Arc and Natalya step out of the portal into the Ponyville Hospital Waiting Room. Walking up to the nurse’s station, Arc addresses the nurse on duty.
“I’m told that Doctor Horse sent for me.”
The nurse nods. “Yes sir. He’s currently with the patient. Shall I escort you to the room?”
Arc shakes his head. “That won’t be necessary. We know the way.”
Turning, they head down the corridor together. Natalya turns to Arc as she speaks.
“I do hope Miss Tempest is doing alright.”
“All things considered, I’m sure she is.”
“Oh?”
“Before I came to Equestria some time ago, she was its greatest warrior. Strong, smart, and resourceful according to the records.”
“While the Griffon Kingdom wasn’t really that close to Equestria before the treaty, still I don’t think her name ever came up during my time in the military.”
“She’s not exactly well-known. Even here. You see, Tempest did a lot of clandestine work for this land before retiring to run the New Beginnings Orphanage in Vanhoover far to the northwest.”
“That sounds like quite the change in profession. But I’m sure she did her best.”
Arc frowns. “A bit more than that actually.”
“How so?”
“The first investigation I made as the Hero of Light was to ascertain whether or not she was abusing the foals under her care.”
“Was she?”
Arc nods. “Very much so, yes. She and I fought over it as well.”
“I’m guessing from the fact you’re standing here today that you came out on top though.”
Arc sighs as they approach the room. “That’s... complicated. And probably best saved for another time.”
Knocking lightly, they wait patiently. A few moments later Doctor Horse opens the door and beckons them inside with a wave of his hoof. Entering, they see Tempest sitting by the bedside holding Decimus’ hoof and looking into his face silently. Arc walks over to her and puts his hands on the back of her chair before speaking softly.
“How is he?”
Tempest sighs but does not look over. “Slowly gaining strength.”
Doctor Horse looks at his clipboard. “The patient’s vitals show spikes of brain activity though. Quite a bit sooner than normal though, I might add.”
Tempest frowns at this. “Decimus has always been a fast healer, doctor!”
Natalya walks over to her. “Can Lord Arc and I be of help to you, Miss Tempest?”
Tempest appears confused. “I didn’t send for you.”
Doctor Horse raises a hoof. “It was I whom sent the message to you, sir. Your orders were to notify you of any changes to the health of the patient. And these readings are certainly important.”
Arc nods. “What do they mean, doctor?”
“That the patient’s body is attempting to regain consciousness. Against all odds, I might add.”
Natalya appears confused. “Against all odds?”
“Yes, ma’am. In his current condition he shouldn’t be able to do much more than simply try to stay alive as he body is still extremely weak.”
He holds up the chart before continuing.
“However, our readings show him attempting to awaken.”
Decimus’ hoof twitches at this. Tempest gasps as she calls out.
“He just moved again!”
The doctor hurries over to the bedside. “Moved?!”
“Yes! I felt his hoof shake slightly at the sound of us talking!”
She squeezes it slightly and leans down to Decimus’ ear before continuing.
“I’m right here! FB is here!”
Arc raises an eyebrow, confused. “FB?”
Natalya turns to him. “It’s probably a military codename, sir.”
Doctor Horse looks over the stallion. “Perhaps you were mistaken, miss. This really shouldn’t be possible at this point in treatment.”
“I know what I felt!”
Patting the hoof in hers, she whispers.
“Come on! I know you can do it!”
Looking to the doctor, she glares at him.
“Can’t you give him something to help?!”
Doctor Horse shakes his head. “As I stated before, in his weakened condition it would be unwise to give him stimulants of any kind.”
“He can take it! I know he can!”
“Miss, if there was some kind of emergency...”
Tempest interrupts the doctor. “There is! Those changelings are up to no good over there in the Badlands! And Decimus here might be the only one whom knew what they were up to!”
“I can’t in good conscience do that though. Not without an extremely good reason.”
“This is clearly an urgent matter of national security!”
She looks to Arc before continuing.
“Tell him to do it!”
Arc frowns. “Are you absolutely certain that we should though, Tempest? I mean, like you said earlier, he’s the only one whom knows what happened inside the changeling hive.”
Natalya nods. “That and if he dies from this you’ll lose that information forever.”
Tempest stomps a hoof angrily. “I know that! But it’s what he would want us to do! Decimus is trying to wake up because he NEEDS to say something!”
Arc sighs as he turns to the doctor. “As much as I hate to admit it, Tempest does have a point here.”
“I must strongly advise against this, sir.”
“I understand your point of view as well as your position in this matter, Doctor Horse. But as the Hero of Light, I hereby order you to administer a stimulant to the patient in an effort to bring them around.”
Doctor Horse bows his head. “Yes sir.”
Walking over to a nearby drawer, he pulls out a syringe. Turning to the patient, the doctor purges the needle before inserting it into Decimus’ fetlock. Depressing the plunger, he removes the needle and drops it into a nearby receptacle before turning to Arc.
“There you are, sir.”
“Thank you.”
Tempest looks over. “How long until...!”
She gasps as a slight tugging at her hoof interrupts her thought process. Looking down, she sees one of Decimus’ eyes slowly open a crack as a weak moan escapes his lips. Smiling at him, Tempest’s face quickly appears ashen as she looks up at Arc.
“The doctor and griffon need to leave immediately! What Decimus has seen is most certainly top secret!”
Arc folds his arms over his chest and shakes his head. “Doctor Horse is needed here to monitor the patient. And Natalya can be trusted with whatever is said here.”
“But...!”
Arc interrupts her. “My decision is final. They stay.”
Tempest scoffs. “Fine.”
Patting his face, Tempest keeps her voice low in an effort to encourage him.
“It’s okay, Deci. You’re safe now.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Deci?”
Tempest wordlessly glares at him. Arc takes a step back and holds up his hands apologetically.
“Point taken.”
A few moments later the stallion’s lips slowly move as he struggles to speak.
“Wh-whe-where...?”
Tempest smiles. “Ponyville Hospital.”
His eyes move around the room. “Ponyville... safe?”
“Yes, Deci. We’re safe along with the town.”
“Others... hive... bodies...”
Tempest looks to Arc, confused. “Do you know what he’s talking about?”
Arc sighs and nods. “The recent discovery of this stallion within the changeling’s hive... wasn’t the only thing that was found.”
Natalya appears confused. “Lord Arc?”
Tempest narrows her eyes. “Elaborate.”
“There were... others there as well.”
“Good. Maybe we can get some information from them.”
Decimus shakes his head slightly. “Not... able...”
Tempest pats his fetlock. “I’m sure the staff here will be able to bring them back to health with time. “
Arc frowns. “No. They won’t.”
Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Are there really that many?”
“You don’t understand, Tempest. You see... none of them were alive when we got there.”
There is a stunned silence as Tempest processes what was said. Eventually she looks down at the stallion again and speaks.
“Is that true?”
“Y-y-yes. Nothing... left.”
Tempest stands as she looks to Arc. “We should examine this secret room together then. With any luck you may have missed a survivor, or two.”
Arc walks over to her. “Tempest... all we found were skeletons.”
“Dead... so... long...”
Tempest looks into the stallion’s face. “Who were they? Anypony important?”
Doctor Horse turns to Tempest. “The patient is weakening fast.”
Natalya nods as she looks to Tempest. “We really need to let this stallion rest now.”
Tempest grimaces. “But he could know more about...!”
Arc puts a hand on Tempest’s shoulder. “Look at him though. He can barely keep his eyes open. Please... just let the patient go back to sleep.”
“Saw... them...”
Tempest grimaces. “You saw whom, Deci? The changelings?”
“The... the...”
He lapses back into unconsciousness as Tempest angrily looks to the doctor.
“Give him more stimulant! Now!”
Doctor Horse looks to Arc. “Sir?”
“Can I assume that would be dangerous?”
“Extremely.”
“Then we shouldn’t do it.”
Tempest glares at him. “But we need to know...!”
The doctor cuts her off. “Miss, please. The patient must rest.”
Arc bows his head. “Agreed. That and our time could be better spent elsewhere.”
Tempest frowns as she looks back to her lover. “Where else would I be needed more than at a time like this?!”
Natalya puts a talon on Tempest’s shoulder. “We could do like he said and see ‘them’, you know.”
“Whom? The changelings?”
Arc shrugs. “It’s an even money bet. But we should probably see to it that the investigators are allowed to take a look first.”
Tempest frowns. “I am fully capable of investigating a crime scene personally.”
“And how would you do that AND stay here, Tempest?”
There is a long pause as Tempest and Arc silently stare each other down. Eventually she returns her gaze to the stallion lying on the bed before her and scoffs.
“Fine then. Just be sure to tell me what they find.”
“Very well.”
Natalya raises a talon. “I could go for you, miss, and give you a full report.”
She looks to Arc before continuing.
“With Lord Arc’s permission, of course.”
Arc nods. “We’ll give the report together.”
Tempest groans. “Whatever, I don’t care who does the deed! Just... get to it!”
“I’ll call the border and see when the investigation team is scheduled to arrive as soon as I get back to my ship.”
Tempest nods as Arc motions for Natalya to follow him. As they reach the door however, Tempest calls out.
“Hey.”
Arc turns around. “Yes?”
“Take my advice. Don’t trust those shape shifting freaks.”
Sighing, Arc leaves the room and closes the door behind him. Natalya looks to him nervously.
“Sir, are these changeling creatures really such a threat?”
Arc nods soberly as the pair begin walking. “I admit, they have been in the past, yes.”
“Then you’re saying that we should be cautious””
“Agreed. I’m willing to give Thorax and his citizens the benefit of the doubt due to the recent changes in leadership within the Badlands, of course. But that doesn’t mean I actually trust them just yet.”
“Can you tell me more about them?”
“Sure. But we should return to the ship now and inform Twilight of this matter first.”
Opening a portal, he motions for her to step through. Following Natalya, the pair reappear in his quarters about The Equinox. Turning to her, Arc motions to the table.
“Would you please have a seat? I need to call for Twilight.”
Natalya nods. “Yes sir.”
As she walks over to the table Arc picks up his telephone. After being connected to Twilight’s room, he asks her to come to his quarters for an update on the situation at hand. Setting the receiver down, Arc turns and walk over to the table to join Natalya.
“Twilight will be here in a few minutes.”
“Sir?”
“Yes?”
“I... just wanted to know how you thought I did this evening?”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Did?”
“At the Aviary Extravaganza, I mean.”
“Very well actually. But let me turn the question around.”
Natalya appears confused. “I don’t understand, sir.”
“How do you think I did in my role as your fiancé? I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable at any point.”
“Oh! Um... not at all, sir!”
Arc chuckles. “You’re slipping.”
“Slipping?”
“Back into your old habit of calling me ‘sir’, I mean.”
Natalya gasps. “Forgive me! It just... feels proper to do that!”
Arc smiles at her. “It’s alright. I mean... you didn’t actually do it when we were in the public eye, so it’s fine.”
“I’m sorry, dear. It won’t happen again.”
Arc chuckles. “All is forgiven, my little flower. As long as you’re still okay with me calling you that pet name, I suppose.”
Natalya giggles. I have to admit that it was a bit... strange to hear such a thing directed at me at first. But I’ve since grown to enjoy it over the course of this evening. But by the same token, are you okay with me continuing to call you ‘dear’ as well?”
Arc nods. “That I am. While I know that it’s really just to keep up appearances, I have to admit that I do enjoy hearing it.”
Natalya appears relieved. “Good! I was worried I did something wrong.”
Arc pats her talon. “Not a thing, Natalya. And to be completely Honest with you, all night I was worried about the exact same thing. Messing up or making you feel out of sorts due to what I say.”
“It appears we’re doing well in regards to our relationship then.”
“Relationship?”
“A good couple should always be trying to make each other feel comfortable with them. Or so I’ve observed back in Ponyville.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “But our marriage really is just for show.”
“I know. However, it does stand to reason that there will be times in the future where we’ll again have to put on a display of a genuine relationship to keep up appearances.”
Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“And when the ceremony is complete, you and I will for all intents and purposes be legally married as well.”
“True. But I do hope that won’t change our relationship.”
Natalya blushes slightly. “No, no! I’m... actually looking forward to it!”
“You are?”
Natalya nods and smiles. “Ever since we met, you’ve always treated me as a, well... as an equal, more or less.”
Arc shrugs. “It’s just what you deserve, Natalya.”
“And even now I feel as though you’re doing your utmost to do what’s best for me in addition to both our nations.”
“As I said, you deserve such a thing. That and I just can’t stand the thought of you being chained to a fortune that you don’t even want.”
“Well, I do appreciate everything you’re doing for me sir. Now and in the past, I mean. So I do want to say that I’ll do my very best to be a good addition to your herd.”
“Natalya, I...”
There is a chirp from Arc’s earing. Touching it, he speaks.
“Arc here.”
“Sir, this is Lemon Hearts. I’ve just received word that Princess Twilight is in position and ready for a portal.”
“Good. I’ll open one for her momentarily. Arc out.”
Severing the connection, Arc calls forth his gauntlet and opens a portal. As Twilight trots through she looks at the couple. Clearly confused at their appearances and location, she speaks.
