★ Cassiope's Daughter

Cassiope was dropped off at the gates of Crystal Castle by Peace after her rapid aging. Cassiope explained what she knew to the guards -- that she was to be a weapon against the looming threat of Orchid Mantis. Everyone tried to accomodate her, giving her a room and space to rest after such an eventful first day. She met many ponies, including Lady Nightingale and Sir Tempered, who wanted to make her stay more comfortable. But Cassiope, who had no basis for likes or wants, was unsure of everything. Sir Tempered tried to teach her how to fight, but as she was not well-versed in magic combat, they called in Prince Shining Armor instead. Cas was terrified of the stallion's strength and power, but was eventually able to learn basic spellwork.

Only a couple months after Cassiope was thrown into existence did she have to face her fate. The battle was extremely one-sided -- Orchid Mantis was a royal changeling whether or not she'd been sufficiently fed, and Cassiope's Daughter was a literal foal aged by Gods. There was no contest. Cassiope was able to be saved, but she suffered from Blackthorn poisoning. And once Orchid was fully defeated, Cassiope's purpose squandored, there was the quiet question in the air -- what did she do now?

Lady Nightingale had to go back to Canterlot eventually, and when she did, she offered to bring Cassiope with her. After all, it would be a fresh start away from her 'failure'. So Cassiope went with her, meeting many more royals and nobles. And while there, suffered a few health scares. The Blackthorn poison had not run it's course and was still infecting her blood, which meant a lengthy healing process. And then, in random little moments, Cassiope would find herself missing a limb or her tail -- almost like it'd been erased from existence. And then it would return. Foggy eventually figured out what was causing it, researching the ancient unicorns like Cassiopeia, and find out that they'd all suffered from magic overflow. They were able to commission a custom set of golden horseshoes and horn cover, and finally, Cassiope could relax...

Not everyone knew of the sacrifices and struggles she suffered. Some, like the charlatan Cupid's Arrow, only saw her as a quiet but powerful mare. And when he began courting her, Cassiope, notorious for her issues with bodily autonomy, went along with it. After all, he was another noble like Foggy and Wishes, and they were nice enough. But he showed his true colours eventually. A few months into them dating, Cupid held no romantic pretenses, and he tore Squink in an argument. It was her final straw, and that day Cassiope learned that she could get angry. Very angry.

Between Cassiope, Foggy, Solar, and the royal guard, Cupid's Arrow stood no chance. He was thrown out onto the steps, and Serendipity cast an unlucky curse on the colt. Once the other princesses learned of his deeds, he was effectively blacklisted from all future meetings, parties, or festivities run in Canterlot or Crystal Castle. Cassiope, once she'd calmed down, tried to argue his case, but Foggy refused to listen, and they went together to Winnie's Workshop to get Squink fixed. And if the ancient mare made friends with the tailor, well, another ally on her side was always welcome.