Artex folded his formal robe into his shoulder bag then took one last look around to make certain he had packed everything. Oriana and Razor Wit were already packed and ready to leave. They had agreed to meet him at The Melting Pot for lunch before the three of them left. Artex checked the drawers and closet and bathroom, where he realized he had forgotten to grab his toothbrush. Taking the orally hygienic brush in hand, he stuffed it into his shoulder bag and checked the room again. Satisfied that he had packed everything he needed, he clasped the bag and left the room, holding the room key in his hand so he would remember to drop it off at the front desk to check out of the room.
He pushed open the door to the stairs and came crotch to face with Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis. He stepped back quickly, "Oh sorry you two!"
The Unicorn couple never batted an eyelash, "Quite alright Mr. Emissary, quite alright." Fancy assured him, "We were coming back to our room to shower before we go back to the hospital."
Fleur-de-lis spotted his shoulder bag, "Ah, are you leaving already?"
Artex smiled down at them, "We are. We'll be back soon enough though. We're only going back so we can gather the rest of our belongings. We should be back in a day or two. We've commissioned a local stallion to frame a home for us. He even let me design it since we paid him in full for it. We had to drain almost all of our accounts to do it, but now all we have to do is wait for it to be built."
The faces of the two Unicorns lit up brightly, "Ooh, are you going to build on that vacant lot at the corner of Cobblestone and Crown?" Fancy asked, "The one that backs right up to the orchard?"
Artex shook his head, "Nope. We did consider it though. We decided to have it built in that empty League of land on the North-East field just beyond the field. We figure that because it's between the quarry and town that it won't be used for farm land. Rifin wants his home out that direction too. He doesn't want his snoring to wake up everybody in town and we can just soundproof our walls. It's one of the only easy directions to expand in, so we figured we could give the builders a head start in that direction. Once we saw it, it was an easy decision. It will back up to the forest and we will have well more than enough room to raise a gaggle of foals. Granted it will be a little bit of a walk to get to town, but we can make the trip easily."
Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis both smiled brightly, "To be honest, we have been considering moving out here as well, but we have not come to a solid decision as of yet." Fancy reached into his vest and withdrew a pocket watch, "Oh dear, I apologize Mr. Emissary but we must be going. It was good to see you before you left though."
Artex bade the two Unicorns goodbye and continued down the stairs so he could return the room key to the hotel manager.
* * *
Oriana was happily sipping on a glass of orange juice while Razor levitated a cup of steaming chamomile tea in front of her face. The two mares were eager to get back to Ponyville and collect their personal effects, what little they had. Their bank accounts were very nearly empty, but then again the Princesses were supposed to pay them around noon and they each had seventy Bits worth of coins in their purses. The Bits would be deposited into their accounts by royal courier and the information relayed, via Communication Crystals, to the banks of both Ponyville and New Humansville. Banks were some of the very few businesses and establishments which brought in sufficient revenue to purchase and use such expensive crystals.
Razor and Oriana were happy with the table they had. It was small but then again, The Melting Pot was almost always busy. It was the only restaurant in town after all. As the Unicorn and Zebra took their time enjoying their respective refreshments, a stout clay mug filled with frothy beer clacked down on the table, "Which one of you two ladies is the First Mare with Artex?"
The two Sister/Wives both looked up into the mint colored face of Rose Thorn. Razor and Oriana exchanged a knowing look then turned back to Rose. They had discretely discussed the likely scenario for the previous two days. Razor cleared her throat primly, "I am the First Mare. Who here inquires about our stallion?" she asked using the traditional opening lines in regard to an interested new mare.
Rose nodded politely to Razor, "By your leave First Mare, may I have the honor of buying this meal to show my interest in your stallion? I have many qualities to enrich a home and am ready and willing to demonstrate them at your leisure."
Oriana could not hold back a chuckle, "If you're that formal with Artex, you're just going to confuse him."
Rose blinked thrice rapidly in confusion, "But... I thought..."
Razor smiled and sipped her tea, "We aren't that formal. I may have been raised according to tradition, but with Artex there is very little of tradition that he expects. He says what he thinks, we all do. Oriana and I both expected you to come to us sooner or later. You aren't very subtle in your flirting."