“Um... did something happen at the Aviary Extravaganza?”
“Kinda, yes. But that’s not why we’re here, Twilight.”
Twilight looks around. “What about Luna and Hammer?”
Natalya looks to the window and gestures toward the Aviary with a talon. “They’re still at the Aviary enjoying the party, I would imagine.”
Arc nods. “Right. However, there’s been a development regarding a matter in the Badlands that I’d like to bring to your attention.”
He motions to a chair. Twilight walks over and sits down as Arc begins to speak. Bringing her up to speed on the state of affairs, Arc ends his explanation with a sigh.
“And that’s where we stand now.”
Twilight frowns. “So the stallion back in Ponyville Hospital just appears to be Decimus?”
Arc shrugs. “Yes, he does. But as for his identity, we’re not fully sure at this point.”
Natalya chimes in. “Tempest seemed very convinced though.”
Arc shakes his head. “She’s too close to him to be objective though. That and it will take a full interview with the stallion in question before anything more can be done.”
Twilight appears hopeful. “Any idea how long until he’s strong enough for such a thing though?”
“It’s too early to tell. Doctor Horse says his condition is still critical though.”
Twilight bows her head. “At least the changelings found him when they did. Regardless of whom he is, nopony deserves to be held captive in such a manner.”
Natalya looks to Twilight. “While I hate to say this, there is still the chance that they knew full well what was going on all along though.”
Arc furrows his brow. “Possibly, yes. However, I’m guessing this matter was as much a surprise to them as it was to us.”
Twilight turns to him. “What makes you say that, Arc?”
“Turning that stallion over to us now was extremely risky for them. For all they knew, we could have responded to it very badly. Perhaps even going so far as to cancel the peace treaty you signed.”
Natalya taps the table with a talon. “That does make sense, yes. But perhaps they saw it as an act of goodwill toward Equestria. Something to help start the healing process between the two nations.”
Arc shrugs. “It could still backfire on them though. After all, if this stallion survives, he’ll hopefully be able to tell us what he went through. That would certainly be a bad bit of publicity for the changelings, after all.”
Twilight puts a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “It’s obvious from what you say that he was heavily mistreated while in their clutches. In fact, I don’t really see how them turning him over to us and confessing what was found in Chrysalis’ chambers could really help them.”
Natalya raises a talon. “I really hate to say this, but from a purely diplomatic standpoint, it probably would have been better for the changelings to simply kill the stallion mercifully and bury him along with the skeletons in greatest secrecy.”
Arc nods soberly. “Yes, that’s true. Perhaps Thorax is telling the truth here and the rest of the changelings really didn’t know anything about this.”
Natalya shrugs. “It is possible that they honestly just wanted to do the right thing here.”
Twilight sighs. “Agreed. However, we won’t really know anything more until the investigation team looks over the scene.”
Turning to Arc, she continues.
“When will that be?”
“I need to call the Lunar Destiny and find out. One moment.”
Touching his earring, Arc speaks.
“Arc to Lemon Hearts.”
“Lemon Hearts here, sir.”
“I need to know when the investigation team from Canterlot is scheduled to arrive at the Lunar Destiny. Can you call over there and find out?”
“Yes sir. I’ll do it right away.”
“Thank you. Call me back the moment you have something. Arc out.”
Touching his earring, he severs the connection before turning to Twilight.
“This shouldn’t take too long.”
“While we wait, can you tell me how things went at the Aviary Extravaganza tonight?”
“Pretty well actually. It’s very similar to the Grand Galloping Gala back in Equestria, with the exception that there’s a sit down meal served.”
Twilight looks out the window. “Since Luna isn’t back yet, I’m guessing she’s greatly enjoying the festivities.”
Arc nods. “I got the feeling that things were improving between Luna and the King as the dinner conversation continued. In fact, Luna and King Guto shared a dance before leaving the ballroom to take a bit of a stroll though.”
“Are you sure?”
Natalya raises an eyebrow. “Yes, Princess Twilight. Was that a bad thing?”
“Not... exactly, I suppose. It’s just that I can’t really see her willingly spending so much time with the king. I mean... it all sounds a bit out of character for her to me.”
Arc shrugs. “At first it did seem a bit out of the ordinary to me as well. But Hammer followed the two of them to make sure nothing happened to her.”
“Would you please call her for an update?”
“Alright.”
Touching his earring, Arc continues.
“Arc to Hammer.”
“Hammer here.”
“Are you with Princess Luna?”
“Kinda. She’s talking to King Guto.”
Twilight leans in. “Where are they right now?”
“The ballroom at the moment.”
Arc nods. “So they’re back from their walk then?”
“Yeah. I followed them on that too. Nothing out of the ordinary happened though. But then again, I don’t see how anything could considering all the security patrolling this place.”
Natalya looks to Twilight. “The Aviary is a literal fortress on a night like tonight, what with all the nobles and the king personally in attendance.”
Hammer chuckles. “Right. But I still followed them just in case. Uh... everything okay over there?”
Arc shrugs. “More or less. We can talk about it later though, Hammer.”
Twilight calls out. “Just keep an eye on Luna for us.”
“Will do, princess. Anything in particular I should be looking out for though?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not really. We just don’t want anything to happen to her, that’s all.”
Twilight leans in again. “Any idea when you’ll be getting back to the ship, Hammer?”
Hammer sighs and shakes her head as she look to Luna and Guto sitting together at a nearby table, talking. “Probably not anytime soon. Princess Luna appears to be having a really nice time with the king at the moment. You need us to come back?”
Arc shakes his head. “No, no. We’ve got everything under control here. I was just checking in for Twilight’s sake mostly.”
Twilight sighs. “Sorry if I sound a bit... overbearing here. I’m just a bit... concerned for my friend, after all.”
Hammer chuckles. “It’s cool, princess.”
Arc clears his throat. “Well, I’ll let you get back to it then, Hammer.”
“See you when we get back.”
“Right. Arc out.”
Arc touches his earring, severing the connection as he turns to Twilight.
“It sounds like everything is going just fine over there.”
Twilight sighs. “I guess so. But I still worry about something happening to her.”
Natalya puts a talon on Twilight’s shoulder. “Believe me when I say that the Aviary is very secure at the moment, Princess Twilight. Even more so than usual.”
Arc nods. “Agreed. Now then...”
His earring chirps, Arc touches it again.
“Arc here.”
“Sir, this is Lemon Hearts. I’ve spoken to the communications officer aboard the Lunar Destiny and have been informed that the investigation team will be arriving within the hour.”
“Good. Have the colonel meet them personally when they arrive and assign them quarters for the night. However, they are to move out first thing in the morning.”
“Yes sir. Shall he accompany them?”
