I sat on my uncomfortable throne, surrounded by representatives of almost every race in the castle. Reggie and Red were there, along with a slender zebra called Zaephir and a one armed minotaur named Thomas, Pio was the only one missing. Each had been asked to give a report on their race's numbers and current disposition.
It wasn't very good.
In a day's time the population had dropped from an estimated two hundred to a mere fifty. Of that, six were changelings, a half dozen were zebras, another half dozen were minotaurs, and the rest were split between gryphons and canids, most of which came and went.
Of those who stayed, the ones who were well enough to work had been adding to the ever growing map of the castle that now took up the left half of the courtroom. The entire eastern wing had been closed off after it was found that the map Reggie had provided yesterday was worthless today. Everyone was still working out where things were, and I still didn't know where the kitchen had moved to.
And everyone was scared. Red and Reggie hid it best, actually trusting me after having known me for so long. Thomas was antsy though, and I got the impression that he was less a spokesperson and more someone who drew the short straw. Zaephir made no secret of her interest as she stared at the glowing mark on my arm.
"It's not going anywhere, Zaephir" I said as I flipped through another map report. I was starting to worry that we were going to run out of paper before we ran out of castle.
"My brothers say it disappeared, an event that I have often feared."
"Well it was just Nightmare trying to get a little more power to rebuild with. The confusion about it probably influenced the east wing."
I swear there is something else in this castle that's fucking with me. How could the rooms still be changing?
"There is much fear in heard and flock, even with you under key and lock."
"Well I'm certainly locked down now, and Nightmare doubly so. After that trick she pulled she's not likely to see any freedom for quite some time." At least not until I work out how to hand over power without you all going for each others throats.
You do know I'm not currently locked down right?
I sighed. Again.
"Your majesty?"
I looked up. A zebra runner had just entered the court. "There is something you should see."
It was a pegasi drawn carriage, and it was descending just outside of the castle's main gate. The carriage was much less ornate than Harold's had been, but still held enough traces of nobility and pomp in it's design to signify importance. It was graceful, elegant, and powerful. It also looked like it might fall apart in a good storm.
A noble unicorn mare with blood red fur and a sapphire blue mane stepped out, doing her best to look down on the Rovers who had come to greet her, despite them standing a full head taller than her. They escorted her into the courtyard, and I returned to my throne. The court milled about muttering quietly for the few minutes it took the visitor to arrive.
She strode into my court like she owned the place, and she spoke as though she was the megaphone for a higher authority.
"I am not here willingly."
I raised an eyebrow at this, then looked at the Rovers accompanying her. "Bill, Dave! What have I told you about kidnapping visitors?" A gentle chuckle went up from the small crowd at court, while the Rovers looked confused and worried.
"I assume," the mare said, ignoring my jest, "because you are still here, that the geas her Majesty placed on you is still in effect."
I raised my left arm, revealing the softly glowing band of magical lines and runes that had bound me to the castle. Of course, what I showed was little more than an illusion courtesy of Nightmare, but she probably wouldn't be able to tell.
The noble nodded, satisfied. "Then I am here to discuss terms for your release."
"My release?" I asked, leaning forward. If this was some new tactic by Harold, or even another noble, then I would have to be on guard. "What terms do you wish to discuss?"
"Firstly, you will have to give up your claim on this castle."
Well, that was no surprise. You build something bigger and better and someone will always try to steal it. "I'm not the only one living here now, you know. What will happen to them?" I waved my hand at the rest of the court.
"That is covered in the second condition. Your army will disband and remove itself from the premises."
"I have an army?" I looked over the court and realized that the gathered assortment of creatures did look fairly fearsome. The only demographic left out were the changelings, who were spending every day practicing with their instruments.
The messenger sniffed at this, taking it as another jest. "You will be required to provide two years of community service to Equestria while we try and ascertain a place for you."
"I think that should have been covered in the reconstruction of this castle, which is mine by the way." I glared at her but she didn't seem likely to budge. "So this is not so much a release as a prison transfer." I said. "This deal is getting better all the time. Is there anything else?"
