The Princess and the Kaiser

by UnknownError

Part Sixty-One

Grover stood before the large map on the table, shuffling through reports with his claws. The map had not changed as much as he wished it to, but it was pointless praying for a miracle. A little wooden alicorn had been added to the figures on the map, standing over Manehattan alongside several metal griffons. The alicorn had been poorly carved; it was a simple pony with a stubby horn and bumps for wings.

Grover also pointedly ignored the two knights standing straight at the doors to his makeshift office. They were not quite staring at him, but the two were wearing helmets. They could be staring at him, or asleep standing up. The knights stood very still, not even rustling their wings over the slung assault rifles. I should shout at them and see what happens, Grover thought. Probably sleeping. He opened his beak, but reconsidered and slowly closed it with a clack, looking away.

Flurry Heart abruptly kicked open the double doors with a hoof. Benito followed her with a half-drawn saber and a worried snarl. The guards jumped and flared their wings, grabbing their rifles and whirling around. The one on the left shoved his rifle against her muzzle.

Flurry slapped the gun barrel out of her muzzle with a wing. “Safety’s on,” she grunted in Herzlander. The alicorn didn’t look at the rifle.

The knight quietly shifted a claw and flicked a switch. His wings jittered.

Flurry Heart was wearing the same purple uniform she wore when she met Grover; the sleeve on her left foreleg was rolled up and a bandage stuck out above the high white boot. The threads around the flank skirt had begun to fray.

Grover adjusted the cuff on his brown coat, then carefully placed the Reichstone back on his head. The padding needed to be replaced, but his pants and shirt were freshly ironed and pressed. He took his claws off the table and stood on all fours, extending his wings. “Princess.”

Flurry stopped at the end of the table, standing where Katherine stood. “Kaiser.” Her eyes had bags under them. The alicorn flared out her own pink feathers, then refolded her wings against the uniform. “Your messenger said you demanded my presence.”

“I said you were to come at the earliest possible convenience.”

Flurry pursed her lips. “Oh. Well, that’s not what your goon told me.”

Grover flicked his eyes to Benito. “Gallus deals with communications from now on.”

Benito nodded. The dog slowly sheathed his sword.

“What do you want?” Flurry asked bluntly.

Grover took a deep breath and shoved down the anger. “If there is a better time for this-”

“I’m busy. And I’m here. What do you want?” Flurry repeated.

Benito snarled and half-drew the sword again.

Grover’s tail swung against his rear leg. The feathers on his wings spread out in an instinctive show of aggression. “I want,” he snarled in Herzlander, “for you to…”

He trailed off, staring above her muzzle. Flurry wasn’t wearing her hat, and her mane had grown into a patchwork collection of pink and purple stubble. Grover’s eyes stopped above her mane.

“Benito,” Grover said flatly.

The dog swallowed. “My Kaiser?”

Grover’s eyes did not leave her horn, nor did he blink. “Why is the Princess wearing an inhibitor ring?”

“The guards insisted,” Flurry shrugged.

Grover slowly turned his head to stare at Benito. “Which guards?”

“The ones at the front entrance,” Flurry answered again.

“You mean my guards,” Grover connected. “The dogs that report directly to Benito.”

Flurry shrugged a wing.

“My Kaiser,” Benito tried with a low whine, “I swear to you that I did not order this.”

“Find who did,” Grover ordered bluntly. He turned back to Flurry and blinked. “I am surprised you allowed them to do that. Benito, remove the ring.”

Flurry clicked her tongue and her horn glowed. The magic gathered at the base of her pink horn and stopped at the ring. For a moment, the golden magic wobbled, then the ring fired off the top of her horn and embedded itself in the ceiling. Some plaster drifted down onto the table. A wave of magic washed over the room, knocking some of the metal figures on the table down and scattering loose papers. The wooden alicorn stayed upright.

Benito, Grover, and the two knights stared up at the hole in the ceiling. Flurry glanced up at the roof and her horn glowed softly. The melted ring tumbled down and landed on the map, smoking. Flurry levitated it up and tossed it over her shoulder. One of the knights caught the ring in a gauntlet and squawked from the heat, nearly dropping it.

Grover paused. “I recall one ring being quite satisfactory in Aquila,” he eventually managed.