Arc shakes his head. “No. The team will be led to the changeling hive by me personally. Tell them to expect my arrival sometime after breakfast.”
“I’ll take care of it, sir. Will there be anything else?”
“That should do it. Arc out.”
Touching his earring, Arc severs the connection. Turning back to the pair before him, he continues.
“Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get to the bottom of this matter.”
Twilight sighs. “It’s not likely. After all, investigations are typically slow and methodical.”
Natalya smiles. “I would think that it’s best that way though. After all, you wouldn’t want a hasty investigation that misses clues and other vital information, would you?”
Arc stands. “I suppose not. But we should probably get some rest now. After all, morning comes early.”
Twilight nods as she too gets to her hooves. “Agreed. But I think I’ll aboard ship for Luna.”
Natalya giggles. “Still worried about her, Princess Twilight?”
“A bit, admittedly. But I also want to bring her up to speed on what Arc told me. After all, as a princess she should be kept in the loop regarding these things.”
Arc nods. “I suppose you’re right, Twilight. “
Natalya looks up at the clock nearby. “However, I would imagine that Princess Luna will be quite tired after returning to the ship.”
“Right. Maybe you should tell her tomorrow morning instead, Twilight.”
“I guess this could wait that long. After all, it’s not like things will change before then.”
Arc shakes his head. “Probably not. But if they do, I’ll be informed immediately.”
Twilight yawns. “Then I suppose I will head back to Canterlot.”
“Uh... Twilight?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think you could stay here tonight?”
Twilight eyes light up excitedly. “Yes, I’d love to spend the night with you, Arc!”
She looks to Natalya for a few moments before continuing.
“But what about your fiancée?”
“That’s the reason I want you to stay. With Hammer at the Aviary Extravaganza, Natalya and I would be in here alone. And such a thing would be a bit... strange for her.”
Natalya smiles nervously. “I... think I’d be okay with it though.”
Arc turns to her. “Are you sure?”
Natalya nods. “Yes sir. I am.”
Twilight giggles. “Well then, I guess I’ll see you later, Arc.”
“Before you leave, I do have one thing to ask of you, Twilight.”
“What is it?”
“Please don’t mention to anyone, especially the other princesses, that the stallion at the hospital may be Decimus.”
Twilight raises an eyebrow, confused. “But why not? I mean... shouldn’t they know about him returning again?”
“At the moment he’s still relatively unresponsive, so we haven’t been able to ascertain who he truly is or what his angle is here. I really don’t want to put them on edge by letting them know that he’s back… again.”
“Very well, Arc. I’ll keep it to myself for now.”
“Thank you, Twilight.”
“Think you could give me a quick portal back to the castle, Arc?”
“Sure.”
Powering up his crystals, Arc opens a portal for Twilight. She smiles warmly at him before turning and walking toward it. As she does so, Arc and Natalya call out after her.
“Night, Twilight.”
“Rest well, Princess Twilight.”
She waves and steps through. As the portal closes behind her, Arc turns to Natalya and gestures to the bed.
“Feel free to take the bed again.”
“Are you sure, sir? After all, I’m really just a guest here.”
Arc nods. “Yes. You and Hammer can share it again like you did last night. Well… whenever she gets back, that is.”
“Thank you. But I suppose that I should probably remove this dress first and wind down for bed.”
“That sounds like a plan to me. One that I should follow as well.”
“Sir?”
Arc gestures to his own outfit. “I need to get cleaned up too. Don’t want to sleep in this thing any more than you do in your dress.”
Natalya looks to the bathroom. “You can go first then, sir. I’ll just get undressed out here.”
“Are you sure? I can wait a bit if you’d like to use the bathroom.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead and do what you need to in there. I’ll be waiting for you out here.”
“Alright. Think I’ll take a shower while I’m at it too. Don’t feel like you need to wait up for me though.”
“Alright, sir. Take your time.”
Arc heads for the bathroom. Closing the door behind him, he disrobes and steps into the shower. As the hot water cascades over his body he muses to himself silently.
“I gotta admit, I actually did have a really nice time at that party with Natalya. Sounds like Luna did as well. Or ‘is’ as the case may be.”
Tapping his chin thoughtfully, he continues.
“Although it is kinda strange that she’s now volunteering to spend extra time with King Guto. Especially after he was kinda hitting on her at the dinner date she and I attended at the Aviary a while back.”
Sighing, Arc leans back against the wall.
“While she’s certainly able to spend time with anyone she wants, I can’t help but think that King Guto is up to something.”
Sometime later Arc steps out of the bathroom in his night clothes. Natalya is sitting on the couch waiting for him as he does so. Walking over to her, Arc sits down.
“Sorry for taking so long.”
“It’s okay, sir.”
“I was just doing some thinking and kinda lost track of the time.”
“What about?”
Arc sighs. “Luna mostly.”
Natalya giggles. “You really like her, don’t you?”
“As a friend, yes.”
“She does seem to be a rather... reclusive individual though.”
Arc shrugs. “Most leaders are from what I’ve seen.”
Natalya nods. “Yes, they can’t really open up to others without making themselves vulnerable on a personal level. But not with you it would seem.”
Arc shrugs. “Luna trusts me, yes. And I trust her as well.”
“I’ve noticed that, yes. However, it seems that the same holds true for Princess Twilight, Ambassador Ashe, Lord Gestal, and even King Guto to a degree.”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
Natalya shakes her head. “Not at all. It’s just... well... they all trust you very much. And I... am a bit... jealous of that fact.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Jealous?”
Natalya sighs. “You have to understand that over the course of my life, no one ever really listened to me. What I thought or what I had to say meant very little to everyone around me. My superiors in the military, Gallus, Gabby, and even my own father. The last of which hurt me more than words can say.”
She smiles up at him before continuing.
“But not you, sir. You’ve been nothing but supportive and conscious of my wishes and feelings ever since we met.”
“Just what anyone in your position deserves.”
“I don’t think you fully understand the situation though, sir.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“Griffon culture is a patriarchal one. Males are in every major leadership role on all levels.”
“I have noticed that when dealing with officials they were pretty much exclusively male, yes. But what about General Blackbeak’s daughter, Gilda? Or Lord Gestal’s own daughter, Ambassador Ashe?”
Natalya groans. “They are only in power thanks to their fathers acting as a patron of sorts. Believe me when I say that without their say-so neither of them would be where they are today.”
She sighs before continuing.
“While it pains me to say this, females are mostly just for making eggs and caring for the home here in the Griffon Kingdom. You might see an odd one with a semi-decent job around the city. But that’s only because either their parents are rich and powerful, their husband is, or that they haven’t yet found a mate.”
