Rising Sun, Mending Heart

by Eltirions

The Southern King

By the time Celestia and Flurry arrived back in Sunset, correspondence had arrived from King Talonuel III, giving a date for the meeting between Celestia and the rulers of the various nations that made up the Karthinian Pact. The meeting would be held five days, in the Talousian city of Chiazbeacle. That was reasonably close to New Mareland, and geographically pretty much centrally inside the Karthinian Pact.

Celestia didn’t mind the travelling; it was only a few hours of flight, after all. But she was not so happy about taking Flurry with her this time. New Manehattan was one thing, but taking her to a city in a country filled with Griffons speaking a language the filly did not understand a lick of didn’t sit right with her at all.

Still, leaving her in Sunset posed even more of a security risk, and there was the emotional damage such a thing might do to consider. So, in the end there was nothing to it: Flurry would have to come as well.

And so, the two of them were now standing in the entrance hall of the Chiazbeacle Castle, where the negotiations would be held.

‘’How long is it going to take, auntie?’’ Flurry asked.

‘’I have no idea, sunshine,’’ Celestia replied. ‘’But I’ll see you at dinner, in any case.’’

Which… wouldn’t be for four hours, at least. What fun.

‘’Princess Celestia!’’ a male voice called out from the stairs above.

Celestia looked up to see Garibald Talonuel III, King of Wingbardy, standing atop the stairs, flanked by a younger Griffon in a decorated uniform that had to be his son, Crown Prince Gumberto.

‘’It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Princess,’’ King Talonuel said as he descended from the stairs, followed by his son and two armoured Griffons, clearly knights and the guards of the King.

Celestia bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement. ‘’King Talonuel, the pleasure is all mine.’’ As the King came within the appropriate distance, she offered him her hoof, and he took it with his claw and placed the Griffon equivalent of a kiss on it.

‘’It has been a long time since we last met, Princess’’ the Griffon said as he raised his head up and looked at Celestia, who was only a little taller than him. ‘’You have not grown any less impressive since.’’

Flatterer. ‘’You flatter me, King Talonuel,’’ Celestia said. ‘’And I must say the same for you.’’

‘’Yeah!’’ Flurry suddenly piped up. ‘’Auntie said you had a moustache, but she didn’t say it was so cool!’’

Celestia could barely suppress a smile at her niece’s antics, as Talonuel stared at the filly for a moment, before chuckling heartily. ‘’I don’t hear such compliments from youngsters very often,’’ he said with a smile of his own, and judging by the astonished look Gumberto had painted on his face, Celestia felt it was a slight jab at the Prince.

Well, far be it from me to get involved in family affairs.

‘’So you must be Princess Flurry Heart,’’ Talonuel continued. ‘’Might I say, your mane is very pretty.’’

‘’Really? Thanks, Mr King!’’

Celestia really had to teach Flurry etiquette. At some point. Probably. Maybe.

Talonuel chuckled again. ‘’You’re welcome, Princess.’’

‘’Shall we get started on the meeting?’’ Celestia suggested after a moment. As fun as this was, they were here for a reason.

‘’As you wish, Princess,’’ King Talonuel agreed. ‘’Duchess Ginevra and Count Francis are already waiting for us in the dinner room. Shall we?’’

‘’We shall.’’

‘’Oh, and another question. Would you mind if my son stayed with your niece?’’

|-x-X-x-|

Gumberto Talonuel looked down at the young alicorn filly with a frown on his face. He would have rather been anywhere else than here, but Father had insisted he’d come, and Gumberto didn’t dare refuse him anything.

He carefully kept his expression neutral, despite the instinct to let his boredom and irritation show. The filly might not notice, but those two guards that Princess Celestia had insisted follow her definitely would. Gumberto didn’t feel threatened by them: he had two knights of the Guardia Reale with him, who would be more than a match for those two ponies.

‘’So, Principessa Flurry Heart,’’ Gumberto said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, ‘’is there anything you would like to do?’’

The young pony looked up at him, face scrunching up in what was sure to be intense thought. ‘’Can you show me around the castle? It looks really nice!’’

