Swift Thought was not a pony that easily got nervous. He prided himself that he could think very quickly on the hooves and that he would stand his ground no matter. He was not one to back down on points he made, even to the Queen.
Still, being brought out of the cell so quickly did worry him. He didn’t expect to be forced to the block would be so soon, at least have some time to beg for mercy if he was one to go back on his words.
Blinking, the guards brought him to the head slave overseer office. His ear flicked upwards as he saw the Queen at the desk, and the current Head Overseer was standing next to him. Immediately, he knelt and bowed to her.
“The entire segment of pegasi slaves are reporting at less proficiency.” She stared at the two. “Tell me how you would fix this.” She looked at Head Overseer first.
“Double their workload, while shifting around the pegasi slaves to new groups. Have a planted pony tell them that they heard worse punishment was coming for any slave group producing less the acceptable amount of work.”
She then turned her eyes to Swift Thought.
“Clip their wings so they cannot fly or perform magic. Then remove the restraints on an agreement of good behaviour.”
“Are you mad?” The Head Overseer, glaring at him. He was a large earth pony, with a striking opened manacle cutie mark. “Dozens will try to escape with that decision!”
“It is expected, hence why it will be known that freedom to move their wings will last only as long as they do not try to escape.” He spoke calmly back.
“How would you make sure that they do not try to escape.” The mare in the room spoke up again.
“I except several would try to escape within a few months.” He spoke, staring at her. “Have extra guards in positions at night that remain secret to elite members of overseers to catch them and make them an example of breaking the rules.”
“How so.”
“By placing every pegasi back under the restraints for a month per every escape attempt, with some slide back possible on the length.” He stared into her eyes. “From that, they will work harder to entice us to let their punishment to be shorter. From that, we follow through on our words.” Blinking, as if a thought came to him. “We also stand to gain possible spies within their groups as to make their punishment bearable or to avoid loosing the ability to move their wings again.”
“What are your thoughts of the other idea?” She looked at the Head Overseer.
“Far too many risks and unknowns.” He glared at the smaller, magic blocked unicorn. “It also weakens our control over our slaves my Queen.” He bowed his head.
“And you?”
“His plan does have some merit in the short term. However, it would require several freeponies willing to subject themselves to the collar without any clear way of reporting back without revealing their identities.” He paused to collect his breath. “It would also require much more attention and overseers present. We would need to make sure that the tales we state are not too outlandish as not to cause an uprising as well as to make sure that they do not expect the true identities of the placed ponies.” He bowed his head again.
The Head Overseer glared at the unicorn next to him.
“If I were to follow the other plan?”
“I would do as you wished my Queen.” The earth pony bowed, his nose nearly touching the floor, missing the quick displeased glare of the mare.
“I would recommend against it and-” Swift Thought was stopped when the earth pony knocked him the ground and placed his hoof on his neck.
“How dare you go against the Queen you miserable faithless-” The earth pony was cut off as he was lifted to the side by the Queen’s aura.
“Restrain yourself in the future.” She glared at the earth pony before looking back at the unicorn, who spat out the blood on the floor. “Continue.”
“It would be a dangerous, short and long term, requiring us to rely on continuous reinforcements of false notions in a delicate balance to not cause a backlash. If the pegasi slave community can be managed in a manner that self contains and corrects itself and that does not require more oversight then what we have now, adding in an extra duty of clipping wings, is available, I see no reason not to enact it.”
She looked at the two for a long time and nodded her head. She looked at the earth pony and spoke. “You are dismissed.”
“Thank you, my Queen.” He bowed, glaring at the unicorn. “I have much slave groups to atten-”
“You did not understand me.” She spoke, walking over to the large earth pony. “You are dismissed. I found a pony that will do far more with our slave management then you. You will need to move you belongings into one of the common lodges as my new Head Overseer will be requiring his chambers shortly.”
“But my Queen!” He started to protest, whimpering at this sudden news.
“Are you questioning my decisions?” She looked at him, staring into his eyes. One final chance to prove himself…
“N-no my Queen.” He sighed, unknowingly failing his last chance to save any grace. He bowed his head to the Queen, and glared at the unicorn in the room.
“You will need to show proper respect to the Head Overseer as well. His word is second to mine.” She spoke sharply, causing the earth pony to gasp softly and the unicorn’s eyes widen.
“Ye-yes, my Queen.” He bowed his head to her again and then bowing to Swift Thought. “Head Overseer.” He then walked out of the room silently.
Swift Thought then walked over to the mare and bowed. “I thank you for this elevation in rank and the preservation of my life. I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid.”
“Your thanks are misdirected.” The mare spoke again, walking towards the desk. “I was advised that having an adviser that would disagree with me would be beneficial and I beginning to see the merits of such advice with your plan to our pegasi population. I wish you to instigate this plan you mentioned immediately and begin advising me in future endeavours.”
“As you wish my Queen.” He spoke, bowing his head as the Queen placed on the emblems of his new office on his coat and removing the magical ring from his horn. “If I may ask to whom gave you this advice-”
“So you may know who you have a life debt?” She looked at him with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at him. She was already pleased with her latest Head Overseer, proving his worth by his quick mind, trying to unravel her plans and words. The previous one would just lick her hooves and do as she wished, showing no creativity at all.
“Yes my Queen.” He didn’t beat around the bush, nor was afraid to tell her no. He wasn’t going to agree with whatever notion she spoke, she knew that. He would need to make sure he did not overstep his bounds and think themselves as equals, but she would enjoy his plans and possible plots he might make up to overthrow her. She was walking past him, leaving his office with one last card to play.
“It was the slave that you brought me this morning.” She let out a laugh, delicate enough to for him to be aware that she was aware of how much a bind he was in now that he owed a life debt to her slave, and thus her now. She looked into the polished armour of a guard to catch his surprised look and smiled inwards.
Oh how interesting her life was now due to her new slave.
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