Silver emerged from the bedroom to find Fiddah approaching down the hallway. She perked her black ears at him and moved directly for him. "Are you feeling better, m'lord?"
Silver tipped his head towards her. "I am. Have you seen Shei?"
Fiddah moved around in front of him, blocking his way as she sat. "I have, but I would have your attention first, if I may? Now, I may be wrong in this, but if you are frightened, then lean on me more, m'lord. I know you are young yet, prince. I do not expect you to understand everything all at once."
Silver hesitated at her words, considering them. "Fiddah, have you spoken with Shei?"
Fiddah nodded. "Of course I have, m'lord. I want to make things easier for you. That's why I'm here." She raised a hoof and set it on his chest. "You owe me nothing, but I do ask that you let me try to make things easier."
Silver gave a cautious smile. "Alright, how is she feeling then? What does she want?"
Fiddah smiled back at him. "She's afraid, m'lord. As your servant her place was assured. Perhaps your wives would welcome her, perhaps not, but she would remain your servant. As it is now, everything rides on that encounter, and she fears she will be left with nothing. She has realized the error of her ways, of pushing so insistently." Fiddah tilted her head a bit. "It is not a servant's place to demand the heart of the one they serve. While you may ask for my body, and hold my heart in your caring hooves, we are not married, nor should we ever be."
Silver flipped an ear back. "Did she really give up on that?"
Fiddah gave a little smile. "If it means you'll take her back as a servant and never release her, she would gladly set aside the idea of trying to claim a portion of you. You scared her, m'lord. I can't emphasize the terror enough that she clearly felt when she fled to me and told me what happened. I know it was not malice on your part, m'lord, nor do I think you should chastise yourself. You're young yet, learn from it." She leaned in and nuzzled his cheek. "Rely on me."
Silver returned the nuzzle, rubbing snouts with Fiddah and breathing in her perfumed scent. He liked this mare, but as a servant. He carefully set the boundary. He would not marry this mare or make wild proclamations of love. "Thank you, for being there, and sorry for such a rough welcome. I need to set things straight with Shei."
Fiddah nuzzled into his chest before sitting back. "I am aware of your 'condition', m'lord. If you need to release tension, simply inform me." She raised a brow. "No emotional entanglements."
Silver flushed at her offer, tail swaying a bit energetically as some part of him wanted to take her up on the offer. The promise of a new mare to top appealed to some primal masculine desire. "That won't be needed right this moment. Our trip to Turkey should be rid of this, and let me be the master of things again." He glanced either way down the hall. "Do you know where Shei is?"
Fiddah turned and led Silver away. She knocked on a door lightly. "Shei, the master's here to see you, and he has good news."
The door opened after some hesitation and Shei peeked out. Spying Silver she gave a nervous smile. "Hello, master, or is it... I don't know." She sat down in the doorway.
Silver moved in and rubbed noses with her. "I'm sorry for scaring you so badly. I felt terrible, and I'm glad you were there to catch me when I fell, but I might have crushed you along the way."
Shei smiled a little. "That is an apt description, master."
Silver nipped softly at her ears. "Well let's move past that, shall we? I'm told you want to be my servant?"
Shei bobbed her head. "Forever, master." She put a hoof to her own chest. "You gave us the honor of being your first. I was being a selfish little foal demanding more, not knowing how much pressure I was putting on you in doing so, master. Will you forgive me?"
Silver nipped her nose, making her recoil. "One advantage of being first, is that your master is quick to forgive. Your smile is something that captivates me, so it is I that should be sorry for giving you less reason to show it to me." He threw a leg over her and hugged her close. "Thank you, for being here."
Shei snuggled in with him. "I'll always be here for you, master." She hesitated a moment, then looked past him, at Fiddah. "I should... Thank you, Fiddah."
Fiddah nodded softly. "That is my job. If you feel slighted by another servant, or Prince Silver Stars, you see me, and I will fix it. The same applies to the Prince. I will serve as the grease to keep this machine running smoothly, to the satisfaction of everyone involved." She moved closer to the two and added her own little nuzzles, detecting rightly that both would appreciate the physical reassurance of forgiveness and acceptance. "Let's put this all behind us. M'lord, the King had a message for you, for when you felt better."
Silver perked his ears. "Oh! I shouldn't keep him waiting." He rose up to full height and took off at a trot towards the throne room, with his servants trailing behind him, looking far happier than they had at the start of the day.
