20 years ago, just before Fluttershy was born, her brother Butterscotch and House Angel battled alongside the dragons for the right to the Iron Throne. 15 years ago was the last memory Fluttershy had of her home: a house with a big red door. And the ashes that it would become when Filthy Rich ordered House Angel destroyed and butchered for their mere allegiance to the dragons during the War.
Now, her and her brother-in-law Garble lived in exile, in the East, where it was far warmer than anywhere she had been in years prior.
"Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy turns to see a red dragon with an orange fin and yellow eyes approach. She knew it was Garble, and though some might would think that a comfort, it was quite the opposite. No matter how much energy she had, her body always switched to flight mode whenever he came around, particularly when she inadvertently "wakes the dragon". When Garble had used the phrase he meant angering him, but his responses could be aptly described with the image of a cranky dragon awakened from deep slumber.
"Guess what?" He smiled a toothy, razer filled grin.
"What?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"It is time to say good-bye to our host Fancy Pants and his wife; they have been very generous to us, and I will be sure to remember them both once I get my birthright, the Iron Throne."
Fluttershy, feeling his intense gaze attempting to burn into her soul-filled eyes, broke a small smile in an attempt to show compliance. "Good-bye already? Why do we have to leave already?"
"I made a deal with the Diamondback sellsword company; all of their best swords for the price of a lucky yellow pegasus, no questions asked." Garble's smile never faded, and he even seemed to get even more excited when Fluttershly failed to, at first, visibly react to the news.
"Great! Just need to straighten up that hair of yours a bit-"
"I don't want to go!"
Fluttershy's outburst seemed to startle Garble for a moment, his wings flaring up in alarm. Truthfully even Fluttershy was surprised, and the frown that replaced the toothy grin on Garble's face caused her own heart to sink.
Being sold for a single company's worth? Could Garble even secure much less rule the Throne with so few? What kind of life would she be sentenced to? She figuratively already had a master; now she might would have dozens of her own kind, who no doubt had all sorts of filthy desires that only a slave would fulfill.
Garble narrowed his eyes until they were mere slits, steeling his gaze against his sister-in-law with a hint of anger.
"Do you remember running away from the assassins? Do you?"
When Fluttersshy did not respond, Garble stomped a foot to the ground and snorted smoke.
"Do you?!"
"Yes."
"Remember when I had to degrade myself to beg for our food or our shelter or even a place for us to curl up for the deathly nights in the snow? Do you remember that Fluttershy?"
"Y-y-yes-"
Garble brought a talon to Fluttershy's chest and jabbed; gently for one of his strength, but hard enough to nearly cause Fluttershy to fall backwards. "Never again. If taking the Seven Kingdoms by force requires me to make my sister-in-law an honorary bitch for a year or three, then you're going to give those stallions their lives worth. Understand?"
She had come close to waking the dragon; his tense body language told her that. But when Garble reached out brush through her hair, for a brief second the reality that she would lose what freedom seemed to have with Garble stayed at bay.
Garble pulled her close, gently fixing and brushing at her hair with his talons. His hot breath felt as if it would set her hair ablaze with a single spark; her value no doubt would drop without a full head of hair.
Fluttershy whimpered at the thought, though she was not sure whether it was because her value could be dropped with the loss of her hair or that she already seemed to be accepting the inevitable.
"Cheer up Sis. I always remember my allies."
He gave her a warm smile, one without the razors between his lips. The one that actually made Fluttershy believe that he did have a small desire to see her well.
"No doubt the skills I have taught you will come in handy for those mere ponies."
And then the words that brought her back down to earth again.
Garble gave Fluttershy a firm pat on the back before turning away from her. "Come."
A fleeting thought to run, flap her wings and fly too. Flee with what life and dignity she still had left. But Garble would chase her. He would find her.
He would make her regret acting on that impulse.
With that in mind, Fluttershy tentatively followed him along the downtrodden path.
The home they had been staying at was not particularly fancy; one story bright home with a chimney. It had enough rooms to fit five comfortably and actually had a stone floor. Fancy pants and Fleur were waiting for them at the front door, the former with a large grin on his face.
"Well good morning good ol' friends!"
Fancy Pants was a stallion with a blue mane and a white coat. He wore a white and blue summer robe which had a Honduran Emerald bird upon it. The bird was the symbol of House Pennas, sometimes called House Avid by commoners, which once had ties with the dragons, back when Lord Elusive was Warden of the South nearly 200 years ago. Now it was a mere shadow of its former self, having narrowly escaped the fate of House Angel thanks to its distance from Canterlot.