“I can’t understand why though. I mean, as an outsider looking in, there really doesn’t seem to be any difference between griffon males and females. At least not that I’ve seen.”
“Honestly, I’ve yet to see any kind of concrete evidence that anyone is superior here due to their sex. However, it is something that I, along with everyone else, always just kinda accepted as an unspoken fact. And that belief was shattered when I learned that females have the right to pursue whatever path in life they choose just like the males do.
Arc raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t know? I mean… did you think it was some kind of rumor or misinformation?”
“More or less. But when I was banished and left the Griffon Kingdom to follow you to Equestria, I immediately saw how mares were treated there. With respect, dignity, and most of all... equality.”
“Yes, I’ve personally never seen someone there being discriminated against simply due to them being a mare.”
“The same goes for the three pony races as well. They all appear to live in peace and harmony with each other.”
“I’m told it wasn’t always that way. However, these days that’s just viewed as a dark page in their collective history.”
“It took some getting used to admittedly. Not being required to step aside when a male passed or look down slightly as I walked. Things in Equestria are just... just so much better than here in the Griffon Kingdom.”
She looks out the window before continuing.
“That’s why I never want to return to the Griffon Kingdom once the matter of my father’s estate is settled. I don’t want to have to live my life somewhere I’m not free.”
“Agreed. And you never will if I have anything to say about it.”
Natalya nods. “I believe you. Which brings me back to my original thought of how trusted you are.”
“Oh?”
“When you said that I could win my promotion battle in the Gladiator’s Arena, I believed you. When you told me that I would be your slave in name only, I believed you. When you said that I was an important part of the Little Hooves Orphanage staff, I believed you. And when you say that I’ll never have to come back to the Griffon Kingdom, I believe you.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “But those were just examples of me telling the truth.”
“Yes. However, you followed through on each and every one. You helped me train to win back my military rank. You allowed me to pursue whatever path I chose in Equestria after being legally transferred to you as a slave. You vouched for me in my position at the orphanage before the matron and the reports sent to the Council of Lords. Therefore, I am fully confident that you will keep your promise and do your best to allow me to remain in Equestria for the rest of my life.”
She puts her talon on his shoulder before continuing.
“I believe you, sir. Because you’ve never once let me down. Not in all the time I’ve known you. So if you say something, I have faith that you’ll move mountains if need be to keep those promises. Especially the one to allow me to join your herd, even if it is purely ceremonially.”
Arc nods. “You deserve it, Natalya.”
Natalya bows her head. “Do I though?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t you?
“Remember, sir. I’m the daughter of Lord Goldstone. The most reviled griffon of our time at the moment. Even with all the wealth of my father, as well as my extremely old family name, it’s not likely that any griffon would have wanted to take my talon in marriage.”
“Because of what your father did?”
Natalya nods sadly. “Yes. Our family name is now mud thanks to him. Only the vast wealth gives it any meaning right now.”
“I have to disagree.”
“Sir?”
“Your family name, while damaged, can be repaired.”
“How though?”
“By doing good for others.”
“You mean serving the community?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not quite. I meant using your family fortune for the betterment of the nation as a whole.”
Natalya puts a talon to her cheek thoughtfully. “Betterment of the nation as a whole, huh?”
“You have an idea?”
“Basic needs.”
“Food and water?”
Natalya nods. “Healthy and safe food, yes. For those whom can’t afford them, that is.”
“Back on Earth we call that a ‘food bank’.”
“I could buy food cheaply in Equestria and ship it back to the Griffon Kingdom via airship.”
“You might want to start with a small scale plan.”
“How so?”
“Try a single food pantry in the poorest section of Griffonstone.”
Natalya thinks for a moment. “That would be the area around the Skyport.”
“Perfect! There are a number of what appear to be empty warehouses there that could be turned into such a facility with little effort.”
“It sounds easy when you put it like that.”
“If it works out, you can expand to other facilities around the city and use the original warehouse as a depot.”
Natalya smiles. “That sounds like a plan.”
“The start of one, yes.”
“Do I have your permission to look into this further?”
“As I’ve already told you, it’s your inheritance, Natalya. Do with it what you will.”
Natalya facepalms. “Sorry, sir. I’m just having a hard time coming to terms with that topic for some reason.”
“Was there anything else you’d like to do though?”
“Well... there is one other thing.”
“Name it.”
“It’s just the schooling idea I had earlier.”
“For the commoners, right?”
Natalya nods. “Yes.”
“On Earth we call that the public school system. And yes I do think it’s a great idea.”
“Which should I do first though?”
“Personally, I’d start with the food idea. It would benefit everyone and younglings can’t learn on an empty stomach, after all.”
“Alright. Then that’s what I’ll do. Although I’m not really sure where to begin.”
“You could start by asking Applejack to sell you apples and apple accessories at wholesale prices. That and Ruby Jubilee over in Dodge Junction could probably sell you a lot of cherries and cherry preserves.”
“That wouldn’t make for much of a diverse meal set though.”
“True. But it’s just the start. And all that I could think of off the top of my...”
Arc suddenly stops talking and taps his chin for a few moments before continuing.
“Might work out.”
Natalya appears hopeful. “You had another idea?”
“I did, yes. But it’s not exactly going to be easy.”
“What is it?”
“Well... there’s a lot of food being produced in Abyssinia with some Earth technology I shared with them some time ago.”
Natalya grimaces. “Considering what their queen said happened to her at my father’s trial, I don’t think they’d be willing to share it with us.”
“Maybe they would. That is, if I were to ask them.”
“They’d have to really respect you though. But I get the feeling they already do, don’t they?”
Arc nods. “Yup. I’ve helped them out more than once when their citizen’s lives were on the line. So it’s an even money bet that they’d listen to me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She looks at the clock before sighing and standing up.
“We should probably get some rest now though. After all, you have an early day ahead of you.”
“I suppose so. In truth, I was kinda hoping to kill time until Hammer got back.”
“So you can bring her up to speed on what we talked about?”
“More for you actually.”
Natalya appears confused. “Me?”
“So you wouldn’t feel apprehensive about going to sleep alone with me.”
“Oh! Um... it’s fine!”
“Are you sure?”
Natalya nods. “Yes sir. I know you wouldn’t do anything inappropriate to me.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “How though?”
“Simple. I’ve been your slave for quite some time now. Had you wanted to have relations with me you could have ordered me to do so at any time.”
“Not really interested in stuff like that though.”
Natalya smiles. “Yet another reason why I trust you, sir.”
Arc gestures to the bed. “In any case, you can take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch again. And when Hammer gets back she’ll join you over there.”
Natalya stands and smiles. “Sounds more than fair.”