As Silver entered the room, a pony in fine garb shouted, "Announcing Prince Silver Stars, of Equestria!"
Wajdi nodded towards Silver. "Come forward, young prince. You're looking better today."
Silver smiled gently as he approached the royal couple on their thrones. "Oh, much so. I was simply overwhelmed by your land. It's so full of raw emotion."
Wajdi laughed at the words, clopping a hoof on the side of his throne. "Truer words were never spoken. I see you've brought Fiddah, and she looks well-settled in. She's a fine servant, and a master of her craft. I trust she'll serve you well in the years to come, as a small token of our friendship."
Fiddah bowed her head to Wajdi, but didn't speak.
Silver gestured at her. "She's already proving her worth. I'm told you had a message for me?"
Jawa nodded from beside him. "That we do. Turkey has sent a reply, welcoming you to their land. They expect you in five days, no more or less, for a stay of three days, again, no more or less. This will be Celestia's first visit there in quite some time, and clearly your first ever. We wish you luck."
Wajdi gestured towards a window. "Escorts will be ready to get you there at the right speed. I've already sent word back to the docks. We look forward to seeing you after that trip, to continue our discussions on local issues." He raised a brow, and Silver felt he was dismissed.
Silver nodded towards the two. "It will be a pleasure, and thank you for being gracious hosts. I'm glad Equestria has such fine friends." He turned and his servants turned with him, departing the court and moving off to find Celestia. "We should get ready to depart. There's nothing to be gained in delaying. Is there anything either of you need from here?"
Fiddah shook her head. "I require nothing but myself, m'lord, and your presence, of course. I have had little experience with Turkey or its people, but I will try to gather information for you along the way."
Shei smiled with nervous anticipation. "It can't be that bad? They're birds, right? I've dealt with griffons before, and they weren't too hard to deal with once you got to know them. We'll have your cure soon, master."
On their way back, they ran into Bottom emerging from a side room. She smiled and moved up to Silver. "You're looking a lot better now." She leaned in and nuzzled at Silver, who returned the gesture. Bottom gave nuzzles to Shei and Fiddah, seeming far less nervous about the contact. "You're all looking better, sir, ma'ams. Was there good news?"
Fiddah nodded. "Gather your things and be ready. We return to the princess' ship and then to Turkey."
Bottom clopped her hooves together. "Exciting! I'll get ready right away." She pranced off with a bounce in her steps.
Silver chuckled a little. "I envy her enthusiasm. I'm a little worried about how we'll be received by the turkeys. They sound easily frightened, and fear can lead people to doing very unreasonable things."
Shei nodded a little. "Then we'll just have to give them nothing to fear, master."
With a direction firmly in hoof, they all mobilized. They and Celestia were ready to go, and met at the carpet. Celestia settled in her place comfortably. "This rental is going to be a good ding on our discretionary spending, but I think it was worth it in the end."
Shei got the carpet up into the air, and they zipped quickly back to where the carpet came from, landing beside the other rugs smoothly. They marched as one through the city to find Oman had somehow beaten them to it.
"I returned after that dinner," he explained. "You would have to return here to get to Turkey, so here I am."
Celestia nodded at him. "Then claim an empty room for yourself, as a guest, but I'd better not hear of, see, or get any hint that you're badgering Silver, or we'll see how well you swim."
Oman frowned. "Such a sharp tongue, your majesty. You should speak more kindly to your elders."
Celestia put a hoof down before him gently, not even making a noise. "Yes, you should. When you're as old as me, you can demand more respect. Until then, start earning it."
Silver glanced at Oman, who was grumbling. "You know, she really is as old as they say."
Oman frowned at him. "Impossible. She's forty if one's generous in their estimation."
Silver chuckled softly. "She's practically immortal, Oman. Didn't you ask the king? He was still a foal when he first met her, and she hasn't changed a bit."
Fiddah rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows Celestia of Equestria is their god-princess. Ageless as the sun and just as benevolent, hers is the smile that your grandfather saw, and grandchildren will see. How have you not heard this?"
Oman waved a hoof dismissively. "Lies and propaganda. She probably switches off when she ages with other ponies to keep up the ruse." He turned away from the others and stalked off onto the ship.
Silver shook his head, then gestured to the stairs leading into the belly of the ship. "Let me show you where my servants stay, Fiddah."