Fancy Pants was also with his wife Fleur Dis Lee. Fluttershy never spoke to her because Fleur only spoke in Valyrian, a language Fluttershy was unfamiliar with.
"I am here to meet the Captain of the Diamondback group. Where is he?" Garble searched all about, as if the stallion might be hiding behind his gracious hosts.
"Hello." Fluttershy quietly greeted.
Fancy Pants made a light laugh at seeing Garble's impatience. "Well the Diamondback are not the most punctual, unlike most sellsword groups, and you know that I know sellswords. Life as a sellsword is rather short, so they are drinking or fucking mares when they are not fighting of course."
Gable growled and folded his arms. "I don't care how short or how long a sellsword's life is, all I care about is them giving me an army so that I can take the Seven Kingdoms."
Fluttershy teared up, her lip quivering. "Can I stay here? Can you find some other mare to-"
Garble flinched, his left arm moving as if bring a back hand to Fluttershy's pleas. Though Fluttershy also flinched, only an angry sigh came her way.
"Leave here before I knock you down to a one sellsword's worth of bits. I will come get you when the bastard shows."
It was no idle threat, Fancy and Fleur knew, and though their eyes held some pity, they made no move to intervene. Fluttershy scurried off to the back of the inn, where a small fountain stood in the center of a modest garden. Here, out of sight of Garble, she could let her tears drop.
It wasn't fair. Why did Garble have to be so harsh with her? They were in-laws, but still family. Together they had dodged the assassains and beaten mother nature's deathly call on more than one occasion. To be fair Garble handled the scuffles and she the aftermath, but still. Even if he did feel that ponies were weak, that his actual brother and sister were weak for marrying ponies in the first place, and that kirin were the worst examples of dragons, worthy of all being banished to the Wall.
If this was how he treated his own sister-in-law, Fluttershy thought, just imagine how he would treat the pony-dominant Kingdoms.
Hell, he might would treat even the stranger better. Fluttershy smacked at the water fountain with clenched teeth, a burning sensation on her cheek reminding her of drunken awakenings of the past.
"Garble is not fit to rule. I would hate to see him on the Iron Throne." Fluttershy smacked at the water again, as if striking something that did not cry out would soothe her spirit.
"Don't let your brother-in-law hear you say that; he might not hold back next time."
Fluttershy looked up to a white stallion with a blue mane and armor like a Seven Kingdoms knight. His kind smile and lively green eyes seemed to dissolve the thoughts of fountain water pummeling, and replacing them with caution.
Rising from the fountain, Fluttershy took a step backwards. The stallion chuckled and took a step back himself, placing the fountain squarely between the two.
"I am sorry for not introducing myself but my name is Soarin', formerly of the Wonderbolts."
Wonderbolts were supposed to protect their king's life for the rest of their natural born lives; surely the king had not come all the way out to the East for a visit? Then again, he did say "formerly", so perhaps he had been one only a long time ago.
" Ummm shouldn't you be protecting your king, ummm good sir?"
" Well I have been exiled from the Wonderbolts." Soarin' laughed sheepishly, placing a hand behind his head. "I dishonored myself by sleeping with the Lady Octavia when I should have stuck to my oath to protect the king. But the king has enough guards already."
The knight slowly edged forward, as if attempting to sneak up on a rabbit that clearly saw him and had half a mind to hop away as fast as its feet would carry it. It was a stalking that Fluttershy had become accustomed to seeing towards the aforementioned animals, but this being done on her put her on edge.
After a few moments Soarin' simply walked normally to her, stopping a few feet away.
"I think that you could use more protection than the king right now."
"You will protect me Sir Soarin'?" Not that Wonderbolts were reputed to be poor dragon killers, but Fluttershy had to look back several times to make sure Garble had not also stalked his way here; Soarin' without a doubt would be in for a fight if he caught wind of such a declaration.
Sourin kneeled and put offered his sword to Fluttershy. He bowed his head in reverence and declared, "I promise to you, my Lady Fluttershy, that I well protect you with my life, by the gods, by my sword, I will pledge my sword unto you from this time till the end of time."
Fluttershy could only blush. She looked back once more. No sign of Garble; perhaps she could entertain this knight. Entertain having a guardian to keep her safe. After all, all she had to lose was her life, and even that was hardly hers to spend as she wished. "Will you protect me Sir Soarin'?"
Soarin' raised his head. "Yes on my honor as a knight of the Wonderbolts I will protect you from harm: primarily from the Diamondback, but even from your brother-in-law if required."