Author's Note

And here it is! Chapter 20!

I am so sorry for how late this has been, and for the delay from last week. As I have said before work has been kicking my ass something fierce so I do not have the free time I normally would to write.

But the winds are changing, and I am finding quite a lot of inspiration at night after my editor goes to bed.

So without further dragging on, enjoy!

Thanks for Reading, Peace!

P.S. Please give a comment! I love reading them.

Pinpricks and a Gamble

Despite the time of year and the position of the sun high, close to noon, the temperature was pleasant. Not too warm and not too cool.

From what Orion had read, winters could be rather harsh for the northern nation of Griffonia. But that also meant that the country had a more moderate climate come the summer. He was all for it. Canterlot, despite its elevation on the side of the mountain it was home to, felt like the devil's asscrack during the summer.

Even Ponyville was somehow cooler than the capital of Equestria. It was maddening.

Scream raced ahead of him to one of the glassmaker shops in the more wealthy quarters of the city, bouncing in excitement as she waved an arm at him in an attempt to get his eyes on a particularly stunning example of craftsmanship.

He was surprised. Not by the multicolored lead window pane, she was pointing to, but by the size of the city itself.

Orion had initially believed Griffonstone was much smaller than even Manehattan. From his vantage point coming into the city, he could really only see so much. Now, as Screaming had dragged him from place to place over the past couple of days, he found that the mountain held more than one could see from ground level.

The castle itself sat atop one end of what he was calling a mountain cul de sac. The roots of the mountain rising high on either side of the capital, hemming it in. What he had yet to see was on the east range. The mountain had been carved away to allow the richer sections to sit above the common stores and shops below in the valley.

Once it had been pointed out to him, he could easily see it. No matter where they went in the city, they had a great vantage of the valley below. They stood in one of the richer neighborhoods that held their own stores and shops separate from the common griffon.

"Potatoes, most certainly." He mused to himself. "I wonder what else will grow up here? Onions?"

The past few days had been both fun and trying.

First, his popularity with the soldiers had steadily increased to the point where yesterday, at the bum fuck hour of zero dark stupid, he had been roused from his bed by a squad of griffons and dragged outside.

Had he been truly awake, he would have told them to fuck off. Instead, in a half-awake state, he was prodded into an obstacle course that he fully woke up to halfway in.

Needless to say, he was pissed but had to laugh about it.

Apparently, one of them had seen him working out by himself on the castle ground set aside for military training. A vote, that he had not been part of, had been cast, and now Orion was being volunteered to exercise with them.

They had spared him this morning.

Screaming's responsibilities had kept her from spending time with him most mornings. In fact, this was the first time in the four days since his arrival that she had time to spend the full day with him.

The truly frustrating problem was he had yet to figure out what the hell to do with all the knowledge he had brought with him.

As his birdy friend continued to peruse the shop, Orion stepped away and leaned against the rail that sat on the cliff. He had learned something in his first few days of being in Griffonia.

Despite how terrible it looked, the state of the nation that was, there was improvement happening in the lives of its citizens. Each wave of refugees was less and less, and more were leaving every month with the financial backing of the Crown. Towns and villages were being reclaimed, being reborn every year as new walls and homes went up.

It was slow, but now that he was here, he could see it. So what was the point of him being here at all? Besides seeing his friend, that was.

It felt like all his preparations had been pointless.

His stomach grumbled.

"Hey, Scream! Let's go get something to eat. I'm starvin'." He shouted. She had been about to enter the store proper, and then it would’ve taken a disaster to get her to come out before she was done.

Of the ten or so shops they had visited, they hadn't left until she was satisfied. Already a dozen items were set to be delivered to her rooms by this evening, and his friend showed no signs of stopping.

"Oh, okay!" She turned around and gave a nod of her head to the proprietor with a sheepish smile of apology on her face.

Sprinting over to him, she snagged his hand and practically dragged his ass toward an outdoor restaurant whose name he figured it was supposed to be French. Or Prench. He couldn't pronounce it, regardless.

Stupid pun-filled world.

Grace could not be happier.

Her best friend was here. Here. With her. Shopping!

The griffoness had been nervous as Tartarus that he would be bored to tears and be his normal aloof self. But the intervening years apart seemed to have imparted him with a more sociable attitude. He was warm and listened attentively to her when she spoke. Orion had changed from the angry and cold colt that she had met all those years ago.

Still, sometimes in the absence of their conversations, she would find him with a pensive frown on his face. Something was bothering him. Even now, as they ate together, him choosing a fish dish from Neighbon and her a gordat steak, she found that he was pausing too long between bites.

Grace wanted to ask, but something held her tongue. Looking around, she realized why she was being subconsciously hesitant.

Several griffons of a wealthier heritage were utterly gawking at him. She couldn't stifle the giggle as she watched their faces contort, trying to understand what they were seeing.

"What?"

He was looking at her, and her heart fluttered. He had a powerful gaze that made her weak sometimes. Or that could have been her imagination.

"You've gained an audience." She gestured with a claw at other patrons of Atelier Crenn. The moment he turned his head, they scrambled to pretend they had been doing anything but watching as he put each cut of fish past his lips.

"Oh, huh. I've gotten used to the stares." He shrugged as he continued to eat. "Besides, you seem to be having fun at their expense." He smiled while he chewed.

She laughed softly. Grace was enjoying the havoc he was afflicting on established norms. It was quite funny to see griffons expect a demure colt instead be struck dumb by his more griffonian like aggression. No one knew what to make of him.

From what Eberhard had told her, he had become wildly popular with the guards inside the castle nearly overnight. Yesterday he had been awoken early to train with them before first light.

Her amusement at the memory cracked her beak in a grin. The steward had been quite thorough in his recitation of the events once Orion fully realized what was actually happening to him.

His popularity with the troops had also reached the ears of her peers. Some of the older, hardline griffon nobles had already begun approaching her with questions about him. Their inquiries were encouraging, as they were not coming with doubt, but curiosity.

However, to Grace, those meetings had taken up far too much time.

While hesitant to assume the mantle of responsibility for a land of people she barely knew, she was still determined to see it through. Rosebreast was still blocking those efforts somewhat, and the probes into her friend's past were eating up too much time allotted to her to plead her case.

Grace sighed heavily, which caught Orion's attention.

