Clearly (not) a King

The Pink, the Blue, the Imperial Purpure (1)

The representatives from the various cities that were now meant to return to the Empire were finally there.

I was nervous. Really nervous. While I took this chance to actually work a way into preparing the best diplomatic meeting possible with the current available budget, I was still uncertain about the level of security assigned to the important event. With the numbers of the army dwindling to the minimum possible, only a scarce amount of guards could be allocated to the current premises of the palace without drawing too much from the walls. Platinum Rush guaranteed me that I expected some attempt to infiltrate Crystal City through the entry of numerous entourages from the various corners of the ‘Empire’ all around. I was… frightened by the chances of the already-tense situation collapsing due to even a failed assassination attempt.

My only relief being that, as per agreement with Equestria, both Cadance and Shining Armor were meant to be there to ask as close advisors. I wasn’t really happy about it considering it was going to paint a wrong connection that I would have to curb early on just so I could avoid any opposition to my rule but… I was still content with the fact they were there to provide with extra protection if something bad happened during the convention.

I had plenty of documents already prepared. I took it upon myself to ‘clean up’ Sombra’s mistakes by quickly seeing for all criminals within the dungeons to be retried. To be allowed to muster up a proper defense and, in most cases, win their freedom back. I was fairly surprised when I learned a couple of those just didn’t make it. And that surprise vanished when I realized these ponies were responsible for terror attacks. Attacks that ended up killing other ponies and doing nothing to Sombra’s rule.

It was so… absurd to imagine how some of these horrible deeds were done in good faith but poor planning and thinking. These criminals were angry at their inability to secure a way out of prison, but I didn’t leave them to the same horrible conditions Sombra did. They were sentenced to two months of house arrests under close guarding from veterans while the dungeons were cleaned, restructured and rendered so that it fitted with a more civil standard of keeping prisoners.

With the prisons being ‘cleared out’, the arrival of new workers meant a higher chance for me to start entertaining a good beginning to proper industrialization. Equestria’s ‘lend-lease’ was stuffed with machines and tools that were meant to arrive by the end of the week, giving us the chance to prepare some of the unemployed to handle basic factory-related work and gain a fair understanding of their rights within their workplaces.

Since I had Communists with a working army on the east, I had to make sure that the moment the Empire shifted its production to industrial goods, it didn’t become a reason to create communists in the midst of workers. I really didn’t want to handle that kind of problem and, even though I knew that there was no chance for me to dodge any surprises of that kind, I still accepted the idea that I could either stall the rise of a Communist faction within the nation, or even make sure that it was weak enough to never become a problem to us.

The best way to destroy a political faction was to make its existence unimportant and unjustified. If workers in the nation were happy with the system I had in mind, then there was nothing any communist could say without actually facing some serious opposition to their program. Elaborating on a real necessity, the ideology then reached out for radical plans for a government. Which may or not then lead to an easy time for corrupt leaders to eventually come by.

But there was something that I could agree on some of their plans regarding the economic bit. Something that I learned early on during my time in College when it came to the economy itself. While politics might determine an economic system, in the end it was the economy itself that determined politics. The moment privates were involved in one nation’s economy, there was no doubt that eventually a ‘democratic’ thaw would ensue and lead to more corruption. In a certain way, I despised that tiny bit of democracy- not because I didn’t want the ponies to have the chance of determining their own destinies, but I knew by experience alone that if the rich people were involved into politics, there wasn’t much chance for honest and good-working individuals to attain good seats of power.

Which is why I was focused to have at least most of the essential services in the nation somewhat owned by the government rather than by investors. It was a choice that required further strains on the treasury, but Sombra didn’t leave the Empire dry in that regard. There was enough to make the big jump, and aid with some minor projects too… but it wasn’t going to last and I wasn’t planning to drain the treasury completely despite the need of reforms that requires Bits.

