Dawn Fire was impressed by King Leiuee and his gracious manners. He was less so by certain members of the King's retinue. The King politely commented on the gardens that surrounded the new Corbiestep Castle.
“One would hardly know that only eight months past, this place was a bombed and burned ruin. You have created almost a fairy tale castle here, far prettier than the old one.”
As Dawn Fire watched, the King's praise was thrown over by one of his generals, what was his name? Oh yes, Falshort.
He dismissively pointed to the beautifully shaped spires that topped the towers of the castle and the sweeping steep pitch of the great hall roof.
“Yes, look at that waste of effort. A good solid fortress with sound towers that ponies at arms can stand atop to defend them would be better. Those tall points serve no use but to waste resources and make the whole place less defensible!”
Arianne nodded with a smile. “I hear what you are saying, General. You have built exactly as you have just described. I have examined your defensive structures with care and in detail after I took them. The greatest difference is that I did not need to use incendiaries to reduce them. And not one held out for an entire day!
“If my roofs are steep, and shingled with stout slate, providing that fairy tale look, you might notice that aerial bombs and such munitions will find it near impossible to find a target on them. They will be deflected away, causing no fire or other harm. They not only will bounce away, the shape of the roofs send them to places where their detonating loads are near harmless.
“My gardens are indeed pretty but useless? Not really. They provide both floral pleasances and kitchen vegetables and herbs. They also offer no place for an attacker to hide from those defending my walls.
“Over there, in that pleasant bower are the stones marking the graves of my mother and both of my brothers, murdered in the bungled invasion attempt of last Hearthwarming.”
The King signed to a follower who brought forth a beautiful floral wreath. King Leiuee laid the wreath at the graves and knelt briefly in prayer. Turning to Countess Arianne, he said softly, “You have my deepest sympathy and apologies. Your assentation should have been under far better circumstances.”
The General shrugged and commented in an off hoof way, “Some casualties are to be expected in war.”
Nettled, the Countess replied in a level and serious voice, her stance gone rigid, “In a war, you are correct. However, a war requires a declaration of war, such as you had from me before I struck. You did not bother with any such nicety, rendering the whole Hearthwarming attack nothing more than a large scale bandit raid.
“You, the bandit chieftian, fled the field, abandoning your men when I closed my trap on them and destroyed what you have been falsely pleased to call an army.”
General Falshort swelled up in a rage and tried to change the topic, since he was clearly showed to be in the wrong. “How dare you speak to me that way, you are a mere filly!”
She relaxed with a giggle as she retorted, “Right! The great General Falshort who is now shown to all as unable, by his own admission, to beat a mere filly! I have trampled armies led by you or operating to your plans FIVE TIMES, in less than a year!
“Of course, since we are signing peace terms today, your criticism, while of interest, is totally irrelevant. Were my defenses to be put to the test by your forces, you would dishonor your King, making his word over his signature and seal worthless. You would dishonor your nation and your troops by proving the nation unable to keep a treaty. Yourself, of course cannot be much worse dishonored than you have shown by your multiple banditries. None of your campaigns against my nation or myself having any declaration of war, save only mine, which we are settling today.”
King Leiuee gave his general a glare and snapped, “My lord Falshort! Why have you chosen to be so rude to our hostess? I do regret bringing you along. You did insist and you are here. Behave yourself or be sent back to Gaiparee in disgrace!”
Very sour of expression, his ears laid back in suppressed anger, the General growled, “My lady, if I have inadvertently given offense, I apologize.”
Her ears up at a jaunty angle, eyes sparkling with malicious humor, she bowed to him as she retorted, “I do accept your apology for your inadvertent lapses. The deliberate ones, no.”
Turning to King Leiuee, she gestured to her newly built Great Hall and invited, “You have had a long journey and however pleasant your company, I am sure that the opportunity to dine in comfort will be welcome. Please honor me by sharing my table and vintage in friendship.”
Dawn Fire was delighted by Countess Arianne's handling of the situation. He was stunned when Princess Luna gave him a wink and asked, “Dawn Fire, my Agent, would you do me the honor of being at my left hoof for this banquet?” It was obvious that she was in a great good humor at her request.
“Certainly, Your Highness. It will be my great pleasure.”
To the consternation of many nobles of Celestia and Luna's Court, Luna made Dawn Fire a processional place, processing alone, just behind she and Celestia. She actively chuckled as they sat to dine with a commoner at the high table with the Princesses. As they took their places, Dawn Fire was stunned to realize that his place to the left of Princess Luna, put him between the Royal Twins!
