Silver Skies casually walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle. His destination was still a few floors down, but he was in no hurry to arrive at his personal office. He was too busy going over his meeting with the Changeling Queen to give anything else much thought.
~~***~~
“Your Highness, I understand that you are unfamiliar with this aspect of peaceful negotiations, but you must understand that this is a vital part of the process. You must be open and honest with me. So please tell me what your reasons are for seeking peace with Equestria. Your previous encounter places you as a threat to the country’s citizens, as well as to the crown. ‘Because I changed my mind,’ is not an acceptable reason.” Silver said as calmly as he could. He had spent the last twenty minutes getting various responses about that topic out of the queen. It seemed as though she had a good reason, but refused to openly admit it to him. Instead, she had chosen to play coy with him and drag the conversation along with curt remarks that made no real sense.
Chrysalis sighed dramatically and eyed Silver dubiously. “Why is this so important? Does it really matter what my reason is as long as my desire to have peace with ponykind is genuine?” she asked.
Silver refrained from letting a frustrated sigh slip out. He closed his notebook and put it, and his quill away into his saddlebags. “It does matter. I’m sure you are aware of what your invasion did to the reputation of Changelings in the eyes of Equestria’s citizens. If you are not willing to state your reasons, then it will only result in others being more suspicious of your actions.”
Chrysalis rolled that around in her mind for a few moments before she sighed and looked away from Silver Skies. “Then I believe we are done for today. When shall I see you next? I’m sure we can discuss other things upon your next visit… such as that economic policy regarding trade, or ironing out the finer points of providing love for my hive,” she responded discourteously.
Silver quietly contemplated his schedule before giving an answer. “I can return in two days time,” he said levelly. “That will give me enough time to record what we have already discussed, as well as to prepare a more detailed report for you to look over in regards to your request for love. I will also look into arranging for a meeting between you and Princess Celestia.”
“No!” Chrysalis immediately stated. “I am not ready to meet with her any time soon.”
“You will have to meet with her at some point,” Silver replied calmly, doing his best to assure Chrysalis that the ordeal was not as bad as she assumed. “It is all part of the formalities of these kinds of negotiations. By being seen with Princess Celestia, it would help to change your image.”
Chrysalis stayed silent, seemingly seething with uncertainty at the prospect of such an event. Then she sighed and turned her attention to the large crystal doors as her jagged horn lit up with a green aura. The massive doors ground open before Chrysalis returned her gaze to Silver. “I shall see you in two days time,” she said and the torches of the room went out.
Silver stared into the darkness for a few moments, contemplating his options. He could try to convince her one more time to be honest with him… but doing so would run the risk of angering her. At present, she had only been mildly annoyed. Silver decided to go with his next option and offered a small smile to the darkness before he bowed his head respectfully and left.
~~***~~
Silver had felt something at that time, something from the way the queen had acted when asked about her reasons for peace. It was faint, but after being around Celestia for so many years, he had found ways of picking up on the subtle hints behind a pony’s expressions. Chrysalis had a substantial reason for avoiding the question, that much was clear. Silver just hoped that he could get her to open up to him in the near future… rather than have a drawn out series of encounters with her. The longer things took the more likely certain others would take notice and start to feel uneasy about diplomacy with the Changelings. After all, his work with the Changeling Hive would not go unnoticed for long.
He rounded a corner that would lead him to the last stairwell before his office and was greeted with one of the few sights he did not enjoy: General Iron Barricade slowly walking down the corridor toward him. Silver did not like the General – not one bit. There was something about the stubborn mule of an officer that always rubbed the diplomat the wrong way.
The armor-clad Earth Pony came to a halt just in front of Silver Skies, his stern blue eyes glaring through the ornate white helm he wore. Iron frowned at the unicorn in front of him and snorted through his nose. “So how was your visit with that insect? Gain any useful Intel that my stallions can use in the coming war with those repulsive creatures?” he asked gruffly.
Silver became thoroughly unamused with the General and moved past him. “That is none of your concern, General.”
General Iron swiftly spun around and put his face right in front of Silver’s. “It is if they remain a threat to Equestria.”