"You will also be required to provide a detailed debriefing of your time here at the castle, as well as tactics used against ponies, zebras, minotaurs, gryphons, and any monsters of the forest up to and including the daemons you brought to this world."
They want to know what?
"You want to know what?" I asked.
"How you coerced all these creatures to join your cause and how you defeated the creature you called D. We will study your methods and determine if any practical tactics can be created that may apply against future inter-dimensional incursions."
"Hey D!" I called out. He had made himself a nest at the rear of the throne room out of tarps and sheets, and was sleeping in his demonic canid form. With a great show he yawned, stretched, and got up, plodding towards the throne.
"What is it, Sarah? I was having a nice dream."
"This unicorn want's to know about how I defeated you," I said, enjoying the look of terror on the mare's face as she fell back a few paces. D blinked his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear the sleep from his mind.
"Sarah, you haven't beaten me in anything since I started taking advice from Machina in chess."
"It- it's still free?!?" the messenger said wide eyed. "Restrain it!! NOW!!!"
"D's not an it, D's a he," I said, becoming increasingly annoyed with the messenger. "And I'm not restraining anybody, unless they've done something to deserve it. Besides," I scoffed "you're not the boss of me!"
D leaned against my throne and grinned at the mare. It was a menacing grin, far too many teeth. The unicorn, to her credit, managed to regain some composure and even took a step forward, though she was still several yards back from where she had been standing initially.
"Then if you have not defeated this creature, you must provide information on how it was commanded or tricked into restoring the castle."
D raised an eyebrow and gave me a questioning look. "OK, I need to stop sleeping through court, someone give me the cliff notes."
"I didn't trick him into doing anything. He offered help after our altercation was talked out."
"You got your spirit to do all of this just by talking to him?" she asked, seeming amazed. "We may have to employ you as a diplomat."
"I got my friend to offer a bit of help, but he didn't do most of the repair." I leaned back in the chair. "Nightmare did that."
She glared at me, and let out a loud harrumph.
"What?"
"I understand that you are bored out here, trapped in your castle, amassing your army, and toying with me when I'm here to offer aid and assistance, but that is just one joke too far," she said, a stern look on her face like she was a teacher scolding a naughty student. "Nightmare is bound to you by the Elements of Harmony, and their hold has been known to last hundreds of years."
"Really?"
"Rumors that you have control over her and can let her out at will are simply that: rumors and nothing more."
"Want to bet?"
I wasn't aware that technicolor ponies could go pale like that. It made me wonder what the white ones did. "The stories are true."
"Calm down," I said, waving my hand and showing off the geas. "She isn't free by any stretch of the imagination. She's locked down by the seal just the same way I am."
She settled, albeit not so far that she lost the worried look entirely. I tapped my fingers on the throne thinking for a bit.
"I am not, at this time, willing to accept your terms. While I have no army, I have no wish to see those who are here be thrown out on a whim. I also will not simply hand over this castle, though I might be willing to sell it for a fair price. Take these requests back and return in one month with your answer. If a potential resolution is reached before then, feel free to start pony mail service to the castle via pegasus."
"I shall take your requests back, but I do not think you will get much for a tainted castle, nor much consideration for a traitorous army." She huffed, prideful and turned to leave.
"Escort her out please," I commanded. "Thank you for coming."
"Have a pleasant flight," D said with a slightly sinister tone.
She shuddered and trotted a little faster out of the court. Conversation started back up, mutterings and half sentences reaching me on the throne. I noticed the gleam of metal as a few coins changed paws.
A week later and I was certain the diplomat wasn't going to come back anytime soon. I was talking with all the representatives, even Pio, trying to determine what to do next. A small war room off of the main court served to give us some privacy, and also provided us with a useful blackboard to list concerns. We had indeed run out of paper.
"It appears that concerns fall into two main categories," I said after listing over two dozen items by all those assembled. The lists contained everything from bandits and bad weather to internal struggles. "Internal and external. The internal ones we can work out with a council or congress, similar to what we are doing now."
"A council such as this often advises leaders, your Majesty," Thomas said, munching on a bowl of peanuts. "Though I've never heard of one with this level of diversity."
"Right, well, get used to it," I said. "This council is going to be official from this point forward. Your job is to both bring forward problems and to work out solutions to those problems."