If this convention ended well… then I had the chance to actually tap into the taxation system that was supposedly going to be re-implemented by the settlements and allow a bigger income to steadily give us ideas… for even more projects due to the massive expansion of paperwork I would have to face. If before I had trouble with a single city, now I had to find solutions to the paperwork tied to numerous cities with numerous problems in need of someone to solve them for once. While I wasn’t going to take on all the paperwork tied to those settlements, I was still going to receive the bigger issues and those weren’t going to be fun to face.

There is really no satisfying me when it comes to paperwork...

It was early, a little too early to the meeting. I blamed my own uneasiness as it tended to influence me into coming at this unholy hour. It was just lunchtime, and I had eaten my own meal earlier than usual to be… early. I sighed tensely sparing quick glances to the side. I was sitting by the chair in the middle of the small table that was meant to host the representatives, with three longer ones having been set to house the rest of the entourages that were coming with the diplomats.

By my right there was Shadow Mark and… he was nose-pressing onto the documents we had verified five times yesterday. The pony might actually count as a sober, more serious version of Twilight when it came to important politic-related situations, but with a stronger version of what looked to be OCD when it came to paperwork of all kinds. I could remember hearing some of the guards guarding his office’s door lamenting how he was seen glaring at a glass of water he had unconsciously spilled on the ground… where some shredded paper was. Despite the fact the documents there were meant to be put in the trash bin, he still found the entire event fairly distressing and enough to deliver plenty of insults to the glass of water. Some of those, I didn’t even know about until the guard I stopped for more details, which was blushing at the request of elaborating a list of the foul words, gave out most of the words that had been employed for the circumstance. In that very revelation, I learned that I had to be careful with Shadow Mark when it came to his paperwork.

On my left there was the pinkest of the Alicorns, with her husband beside her trying his best to not fall asleep or appear too bored as we all waited for the main event to finally begin. I didn’t blame Shining for being unable to handle the dullness of the situation, and I could tell his wife was doing her best to not chide him about this matter because Cadance too was having trouble keeping up a vibrant appearance due to how quiet everything was right now.

I thought for a moment about the last time the three of us spoke. I had been rather reluctant to talk with them again this soon, mostly because I was well-aware that we shared plenty of common points in this situation. Why was this a reason for me to actually avoid interactions? Well, while I was more than happy to open up to gain good boy points through honesty and the capacity to be relatable, I really wasn’t sure how convenient for us all was to try and openly befriend the two beyond our stations.

Then I remembered Luna’s words on the matter. It would be odd, but not unusual for a monarch of this nation to be friendly with fellow nobles. In pony culture in general, being friendly with others is the basis of society. Sure, some were still up to exploiting ‘friendship’ as a mean to gain more out of it, but Luna was quite certain it would help me and them in the long run if I actually entertained the idea of a proper friendship with them. She portrayed them in a good light, which wasn’t exactly helpful since it wasn’t the reason why I was avoiding making a genuine bond out of it but…

If I tried, I could pull away if things go south.

So, shoving away the uncertainty, I tried my best. Leaning at ease on my chair, I looked on the left and hummed.

“Why are you two this quiet?” I calmly asked, my voice seemingly tearing into their efforts as surprised looks were soon leveled at me.

“Well, this… is going to be an important event,” Cadance reasoned, trying to appeal to that kind of logic. “It’s only proper that we maintain a proper posture and a formal stance during its duration.”

“Yes, I don’t doubt that’s the appropriate approach during the event, but… the meeting has yet to begin. For about two hours if I am precise about it.”

“And?”

I sighed. “And I wanted to talk. It’s been a while.”

“It’s been a few days,” Shining admitted, tilting his head to the side. “I wouldn’t mind asking you a few questions. Nothing too private.”

I shrugged and… then I looked at his wife. Cadance looked back at me, and I blinked.

“What about you, Princess Cadenza?”

Her jaws dropped for a brief moment, then she schooled her features back to normal. “It’s Cadance.”

“Or Cadenza,” I remarked, noticing her eyes narrowing at that response. It was something that I had picked up from the time I met her. She was easy to tease when it came to her name. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was slightly unusual compared to other ponies, but I was actually finding a more reasonable point to address her as such. Because I was Italian, Cadenza just felt smoother to say compared to Cadance and so it felt easier to call her that instead of her preferred name. “Is that really that much of a problem if I addressed you as such, Cadenza?”