"What's eating you, Scream?" She couldn't help but smile at the pony name that had been given to her. Only he used it, and that made it feel special, rather than as a brand others had convinced her to view it as.

"Nothing." He cocked an eyebrow, and she noticed with a start that he had already finished eating. Shaking her head, she gave him a better answer. "Well…not nothing. I'm just thinking."

"About how to get your land back, right?" He asked. That surprised the griffoness noble. Though she supposed she shouldn't have been, he was much smarter than the average person.

"Yes." She nodded. "My meetings have been…diverted to other things."

"Oh? What could be more important than that?" Grace favored him with a bemused look. "Oh…oooohhh. Really? I wasn't trying to create that much of a disruption."

Setting her cutlery aside, she reached out a claw and touched his hand. Whispers erupted, but she did not care.

"Orion. My uncle isn't the only one to have noticed what you had done on the train. Or your interactions with the guard. Everyone has been talking about it, and they have been directing most of their questions to me."

"Which means the conversations that should go toward securing your family's lands have instead gone to topics about the orphan colt visiting you." He had not pulled his hand away. Her heart beat harder, and she fought to keep control of her features. "Goddamnit, I'm sorry, Scream." He sighed as he wiped his face with the hand she had been holding.

Rather than dwell on the loss, she smiled and leaned back in her seat.

"You couldn't help it, Orion. You did what you thought was right. No one can fault you for that."

He drummed his fingers on the table. His brow furrowed in thought. "Can I ask a question about all that?" She nodded, and he continued. "Is it only Rosebreast that is preventing you from assuming full control of those territories that belong to you?"

"In part, yes. But it's also my fitness for the role. If I were to be fully in charge, I would also be placed as Archduchess. Right behind my cousin, Gerhard. In many cases, my authority might exceed his given certain circumstances. To place that much power in the claws of what many may consider an untrusted individual is a risk for disaster." She frowned. "Though the council of lords no longer doubts my loyalty, they still doubt my judgment. Something Lady Rosebreast has been increasingly pointing out. I've done very little to help our people."

"I see." Was all Orion said, but his face said there was more.

"What is it?"

"Well…" He tapped his fingers against the cloth of the table again. "This is a half-assed idea…but…could you prove that you can?"

"I have tried. But I haven’t been able to come up with an idea of what to do that my uncle isn't already doing." She spat in frustration. Grace had years, and had thus far come up with nothing. Her efforts so far had amounted to very little, and the Council of Lords were hesitant to allow her a shot to come up with a program because of it.

There was a look in his eye. One she had last seen when they were much younger, and he was planning to get back at her old friend, Storm, for a prank that she had visited on him.

"What is it?" She found herself asking again.

"I'm not sure…gimme a couple of days," Orion said slowly. "I…I think I might have an idea you can use."

Her eyes widened. Could he really have an idea that could wrestle control of her lands from Rosebreast entirely?

"Ah, there you are, my Lady." Her steward's familiar quick, clipped tone spoke up from behind, startling her.

"Oh, Eberhard. That's not very polite, you know?" She admonished, a claw over her beating heart. Grace had nearly made an embarrassing noise.

"Apologies, my Lady." He said with a quick bow, while Orion just chuckled to himself.

"Just what is so funny?"

Rather than actually ask, she turned her attention to her head servant. "What brings you here, Eberhard? I don't believe I have any meetings today." She prayed that this would not be the case. A change in her schedule would greatly depress her and cut into an already restricted amount of freedom she had.

"Ah, no, my Lady. I was instructed to give you this." In his claws was a letter, stamped with a black seal. Her heart sank.

Of all the various colors houses across the nation used, black was only employed by Lady Rosebreast. What could that terrible vulture want with her now?

"Thank…you." She said hesitantly as she took the proffered letter from the steward's claws.

Snapping the seal of two arrows buried in a heart, she folded it open and read.

"Lady Grace Fairheart,

"I send this letter in hopes of finding you in good spirits. I am sure that you are, considering your visiting guest is a fledgling friend from your Equestrian past.

"Speaking of Master Falls. I am most curious to meet him. He has been the talk of the royal quarter these past few days, and it just so happens to be that I am hosting a party tomorrow evening. I would love it if you and he would attend my event.

"I have left instructions for my guards to allow full access once you arrive and have made it known to my guests already planning their own arrival that you may be seen there as well.

"I must confess, I was surprised to see the interests of our fellow peers increase. Many have already sent in their RSVP.

"Once more, I do so hope you both come. It'll be refreshing to hear the goings-on of a nation not our own.

"Kind regards,

"Margarete Rosebreast"

Grace's beak tightened. There was never any threat. There never was. The consequences of not showing up would be others, most notably the Council, would see the weakness in her resolve.

"Man, couldn't paint herself more the villain if she tried. Who the hell uses black wax with arrows buried in a heart? My God, the imagery is visceral by anyone's standards."

Orion had picked up the broken wax pieces in his magic and reassembled them. He was currently pointing out the seal impression to Eberhard, who had taken to standing at his shoulder and nodding as he observed the fractured impression.

"I have never quite seen it like that, Mr. Falls. Lady Rosebreast's crest has been a family symbol for centuries, possibly millennia. But I cannot deny that it has never been a comfortable image." Her steward said in deep thought. "My Lady, what did the letter say, if I may be privileged to know?"

Grace looked at the letter, now resting in her lap, and grimaced.

"The bitch did something particularly sneaky, didn't she?" Came Orion's scathing question, and she hissed through her beak.

The damage, unfortunately, was done. Silence surrounded them. Not a single griffon so much as looked at them, but plates and silverware had stilled as well. They all had heard what her visiting friend had said.

It was one thing for the people to think a thing and another for them to say it out loud. Worse yet, the colt was her guest. One she had invited up from Canterlot. His comment, no matter how many may agree with him, will be seen as a viewpoint of Equestria on the current political standings within their kingdom.

Which meant a tightening of the ranks, so to speak.

Orion blinked in surprise at her heated glare.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Instead of her answering, Eberhard leaned in and whispered into his ear. Her friend's eyes grew very wide, and then he groaned as he slapped his face with both hands. "Sorry." Came his muffled response.

"Nothing to be done about it now." She fought to keep the bite from her tone. It was not entirely his fault, and she should not blame him.

