As you sit, a door opens in the back of the hall, and out of it comes a tiny milk-white pony in armor that's too large for him, holding it open for…
The same mare you saw earlier, the one who gave the speech and promptly left, steps in with royal gait, ignoring the commotion and pulsing life of the hall, long black coat over her shoulders, and nearly as long brown and lush mane running at her side.
She sits amidst the general indifference on the crystal throne, staring down on the hall with tired eyes.
A moment later, a unicorn which you can recognise as the chaplain walks in through the same door, and sits at one of the three seats coasting the same table, leaving the one on the throne's right side empty.
This is when the dog you fought outside walks in with a zebra mare on wrong side of her thirties, and instantly, as if a spell was broken, the chatter and festivities in the hall end, everyone staring at the bandaged dog as he silently walks up to the table, bows briefly to the mare on the throne and sits to her right.
The zebra fits the last empty chair.
After a few seconds of lingering silence, the mare on the throne raises a glass.
"To those who joined us today, Fear Not The Night!"
The silence lingers still until Grog raises his own glass, and echoes her.
"
Fear Not!"
Followed by everyone else's echo, that in one big rumble of cheers go back to their previous activities.
>>535275Most of them wear the baggy but poor black-uniform you saw the guards outside wear.
Indeed, most of them
are those very same guards. Others wear a white-colored variant of that.
All of them are currently enjoying what must be quite the feast so far up north.
Fresh soup and carameled apples.