“And, thus far,” Silver said coolly, “I see them as a neutral party. Now, General, if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from my path, I have reports to write.”
Silver then moved around General Iron and walked a few steps before coming to a halt to look over his shoulder at his annoying menace. “Also, I will only warn you once… if you provoke me again, you won’t enjoy the early retirement plan I provide you. Your conduct just now was most unwelcome, and I’m certain that someone of your rank was not granted authorization regarding diplomatic negotiations between the Changelings and myself. Tread lightly, General Barricade.”
General Iron snorted in amusement and smirked at Silver’s threat. “Oh, do forgive me for ‘accidentally’ overhearing a little bit of the conversation that occurred when the bug’s message arrived. Also, you might do well to remember that you’re just a pawn that’s been dressed up and put on a pedestal for the princess. Don’t try to threaten somepony that can mop the floor with you at a moment’s notice,” he remarked cockily.
Silver simply raised a brow at Iron’s comment. “For your sake, I do hope you’re half as good as your ego implies. Good day,” he responded calmly and turned away.
In an instant, the General lunged forward and had brought up his hooves to latch onto Silver Skies… only to find his face slam into the wall. He shook his head and looked around to find Silver eyeing him with an unfazed stare. Iron went to get up, but found his body would not respond. His eyes darted up to see the faint blue glow around Silver’s horn.
Silver Skies tilted his head to the side and eyed Iron for a moment before shaking his head, utterly unimpressed. “It would seem that you lack the appropriate level of training, General. I think I’m beginning to see why the Changeling invasion was so effective… with such a poorly thought out plan, like yours was just now, it’s no wonder your forces fell so easily,” he commented dryly and then turned away. “That spell should occupy you for a short time. Do try not to force it to break… unless you enjoy having your bones broken. Farewell… General.”
With that, Silver resumed his trek to his office, leaving the General to suffer indignantly. The thought of actually causing harm to General Iron had been very tempting, since his behavior had more than adequately warranted such a response, but Silver had been sworn in by Princess Celestia to never abuse his magic. There was a reason why he had been confident in going to the Changeling hive alone, and it had nothing to do with his condition.
Once Silver had reached the bottom of the stairs, he released the General from his spell. He figured that there was enough distance between them by then. To his relief, the stubborn fool did not pursue him further. Once he entered his office, he was finally able to relax and look back on the encounter. It was very odd that things had happened like that. What’s more, there were no guards stationed in that hallway like there should have been. It seemed that the General had pulled a few strings to get Silver in that corridor, alone…
It seems that General Iron has a distinct hatred for the Changelings, Silver thought idly. I’m slightly curious as to what his goal might have been in confronting me in such a brash display. What would he have achieved by cornering me? Why did he display such viciousness?
Silver’s thoughts were halted when a scroll materialized beside him. He quickly caught it in his magic and rolled it around to view the wax seal. The red engraved marking of Celestia's sun was a clear indication that the message was from the Princess, so Silver immediately broke it and unrolled the scroll to view the contents.
“Dear Silver Skies,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has come to my attention that you have returned from your meeting with the Changeling Hive. At your earliest convenience, please come see me as I look forward to hearing about your visit with them. I eagerly await your arrival.
~Princess Celestia”
Silver Skies smirked once he had finished with the letter. The timing, as per usual, was impeccable. He quickly placed the scroll down on his desk to be sorted later and exited his office. His return trip through the hallways yielded one of the things he had been expecting; the guards were back in place. Silver made sure to eye each and every one of them as he passed, noting the looks of guilt a few of them sported. Oh, my dear General… you’re playing with a flame in a field of matches, he thought as he exited the hall.
The grey unicorn soon arrived at his destination and nodded to one of the guards stationed outside of Celestia’s quarters. “I was sent for by her highness. Could one of you check with her to see if she is ready to see me?”
The guard nodded stoically. “One moment, Sir Skies,” he replied and smoothly ducked into the room. Meanwhile, the other guard had taken it upon himself to subtly eye Silver curiously.
