Homeward Bound In Time
Chapter 7
It had been a long and stressful day for the High King of Gryphonia. The exhausted griffon had been up well before the rising sun, tending to his royal duties as the diligent leader he was. Within the span of the last few hours of his day, the king had sat through several meetings, most of which included more pressure from his senior military officials to do something about the growing number of Equestrian troops near the borders of their fair country. And as before, the High King continued his passive stance towards the Equestrians for fear of his daughter’s safety. He knew what sort of game the Equestrians were playing, and at the moment, he had no choice but to follow, or so he thought. It was at that moment a lone guard approached the king with a respectful bow, his spear at the ready and a look of seriousness adorning his face.
“Sir, we have an ambassador from the kingdom of Iron Cove requesting an audience with you,” the guard stated. The High King let out an exasperated sigh before shaking his head.
“I do not feel like dwelling into the realm of politics anymore today. Tell them I am busy and have one of the maids prepare a guest room. I will schedule a meeting with them in the morning.” The guard could only ruffle his feathers a bit in hesitation at his king’s response, a motion most unusual for someone of his occupation. It was only then that the griffon pulled out a small ring in view of his king.
“Sir, the ambassador said for me to give you this. She said you would know what it meant and the reason for her presence.” Shifting his tired eyes towards the small object, the king was quick to gain his second wind as he immediately recognized the ring in the guard’s hand.
“Bring me to the ambassador right now,” the king demanded. The guard was quick to obey the actions of his superior, though also a bit surprised at his sudden change of demeanor.
Before long, the guard and king were standing face-to-face in front of a well-dressed dark-blue unicorn.
“It is a pleasure to meet you High King of Gryphonia. My name is Carnia Iron Ore, ambassador for the kingdom of Iron Cove,” the mare respectfully greeted, followed by a courteous bow of her head.
“The pleasure is mine miss Iron Ore. Though if I might be so brash as to ask, how did you acquire that ring?” The king’s voice was calm and reserved, though also accented with a hint of anxiousness.
“Well, I suppose there could be multiple ways as to how I acquired such a ring, but that is not really your question is it? If I may be so blunt, but I think the correct question would be to ask, where is my daughter and is she safe?” the mare stated with a knowing smile. The king faltered but a moment, his wings anxiously twitching on his back before giving a defeated sigh.
“I have waited many months now for an update on the status of my daughter and those who hold her captive. It is a terrible feeling I would not wish on my worst foe.” The Griffon’s eyes soon locked with that of the ambassador’s, as a look of pleading took over his features. “Please, tell me not as the High King of Gryphonia, but as a worried father. Is my daughter safe?” Silence permeated the air between the two political figures. For her part, Carnia did not expect such an honest answer, though she respected it nonetheless. She had a loving husband and young filly at home, and would do anything within her power to keep them safe.
“I would like to inform you that your daughter is no longer being held as a prisoner in the kingdom of Equestria. She is safely sheltered within our walls and is currently recovering from the whole ordeal,” Carnia relayed with a gentle smile. Within seconds of hearing those wondrous words from the mare, the High King’s knees buckled before having his guard catch him in mid fall.
“Thanks be to the spirits of old for giving me strength during this time of trepidation.” The mare could only smile on at the scene before pulling out a large-red crystal from her satchel.
“I have been instructed by the leader of our fair city to open up a quick access portal so that you may meet with him. I must warn you though that I will not be able to open up the portal again for at least one full day, since I will have to recharge the magic in the crystal. That isn’t going to be a problem, is it?” The king was quick to recover from his earlier bout of surprise before standing upright with a determined nod.
“If it means being reunited with my daughter, then I have no objections to such a constraint.” It was at this time that the guard felt a sense of worry wash over him, not knowing if he could fully trust this so called ambassador.
“My king, I would like to suggest that we wait upon this decision. In no way am I discrediting the validity of the ambassador’s words, but how do we know she is telling the truth?” The mare frowned slightly at the prospect of being called a liar, though knew not to take it personally. The guard was just doing his job, trying to make sure his king was safe.