As they were being served, Dawn Fire noticed that Countess Arianne also had a private of her army sitting to her left.
She rose and lifted a glass in her magic. “A toast to the brave soldiers who have served us all so well! I have Private Rathburn here take this toast for all of my army! To those upon whom all of our success rests!”
Glasses were raised at all the tables. General Falshort was tardy in lifting his glass and only did so when directly glared at by King Leiuee.
The meal itself was delicious and varied. During it, Celestia indicated Dawn Fire and commented, “Quite the prank, Sis. I have been hearing lots of speculation about him. This is your Agent Dawn Fire? Secret even from me? What can you tell me?”
Luna smiled serenely and said, “That I will discuss with you, Countess Arianne and Dawn Fire in private. A side effect of his work was a single suggestion that has been tested in great secrecy and works. Very well indeed.”
Duke Grabbaland overheard and sneered, “What could a commoner know that is of any interest to the Crowns?”
Luna smiled and the Nightmare's glare speared him from her eyes and when she spoke, fangs showed clearly as she snarled, “Grabbaland! You are inquiring Knowingly and in Public into matters that YOU KNOW ARE STATE SECRET!”
Turning, she asked Arianne gently, “You do have secure cells to hold prisoners, do you not?”
“I do, Your Highness. Is it your wish that Duke Grabbaland be housed in one of them?”
“It is.”
The Countess signaled a guard and instructed, “Use as many as you think needful to escort Duke Grabbaland to cell SB14. Be sure that his horn is securely capped.”
The table conversation discretely avoided any mention of the empty place or its occupant.
At the meal's end, Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Equestria's Army of Occupation in Northeastern Prance, stood and invited, “As pleasant as this meal has been, my Lord King Leiuee, I hope that you will find the next task equally good. In the garden, under the sunshade, I have arranged for us to sign the document returning your three northeastern provinces to you in return for certain guarantees of peace to come.
“Follow me, if you please, your Majesty and your Highnesses.”
Outside, the weather was fine with clear skies and but few clouds. In the shadow of the large sunshade which was so placed as to give a good view of the graves of Arianne's mother and two brothers, were tables and comfortable seating.
As his King was taking his seat, General Falshort sniped, “So, you shame yourself before your dead family by signing a peace with those who slaughtered them?”
She smiled angelically as she returned, “No. You are a dishonorable and criminal bandit who slaughtered my family. By deliberate fraud, through false Notes of Payment, you robbed the ponies of your own nation as well.
“This gracious King and I are conducting an honorable peace. You have no part in this document but to follow the orders of your King and the peace terms that his Royal horn signs and seals.
“I wish the souls of my loved family to know that there are in Prance good and honorable ponies, contrary to the experience that you exemplify.”
He steamed for a moment, stamping his hooves in frustration! He snorted, “Your signature is worthless because you are too young!”
It was Princess Celestia who stomped that line! “She became fully authorized to create and sign documents when she was elevated to County Corbiestep. Of course, if you really want her to not sign, Equestria will remain at war with Prance and We will be forced to keep these three provinces that she has won for us.”
Princess Luna laughed as she added, “We gave her permission to conduct this war as she sees fit. As long as you remain a General, I have to wonder how much of Prance she will have to take before you sort out that you are incompetent.”
Arianne, Countess Corbiestep smiled sadly and pointed out, “It could be argued that you are correct and that I need a conservator to sign for me. In that event, we remain at war for at least tonight.”
Turning to King Leiuee, she smiled sadly and asked, “Your Majesty, Leiuee, would you consent to remaining at war with Equestria for this afternoon and tonight? We can sign in the morning. I will be pleased to house you and my Royal Princesses in the interim. I do have good apartments in my castle for such hosting.”
Looking only mildly interested, King Leiuee inquired, “And what would you do with this sixteen hours of war?”
“I regret that for the first time since I declared this war, I will strike five specific and limited civilian targets.”
Tilting his head in curiosity, the King asked, “Might I know more of them?”
Drawing a deep sigh, she told him, “They are four chateaux: one on the side of Mt. Bokenfel, one on the outskirts of Gaiparee, one at Seinnemouth and the last at Harkenhill. Besides these, there is a three masted yacht anchored in the roadstead at Monfere.”