“...You’re teasing me,” The Alicorn guessed rightfully.

I allowed a tiny smile to flash at that. Didn’t expect any less from a fellow babysitter. “Potentially yes.”

Her lips twitched. “I prefer being called Cadance.”

“And I will try to put an effort to respect that wish then… Cadenza.”

A tiny scowl appeared on her face, and I noticed her husband having some troubles holding back a chuckle at that mirthful banter. It didn’t take long for the discussion to finally begin, and Shining Armor proved to be true to his word when he stuck to basic topics. Despite that, he was quick to take his wife’s side now that he had the chance to.

“So… John. I know this might sound sudden, but I’ve heard that you were having trouble with… the paperwork. Is that really that bad?”

“I’ve been holed in my office for most of the last few days, with the only exceptions being the meals, bathroom breaks, and sleeping,” I replied, my smile vanishing at that upsetting subject. “I’m quite sure that, as we are taking time here to handle this diplomatic situation, the pile is increasing and growing more unbeatable than it was before I last gazed at it.”

…

“It was bad,” The unicorn summarized with a nod. “I guess without the same numbers of administrators as Princess Celestia, taking care of the paper-signing can be quite arduous.”

“I guess that’s a saving grace about our missed opportunity, nothing against you, John,” Cadance agreed, waiting for me to react to that sentence before continuing. I just offered a nod, honestly accepting that response to my plight, but now interested on what she had to say. “Nonetheless, I hope you managed to take enough breaks during the work hours.”

“A couple, but not enough to waste too much time on the job,” I swiftly answered and she gave me a long look.

“And how long were those?”

“I don’t recall, but I will tell you once I do, Cadenza.”

Her interest was dulled away from the cheeky last half of that sentence. Just before she could say anything about it, her husband took control and spoke up once more.

“I didn’t mean to bring up any issue with my question, so I guess we can move on to something a little ‘soft’ compared to the previous topic. I don’t think you’ve brought up what was your job before… what you are now.”

I could sense some hidden reasons behind that specific ‘soft query’, but I decided to still go forth with it regardless of the suspicious way it was relayed. Even Cadance seemed to pick up this from her husband, a frown adorning her face as she turned to give a look at Shining Armor.

“Well, last year I concluded my five years of college which allowed me to graduate and major in Economics. While that would have normally set me for a big job… the situation back home didn’t allow me to do more than just find something beyond being the librarian to one of the local libraries in my hometown.”

I expected some barb out of this little revelation, and I could tell them both were surprised at this and-

“Oh, that means we’re all inexperienced in ruling a nation,” The former captain highlighted and… I couldn’t help but frown at him. It was definitely the best outcome for me out of that revelation, yet I was slightly annoyed at the fact that he was so calm about it. SO… accepting of it.

He could have easily made a point I was inexperienced and… drew me to put a defensive move out of it. Yet he… didn’t. Am I being a moron for thinking of the worst from these ponies?

My trail of thoughts came to an unexpected end when I heard Cadance giggle and give me a teasing look. “Were you worried about that? John, I believe you should know we didn’t take any ruling position until this position as ambassadors.”

…

It was instinct that dictated for me to look away at that, the brief bout of shame on my part giving a good reason for the Alicorn to giggle again, and I distinctly heard her husband snort in clear amusement at my awkward response. I wasn’t the best at handling friends. And I was also unable to do so when the potential friends were the ones being way friendlier than I was.

This interesting exchange came to an end as the doors of the humongous room were pushed open by a group of guards escorting a small group of representatives trotting towards us. I gave a confused look at the approaching ponies, surprised by this sudden intrusion, but soon given an answer to why they were here when the main event was meant to happen roughly an hour from that moment.

“Your highness, I present you Lady Jade Song, Countess of Canterine,” The oldest of the four guards protecting the small group started to announce, and soon I saw one of the three mares nod. The Unicorn had green mane combed in a short but complicated bun, matching well with her light-blue fur and her dark-blueish eyes. She was wearing a light-gray dress that hid her cutie mark.

