Silver landed with a final flap. "What was that saying?"
"What saying?" Gudrun landed on the railing instead, holding tight with her talons. "You're the prince, right? Shouldn't we, I dunno, go in the front?" She angled her head towards that direction. "Just a little sketchy breaking in."
"This is my room." Silver started forward. "Just a foreign word for 'I'm home'. I forgot it." It had been quite some time since he was home, or watched any anime of any kind. He pushed that little thought aside. "I'm home!" he announced in Ponish. It'd have to do.
"Who is that?" Night was there, looking past Silver, at Gudrun.
"Associate, one step removed," answered the griffon hen without pause. "Gudrun. You are?"
"Night Watch." She pointed a hoof at Silver. "His Wife."
Silver accelerated towards her, going for a nose touch that she did not resist, turning into a little nuzzle. "I found what I was looking for, stopped a pony from being naughty, and got Samantha a child."
Night's ears danced as she crashed to her haunches. "You had me until the last one. How did you get Samantha a foal?"
Gudrun had moved inside and run into Maribelle. "Well, you're a tall slice." She reared up, standing on hinds as griffons could do, but still Maribelle was large, tall and in width. "You a guard?"
Maribelle burst into light laughter at that. "Only against dust and stains." She threatened Gudrun with a feather duster. "Are you a guest?"
"You could say that." She glanced back at Silver and Night conversing. "My boss got scooped up by that guy. She's moving to town, and I'm her righthand secretary." Gudrun flexed a hand. "Not like she has any hands of her own."
Maribelle crossed her arms under her generous chest. "I know that feeling. But it only makes us more valued. Ponies love having somecreature with hands around if they like them." She flexed the fingers of her right hand on their mention. "I have a hard time imagining life without hands."
"You and me both, sister." Gudrun fell back to all fours, her wariness of Maribelle fading. "I'm here because he invited me, not got a lot of business in this castle."
"More of a palace, really." Gudrun looked at Maribelle with confusion. "A palace is for show. A castle is for defense," explained Maribelle. "This--" She danced a hand with wriggling fingers around the area. "This is a palace, for sure."
"If you say so," allowed Gudrun without much conviction. "They need space?"
"They'll let us know," assured Maribelle confidently. "While they're busy, want to see the foals?"
"Uh..." She hadn't come to see more foals, but she was guided into the next room over to meet them anyway.
"This is all yours?!" exclaimed Fetlock, wandering around Samantha's lab with wide eyes. She puffed at the mane that wasn't in her eyes, still captured in the bun as it was. "What even is that?" She pointed up to a heavy metal plate that was suspended over another plate.
"If you step onto the lower--" Samantha waved a hoof at the plate on the floor. "I can test your telekinetic strength."
"No, thanks." She circled around the platform. "Seriously, all this is yours?"
"It's not that large." Samantha waved a hoof at it all. "I pay rent for it, like anypony else." Her magic gripped Dusty gently and brought them in for nuzzles and hugs. "We could get you a space like it." She gasped suddenly. "We could be neighbors! We could compare notes." Practically vibrating with excitement, Samantha leaned forward. "Think of all the progress we both could make."
Fetlock considered her fellow doctor, who was busy feeding her child with a bottle. "To perform my work requires concentration and quiet."
"Me too." Samantha bobbed her head. "I will hang up a magnet. Its upward direction will be a notice of my availability. I can get one for you too?" Her horn glowed as the magnet flew over from a cabinet. Busy and Not Busy were on either side of it, waiting to be turned in the correct position. "I use this with my son."
"Moonbeam, was it?" Fetlock looked off in the direction of the lunar colt's room. "He seemed very... grounded."
"Isn't he?" gushed Samantha with pride. "He was like that when I found him. I can claim no credit in that part of his upbringing. I hope he assists me in giving some grounding to Dusty Shine." Which was cue enough for her to bury her face into Dusty's side, getting a happy squeal.
Fetlock rubbed at her cheek lightly. "You will stay in your lab and out of mine unless invited?"
"Of course." Samantha inclined her head. "You will do the same?"
"I don't have time to intrude." Fetlock wandered towards a panel of blinking lights. "What is this measuring?"
Samantha was only too happy to begin explaining.
"State your business." The guard stood in the way, not even meeting Rough's eyes.
"I'm here to visit my son." He reached up to pet his child gently. "He isn't expecting me, but I doubt he'll be upset."
"Your son being?"
Rough frowned at that. What he got for not being around the castle much, he supposed. "Goes by the name of Silver? Alicorn." He reared up a little and spread his hooves wide. "We have some family resemblance."
The guard looked Rough over all the more intently. "Wait here." and inside he started, only to pause. "What was your name?"
"Rough Draft."
The other guard, who had been silent, suddenly came to life. "Oh! Yes, he's on the list." The first guard looked skeptical, but the second was nodding and already leading Rough along. "Silver said to bring you directly to him if you came by."
Rough smiled as he followed. "Glad he thought of me."