Meanwhile, Ashe walks with her father to his carriage parked outside. He turns to her as they walk down the steps toward it.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to come home with me, Ashe? You could sleep in your old room again.”
Ashe shakes her head. “Thank you for the invitation, father. But as you know, I have a job to do.”
Gestal chuckles. “You’re so hard working, my dear.”
Ashe giggles. “I wonder where I learned that from.”
“Well, I do hope you have time to come by for dinner at some point soon, Ashe.”
“I’d like that too, father.”
They embrace and part ways as Gestal gets into his carriage and begins his trip home. Walking back inside the Aviary, Ashe spots a door slightly ajar. Looking around, she quickly steps inside. Closing it behind her, she turns around as the lights come on to reveal her former commander. Frowning at him, she speaks.
“I already told you I was done with...!”
“Listen! We need to talk!”
Ashe groans. “What about?”
“Lately the king has been having a number of secret rendezvous with unnamed individuals. I’ve had my operatives within the castle try to find out whom is attending these meetings, but to no avail.”
“So you want me to ask my father what the meetings are about?”
“No. These meetings aren’t with the Council of Lords, any high ranking military officials, or powerful nobles.”
Ashe raises an eyebrow. “Whom else would King Guto be talking to though? It would have to be one of the a fore mentioned groups.”
“I thought the same, so we’ve been staking out the Aviary since I took over leading the rebels.”
“For what purpose?”
“To learn whom the meetings are with, of course.”
Ashe waves a talon dismissively. “Every leader has private meetings though.”
“Agreed. And we didn’t see anyone special enter and stay.”
“So they’re getting in through a secret passage.”
“We already know of all the passages running in and out of the building. I’ve had them watched constantly.”
“Ever consider just trying to listen in on the meetings?”
“I did that just last night. They were talking in rather hushed tones so it was hard to make anything out. But it sounded like the king was talking to only one individual.”
“Whom though?”
“No idea. I didn’t recognize the voice.”
Ashe puts a talon to her chin thoughtfully. “Can I assume it wasn’t female?”
“No. The voice was certainly male.”
“What could you make out regarding the conversation?”
“The words ‘mass production’ and ‘national security’ kept coming up along with ‘leverage’.”
Ashe frowns. “That sounds like something he would normally discuss with the military. Are you sure this meeting wasn’t with General Blackbeak or some other high ranking officer?”
“Completely. These late hours these meetings took place was long after all officials had left for the day. I even ordered them followed to make sure they actually went home. Or at the very least stayed away from the Aviary.”
Ashe taps her beak with a talon. “Male, late night meetings, military conversations, and utmost secrecy. It’s possible that this could be some kind of meeting with a contractor building something for the government.”
“Even that wouldn’t require this level of secrecy though. The king wasn’t just trying to hide their identity. He was attempting to make sure that no one even knew anything was going on.”
“Plausible deniability.”
“Right. According to everyone else, no meetings ever took place.”
“If King Guto is this secretive about such a thing it’s possible that he hasn’t even told my father.”
“And even if the king had, it’s not like Lord Gestal would be willing to talk to you about it.”
Ashe sighs. “He’d probably be more interested in hearing how I learned about it in the first place.”
“Which leads me to the reason for this rendezvous. As Equestria’s ambassador, have you heard anything regarding secret meetings the princesses, or their representatives, may be attending?”
Ashe shakes her head. “Nothing of the sort. All of the princesses are very open about their dealings with me.”
“Are you so sure of that though?”
“What are you saying?”
“That it may yet be possible that someone from Equestria is in league with King Guto.”
“It’s more likely that they’re a griffon though, as a pony would certainly stand out around here.”
“I believe them to be a non-griffon due to their voice. As you know, griffons as a whole have a certain tone to their voice along with a slightly gravelly pitch. What I heard was either someone whom was not a griffon or and individual whom had worked VERY hard to overcome their racial speech mannerisms.”
“And you have someone in mind, don’t you?”
“That I do.”
“Whom?”
“Lord Arc.”
Ashe frowns. “What?!”
“It makes sense the more I consider the matter! He’s male, certainly not a griffon, and is able to move without being seen via teleportation and invisibility!”
“But he wouldn’t have any reason to privately deal with our king. Secretly or otherwise. Remember, all official communications between our two countries go through me as our nation’s ambassador.”
“But not unofficial correspondences though. Think about it, Ashe. They went to great lengths to keep these meetings a secret. So for what purpose would they want to tell you what was going on?”
Ashe frowns as she begins pacing. “You have a good point there. And while this matter could be nothing more than normal operations, it is certainly...”
The griffon before her holds up a talon for silence as he touches the side of his head. A long moment of silence passes between then as he nods and speaks.
“Good. Disengage and let me handle this. Out.”
Ashe appears hopeful. “Your operatives found something?”
“Apparently an aide has just been dispatched to give the king an urgent message.”
“What makes you think it’s connected?”
“You know as well as I do that on a night such as this, King Guto has standing orders not to be disturbed without an extremely good reason. Related or not, this must be especially important.”
“So what’s your plan?”
“Private meetings of such an urgent nature are generally held in the king’s office. It is likely that, since a messenger has been sent to notify King Guto, that the one whom the king is going to meet is already in there. So I’ll use one of the secret passages that lead to his office to covertly listen in on the conversation.”
“With luck you’ll pick a passage close to where they are talking.”
“I’ll use the one closest to the king’s desk. It will give me the best chance at hearing their conversation.”
“Be careful though. There’s always a chance the visitor will use that one to leave afterwards.”
“I’ll get out of there quickly when the meeting is set to break up. They’ll never know that anyone was even there.”
“Let me know what you find out too. This whole thing, while potentially on the level, has me worried.”
Nodding, the commander walks over to a bookcase. Pulling out a tome, it opens to expose a narrow passageway. Turning back he looks to Ashe and speaks.
“Wish me luck.”
Entering the secret corridor, the bookcase closes behind him. Ashe grimaces as she leaves the room and walks down the corridor toward the festivities.
“I really hope that this matter amounts to nothing more than a wild goose chase. Could Equestria really be involved though? Princess Luna is currently with the king, so it can’t be her that he’s being summoned to see. However Princess Celestia is also within the kingdom at the moment.”
She frowns before continuing.
“As is Lord Arc. Could he be meeting with the king after dropping Lady Natalya off at the ship? They did leave quite some time ago to deal with some sort of important private matter. Or at the very least, he did.”
Entering the ballroom again via the main entrance, Ashe descends the stairs. Looking over at King Guto and Princess Luna sitting at a table together talking she spies a griffon messenger walking quickly toward the king. He whispers something in his ear as Guto stands and turns to Luna.
