“And I think that the Crown have to take responsibility for the Guard's lack of ability,” Lady Starfall said, stomping one hoof against the soft carpet covering the marble floor leading up to the throne, “The budget of the Guard is clearly inflated and the Bits should instead be redirected to repair damaged property and lost profits from the invasion, as well as to restore valuable and neglected cultural treasures.”
I just stared at the white unicorn with the yellow mane like she had lost her little mind..
“Excuse me?” I asked after several long moments, “You’re saying that you want to reduce the budget of the Royal Guard? Because we were attacked?”
Lady Starfall nodded, “I and the rest of the Restoration Foundation are dedicated to the restoration of Equestria as it should be. The Guard is one of the single largest expenditures of Equestria and it’s clearly bloated beyond all sense. Did you know that Equestria has more spears than ponies?”
“No, I can’t say I did…” I said before I sighed, “We are at the brink of active war, Lady Starfall. We were just invaded, Equestria has been attacked multiple times the last few years by a number of factions and beings. Decreasing the budget of the Guard is the last thing we should be doing.”
She frowned, “And how useful has the guard been in our defense? About as much as a steel airship. We don’t need the Guard, we have the Elements of Harmony and the Princesses to keep us safe.”
“Indeed,” I said and nodded, getting a look at surprise from her as I agreed with her, “Which is why I am going to talk to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as well as Princess Cadance to increase the funding for Equestria’s and the Crystal Empire's military forces. Thank you for your opinion, Lady Starfall, but I’m afraid we have to decline your suggestion at this time.”
See, I do diplomacy.
I’m fairly sure Grey Velvet spiked my tea with something.
Lady Starfall stomped her hoof again, brushing her long white mane back with her magic as she looked at me, outraged, “Lord Page, you can not possibly be serious! Princess Celestia would never-”
“And that’s something you would need to take up with her at a later time. Right now you are dealing with me. Next plea-”
I was interrupted by the doors of the throne room banging open and a pegasus galloped inside, the wonderbolt carrying a messenger bag on her side. She came to a halt before the throne, giving me a quick salute before she dug through her satchel,
“Lord Page, message from Princess Celestia.”
Something that couldn’t wait until I met Luna in the dream realm tomorrow. She must have flown hard to get here from the meeting point at the border this quickly.
“Thank you,” I said and took it in my magic, “Go, rest. It was a long flight,” before I looked towards the gathered ponies, “Court is dismissed for today.”
Ignoring their protests and questions, I got off the throne and jumped down onto the floor, leaving through the side door into the sitting room outside before I broke the seal of the scroll, rolling it open.
I read it for a long moment, reading through the short letter three times. It was written in Celestia's neat hornwriting, long sweeping strokes that she somehow managed to also make easily readable.
I suppose a couple of thousands of years of practice helped with that.
“My Lord Blank Page,
I am glad to announce that the negotiations are proceeding well and while the finished terms have not yet been decided on, my sister has released the Storm King from your curse.
One part of the terms all parties agree on at the moment is the release of all prisoners on all sides. As a show of good faith, we are releasing our captured soldiers at once. I trust that you will execute this duty and arrange their escort to the border to the best of your abilities.
With some hope, negotiations should be over soon and we will return home.
Princess Celestia, Princess of the Sun.
PS: On a more personal note, it is nice to spend some time with my sister. It’s not something we do often enough."
I frowned at the wall and slowly rolled the scroll back up. It was the genuine thing, it had not only Celestia's private seal on it, but it had the markers of being written not only by her hoof, but being without duress.
The last sentence of the actual message has a comma in it, for example, was one of the four markings that Luna taught me were always in letters between her and her sister to guarantee that it really was from them and without being forced.
An old code from way before her banishment.
The rest were present as well.
I frowned at the scroll. Things seemed to be going well, but I can’t say I liked the contents of the scroll. Releasing all those soldiers again this early… and even worse, Luna and Celestia talking privately that much during the travel would likely give Celestia more teasing ammunition against me. She really didn’t need that much of advantage, what she had already was quite enough.
Oh well.
Still, if I agreed with it or not, I had gotten my instructions. I looked at the scroll for a moment, starting to get an idea before I looked towards Amber lounging in a chair across the room, “Could you get a message to the Captain of the Solar Guard? We need to get some things organized.”
Not that anypony is getting released before I confirm things tonight.
Amber just nodded.