I have been relegated to tour guide. Was this Father’s plan all along?

If it was, Gumberto wasn’t very happy with it. But alas, there was little he could do about it.

‘’Very well,’’ he agreed. ‘’Follow me then.’’

Luckily, the owner of the castle had given the noble guests a tour himself the day before, and while Gumberto hadn’t paid as much attention as he probably should have, he’d still be able to show something of the castle.

‘’We shall begin at the entrance to the castle,’’ mostly because that’s the part I remember best, ‘’and from there we shall go up through the building.’’

‘’Okay!’’ the alicorn chirped.

One quick trip down the stairs and across the courtyard, they stood at the castle’s gate. Gumberto cleared his throat, then began to speak. ‘’The entrance to the castle was designed by the owner at the time, Countess Leonarda Panzica, who wanted to have something to suitably impress visiting nobles with. Hence, the detailing on the arch.’’ He pointed a claw at the intricate patterns carved into the stone, which showed tales of knightly valour by, who’d have guessed, the Panzicas.

‘’It looks very pretty,’’ the filly said. ‘’Who are they fighting?’’

‘’Their enemies, of course,’’ Gumberto replied. ‘’I don’t know the full history of the Panzicas, but they’re probably great fighters.’’ Though of course, this could be exaggerated.

‘’Did they have many enemies?’’

How the Tartarus should I know?

‘’I would guess so, yes. And by the fact they’re still living here nowadays, I suppose they won.’’

‘’Yeah…’’

‘’Come,’’ Gumberto said after a moment, ‘’let’s go back inside now.’’ No point in remaining outside now that they’d seen the gate.

‘’But I wanna know more about the gate!’’

‘’Well too bad,’’ Gumberto snapped. ‘’You can look at it later.’’ He didn’t want to bother with this stupid filly and her stupid questions!

Both of the Pony guards glared at him, and he glared back. They could fuck off for all he cared, he was the Prince of Wingbardy!

‘’Aww…’’

‘’You don’t have to follow,’’ Gumberto pointed out rather smugly. ‘’I’m sure one of the members of the castle’s staff could show you more of the castle, if you so wish. Frankly, I don’t care. I’m going inside.’’ And getting a drink.

‘’Okay!’’ Flurry chirped. ‘’Have fun!’’

‘’Thanks,’’ Gumberto muttered insincerely, before spreading his wings and flying off.

|-x-X-x-|

‘’Principessa, these are Duchess Ginevra di Chiazbini of Talouse and Count Francis IX Martlewing of Francistria. Unfortunately, due to some unrest at home, Baroness Margareth Featherin couldn’t make it. My lady, my lord, Princess Celestia.’’

‘’A pleasure to meet you both,’’ Celestia greeted the other two Griffons.

‘’The pleasure is ours, Princess,’’ Ginevra replied with a bow of her head.

‘’I-indeed,’’ Francis seconded.

‘’Well, now that we are all here,’’ Garibald said as he took a seat, ‘’Principessa Celestia, might I invite you to begin the conversation?’’

‘’Of course.’’ Celestia took a breath, then sought out and found the eyes of Garibald. He would be the most important to convince; if she got him onboard, the rest of the Karthinian Pact should follow suit.

‘’You are all familiar with the war that has forced me from my country,’’ she began, ‘’started by my corrupted sister. For the moment, she is still occupied with putting down the last remnants of open resistance against her rule across Equestria. But then, I fear, she will come for me.

But not just for me. No, while I still represent a threat to her on a personal level, she and I both know New Mareland cannot match up against her Empire in a war. That is, New Mareland cannot do so alone.

My aim then, is to make sure I am not alone in the coming fight. I would extend an offer of friendship and alliance to you, as I have already done to Président Rodier of Aquileia. An offer he has accepted, I might add. We will aid each other in times of war and peace both. I have also made a similar agreement with King Thorax of the Changeling Hives.

Technically I haven’t yet, but I will.

But, I fear Aquileia, Changelingia and New Mareland may not be enough to face my sister’s forces. And so, I come to you, leaders of the Karthinian Pact. We are neighbours, and should New Mareland fall to the darkness I am sure you shall be soon after.