“I was ten,” Flurry responded evenly, “and I could’ve blown that one off, but I would’ve taken out most of the building.”

“Celestia wears a ring during the River Games.”

Flurry gave Grover a severe, half-lidded stare. She smacked her lips.

“I see,” Grover said neutrally. He looked again at Benito and narrowed his blue eyes. “Find who ordered it.” He pointed a claw at the two knights. “Assist him.”

The knights slapped a claw to their breastplates.

“Dismissed,” Grover declared. “Leave us.”

Benito hesitated, but Grover’s angry glare at the pause made him back out of the room. The two knights followed. One gingerly picked up the inhibitor ring as he left, tossing it between his claws. The other shut the doors behind him. They closed with a dull thump.

Grover picked up one of the fallen little griffons and placed it upright on the map. Flurry’s horn glowed again and the remaining figures were lifted back into their positions. Flurry stared at him; Grover ignored her and pushed one of the changelings slightly to the left with a talon, then looked up at her.

“How was the journey back?” Grover asked in Equestrian.

“None of the Herzlanders tried to slit my throat and toss my body off the ship, but I could tell they wanted to,” Flurry said sardonically.

Grover looked to the Badlands in the southeast. The figures representing the stranded army had been moved back to the north. “The first shipments have docked in Baltimare,” the Kaiser stated. “It would have been an excellent forward base, but the communists are of no help.”

“Syndicalists,” Flurry corrected.

“We can use the rails to supply a southern push,” Grover continued. “The army retreated in good order with the aid of your bat scouts.”

“The Tzinacatl,” Flurry interrupted, “or Thestrals.”

“I thought they were called bat ponies,” Grover said idly, still looking at the map.

“Don’t call them just bats,” Flurry warned. “They’ll shoot you with darts and you’re not going to have a fun time.”

Grover glanced down at the bandage sticking out of her boot. Flurry followed his look.

“Nah,” Flurry waved a wing. “That’s intentional.”

“Any other difficulties?”

Flurry snorted. “Outside of being dragged here to make small talk, no.”

Grover clacked his beak and shoved a folder forward on the table. “These are the preliminary conditions to finance the rebuilding efforts. Right now, we are shipping fuel from the Reich. If we can get the oil from the Crystal Empire, we can advance quicker. Speed is paramount.”

Flurry unbuttoned her jacket and shoved the folder against her shirt. She rebuttoned the high collar with a flash of magic. “What else?”

Grover blinked and tapped a claw on the table. “Do you want to read it?”

“No.”

Grover’s beak twitched into a frown. “Why?”

“I said I was stupid and that you should write a list,” Flurry reminded him. “My ponies will look at it.”

“And you trust them?”

Flurry tilted her head and blinked. “Yes, I trust my command staff. How about you?”

Grover did not want to answer that question, and so looked back down at the map. “The fuel lines are the priority.”

The alicorn glanced at the map. “We can’t ship you fuel from the Empire.”

Grover exhaled. “And why not?”

“There’s one railway from the Crystal City to Canterlot.” Flurry pointed to the map with a feather. “Right now, it’s bisected by the shield, and Canterlot is controlled by the Hegemony. You want to build a whole new railroad from Manehattan to the Crystal City?”

Grover switched back to Herzlander. “That is not feasible right now.” He leaned over the table and his tail swung behind him. “We will revisit the issue when I take Canterlot, but I need a route through the Everfree.”

“There is no route through the Everfee,” Flurry replied in Equestrian.

“A large portion of the ELF remains within,” Grover said. “They have stalled the advance as much as the forest. My scouts disappeared. Your ponies can move through it.”

Flurry hummed and her eyes roamed over the figures. “You think you can take Canterlot before my birthday?” she asked. “How thoughtful.”

“I am not thinking about your birthday,” Grover replied.

Flurry’s ears pinned back and she lowered her head to look up at Grover from the table. “Aw, that makes me sad,” she answered in a high, grating falsetto.

An overgrown foal. “I expected far too much of you,” Grover snapped.