The infamous mouth of Orion Falls had always been well known to her. He was capable of letting fly whatever thought entered his mind at a moment's notice with no filter whatsoever to buffer whoever might be engaging him in conversation.

Grace, too, had the same problem when she first returned. That had costed her greatly at first, one of the many things she had to fight against in her attempt to fill in for her parents' loss.

"Lady Rosebreast has invited us to a ball tomorrow evening. She expects both of us but has specifically highlighted her interest in you." She slid the paper over, and her friend picked it up.

Eberhard lowered his voice.

"She seeks to embarrass you, my Lady. If you choose not to show, the Council will take it as a sign of weakness. If you do…" His gaze swung to her friend, who was glaring so hard at the letter that it was a wonder it hadn't burst into flames.

Grace did not need his advice on this. He had schooled her heavily in the past seven years to meet challenges much like the one she was in now. She would attend; she had to attend. The issue was that she never expected the Duchess of the Martin Foothills to be willing to share a room with an Equestrian. It was well known her disdain for their southern neighbors, and this invitation screamed trap.

Orion finally spoke up.

"She's not just trying to embarrass you. She's attempting to prove that the company you seek will only be damaging to Griffonia as a whole. This is a test of your fitness to exert control over your friends." He looked up. "I'd say we shouldn't go, but I think if we didn't, that would just be more ammo for her to use." His grip tightened on the letter. "Rosebreast is likely going to try and separate us. Where my mouth will do the most damage to your reputation."

Eberhard's head snapped up in surprise, his eyes wide. An expression mirrored by her own face.

Often she was reminded, especially lately, that if Orion took but a moment, he could see more insightfully than most.

"Yes." She nodded slowly.

"And I've already ruined that by opening up my fat mouth here and now." He said quietly.

"Unfortunately true, Mr. Falls. However, not too much." Her steward said just as quietly. "It is well known, that while she has the Council's support, that support is tentative. Lady Rosebreast is not well beloved even amongst her own lands. She is well known to be cruel, and her punishments to offenders, are harsher than required."

"So…I'm gonna need some advice then." He looked to Eberhard. "Can you…no. Would you help with that? I need a crash course in curbing my mouth."

The older griffon chuckled. "I would be honored to assist you, Mr. Falls."

"I…see. So Margarete is making that kind of play, is she?" Sigurd sat in his private study. Gabriele at his shoulder, looking particularly displeased.

"Yes, my King. I can only assume she had learned the strange nature of our guest and the effect he has had on public opinion of Equestrians." Eberhard had come later in the evening than was usual. Having spent the majority of the afternoon and twilight hours instructing Orion Falls in the more refined points of Griffonian culture. From what the Listener had indicated, he was taking to his lessons with enthusiasm.

Clearly, his slip at the Atelier Crenn had become a driving point to learn quickly.

"You said she had discovered something?" Gabriele's tone was hard, and Sigurd reached up to pat one claw in a soothing gesture.

If Eberhard was nervous by his leader's harsh attitude, he displayed no indication of it.

"From what our Eyes have been able to discover, she had learned of his actions aboard the inbound train from Equestria. Most notably, his instructions to those who have now left the city. They are heading southeast as we speak, might I add. In addition to that, she has also been informed of the current troop's disposition toward Mr. Falls. Those inside the castle, at least."

The King huffed in amusement at that.

Orion Falls's popularity amongst his guard was surprising, more so to how quickly he had been unofficially adopted into their ranks. While the pony had been cagy of his past with them, his ability to joke without shying away from their more colorful behaviors had been a massive boon in his favor.

"So that's why she has moved now."

Rosebreast's gamble, for that is what it was, spoke of more than just not wanting any Equestrians seen in a favorable light. It was an indication of her desperation.

Already whispers amongst the servants of Council members indicated their willingness to return the full title and land rights to Grace's control. His successes in turning the nation's economy must have had further reaching effects than originally hoped for.

No. That was not the only reason. His niece's own ability to navigate the political pitfalls and traps had shown her own capabilities in leadership. Even if she had yet to show any administrative initiatives, her handling of troubles sent her way displayed her cunning to all watching.

Now, this.

"I'm surprised he has chosen to take the initiative so quickly." He spoke.

"I am not, my Kindling." He looked at his wife with a cocked eyebrow. "Orion is not stupid. He is merely emotionally driven. When he stops to think for, but moment, he has shown in the short span of time he has been here to be incredibly insightful."

Sigurd nodded. Eberhard had said as much before.

"That is true, my Fire." He turned to his friend. "What do you think, my old friend? Does he have a shot at surviving this?"

"I am…hesitant to answer, your Majesty." The spy said slowly. "It is indeed true, as her Majesty has said. Orion is more than capable. But I fear Rosebreast may seek to play on his emotional attachment to your niece. While he has made claims to not wishing a marriage with her, his affection for her can still be seen by all who pay attention."

Sigurd tapped his beak in thought. This was worrisome. The colt's ability to keep his emotions in check was notoriously lacking. Margarete no doubt knew of that just with his outburst at the restaurant earlier today.

"Does he have appropriate wear?" Gabriele asked, thankfully losing the stern expression she had worn for most of this meeting.

"Ah, no. He was not prepared to meet any royals after all. However, I have him scheduled for a fitting tomorrow morning. Lady Grace had offered to pay, but he had refused. Offering instead to pay for the garments himself." His smile was thin, but approving. "I believe he is dead set on costing us as little as possible."

The old griffon nodded, a slight smirk on his beak.

"Speaking of paying his own way. Have you been able to determine what he is up to?"

"Surprisingly, no, your Majesty. The situation is fluid at the moment. There seems to be some issues with his original plan, or so we believe, as he has done little more than read and interact with the castle staff.” He was implying the entire spy network currently within the castle. They had taken great interest in him, sometimes at the cost of their own duties. “I think he is to borrow a quote I've heard him recently speak: "Making shit up as it comes along"." He chuckled dryly.

Gabriele clicked her beak in frustration. "So he has yet to look at any of the information we have kindly left out for him?"

"Not for a lack of interest, he almost picked up on the twenty-year-old resources map, according to our Eye in the library. But your niece has rather unfortunate timing, I'm afraid." That seemed to mollify her a bit.

