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// A Name? Umm...Lystra? 
// Story: The Measure of Her Reach 
// by Ximer 
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Blueblood sat in what some would consider the most powerful, and most boring position of his life, court. Though Equestria seemed to be rid of its problems, most turned to stone, or settled for good in one way shape or form, that didn't solve the rest of the world's issues which some now fell at his hooves. If this was to truly be a world that could be left behind with a banner of peace and prosperity for others, it fell to him. First though, he would have to get the marks of those who he knew held mixed opinions about him and his house. 

The prince eyed the murmuring stallions, twelve in total. Though their wealth, age and status varied, what didn't was the almost uniform horn on their head which each seemed to buzz constantly with magic as they fussed over papers and bills before, finally their allotted time had ran out. Blueblood had mostly done what he had done best in his youth when he had been forced to sit in and observe this type of business, ignore them for the most part, unless they had something direct and to the point to day, most of their words were fancy flowered nothings. Charms that upon his ears failed to do little more than annoy him. 

"If you're all quite finished now," Blueblood said flatly, taking a page from his old methods. "I'd like to propose something...different...a bit of an over hall and experiment for region." 

"Something you've let that human talk you into?" Regal Glow spoke up the unicorn most vocal against him and his wife. "How many times does this make that something new hasn't worked out for you?" 

Blueblood wanted to smirk, but kept his expression in check. While His wife had taken most of what Celestia had to teach her about being in court to heart, he had taken a bit after Luna and knew the value of keeping feelings in check when dealing with obtuse members of the court. "You may like this one...your patience is to be rewarded in this land once it is restored, though it only comes once you approve of a few things." 

Blueblood's cryptic response earned the other's silence as the murmurs came to a stop. A copy of the changes the prince had in mind was passed around to each of the other stallions present as he sat and waited, watching their expressions change as they read over the paper. It was only interrupted by a few gasp, while some laughed, though as expected, there was another unicorn to make his displeasure known to all present. 

"This...this is absurd! You dare to insult the houses in this manner!?" Bronze Frame shouted, his glasses sliding forward as they often did when he was upset. The thin bodied stallion recoiling as Blueblood stood up from his seat. 

"If you take it as an insult I suppose that's your business. I'm offering you something Equestria can and never will though, a position in the army that you have call over. The ability to help with a census, actually partake and be active as a head of this region." Blueblood replied. "As for the schools, the farms, the things this population will need to stand back up, that gentleponies of Equestria is why we came here. If you are unfit or unwilling to provide aid to another, it does not speak ill of my character, but yours." 

"The army you offer would not be in an area settled by us." countered one Noble. 

"No, this is for civil, noble, and royal protection. Each unit would have a bit of independence to make calls on their own. So no one house is above the other at any given time." Blueblood replied, seeming to ease the concern of at least one so far as the unicorn took his seat once more.

"And this call for each tribe to have a representative?" asked another, though his tone was much calmer than the one before him. 

"The princess has done a fair bit of exploring, she has seen much of the world, far more than I have in one way or another, and even in this area she has seen more beings of this world than those that dwell in Equestria. We are not dealing with just Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth Ponies in this area. Which since we are on the topic, has still yet to be given a proper name...it's still just a series of outpost and pipe dream drawings, and if things continue to loop around in circles like they have been these past few days it will still be the same." Blueblood vented his displeasure with the group. 

"You expect us to agree on every single thing proposed?" Regal Glow asked. 

"That would be foolish, not to mention tyrannical. I am neither of those things." Blueblood sighed. "Hope can either bloom or die in this room." 

"I have a counter." came a weary, older voice. One that took Blueblood and many others by surprise. 

Penny Bottle,  an older unicorn had been quietly reading over the proposal and had come to the conclusion that some of these changes, while needed, wouldn't get the needed support as a lump sum bundled together. "An edit to the proposal, that the differing points put forward each be their own separate proposal. Some of these, while good in intention, perhaps need more time before being introduced into such an unstable area." 

Blueblood listened to the murmurings amongst the gathered unicorns resume, before there was a second and a third approval to the proposed change. While this wasn't what the prince had expected, it was better than out right refusal though. He could work with this at least, and he was getting some results after what felt like chasing his own tail with the court nobles. 

"I'm fine with it as well, as long as priority be put supplying the populace with what they need to be come self sustaining once again." Blueblood relented. 

"Self sustaining? You  sound less like a prince and more like an idealist." Regal chuckled. 

"The longer this populace is a burden on Equestria's resources the longer the ponies back home will be unhappy, which will breed strife between the two until we're right back to calling in the guards to put down yet another mess...or do you like being the laughing stock of the world out of you own willful ignorance?" Needless to say, Blueblood enjoyed watching Regal's face burn as a round of laughter erupted from his comment. 

Eventually most of the prince's provisions to the new region did pass, the one for representatives met a bit of a road block until they could come up with a better model from which to decide how a system of government should be set up. Blueblood could see this for what it was though, all nobles, on his side or not, wanted power. He would need something more, something that would unequivocally put the ability to change things in his hooves if he was going to make any impact at all on the freshly dubbed Lystra. He had asked Isabella and she had thought for a moment before coming up with one he liked, though she was a bit cryptic on how she came up with it.