//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Midnight's Shadow: Succession Crisis // by Ponibius //------------------------------// I watched Captain Freezy Hail as she slept. ‘Twas the night after High Roller’s death, but while we no longer faced the immediate threat posed by the werewolf, I had other matters to resolve. The Honeyfield succession, for one, in addition to one other significant problem to address ere I could consider my work complete. I myself was well-rested, having retired after mine own lengthy research. But as so often happened, I had found myself once again restless after dusk had fallen. I knew not why, but some nights I could not bring myself to sleep. ‘Twas as though my body were powered by some outside force. The poison ivy which plagued me did not help in the least, either. Thus, I sat on a cushion in the bedroom and waited in Freezy’s bedroom as she slumbered. It seemed that she kept her own quarters despite her status as the late count’s lover, though whether ‘twas a matter of propriety as Freezy’s status as Captain of the Guard or some other reason was not agreed upon by the castle staff. Freezy was the type to keep her thoughts to herself from mine understanding. The other guards were even less helpful, for they would tell me little about their captain. Probably due to a sense of loyalty, or perhaps something a bit deeper. According to Herbal Remedy, many of the pegasi in the castle had formerly been bandits, and so it made sense that they would not be quick to speak of their shameful past. Freezy yawned and turned in her bed. Her wing had been put into a cast, and her body was swathed in bandages and balms as it healed from the werewolf’s vicious attack. For a moment it seemed that she had returned to the depths of sleep before her eyes snapped open and she jerked upright. “What are you doing in my bedroom!?” “Watching thee sleep,” I said. “And now I am speaking with thee.” “Get out!” Freezy jabbed a hoof towards the door. I blinked slowly. I did not understand why ponies became so upset with me when I politely waited for them to wake up instead of rousing them in the middle of the night when I had pressing things to discuss. “Neigh, I have something important to speak with thee about.” She glanced out the window to see the waning moon in the sky. “Can it not wait ‘til sunrise?” “Technically, but I would prefer to take care of this immediately.” Her eyes narrowed. “And what if I were to call ‘pon my fellow guards and have you removed from both my room and the castle?” I shook my head. “‘Twould do little good, I think. I have placed a privacy spell ‘pon the room. Even if thou wert to leave the room and call for aid, I am still a royal magus on royal business. If I wish to see thee then I will. Unless they wish to be arrested for laying their hooves ‘pon a royal official, there is nothing they can do.” Freezy squared her jaw. “You realize how little you set a pony’s mind at ease?” I nodded. “I have been told that on multiple occasions, aye.” Not that I knew why. Everything I did was perfectly reasonable to me. Freezy growled and turned her gaze from me. “Very well, out with it. What is so important to bother me in the middle of the night?” “I have finished the rough draft of my proposal to Princess Celestia for how to deal with the succession dispute.” I levitated papers over to her. “I thought I would show it to thee before I told everypony else it's contents.” “This better be worth waking me.” Freezy snatched the papers out of the air and rolled out of bed, hissing when her hooves hit the ground. She pushed aside the pain and activated a nearby light gem, bathing the room in a yellow glow as she started reading. ‘Twas not long before her eyes widened and her head snapped around. “What is the meaning of this?! I told you, my daughter is not to become the Countess of Honeyfield!” Her anger affected me not at all. I had grown used to the mare’s general hostility, and so I let her anger flow past me. “So thou made clear. But still, I think this best for the county and thy daughter.” “The best for my daughter?” Freezy quivered in rage. “Are you trying to kill her?! It seemed I had made a wise decision in casting the privacy spell, or her yelling might very well have woken the entire castle. That would have been unfortunate for what I had planned. I kept my cool and addressed Freezy with as much detachment as I could manage. “‘Tis hardly mine intention to kill a child,” I said. “I am attempting to give her the best future I can provide given the circumstances.” “‘The best future’?” Freezy crushed my papers in her hooves. “Do you not remember the madness and carnage from last night?! One noble fighting another for some petty title in an all-consuming bloodbath. Is that the fate you would damn my precious Snowfall to?” “‘Tis hardly that bad most of the time.” I stood up to face the guard captain. “Life is filled with conflict. The only question is whether you have a choice in its outcome. When Snowfall becomes the countess, she will at least be the master of her own destiny when she reaches her majority. She can choose to lead Honeyfield in the direction she desires, or she can abandon her title for another destiny. The choice will ultimately be hers.” “And what until then?” Freezy stomped a hoof. “She is vulnerable. Everypony both within and without will plot ‘gainst her.” I shook my head. “Not thee, I would hope. Did thy fellow guards spend every minute plotting ‘gainst thy count? I suspect Émeraude desires Snowfall to be the countess, and for all his flaws, I doubt Rumble would plot ‘gainst his niece. Aye, many of Honeyfield’s neighbors plot ‘gainst it, but that is true to some degree wherever you live. There is always a foreign enemy no matter who you are. What matters is how one protects oneself from them.” “I care not, and this is what I think of your proposal.” Freezy crumpled the papers into a ball and threw it into my face. “Try to make my daughter the countess if you desire, but I will fight you. I will take this to the courts and even beseech your princess if I must. You may be a magus, but I am Snowfall’s mother, and I forbid this.” I maintained my calmness in the face of her uncouth behavior. “A pity then that thou wilt not be given a choice in this matter.” Freezy stomped her way over to me ‘til we were face to face. “Such arrogance. Of course I have a choice.” “‘Tis not arrogance.” I shook my head. “‘Tis quite logical, in fact. Thou wilt not have a choice in the matter because I am placing thee under arrest for the murder of Count High Stakes.” Freezy flinched back as though I had burned the flesh, muscle, and sinew from the bones in her arm. “W-what!? What slander is this!?” “Not slander, I think.” I gave her a level stare. “The evidence quite clearly points to thee.” “What evidence?” The guard captain trembled as she glared at me. “What possible evidence have you fabricated to accuse me with?” I tilted my head, watching her reaction, the tenseness in her frame, the shaking, the way her pupils had shrunk. She was unhinged now, imbalanced by my words. Good. That would make the rest of this easier. A pony who had found her center was much harder to provoke into making mistakes. “How about we proceed in the following manner? I recount the events involving High Stakes’ murder, and if I make any mistakes thou wilt correct me.” “Play your damnable game then,” Freezy