“My apologies for the interruption, Luna. But it appears that there is an urgent matter that I must attend to.”
Luna nods. “I completely understand. Such is the life of a ruler.”
Bowing at the waist to her respectfully, Guto hurries away with the messenger. Ashe slowly walks over to Luna and takes the king’s vacated chair.
“I’m back, Princess Luna.”
“So your father is on his way home now?”
Ashe nods. “Yes, your highness. As you know, he has a habitually full schedule and needs his rest.”
“That I do understand, yes.”
Ashe looks around as she feigns confusion. “Where did King Guto go?”
Luna points with a hoof toward an exit some distance away. “An aide came and delivered a message to him. He left to handle whatever matter has come up.”
“I suppose even the king can’t get a full night off these days.”
“As I told him, such is the life of a ruler.”
“Yes, well... speaking of which, have you heard from Lord Arc since he left earlier?”
“I’m not sure. Let me check.”
Turning around to look behind her, Luna beckons Hammer over with a wave of her hoof. Approaching, the young woman salutes.
“Yes, Princess Luna?”
“Ambassador Ashe was just wondering if you had heard from Arc since he left.”
Hammer nods. “Once, yes.”
Ashe raises an eyebrow. “What did he want?”
“Ironically, to ask about Princess Luna’s security.”
“And what did you tell him?”
Hammer shrugs. “That you and King Guto had safely returned to the ballroom from an earlier walk and were sitting at a table talking. Uh... was that not the right thing to say?”
Luna shakes her head. “No, no. The truth is just fine, lieutenant. But did he have anything to say about his own whereabouts?”
Hammer shakes her head. “He didn’t explicitly say, no. But at one point in the conversation Princess Twilight asked me something, so I assumed both she and he had returned to The Equinox.”
Ashe appears hopeful. “Might you call him for me please?”
“Sure.”
Pulling out her radio, Hammer presses a button and waits. A few moments later he responds.
“This is Arc. Go ahead, Hammer.”
“Sorry if I’m interrupting something, but Ambassador Ashe wanted to talk to you.”
“Sure, put her on.”
Hammer holds out the radio to Ashe. Taking it, she clears her throat and speaks.
“This is Ashe.”
“Something wrong?”
“Not exactly. I was just a bit... concerned.”
“What about?”
“Just regarding Lady Natalya. You left very quickly and I was worried about her.”
Arc chuckles. “Ah! Well you needn’t be. We’ve since returned to The Equinox and are safely in my quarters.”
“That’s good to hear. But as long as I have you on the line, would it be alright if I asked her a quick question regarding the upcoming wedding ceremony.”
“One sec.”
Looking over from the couch, Arc sees Natalya’s form lying on her side. A light whiffling snore comes from the bed as he responds.
“She’s already asleep. Can your question wait until tomorrow?”
“Yes, yes, of course. No need to wake her for something like this. I’ll talk to her about it in the morning.”
Arc yawns. “Good. It’s been a rather long day for me too.”
“Then I won’t keep you any longer, Lord Arc. Rest well.”
Arc chuckles. “Thanks. And don’t keep Luna out too late.”
Ashe giggles. “I won’t. Ashe out.”
Handing the radio back to Hammer as she sits down next to her, Ashe muses to herself.
“Is he really aboard The Equinox? I’ll have to talk about this with Lady Natalya tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the rebel commander (or leader at this point, I suppose) made his way through the hidden corridors toward his destination. Coming to what appears to be a dead end, he pulls a device from his pouch and puts it on the wall. Putting on a pair of headphones, he inserts the end into the device and flicks the switch to ‘on’ before sitting down and musing to himself.
“And now... we wait.”
He doesn’t have to wait long before the sound of a door opening rings out from the other side of the wall. Guto’s voice rings out as he presumably speaks to the guards stationed outside.
“See to it that I’m not disturbed.”
The click of the door locking is heard as Guto walks across the room. Stopping, he speaks.
“What’s your report?”
“Never a ‘hello’ or ‘how do you do’. It’s always just business with you.”
Guto groans. “I’m a busy griffon, so if we could just move this along...”
“Don’t get me wrong. That’s what I like about you. Straight to the point.”
Chuckling, the visitor continues.
“In any case, production of your requested item is complete.”
The sound of rustling papers can be head before the speaker continues.
“Here’s a comprehensive guide on how they work and proper operational standards. Believe me when I say that you really don’t want to make a mistake with one of these things.”
“Understood. However, as you already know, if my plan works out as I intend, these won’t need to be used.”
“Yes, that’s probably for the best. After all, I don’t want needless bloodshed on either side of the border.”
“Neither do I.”
The sound of papers hitting a hard surface ring out as the king continues.
“However, I will do what I must to ensure the future of my country as a whole.”
“Just concerned for your country?”
Guto sighs. “My personal future is forever intertwined with the Griffon Kingdom. If I prosper, so does it. Should I suffer, it will suffer along with me. So believe me when I say that these steps are not taken lightly.”
“Describe it as you will. We all know that the one with the biggest stick makes the rules.”
“I’m not denying the accuracy of that analogy. But you must bear in mind that it was you whom helped ensure that I have such a stick in my repertoire.”
“Can’t deny that fact, no. But you should also remember one thing, your majesty.”
“And what might that be?”
“You will have the items you desire as per our agreement. However, I maintain my own equivalent items and the knowledge of how they are created. Should you ever require more, I would be the sole supplier of them.”
Guto chuckles. “Is that so? How can you be so sure that we won’t simply reverse engineer them to cut you out of the equation?”
“Simple. While I am certain that your engineers could do so, given enough time, the required materials are not present anywhere in the Griffon Kingdom.”
“An interesting notion. However, I’m sure you’re aware that I can import whatever I need from the surrounding countries.”
“You are certainly free to try. But it is not likely that you will succeed in such an endeavor, as only my organization can source several key components.”
“In any case, when will the items be delivered?”
“Just as soon as you remit payment and specify a drop off location.”
“The agreed upon sum is located in the chest in the corner.”
The sound of footsteps walking across the room rings out. A squeaky hinge creaks open and the jingle of coins in bags echoes through the room. Chuckling greedily, the visitor calls out.
“These will do nicely, yes.”
“I would hope so. Now then, deliver my order to warehouse number five as soon as possible.”
The visitor sounds surprised. “A warehouse?”
“It’s the most secure of my storage facilities, yes.”
“If that’s what you want, that’s what I’ll do. But I would have thought you’d have wanted to keep this item closer.”
“Such as in the Aviary?”
“Something like that.”
“Believe me when I say that the facility in question’s security is second only to that of the Aviary itself. Numerous priceless relics are stored within along with the fruit of a number of other top secret projects.”
