Queen Maev Ní Ériu

It's just another day as the Queen. She hasn't been looking forward to today but at least her duties would be there to distract her. Today she meets with a few of the druids that are chosen to lead the ships that would bring in the first wave of Equestrian guests, she has been met with a bit of push back with a few of the nobles as well as some of the populace that have always opposed her more progressive policies. Their views are not wrong, tradition is important in her kingdom. One of the most important values in fact, but despite her efforts there will always be those that don't agree. She has just awoken and is standing in the center of her bedroom while a few of her handmaidens brush her mane and tail as the captain of her personal guard reads off her schedule for the day. "After breakfast you are to address a request by Énbarr of Manannán who has been pestering us about trade agreements with Equestria. They want to harvest kelp and sell it and the ambassador has been coming to the castle for days and the guards are getting tired of sending him away." Explained the grey pegasus holding the clipboard. His sky blue mane is slicked back and tied into a short tail behind his head, giving him a rather serious facade. "He's a friend of Prince Liath's, why wasn't I told he was coming around?" She sighs. The half-breed sea pony was the go between between the ponies in the sea and the mainland of Maréire. He isn't very old and is in fact the youngest ambassador they've ever elected, being only in his mid twenties. "I don't know Your Majesty, Prince Sainglend assists with your royal schedule my duty is just to make sure you are able to do them uninterrupted." Fionn explains. "I may have to speak with my advisors later." They and her son set the schedule together but it was hard for her to believe that Sainglend would ignore Énbarr but come to think of it, it has been a couple of days since she's seen her son. "With the druids preparing for the trip overseas, there have been many merchants requesting that you assist them with increasing their crop yield to account for the Equestrian's visit." The knight continues. "They know I don't like to do that, it's hard on the soil. A bed of flowers or trees here and there are one thing, but fields of crops are another." She explains. It's handy to do in hard times, but it quickly depletes the nutrients in the soil and can affect the next harvest. This continues for awhile as the day's activities are determined for her. Being a Queen is not as easy or glamorous as everypony seems to think it is, it's a lot of stress and expectations and not a whole lot of personal freedom. However it is her duty, she was chosen for this after all and she's bound to do her duty for the sake of every pony living in her kingdom. She caught a lot of trouble when she sailed off to Equestria to find her lost son, if she hadn't returned with news of his survival it would have made things much worse. She is escorted out of her chambers as her Captain continues rattling off her responsibilities for the day and down the stairs to the main hall she passes a painting on the wall and just stops. "Your Majesty?" Her Captain addresses her but she seems entranced by the painting, a portrait of her late husband. A chestnut colored stallion with big honey eyes and a long, raven black mane runs down his shoulders. The stallion has a serious expression crossing his face, and a scar across his left cheek. It was just a simple bust, but the painting itself looks like it has a lot of time and effort put into it to capture every detail of the stallion's head and shoulders. "It's Father's Day." She muses aloud. She hadn't forgotten, but she had to hear the words herself come out of her lips. Her expression turns melancholy as she gazes at the painting as if trying to commit every stroke that went into creating the portrait. "Yes, it is." A somber air begins to hang over them like a thick fog as Fionn and the rest of the Queen's escort simply watch in silence. They know their Queen, and they know what she's feeling as this isn't the first time she's gone through this. "He should have been here to see them." Her voice cracks as a lump forms in her throat which the Queen tries to swallow but does no good. "He never got to meet them." She sniffs and her lower lips quivers ever so slightly. She's trying her best to maintain her composure and stop her tears, but it's a battle she's rapidly losing. "He would have been very proud of his sons, and of you." Fionn's tone changes drastically from a stoic knight to that of a long time friend. His Queen always gets like this around Father's day, and he is always here by her side. "They should not have had to grow up without him, it has been so hard without him." Her face contorts and silvery tears began to slowly flow down her cheeks as she begins to sob quietly. "He'll never know how much they've grown." Her voice quivers as she speaks, her jewel like tears dripping onto the green carpet at her hooves. "You did the best you could, he may be gone but his legacy remains. There is a little of him in each of his sons, and he rubbed off a bit on you too." Fionn retrieves a white cloth from a pouch and hands it to the Queen, who takes and begins to daintily blot her eyes with it. "Liath looks so very much like him." Her makeup smears with every wipe of the cloth, but she takes a deep, shuddering breath as she regains her composure. "Make time for me to visit my parents today, Captain." Being a little over a hundred years old, her parents were long gone though their gravestones remain. Being of simple birth they were buried in the town that Maev was born in, a small village known for little else than it's farmland. "Consider it done, Your Majesty." Fionn bows deeply. The Queen takes a moment to open the small locket on her necklace she wears at all times, in it are two pictures. One of the stallion in the portrait, and another of her two sons as newborn foals. She swallows the lump in her throat as more handmaidens appear to fix her mane and makeup on the spot. She closes the locket and lets it fall into place back around her neck. "Ma, hoo tha?" The voice of a memory floods into her head. Her two sons are sitting on either side of her as she reads them a story in front of a large fireplace. She doesn't remember which particular story it was, but she does remember the big curious eyes of her sons looking over at her. The question came from young Prince Liath, her sons at this point were barely old enough to speak. Sainglend says nothing but only stares at the picture over his mother's shoulder, he always was the quiet one even back then. "That's your father, my little loves." She smiles happily, giving each foal a nuzzle with her cheek. "His name was Gallant Star." "Your Majesty, are you ready?" Fionn calls her back from her memories. The Queen nods, but before she starts down the stairs, she brings her own hoof to her lips and kisses it, then raising it to the portrait on the wall and touching the lips of the stallion in the frame. This particular part of the painting was a little worn as she does this three times a year. Once on his birthday, once on the anniversary of his death, and once on Father's day. "I'm ready Captain, let's not keep Énbarr waiting." She makes her way down the stairs towards the throne room. It was going to be a long day.

Dear Princes of Equestria Firstly, my sincerest congratulations to Prince Artemis and his fiancee on the successful birth of his heir, I wish the little foal the best and that she grow up to be as strong as her parents. Since the royal wedding here, it has brought a bit of change with it. It seems that not having visitors to my country for so long has left my people a bit eager and curious as to what exactly goes on outside our borders. Not much reaches us here as you can imagine and after much deliberation with the royal court and Maréire herself we have decided to open our borders in a limited capacity. As you can imagine this has only sparked more debate but I have manage to placate the populace that there would be limitations in place. As you are aware special rituals and prayers are required to access my country to get through it's protections safely, and as such I will accompany a small number of druids and ships to safely guide the first visitors. Several rules will be in place for any visitors, and I expect everycreature to abide by them or be punished according to our laws. 1. No harm shall come to the benevolent spirits that populate the island. They are mischievous, but ultimately do no harm. 2. No goods shall be taken from the island unless freely offered by one of us. Trade agreements are not yet in place, and I do not wish to create any unnecessary disputes. 3. Respect our traditions. Our culture is old, and may seem outdated to some Equestrians. I ask that any visitors keep an open mind. 4. Certain magics are strictly prohibited, chief among these is Fire based magic. 5. The Foraoise Dubh, a great Yew forest on the island is strictly off limits for your own safety. Any other questions should be directed to any guards that populate the kingdom, or your escorts should you have need of them. Both the druids and any guards or ambassadors I send should be treated as an extension of my will and treated thusly. Best Wishes, Maev Ní Ériu, Queen of Maréire.