Quashed

Luna was in tears. She had been coming to terms with these minotaurs so well moments ago, and now they'd tied her up. What's worse, her own older sister had helped them. Celestia hadn't tried to defend her, nor had she called for the guard. What she did was even worse than sitting idly by and watching. Celestia had held Luna down and pulled her arms behind her back while Steelhorn had bound her wrists. She couldn't understand it.

"Why, dear sister?" Luna sobbed. "Have we not done as you asked? Have we done something so vile to make you hate us so?"

Celestia pulled Luna into a hug. "I'm sorry, Luna. This isn't what I wanted to happen."

Luna writhed her way out of the hug. "Do not lie to us, sister! You are responsible for this. If you were truly sorry, you would free us at once!"

Celestia lowered her head in shame. Tears now flowed down her cheeks, as well. "I'm sorry, Luna. I'm so, so sorry."

Steelhorn grabbed Luna by the shoulder, twisting her body to look at him. "Don't be angry with your sister, princess. She's telling you the truth."

Luna huffed and looked away. "And why should we believe you?"

"Don't believe me," chuckled Steelhorn, taking a seat. "Believe your sister. She is here under my orders." He turned to Celestia. "Lift your mane, and show her your horn."

Celestia lifted her mane, and Luna saw the ring that restricted her magic. She couldn't bring herself to look Luna in the eye.

"So you've kidnapped our sister, and now you've kidnapped us. For what purpose? What do you hope to gain from this?"

Steelhorn leaned back. "I think you know. I hoped you would know that by now, actually. The fact that you don't speaks either to your lack of attentiveness, or to the lack of abilities to form memories. What have we been talking about this entire time?"

"They want to take control of our military, Luna," answered Celestia. "He wants our forces to join his war."

"We will die otherwise," scowled Steelhorn. "We seek our survival. We only seek to take your army because you've refused to give it to us. We pride ourselves on our honour, and would have gladly given you any and all protections that you requested. In fact, despite the cutthroat nature of this particular conquest, We would be very willing to reply to your request for aid, should you send it."

"Why would we send a request for your aid?" growled Luna. "Especially after this?"

Steelhorn shrugged. "We did just give you a magnificent plan to aid in your defense. On top of that, we are experts of security, and have pointed out several flaws in your security. A more malicious minotaur might have mangled your marvelous mane and more. The fact that I've not caused you any significant harm stands as a testament to my goodwill."

"Or to your lack of weapons," smirked Luna. "Before long, the guards will come in to check on us. What then?"

There was a loud slam from behind them. Ironblood had dropped his battleaxe on the table. He also lifted his belt to show that he had multiple other axes.

"As you can see," Steelhorn drew his mace. "We have the means of defending ourselves. We do not actually need to keep you alive for this, but it would be much better for you and for Equestria if you simply do as we ask. Most of your citizens won't even be in any amount of danger."

"And if we refuse?"

Celestia shook her head. "Do as they ask, Luna. If you don't, they'll hurt Twilight."

"Au contraire," interjected Steelhorn. "Now that we have Luna bound to us, the stakes are raised. Celestia, any harm you cause us will not only be reflected upon Twilight, but also upon your dear, sweet baby sister. Luna, your contract is much the same. Any resistance to our will shall be met with harm upon young Twilight, but also on Celestia."

"You wouldn't dare!" Luna spat, her saliva landing on Steelhorn's cheek. She smiled devilishly for a moment, until it was cut short by a pined grunt from Celestia. Ironblood had gripped her shoulder and tail, bending her into an uncomfortable, but not necessarily harmful position.

"I most certainly would dare," replied Steelhorn flatly. "I don't have Twilight around to use as a demonstration, but I believe Celestia is enough to prove my point.

Luna was quite upset, seeing her sister in such pain. "Okay, okay. We understand. Forgive our sister our trespass. We will do as you ask, Chief Steelhorn."

"Excellent news," smiled Steelhorn, untying Luna's arms and gesturing for Ironblood to release Celestia. "I do so hate unnecessary conflict. Now, sit, both of you. There is one final item to discuss." Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted them. "Cover your horns with your manes. Not a word unless I command it."

Celestia and Luna nodded, letting Chief Steelhorn take command, for the sake of each other. Ironblood opened the door, letting the guards see into the room. Celestia and Luna both had their hands above the table, where they could be seen.

"We were growing rather concerned," called the captain that had knocked on the door. "We hadn't heard from you for nearly two hours. We thought you might be in some sort of trouble?"

"No trouble here," replied Steelhorn. "We were just about to finish our discussion about tightening security. We don't want some other creatures absconding with the princess, do we?"

The captain smiled. "No, we do not. We like having our princesses around, and it is a massive relief to know that you, a complete stranger, are so concerned for their safety."

"Glad to hear you approve," replied Steelhorn. "As you can see, your princesses are still here, and still safe."

"It's just that the twilight hour is approaching, and many of us are concerned that Princess Celestia may not have eaten well during her absence. We, her royal subjects, insist upon a meal for her."

Steelhorn nodded. "I agree. We shall be done soon, I should hope. If you would be so kind as to prepare a small feast for us, to be ready at the end of this meeting, that would be quite helpful to us."

The captain's smile disappeared. "I'm afraid we don't really know what minotaurs such as yourself are capable of eating. I don't know if we have anything."

Steelhorn snapped his fingers. "Boneshatter?"

Boneshatter stepped forward. "Sir?"

"Follow the guard captain to the kitchens and make sure our feast is safe to eat."

Boneshatter pounded his chest with a closed fist. "It would be my honour, Chief Steelhorn."

The door closed, and Steelhorn turned back to the princesses. "Now then, the ultimate order of business." The conference room, being a room in which business was conducted, had a cabinet with paper, ink, and quills. Ironblood gathered the materials and placed them in front of the princesses. "You are to draft an order saying that you are turning over your Canterlot guards to me for reformational purposes. The soldiers will still be loyal to you, but during the next two years, they will follow my commands as if I were their leader. The document should also grant me full reign of your castle, whose security I am to be tasked with improving. My men and I are to be granted rooms in the castle, and we are allowed to restrict any and all movements of the castle staff for the purposes of making the castle safer for you. At the end of the first month, I am to select twenty soldiers to defend the castle from a force of two hundred guards as a training exercise."

Luna looked up from her frantic writing. "Do you really think you can defend the castle with only twenty soldiers?"

"With a few well-placed defenses, yes. The "invading" party will have three days to capture the flag in the throne room, and if they cannot, I am to be given full control of the entire Equestrian military, for the sake of making the entire country a safer, happier place."

The draft took about half an hour to write without the use of magic. Steelhorn and Ironblood looked over it, and with a satisfied nod, signed the document accepting responsibility for the Canterlot guard for the first month, and the entire Equestrian military for the next twenty-three months. The document was signed also by the princesses Celestia and Luna. Canterlot, its castle, its princesses and its guards were all now under the legal command of Chief Steelhorn.