“Kinda putting all your eggs in one basket though, aren’t you? Keeping them offsite, I mean.”
Guto chuckles as the sound of his desk chair creaking slightly permeates the air. “I prefer to think of it as keeping them together... and then watching the basket very carefully.”
“You’re the customer. But just remember one thing. As soon as this item is delivered, you are fully responsible for it.”
“Very well. I look forward to our future business dealings under the alliance we share.”
“As do I. Now then, I need to get out of here and you should get back to your... party, or whatever it is.”
Guto sighs as his chair again creaks and his footsteps head for the door. “Yes, yes... duty calls. Just give me a few moments head start before you leave.
“I know the drill.”
The office door opens as the king leaves the room and makes his way down the hall. As the door clicks shut behind him the air is quiet for a few moments before the sound of footfalls walking across the room are heard. They pass the entrance to the secret passage and head for the fireplace. Opening the passageway exit a crack, the commander looks out to see a black cloaked figure open a portal and step through. As it closes behind the visitor, the rebel leader cautiously steps into the office and makes his way over to the desk. Picking up the papers left behind, he looks them over for a few moments before pulling out a small camera and taking pictures of every page. Returning the papers to their exact order and spot on the desk, he returns to the passage and pulls the door shut as he muses to himself silently.
“That thing I saw... it wasn’t a griffon or a pony! It walked on two legs... just like Equestria’s Hero of Light does! But why would he be working with our king in such secrecy?!”
Turning, he quickly makes his way back down the passageway from whence he came. Sometime later, Luna, Hammer, and Ashe walk down the corridor toward the outer courtyard. Hammer looks to Luna and grins.
“Good to see you being able to loosen up, your highness.”
“Yes, I very much enjoyed tonight’s festivities.”
Ashe smiles. “As did I. But it appears that you now have a bit of an admirer, Princess Luna.”
Luna shrugs. “King Guto and I are merely friends. However, I did find conversation with him very interesting.”
“How so?”
“As a fellow monarch, he understands the daily struggles that I face. Very few can honestly say that they’ve had the weight of the world on their shoulders.”
Ashe looks away nervously. “In any case, I do hope you two can be of help to one another.”
Hammer grins. “I hear that. Your job can’t be an easy one, princess.”
Ahead of them, Ashe sees the door from before slightly ajar. Looking to Luna, she speaks.
“Princess Luna, I’m sorry to ask this, but might you go on without me?”
Luna raises an eyebrow. “Is everything alright, ambassador?”
Ashe nods “Oh, yes. I simply need to use the restroom before I leave. Please don’t wait up for me.”
“It’s no trouble. The lieutenant and I can wait for you at the chariot.”
“I’ll try to make it quick then, of course. But taking care of such bodily functions while wearing a dress is a rather difficult thing to do.”
Hammer turns to her. “Want me to give you a hand?”
Ashe shakes her head. “No, thank you. Please just keep Princess Luna safe and I’ll try to be quick.”
They part ways as Ashe enters the room. Closing the door behind her, she turns on the lights to see her former commander leaning against the wall. Frowning, she walks over to him.
“Can I assume what you found wasn’t good?”
“Not in the least.”
“Explain.”
“The king did indeed meet with someone in his private office. They spoke about the clandestine sale of something or other.”
“What was it?”
“No idea. They just referred to them as an ‘item’.”
Ashe groans. “It could have been anything then. But the fact that he went through the trouble of hiding the meeting and sale is indeed troubling.”
“The visitor left a number of papers that appeared to be an instruction manual and a schematic behind too. I took some pictures and will look over them in greater detail when they’re developed.”
“Smart move there. Taking the papers would have alerted the king to a trespasser in the morning.”
“It looked pretty complicated from the glances I was able to take of those papers while photographing them. But we’ll know more after I dig into them a bit deeper.”
“Can I assume that you didn’t see the physical items in question?”
“No, the visitor said that he would have them delivered to warehouse number five at a later date.”
“Maybe you could get a look at them there.”
“You know that warehouse number five is the most secure storage facility in the entire Griffon Kingdom though. Even when compared to the Aviary, it’s a literal fortress.”
Ashe sighs. “Yes, I know. But if whatever is being delivered really is THAT important, it might be worth the risk.”
“I’ll give the matter some thought. On how to see this so-called item, I mean.”
“While I do wish I could help, I have my own path to walk these days.”
“We all do, I suppose. So you do what you can on your end and I’ll do what I have to.”
“Just be careful. If the king was so insistent on using clandestine means to meet with this individual this must be very important.”
“Um... yeah... about that.”
“About what?”
“The one meeting with the king.”
“Were you able to identify them?”
“I only saw their back as they left.”
Ashe sighs. “A shame. But not worth getting caught over, I suppose.”
“They were wearing a black robe too.”
“Probably just in case an aide entered the room unexpectedly.”
“And... they walked on two legs.”
There is a long silence as Ashe frowns.
“How tall were they?”
“Roughly Lord Arc’s height.”
Ashe sighs. “I have to admit that such a thing certainly looks bad for him. However, there’s still a chance it was someone else.”
“And they left via a magical portal.”
Ashe bows her head.
“That... does sound rather unfavorable to his case.”
“There’s no one else that it could have been, Ashe!”
“Is there ANY possibility that it could have been a griffon standing on their hind legs?!”
“Ashe! Face facts! It was certainly Lord Arc!”
Ashe shakes her head. “There has to be a reasonable explanation though! I mean... why would he do such a thing?”
“I have no idea, Ashe. But there’s literally no one else anywhere in the country whom has a figure like that, can use magic, and doesn’t speak like a griffon.”
“And his alibi is certainly a bit... weak.”
“You’ve already checked into it?”
Ashe nods. “I radioed him under the guise of wanting to know if everything was alright on his end. He did leave very suddenly, after all.”
“Considering the fact that he was mysteriously called away while guarding an Equestrian princess speaks volumes though. I mean, what could be more important than that?”
“While I can’t deny that this does look very bad for him, I also can’t imagine Lord Arc doing such a thing. Conspiring with King Guto in such a way, I mean.”
The robed griffon folds his talons over his chest. “Then you’d best get to the bottom of it, Ashe. After all, should he be found out, you could be on the hook too.”
Ashe turns and heads for the door. “In all sincerity, I’m not too worried about anything much happening to me. But such a thing would certainly imperil the treaties that we have.”
“While I was never much of a fan of such a thing, I also can’t deny the good that has come from it.”
Ashe rests a talon on the door handle. “Agreed. However, at the moment I can do little more than closely watch his actions. Well, as closely as I can, since he doesn’t usually report to anyone on his actions or whereabouts.”
“Then how...?”
“I’ll... think of something.”