//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: A Convenient Arrangement 
// by Juntao112 
//------------------------------//

Amber liquid swirled around in the glass Adjutant held, slowly dissolving a pair of icecubes. She sighed and downed the glass in one gulp. The glass slammed against the arm of her throne as the liquor burned its way down her gullet.

"I don't know what ponies were thinking when they invented alcohol," she muttered to the empty throne room. "This stuff is terrible."

She picked up a bottle marked "Mareson Bourbon" and poured herself another glass. "It's a poison, depressant, and disinfectant rolled into one. Absolutely vile."

Adjutant guzzled the next glass in a manner that would have put a sailor to shame. "And they let it rot for years!"

"Um, couldn't you say the same for royal jelly?"

Adjutant startled and nearly dropped the glass on the floor. She looked up to see Ace Gambit standing in front of her. "What are you doing here, drone?"

"Well, um, I'm also acting librarian for the castle archives, so I thought I should, um, be actively archiving the castle library?"

"...fair point." She summoned another glass and poured him a shot of whiskey. "Come drink with me."

While he was far from the ideal changeling, Ace was smart enough to know the difference between a request and an order. He dutifully marked up to her side and took the glass. "I take it the date did not go well?"

"About as well as could be expected, considering I chose a pegasus with more baggage than a freight train." She sighed. "What ever happened to him to make him so...forlorn?"

"In order?" Ace took in a deep breath. "Abandoned as a foal, adopted by a rogue noble house at age eight. Extensively tutored in academic subjects, martial arts, and subterfuge. Subject to numerous, and highly illegal, hypno-conditioning sessions to ward against mind control and enhance loyalty to the house and Equestria. Successfully carried out many missions, but left after an assassination due to ethical concerns. Enlisted in the army, and deployed to fight in Saddle Arabia. Most of his company was killed; he received a battlefield commission to lieutenant, and was selected for the Special Air Service along with his closest friend. Said friend was an infiltrator who betrayed his SAS team when they tried to infiltrate one of our hives. Friend got cold hooves at the last minute and died trying to save him, which resulted in him being the sole survivor of the mission. Sent to Ponyville to help Princess Twilight flush out changelings, ended up derailing Chrysalis's attempt at reclaiming defectors hiding in Ponyville and kidnapping of Princess Twilight. Killed in action, resuscitated, and out of commission for half a year. Reconciled with his family during that time, and later lead an illegal attempt to liberate hostages from Chrysalis's primary hive, which exposed his house's existence and incurred severe sanctions, but you were there for that." 

"You..what? I…that..." Adjutant stuttered for a while longer before she managed to regain control of her mouth. "I haven't even been able to get so much as his official service record! How in Tartarus did you learn all that?"

"Oh, he bought a full set of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roaman Empire from me last month. We've been talking whenever I drop by the castle, or he visits Ponyville." Ace took a sip of the whiskey. "He's actually pretty interesting. He's been teaching me magic."

"Are you saying that the pegasus who lives in a dungeon is teaching you magic?"

"Well, he can't do it himself, but he knows a lot about magical theory. It's really quite fascinating."

She fixed him with her hardest glare. "And you learned all of this by talking to him."

"Yup! Just by being friends."

"Why?" Adjutant swayed on her throne. "Why would he tell a changeling such sensitive information? A lowly drone, no less!"

Ace narrowed his eyes for a moment, before shaking his head and putting on a smile again. "Oh, a lot of it's public knowledge you'd pick up if you hung around Ponyville. As for the rest, well, he actually does seem to like me. Imagine that!"

"Ah yes. You buy into the whole "love and friendship" thing that the ponies have going on." Adjutant leaned back against her throne and sighed. "What's the secret? I mean, how does it work?"

"It's not easy, but I think the basic idea is that you value someone else's welfare on roughly the same level as your own for someone you love and care for. I know it sounds crazy, but it works!"

"Hm." Adjutant drank her whiskey slowly as she thought about how she had felt towards Thunderball right before she had left him to his dreams. "Yes, it does sound crazy. I'm not sure I can risk so much for an uncertain payoff. You understand, don't you?"

Ace gave her a pat on the back. "I know it's not my place to give advice, but I think you should give it a try. Fortuna Audaces Juvat, after all. It'll be worth it if he reciprocates and you'll have learned more about love even if he doesn't."

Adjutant nodded. "Yes, I think you're right. A leader must take risks, and seek knowledge no matter the cost. If I did anything less, I would be a coward and unfit to rule." She fiddled with her hooves. "Besides, I...I do rather like the thought of seeing him smile."

She turned towards Ace and gave him a nod. "Thank you for talking with me. I do trust that, as the only changeling employed as librarian and archivist, you will have the good taste and judgement to not mention this conversation in front of the others?"

Ace's mouth went dry at her predatory gaze. "Oh, you know me, I hate to gossip." He gave a weak laugh, and glanced at the exit. "Well, I've bothered you long enough, so why don't I leave you to your own affairs and go back to cataloguing books."

"You're such a bright drone," Adjutant cooed. "Do stop by more often. I think I might have a permanent position for you on my staff."