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// New Venture 
// Story: Mark My Words 
// by Goldfur 
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Most Court sessions, both Day and Night, called for a single alicorn to preside over them, but every now and then when the need called for it, Trixie and I held Day Court together.  This was normally only done when matters of greater importance needed to be decided.  The really important decisions were made with the full Triarchy in the monthly meetings, but dealing with the nobles occasionally needed the weight of two alicorn rulers making a decision.  This was to prevent the more devious among them from making an end-run around a single Triarch.  Despite the number of times my wife and I had foiled their efforts, they never stopped trying to pull one over on us.

I gave my advisor a grateful smile as Trixie called the morning session to a close.  The changeling queen played a major role in making our lives easier.  Even after all these years, the nobles, industrialists, and various other self-interested parties continued to seriously underestimate my fourth wife’s ability to ferret out the facts in every case.  The Canterlot changelings were unmatched in their zeal and were absolutely incorruptible.  Their loyalty to the Hive and thus to the Crown ensured that they would always serve the Equestrian Empire to best of their abilities.  I had no idea back then when Chrysalis had pledged her loyalty to Equestria and became my herdmate how much of a game-changer that would be.  It had enabled our nation to grow sustainably and peacefully for years.  I projected my gratitude to my Queen and she smiled smugly back.  She loved all the machinations and the payoffs of her role, and she was making good on her declaration on making her hive the greatest in the world.

However, it was another world that was to occupy my thoughts at lunch.  As usual, Twilight was in the dining hall to enjoy the meal with us.  It was our practice to pass on the results of the morning session to whoever was presiding over the afternoon session.  Sparkle was already aware of the matters being brought up that day, so it didn’t take long to apprise her of the relevant details. In fact, we were done before we even sat down at the table, which suited me well because we had guests today to discuss an important new phase in my plans to expand my interdimensional commercial project with Earth.  And that is why Phil and Rosa were joining us for a business lunch.  Also joining us was Celestia who was on a break between one of her inter-dimensional adventures with Daring Do, and had offered to give us her perspective on the proposal.

The final guests were the last to join us.  A human and an anthro mare were ushered in by the Royal Guard at the door.  The man smiled at me and said, “I hope we’re not late, Mark?”

“Not at all, Caleb,” I replied.  “You and Sky take a seat.  We were just about to order some drinks.”

The two newcomers greeted the rest of those gathered as they settled onto chairs, two of which were suited to the bipeds in anticipation of their presence.  After everyone had requested their drinks, Caleb addressed me again.

“So – what’s this big favor that you wanted to ask of us?”

“Actually, that’s something you should be asking Phil and Rosa,” I replied.

Caleb turned to the unicorn and griffoness and spread his hands in supplication, wordlessly asking the same question.

Phil’s horn lit up and his magic levitated some papers out of the briefcase that he had brought along.  He placed copies in front of everyone seated at the table before replying. “Those documents contain the profiles of four of our staff members on the Earth side of the portal.  We’re expanding our business Earth-side and we want to introduce them to Equestria.  As our resident human, we’d like you to help ease them into a whole new world.”


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To be continued in the spinoff story: “Brave New Pony World”.