Fourteen – The Griffin’s Gambit
The candles on the table were burning low when Twilight and Gregory finished dinner, both red-faced and panting. It seemed as though their passions just couldn’t be contained any longer…
“As entitled as you are to your opinion,” Gregory was saying, “it’s simply ludicrous! Griffin sages have produced ample evidence that solar and lunar cycles in Chimaera have nothing to do with alicorns.”
Twilight slammed her hooves onto the table and leaned forward. “Sages or not, they’ve clearly never met a genuine Princess of Equestria. Our magic is tied to the earth. Without out, everything falls apart, just like in the Everfree Forest!”
“Superstitious nonsense,” the prince replied with a snort. “Try watching a sunrise from our kingdom if you’re inclined.”
“Grrr!” Twilight fell back into her chair and sighed. Then, after a few calming breaths, she allowed herself a tired smile. “If you don’t mind me asking, where’d you get so good at debating?”
For the first time, Gregory blushed. “I’d rather not say.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers.”
The prince brushed at his coat with one of his talons. “Nothing to fear. If it’s any consolation, you’re one of the first ponies I’ve met who’s shown any real intelligence. Except for your Princess Celestia, naturally.”
Thinking about her mentor suddenly made Twilight feel uneasy. As stimulating as Gregory was at debate and intellectual discussions, he wasn’t much of a romantic and highly dismissive of most ponies. Which begged the question: what was Celestia thinking pairing him with Twilight on a diplomatic dinner?
Perhaps this was nothing more than an elaborate test. Although Twilight’s element was magic, life in Ponyville had taught her the value and power of friendship. Maybe all Gregory and the other griffins needed was to meet a pony brave enough to open relations between their races—
“Wait!” somepony shrieked. The ballroom doors crashed open as something small and pink raced through the air and landed on top of the small dining table. Plates and silverware went flying; Twilight and Gregory ducked to avoid being splattered.
A furiously panting Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs, staring wild-eyed at Twilight. She offered her a very large cupcake with a single birthday candle on it.
“You… need…” the pink pony gasped, “to make… a wish…!”
Twilight stared at her. Then she smacked her hoof against her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot! Pinkie Pie, remind me to thank you later!” Then she leaned in and blew out the candle.
For a long moment, nopony said a word. All eyes were fixed on Twilight.
Then the spasms began.
Spike raced into the ballroom. “Come on, this way!”
Close behind him were Time Turner and Fluttershy; the latter was holding a bouquet of roses and flying at the same pace as Time Turner was galloping. But all three of them came to a halt when they saw Twilight on the floor, writhing in pain.
“Oh, no!” cried Fluttershy. The roses fell from her hooves, and before Spike could tell her to wait, she flew past him to Twilight’s side.
“Just a minute, just a minute!” Time Turner reached into his saddlebag and grabbed his hourglass with his teeth. “Ermf!”
The griffin standing by the table eyed the ponies suspiciously. “What is going on here?”
“A thousand pardons, Your Grace,” Silver Platter answered. She shot Spike an anxious glance. “The, uh, Princess is… that is, to say…”
Spike decided he had to step up. Braving the proud and shocked expressions of the griffins, he walked over to the prince with his head held high. The fact that Gregory was more than twice his size didn’t destroy his resolve.
“She’s fatigued, Your Grace.” Spike looked over to make sure Fluttershy and Time Turner were blocking the griffins’ view of Twilight. “The pressure of setting up for this event… it was just too much for her.”
Gregory stared pensively, his tail swishing silently behind him. “I see. Very well.” He turned and waved at his two attendants. “Give the Princess my regards. I will call on her when she’s better—”
“Um, excuse me?” Fluttershy hesitantly stepped toward the prince. Her expression suggested she was afraid of being hit. “I-if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind waiting? I-I’m sure Twilight will feel better in just a moment—”
“Aha!” Gregory’s eyes brightened. “You must be the nervous pegasus!”
Fluttershy cringed. “What?”
“That explains it. The canary yellow feathers, the pink mane, the anxious concern for Her Royal Highness…” Gregory almost smiled. “And to think, I almost mistook you for a maidservant.”
Spike saw something pass over Fluttershy’s face as soon as she heard maidservant. He immediately ran and took cover behind Silver Platter.
“Maidservant?” Fluttershy whispered angrily. She stamped her hooves. “I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but I am Twilight’s friend!” Her wings twitched. “In fact, I-I’m more than her friend! I… I…”
Her eyes squeezed shut. “I love her!”
The ballroom went completely silent. Everypony stared in shock at the pegasus.
Then Pinkie Pie blew her party horn. “I knew it! Happy birthday, Twilight!”
“You love her?” Gregory stared at Fluttershy, thoroughly puzzled. “I see…”
Spike slapped his head. “Oh, great. The griffin king is not going to be happy about this.”
Hearing the click-clack of talons beside him, Spike turned and looked up into Gregory’s stoic face. Then, surprisingly, the prince shook claws with Spike.
“I can’t begin to thank you enough to bringing her here,” he said with a quiet smile. “Now I know that I can face my father with the truth.”
“The truth?”
“It’s difficult to explain.” Gregory sat down, waiting for his attendants to do the same. “My father, Gareth Basileus, is not an enlightened griffin. He still thinks ponies are just delicate creatures who’ve never fought a war or struggled for anything. I’ve argued with him, but for the longest time, I was afraid he was right.”
He turned and smiled at Twilight, now fully grown and struggling to get back onto her hooves. “But tonight, I’ve met a brilliant young princess who challenged every single one of my father’s arguments. And I’ve met a timid pegasus who found the courage to speak truth to a foreign dignitary and confess her love publicly.” He gave Fluttershy a respectful nod. “If your ponies are truly that brave, then I’m sure our two races will get along just fine.”
“Wait a minute,” Twilight called out. She was awkwardly trying to walk forward, though she kept bumping into Pinkie Pie and her crown was askew. “So you really do think that Princess Celestia raises the sun?”
Gregory laughed. “Well, of course. You’d have to be an idiot not to see the proof of that.”
“But, Your Grace,” one of the griffins said in hushed tones, “your royal father—”
“Happens to be an idiot, my love for him notwithstanding.”
“He will hear about this!”
Gregory turned on his servant with a grim stare. “I’m counting on it, Thane Geoffrey. Now run along and inform my father that I wish to speak with him in private.”
The griffin ducked his head and started to back away. “Yes, Your Grace.”
When Gregory turned back to Twilight, his expression was less severe. “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is the nature of your condition?”
“It was an age spell gone wrong.” Twilight winced as she slowly spread her wings out, then tucked them back in. “Long story, don’t ask.”
The prince smiled. “Fascinating. Well, I must be going.” He bowed deeply, not just to Twilight, but to Spike and every other pony in the room. “Thank you for giving us such an enjoyable dinner. Good night.”
As he and the remaining griffin took their leave, Spike felt something nudge him in the side. He saw Time Turner lean in and whisper, “Two bits says Celestia was counting on this exact thing happening tonight.”
“No deal.” Spike patted his stomach, already anticipating one of the Princess’s letters. “I know that’s what she wanted.”