//------------------------------//
// What a Sham 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
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By the time Starlight and her friends were escorted back to their quarters, the sun was more than halfway from noon to dusk, and she had a feeling they were skipping lunch and going back to dinner. Shafts of light entered through armored windows, casting her long shadow against white marble brick walls and carved pillars holding bowls with potted plants. The architectural style emphasized flat surfaces with swirly, intricate trim, and in places rugs trimmed specially for the keep's layout carpeted the center of the walkway. Starlight passed more guards, robed pages and scribes, poofily-dressed dignitaries and more, the brightness of her surroundings forcing open her eyes after the dim gray of the war room interior.

They reached their room and stepped inside, the guards standing back and leaving them be. Shinespark sighed as she walked through the door, Gerardo ruffled his feathers, and Maple and Slipstream walked on either side of Valey, who hobbled along with a stiff limp in all four legs. Starlight went last... or so she thought.

"Hi," Jamjars announced, wiping her lips with a contented hoof as she walked in after them. The guards looked slightly surprised to see her, but allowed her to pass, closing and locking the door in her wake.

"Hello yourself," Gerardo replied, glancing over the short-maned filly. "You were out and about while we were testifying? Did you not remain in here napping?"

Everyone stopped to watch as Jamjars stopped at a dresser, withdrew the wig made from the remnants of her mane, and fixed it smoothly on her head, jumping up and sprawling out and hogging an entire bed for herself. She gazed at everyone disinterestedly, as if daring them to ask where she had been.

"Nope." Valey shook her head, taking steps toward the back room. "Not gonna bother."

"What were you doing?" Slipstream asked, picking up the slack. "You weren't sneaking around, were you? You could have just gone with us."

"I hope you weren't," Maple added. "Not so soon after Valey put everyone on high alert..."

Jamjars looked amused. "Did she? That must have been why everyone was so easy to get by. All it took was a little patience, and hah!" Her eyes sparkled. "Don't you want to know what I found out?"

Gerardo huffed. "Provided it isn't anything that could bring this entire castle down on our heads. We've been quite fortunate and seem to be nearing a position where we can get away from this situation unscathed, and it wouldn't do to endanger that."

"Spoilsport." Jamjars stuck her tongue out at him. "Does anyone else want to hear what I found? I bet you don't already know..."

Shinespark raised an eyebrow. "If it's important, say it."

Jamjars grinned. "No. Not unless you say please."

"Please?" Maple asked, trying to sound conciliatory.

"Mmmm..." Jamjars hummed, folding her forelegs and mulling it over. "Nah. Not good enough. Say 'please secret' twenty-seven times. In a row."

Shinespark looked incredulous, and Valey called out in protest from the other room, but Slipstream relented and began to chant. "Please secret, please secret, please secret..."

After a minute, she exhaled, letting out a long breath and smiling. "There! Now what do you know?"

"Eh." Jamjars looked away. "That was only twenty-six times. Say it again, from the start."

Sighing, Slipstream gave up and went to rest her own legs. "Well, I suppose I don't care that much, then..."

Seeing that she had long since lost everyone else's attention, Jamjars frowned, then hit the bed. "Fine! I snuck around to follow that magic stone you gave them, remember? I thought I'd make sure no one tried to steal it, or anything. You know..." She glanced toward the room where Valey was. "Since you need it to talk to your marefriend, and all."

Maple pursed her lips. "You're right! I don't think I saw them bring it out at the meeting. Isn't that what they wanted it for?"

Jamjars shrugged. "I dunno. They took it to another part of the tower. There was a pony there called the Everlaste ambassador, and a bunch of guards and a scribe with a magic thingy. They called that Arambai and talked with him forever, and the scribe was saying something about showing the boss Stormhoof what they were saying."

"Pardon?" Gerardo blinked. "Showing what they were saying? How so? Did he have a terminal in that podium reading a transcript while we talked, or some such? Whatever did they talk about?"

"Boring things," Jamjars replied. "Money and airships and what Ironridge needed, and that there were a lot of griffons coming who could stay there and help defend the city for a while if they wanted it. Nothing that sounded against the rules."

