She was true to her word, and Orange was made to service several of the women with his fangs, drawing their sweet blood, ick... "Must I?" Orange tried to look assertive, but his opinion wasn't very highly valued at that moment. "I'd rather have a nice apple..."
Wolf gently pet over the top of his head. "Be patient a moment. It'll be worth it in the end, but you still have a decision to make."
"What's that?" Orange looked at the changing pony-women. "Why are some of them just waiting like that?"
Wolf gave them a sneer. "Guess some people prefer to go all in if they're going at all. No harm in that."
"But the only one that can do that..."
"Is your master." Wolf hiked a thumb at the tower. "Which brings us back to the question you have to answer. The way I see it, there are really just two ways we can go from here. You can defeat your master and become the new master, or he's going to realize he'll never have peace so long as ponies live in his castle, and that's game over for all of us."
"This isn't a game." Orange's ears wilted and he spoke with a petulant pout. "How can you even consider that? He's an ancient vampire. I'm... well, I'm a horse." He lifted his hooves. "I have sharp teeth and wings, but that's about it."
Wolf scratched him gently under his furry chin. "Enough whining, because we don't have time for it. I think you can do it. Do you?"
Orange licked his lips and looked between each woman and mare in turn. "Is it really my choice?"
Wolf held up her hands. "I've pushed enough. You're in the spot. This is your chance. You gonna take it or not?"
The other women began asking much the same. Soft clopping announced the arrival of the other ponies, and their questions mixed with the inquiries of the newest members of the family. It all felt like a chaotic mess to Orange and filled him with a rising anger. What had he done to deserve the situation?
Nothing. Few are those that specifically earn what they get. Few... but Richard. He brought down a hoof in a clop. "Enough. Enough enough." He felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest and put a hoof to it. Despite it, he pushed forward with his speech. "I'm done. Enough!" He was knocked back as if punched in the chest and flopped across the ground. "Enough..."
Things were quiet for a moment as Orange pulled himself to his hooves. "I'm taking charge. I won't be told what to do anymore. Not by him--" He thrust a hoof up at Richard's tower. "--not by you!" He pointed accusingly at Wolf. "I am now lord of this castle and we're going to follow my rules." He threw down a hoof. "Now you're either with me, or get out." He thrust that angry hoof at the still-open gate. "Now."
Wolf gave a soft mmm as if she had just tasted something pleasing. "Now there's the stallion I knew was hiding in there."
Lilly took a cautious step forward. "Are you kicking me out, uh, sir?"
Orange sat up, his chest pushed outwards in a proud puff. He felt in control, and it was a cloyingly addictive sensation. "That depends." He smiled at her, baring his fangs. "Do you and your new coltfriend bow before me?"
The ponies threw themselves before him with a chorus of bodies striking the courtyard tiles. Orange giggled a little. He wasn't used to being in charge, but it felt so good. "You." He looked to the new women, some quasi-ponies like Wolf, others not yet changed. "Kneel!"
Some of them fell, but others remained standing, and that made him annoyed. He felt a new fury building in him. "Then you are banished. Go, get out! Nobody needs you anyway." His wings flapped at them dismissively. More potently, his more-loyal followers rose and began herding the disloyal away even as the ejected griped and complained.
With a bang of the gate being closed and locked, Orange knew the castle was secure. Almost... He turned slowly, looking up at where Richard rested. "One more thing to handle..."
Wolf put a hand down on his shoulder. "I'm with you."
Lilly nuzzled in at one of his sides, followed shortly by Sunrise and Sunset. He wouldn't have to go alone, but... "This could be dangerous. No, this will be dangerous. I would be just as poor a master as he if I took you with me. I have to face this alone... win or lose."
Wolf ruffled his mane and scratched at his ears fondly. "Then you go and kick that dusty old bat out of his belfry so we can get to ruling this castle properly."