"It is of no matter at this moment. Orion and Grace's current dilemma is far more concerning. I will not have that harpy ruin all the successes that my niece has recently gained." He stood. "Eberhard, my friend, I am giving you a command. Fill that pony's head with as much procedure, and decorum as his mind shall allow. He must not be allowed to become the stumbling block in her progress. Are we understood?"

His bride had the wherewithal to remain quiet. Her face was fixed in a mask of determination.

"By your command, my King. I will spare no effort in keeping our wayward guest on the correct path." Eberhard bowed deeply.

"See, that is done. If Rosebreast succeeds in her efforts, we may just be risking a conflict sooner than we are prepared for."

Orion found himself speaking a somewhat familiar line.

"Buddy, you stick me with that needle again, and I will make it a permanent part of your skull." He glared angrily at the unperturbed griffon tailor who had been using him as an impromptu pin cushion.

Jacques Stitch was actually a griffon from the nation of Maris. He was currently on contract to the less-than-wealthy country of Griffonia on Queen Gabriele Fairheart's request.

The colt had to admit the birdbrain knew what he was doing. But the first hour of their session had Orion refuting a lot of ridiculous ideas the Prench bird had on clothing options.

"Apologies." It sounded like he was talking through his nasal passages, stretching the word out in a strange way. "But if ze sir would hold still, I vill be finished shortly."

Completely unshakable. It made the pony on the dias wonder how many people threatened his life during fittings like this.

"I miss Rarity…" He murmured to himself. Rarity wouldn't have stabbed him seven times in the ass. He stifled a chuckle. "Hell, she wouldn't have needed to stitch garments together like this."

"Whom ish zis Raraty?" Orion winced as the birdbrain butchered her name.

"She's a seamstress down in Equestria–watch that needle!" He flinched as the slim piece of metal grazed past his fur and skin beneath.

Unperturbed at another of his outbursts, the griffon continued his work. Also, the conversation.

"Zis seamstress? She ish good, yes?"

"Yeah. You've already seen her handiwork. Those clothes you remarked on being so well made." He gestured with a finger. Moving any limb or turning in any such way would end up getting a million sharp and pointies to stab him relentlessly.

"Ah, she ish very good zen." Taking a step back, Jacques eyeballed his pony pincushion. "I assume her tecknique ish good. Judging by 'er verk." He commented dryly.

"Yep. No devil needles required whatsoever."

"Ah, unicorn." That was as close to an emotion as Orion had yet to hear from him. It sounded angry.

"What?"

"Zay cheat, Monsieur Falls. Zay do everyzing with zeir mahgick. No true effort expended. Just, poof. Completed garments. I practice ze true craft!"

It seemed there was true passion in Jacques Stitch in his chosen profession. The bird-cat was getting rather heated.

"I wouldn't know about other unicorns," he was fixed with a withering stare from the tailor, "but the only time I've ever seen Rarity use magic was to take measurements, and that was it."

"Truly?" The griffon raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah. She's a bit of a perfectionist. Self-taught, I think. I know her family owns some textile company in Equestria. Belle something or other…." He finished lamely.

Jacques's eyes bulged.

"You know ze daughter of Hondo Flanks Belle?!" He practically shouted. "Ze owner of Belle's Fabrics?" His clawed hands threatened to grab him, and Orion had to use his magic to restrain the chicken-man.

"Yes! Fuck, what is wrong with you!" He strained to keep the tailor back.

"You do not understand! Hondo Flanks Belle is the premier developer of fabricks. His product ish known vorld vide!" He was practically frothing.

"Dude, I'm not a part of that. I'm not Hondo fuckin' Flanks. You want the stallion? Go down to Ponyville. That's where he lives when he comes home. Fuckin' calm your ass down!" He shouted.

Silence.

"Forgive me, Monsieur. I has forgotten myself." Pulling back, the griffon set about adjusting his clothes and doing all he could to avoid Orion's eyes.

"At the risk of another assault, is Rar- Hondo Belle really that big of a deal?"

Jacques smiled slightly. "That ish an understatement. His company's fabricks are known the globe over. Vhile I suppose his ish not a household name, being companions vith his daughter I vould expect you to know!"

The pony could only laugh. He never expected the rather solemn bird-cat to be so emotional over something so silly. But he supposed it was only foolish to him.

"Honestly, she told me, but never really got into much detail about it or how truly big her father's company might be." He bit the inside of his cheek in thought. "Though that would explain the house…." It had been an opulent thing. Painted in Rarity's preferred colors.

"You say she made these?" Orion blinked and looked at the tailor, who had moved across the room toward his discarded clothes. He was holding up his orange shirt and rubbing the fabric gently between his claws.

"Uh, yeah. Said she worked primarily with one of those hoof-powered sewing machines if I remember right." He did not move from his spot on the dias. During the short altercations, a pair of needles decided to wedge themselves between his shoulder blades. He barely breathed.

"Interesting. No measurement of fabricks on you?"

"Nope. Just a bunch of detailed measurements with a cloth tape."

"Ah, perhaps she has a unique ponynequin?" The tailor mused to himself. "I shall have to pay a visit, once my contract here is finished."

"Shit, perhaps I should warn her. Tell her to hide." Orion joked. That got a bemused look from Jacques.

"You could, but I vould not be deterred." Just then, the man-turned-colt got a peculiar image in his head.

When he was growing up back on earth, he had often sat before the television on a Saturday morning watching cartoons. One of those was the classic, Looney Toons.

The part that now paraded through his mind was of the skunk, Pepé Le Pew, chasing Penelope, the cat. Only now, instead of the cat, there was Rarity, running for her life, followed closely by a hopping Jacques. He could only shake his head in amusement.

"Ah, poor Rarity. She's going to be chased to the ends of Equis."

"I swear, Sweetie. I have no idea how you get into the filthiest of places!" Rarity declared as she struggled to pin down her squirming little sister.

The foal had been left alone by their mother for less than ten minutes, and she had somehow gotten into the garbage cans behind the house. Both her and her mother were perplexed by how she had even gotten out of the house!

Rather than take responsibility for her neglecting the roving little pony, her mother had decided to impose the task of cleaning on her eldest, which was why she was currently nearly shoulders deep with suds and mucky water.