Flurry lifted her head up and stared down her muzzle. “You’re trying to take Canterlot in a pincer attack from the north around Mount Canterhorn and the south from the Everfree,” Flurry said in her normal tone. She pointed a wing at the lonely mountain, then at the small tanks to the north. “You’re doing it before they solidify their defensive line; you’re trying to force them to come to you to relieve the siege.”

“Yes,” Grover admitted after a long pause. “Canterlot is the symbol of Chrysalis’ victory. She cannot lose it.”

Flurry tossed her head back. “That’s how Starlight Glimmer lost,” she nickered. “Trying to rush to Canterlot.” She rolled her eyes. “I expected far too much of you,” the alicorn echoed.

“We have this fight now,” Grover said evenly. “Before the ground thaws and the rains come. Before the ground turns to mud. Our armies are dependent on speed. It is called Lightning War for a reason.”

“How are you planning on taking it?”

Grover picked up the wooden alicorn and placed it on Canterlot. “Your army. As much as you can scrape together. I am planning on encircling the city and forcing the Hegemony to respond. They will have to break through our armor to get to it.”

“You said you didn’t want to rely on my army,” Flurry countered.

“I do not want to,” Grover agreed, “which is why your only job will be holding the encirclement.”

“I have on-hooves units,” Flurry replied. “We can’t stand up to a mechanized army.”

“Chrysalis did not drive tanks and trucks up the mountain,” Grover scoffed. “The army stationed there is on-hooves divisions with pony garrisons. My tanks can cut them off. All you need to do is maintain the siege.”

Flurry stomped a rear roof. “I’m not sending them up Canterhorn to die.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Blow it off the side of the mountain.”

“I am not ordering my army to destroy the most important city in Equestria,” Grover laughed.

“I’ll do it,” Flurry sighed. She picked up the wooden alicorn in her aura and brought it close to her muzzle. “It’s basically hanging off the side anyway.”

“You think blowing up your home will endear you to your subjects?” Grover asked incredulously.

“Nope,” Flurry admitted. “I was born in the Crystal City, and I considered blowing that up too. You want us to hold it? Gimme everything you’ve captured from the Hegemony.”

“What?”

Flurry set the figure down next to Canterlot. “It’s all built for hooves and horns more than paws and claws. Are you even doing anything with it?”

Grover risked turning his back on her and walking over to his personal desk. The griffon shuffled through paperwork until he retrieved an inventory count and returned to the table. Flurry flicked her ears while she waited. She looks bored. “We have a good stockpile around Fillydelphia of captured equipment. Anti-tank rifles and planes,” Grover summarized.

“That’ll work,” Flurry plucked the paper from his claw with her horn and shoved it in a pocket. “We’re producing guns and logistical equipment, but the shield is bottlenecking our supply lines to a few tunnels. I’ll get everypony together. Let your soldiers know we’ll cross at Stalliongrad and take the trains to Manehattan, then Fillydelphia.”

“Just so,” Grover nodded. The Reichstone shifted slightly and he rebalanced it.

Flurry looked down at the map again. “Trying to shove tanks through the Everfree is pretty desperate.”

Grover did not dignify that with a response. “When will you leave?” he asked instead.

“After you tell me why you actually wanted to talk to me,” Flurry retorted.

Grover hesitated. “I meant when will you leave for the Everfree.”

“You didn’t dismiss all your guards to talk strategy,” Flurry rolled her eyes with a wry smile. She crossed the room and leaned against the wall with a glowing horn. “I can ward the room if you want, but there’s no eavesdropping spells.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Grover answered.

They stared at each other for a moment.

“I’m waiting, husband,” Flurry prompted with a smirk. She crossed her front legs.

“We are not married yet,” Grover replied.

Flurry waited.

Grover stared blankly at her.

Flurry looked to the side. “I’m getting older here,” she commented in Equestrian. “Might not matter for me, but probably matters to you.”

“Griffons and ponies cannot have cubs,” Grover finally said.

“A known issue,” Flurry agreed. “What of it?”

“I am the last of my line.” Grover felt the Reichstone weigh down his feathers. “My father was a fool not to remarry after my mother’s death. My dynasty will not end with me.”

“Okay,” Flurry shrugged.

“I will take a mistress,” Grover announced, “and she will bear my cubs. They will be legitimized and you will recognize them as the rightful heirs to the Griffonian Reich.”