And I am not the only one who is threatened. If the Empire in Griffenheim has a resurgence, which I suspect it will, then the South will soon find itself under attack from Herzland again. In this I would help as well.

That is my proposal then. A common cause against mutual enemies unites us, and while divided we may fall to the onslaught one by one, together we can be a force that will break their tyranny. What do you say to that?’’

Silence reigned in the room for a moment; a moment that Celestia used to take a deep breath again.

‘’Well, Principessa Celestia, I dare say you make a convincing argument,’’ was the first thing Garibald said. ‘’But, I see an issue with your plan: Wingbardy is not threatened by the Lunar Empire, and has no reason to be enemies with it. What keeps me from simply aligning myself with your sister?’’

You’re smart.

‘’You could do that, King Talonuel,’’ Celestia acknowledged serenely. ‘’But I do not believe it would be good for you or your kingdom. My sister wishes nothing more than to rule over all the world: such was the case a thousand years ago, and so I predict it shall be again.’’

‘’So she is like a storm,’’ Duchess Ginevra surmised.

‘’In some ways, yes,’’ Celestia agreed. ‘’You might be able to appease her, for a time, but you will not be able to do so forever,’’ she continued. ‘’One day she will come for you, or your descendants. She has time.’’

‘’So do you,’’ Garibald observed.

‘’The longer I wait with my return, the stronger Nightmare Moon becomes,’’ Celestia countered. ‘’Once she constructs a navy strong enough to best New Mareland’s own, she will attempt to cross the ocean and finish the fight. Of course she is, chiefly, a master when it comes to land warfare, but I am certain she can figure out how to fight a war on the oceans too.’’

‘’You intend to hide behind the Wingbardian fleet?’’

‘’I intend to have it by my side when I return to Equus,’’ Celestia countered. ‘’But I will not use it as a shield against my sister’s forces, King Garibald. On that you have my word.’’

‘’And what of our land troops?’’ Ginevra asked. ‘’I don’t want to see Talousian soldiers die on foreign shores for a land that isn’t theirs in any way.’’

‘’Neither do I wish to see that fate come to my ponies,’’ Celestia replied, ‘’but such is the cost of an alliance. In return for your soldiers in Equestria, mine will be in Griffonia.’’

Francis IX spoke next. ‘’Y-you said there w-were-e other aspects to t-this alliance?’’

Celestia nodded. ‘’Indeed. There are many companies and businesses in New Mareland that wish to expand their reach beyond its borders, and with Equestria falling away we are also in dire need of trade partners. I’m sure you can see how beneficial that would be for all of us.’’

‘’I-I can, yes.’’

‘’As can I,’’ Ginevra said. ‘’I’ll be frank: Talouse’s economy is not in the best of shapes, and any help to get it out of its current depression will be appreciated.’’

Celestia pointedly didn’t point out how New Mareland wasn’t all that much better off. That would just be bad sport. Instead, she simply inclined her head. ‘’In conclusion, I believe our nations can and would benefit from helping each other in these matters and more. The world has grown dangerous, and will only continue to do so for the foreseeable future, I fear.’’

‘’I agree with your assessment,’’ Ginevra said. ‘’And I think that, regardless of what my fellow rulers conclude, that on behalf of Talouse I shall accept this deal with New Mareland.’’

Huzzah!

‘’I-I will as well,’’ Francis spoke up. ‘’A-and s-s-so, I think, will my c-colleague.’’

Celestia inclined her head gratefully at both of them. ‘’Thank you.’’

That just leaves everyone’s favourite King.

Who was looking rather pensive. ‘’I will admit,’’ he said after a few seconds of silence, ‘’that the offer we have before us is tempting. But there are concerns that I have, and these concerns… they dominate my thoughts.’’

Well, shit. She wasn’t quite out of options, but she was getting there, and there was little chance any of her fall-back plans would be able to sway Garibald if he’d already made up his mind. Perhaps he had, and was simply humouring her for his own amusement. It seemed unlikely, but Celestia didn’t know him nearly well enough to say it was out of character.