Her clothes were a mess. Her thrashing sister had seen to covering everything in the soapy grime that was being removed from her.

"Please, Darling! Hold still! The more you struggle, the longer-"

A chill swept up from her tail to her ear tips that were not brought on by the dirty water currently coating her front.

Something had gone horribly wrong.

Thankfully, Jacques had mercifully released him from his clutches and needles of agony.

In the private dressing chamber of his torturer's suite, he checked over his body to see if he was bleeding anywhere. He frowned.

If the tailor had said the words: "We have such sights to show you" during the fitting session, Orion would have been prepared to commit murder to get out of there.

"Gonna call that fucker Pinhead from now on." He grumbled as he pulled his shirt back over his head.

Stepping out, he saw the bird-cat from Prance already leaning over his own sewing machine. The rhythmic clicking only being interrupted by the occasional pause for adjustment. He wasn't even acknowledging the pony in the room.

Shrugging his shoulders, the black colt left the room and was immediately accosted by Eberhard.

"Ah, good. You are done. Mr. Falls, I have some finer points of addressing those of higher stations I would like to go over with you." He firmly took hold of his arm with an iron grip and hustled him toward his own apartments.

"Oh, come on!" Orion exclaimed. "You've been on my ass since yesterday!"

He had. Once the letter had arrived yesterday, it was quickly recommended by Eberhard to begin a crash course in the mannerisms of the court that very afternoon.

Those lessons carried on till well into the late hours of the night. When he had awoken this morning, Scream's steward was right there with a black cup of coffee in one hand and an itinerary in the other. Right up to the moment of his fitting the griffon, he was hammering him with rants on just how to hold a fork.

He had hoped, with the measurements having been done, that he could relax a bit, perhaps nap. Nope, there he was, ready to pounce upon him once more.

"I'm going to need more coffee…." He groaned, which caused Eberhard to smile.

"Of course. I already have a carafe in your rooms ready for you. I fear today shall be a long day for you."

Running his hands over the suit, Orion had to admire Jacques Stitch's quick work. He was no Rarity, but the outfit was impeccable.

Done in all black, both blazer and pants, it was adorned in gold piping along the seams. A row of buttons that held the coat closed went down at an angle across his chest from right to left.

Underneath was a subdued golden shirt. Almost coppery in appearance.

To complete the look, a gold and red kerchief were stuffed into the left breast pocket to complete the look.

He had been forced to comb out his mane and tail. Well, not him, but the Saldo'les who had been assigned to tame the wild locks he barely ran fingers through. The struggle had been real for the poor hens.

When they had advised trimming his goatee, he had threatened the standard levels of violence on the poor barbers. The request to put his ornaments away had gotten the same treatment.

The one in charge of the trio, Klara, no second name given, had desired to do up his mane. That had gotten a flat refusal so hard he thought he might be able to bludgeon her with it.

With much grumbling, they settled on keeping the wild look while still giving it a more ordered structure, having it cascade down one side of his neck. His tail was left alone to hang freely, brushed to a dull shine.

A gun to his head, and he would admit to liking the look. He wondered if there might be a way to construct a spell that would mimic this evening's do.

All the while the Saldo'les were fussing over him, Eberhard was faithfully still there. Hammering away in an attempt to stuff as much protocol in as possible. Orion wondered if he might be fast enough to boink the bird with a comb.

"Alright, enough." He said, batting away Klara's claw. She had been brushing the fur on his neck again. Seemed like the fifth time. "If it's not good enough by now, it won't ever be. Give it a rest, lady."

"It's still not right, Master Falls. I need to-"

"If it's not right after fifty brushes, it's never going to be, barring complete genetic overhaul. Am I good enough?" He spread his arms low and did a slow turn.

The Gran Saldo'les clucked her beak in frustration but gave a grudging nod of approval with a slim neck.

"Other than your neck fur, I see no blemishes." She finally said.

Eberhard, who had thankfully taken a break while Orion and her conversed, spoke up.

"Klara, he looks perfect. You shall not get it any closer. And truly, I do not see what you see in that spot. Orion is right, and you have done an immaculate job as always." He nodded with approval.

"Let us hope the nobles have your eyes and not mine." She turned back to the pony. "When you sit, remember to only unbutton the bottom four, and don't forget to do them back up. Understand?!"

"Yeah, yeah! I got it. Trust me." He gave his most winning smile. It didn't even put a chip into the stern glare from the hen. Still, she left without a word, and Eberhard stepped forward to pat away dust only he could apparently see.

"There is one final lesson I must give you. One I had neglected because I have actually forgotten what you are." He chuckled. "Orion, please-"

"Don't use magic."

The steward blinked in surprise.

"You already knew?"

"Had a lot of time to think about it. I'm going into a room full of people who have only the bare ability to manipulate the weather. Me willy-nilly casting magic about to do things for myself in front of them will only make them feel less for it. That will put them off outright. Noble egos can be fragile." It had been something he was initially going to do. To make them feel beneath him. His one advantage over all of them.

But as he had begun to think about it, he realized that he couldn't do that. Every action, every step he made, would reflect on Screaming.

For the first time since coming to this world, he had to not be himself.

"Besides," he continued, "have you seen me do much with my magic since getting here?"

"No." Eberhard smiled. "Thank you for your consideration of them. Remember, they are a hard-headed, insular lot, but a few will approach you immediately. Mind your tongue, and you should do alright. Remember what I taught you. Good luck."

With that, the griffon marched out of the room.

Turning from watching him go. Orion turned back to the standing mirror and made some minor adjustments for comfort.

"I really do clean up good." His Equish and English teachers would weep if they heard him.

"Sir." A formal tone came from the door. It hadn't surprised him. Since the moment dress-up had begun, he began tuning up his enchantments. The black pony refused to be caught unawares this evening, even if he was running the risk of being seen as a bit otherworldly.

Turning, he faced the guard.

"Time to go?" A nod. "And Sc-," he paused. "Lady Fairheart?" It was difficult for him to call her anything else but Scream or Screaming. Tonight's trial had an individual difficult setting, it would seem.

"She has not yet appeared. However, a guard has been sent to advise her of the time." She said smoothly, and Orion realized who it was.

"Hey, Swift. So you drew the short straw tonight, eh?"