“Okay,” Flurry shrugged again. “I don’t care.”

Grover clacked his beak. “You will be expected to remain faithful. We will be married before the Archons at Griffenheim.”

“Oh,” Flurry whickered. “You think I’ll run back to Equestria with a flagging tail, huh? Have my hunky guards form a line outside the bedroom?”

“There were always rumors about your mother,” Grover scoffed.

Flurry pushed herself off the wall and her horn sparked. Grover stood his ground at the end of the table. The alicorn stalked towards him slowly. “I’ve heard all the rumors,” Flurry began. “They got worse after her death. Probably Chrysalis. The Princess of Lust and her voracious appetite.” The alicorn stopped and tilted her muzzle down, less than a hoof from Grover’s beak.

Grover did not flinch.

“My mother,” Flurry carefully enunciated in Herzlander, “always maintained that Shining Armor was more than enough stallion for her.” She smirked down at the griffon. “She screamed it quite loudly and quite often, usually at night. It’s natural to be worried about your performance.”

Grover glared up at her. “You’ll be expected to bow before me and say your vows first.”

Flurry took several steps back from the table. She smiled with dazzling white teeth and dipped her forelegs in a half-bow with extended wings. “Like this?”

Grover did not immediately respond. “Lower,” he ground out with a snarl.

Flurry pressed her muzzle to the wood and lowered her hind legs. Her forelegs extended in front of her; the white boot and bandage scuffed the floor. Her large pink wings raised up from her sides with splayed feathers. “This?”

Grover stepped forward, stopping just before her head. Flurry’s horn stuck up from her head at an angle. Grover stood up straight and extended his own wings. Even nearly prone, her horn almost reached his chin.

Grover stared at her wings, how the feathers caught the light from the chandeliers in the high ceiling. They almost glittered like crystals. And they were larger. She was bigger than him. She always had been, even in that broom closet.

It is such a petty thing, Grover admitted to himself. Traditionally, griffons exchanged rings to signify an unbroken bond blessed by the Gods. His father died still wearing his wedding ring, even after all the years apart.

Grover looked to the boots. Hooves, he huffed. So impractical. As a test, he reached up with his left claw and held it next to her horn. He had to reach up higher than propriety would suggest appropriate, almost to his beak.

I will have to stand on a dais, Grover imagined the scene. She will approach on hoof from below, then bow. He reconsidered. No, that means I will have to come down to her. She ascends the dais, then bows a step below.

The griffon looked down to meet her pale blue eyes. Flurry blinked languidly and stared at his outstretched claw. Like this means nothing to her. His feathers twitched.

“So,” Flurry whispered, “like this?”

The fur around her mane was a lighter shade of pink, still filling in. It was noticeable when he stood that close to her. The alicorn also smelled like she hadn’t bathed in a week. She probably hasn’t. The smell is probably worse for her ponies and my dogs. She did not even wear a crown. Grover remembered her wearing a cheap golden band in pictures, but now she only ever wore that hat, if anything at all.

Grover’s neck hurt and the Reichstone shifted again. The movement made him lower his claw. Might as well get a stepstool, he snarled in his mind. Of course it means nothing to her, it would be a farce for all to see.

Grover stepped back and adjusted the Reichstone. Flurry Heart did not react.

She looks nothing like a Princess.

He stepped back again and watched how her feathers caught the light like little pink crystals, only matched by the spirals on her horn. Grover closed his eyes.

She looks everything like a Princess.

“Yes,” Grover said neutrally, “like that.” He beckoned her up with the claw and crossed to his desk. Flurry stood and cracked her neck with an audible pop. Grover turned his back to her and opened up a drawer. He brushed aside the purple Friendship Journal, considered the broom-handle Changeling pistol, then grabbed a small package wrapped in thin paper.

“Here.” Grover lobbed the package over to her with a claw.

Flurry caught it in her magic just before it would have impacted her muzzle. “Nice throw,” she said approvingly. “What is it?”

Grover sat down at his chair and picked up a folder.

Flurry unwrapped the package and beheld her silver tiara floating in her golden magic. It looked very small and delicate. She sat down on her flank and took it in her hooves.

“I told you I had it,” Grover said idly. He did not look up from the munitions count.