growled. “I will enjoy picking apart your lies.” “Very well.” I sat back down on the cushion and stared at the furious warrior. “To start with, I think it important to outline the motivations of the murdered and the murderer for this evil event. Thy disfavor of thy daughter’s inheritance is obvious to both of us, but what were her father’s thoughts in his waning days? He knew his death was inevitable, and so made preparations for the sad event, and made Snowfall his heir both to provide for his natural born daughter and only known surviving child, and maintain the Compact. Am I correct about this?” “You have no proof of High’s thoughts,” Freezy sneered. “You base your accusation on nothing but an assumption? Pathetic.” “Not on nothing,” I declared. “For one, ‘tis suspicious that High Stakes’ will had disappeared, especially when ‘twould have cleared up much about his intentions. What is more, all his writings from at least the last year have disappeared—as though they were purged. Stakes was no thorough recordkeeper from mine understanding, but for everything to disappear...” “He was sick,” Freezy countered. “He did not have the energy to write.” “But he had ponies to aid him, such as thyself,” I pointed out. “What is more, there is a curious piece of evidence missing from thine own accounts.” Freezy raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Thy desires for thy daughter were clear: a stipend sufficient to give Snowfall a comfortable life. A reasonable enough request if she were not to become countess.” Mine eyes narrowed. “So tell me, Captain Freezy, why art thou unable to produce a single piece of writing from the count approving such a thing?” Freezy blinked. “I ... did not think to ask.” I shook my head. “That is a lie. For a mother so concerned about her daughter’s welfare, ‘twould have been grossly irresponsible for thee to not discuss thy daughter’s inheritance with her father as he lay dying. Thou art clearly suspicious of the nobility, and not without reason, so surely thou must have feared that some cousin of Stakes’ would swoop in and leave Snowfall empty-hooved. But thou cannot produce anything to approve thy daughter a stipend.” Freezy was slow in responding. “We could not agree on what Snowfall would receive before he died.” “Really?” My scepticism was plain upon my face. “What is a few thousand bits to a dying stallion who, by all accounts, loved his daughter? While I would accuse thee of murder, thou dost not strike me as greedy. Thou hast the spartan tastes of a Pegasopolian warrior, that much is clear from the sparse decor of thy quarters, so I severely doubt you two could not agree on a more-than-reasonable amount for a stipend. Neigh, the reason thou canst not produce documentation is because you could not agree on whether Snowfall should be countess.” Freezy’s good wing twitched and she started pacing the room. “Nothing but conjecture. This means nothing.” I cut her off with a gesture. “I am not done there. My guess is that you could not agree on what to do, and as he lay dying the late count said that he would make Snowfall his heir. All he would have to do is declare that in front of witnesses, as he no doubt did in his will, and then thy desires wouldst be undone. So that meant you had to act and quickly.” “I did not murder him!” Freezy snapped. “High died of a weak heart. Everypony knows this.” “Or so ‘tis said.” I stroked my cheek as I considered how best to lay out the evidence. “Thou shouldst know, I examined High Stakes’ corpse and discovered he had been poisoned. Of this I was sure, it seemed that Émeraude was onto thy scheme from the start and ensured his corpse was preserved well enough for somepony like me to properly examine it.” “Poison?” Freezy snorted. “I am a warrior, I know nothing of poisons. If he was poisoned it must have been somepony else.” “‘Tis not that hard to learn how to kill a pony with poison,” I countered. “Especially when there is a book within the castle study that lists a great many medicines and their use.” I narrowed mine eyes. “Including a powerful potion known as Sweet Dreams.” Freezy jerked to a stop. “What is your point?” “I am getting to that.” I looked out the window and into the night sky as I spoke. “I confirmed with Herbal Remedy that thou received doses of Sweet Dreams from her. In fact, thou explicitly requested the medicine from her to allow thee more peaceful slumber. This is curious for a couple of reasons. There are better medicines to aid a pony with shaken nerves sleep, and this potion has properties dangerous to those with weak hearts.” Freezy grimaces as her good wing snapped out. “This proves nothing. I am no healer. How would I know any of this? I only requested Sweet Dreams because I heard from other ponies that ‘twould aid a good night’s rest, which I desperately needed.” “As I said, there is a book in the study library that contains everything thou wouldst need to know,” I stated. “I have read it for myself. And I know thou art literate, or else thou couldst not have read the proposal I gave thee at the beginning of our meeting. What is more, the aura of Sweet Dreams matches that of the poison I detected in High Stakes. I know thou hadst plenty of opportunity to feed him the poison. He died when thou wert present and Remedy was away helping another mare with her foaling. ‘Twould have been a trifle for thee, his lover and guard captain, to take his food and drink from the servant giving him his nightly meal and lace it with the toxin. From there events would have taken their natural course.” “Anypony could have given him a poison through his food or drink.” Freezy’s gaze shifted around wildly. “A malcontented servant, for example.” I shook my head. “I checked with Remedy earlier today as I confirmed my theories for this crime. Nopony else in the castle has received Sweet Dreams in many fortnights. ‘Tis a medicine typically used for ponies in great pain. And another curiosity, despite the obvious pain thou art in, thou didst not request Sweet Dreams after being maimed by the werewolf. I have already examined thy rooms and found none of the Sweet Dreams in thy quarters, even in the trash. All the requested doses long gone.” “None of this means anything!” Freezy stomped a hoof. “You have nothing!” I blinked slowly. “I have a motive, I have the means, and I have the opportunity. That is plenty to arrest a pony for, and that is exactly what I intend to do.” “And what if I do not intend on being arrested?” Her eyes flicked towards her spear, which was leaning on a rack my the wall. “Mayhaps I am biased, but I would recommend ‘gainst resisting me or attempting to flee.” I looked at her broken wing. “For one, thou art badly injured. ‘Twould be unfortunate if thou wert to open thy stitches or otherwise worsen thine injuries, in addition to any other wounds thou might suffer.” Freezy clenched her jaw. “‘Twill not be a long fight ‘tween us. Mayhaps you are a master of magic, but I am but a couple steps from you. More than close enough for my purposes.” “I suggest thou rethinkest how a fight ‘tween us would go,” I cautioned. “Remember that ‘twas I who defeated the werewolf while the beast tore thee and thy fellow guardponies asunder. What's more, dost thou think I am so foolish as to risk myself by confronting thee all by myself and without timely aid? I would ask thee to consider the possibilities. Stalwart could be right