“We cannot be certain of her words unless I validate them for myself. Though when it comes to the prospect of my daughter, what kind of father would I be if I were to ignore even the slimmest of chances? So rest easy soldier, for if I should not return, then I know for certain that your queen is more than capable of ruling in my stead.” And with those final words, the griffon turned his attention back towards the mare with a single nod.
“Very well. I shall prepare the portal at once.” With a quick burst of activation energy from Carnia’s horn, the red crystal began to glow. Within seconds, a large portal of swirling magic had been opened in the center of the room, though the murky blue energies of the portal prevented anyone from seeing what lay on the other side.
“I would advise you to hurry, High King. The portal won’t stay open longer than thirty seconds,” the mare called out, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the new noise. With a final look from his hesitant guard, the High King fearlessly walked through the portal, only to have it close right after him. For now, all the guard could do was have faith.
After stepping through the portal, the High was quick to exit on the other side. Static from the immense swirling vortex of magic coated the griffon’s fur and feathers in an unpleasant but bearable feeling.
“Good evening to you High King,” A voice soon called out, pulling the griffon from his thoughts. Sitting at the opposite side of a small, rectangular table was what the griffon could only describe as a short, hairless minotaur without any horns. Despite his curiosity, the king gave a quick nod to acknowledge the greeting from the strange creature.
“Good evening as well,” the king awkwardly stated before looking around the small conference room. Picking up on the feelings of the king, Derrick let out a hearty chuckle before motioning towards an opposite seat.
“Yes, you have come to the right place. Please, have a seat. Dinner is about to be served and I’m sure you must be famished.” While hesitant at first, the king once again nodded before cautiously walking towards an empty chair before taking residence upon it. As if on queue, the door to the conference room opened, revealing a cream-colored unicorn pushing a large metal cart with several covered dishes on it.
“Ah, Butter-Cream. It’s about time you got here. I was literally about to start gnawing my arm off I was so hungry,” the human playfully jested. The mare could only roll her eyes as she started to levitate all of the dishes towards their respective spots.
“You know good and well it was your fault for missing lunch this afternoon. If you hadn’t been screwing around with Copper in that workshop of yours, you wouldn’t be attempting to maul yourself for sustenance right now,” the mare chided back with a smile. This only caused the human’s face to turn a light tint of red from the wording the mare used.
“Whoa, you might want to rephrase that Creamy. From the way you said it, it sounds like Copper and I are mixing business with pleasure.” The mare could only roll her eyes from the silly thoughts of the human before turning her attention towards the guest.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Butter-Cream, and I will be taking care of you all this evening.” She added with a bow before turning towards the door to fetch the rest of the entrees. Not even second passed before the mare slapped the human’s hand with a bolt of magic as he tried to sneak a peek under one of the covered dishes.
“Bad human. No peeking or eating until everyone has arrived, understood?” Butter-Cream scolded. Derrick quickly retracted his hand with a pout.
“You’re no fun, it’s just a bite” Derrick added before receiving another slap on the hand.
“What was that?” Butter-Cream questioned. The look on her face told the human everything he needed to know.
“N-Nothing?” Derrick replied while rubbing his hand. Seemingly satisfied with the human’s answer, the mare gave one more bow towards the griffon before dismissing herself from the room.
“I’m sorry about that. She’s usually not that much of a buzz-kill,” Derrick joked with an added chuckle before growing an ever-so serious expression. His posture mirrored his attitude, as he sat fully upright with his hands on the table.
“Now, I know why you are here, and I would rather not beat around the bush. To your first question, the answer is yes. Your daughter is here recovering from her time in Equestria. And for the time being, she is safe. The question I bet you are wondering though, is what it will take to get her back?” The air in the room dropped several degrees as a cold chill ran up the griffon’s spine. He had known this character for less than two minutes, though from his initial assumptions, he seemed like a rather likeable fellow, if a bit silly. However, his opinion changed drastically within the last few seconds.
The High King fidgeted in his chair, his wings twitching ever so slightly as he tried to feel out the situation. He knew he was at a disadvantage, especially when it came to his daughter. Though what really chilled the griffon’s heart was that look of confidence throughout his opposition’s expression. It was the same expression that smug, Equestrian ambassador gave when delivering the terms of princess Celestia and princess Luna’s terms to ensure the safety of his daughter. And just like before, it made him furious.