Flurry was very quiet. “I forgot about it,” she said in a small voice.

“What happened to your other crown?”

“It melted. To my head.”

Despite himself, Grover looked up. Flurry sat with the little crown in her hooves and ruffled her wings. “You survived?” he asked dryly.

“Alicorn,” Flurry answered.

“I suppose that explains the bald patches,” Grover allowed. “What happened to your leg?”

Flurry tugged off her boot and unwrapped the bandages. She tilted her hoof and held it up, balancing the tiara on her other hoof. Grover squinted at the figure-eight swirl. The fur around the scar was growing back white. “Magic burn?”

“Knife.”

Grover set the report down. “Did you carve that into your leg?”

“Yeah,” Flurry admitted. “Means ‘unity’ for the Tzinacatl. The Bat Ponies.”

Grover tilted his head and smirked. “Do you routinely mutilate yourself? I need you alive for the wedding.”

Flurry laughed. “Better than my ears.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Flurry waved her scarred hoof and rewrapped the bandages around her leg. She pursed her lips in thought. “Does Elias know about the deal?”

“What do you mean?”

Flurry rolled her eyes. “Does he know that I’m supposed to marry you? He didn’t know about your offer.”

“No,” Grover said flatly. “Field Marshal Bronzetail does not know.”

“Benito knows, right?”

“About your proposal, and some of Nova Griffonia. Gallus knows less.”

“Who else?” Flurry asked and trotted over. She levitated the tiara up placed it on her head. It was far too small and bounced between her ears. Her horn glowed and held it down.

“I do not make a habit of telling all my secrets to my command staff,” Grover chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Who have you told? Your changeling and dragon?”

Flurry tapped a hoof to her chin. She began mouthing names and counting with extended primary feathers. Grover waited for the alicorn to roll her eyes and laugh at him.

She did not.

“Blessed Boreas,” Grover sighed in Herzlander. “How many know?”

“Not that many,” Flurry shrugged. “A few Aquileians, some of the Nova Griffonians, the Herzlanders-”

“Did you tell Katherine?” Grover squawked.

“Yes?” Flurry replied.

“The one that tried to kill you?” Grover asked, caught between a laugh and a growl. “She showed up while you were gone with reports about the Hegemony’s front. She was quite disrespectful.”

“Sounds like her.”

“You truly think she is loyal to you?”

“Yes,” Flurry stated evenly. “She’s my friend.”

“You are a fool,” Grover muttered in Herzlander.

“It was foolish to tell Rainbow,” Flurry replied in his language, “and even she keeps her mouth shut.”

“Is it even a secret?” Grover remarked bitterly. He rubbed his beak with a claw. “You think your griffons are that loyal, Princess of Ponies? Why would you even consider telling them?”

“So they knew I wasn’t giving them up to you,” Flurry answered with cold eyes.

Grover took a deep breath his wings fluttered against the chair. “We are done here. Get a route through the Everfree.”

“I’ll need to gather some ELF veterans,” Flurry said in Equestrian. “Borrow Duty Price for a bit.”

“Just so.” Grover picked the folder back up. “He’s your subject.” Grover listened to her hooves as she crossed the room. The alicorn stopped at the door.

“Why’d you bring the crown?” Flurry asked softly.

“It was easy to carry,” Grover dismissed. “I planned on giving it back, had you accepted my offer.”

“And you still brought it over?”

“I forgot I packed it,” Grover waved a claw. He did not look up from the report and flipped the page.

“Thank you,” Flurry whispered.

Grover flipped another page in silence.

“I look ridiculous, don’t I? Quite the joke.”

Grover marginally lowered the folder to stare over the top. Flurry tossed her head, constantly having to readjust the tiara with her magic to keep it steady. The bands were too small to fit next to her ears. She smiled at the far wall, but her eyes were distant and far way. Probably back in Aquila with her father.

“I forgot I packed it,” Grover lied and returned to the report.

“I forgot about it too,” Flurry admitted. She left through the doors and the hallway guards closed them behind the alicorn.

