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MUSIC: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTrrc6…
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Sombra straightened his shoulder armor, grimacing as the stiff leather dug into his collarbone. "When is she getting here again?" he muttered to Flash under his breath. "We've been waiting for almost an hour."

"It's only been twenty minutes, sire." Flash was Sombra's captain of the Palace Guard and -- along with Captain Soarin -- was the king's best friend. The humor in his voice was thinly veiled, and Sombra heard Soarin's ill-disguised snort of amusement on his other side.

"Twenty minutes?!" he echoed with a hiss. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, sire. The sunmark has only moved a few notches in the window since we arrived."

Sombra glanced up at the massive window grate above the entrance doors. ...Oh. Why did his guards always have to be right? Shrugging his shoulders into a more comfortable position, the king regained his composure, eyes glued to the doors as they waited. Honestly. The Solaris kingdom and their ridiculous traditions can go walk a dune for all I care. Here in Sahran, no pony in their right mind would purposefully arrive late to a ceremony that held as much importance as a wedding. And who has to wait? The GROOM does, of course. Just my luck.

Not that this situation was very lucky in general. His betrothed was the youngest, least-eligible of the two Solaris daughters; an insult to most nations that offered to ally with a foreign kingdom's family. But Sombra knew he couldn't take the insult. His kingdom needed stability and security, and the Solaris royal family could provide that. Who cared if they only offered the hybrid daughter? The illegitimate offspring of King Solar himself? We can't be choosy. Sombra had realized that on the day of his parents death. Being choosy would only delay Sahran's security, and his people needed to feel secure. It had been a long year, after all....

...But an illegitimate wife? Well, to be fair, in Solaris, any child born *cough* invalidly was still considered to be a part of the bloodlines, although their share of inheritance was most often less than their siblings'. Not very monetarily helpful to Sahran, Sombra admitted. But all Solars are honor-bound to help a family member in need. It would disgrace them to allow their daughter's new kingdom to be engaged in war and not send help. That was really his only real comfort from this contract. The safety of Sahran comes first.

That's what Father alw-

"Announcing the Most Royal Princess of the Great Kingdom Solaris, Princess Luna Iridia Solar."

"That's a lot of adjectives," Soarin muttered to his friends. Sombra held back the smile that threatened to split his expressionless mask. "If I had that many, it'd take an hour just to sign my reports."

"Shut up." Despite his warning, Sombra heard the snicker hidden in Flash's voice.

"...Although, let's be honest: Admiral Cordin signs everything like--"

"Quiet." Sombra barely whispered the word, but it was enough to shut the two younger stallions up. Whatever deity is up there, let this run smoothly, he prayed, eyes flickering up to the ceiling. My kingdom needs this. Taking a deep breath, the grey stallion refocused his gaze on the opening doors, anxiety churning in his stomach.

The escort guards entered first, spears topped with silken banners held in parade-march style against their shoulders. ...There's only ten? That was a dangerously small escort for a royal, especially traveling through the desert. Sombra's military-trained eyes blinked, then flickered to the faces of his captains. Their eyes were narrowed at the meager gathering of soldiers, suspicion flashing in their glares. Something was up. Two pairs of servants followed, bearing chests of gold coins and trinkets on longpoles. Not more than I was expecting. The gold was the dowry. Seems an ample amount for a half-child.

Speak of the devil, here she came.

It took the groom a moment to realize that the mare wasn't gliding. Her form barely moved at all with her stride, dress and hair floating around her like a ghost. That cloth must be awful in this heat. Silver threads with matching silver mirrors draped across her hair and sent light sparkling in all directions, reflecting off dust in the air and forming an almost starry aura around her. Creative touch... Especially for a batpony. Her wings were folded tightly against her back, as if she could hide them if she tried hard enough. A faint spark of pity stirred in Sombra's stomach. She never asked to be a half-child. That was her father's mistake. A veil covered her face like a mist, almost drawing a smile from him; a veil was an excellent tactic for hiding an ugly face. Well played, King Solar. Well played.

The mare halted in front of him, head tilted in such a way that Sombra could tell her eyes were glued to the floor. Oh well. As the ceremony continued, the stallion stifled any worries he had. For Sahran. It was that simple. For Sahran, I would do more than marry someone through contract. I'd cut out my own eyes for this city.

