoying what he was about to share with her. "Wow... That's... Well, I'd be lying if I said it didn't have to do with work anyway, but there's a reason for it... I love to travel, so you could say that my airship is a big part of that. But more importantly, it's the chance to see new places, learn more about magic, and meet new fellows, you know...? But if I were to be very specific... I'd have to say I really enjoy spending some evenings docking and just walking in the sands at a quiet beach..." He then stared at her, and looked down somewhat sheepishly while rubbing his hooves before continuing. "I know how that sounds, but yes, I do like long walks on the beach... To relax once in a while, clear my mind of doubts and stress... Especially after rough work... Speaking of which... Princess, when was the last time you took time to relax? I mean really take a vacation and relax from your responsibilities?"

"That does sound like a rather pleasant evening Sugary. I'm having trouble recalling the last time I took a stroll on the beach. Maybe a century or two... perhaps a millenia? No clue....." At his question, she takes a good long while to wrack her memory for an answer. "Well...... in all honestly I haven't had time off since....." shaking he head for a moment and sighing sadly, she continued. "Since... I...exiled Nightmare Moon. Since then, there's just been so much work to do on a daily basis... I've not had a real break since then, and my work load has only increased since Luna has returned, though that work will result in a bit more freedom for myself once I've caught her up on the last thousand years history and social evolution. A task which I can actually enjoy." She lets herself go silent for a bit, before brightening back up. "Tell me, Mr. Market: What do you think, in all exact honesty of Her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia of Equestria?"

The more he listened, the more concerned he grew about her. He knew full well the importance of at least some R&R, but he could not in any way imagine how it was that she managed to continue what she did practically continuously for so long. Even if she were who she was, he was nothing short of impressed regardless. And then came her next question soon after having told him the approximate time she had actually taken a proper and likely well deserved break. Before answering, he had to wonder how many living in Equestria actually knew what she was telling him right now of herself. So, in return, he gave a well deserved answer. "... I think you're a good, strong mare... A fine ruler... And you could use the break anyway..." In truth, there were probably foals that knew more of her than he did seeing as he wasn't a local, but he felt he was learning plenty from her at this very moment to say what he said with certainty. At least, he felt it was the right answer.

Afterwards, he was left staring at her, pondering something as he twiddled with his thumbs. An dea that had slowly been surfacing from the back of his mind since she told him she wanted more time to rest. It was an offer, sure, but then again, it did qualify as a question as he took a short deep breath and asked away. "... Princess... Would you like a back rub while the food arrives?"