Caballeron's Prize

Outside the dark oak door. The iron helmed stallion stationed outside of the room shifted uncomfortably to the muffled sounds of moans and squeaking bed springs inside. His body leaning on his polearm with his hoof adjusting his helmet awkwardly.

"Guard." The armored stallion stood to attention as Withers approached in the hallway, about to knock on the door before hearing the collection of lewd noises sloshing and moans echoing behind the door. "Ah I see. I'll come back another time." The slick stallion turned before pausing, raising his hoof.

"Actually, you come with me. I need company." He spoke plainly. This guard was about to protest before silently reminding himself that Withers was head of security. If he needed an extra hoof, it must be important.

"Yes, sir."

The two begun heading down the stone hallway, passing various paintings of unknown kings, many vandalised by fire on the crisp burnt edges that were blocked by engraved frames. This land was no stranger to revolution and coups.

"Have you been working here before the takeover?" Withers asked, pausing to test the guard's discipline before giving a sly smirk. "You have permission to speak."

"No sir. I- ahem. I was hired on in the first week. My family was rather surprised since I wasn't very fit when I began. I just was promoted to personal guard oh his majesty's chambers." The pegasus guard explained, almost tripping on the polearm he was using as a walking stick.

"Well, we'll be quick. I'm sure the count won't mind. We're meeting the magistrate and I don't trust being alone with her." The two turned a corner that the faceless guard recognised as the walkway to the seperate tower of the castle. One oozing with magic at the top that doubled as the lighthouse of the port town's.

"I've never met the magistrate, let alone been in the tower." The guard commented, walking across the open wooden walkway that overlooked the whitestone city.

"Lucky you. She's deranged. If she tries something, please pull me out of it."

"U-understood." The pair politely knocked at the tower entrance with the brass door ring. A gem encrusted in the middle sparked in green light as the two heard a voice echo directly in thier brains. The guard unstoically yelping in surprise.

"State your business."

Withers visibly sweat as he adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat. "Security regarding the Princess's visit."

"Oh Withers! Please come in.~"

The guard understood by the tone why Withers requested the poor guard to accompany him. However, unbeknownst to Withers, the guard was quite intrigued about being there.

Doing his job, he maintained his stoic duty in leading the way. With a push of his hoof he stepped inside to see an open lobby with countless books spread upon the walls, and a grand staircase leading upwards to different rooms. In the middle, he was shocked to see a griffon in magicians hat that was slicked back so it wouldn't come off when flying.

Her fur was a shimmering grey with piercing emerald eyes which seemed to flick around various floating texts as she rested on her side, sipping tea. Too her side was a small earth mare with a similiarly colored green gem buried in her forehead holding a plate of snacks. Her eyes glazed and unfocused as if she wasn't even there.

"Griiva..."

Withers solemnly greeted the griffon, signaling the guard to stand at the door as the stallion stepped forward. The guard had never seen the ex-criminal so out of his element as he shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh my Withers! Have you finally decided give yourself as my personal sex thrall?" The griffon set her drink on the plate and rose herself onto her talons, floating a green gem near her. A silver bracelet clearly her source of that kind of magic.

"N-no, dear. I'm here for an update on what the Princess's are doing. They just left for their ship to sleep off the booze."

"Shame. I'll get you eventually..." The magistrate flicked away her books, putting them back in thier places on the shelves. "They only casted a silencing bubble within the bathhouse. Since thier magic is... Well it's celestial. I was unfortunately unable to hear. Little Ruby was crying when they left however, deduce that how you will."

"Anything else?" Withers flinched as she suddenly teleported face to face with him. The more imposing creature cupping his chin with a talon, licking her beak as the gem she was floating hovered right above his forehead.

"Such bland topics, Withers. You know I'd take such good care of you if you just said yes." She whispered, causing a shiver up both the stallion's spines as her voice rumbled like velvet.

"You already have a thrall-"

"She's merely a symbol of my success in gem enchantment. But you... You are just so darn cute! Those shades of yours, I could pluck out your eyes with no one the wiser and all you'd need was... Touch." She hummed, getting closer.

On the surface, the guard was witnessing a poor stallion being toyed with. However, Withers lips were parted, absolutely enamoured and resisting as much as he could. It had become a game to the two. If he spoke the word yes, she wins.

The guard quietly cleared his throat, bringing Withers back to reality.

"I... Need to know if we need to take any measures for them." He studdered, getting a tsk from the griffon disinterested as she returned to her lounging couch.

"If they plan anything, it'll be for the wedding. I recommend you read up on this nations customs some more. They'll do things through proper channels." She sighed, looking over the stallion like a piece of meat, which at this point the guard wasn't sure if he literally was to her.