Grover sat alone in his room, like he preferred. The griffon carefully set the Reichstone down at the edge of the table, then flipped another page over, humming quietly. After a minute, he set down the report and reached a claw into the open drawer. He grabbed the purple-bound Friendship Journal. Grover stopped before he pulled it out, then shoved the book deep into the drawer and slammed it shut.

Comments

[SirCarrot]

They are perfect together!

[dragonknight]

Indeed they may not love each other. But friendship in a marriage like this is just as valuable. Now begins the war for central of Equestria. Hopefully the Everfree ELF will play ball.

[grievousrommel]

I actually now wonder what parts of Equestria would be like the rasputitsa. Definitely the southern part of the continent would be more difficult but yeah now that I think on it infrastructure in most of anywhere not following the railway or coast in game is sparce.

[Ruckythunder]

It's really nice, just keep going man.

[Ruckythunder]

It's really nice, just keep going man,
(She looks everything like princess)
It was sad , my boy telling himself lie to keep his sanity alive.

[Ruckythunder]

I'm quite happy twilight is Dead Dead, because if she was alive to see flurry like this she would probably kill herself.

[Equestrian Count]

So this is where the romance begins.

[CurlySillyPony]

That went better than last time. Shame Grover didn't go further after giving her the crown. Could have reminded her about his other promise with Shining's body.
Oh well. Time to go to the Everfree! You mentioned Sunset and Tempest are there so that'll be good to see Flurry and some of her Twilights old friends.
BTW. Dose Gallus have an official title or a team of griffons to help him? Seems like he's getting a lot of responsibilities.
Looking forward to more!

[UnknownError]

11454644
Is it a lie? What makes a pony a Princess? Birth? Bearing? Attitude? Crown? Wings & Horn?
Flurry's definition of Princess is probably different from Grover's. And even at that...

“I look ridiculous, don’t I? Quite the joke.”

It's not like Flurry's unaware of how she looks.

11455133
I cut out several parts of the discussion for later moments because of pacing. Flurry's not in the mood for reminiscing and small talk. Neither is Grover, really.

Gallus does have helpers. He's stuck being the 'competent' griffon now.
Grover's got some "surrounded by idiots" energy. Feel free to compare his advisors to Flurry's team.

[Ruckythunder]

I want a fighting scene with grover leading his tank and flurry flying with her fighter, yeah that will be sik.

[M4Tiger4014]

Flurry tapped a hoof to her chin. She began mouthing names and counting with extended primary feathers. Grover waited for the alicorn to roll her eyes and laugh at him.

She did not.

She lived in a slum for the past 6 years and had to tolerate apathy and neglect (and exploitation) because the alternative was hate; she’s accidentally created a cult of personality; earlier someone commented about an army with a state, which is outrageous, because that implies that the state is functional enough to be able to adequately support the army—it’s a militia trying to stand itself up into a professional army, supported by a “state” that’s being held together by spit, twine, and hope.

In other words, she’s only very recently started to lead as a ruler, and as such (with is helped with a best-in-class spy network) has both the habit and luxury of being able to trust her inner circle with secrets, expect them to be honest with her, and otherwise have a working relationship more like a command staff or a modern, democratic civilian government than that which Grover is saddled with.

Grover has had to struggle with it being hard to both have friends and subjects since he was 4. Flurry, that’s a new thing.

What else did you expect, Grover? That she got the respect, admiration, and following/obedience from communists, Aquilaians French EXP birbs, Republicans, Frontiers… ”men”, and more by being an alicorn or demanding it?

Been so busy reading I haven’t commented. This is excellent. It’s nice to see Grover’s perspective. He does seem like a “nice young man” which I must admit is rather hard to reconcile with the crackdown that characterized the start of his reign. I suppose that’s because we’ve followed Flurry, not him, and because while Flurry’s done a lot we’ve been able to see and understand her motivations, which are basically always rooted in trying to ultimately save lives and do right by those Flurry considers her responsibility. Grover, on the other hand, we can only speculate, and we’ve basically only met those unjustly prosecuted fleeing said prosecution and not any, idk, Griffin Lenin’s or some such.

[Caladis]

“I’m waiting, husband,” Flurry prompted with a smirk. She crossed her front legs.

This. This is perfect. The perfect love is the love you never expected to find.

[ThePeer]

man... Flurry is gonna completely dominate that bird in bed.