Falshort was snorting, “So! You finally realize that some casualties will happen in . . .” he trailed off as he sorted it out! “You can't do that! Those are my chateaux and my yacht! They are all that I have left after selling properties to pay those wretched Notes of Payment!”
She managed a very good imitation of the General's voice and manner when he dismissed the death of her family, “Some casualties are to be expected in war.”
King Leiuee gave a lop sided smile as he nodded slightly but offered, “If General Falshort can keep a civil tongue, I would rather not, but I do indeed understand your provocation. Can you truly strike that accurately over such large distances in Prance in so short a time?”
Her only answer was a confident nod.
He turned in his seat and speared General Falshort with a hard gaze. “General! You will be civil to our hostess and all others here or I will grant her the right to strike as she has said, whether the peace is signed or not! Am I clear?”
“But Sire! If you allow this I shall be ruined!”
“You will be left as you left her. Homeless, with nothing but ruins to rebuild.” He gestured at the very pretty but solid castle behind them. “She has done well. Will this filly show you up yet again?”
The General looked down, lips pulled down at the corners, ears flat back. He pawed the sod with a forehoof as he grudgingly replied, “I shall be civil. I was trying to find some way to lessen the humiliation of our nation by this event. I choose a poor way to do so.”
The King nodded shortly to his General. “That is so. Oddly, in looking over this document, I find a most strange thing. Rather than humiliation, it leaves the nation of Prance stronger, rather than weakened. It requires an economic model that reinforces and builds our nation as a whole. We gain far better trade relations with Equestria. Our armies and navy are reduced but we are left with the ability to defend ourselves from aggression from abroad. Much of this stems from a few basic but simple monetary policy reforms that limit large scale frauds such as the Countess found in our provinces of Monatine, Graforest and Trerive.”
Picking up a quill and dipping it, the King quietly asked, “I do have one question that, in all the uproar of Courts and War, I never found the time to ask.” He neatly inscribed his name and titles. Carefully pouring melted wax in the proper space, he set his seal to the document and moved to give his space to Countess Arianne.
She too, signed and sealed document and made way for Princess Celestia. Princess Luna added her signature and seal. Following that, both Princesses together added the great seal of their mother, Skyglow, Titan of Life Creation and Titular Queen of Equestria.
The document was laid, page by page on stacks of prepared parchment and reproduced perfectly by contagion magic. Simply pouring wax in the proper seal areas produced copies of the seals as well. The Royal copies and the copy for Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Equestria's Army of Occupation were poured in red wax. All the others, for archives and distribution were poured in black.
As the last of it was done, Arianne, now only Countess Corbiestep asked, “What was that question that you never got to ask, Your Majesty?”
“Why did you have such a concern for the populace of the conquered provinces? I know for a fact that had my Generals conquered any land, they would not have worried so. They would have looted farms for provision and any occupation currency would have been fiat paper.”
She returned his honest question with compassion as she told him, “Your Majesty, I did not treat them ill because, from the time that I took them, they became my subjects. I did not know whether they would be mine for the long term or, as it has become, a short one. My subjects deserve and get the best of governance that I can give them. As much as my subjects support me by taxation, I support them with sound economic management and fair justice. That is how Fealty is supposed to work.”
The King smiled and held out his hoof to her. “I was raised as a Prince in the Court of Gaiparee. I was surrounded by nobles and other wealthy folk, all of whom sought advantage by many means. None of that education that I received touched more than slightly on the lower classes of society.
“You have been a teacher who could not be ignored. In spite of that, you have remained a good and gracious friend. That sounds strange to say of one who has conquered my land, but it is the truth. From my first call to you by Magic Net, I found a friend, concerned with establishing a proper and balanced relationship between our nations.
“One of the reasons that I assented to sign this without turning weasel minded diplomats loose to negotiate, is that over half of it are things that we talked over in personal calls.
“My Ambassador to Canterlot told me of a thing that you said in open Court before these, your Princesses. That the outcome that you hoped for was to share a table and vintage with a friend. To that end, I have brought some of Prance's finest vintage with me.
“If you will provide the table and meal, I would wish to make that come true.”
Arianne smiled widely and gestured back towards her newly built castle, “Good King, I happen to have at the ready a great hall and fine kitchens to do that exact thing. I would be honored if they were put to that use.”
Princess Luna quietly interposed, “Our good Countess, We require your presence along with my Agent Dawn Fire and my Sister Celestia for a private conference. Set up this banquet and meet us all as soon as may be.”