She grinned back at him. "Are you kidding? This is an easy detail. At least I get to see something other than a wall." He laughed at her as he approached, bumping knuckles with her.

The entire castle of armed birds had taken to that greeting like bears take to salmon. He had even seen it twice outside in the town.

"Great, starting trendy chaos already. And I haven't even figured out what to do yet."

He gestured to his unlikely armored friend. "Lead the way, let's get this train wreck underway."

"Roomy," Orion said simply as he turned away from the inside of the coach. A subtlety ornate carriage that vaguely reminded him of the King's chair in the study.

The ride was being pulled by two Quillbacks. The only thing he could compare them to was porcupines, with much longer and more powerful legs and some cat-like features.

From what he had been told, no one rode them. Instead, choosing to use them as beasts of burden due to their natural defenses against predators and hearty frame. He had to agree. Those spines would make any attempt uncomfortable.

"Well, it was made to carry griffons, Master Falls." Said Swift with some snark. He thought better of smacking her on the head.

The one morning of training he had been on with them had left him with the distinct impression that despite his magic, he would not survive whatever she did to him.

She was fast.

"Excuse me for not being an Alicorn, then." He chuckled.

"Will you two quit the banter!" Snapped the other guard for this soiree. It turned out the King had decided sending one of his own was a grand idea.

Stoic glared at them from under his helmet's visor. Orion was tempted to flip him the bird that actually meant something awfully rude here. No one would tell him what, but the one time he did it to a passing cab driver who had come far too close to snapping his head off with their whip, Screaming had practically lost it.

Needless to say, he did not do that again.

Turning from the disgruntled griffon, the black pony looked up just in time to see his friend coming through the door.

His breath jammed in his throat like an iceberg had fallen inside.

He had seen what most noble hens of the kingdom wore during the first couple of days in Griffonstone. A fair few mares back in Equestria, but he had been unprepared for Screaming to come down the stairs to the castle foyer like this.

The very first thing to catch his attention were her eyes. The green orbs sat in a beautiful sea of glimmering red that began almost black at the center, and blended into a deep orange at the edges.

Further inspection showed her ear tips mirrored the eyeshadow.

Her dress didn't start with the actual garment itself. A choker of deep red feathers, likely stained, sat snug around her throat with a black cloth to hold them all.

A later look would show that her dress started underneath the red feathers. It too, was wrapped around her throat and descended from there to the waist, adorned with spiraling feathers sewn into the bodice. It left her arms and shoulders bare.

When she turned to address one of the guards by the entrance, her back was exposed, and he swallowed. Or tried to. His throat was a little dry.

"New fetish unlocked…"

Screaming's back was entirely exposed to the waist. Allowing free movement of her wings, but Orion was more focused on how the feathers shifted subtlety over the taut muscles there as she gestured about something.

Turning, she smiled at him and began a hasty, if careful, trot down the stairs. Those slight bounces drew his attention to her skirt.

Sheer black lace draped over a skirt of what looked to be nothing but pleated petticoats.

The entire ensemble matched the eyeshadow he took note of first. Deep, almost black, red that turned into a deep orange. Gold bracelets of appreciable designs clinked musically with each step.

Screaming was beautiful, and judging by the color combination, it was clear what she was implying by wearing that dress like she was.

One of the lessons Eberhard had drilled into him had been the cultural importance of the Language of Colors. The subdued nature of the griffon species' natural pigments had led to them, as a people adopting certain colors to express intentions.

One of the most alarming hues, at least for him, was red. A griffon would be able to tell immediately what each variation of the color would mean specifically. For Orion, the steward just hit the basics.

Romance. Screaming was openly declaring her intent for romance, and by mimicking his own natural colors, she was indicating who she was after.

"Fuck me running." He was seriously beginning to rethink the whole waiting for graduation before sex. That top clearly meant to give her a smaller bust only made it more pronounced as it threatened to spill out the sides. "I have…definitely gone native."

A stifled chuckle pulled him from his thoughts. Swift was giving him a knowing grin. A quick glance to his right showed the guard Stoic also had a quirk to his beak. These fuckers were mocking him.

"See something ya like there, drake?" His armored friend of the guard said.

He had a brief second to think about how he was going to react. Should he act embarrassed? Get pissed? Then the image of Lacy Harness popped into his head, donned in that nightshirt that barely covered her hips and left an expansive amount of breast exposed. He grinned back.

"Duh, look at her?" He gestured, speaking loudly, which pulled Screaming up short. She had a concerned look on her face. Her claws unconsciously smoothed the sheer skirt. "She's fuckin' gorgeous."

Swift actually gave him a slight bow, the grin growing wider. He won this round.

Her Ladyship, Grace Fairheart, came down the rest of the way. He could see the cheeks beneath the softer feathers on her face had turned a noticeable crimson.

Putting out his hand to help her into the carriage, he spoke. "You are going to have the entire party ogling you. Some griffon is going to make his move if you're not careful." He pretended not to notice the smile on her lips fade.

It hurt to say that. In the brief moment he debated about tossing out the no-sex law he had placed on himself, he realized he could not return her feelings. Not out of a lack of desire for her, she was cute and fun on any day, but that wasn't enough to build a life on.

There was also Twilight to consider. Yeah, he had rejected any advances from her in an obtuse fashion, but as time wore on, he had found himself fond of the spastic mare.

Orion's fear of commitment was also rearing its head. Throughout his human life, he had tagged and bagged the women that did give him the time of day. But he was absolutely terrified of somehow having a kid and ending up being an absent father, much like his own dad.

It cost him a fortune just in the morning after pills that he would sneak into the chick of the evening's meals or drinks.

That no-sex rule wasn't just because he might feel like a pedophile if he were to cave, or be tempted in any way. Its intent was more for the fact that he just could not commit.

Getting into the cab after her, he sat down with a heavy sigh. Screaming had turned away from him to stare out the window. Orion thought it best not to speak. Turning back to the entrance, he found both Swift and Stoic.

If looks could kill, he would have been vaporized in the heat of a star.

Wincing, he mouthed sorry that neither guard seemed to accept. They just shut the door, more slammed it, and got onto both sides of the carriage.

A heavier sigh escaped him, and he joined his friend in staring out at the scenery of the city below.

"Fuck me, now on top of tonight's shitty activities; I've got this over my head."

