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// Pipp's Invitation 
// Story: Pipp's Freedom 
// by Jhoira 
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Pipp whined lowly as she glanced over at her... 'target.' Pipp's ears down as she was being told to do something she definitely Well, mostly didn't want to do. "But mother..."

Queen Haven hissed lowly. "Ears up Pipp, appearances!" Pipp sighed and stood up straight, forcing her ears back into a normal conversational position. "And no 'but mothers' this time. I relented last time as there was a chance you'd have succeeded. And you being unhappily married to a stallion would have hurt us more than having an infatuated son would've helped. But this time it's a mare. If, and hopefully when you're successful you'll have a pretty wife. You'll be happy, our family will prosper, everyone gains."

Pipp let out a small sigh an nodded. "Yes, mother." Grimacing once her mother's back was turned Pipp turned to look at Sunny. She had just been ordered to... Attract Sunny. Her mother wanted the mare who had brought back magic attached to her family. Pipp had always been her mother's political piece. The spare princess who wouldn't be needed on the throne. Her use was that of a pretty thing, both to distract the populace and be a pretty political tool.

Pipp locked her lips as she cantered over to Sunny. Sunny had seemed to be too busy being happy with everything to notice her. "Sunny?"

Sunny looked over and smiled at her new friend. "Hey Pipp! Isn't this all great? You can fly!"

Pipp took a moment to flap her wings gently and nodded. "Yep! It's so exciting without strings!" She was legitimately thrilled by that turn of events. Both that she could now fly and they wouldn't have to continue with that charade of flying.

Sunny clapped as Pipp raised a few inches into the air. "And now we can all visit each other and everything!"

"Speaking of..." Pipp let out a small oomph as she stopped flapping and landed a bit harder than she meant to. "Oomph. Going to need to get used to landing..." She looked up at Sunny, who was still smiling at all her work. "Speaking of visiting each other... With your house being ruined and everything..."

Sunny shook her head. "Don't worry about that!" Pipp blinked in surprise. "It's not great by any means. But I'd have paid anything too see this happen! I lost the place I grew up with dad." Sunny gave a small bow of her head, the only indication to her grief. "But I saw his dream come true. And that's far more important."

Pipp smiled and let her eyes linger a little too long on Sunny. Sunny really did want the best for everyone else and was willing to give up whatever she had for it. Pipp had to respect that. Pipp wanted to be like that, but her mother made sure that the family came first. After she realized she'd been absently staying at Sunny, Pipp shook herself. "Right! Right." Pipp nodded in agreement. "And with that in mind, with everything you've done for everyone I was thinking about your housing issue."

Sunny smiled, waving a hoof dismissively. "Hitch already offered his spare room while we get everything fixed up."

Pipp faltered, she hadn't thought of that. She could have argued for the saving of money in coming to the castle over staying in a hotel or something but Hitch... Pipp may not have been a huge fan of her mother's political machinations but she'd been partaking in them long enough to be good at them. She could only think up one option, and it was a Hail Mary, she hated that tactic but if it was the only one she could think up... Pipp nodded, looking down and tracing the tip of her hoof through the dirt. "Oh... Well I guess you'd want to stay with your long time friend not your new one..."

Sunny was obviously caught off guard by the implied offer. "Pipp... I didn't realize that... Ah! Is that what you were starting to say earlier with visiting each other?"

Pipp looked up and nodded. Her face still showing mild disappointment, inside she was cautiously optimistic. She wasn't sure, she didn't know Sunny well enough but there was a good chance that she'd won this gamble. She's at the very least won some points with Sunny. She could certainly stay here to work on Sunny but her mother would want the home field advantage.

Sunny for her part smiled at her new friend. Hitch would understand, and besides, he was just being a good friend and offering, he had no vested interest in Sunny taking up his spare room for a such a long time. Though she'd still be likely taking him up on that offer eventually. She couldn't crash with her brand new friends for months. Even if they were royal and had plenty of extra space. "I'd love to visit your castle Pipp!"

Pipp let her smile return, this time completely a true smiles. "Fantastic! You can stay in the guest wing it's near my rooms. I think Zipp had plans to visit Izzy so she won't be around for a bit. I'll be happy to have the company." That 'plan' had, of course, been heavily manipulated by their mother. Zipp had long ago discovered that, as the heir, there was limited steps that could be taken against her, that was not so true for Pipp.

Sunny nodded and smiled. "Well, when do you want to go? Obviously not tonight, but I can be ready to head out tomorrow. We already salvaged what we could."

Pipp nodded. "I think mother is heading out soon, but I'll wait for you. We can walk there together...! Right? That's what you and Izzy did?"

As Sunny nodded happily Pipp grimaced internally. She'd just dragged her new friend into one of her mother's plans. But she had to show her mother she was trying. She would sabotage it later, failure was acceptable, outright defiance was not.