Everyone nodded, though I saw Zaephir eye Thomas and Reggie warily. I made a mental note to have the three update me on the history between their races. The last thing I needed was a centuries old grudge sparking a war in my castle.
"Next are the external concerns, which appear to be mostly attacks by bandits, attacks by monsters, and shortages that we cannot overcome here in the castle. We need some good international connections that we can lean on for support when times are tough and depend on for military aid."
"That is going to be a little difficult," Red said. "The canid tribes won't support us with the Rovers here. You know our history Sarah."
"Roughly," I admitted. "I gather the same is true about the rest of you as well?"
"Most of the gryphons are just old or wounded and would live in disgrace in the empire, but there are a few more unfavorable types: deserters, drifters, etc. The Empire won't harm us, but it won't help either."
"The minotaurs are simply a small band who did not wish to follow our leaders. It's either live free here or return to a life ruled by faith and law. My government won't aid us because they won't support an alternative to bowing to their rule."
"In my tribes support you can surely count, though I could not guess at the amount," Zaephir said.
I turned to Pio, who lowered his head. "We six are all we know. I doubt my swarm is in any condition to offer aid of any kind, nor would I ask you to take it." Everyone else looked a little relieved, and I was worried about just how disliked the changelings were.
"OK, so we can't ask directly. What about indirectly? We could petition for aid from potential backers and businesses within each kingdom. Or maybe we could use a little trickery for support."
"What do you mean?" Reggie asked.
"Okay, say that the gryphon's don't like the control the minotaurs exhibit over their citizens. Would they support a kingdom that offered them freedom?"
"It's a fine idea, but it falls apart as soon as a single diplomat sets foot in the castle," Pio pointed out. "And while independent backers might offer up funds, I don't think we have enough diplomatically inclined creatures to keep up the steady flow we might require."
"OK, so how about inviting some diplomats and backers here and asking for their support formally?"
"A small fledgling kingdom like ours isn't going to attract much attention, and if we take too long or call them in the wrong order it will send the wrong impression," Reggie said. "We need something to get them all here at once and in a good mood."
"How about a party?" Red asked.
"A party," I said in as incredulous a voice as I could manage.
"Yes, your majesty," Red replied.
"You want to hold a party."
She bowed her head. "It would improve creatures opinions of you if you did something other than sit in a castle all day with your army waiting for the outside world to respond."
"It's not an army," I muttered.
"Anyway, I thought it would be a grand idea to hold a party in the castle your majesty. A festival of ours is coming up. It doesn't translate well into Equestrian, but roughly it's the Bittersweet Harvest."
"And what do you do during the bittersweet harvest?"
"Dress up in costume, drink, dance, and generally party."
"Sounds like the ponies Nightmare Night."
A canid Nightmare Night? This sounds interesting.
"It falls on the same night this year actually, but there is more to it. It is a little hard to describe."
"Go on," I leaned forward.
"It is the day of crossing. From moonrise to sunrise those who have gone before us may come visit."
I sat up straighter. "Are you telling me that you want to host a costume party and a number of the guests will actually be dead?"
"If that's alright with you."
I sighed and pinched my nose, shutting my eyes tight for a moment. "You want me to have a party in a dark castle with undead guests and you think this will increase my popularity. That is the party you want to invite diplomats to."
"With all the work Nightmare has done, this castle is probably the best place to hold a Bittersweet Harvest party. This is the time when the veil between the worlds of living and dead is the thinnest, and your presence makes the veil extremely thin. That's why our departed can come visit us on this night."
There was a cough from my right, and I turned to Reggie. "Yes?"
"Actually, there is a tradition for the Gryphons coming up as well. It's called the Ghost Flight, and it commemorates our victory over ghostly spirits of icy rage."
So that's what happened to all the wendigos. I'd always wondered.
"A Nightmare Night, Ghost Flight, Bittersweet Harvest party. The multi-species ball of the century."
"Hmmm," I tapped my finger on my chin. "Alright, I don't see any problem with this. I want each of you to draft letters to leaders, important political figures and potential financial backers you know of. I've never had a formal ball before. This should be fun."