outside the door, possibly with Rumble, who I am sure would love to avenge his murdered cousin. That is not even mentioning Émeraude, who could be in this very room under a veil without thy knowledge. How would she feel about her murdered nephew? Tell me, does the Compact prevent her from intervening if a guard captain attempts to murder a guest?” Indeed, Sergeant Stalwart was indeed standing by my side at that moment, completely invisible by my magic. I could also feel Émeraude watching us on her own accord through the mirror with a scrying spell. But Freezy did not need to know that. Best she be paralyzed by doubt; as Corva had taught me, a pony could rationalize their way through what they knew, but there was nothing so frightful as the unknown. Thus, I felt confident appearing alone. This had some benefits like the fact that we could have a more intimate conversation. There were things a pony was far more likely to talk about in a private conversation than in public. ‘Twas disarming to speak with a pony in such circumstances, and secrets were more likely to reach a pony’s lips. Freezy took a step back and started pacing around me. “I can still run.” “I do not doubt it, though how far thou wouldst get is another question.” I levitated out a lock of Freezy’s mane I had cut off while she had slept, and at the sight of her hair Freezy’s hoof instinctively shot to her head. “But thine injuries will slow thee, and I can follow thee anywhere with a tracking spell. Not to mention thy daughter will slow thee down as well, for I do not believe thou wouldst abandon her to save thyself.” Freezy’s leg jerked forward to grab the lock of her mane from my magic, but stopped herself short. She just held her leg in that half-committed pose ‘til she finally lowered it. “Can you not let us go? We have done you no harm. All I wish is for my daughter to be safe, for her to grow up happy. High he ... he was already dying. His last act would put our child in untold peril. All I did was give him a quick and painless death. What harm have I done?” I shook my head. “If a pony falls out a window but is shot by another pony with a crossbow and dies before hitting the ground, then ‘tis still murder. Aye, High Roller was dying, but ‘twas thee who slew him. Whatever thine intent thou must answer for that crime. I cannot ignore this, nor can I allow thee to flee with thy daughter.” I scoffed. “What wouldst thou do? A guard who murders her master will find no work. Wilt thou go back to banditry?” Freezy flinched at that. “And what life couldst thou provide Snowfall? Wilt thou teach her to be a bandit as well? Will she be forced to rob travelers and steal from farmers to survive until she meets her end at a guardpony’s blade or the end of a noose?” “No! I... I... I...” Freezy slumped and sat on her bed, her head bowed. “Can you just not tell anypony? What is the harm in leaving me and my daughter in peace? We are not ne’er-do-wells, we are only ponies trying to make our way in the world. My daughter has already lost one parent—would you deny her the other?” Mine ears wilted as she reminded me of the cruel necessities of my duty. “Separating a mother and daughter was not an idea I enjoy, but thine actions demand a response. If thou didst not wish to risk somepony separating thee from thy daughter, then thou should not have proceeded as thou didst.” Freezy wrapped her forelegs around her body and her voice became a distant thing. “So that is it, is it? I am doomed? What am I to do? You know what they do to ponies who murder a noble. ‘Twill be the noose for me, and my daughter will be an orphan. I might as well take my spear now and fall ‘pon it so might at least die honorably.” “I would not consider all hope lost.” I shrugged and scratched my leg where my poison ivy flared. “If thou wouldst admit thy crimes then ‘tis possible thou wilt be shown mercy, or perhaps some deal could be made to avoid a trial. Taking a pony to court always contains an element of risk, and thus ‘tis safer for a prosecutor to give a plea bargain to a defendant. And a sufficiently clever lawyer might free thee entirely. Much of the evidence I have presented is circumstantial, and a judge might not be impressed with it. Not to mention the judge thou receivest might be soft-hearted and determine thy crime is not so terrible as to merit a hanging.” Freezy looked up at me, her mouth half opened as words failed to be said for a time. “I do not understand. You would destroy me with one hoof, but then offer me hope with the other? You insist that I should face justice, but then say justice might not even be done, or that the justice leveled will be soft? What is this?” I frowned and turned my gaze back to the waning moon. “‘Tis the truth.” While I could not approve of her crime, I did not hate Freezy. As a wise mare once told me that an act done out of love could not be wholly evil, even if it might not be right. Freezy’s gaze returned to the floor and silence descended over us. ‘Twas some time before the disgraced guard captain spoke. “I did love him, you know. High ... All I wished to be was an honorable warrior, as mine ancestors had always been. After the war I knew not what to do. The clans had been destroyed, and the pegasi cast to the winds. Those first few years after the war...” She buried her face in her hooves. “Coming to work for High was the first real bit of good fortune I experienced since Clan Doo was dissolved. He was ... kind to me. Sincerely kind. I...” Freezy’s voice cracked as she tried to continue. “When Snowfall was born I was well and truly happy for the first time in far too long. If not for that damned weak heart of his...” A most pitiful whine escaped her throat. “What will you tell Snowfall? How could she not hate the mare who slew her father? How could my poor sweet daughter possibly understand what I have done?” I sighed and shook my head. “I am not exactly sure what I will tell her. But ... I think it might be best if ‘twere her mother who explained it. I am perhaps not the best judge of such things, but in mine experience a child can forgive her mother of much at the end of the day. I can speak with her and prepare her for thy words. I cannot promise much, but ‘tis all I can think to do.” To my surprise, the choleric and withdrawn mare before me broke down into unrestrained sobbing. She drifted to lie down on her bed and cried, bearing the pain and agony in her heart for me to see. Captain Freezy Hail of the Honeyfield House Guard, murderer of her lover Count High Stakes, did not resist me as I arrested her. A unit of the Royal Guard arrived the following day. They had responded to our call for reinforcements against the werewolf, but they served just as well taking Freezy into custody. They were now guarding her in the town jail, as I did not feel safe with Freezy in the castle dungeon. ‘Twas asking for trouble to leave her where the ponies she had led could easily reach and free her if they so desired. Neigh, better if there was some distance between her and the ponies she knew so intimately. With Freezy safely in captivity, that left me to deal with the matter which had actually brought me to Honeyfield: the succession that had caused so much misery for so many people. ‘Twas something of a relief to finalize my plans and have everypony brought together in the parlor of the castle. This meeting was not as large as the first one I had, however