"Hngh... Thank you for your time." Withers gulped, turning away as the griffon giggled and floated a book back to her talon.

"Visit me more often, Withers. I enjoy our conversations."

Withers quickly trotted out of the tower with his guard in tow, sweating bullets. As the door clunked shut, he nearly fell to his chest panting. "Thanks... She's a damn witch..."

The guard tilted his face covered kettle shaped helmet. "Is she like that everytime, sir?"

"It's worse when we're alone."

The two returned to Caballeron's chambers, where the count was just stepping out of the room with his mane rattled, sweating a bit. "Ah, Withers. I hope you weren't waiting for me."

"Not at all, I was just borrowing your guard for a visit. We weren't long." Withers nodded to the guard to resume his post. "Apparently they had private words with Sc-"

"Ruby."

"Countess Ruby about something in the bathhouse. So it's clear our magistrate isn't able to match thier magical ability just yet."

Caballeron tapped his chin, forgetting he was wearing his goofy smile eyepatch. "That's to be expected. They could level the place if they wanted. Continue your hunts with the remnants of spies and revolutionaries for her. We can use them to bolster our gem output. Fuck... Withers, I need a smoke, come with me." The two made thier way away from the room, leaving the guard to his post.

With a relieved sigh, he adjusted himself as the two disappeared. It seemed he had a couple minutes. Leaving his polearm, the guard gently turned and kept his armors clanking to a minimum, mentally preparing himself and quietly knocking on the door.

A few moments passed before an incredibly tired eyed young mare in nothing but a robe opened the door, not expecting the guard to be the one getting an audience.

"Um.. The count just left a moment ago to smoke before bed." She yawned, seeming interested despite her sleepiness at talking with someone new.

"I know. Is... Is there anything you need, Scootaloo?"

Her tired eyes widened in a frozen expression, not expecting her real name. "Don't say that name when the count is around. Who are you?"

The guard slipped off his helmet. A pudgier looking stallion with beige fur and a messy black and grey mane similiar to Caballeron's but with blue eyes that seemed more benevolent.

"My name is Quibble Pants. I uh... I'm a friend."

Scootaloo tilted her head in thought. She heard that name before, and not from the Snowrock Isles. Who the hell was he?

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you."

"That's okay. Um. I was there when you were taken from Somnambula. I hadn't had the chance to see you one on one since I arrived here, but I have big news to tell you you might want to hear." He explained, leaning down a bit while looking around. "Rainbow is alive."

Her brows furrowed, first the princesses and now this guy? "I know. I just learned today, what are you doing here? Who are you to me?"

Quibble stepped back, that made sense from what he heard in the tower. "Oh. Well I've been here to gather information to try and help you. I heard about a wedding and want to do my part. Rainbow is my friend and-"

"To help with the wedding?"

"N-no. To help you escape. I saw him leave the temple with you and his goons and leave Rainbow for dead." He exclaimed, almost out of breath from how stressful it was.

"Why is everyone so obsessed with getting me out? You're all three years too late! I'm going to pretend we didn't have this conversation. Just... Quit your job, you're in danger doing this."

"Nonono please, Scootaloo. I owe it to Rainbow AND you. Please, if you don't want to go home that's fine but I need information to topple Caballeron! If the princesses aren't doing anything even right now then he has something that is holding them off."

Scootaloo paused a moment, pressing her hoof and twisting on the doorframe with a somber expression. Fresh tears filling her face, her voice becoming quiet as she mumbled to herself. "All you heroes. You dumb villians. Can't get over yourselves and just leave me alone..."

"What do you want Scootaloo? How can I try and make this better?"

"Why were things easier with Rainbow dead!? Go home. If I see you again, I'll tell Withers." The filly's face folded into a near rage, threatening his cover as a cold sweat poured from his forehead. How did she become this way?

"I spent years with only letters connecting me to my family, Scootaloo. You weren't the only one making sacrifices." He defensively argued, getting a frustrated grimace from the little countess.

"Then go home to them. Get on Celestia's ship and tell her that I don't want ANY of them here! I'm fine and I don't need you, them or Rainbow Dash to play hero anymore! It's too late for that and any attack on my fiance is an attack on me." Scootaloo slammed the door loudly, causing him to jump in place.

With a defeated sigh, he turned around to get back in guarding position to take a moment to think of his next move. "She's not interested in history as much as I wish either. Don't take it personal." Quibble turned, not greeted with the painting of the city on the other end of the corridor, but the glowing green eye of a smirking Caballeron a hairs breath away from his face.

"I remember you..."