Razor hid a smile behind her tea cup as Rose sputtered then flushed with embarrassment, "I've made a fool out of myself. I should have known..."
Oriana loudly knocked on the table top with her left forehoof, "None of that now. You had no way of knowing." she leaned over the table toward Rose, "We have no issue with you, but the final decision belongs to Artex. He is the one who has to fall in love with you. We have to become Sister/Wives, but he is the one who chooses his wives. He may or may not decide to court you. The decision is his."
Razor gently set down her tea cup, "Our biggest question is, 'why'? Why do you wish to pursue Artex as your stallion? What has attracted you to him?"
Rose grabbed her mug of beer and took a huge gulp to hide her blush. She set it down with a clunk and belched loudly. She wiped her mouth with her left forehoof and leaned onto the table, "I want him because of his mind. He's a free-thinker and he tries to move forward with progress and modern thought. It was his motion which allowed me the chance to fulfill my dream of being a Civil Guard. My brother is one of the construction workers. I managed to trace one of his letters back to here, and let me tell you THAT took some doing. When I saw and heard what was going on, that females could join the Civil Guard, even if it was under a different name, I knew that THIS was where I was meant to be. My heart has been to protect others for a long as I can remember and here, in New Humansville, I have the chance to do what I love. Even before I found out about mares being willing to join the Guard here, I studied Avalanche, Granite Hoof, and Churning Soil. I surpassed the stallions in my classes and I have worked hard to be good at what I do. If I see something and I want it, I work to achieve it. Artex seems to have the personality that I want in a stallion."
Rose took another swig from her mug and set it back on the table, "The other Humans talked about him often enough and I listened. I trust my fellow officers with my life and if even half the things they say are true, and I trust that they are, then Artex is the kind of stallion I want. Many stallions are crude and impolite to their mares. They feel that because there is such a high demand for them, that they do not always have to conduct themselves properly. According to what I've heard, Artex was married before he came here. Rumor had it that one or two mares already had his eye and that some sort of medical mishap had left him unable to... fulfill his duties with Human mares... women. I also figured that because of his position that mares would be throwing themselves at him." she slammed her mug on the table, "Well I want to have a chance with him and I can tell you that no tail-flagging filly batting her eyes at him is going to get past me. I don't want to keep any worthy mares from him and I won't be in the way of either of you, but I want a chance to be loved and to love a stallion the way he deserves. I can't say for certain that we're compatible in personalities but if you let me, I'd like the chance to find out."
* * *
Artex walked out of the hotel and breathed in the cooling autumn air. Autumn was late in coming and winter was sure to be late as well. Such delays were to be expected. Towns did not just pop into existence the way New Humansville did. Most towns and cities took years of planning and there were many details about New Humansville that were mostly glossed over during the founding. Such details as informing Cloudsdale about a new town and surrounding land needing a full allotment of winter precipitation had been on that glossed list. Gale Force had been busy dealing with dotting every 'I' and crossing every 'T' to get the town it's seasons in proper order.
Artex liked the cooler weather, it pleased him greatly. The sudden addition of a pair of hooves next to his steps made him look down, "Oh hello... uh... Vaiawa right?"
The Changeling nodded very slightly. Her head was low and she was constantly casting her eyes all around as if wary of being attacked, "Y-yes sir."
"Oh PLEASE don't call me sir." Artex sighed, "It makes me feel like an old man."
"S-sorry Mr. Emissary. I just... wanted to talk to you." Vaiawa said slowly.
Artex shrugged as he continued walking, "Go for it. I'm on my way to have lunch with Oriana and Razor. You've met them right?"
"Y-y-yes. Um... who... who is paying?"
Artex' mind latched onto a possible reason for the odd question and he stopped on the spot. Slowly turning his eyes down to the Changeling who had also stopped, he pursed his lips pensively, "I believe Oriana is paying... why?"
Vaiawa looked down and scraped her right forehoof against the cobblestones, "I-I...," she took a breath and screwed up her courage, "I want a chance," she nearly yelled, "... With you."