Gripping the edge of the table with one of his talons, the griffon tried his best to keep his emotions in check. It would pay him no advantage to let his emotional side rile up the logical aspect of his reasoning. So with practiced posture and articulation, the griffon gave his reply.
“Indeed. I rather dislike politics when it comes to certain situations. I would much rather prefer the bluntness of any individual as opposed to skirting around the question. So tell me, what will it take to get my daughter back,” The king stated in a firm and commanding voice. Silence soon descended upon the room again as Derrick lifted a hand to his chin in thought.
“Hmm, it is hard to say really. I mean, I could ask for a multitude of things from you such as your sovereignty, wealth, or perhaps your crown.” The human mused about the question for another minute or so before shaking his head with a smile.
“Though those things would be typical in fashion, I would like your opinion on the matter. If our positions were reversed, what would I have to trade to get my daughter back? And please, answer me honestly. I will know if you are lying.” Without even a second thought, the king gave his response.
“You inquire as to what I would need, for the safe return of your family? If you want my honest opinion, then the answer would be nothing. I have come to know the pain and fear of this situation. To wish upon every fiber of your being to cradle your child, to protect them from the hardships of this world. To apologize for not being there in their greatest time of need, to know you have failed your most sacred of duties as a parent. To show them how much they mean to you and to tell them, if but one last time, that you love them more than any words could describe. I would never wish this upon any foe of mine. And if given the chance, I would lay down my wealth, kingdom, and life to correct this mistake as any good father would.
So don’t you dare sit there with that smug grin on your face and ask such a simple question. My daughter means more to me than life itself. So how dare you fucking bargain with her life like it’s some sort of game!” The king screeched. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but as his true feelings about the whole ordeal surfaced, he couldn’t help but raise his voice with a few tears in his eyes. It was also during this time that the griffon had failed to notice something else entirely.
Using his right hand, Derrick began to twirl his index finger around in a circle with his signature grin plastered on his face. As if finally noticing the extra presences in the room, the king slowly turned his head towards the door as his voice suddenly left them. Standing at the entrance was another griffon, clad in a beautiful, dark-blue sequined dress holding her hands over her beak with watery eyes. The two continued to stare at one another, as if imagining the whole deal. But with seconds, both parties crossed the room before colliding into a loving embrace and tears.
“Dad,” Terra sniffled, trying her best to remain proper, but failing miserably in front of the human. The king was faring no better as his strong-brown wings enveloped the younger griffon with tears of joy. It was also during this time that a certain thestral came sauntering into the room with that all knowing smirk plastered on her face.
“How long were you two waiting outside?” Derrick questioned, only to be met with a gentle, but passionate kiss.
“Long enough,” Lumen replied with a giggle before taking a seat on the human’s lap. Derrick quickly wrapped his arms around the mare’s torso, pulling her close before burying his face into her back with a few kisses.
“So tell me Derrick. Was it worth trading that wretched alicorn for this griffon?” Lumen questioned quietly. All it took was once glance towards the opposite side of the room to reinforce his opinion with a gentle smile.
“Yes Lumen. It was worth it.”
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Awwwwwww> I love this chapter! Keep up the good work!
8277219
Hehehe. Thank you!
D'awwww, happy Griffies are best Griffies.
Something tells me that Equestria's terms with the gryphon empire might soon undergo some serious changes.
Good chapter, short, but good.
unfortunately this chapter seemed a lot to be desired an extra paragraph or tow would help wonders in bringing this chapter out a bit more. such as something like Derek inviting them to have dinner and expressing his good will and leaving room on the table for a future trade agreement or military treaty. or in the lines of "i would like us to be friends and here is my show of good faith."
D'awww, what a lovely chapter. Well worth the small wait :D
8277304
Yep, I've played enough civilization games to know where this is going(Domination victory time!!)
Ah, my favorite Gary Tzu is back
8282054
Hehehe.
So anything else or is this it? I don't like seeing good one's go to waste bud.
8463472
true but still both are still good point