unsurprising that might be with the absence of Shining Quest and Captain Freezy. That left the ponies I had called for this meeting, Sir Rumble Rapids, Duke Fierté Ferme of Blackwood, Émeraude Gracieuse, and Coin Count. It had not seemed possible after the first meeting I had with these ponies, but now they looked ‘pon each other with even more loathing and suspicion than before. Everyone except Émeraude, anyways. She was still smiling as she reclined on a couch as though nothing were amiss. Somehow, that made me even more worried. I came to stand before the hearth as I addressed everyone, my notes floating before me for review if needed. “As all of you know, I have finished my proposal to Princess Celestia and wish to share them with you before I depart for Canterlot.” Something that could not happen too soon in mine opinion. Honeyfield had worn me down, and I desperately desired the services of a healing magus to cure me of this infernal poison ivy. Still, I had my duties to complete first. Rumble grinned widely and rubbed his hooves together. “Get on with it already. Tell everypony that I am to be the new count so that we can get that straightened out.” I shook my head. “Mine apologies, Sir Rumble, but you are not to become the next Count of Honeyfield.” “What?” Rumble bolted to his hooves. “What madness do you speak?!” “‘Tis not madness, but simple logic,” I told him. Though it did seem best to deal with who was going to be the next count. These ponies would be nothing but on edge until I did so. “Snowfall is High Stakes’ only surviving child, and thus should inherit his title and properties.” “She is but a child!” Rumble objected. “Indeed.” I turned to face the angered knight. “And that is why you will be serving as her regent. She will need somepony to act in her stead ‘til she reaches her majority, and her uncle strikes me as the best choice for this.” No doubt with Émeraude to act as an advisor for the more delicate parts of ruling, unless I missed my guess. From everything I had heard, the two of them had actually been ruling Honeyfield in place of the late count anyways. Best to just acknowledge the status quo and make it official until Snowfall was old enough to rule in her own name. “But—” “Sit down, nephew,” Émeraude interrupted, her voice firm. “‘Twill be a decade and more ere Snowfall will reach her majority, and even then she will depend on thine aid in running the county. Thou wilt have plenty of time to have thy fun and be count in all but name.” I nodded. “And even when she reaches her majority, I will write a letter encouraging her to give her beloved uncle a generous stipend as thanks for his service as a loyal and capable steward for her county when she was unable to rule in her own name.” Rumble growled as he sat back down and crossed his legs over his chest, but said nothing more. It seemed that he knew he was beaten, and hopefully it would not hurt when he would still receive much. Serving as a regent was hardly a bad position to find oneself in, especially when ‘twould be a long regency. That was assuming he did not take the opportunity to plot against his niece, in any event. Regencies were always difficult propositions because of that possibility, but all I could do was to make the best of the situation I had before me. Duke Blackwood grinned as he looked at Rumble out of the corner of his eyes. “I am sure the regency will suit thee, my dear sir.” “Stuff it,” Rumble groused. I decided to step in before this meeting became an argument between the two prideful stallions. “Duke Ferme, I have also thought how best to address the debt Honeyfield owes you.” “Oh?” The duke of Blackwood’s ears perked up. “I hope thou considered one of the options we spoke of earlier?” “Aye, I considered them.” My smile and tone both turned to ice. “And did not find them suitable to allowing Honeyfield to prosper.” Duke Ferme’s grimaced and turned away from me. “I hope thou art not going to do something so crude as to absolve Honeyfield of its debt merely because it has a new lord? ‘Twould be a shame if I would have to remind you of how important it is for the lords of Equestria to be able to collect on their debts.” “Oh no, nothing so unfair to you, my lord,” I answered. “But I hardly think it fair to place such a terrible debt ‘pon the shoulders of a child countess. Thus I will propose to Her Highness that the Royal Bank should purchase the debt owed to you in its entirety, and then treat the debt as a loan to Honeyfield. Rather than whatever ... interest you would level ‘pon her and her county, the royal government will only require payments to cover a very reasonable interest rate ‘til such a time Honeyfield’s finances and economy has fully recovered.” Duke Ferme’s brow furrowed into a fierce scowl. “Thou dost overstep thyself, Magus. This is well beyond thine authority to authorize.” “But not that of our princess.” I tilted my head as I met the duke’s gaze. “She would be well within her rights to do such a thing, and as I have said, ‘tis my decision to make as her royally authorized representative.” “And I will certainly protest this proposal in person before Her Highness,” Duke Ferme snarled. “This scheme of yours insults me.” “That is of course your right, my lord.” (1) I thought it was rich he would accuse me of a financial scheme when he himself had schemed against Honeyfield. He had attempted to bribe me, threaten me, and used the crisis with the werewolf to try and gain leverage against me and the county. That was not something I would readily forgive or forget. The fact that my plan would cut this duke’s legs out from under him while strengthening the crown at the same time did not bother me at all. I certainly felt better with Her Highness being in control of the Honeyfield debt than the duke, who only wished to abuse that debt to force concessions from House of Honeyfield. 1. The duke would indeed go to the royal court to protest Midnight’s proposal, though perhaps unsurprisingly the meeting did not go as he would have liked. Grand Vizier Sunbeam Sparkle, always looking for opportunities to undercut the nobility, naturally sided with her daughter’s proposal, and Princess Celestia ended up giving Duke Ferme some advice on the finer points of generosity. Rumble flashed a grin at the duke. “What is the matter? It not to your enjoyment to have the magus buck over your plans as well?” Duke Ferme bristled, but did not dignify Rumble’s remark with a response. The next to step forward was Coin Count. The merchant smiled as he addressed me. “Before we finished, I would like to thank the magus for avenging my friend. Her soul can now rest in peace with that monster slain.” “I was merely doing my duty,” I said. “A pity you could not accept the bounty I offered.” Coin shrugged. “Nothing for it, I suppose.” “Under the circumstance I thought it might be a conflict of interest.” Especially considering I knew of the merchant’s endgame. While Shining had been trying to fool the county, I did not think the crime deserved her life. Pity I had no real proof for Coin’s misdeeds, but the death of his friend was probably punishment enough given the circumstances. That, and the other half of my plan. “Still, if thou wishest to put thy bits to good use, thou canst donate the bits to a charity. Mayhaps something Shining would have approved of.” “That sounds like a fine idea.” Coin turned to face Rumble. “At that, it