Artex sighed and brought his right hand up to his eyes. He closed his eyelids and rubbed them in slow circles, "Oi...,"
Vaiawa looked away but spoke clearly, "I wanted to thank you for what you did with The Unity Pact. You offered us a place to live, somewhere outside of the hive AND with equal right as any other species. You gave us a chance. Alana told us about the encounter with Celestia that day. You didn't even know hardly anything about us before then, but you made certain that we had a chance. Chrysalis was a terrible Queen for us. She wanted everything her way and that is no way to deal with others. There has to be equal give and take. We give to this community and we take what we are owed for our labors. Maybe not everypony treats us as equals, but here we don't have to wear disguises or lie or imitate others. We can be ourselves here. No other place gives us what we have in New Humansville."
She reared up suddenly and planted her forehooves against his stomach, "You made that possible for us. You didn't have to. You didn't owe us anything but you helped us. You included those lines in The Unity Pact that gave us this chance. You did that of your own free will. Every Changeling in New Humansville owes you and every other Human a debt we can never repay. I love what you did for us! Your kindness gave us a home when we had nothing!" She was nearly in tears, "I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did for us."
She nuzzled her head against his stomach, "Please, give me a chance. Let me be with you. I have never seen somebody like you before. I know we don't know each other very well, but I want to be with you. You have a responsibility to your people and I have a responsibility to mine. Together we can help both our species and...," she closed her eyes, "... And I want to experience love. I don't just want to absorb it, I don't just want to take, I want to give something back. I can help if I am by your side. Mares are going to want you, by the drove, and I... I want my chance before you decide. I can give you babies too. As Changelings we can turn into other species and as long as we stay in that form we can have offspring of that species. Please Artex, I'm willing to do whatever you need. Just give me a chance. I can be anything you want me to be... please," she sniffed, "I can't imagine any stallion ever loving me and the other Humans... I don't want them. You didn't care what we looked like when you helped us and I don't care what you look like either. I'm just asking for a chance Artex... please."
Artex looked down at her huge eyes, pools of blue with a new recent addition of pupils, "No," he quickly held up his finger before Vaiawa could say anything, "I don't want anybody who feels like they owe me anything. I don't want a servant, if I did I would hire one."
Vaiawa hung her head, small tears dripping down her fanged muzzle. Artex sighed loudly, "You should also know that tears don't always work on me. I may be dense, but if I think somebody is trying to manipulate me, I will distance myself like you never imagined..."
"I'm not faking!" Vaiawa cried looking up at him, "I'm not lying to you!" She pushed herself off his stomach, "I poured my heart out to you!"
Artex' face never twitched, he was like a stone, "I have to go back to Ponyville for a couple of days. While I'm gone I want you to think about why you want me to give you a chance. I'm not saying that I'll never give you a chance, but I need to know that you want to be with me for the right reasons. I'm not going to tell you what those reasons are, you have to figure that out for yourself. I need you to think about this and I need you to tell me what YOU want and why we should be together. I don't want to hear about what you feel obligated to do or what you think would be best for the other Changelings. I have to know that you want me for a better reason. If you can find a good reason for us to be together, then come find me when Razor, Oriana, and I return." He ran both his hands through his hair, "I'm not trying to be cruel Vaiawa, but marriage is not something to do for political or personal gain. It is something which lasts till death. With me it's a life-long commitment. I would have stayed with my wife until one of us passed away but fate had other plans. I am building a life here and I might be willing to include you in those plans, but it must, it MUST be for the right reasons."
He straight and straightened out his shirt, "Take some time... and think about it. If you find a good reason, then come find me when we return." He knelt down and opened his arms, "Come here... please."
Vaiawa slowly approached him. When she was within reach, he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, laying her head against his chest, "Come on, no more crying." He reached down and tilted her chin up, "I don't hate you and I'm not upset. I just want you to really think about why you really want to be with me." He reached up his hand and pointed her right between the eyes, "Take the reasons in here," he then pointed to her chest, "And compare them against the reasons in here. If something matches, then come find us when we get back. Okay?"
Vaiawa sniffed and nodded, "A-alright, I will. I promise."
Artex squeezed her gently then broke the hug and stood up, "I'll see you later. Remember to think about what I said."
Vaiawa waved at him shyly as he turned a corner, "I will," she whispered, "I will Artex."