Silver instantly took notice of the roaming gaze, since the guards were not encouraged to do such things unless they were suspicious of something. He glanced at the guard and offered a friendly smile. “Is there anything you find interesting about my appearance? I hope I didn’t get something on my coat…”
The guard instantly stiffened and resumed his stoic stance, showing no further interest in Silver. “No, sir.”
Silver hummed softly and turned his gaze back to the door. How curious… I wonder just how far the General’s reach is, he thought briefly before storing the idea away for later contemplation. A few moments later the first guard stepped out and nodded toward Silver. “The Princess is ready to see you,” he said and stepped to the side to let Silver enter.
Silver Skies nodded graciously. “Thank you, kindly,” he said and entered the room.
The view beyond was nearly enough to catch Silver off guard. Celestia sat on a large plush cushion beside an elegant white and gold table sipping from a cup of tea. Dozens of reports floated around her as she enjoyed the brew. It became apparent that there was something off when she addressed him, which happened to be the second after she closed the door behind him and cast a soundproofing spell. Without looking away from the reports in front of her she tilted her head and asked, “So how was your meeting with Queen Chrysalis?”
Silver eyed the numerous papers in the air before focusing on the princess. “It went a little less productively than I had hoped,” he said calmly.
Celestia’s ears flicked and she lowered a few of the papers to look at Silver. “Oh? How so?” she asked him with a small smile.
Silver knew she was directing the conversation somewhere, so he decided to humor her to see what she wanted to get around to. He slowly approached her to sit on one of the available cushions before responding. “She continuously fed me mixed messages throughout the meeting. One moment she proclaims she desires peace, the next she feels it necessary to joke about conquering Equestria. In my professional opinion, she seems to be taking this chance for granted and could be leading her hive in a direction of war.”
Celestia nodded and took another sip of her tea before smiling a tad more. “And what does your personal opinion tell you?” she asked coolly.
“In my personal opinion,” Silver began, “I feel that she does want peace. I’m just not sure why. She openly disclosed her methods in how she infiltrated our ranks, which was quite clever. Even I have to admit that her taking control of the castle’s janitorial staff was quite the impressive way to gain her foothold. In hindsight, I’m surprised nopony even realized that a cleaning crew would have so much access to the majority of the castle.”
Celestia chewed on that bit of information before nodding approvingly. “That was a very clever move indeed.”
“Quite, and what’s more is that it means she still has Changelings in the castle. Our cleaning crews were one of the few departments that did not lose any members,” Silver added.
Celestia paused a moment in thought. “Are you certain of this?”
Silver nodded sagely. “For the most part. I had looked into the losses the castle staff had suffered after the Changelings were repelled by the young prince and princess’ spell. Every department, military or otherwise, lost members who were Changelings in disguise. The only two departments that did not suffer were the royal kitchen staff and janitorial,” he said, then added as an afterthought, “and none of her Changelings were members of the kitchen. Apparently, they aren’t good at cooking, since they have a fear of fire.”
Celestia got a puzzled expression on her face and a few more papers drooped in her magical grasp as she thought on that. “That’s… ironic when you think about it. Doesn’t their transformation make use of magical green flames?”
Silver nodded. “Yes. From what she told me, the art of transforming is actually something that only her more skilled drones are capable of. Those that can change their appearances only make up about twenty percent of her hive’s population. She was quite open to informing me of many details regarding that… yet I don’t know why she eluded from giving me a strait answer as to why she wishes for peace.”
Celestia nodded and sipped from her tea once more, grimacing slightly as she realized how cool it had become. She set the cup down and looked back at Silver Skies. “What kind of feeling did you get from her? So far, I see very little resemblance to the same Queen that I encountered. The Chrysalis that you are describing to me sounds… different.”
Silver Skies nodded and let his eyes drift off into memory. After a few moments, he refocused on Celestia and gave her a soft smile. “She was the real thing. I could tell there was no magic being used around her body. The impression she made may not have been the best… but I feel there is something hidden beneath her teasing. It’s as if she wants to say what is on her mind… but she holds herself back for some reason,” Silver Skies paused and tilted his head as he thought on the subject a little more. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say she seemed afraid to reveal a few details. Thus far, she’s told me all her hive’s strengths, but has avoided the weaknesses.”