sounds like most everything is now sorted out. Sir Rumble, would you mind meeting with me once this gathering has been dispersed? There are a few business ventures I would like to run by you that might be quite beneficial to us both.” “Bah!” Rumble leaned back in his chair and did not look at the merchant. “I do not want to have to go over every coin that passes through the county.” “It is part of thy new duties, Rumble.” Émeraude smiled pleasantly. “I can of course assist thee in this unwelcome burden if thou wouldst prefer.” Rumble grumbled something but did not answer her. “There is but one matter of business I wish to discuss before I am done,” I continued. “Considering the crown will be investing a considerable amount of money in the county, I will be recommending that a royal agent, if not a full commission, look into what untapped potential there might be in the area to make it more prosperous, and thus able to pay back the crown sooner.” I looked directly at Coin. “Who knows? We might find some hidden gems within the county.” With any luck, the royal officials sent should be able to find that hidden gem deposit and allow the Honeyfield’s to exploit it for itself instead of losing it to some greedy merchant consortium. Especially if I were to prod those officials in the right direction. That would do much to improve the county’s fortunes. Coin stiffened and his eyes narrowed, skillfully concealing his choler. “Yes, that might be a possibility.” I kept my face neutral. “Indeed, so I must put a hold on any of House Honeyfield’s major financial dealings before a royal decision can be made.” “I ... see.” Several emotions flickered over Coin’s features, eventually ending with him pressing his lips together as he continued to glare at me. It didn’t seem that Coin was willing to cede that he had been scheming. ‘Twas probably most intelligent on his part to say nothing and privately admit defeat. That would reduce his losses, admittedly, especially in comparison to getting into a conflict with me. “And at that I am done with mine announcements for all of you. I will meet with some of the servants and common ponies of the country later this evening. You may all go if you wish.” Everypony shuffled out, Rumble making his way to the kitchens to no doubt secure a skin of wine from the cellar. Coin and Duke Ferme both made a point of giving me decidedly unfriendly looks and remained silent as we parted company. No surprise there. “My my, you certainly know how to make an impression with ponies.” Émeraude grinned at the back of Duke Ferme as he walked through the doorway. “I dare say that I have made no friends this day,” I agreed. “‘Twould be a surprise if anypony was sad to see me leave.” “Oh, I would not know that.” Émeraude flashed me a smirk. “As they say, the mark of a good compromise is that it leaves nopony happy.” “Does that count if it makes you several mortal enemies?” I wondered aloud. Duke Ferme would certainly seek to make me pay for removing his hooks from Honeyfield, and I doubted Coin Count’s business partners would be quick to forget how I had cost them what might end up being a fortune. Well, Mother has survived much of Equestria despising her to one degree or another, so I should be able to do the same with a hoofful of powerful individuals doing the same towards me. Émeraude held a hoof to her mouth as she chuckled. “I think that means you negotiated a particularly balanced deal.” I frowned as I considered the full implications of my decisions. “One that heavily favored a child countess for Honeyfield.” Émeraude shrugged. “Trying to make everypony happy is a fool’s venture. ‘Tis best to concentrate on making the parties important to you happy, and damn the rest. While you have made some enemies today, I think the fact that others will see you as a fair mare who takes her duties seriously will outweigh that. At the end of the day, you should be able to survive Ferme and Coin’s displeasure. Going back home to a displeased princess or grand vizier would be a much trickier proposition.” “That much is true...” Even if pleasing Mother and Her Highness had not been mine only concerns. “And what of Rumble? He did not seem pleased he did not become the count.” “Hm, walk with me, Magus.” Émeraude wrapped her foreleg around mine and we headed towards the door, Stalwart dutifully following behind us. Perhaps she wished to take us away from prying ears, for she cast a privacy spell over us as we walked into the hallways. “I think Rumble will fume for a time, but his choler will abate. I plan on encouraging him to go on a hunting trip to let him cool off. Really, I think he will simultaneously curse and thank you in good time.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?” Émeraude grinned and shook her head. “Rumble does not know what he wants. I will be surprised if he does not grow to hate most of his duties as regent, and will be thankful when he realizes he escaped the burdens and duties that come with a title. As I said, he is much happier being a knight than he would be as count.” “Then Snowfall should be safe from any ... indiscretions, her uncle might make?” Indeed, my greatest fear was that he might do something to Snowfall in a bid to seize her inheritance. “I would not worry too much,” Émeraude said. “Rumble is many things, but a kinslayer is not one of them. He loves his niece, and once he sees the wisdom of your decisions he will support Snowfall unwaveringly.” We stopped for a moment at a window overlooking the gardens in the courtyards. “And unless I miss my guess, you are quite pleased yourself.” Émeraude’s smile took on a sly edge. “And why ever would you say that?” I scowled at her. She knew exactly why, even if she played coy with the facts. “Because I have given you one of the things a noble fey would most desire: a young mind to groom in the image they desire. And not just any mind either, but that of your great-niece and Countess-to-be. Not only that, but you can work without the counterbalancing influence of her mother or father.” Émeraude ran a hoof through her mane. “Indeed, and I have great hopes for Snowfall. In truth, the blood of my family has been getting a bit thin as of late. The mixing of blood ‘tween my house and that of a pegasus warrior should reintroduce some badly needed steel.” She spared me a glance. “Though I was a bit surprised that you did so considering the events of the previous night. Most ponies would have taken all of that quite personally, not even getting into how they would have used my nature alone to argue ‘gainst me helping to raise the child.” She tsked as she shook her head. “As if I have no experience doing so.” “I admit I was quite reluctant to do so for those very reasons.” I looked down at the garden and saw a small playground, and a little filly that I quickly identified to be Snowfall. She was rocking back and forth on a swing. Watching her made me wonder what all must have been going through her thoughts as I planned her future for her. “But I had to decide who would raise her when I set upon arresting her mother. Mayhaps I can take her to Canterlot and arrange for a caretaker, but that would be a difficult adjustment on top of everything else that has happened. I imagine she would like to stay with what is left of her family, and ‘tis my hope that you and Rumble will treat her well.” “I assure you, she will want for nothing,” Émeraude