... And he just might need to just that. With the nobles closing in on him, the bandits on the road, the restlessness at the harbor... The city-state of Sahran was nearing the brink of civil war. This marriage is necessary.

"...I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest stepped back, closing his book. "You may kiss the bride."

Oh, right. Forgot about that. Sombra lifted the veil of his betrothed- ... no, wife. Heavens above, it was going to take some time to adjust to that. Despite the mare's face being in shadow, Sombra was startled to see her eyes staring so brightly up at him. How are-- Part batpony. Glowing eyes. Right. The rest of her face wasn't remarkable, but still pretty. So King Solar wasn't hiding an ugly daughter. Then what's with the veil?

The kiss was fast and awkward. No one in the room made a sound, except Flash clearing his throat quietly in the background. Cringeworthy, to be sure. Just his luck.

The ceremony ended, and Sombra held out a hand. The new queen didn't move. Work with me here, he pleaded silently, managing to find her gaze. Just this once. Slowly, she reached out a gloved hand and took his larger one, delicate fingers fitting between rough sword-wielding ones. Sombra led the way off the alter and out the doors, feeling his shoulders sag in relief the farther they got from the applauding crowd... Now to deal with her.

"My Lady," he started, turning to his.... his wife. "I realize you've been traveling far the past several days. If you so wish, the handmaidens I have appointed are waiting to help you wash and relax in your chambers."

'Your chambers.'

Flames below, could you be any more obvious, Sombra?! He had provided a separate room for his wife to stay in. In Sombra's defense, it was at least close to his own rooms. That was good enough, right? You've probably just offended her, the logical side of him warned. That's a huge insu--

"I... I greatly appreciate it. That sounds wonderful." Her soft reply could have fooled him. He saw tension in her shoulders that he hadn't noticed before suddenly disappear, and her posture went from submissive to... well, less submissive.

Relief swamped him like a tidal wave. She was thinking along the same lines he was. "I'm glad to hear it. Lady Dhalia here is my chief of staff. She'll see you to your chambers." Guiding the queen's gaze to Dhalia -- a sandy-colored mare that wasn't quite old enough to be Sombra's mother -- the grey stallion stepped back, allowing the two mares to fall into step and head off together down one of the adjacent halls. Thank the star tha-

"I can't believe it."

Soarin's shocked murmur pulled Sombra's attention. "What? I thought you knew about the seperate rooms--"

"Not that." Soarin waved a dismissive hand. "Her clothes. I... I was honestly too shocked to interupt, but..." the pegasus looked suddenly worried, "... maybe I should have."

His king stared blankly back at him. "What the devil are you talking about?" Her clothes? There wasn't anything wrong with her clothes.

Soarin and Flash exchanged a glance. "She was wearing a veil."

Sombra blinked. "She was at a wedding. If you hadn't noticed, a lot of mares wear veils at weddings."

"Maybe here, but in Solaris?" Flash shook her head. "Sombra..." Sombra felt a twinge of worry. Whenever his captains dropped formalities with him, it meant something serious was going on. "...In Solaris, wearing a veil is a sign of great disgrace."

Hm. "Okay, so an illegitimate daughter gets a veil for her wedding. What's so unusual about that? I'm not saying I agree with it, but if she were from Sahran--'

"But she isn't from Sahran," Soarin interrupted. "No one -- and I mean NO ONE -- wears a veil in Solaris without being completely and totally disgraced. It's... It's like a big public joke, except very not funny." The captain shifted his wings. "And all that clothing? At a Solaris wedding?" He shook his head. "Not normal AT ALL."

Sombra tilted his head. "...Are you saying that this was an insult?"

"Not to you, no. It had no effect on your reputation. But to the queen?" Soarin shuddered. "I don't even want to think about what her family thinks of her if they make her wear all that to her wedding."

Flash looked suddenly alert. "Do you think she committed a crime? It would have to be something serious."

"None of our intelligence indicated any criminal connections to Princess Luna. Hell, even the nobles had limited contact with her." Sombra met his friend's gaze. "I want a full investigation into this. Let all the factions heads know what's going on, and then I want this resolved now." The two stallons nodded and split, heading off in different directions.

.... Have I just married a criminal?
__________________
That was loooooooooong. YIKES.

