[Cards] Wand of the Alicorn (Patreon)

Her Majesty was royal, but in name only. Her compassion for the daily struggles of common folk was made clear by her visits to local markets and fisheries, as well as the unsupervised nights spent in the local taverns. Raised by a single stalwart father, a pegasus knight without a trace of nobility, she was given the perspective of two worlds: one of the mundane dangers of average life, and the real dangers of martial law.

At the age of 15, her father was killed by a rampaging dragon in the line of duty. Wracked with anger and spite for the people who led him to his death, it was only then that she realized the impact he had on the royal family. The sitting king and queen, as well as their son, paid her a visit to offer their sympathy and support: an early act of kindness that would shape her growth from her father's loss.

Moved to noble studies and quarters, she grew to befriend the young prince. Time passed, and as is typical in stories such as this, the two fell in love. Set to become the future queen of Orostead, she spent her days studying the nobility, law, and history of the city. Using her meager upbringing as context for her opinion, she could see that many generations of corruption and ill-practiced law threatened to consume the city and leave it a husk of its former glory.

But the prince grew sick before their coronation. Too sick. One night after reading to him in their bed, she fell asleep. She tossed and turned with nightmares of plague and ruin. Just when she could feel the last of her hope begin to slip away, a light broke through to rid her of the darkness: a shimmering pegasus with the horn of a unicorn.

It was there that she bargained with the spirit. In exchange for some of its divine power, she would ward off the darkness that threatened to consume them. When she awoke, she found a feather and horn clutched in her hands.

From then on, the would-be queen nursed her prince back to health, learning the extent of her magic as she went. The prince survived, although his legs would no longer serve him. The two were crowned king and queen, and while the king could often be found in his study or poring over new laws or the grievances of his people, the queen became the voice of the city and its people.