“Dark Snow, Mayor of Porridge Town.”

Next was the turn of the only Unicorn Stallion to bow the head. He was wearing a silver monocle that partly covered his gray eyes, his dark-purple mane kept cut short, going well with his small purplish stache and black fur. He was wearing just a brown jacket over his dark-gray shirt and plum-colored bowtie. This time I could see the cutie mark on his flank, showing a magnifier highlighting a small, simple house with white walls and a red roof.

“Lady Ivy Jewel, Baroness of Rainbow Falls.”

The Pegasus Mare smiled brightly and nodded eagerly. She had a light-pink mane that stretched over her grayish fur and came close to hide away her cutie mark, which was a cloud with… wings. That was indeed an interesting surprise and-

“And I’m Chocolate Spice, Mayor of Evergreen. Nice ta meet ya, yer grace!” The last mare, an Earth Pony with black mane pulled in a long braid and brown fur, introduced herself while moving closer to the table. She was wearing no clothes and her cutie mark was a dark-colored jalapeno. As soon as she was close enough and stopped herself from jumping on the table, she reached out towards me with one of her frontal hooves. An offer that I slowly accepted much to the surprise of the rest of the table and the guards.

“Well, nice to meet you, Chocolate Spice,” I muttered happily, noticing her golden eyes widening in delight at this response. “And I’m glad to see that the rest of you have such eagerness to meet me… but I can tell just by a glance that this isn’t just a visit made by curiosity. Especially since the meeting has yet to begin.”

“We decided to approach you sooner than planned out of urgent problems that we actually share, your highness,” Dark Snow politely answered, bowing his head humbly. “We understand that we are not above others here for today’s event, but there are pressing concerns that begin from our cities and… might influence the rest of the Empire if we don’t have a serious answer to it.”

…

“The situation at the borders?” I guessed as I remembered precisely where the cities were. There was a brief moment of awe at that quick realization, but I was far from over about it. “I understand that you are worried about the chances of your cities being ground to hold against invasions from either Stalliongrad or the Changelings.”

I noticed Cadance shift nervously at the mention of the creatures she had to face at her wedding, and I definitely saw Shining Armor tense up in a frustrated posture for the same reason. It was Jade Song that spoke up next, nodding at my comment.

“It is indeed the reason that forced us to seek such an immediate reunion. Canterine can count on the natural defense offered by the river it is located near to, but its garrison is at a minimum, and I know the rest of this situation is shared by my fellow… leaders.”

“Evergreen has a thick forest near to its border, yer grace. We have hunters, but no good soldier that can defend against a full-blown invasion,” Chocolate Spice added. “So we were interested in knowing what you can offer to us in that regard.”

I hummed, closing my eyes just for a moment to collect my thoughts as this was actually something I had worked a lot together with Platinum Rush. The fact I had to handle the defenses of a nation well beyond a mere city meant that I had to also revise some of the plans regarding the army. While the military force employed by Crystal City was substantial enough to be able to travel to either East and West to handle each of the problems we were surely going to face in a war situation, the same wouldn’t work if we were put in a two-fronts war. The Empire currently didn’t have enough ponypower in active duty to be able to even enact a defensive campaign in that bleak scenario.

The solution actually came from history books, the one that regarded an old practice created by Prussia for a time that allowed them to create a massive army of competent soldiers and officers in a little less than ten years. Using a modern version of this strategy which took better ways to train and create soldiers in less time while also combining it to more recent conscription system that was once used by my homeland to properly train soldiers or even war-time workers, I had the best hopes that the Crystal Empire was going to get a professional army way before both dangerous nations were able to genuinely be a threat to the country.

“I’ve agreed with the High Commander that the best solution to this kind of issue was to take a passive militarization of these areas,” I started to explain with a serious tone. “First, it would be proper to reorganize the conscription system, granting all able-bodied males and females between the age of twenty and forty to take part in the recruitment and be assigned to the military in training operations and civilian preparation.”