"Well, there is certainly enough gold being tossed about," Orion muttered under his breath, yet just loud enough for Eberhard to hear. He had come ahead of their party of two to make sure last-minute complications never popped up.

"Yes. It has become a contest of sorts." He nodded in the direction of some merchants who had been invited. There was enough lace and gold on them to kill someone with the sheer weight alone. "Even those not in power have begun to be tacky with their adornments. It is worse for the noble classes."

The pony could only nod slightly in agreement.

Upon their arrival, the mansion had been lit up with purple fire. This party had been thrown together for a purpose.

Gray brick and stone. Domes that must have been cast in copper, now green in the failing evening light. It was practically a palace. Complete with relief busts of important griffons decorating the tops of pillars.

Inside, rich wood walls and thick carpet. On those walls were paintings of oil, depicting battle scenes and glory. Many depicting ponies dead beneath the paws of griffon conquerors. Rosebreast had already begun to send the message.

Once inside the large great hall where the party would be held, he got his first real look at the nobility that governed this country in their natural habitat.

Slim lords and ladies, he was beginning to believe only griffons born outside the nation were tall, broad-shouldered things. In school, griffons had been depicted as little more than barbarian savages from the north. Barely capable of reasonable thought, here he could see the falsity of those classroom declarations.

"Size might have something to do with diet. Or the restriction in food perhaps?" He had read once that a child's growth was largely dependent on two things, genetics given to them, and the environment they grew up in. "Perhaps, with everyone doing with less for so long, it affected them genetically…."

As it was, he was the biggest person in the room. Only a couple of guards stationed at various points throughout the vast room came close, and he still topped them by more than a few inches.

He stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Maybe it has something to do with them being fliers?" The pegasi were a tiny people. That might be it, lighter frames for flying. The thought still brought no comfort, unfortunately.

Screaming had left him alone just after they had entered.

Placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, she spoke quietly. "Unfortunately, this is more of a showing than anything else. I have to go and mingle with my…peers. Remember what Eberhard taught you, Orion. Let them come to you."

What she had meant was his station in both societies was on the low end. He did not have the standing to approach those so high in their hierarchy, so Eberhard had instructed him to hang back, allowing for the curious to make the first move.

The important thing was he shouldn't hide. Remain open and close to the center without intruding on their conversations.

Made him feel like a servant or, worse, some type of zoo exhibit. But he couldn't argue. This was their world, and he wasn't too happy having to step into it, even for but a moment.

Scream's steward had found him later, lurking by the refreshments table. He had been too nervous about doing much more than drinking the punch, only to discover it had been spiked. So the cup sat in his hand, growing warm as he listened to the stuffy, if friendly, griffon.

Fortunately for Orion, being advised on who was who by an upper caste servant was normal, even expected so that the uninitiated didn't embarrass anyone.

"...over there is her Ladyship, Dorothea von Hardwind, of House Hardwind. She is the Baroness of Eastperch." Eberhard was in the middle of informing him who the latest arrivals were. "She inherited her title from her late husband. Word has it she is still deciding on which fledgling of hers she plans to hand it to. Odds are on her eldest daughter, Palatine."

"Are they…in the negative with S- Grace?" He was having too much difficulty using her actual name.

"No. In fact, the entire house supports her claim to the lands. Be careful, young drake. I have been informed that she is prowling for a husband for her daughter."

"Oh christ, not more of that bullshit." The slight smile on Eberhard's beak made him scowl. The stuffy butler was screwing with him.

"That was not funny," Orion said sternly.

"I do not know if that is true. I found it quite humorous." A thoughtful look came upon his face. "Though caution is still advised, she is one of the few here that may attempt to goad you in the open. Like many, Lady Hardwind has a very low opinion of Equestrians. So watch your manners."

He nodded. That was something he could do. The pony's eyes canvased the room. "I see our host has yet to join us." So far, he had managed to keep all trace of scorn and anger from his voice when discussing Rosebreast. He only hoped his face matched.

"It is customary for the host to be the last to arrive. To give their guests time to mingle and settle themselves from their travels." Eberhard raised a finger. "Forgive my indulgence, but the reason for that is custom itself. Back when there was no central government to speak of, meetings that were called often had last-minute attendees. Many needing to travel the span of the land would only just arrive. It was also common practice to wait a few days to make big decisions, allowing those that did not get there on time to be brought up to date quickly."

Orion smiled at the steward.

"My guy, you really need to retire and get into teaching. I could actually stay awake for that lecture." He chuckled.

"I will keep that under advisement, Mr. Falls. However, I will have to leave the rest of the introductions to your own discretion." He gave a small bow and left the pony to once again lurk amongst the refreshments.

"God, this is boring." He lamented. By his reckoning, it had already been nearly an hour and a half. No one had so much as even glanced at him. At least not when he was looking.

Sighing, he turned to see if there was a less alcoholic option for him to partake in, otherwise, he was going to have to flag down one of the servants. Dehydration could be a threat to him this evening.

The snack spread was excellent looking. He paused as his eyes came back on a particular player. "Is that…" Picking up a roll of meat, Orion popped it in his mouth and barely surprised a moan.

It was cream cheese and ham rolls! He hadn't had them since he was a human! How in the hell did they make the cream cheese?

He was so distracted he did not at first realize there was someone approaching the table he was standing at. At the very last second, when his neurons began firing correctly again, he swept to the side without looking, allowing the newcomer a chance at the selection.

"Pay attention, you idiot." Self-flagellation was something he never thought he would ever do. At least not this frequently.

Turning to go, he found the griffon who had come over to the table had not actually gone for the finger food. Instead, the short balding bird-cat that had been stuffed into a blue doublet, was looking at him.

"My apologies. Am I in your way?" He asked. He hoped he hadn't already fucked up somewhere.

"No…I was…you just stepped to the side as if you knew I was there…how?"

Thank whatever deity was in control that he had already thought of a handy excuse. "I actually have really good ears. I'm sorry if I startled you, sir?"

The griffon gave himself a shake. "I see. I am Lord Johann Ironbark, Duke of the lands of Pinecliff." Orion gave a bow and got a nod back.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Ironbark. I am Orion Falls." He had to bite off the joke he wanted to make. Eberhard had been very clear on not making any jokes unless the noble speaking to him made one first.