Celestia nodded slowly. “You may be on to something,” she said calmly, before redirecting her attention to a few documents. “Have you learned anything else?”
Silver noticed her attempt at prying, it was one of her little ticks she had, pretending to not be too interested when she wanted something specific out of a conversation. Having known the princess for most of his life, Silver had picked up on such cues over the years. He smirked slightly and turned his attention to the fine china laid out on the table. “I have learned quite a few things, thus far, but I won’t be sharing any of it with you just yet. Maybe after my next visit with her.”
A quiet sigh slipped through Celestia’s nose as she eyed the reports a little more crucially. Silver subdued a snicker at her expense, but quickly found a way to redirect the nature of the conversation. He sat up a little more firmly and gave Celestia his more serious attitude. “There is something, possibly related, that I’d like to bring to your attention, though,” he said lowly.
Celestia quickly lowered the reports, recognizing the severity of Silver’s tone. He rarely let his voice get that peculiar edge, but when he did, it was serious business. “What is it?”
Silver Skies looked directly into the eyes of his princess as his horn flared to add an additional layer to the soundproofing spell. “It would appear there might be a troublesome member of the military who may have an issue with my involvement in the peace talks between Equestria and the Changelings.”
Celestia nodded slowly, paying close attention to Silver’s every expression. Silver politely kept his pause brief and continued, “General Iron Barricade confronted me in the hallway near my office. He was quite interested in my dealings with Queen Chrysalis, though he addressed the Changelings in a less than appropriate terminology. He even went as far as to attempt a physical elaboration into his superiority over me… I gave him my only warning, so if he confronts me once more in a similar manner, I may not let him off – just to make sure you are aware of our current standing with each other.”
Celestia closed her eyes and sighed softly. “I am truly sorry for that,” she said quietly.
Silver waved her off with a hoof, shaking his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. Iron and I never really saw things eye to eye to begin with. If anything, I felt that his sudden involvement might be problematic to further diplomatic visits. Please do anything you can to keep him out of this matter. It would be very unfortunate if things were to break down… the Changelings deserve a chance to redeem themselves. That’s what I believe, anyway.”
Celestia shook her head with a small smile. “Sometimes you really are a remarkable stallion. What would you have me do, then? I do not approve of the manner in which the good General approached you, but I will respect your decision regarding the matter,” she said, though the harder expression within her eyes said she would prefer to confront Iron Barricade personally.
Silver offered the princess a confident smile and eyed a few of the floating documents. “Leave him be… for now. Though I don’t think he has a good hand, I’d like to see a few more of his cards before I decide. I’ll pull a few strings of my own to keep tabs on his movements. As far as I’m currently concerned, he’s just excessively upset with the Changelings and has made it more personal than it should be.”
Celestia sighed, but smiled helplessly as her warm gaze passed over her most reliable friend. “If only there were more ponies like you,” she said softly.
Silver’s smile turned melancholy and his eyes dropped to a spot on the floor in front of him. “Then there would be more who wear a mask that can never come off…” he replied quietly.
Celestia’s face instantly melted into a sad gaze and her ears drooped. She opened her mouth to comfort her friend… but she knew there was nothing she could really say at that moment. It was just a sad truth, and she had to accept it.
Silver Skies slowly stood from the cushion and made his way toward the door. He stopped just before it and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll be seeing Queen Chrysalis in two days. With any luck, she’ll be more willing to open up to me with more acceptable explanations. I’ll meet with you again to inform you of the progress with her. Good day, your highness.”
Celestia simply sat and watched as Silver left the room. The moment the latch clicked shut, she lowered all but two of the documents in her magical grasp and sighed as they floated in front of her. One was the quarterly analysis of the royal guard’s spending. The other was a profile of General Iron Barricade. She sighed and set down the papers, letting her gaze wander back toward the door. You’re more clever than I gave you credit for, Silver… she thought warmly. But I can’t help worrying about how intuitive you’ve become. What do those eyes of yours see… I wonder?