Not a lot to say about this except FUN RENDERING!!! *throws confetti*

PREV Arabian AU:

NEXT in Lumbra story arc: A Curious Visitor

Description
MUSIC: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTrrc6…
___________________

Sombra straightened his shoulder armor, grimacing as the stiff leather dug into his collarbone. "When is she getting here again?" he muttered to Flash under his breath. "We've been waiting for almost an hour."

"It's only been twenty minutes, sire." Flash was Sombra's captain of the Palace Guard and -- along with Captain Soarin -- was the king's best friend. The humor in his voice was thinly veiled, and Sombra heard Soarin's ill-disguised snort of amusement on his other side.

"Twenty minutes?!" he echoed with a hiss. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, sire. The sunmark has only moved a few notches in the window since we arrived."

Sombra glanced up at the massive window grate above the entrance doors. ...Oh. Why did his guards always have to be right? Shrugging his shoulders into a more comfortable position, the king regained his composure, eyes glued to the doors as they waited. Honestly. The Solaris kingdom and their ridiculous traditions can go walk a dune for all I care. Here in Sahran, no pony in their right mind would purposefully arrive late to a ceremony that held as much importance as a wedding. And who has to wait? The GROOM does, of course. Just my luck.

Not that this situation was very lucky in general. His betrothed was the youngest, least-eligible of the two Solaris daughters; an insult to most nations that offered to ally with a foreign kingdom's family. But Sombra knew he couldn't take the insult. His kingdom needed stability and security, and the Solaris royal family could provide that. Who cared if they only offered the hybrid daughter? The illegitimate offspring of King Solar himself? We can't be choosy. Sombra had realized that on the day of his parents death. Being choosy would only delay Sahran's security, and his people needed to feel secure. It had been a long year, after all....

...But an illegitimate wife? Well, to be fair, in Solaris, any child born *cough* invalidly was still considered to be a part of the bloodlines, although their share of inheritance was most often less than their siblings'. Not very monetarily helpful to Sahran, Sombra admitted. But all Solars are honor-bound to help a family member in need. It would disgrace them to allow their daughter's new kingdom to be engaged in war and not send help. That was really his only real comfort from this contract. The safety of Sahran comes first.

That's what Father alw-

"Announcing the Most Royal Princess of the Great Kingdom Solaris, Princess Luna Iridia Solar."

"That's a lot of adjectives," Soarin muttered to his friends. Sombra held back the smile that threatened to split his expressionless mask. "If I had that many, it'd take an hour just to sign my reports."

"Shut up." Despite his warning, Sombra heard the snicker hidden in Flash's voice.

"...Although, let's be honest: Admiral Cordin signs everything like--"

"Quiet." Sombra barely whispered the word, but it was enough to shut the two younger stallions up. Whatever deity is up there, let this run smoothly, he prayed, eyes flickering up to the ceiling. My kingdom needs this. Taking a deep breath, the grey stallion refocused his gaze on the opening doors, anxiety churning in his stomach.

The escort guards entered first, spears topped with silken banners held in parade-march style against their shoulders. ...There's only ten? That was a dangerously small escort for a royal, especially traveling through the desert. Sombra's military-trained eyes blinked, then flickered to the faces of his captains. Their eyes were narrowed at the meager gathering of soldiers, suspicion flashing in their glares. Something was up. Two pairs of servants followed, bearing chests of gold coins and trinkets on longpoles. Not more than I was expecting. The gold was the dowry. Seems an ample amount for a half-child.

Speak of the devil, here she came.

It took the groom a moment to realize that the mare wasn't gliding. Her form barely moved at all with her stride, dress and hair floating around her like a ghost. That cloth must be awful in this heat. Silver threads with matching silver mirrors draped across her hair and sent light sparkling in all directions, reflecting off dust in the air and forming an almost starry aura around her. Creative touch... Especially for a batpony. Her wings were folded tightly against her back, as if she could hide them if she tried hard enough. A faint spark of pity stirred in Sombra's stomach. She never asked to be a half-child. That was her father's mistake. A veil covered her face like a mist, almost drawing a smile from him; a veil was an excellent tactic for hiding an ugly face. Well played, King Solar. Well played.

The mare halted in front of him, head tilted in such a way that Sombra could tell her eyes were glued to the floor. Oh well. As the ceremony continued, the stallion stifled any worries he had. For Sahran. It was that simple. For Sahran, I would do more than marry someone through contract. I'd cut out my own eyes for this city.