‘’But,’’ Garibald continued, ‘’but but but. That and if are two words that I keep coming back to.’’ He looked at the table. ‘’What if?’’

And then he looked up at Celestia, and smiled as best a Griffon could. ‘’What if… what if I agreed?’’ He chuckled. ‘’Well, I suppose we will find out what happens, won’t we?’’

And he offered his left claw to Celestia. ‘’Principessa, you have yourself an agreement.’’

Author's Note:

Half a year later, we're back. Terrific upload schedule, I know.

Anyhoo, I do hope you enjoy!

Comments

[Martydi]

Celestia really had to teach Flurry etiquette. At some point. Probably. Maybe.

Nah, it's good for now. If they aren't taken in by Flurry, they weren't worth talking to in the first place.

‘’Well too bad,’’ Gumberto snapped. ‘’You can look at it later.’’ He didn’t want to bother with this stupid filly and her stupid questions!

Well he's a bit of a dick, isn't he?

[Eltirions]

11307810
True enough. And I'm told he gets better with age. Whether that holds true remains to be seen though

[The Great Scribbly One]

‘’Oh, and another question. Would you mind if my son stayed with your niece?’’

Either Gumberto or Flurry is going to learn something from this, sooner or later.

[ironwall]

Stability of both these agreements (as you can't call it pacts or alliances) depend heavily on two factors.
Less important - attitude od Nightmare, if she will behave like manic villain, then it's safe, BUT if she will be toned or even worse benevolent, then she may apply effective counter-diplomacy. Celestia's main argument is, how terrible and powerhungry is Nightmare, so her being reasonable will show Celestia as opportunistic liar (in eyes of griffons).
Second, more important factors is Thorax and his war performance. He better not get defeated by Nightmare too easily, or it will show Celestia as defanged and weak, risking both Rodier and Talonuel abadoning ship. Also Thorax isn't as militaristic as Chrysalis, while this Equestria is on total mobilization unlike canon one. So risk is great.

Good chapter, thanks Eltirion

[Eltirions]

11308048
Why not both?

[Eltirions]

11308165
Just wait and see. And thanks.

[SirCarrot]

These alliances sound good on paper, but will they actually hold up?

[Eltirions]

11316953
That remains to be seen...

[MoonlightRift]

Finally catching up on my tracking, glad to see the update.

[PonyDragon]

‘’So you must be Princess Flurry Heart,’’ Talonuel continued. ‘’Might I say, your mane is very pretty.’’
‘’Really? Thanks, Mr King!’’
Celestia really had to teach Flurry etiquette. At some point. Probably. Maybe.

Sounds to me like she is going good so far, especially considering her age.

‘’You don’t have to follow,’’ Gumberto pointed out rather smugly. ‘’I’m sure one of the members of the castle’s staff could show you more of the castle, if you so wish. Frankly, I don’t care. I’m going inside.’’ And getting a drink.
‘’Okay!’’ Flurry chirped. ‘’Have fun!’’
‘’Thanks,’’ Gumberto muttered insincerely, before spreading his wings and flying off.

King Talonuel: "You had one job. Just one job. It wasn't even particular difficult or complicated. And yet you managed to screw it up. How can I entrust you with guarding the kingdom if you can't even guard a single filly?"

Half a year later, we're back. Terrific upload schedule, I know.

Nah, don't stress yourself. Quality takes time.
Speaking of which, now that the "soon + two weeks" are finally over I should probably ask whether Zebrica exists in this story.

11308165
Indeed, and there is another point:
What if Nightmare Moon gets a similar idea like Celestia and contacts the Griffon Empire?
Especially if Grover VI is raised by the Archon he might be open to negotiate a deal...

[Eltirions]

11337089
Zebrica does exist but it shall play no role in this story beyond being mentioned a few times.

[Equestrian Count]

Gumberto Talonuel

. The dynasty is not called Talounel but di Almieri.

[Triglavian1]

To be fair, Nightmare Moon isn't actualy interested in world domination, her focus tree stop at new mareland before the last one "Empress of Equss"

It would be interesting in see how she will react in the diplomacy part...and, unless thorax can pull a six D chees move, i don't see him survive the lunar empire warmachine for long.