readily answered. “This is her home, and we will give her the love and attention she deserves. The poor child has already lost too much. ‘Tis best she receives some stability for a time, and that can only come from her family and home. I assure you, I will mold her into a fine countess and pony. I have more experience at it than most.” Whatever her faults, Émeraude still seemed to care deeply for her family, and she would not have desired Snowfall to become countess if she intended harm upon the child. The Compact did not allow her to make deals with the children of her family from mine understanding, which was at least one small assurance. Also, from what I had read from the family records she had helped raise a number of the children in the family, and done so competently. Even if those children had a way of being ... exemplary, one could say. ‘Twas far from a perfect solution, but ‘twas the best available to us. “That is good to hear.” I turned to face her. “Though I do have to ask about the ... fallout from last night.” The smile disappeared from Émeraude’s lips. “‘Twould be best to clear the air on what is going to happen.” “I will get right to the point, then.” I inhaled and braced myself. “Will I have to fear for my life the moment I step out of your home? Will every night of the full moon be another of terror when the howl of wolves haunts me? For the rest of my days will I have to worry about the revenge of Émeraude for the death of her nephew?” Émeraude met mine eyes with her own. “Will I have to fear the magi and Royal Guard for giving bargains to my family of their own free will?” We held one another’s gazes for a long moment before I shook my head. “Neigh. While I would not call you a virtuous being, neither can I quite classify you a villain. What is more, killing you would destroy the Compact. If I did that then ‘twould destroy the prosperity of the ponies of this county and beyond, and ‘twould deny Snowfall of a powerful protector during a time when she is extremely vulnerable.” Émeraude’s smile returned to her. “It seems you have met my high expectations once again, Magus. Far too many would have had a short-sighted view of the situation, and have hurt a great many ponies out of a ill-serving sense of justice.” Admittedly, ‘twould have been easier to justify trying to destroy the fey. Easier, but not necessarily right. What is the point of destroying a monster when doing so would cause more harm than good to the ponies I was ostensibly trying to protect? Neigh, that was foolishness, and what is more, selfish. As a magus ‘twas not my duty to serve mine own self-righteousness, but that of the needs of the ponies of Equestria and my princess. Sometimes that meant doing things that did not sit well with me for the sake of the greater good. “And you?” I pressed. “Once again I ask, will I have to fear Émeraude in turn?” Émeraude shook her head. “I think not. While I am terribly wroth about the needless death of my nephew, I ... am taking it as a lesson for the future. Pride was my downfall that night. I have grown dangerously arrogant in recent years. For too long I have been a big fish in a small pond and thought nothing could best me. I should have had one of Roller’s kin sit on him, or taken some other measure to keep him from doing something foolish while I negotiated with you. Instead I created an opening that allowed him to kill himself during a moment of utter despair.” “Having me drop the one weapon that could slay him right next to him was foolish,” I agreed. “But as Mother always taught me, one should take advantage of every opening an opponent creates. At the end of the day, I did not have to beat you and your werewolves, but merely deny you your prize without getting myself torn into bloody chunks.” “Indeed.” Émeraude let out a long sigh. “Underestimating a dangerous opponent is not a mistake I will make anytime soon. Complacency has hurt my family in other ways too; I should not have let matters degrade as they have.” She scratched the top of her head. “I would not have allowed my house to be so taken advantage of as it has been in the old days. I did not wish to be too strict with my family in my desire to let them be who they wanted to be. That is something I will watch for in the future.” Émeraude looked back out the window. “What is more, you did save Rumble’s life in the battle with the werewolf and kept Snowfall well away from danger, and sought to protect my home to no small danger to yourself. I think all things considered we can consider the scales balanced, neigh?” The way she put it it sounded like the balance was in my favor, but on a whole I thought it best to clean the slate while ‘twas a good time for it. Many a mortal had tried to trade favors with the fey on and on, and like a gambler who kept playing when they were on a winning streak, came to a bad end. Neigh, best I prevent some sort of blood feud now while I could. “I think that reasonable,” I said. “A conflict would benefit neither of us.” That was no small relief. ‘Twould not have been unlike many fey to continue the conflict out of spite. It probably helped that Émeraude’s survival depended on harmony with ponies. “Those are my thoughts as well.” Émeraude squeezed my leg as she kept up her smile. “Not to mention I am quite pleased that you managed to discover my poor High Stakes’ murderer. I was worried I was going to have to scream it in your face to get you to figure out some evil had befallen my nephew.” I turned my head from her, trying to find something else to focus my gaze on. “I suspected something ill might have occurred here after our first conversation. ‘Tis that I desired to find out more about Honeyfield and the ponies here before I did anything hasty.” I blinked slowly. “Such as make a deal with a fey with a tendency to turn ponies into werewolves.” Émeraude rolled her eyes. “Do not judge something before you have tried it. I assure you, ‘tis quite the liberating experience. Especially for a pony who must always constrain herself such as yourself.” She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. “I saw you when you unleashed your full fury upon Roller. The fear, the exhilaration, that sensation of standing on the precipice of disaster and yet smiting your foe down with your full might. In the face of death you never felt more alive. You were made to use power, to wield the power of life or death over others. It is your birthright.” I did not know what to say to that. Was it true? If I was being honest with myself, part of me relished the idea of facing that werewolf when I prepared for battle with it. ‘Twas an opportunity for me to prove myself, and for me to show exactly what I could do. I had spent the months since Appleton training, educating, improving myself, and then I finally got my chance to put all that hard work to use—all in a righteous cause against a foul beast that needed to be smitten. And in the fury of battle I had enjoyed it. Aye, I had also been scared, for death was just one misstep away against something as dangerous as the lycanthrope, but that had only made my victory all the more intoxicating. Then there had been my negotiations with Émeraude. I had dove into the precarious battle of wits, and no small part of me enjoyed that contest as well. It felt ... right somehow, in my very blood. I had helped destroy a stallion who had fallen to the machinations of his