... And he just might need to just that. With the nobles closing in on him, the bandits on the road, the restlessness at the harbor... The city-state of Sahran was nearing the brink of civil war. This marriage is necessary.

"...I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest stepped back, closing his book. "You may kiss the bride."

Oh, right. Forgot about that. Sombra lifted the veil of his betrothed- ... no, wife. Heavens above, it was going to take some time to adjust to that. Despite the mare's face being in shadow, Sombra was startled to see her eyes staring so brightly up at him. How are-- Part batpony. Glowing eyes. Right. The rest of her face wasn't remarkable, but still pretty. So King Solar wasn't hiding an ugly daughter. Then what's with the veil?

The kiss was fast and awkward. No one in the room made a sound, except Flash clearing his throat quietly in the background. Cringeworthy, to be sure. Just his luck.

The ceremony ended, and Sombra held out a hand. The new queen didn't move. Work with me here, he pleaded silently, managing to find her gaze. Just this once. Slowly, she reached out a gloved hand and took his larger one, delicate fingers fitting between rough sword-wielding ones. Sombra led the way off the alter and out the doors, feeling his shoulders sag in relief the farther they got from the applauding crowd... Now to deal with her.

"My Lady," he started, turning to his.... his wife. "I realize you've been traveling far the past several days. If you so wish, the handmaidens I have appointed are waiting to help you wash and relax in your chambers."

'Your chambers.'

Flames below, could you be any more obvious, Sombra?! He had provided a separate room for his wife to stay in. In Sombra's defense, it was at least close to his own rooms. That was good enough, right? You've probably just offended her, the logical side of him warned. That's a huge insu--

"I... I greatly appreciate it. That sounds wonderful." Her soft reply could have fooled him. He saw tension in her shoulders that he hadn't noticed before suddenly disappear, and her posture went from submissive to... well, less submissive.

Relief swamped him like a tidal wave. She was thinking along the same lines he was. "I'm glad to hear it. Lady Dhalia here is my chief of staff. She'll see you to your chambers." Guiding the queen's gaze to Dhalia -- a sandy-colored mare that wasn't quite old enough to be Sombra's mother -- the grey stallion stepped back, allowing the two mares to fall into step and head off together down one of the adjacent halls. Thank the star tha-

"I can't believe it."

Soarin's shocked murmur pulled Sombra's attention. "What? I thought you knew about the seperate rooms--"

"Not that." Soarin waved a dismissive hand. "Her clothes. I... I was honestly too shocked to interupt, but..." the pegasus looked suddenly worried, "... maybe I should have."

His king stared blankly back at him. "What the devil are you talking about?" Her clothes? There wasn't anything wrong with her clothes.

Soarin and Flash exchanged a glance. "She was wearing a veil."

Sombra blinked. "She was at a wedding. If you hadn't noticed, a lot of mares wear veils at weddings."

"Maybe here, but in Solaris?" Flash shook her head. "Sombra..." Sombra felt a twinge of worry. Whenever his captains dropped formalities with him, it meant something serious was going on. "...In Solaris, wearing a veil is a sign of great disgrace."

Hm. "Okay, so an illegitimate daughter gets a veil for her wedding. What's so unusual about that? I'm not saying I agree with it, but if she were from Sahran--'

"But she isn't from Sahran," Soarin interrupted. "No one -- and I mean NO ONE -- wears a veil in Solaris without being completely and totally disgraced. It's... It's like a big public joke, except very not funny." The captain shifted his wings. "And all that clothing? At a Solaris wedding?" He shook his head. "Not normal AT ALL."

Sombra tilted his head. "...Are you saying that this was an insult?"

"Not to you, no. It had no effect on your reputation. But to the queen?" Soarin shuddered. "I don't even want to think about what her family thinks of her if they make her wear all that to her wedding."

Flash looked suddenly alert. "Do you think she committed a crime? It would have to be something serious."

"None of our intelligence indicated any criminal connections to Princess Luna. Hell, even the nobles had limited contact with her." Sombra met his friend's gaze. "I want a full investigation into this. Let all the factions heads know what's going on, and then I want this resolved now." The two stallons nodded and split, heading off in different directions.

.... Have I just married a criminal?
__________________
That was loooooooooong. YIKES.

Not a lot to say about this except FUN RENDERING!!! *throws confetti*

PREV Arabian AU:

NEXT in Lumbra story arc: A Curious Visitor