Shinespark started pacing, walking between the beds and a large, semicircular table for eating. "Real logistics, then? That's weird. The meeting we were at was a complete sham! We met Kero, and-"

Jamjars cut her off with an angry snort. "I remember him. He was the boss of that loser who knocked up my mom again."

Slipstream went slightly red, and Shinespark coughed. "Yes, him. Kero was seedy! I don't know how that council could take him seriously in the first place. It had to have been that other ship, the one with those two mares on, that backed up his account. And their high prince hijacked the meeting to insult the place over and over, and then Valey and Gerardo were..." She sighed and shook her head. "Now that I think about it, they didn't even give us rules of etiquette going in there. They didn't even try to make us behave. It's like they knew all along that that wasn't supposed to be legitimate and they were conducting their real business somewhere else..."

"You don't think that means we're in danger, do you?" Maple whispered, suddenly tense.

"I doubt it. But I have no idea." Shinespark continued to pace, thinking earnestly. "It's odd, though. Covering up what you're really doing from the public is what a press conference is for, but they already scheduled a press conference for later..."

"Someone is playing at something," Gerardo mused. "But we haven't an idea what it is..."

"And we don't need to," Maple declared, taking the center of the room. "Maybe Lord Stormhoof knew that meeting with all of us would be useless, so he did everything behind the scenes as a backup. Maybe not. But it won't concern us if we don't make it, right? I want to stay out of trouble this time, and we've come far too close already. After Ironridge, the Griffon Empire is supposed to be a vacation."

"I agree," Slipstream added, standing up.

"You're fine!" Valey grumbled from the other room. "Now pipe down; I'm trying to rest my ridiculously ow ow ow legs! Nothing dangerous is going to-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Shinespark beckoned the visitor in, and it swung wide to reveal Meltdown, still fully clad in her infernal armor, with Wallace Whitewing's muscular face lurking in the background.

"Lord Garland Stormhoof has decided you can go early," Meltdown informed them, striding into the room with heavy clunks of metal. "On the condition that you accompany Wallace and both stay away from the press conference. You're free to talk to reporters on your own, but he doesn't want any grandstanding derailing things like today's council. This room will remain your quarters for the duration of your stay in Stormhoof, but you are free to go at any time. Stormhoof is not ready yet to return the sound stone to you, and it will be held in your name if you leave before the time it is ready. Go as you please."

She turned and walked away, taking half the regiment of guards with her and leaving everyone blinking. "That's it, then?" Slipstream asked, glancing at the door where Wallace waited. "We're free?"

"Ho there, heroes!" Wallace beckoned from beyond the door. "I've been kept in a most vile blackout on the proceedings, but the time for that is vanquished! Might I and my friends treat you to an early dinner?"

"Oh bananas I'm hungry," Valey muttered, staggering out of the back room only a few minutes after going in. "Please say that's right now and I didn't just get up for nothing."

"Indeed it is, young warrior!" Wallace extended a massive wing, reaching nearly across the foyer. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Are you jesting!?" Gerardo's beak was practically to the floor. "My good griffon, this is the invitation of a lifetime! Whatever creature who would dare turn this down, I ought to wallop into submission! Wallace Whitewing! We would be honored to be your guests!"

"Hah! Someone is infatuated by my reputation!" Wallace winked, drawing back into the hallway. "But listen well! The more one knows, the more one can glean from those around them! Do not be seduced by the prelude of greater, lesser and equal!"

Shinespark and Slipstream started for the door as well, the latter bowing and the former nodding curtly. "Other friends?" Slipstream asked as she passed. "Who else will be there? And can I ask where we're going?"

Wallace returned a confidence-inspiring grin. "Of course you may, citizen! There's a tavern we like to favorite called Wet Floor. The entertainment is good, the food is well worthy, and it lacks a reputation as a hive of scum and villainy! As for my friends, they are the fellow members of my exploration team, Morena and Diego! I'm sure we'll all get along heroically!"

"Here's hoping," Maple replied, following with a game smile and Starlight at her side.