devious fey aunt, and it brought me pleasure. Aye, it had sickened me as well, but I could not deny the parts of me that liked defeating my foes and meting out justice to the guilty. What did this say about me? To my surprise, Émeraude wrapped a leg around my neck and drew me close. “As a fellow being born to a purpose, a fellow bastard, and one creature of power to another, embrace what you are. You cannot change your nature any more than I can. ‘Tis best to revel in it and be the best yourself you can be.” Mine ear twitched. “Did you ever try and be someone that was not yourself?” Émeraude’s eyes turned to the floor as her ears wilted slightly. “Once, long ago, and it only caused me and those around me great misery. You can change a great deal about yourself, you can learn, experience new things, learn new ideas, improve your skills, discipline, and a hundred other things. But you can never change what you are deep inside. All you can do is embrace it or live a lie.” “I will ... take that under advisement.” ‘Twas certainly something to think over. Philosophy had never been a subject that particularly interested me, but there were applications to it. I could not help but think figuring out who and what I was would be important, especially when I did not know the answers to those questions. Émeraude nodded. “Now with all that out of the way...” She leaned in all the closer to whisper into mine ear. “I see no reason we could not be friends—or even closer than friends. As I said, it has been a long time since I have been bested by any pony, and I find that...” Her eyes lingered over me. “Intriguing.” I swallowed, Émeraude’s close proximity was ... very close. My knees shook slightly and my heart suddenly threatened to burst out of my chest. “Um, is that so?” “That it is.” She grinned and her eyes shined. “My previous offers are still on the table, by the way. In addition to some pleasurable evenings, I could give you some help with your lack of heirs. The mixing of our bloods would be quite potent, I assure you, and no small thing to consider with a young house such as yours. Besides, I am sure you would make for a fine mother.” I seized on the concept of dynastic politics, such was far more familiar ground to me than ... the other matters she was suggesting. “And I am sure you would not mind having a child of your blood be the heir of my house.” “It would certainly not hurt.” Émeraude shrugged, keeping close to me, her tall form making me feel dwarfed in comparison. “And you deserve better than some inbred noble fool who has done nothing with his life. Neigh, you deserve someone that can give you the aid you need, and I can do that. I can teach you new magics, introduce you to powerful fey, and teach you things you have not dreamt of yet.” I frowned. “For the right price.” “Prices you can afford, and better than most.” Émeraude cupped my chin to raise my gaze so that we could look at one another. “Power does not come cheaply. The only question is what are you willing to pay to get it?” “That much is true.” I withdrew from her touch and turned to face her. “But as you said the price for power is not cheap, and while I can probably pay your price, making a bargain with you is not something to do lightly. Especially when I do not know everything a deal with you will entail. So making a deal with you is something I am not ready to do right now.” Émeraude continued to smile pleasantly. “That is not the same as you saying you will not consider making a deal with me.” I frowned. “No, I suppose not. But there is no need to rush at this moment, if some sort of bargain can even be reached ‘tween us.” Émeraude shrugged. “If that is your desire, I am fine with waiting and negotiating in the meantime. Though do not wait forever, you are the one far more pressed for time than myself.” “I will keep that in mind,” I said. “But I will not be in Honeyfield for long. There is much I need to speak with Her Highness about.” I would have to prepare for Freezy’s trial, for one. Not to mention I wanted to get ahead of Duke Ferme and Coin Count, for both of them would no doubt move against my proposals. ‘Twould be best to meet with Princess Celestia first for a fait accompli before they could gather their friends and allies. “I suspected that might be true.” She sighed and returned her attention to the playground below us. “Though I suspect you have one last duty to finish before you can leave Honeyfield.” I nodded. “Aye, I shall see to it before I depart. I might need to return to Honeyfield to carry out Her Highness’ wishes, but I cannot say for certain what she will call on me to do.” “A pity then,” Émeraude said. “But if nothing else, we should get to meet again at the upcoming archmagus conclave. ‘Twill be good to show Snowfall what they are like, and introduce her to some of the movers and shakers of Equestria. ‘Tis never too soon to meet the great and powerful.” “That is true enough.” The Archmagus of the East March was going to retire soon, and his replacement would need to be voted on by a conclave. It was my plan to accompany Mother there and cast my vote for her preferred candidate, Daylight Shimmer. Though the opposition was making a strong effort to prevent that. It might be a very close conclave, which meant Mother was going to need mine assistance more than ever. “Though you plan on attending as well? I do not remember seeing you at any of the previous conclaves.” Émeraude frowned and her happy tone disappeared. “High Stakes was never interested in the mages’ politics and intrigue, and thus I could not accompany him to them. A great pity, I greatly enjoy the conclaves. They are so fascinating to experience, and ‘tis so enthralling to match my wits against the mighty and wise magi of Equestria to benefit my family.” “And to make more bargains, no doubt.” The conclaves were always highly political affairs. The competition to become an archmagus was almost always a difficult contest as factions from across Equestria vied to put the pony they desired into the post of archmagus, a position of considerable power and influence. ‘Twas not hard to imagine Émeraude prospered in such an environment. Émeraude’s smile returned. “Many a magi has benefitted from mine aid, even if one of my blood has yet to ascend to the office of Archmagus.” Her eyes lingered over me. “But there is always hope for the future if a pony of sufficient talent were born within my family.” ‘Twas not difficult to discern Émeraude’s desires. “I will keep that in mind. But for now, I must really get going. If you do not mind...” “Oh no, you are quite fine.” Émeraude waved for me to go. “‘Til we meet again.” “Aye, ‘til the conclave, then.” I departed Émeraude’s company, not sure what I was going to do about this tricky fey that had taken an interest in me. I headed down to the castle courtyard garden with Stalwart following beside me. We soon found ourselves standing before a little playground—one which looked relatively new, especially in comparison to much of the old and worn-down architecture of the castle. There sat the pony with whom I was duty-bound to speak. Snowfall sat on one of the swings, slowly rocking back and forth as she stared at the ground. She seemed lonely as she minded herself. I wondered if she had any playmates. She must have, for the servants and guards likely had their own children at the castle. Or mayhaps her behavior ‘twas due to