“Civilian preparation, your highness?” Ivy Jewel inquired, an interested look on her face.

“As a mean to give proper rewards to those that take part in active duty, they will be able to require permission to be shifted to appropriate courses of civil work formation. They will be given jobs that will be created for the occasion right in their local towns and given the opportunity to be paid for the hard work they are committed in,” I replied with as much info I could dispense at the moment as possible. “Of course, to join the civilian preparation, the main requirement is receiving recommendations from officers I will personally check and assign for this important role that requires incorruptible souls.”

I could see some slow nods coming my way, with the leaders still taking a while to properly digest the massive plan I had just told them about. To help them sponge the new info up without any issues, I further gave them guarantees about their situation.

“Also, I’ve received news from our Equestrian Friends that soon we shall receive the proper equipment to test out for any changeling infiltrator in our cities,” I delivered these good news, instantly seeing them all relieved by this development. “Those shall be properly settled in place to be used at full conditions by the end of next week.”

“That will help us know if we have to worry about these scoundrels,” Dark Snow pointed out calmly. “Beyond that, I also wished to inquire about something else that caught my attention when you detailed the conscription system. You mentioned ‘males and females’, not ‘stallions and mares’ when elaborating on the requirements.”

I could see some fascination on this specific point and, now that the mayor had highlighted this point to the others, I could see them all staring at me with mixed reactions. Most of them were accepting, yet I could tell there was a degree of uncertainty when it came to involve other races within something as important as the army.

“I’ve decided to include other races beyond ponies within the military, Mayor Snow,” I confirmed with a serious tone. “Considering the current situation, not only on a military side of things, but also within the multi-cultural society we live in now that the Crystal Empire has been brought back, it is only sensible to not stumble upon traditions, and forsake the idea that time has passed. We can’t rely on traditional ideas of the military, which is why I will address this matter with more detai together with your military aides, so we can properly organize a modern army that will not leave anybody behind.”

…

“That’s a powerful stance, your highness,” Dark Snow said while nodding. “I don’t have any problem with that, and I can assure you my doubt is more tied to the… way you wish to make this possible. But I can tell my military advisor will tell me more about this once the convention is over.”

I nodded back, smiling as I saw that I had won them over on this particular predicament. With the small group satisfied with that set of answers, I soon realized by the fact that the room was slowly being occupied by the rest of the representatives and their entourage that it was time for the proper convention to truly begin.

The four began to leave, but as I turned to regard their retreat, my focus unconsciously shifted to one of the mares as she started to sway her hips a little more than needed to move. I paused to look at Chocolate Spice, her gaze turned at me with her tongue out in a cheeky manner as she quickly trotted away to cover her… wetness.

I looked down at the table, my stare burning onto the wood as I tried to contemplate what just happened. I mean… I guess it’s nice to know that I was considered attractive enough to warrant that reaction but… I definitely didn’t feel much of it. It was awkward and, if I had to be honest, human women were still my main focus both romantically and sexually.

While I have to say that was… bold, I still can’t grasp at it. Did I just… get flashed?

I heard a muffled giggle coming from the side, I glanced at Cadance as she tried her best to hold back her amused noises, her husband calmly face-hoofing to hide away a mighty blush. I then heard a huff from the other side and noticed Shadow Mark trying and failing to hide his own blush in the documents he was supposed to pass me during the convention.

So yes, the convention began in quite the weirdest and most confusing manner, but it developed smoothly and finely as the next six hours proved to be as intense and frustrating as expected. I managed to get through this mostly thanks to Shadow Mark doing his job well, and the young royal couple doing as much as possible when it came about the relationships between the Empire and the Diarchy. The convention concluded in a positive note, with all representatives signing the proper documents to legally confirm the return of all original territories of the Crystal Empire.

A win to be proud about, but also the uneasy first steps of a newly-reformed nation in a world more advanced than it partly was…

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AN

Yeah, I will drop some lewd eventually. I will put some warnings that will help spotting when and where.