It wasn't long before he was seated in a finely appointed waiting room, food spread out. Rough set Sapphire Streak on the edge of the table. "This is fancy adult food. Want a taste?"
Sapphire squealed in approval, reaching for a cookie first, as children are known to do, and taking a big crunch out of it.
"That's your only sweet, so enjoy it," warned Rough, watching with a little smile. "After that, real food."
"Rough!" The door opened from the other side of the room, across from the table, revealing Silver's smiling face as he trotted in. "Oh, and..." His smile turned to a frown. "Shoot... What's her name? Guh, sorry..."
"Sapphire Streak," reminded Rough. "Who you haven't been around enough." He directed the blue pegasus towards Silver. "You two are siblings, technically."
Silver caught in place a moment, a new smile forming. "I never had a sister. Always wanted one." He moved in and touched his nose to hers, getting grabbed in little hooves in just revenge. "Hey there, sis."
"Bet you didn't expect your sister to be so much younger than you either." Rough sat up proudly. "If it helps, I didn't expect my daughter to be so much younger than me either, so we're together there."
"Right?!" But Silver was nosing and laughing at the little foal, not really looking all that upset. "Not that I'm sad to see you at all, but what brings you by?"
"I'm overwhelmed," admitted Rough flatly. "I'll just out and admit it." He rolled his shoulders slowly. "But I have a family, and... Look." He pointed at the little filly. "She deserves the best, and I can only give, like, sorta alright?"
Silver took a slow breath, but remained where he was, letting Sapphire explore his snout and face without objection. "I heard that. I felt that. Rough... I owe you a lot. But forget that. I made you." He smirked a bit. "You made me, depending on which way we look at it. We're... Forget that too! I care about you, a lot." He sat up, his magic lifting the filly attached to him. "I will gladly help. I should talk to Night before I go promising for her."
"Good idea." Rough nodded. "Assuming the mind of a mare gets you into trouble, turns out."
"I'll second that." They met, hoof to hoof. "But it goes for stallions too."
"Yeah, probably." Rough shrugged softly. "She really likes you."
"Well good." He nosed at the filly with a silly grin. "Because I like her too. I wonder how she'll get along with my kids?"
"Only one way to know." Rough ran his hooves over one another. "They're about the same age. Maybe really well. I hope."
"I'll echo that." He pulled Sapphire away gently with his magic, setting her on the table near all the food. "For now, you are my guest. I'll let Twilight know."
"Oh, right! She's princess now. Princess of everythin'!" He threw his hooves wide. "I'm still getting used to that idea." A brief pause. "Didn't you mention you used to like her?"
"I still do." Silver smirked a smile at at his father that was also his creation. "But I work for her, we're not related." Even if some desire to maybe change that had been expressed. "It's complicated."
"Isn't it always?" gusted Rough in agreement. "David?"
Silver perked, that name not used often.
"Thank you." He reached out a hoof. "You are not what I expected, but you've become something wonderful still."
"Right back at you." Silver touched hoof to hoof. "I'll get right on this." He rose to all fours and walked off without further delay.
"It's good to have family, isn't it?" Rough met nose to nose with Sapphire Streak's smaller one. The little filly squealed in joy and obvious agreement.
Night nudged the door shut behind Gudrun, only to turn back on Maribelle. "Whiskers, you still in there?"
"Yes, ma'am," came the small voice of the even smaller foalsitter.
"If the foals are resting, could you give me a few moments?"
Whiskers scurried into view, bowed, and made her quick escape.
Which left Maribelle there, looking at Night. "Is this about that question?"
"It is." Night inclined her head. "Your answer?"
"Miss... Ma'am..." Maribelle worried her fingers together. "I rather like it here. If I was old and wrinkly and you still put up with me, I'd be happy still working here, I think. This is what I know how to do, and I like doing it, especially for creatures that respect me and appreciate the work."
Night smiled at that. "Good to hear, but also not required. I saw the truth there." She waggled a hoof at Maribelle. "You don't know what else you can do. I want to free you."
"I'm fired?" gasped Maribelle, her snout paling.
"No." Night adjusted her glasses slightly, adjusting them left and right a moment. "I want you to explore your options, so I will pay for you to have two days a week at an adult school. You'll explore and try things and not worry about the money involved. Your payment will continue as if you were working that time, which you are. I decided this, not you. What do you think of that?"
Maribelle gently jiggled her feather duster. "Who will mind things while I'm away?"
Night's brows came down, but a smile was on her face. "This castle does not suffer from a shortage of maids. You are a good one, no doubt there, but we can get another to fill in the space while you do what I asked you to do. Now, again, what do you think of that?"
Maribelle fidgeted, large thighs rubbing together as her fingers worried on one another. "Well... I'm not very... literate, ma'am..."
"Sounds like you found what could be one of your first classes." Night inclined her head. "Doesn't have to be the only one. There are plenty of classes that don't involve much reading. If you say yes, this is what it will be. If you say no, I will set it aside." She gestured with her wings as if putting something down to the right. "And you will remain our maid either way, Maribelle. This isn't a threat."