melancholy. That would make sense with her mother’s arrest and the death of her only brother. Both a result of mine actions... This was going to be a difficult discussion. Still, ‘twas my duty to do my best to describe the situation to the filly, no matter how difficult a task that might be. Damnation, I think I felt less apprehension fighting the werewolf. But I still had my duty. Not procrastinating, I addressed Stalwart. “I will speak with the child alone, Sergeant.” “Are you sure, milady?” His gaze was fixed on Snowfall. “I could help you if you desire.” I was sorely tempted to dump this task on the sergeant. He had far more experience dealing with children than myself, and ‘twas not as though I had any kind of special talent in this type of thing. But that would not be fair to my faithful bodyguard, and forever would I have to remember how I shirked my duties. I shook my head. “Neigh, I should be fine. Just stand to the side if I need thee, and I will take care of this.” “As you say.” Stalwart followed me as I walked up to Snowfall. After staring at the child for longer than I probably should have, I finally summoned the will to address her. “Snowfall? I was hoping that we could speak.” Snowfall’s ears wilted and she would not look up at me. “‘Kay.” I sighed. This was going to be as difficult as I suspected. At least she had not fled from me like some children seemed to now and again, for whatever reason. I sat on the swing next to her as I continued speaking. “So hast thou heard that thou art the new Countess of Honeyfield?” She nodded slightly. “Mhm.” I should perhaps congratulate on her ascension, but that seemed like a poor thing to do considering the circumstances. “And hast thou heard of what happened to thy brother?” In the end I had decided to tell everypony that Roller had indeed been the werewolf we had sought and that he had been slain, even if I had not included every detail of the encounter. Snowfall nodded, still not looking at me. “Mhm.” “Didst thou know anything about him?” She shook her head. “Father showed me a painting once and told me a little of him, but...” Her shoulders hunched. Based on what I knew of the late count, he had not spoken much of his son after his disappearance due to the pain it caused him. ‘Twas a pity Snowfall would never get to know him. But justice needed to be done, and ‘twould have been cruel to leave Roller to a fate he did not desire. At least in the end he had gotten the choice to follow the fate he desired—even if those facts were of little comfort right now. I was hardly the one to talk of her departed brother with her if she did not desire it, so I moved onto a more pressing topic. “And thou hast heard that thy mother has been arrested?” Snowfall’s shoulders jerked. “Aye, but...” To my surprise, she leapt off of her swing and scurried over to me, pressing her forehooves against my chest and looking up at me with pleading eyes. “Please free her! Mother is a good pony! She would do nothing wrong!” I was not ready for the sudden pressure on my chest, and the swing was not the most stable base to be sitting on. Soon I found myself flailing about my legs to try and regain my balance. Snowfall tried to get off of me, but in doing so she shoved off of me and sent me falling to the dirt. “Oof!” “Sorry! Sorry!” Snowfall’s eyes widened as she circled around me, unsure what to do. “I did not mean to push you off!” I groaned as I sat up, trying to keep the seat of the swing from smacking into my face. “‘Tis fine, child. ‘Twas an accident.” Stalwart steeped next to me and offered me a hoof. “Let me help you up.” “My thanks.” I took that hoof and got back to my hooves. I brushed at the dirt that now clung to my coat and cloak. Damnation, I had just gotten clean. ‘Twas like the universe found enjoyment in my suffering. “So then, where were we?” Snowfall scraped a hoof along the ground and kept her gaze to the ground. “I was asking if you would please free my mother.” I sighed and shook my head. “Mine apologies, but I cannot do so. There is evidence that she has committed a crime, and she must stand trial to determine her guilt or innocence.” And most likely, her punishment. Snowfall looked up at me. “But why? What did she do?” “She...” I saw Stalwart shake his head. We had discussed this subject earlier and he had insisted that I was not the pony to explain Freezy’s actions to Snowfall. I knew I did not enjoy it when ponies listed my mother’s many faults in front of me. “I will take thee to see thy mother here in a little bit, and she will explain what has occurred.” Part of me felt the coward for leaving this for Freezy to deal with, but at least this way she could give her daughter the answers she deserved. ‘Twas the best that could be done, probably. “Oh.” Snowfall’s shoulders slumped and she sat back down on the swing. “Wh... what will happen to Mother?” “It depends.” I sat back down on the swing. “‘Tis my plan to take her to Canterlot to stand trial. Considering the nature of the crime, Princess Celestia might very well judge the matter personally. How it will go will depend on several factors.” The murder of a count was certainly sensational enough to justify her attention to the case. Considering Freezy had committed the murder to disrupt the succession of a noble house, the nobility were liable to demand that Freezy be harshly punished in order to dissuade others from attempting the same. Not to mention the fact that Freezy, as the captain of the Honeyfield Guard, was an oathbreaker who had murdered her master. I was reasonably certain the evidence against Freezy was damning enough to convict her, and other investigators were likely to be assigned the case to make sure there was nothing I missed. But I knew I had my mare, and if Her Highness presided over the case she would likely see it my way after I explained mine evidence to her. The only question was whether Princess Celestia would see the frightened mother who had erred terribly in order to protect her daughter or the oathbreaking manipulator who had attempted to bend the Honeyfield succession to her will with murder. I could not say for certain which way it would go. Her Highness was a kind-hearted pony, but she could level harsh judgements when necessary. After all, she had broken nations in order to protect the peace and stability of Equestria. But what to say to a small child? I did not wish to cause her more distress than I already had, but I did not see a clear path to doing so. The moment of hesitation on my part gave Snowfall the opportunity to ask a question. “Is there anything I can do for Mother?” I considered the question carefully. “Listen to what she has to say, and if she desires it, thou canst come to Canterlot to support her.” “But I am the Countess,” she protested. “Does that not mean anything?” I shook my head. “Thou art still a child. ‘Twill be some time ere thou canst wield the power of thy house. And even if thou wert in thy majority, thine influence would be limited.” “Oh.” Snowfall sniffed and returned her gaze to the dirt, gently rocking herself back and forth on the swing. “I-I...” She squinted her eyes shut as she fought back tears. “I want my mother and father!” She buried her face in her hooves and sobbed. Mine ears wilted. So much undeserved misery had been brought into this child’s life. Knowing not what else to do, I drew her into a hug as she cried. “I know, child. I know.”