I followed the recruit down a long hallway lined with big stain glass windows and marble pillars.
"Sooooooo....." I asked him after a long period of silence. "What's your name?"
The guard started and looked incredibly surprised. I assumed he had not expected the queen to ask a recruit their name.
"Oh, uh Timberwood, your majesty." he said shyly.
"I'm Gloria." I said instinctively.
I closed my eyes, embarrassed. I probably sounded like an idiot. Of course Timberwood knew my name. He didn't answer. I decided to change the subject.
"Why'd you become a royal guard?" I asked.
"Oh, well my dads' are captains." he said, resentfully. "And they really wanted their son to be one too."
"But you don't want to?"
"Yeah." he replied. "It's really hard to live up to their great expectations."
"Well...I'd say that if living up to your parents is difficult... just don't!" I shrugged.
Timberwood laughed bitterly.
"So I should just quit?"
"Noo... what I'm saying is that you won't be able to be the best guard you can be if you're trying to be as good as somepony else. Everpony has different abilities and ways the can learn. If you follow the ways of another pony you'll most likely wear yourself out or fail!"
Timberwood flinched at the word "fail", but nodded slowly.
"I guess that makes sense. Thanks."
I smiled.
Yes! Queenly advice success!
"What's this message about anyways?" I asked him staring around the hallway.
We were in the Hall of Portraiture, all along the walls were old ( and new! ) paintings of the royal family. The first one was of Queen Sunbeam, King Frost, and my mother. I scowled, I hated my grandfather. I had never met him but grandmother's tales of his treachery were very persuasive.
Apparently he had seemed like a nice guy until after my mother was born when he tried to become king by murdering his wife and heir. Why he chose the time he chose? No idea. But my grandmother hadn't cared, she just banished him and then Time Warper conveniently was created.
That must have been the same day that unicorn discovered the cave! I realized.
When Frost was walking away from Trottingham, Time Warper was walking towards it. When he saw Frost he took this as an opportunity to kill the king of El Turnia and Frost was never seen again.
Heh, I guess that monster did something useful!
Then I stopped. Why was the first one of Queen Sunbeam? She wasn't the first Queen?
Then it hit me.
Of course nopony would want a picture of Lamia on the wall, even if she didn't look insane. The memory would've been too painful, for my grandmother, and too frightening, for literally everpony else. As Timberwood moved on towards the training arena, I didn't even bother looking at the one of my parents and me. I wanted to see them SO BAD and not at all... at the same time. 1. I blamed myself for my mother's death since she died to save me... and I still loathed my father for abandoning me after she died, how did he not care enough to be there for me? Lunacy was right, he was weak.
Then I noticed the last picture. A unicorn who looked just like me except for his orange eyes that sparkled even in the painting. The name: King Sol was written in gold paint on the bottom. I had seen that name many times before, in books, family trees, and on his grave. My great grandfather looked wise as if he knew something that was hidden to everypony else... a secret. Grandmother said he had been very quiet and prone to speaking his mind no matter the circumstance.
Just like father....
I bit back a wave of pain and resentment. I hated not wanting to think of him, he had abandoned me, but......
I killed him, I killed him, I killed him.
"I killed him," I whispered.
Somepony coughed. I started.
Oh right, business, ugh.
"Um your majesty?" Timberwood tilted his head to the side. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Everything's fine." I tried to smile reassuring.
"Ok...." Timberwood turned away and started walking away.
I followed slowly. Everything wasn't fine.