Ch. 1: Where Is Our Balance?

I sighed once more. The delegate stopped mid sentence and glared bitterly to me.

"Am I boring you Prince de Parnce?" She said coldly. Of course she knew the answer, but I wasn't able to tell her so. I'm sure another delegate of Equestria would visit my quarters and tell me the same news.

"Madam you're not telling me anything I haven't heard from other delegates." I scoffed.

"Then why am I still here Prince de Parnce, wasting our time?" She asked snidely.

"Because I'm going to keep sending my request to visit Equestria after you, and another, and another delegate leaves my quarters saying "No"."

"If that is what you wish." she stared at me. "No." She turned to the door to the hallway, unlocked it with her magic and close the door behind her. After a few paces I could hear her squeal of frustration echo faintly throughout the hall. Which brought a smile to my face. Then I counted down from thirty and made my way through the castle to the westernmost turret.

I had counted to fifteen as I made it to the turret's last steps and watched as the Pony delegate hoofed her papers to the ship captain. The size of the vessel dwarfed our own, but it was the exotic craftsponyship that made the ship so exquisite. I stared in awe of it even as it set sail and drifted out past the fog of morning's dew. I let out another sigh as I descended the stairs back to my quarters. There I rested on my bed until one of the servants woke me up, and ushered me down to the feasting hall for lunch.

I ate my usual fare, blue cheese and grapes, made locally here in Parnce. Then I spent the evening  like every other since my coronation. I'd try my best to uphold my country's law, and that of our ally, Equestria. It wasn't easy before the treaty, but at least I knew my limits. The law was Parnce's and Parnce's alone. There was no second hoof of law, I could make judgement can feel the confidence in my words, but now... I send the guilty away, and the innocent free. It sounds simple, doesn't it?

But would you kill another for stealing cattle? How about food? The old law's decreed "What is done unto you will be punished unto them." and Equestrian law decrees "Whomsoever is found guilty will be punished, and whomsoever is found innocent will be free." I am sworn to follow both laws, and I vowed to give equal truth and true balance. If freedom is the sentence of the innocent, then death must be the sentence for the wronged. So I kept myself to my quarters and thought of anything to reassure my faith, to believe in my word, just like my citizens did.

I thought. No I prayed that Equestria would let me voice my concern in person and that all would be fine, yet they seem unwilling to hear my thoughts, unwilling to let Parnce know more about their ally. At first I was sympathetic, I still held my hope that in time they would someday soon say yes, but years went by and all I heard was the same answer.

"Under great consideration the Royal sisters have deemed your request, not dire. you were told on moment of signing the treaty that all rulings and agreements were final. you are welcome of course to write your concerns and reapply for a hearing to rewrite the treaty's conditions." Each delegate spoke it so apathetically that I began to question if they had beating hearts. Had they not read my words, did they not understand my sadness? So I drifted far from the prospect of hope... My foolish belief in their help, and I succumbed to my feelings of hate. I didn't care for the ponies of Equestria... I only cared for my vision, for my words to be understood.