"I imagine we all know your name by this time, fledgling." Came his gruff response. The Lord of Pinecliff stepped up to the table without looking at him, and picked up a small plate to begin placing a few snacks on it.

He was unsure of what to do. Was he dismissed? Was this just a passing greeting? Fortunately, he was not pressed long in making a decision to walk away.

"I hear you are a guest of Lady Grace Fairheart. Something about you both once being orphans together?"

"Ah, yeah. We were in the same orphanage together for a time. Then King Fairheart's agents found her, and she was whisked away back to Griffonia, while I remained a permanent resident. We write to each other regularly, and this year she invited me to visit." That is a nice safe answer. One everyone already knew of.

Finishing loading up the small plate, Ironbark turned to him and presented the food. Blinking, Orion took the plate gingerly and gave a curious glance back at the griffon.

"I hear you are a mere fifteen summers old. Young drakes such as yourself need to eat regularly to grow." He gave a thin smile.

This was a test. The food piled onto the dish in his hand was entirely meat. He noted with glee that a large portion was the cream cheese and ham rolls.

"I thank you, your Lordship." He gave a slight bow and got a grimace for his trouble. Either he was unhappy at the delay in the test, or didn't like the fact he didn't say "my Lord”, he could not tell. Still, he quickly popped a couple of rolls into his mouth and savored the creamy, cheesy goodness.

"No magic?" Another expected question and Orion already had an answer for it.

"I believe it's rather unnecessary to expend so much effort just to feed myself, seems wasteful." He took a bite from some type of fried bread with a red sauce and a slice of dark meat on top. "Ooo, spicy!"

"Unnecessary?"

"Yes. If you would indulge me with a question of my own?" That got a stiff nod. "Thank you, your Lordship." The grimace was back. So it was that. "Do you use a hammer for anything else but to beat against the nail?"

"No. Why would I?"

"It is the same for magic. Like any tool, it has its uses, which are vast and many, but that does not mean it's for everything. Holding a plate and feeding myself only requires two hands. Magic would simply be an effort in redundancy." He finished and popped another ham roll in his mouth.

That little speech made the noble pause in thought, a finger on his beak, and his eyes lost in contemplation. It didn't take him long to come back, however.

"I see. Tell me, why did you feed those refugees?" Orion nearly gaped at the Lord. He had not been expecting that question from him. Or anyone here except maybe Rosebreast herself. "I see that you did not know that anyone might have found that out." Ironbark chuckled. "Your purchase was done upon my land, fledgling. The train system runs directly through my territory. Everything that happens there, I learn of. My question stands, why?"

Taking a moment to compose himself, he thought about how to answer the noble. Remembering the hungry face of Frieda reminded him of his own hunger back in Stalliongrad.

"Because I know what it's like to go hungry. To wonder what your next meal might be, or when. If I violated some law in your borders, I apologize. But I would do it again in a heartbeat." That might have come out a little stronger than he wanted, but it was no less true.

"And where did you get the coinage for such a purchase?"

"Jesus, bud. Want a stool sample too?" Another easy answer.

"The orphanage in which I reside in is currently being supported by the Throne of Equestria itself. My monthly allowance is far more than I could ever hope to use. So it collects dust till I need it." He shrugged and finished the last of the snacks that had been given to him.

"Hmm." The griffon lord looked at the plate in his hands and did his own double take. "So the rumors were true…a normal Equestrian would have already vomited by now." His gaze wasn't as angry when it came back to Orion's. "How long have you been in service to Celestia?"

The lone pony in a room full of potentially hostile griffons couldn't help the laugh that came from his lips. All eyes swung to him, and even the music seemed to mute along with the conversations in the room.

"Did I say something humorous?" Johann asked heatedly.

"No, no. I apologize. I just never thought anyone would think I was working for her." He did his best to placate the ruffled feathers of the griffon.

"Oh, and why is that? Do you not love the Princess?" Conversations had begun to pick back up, but it was nowhere near the buzz it was before.

"Respect her is more the case, and that barely. But love? I think not. I was not born in her lands. My early years were not wrapped around giving praise to her for raising the sun." He had still not managed to prove one way or another that she was bullshitting the entire world.

"Respect?" Back to short questions, it would seem.

"She has managed to keep a nation together for the better part of two millennia. Her people are at peace. I may not personally like her myself, but that doesn't diminish her accomplishments." He was proud of himself, he had managed to avoid swearing the entire conversation thus far.

"But you don't like her?"

"No." He waved one of the servers down to take the plate. "Power like that does not come without a few black marks carefully hidden in history." He carefully kept back the fact that he didn't like anyone in governmental control. "As to working for her, a snowball in Tartarus has a better chance than me of ever seeking to employ myself under her."

The idea of working for someone like her could only end badly. Considering his current skill set, it would be disastrous. What he told the Lord of Pinecliff was true, he did not personally like the mare. There was something about her that bothered him greatly, and it started the day she went near nova in front of him.

"I'm surprised you would be so open," Johann said after a few moments more of thinking. Orion took that as a cue to expound.

"I do not hate her if that is what you’re beginning to believe, but I have found that a healthy dose of skepticism is a good survival trait to have when living in this world. Not everything or anyone, is what they first appear to be." Fortune cookie wisdom at best, but it seemed to mollify the disagreeable bird-cat.

"That is…a fair answer. You are not what I expected. A good evening to you, Mr. Falls." He gave a slight bow, that Orion returned somewhat belatedly. Getting any kind of bow from a noble was not something he had expected in the slightest.

It was a few minutes after he had walked away that the next one visited him. Magdalene Risingwing, of Northnest. Her questions were much less hostile, but followed along similar lines.

Before he knew it, there were two to three approaching him at once, bombarding him with questions and comments.

During a lull, when he was basically recovering from the onslaught, Eberhard swooped back in to check on him.

"You are doing very well, Mr. Falls." He chirped with approval. "I daresay you might have swung more than a few minds tonight. Well done."

"Huh? What do you mean?" He took a long pull of water from a glass that had been given to him by one of the servers.

"Several attendees here have been quite upset with your interactions with Lady Fairheart. Their conversations with you have swayed their opinions on the current relationship with Equestria. However, I must ask. Do you truly dislike your ruler so much?"

He had remained consistent with his answers on Celestia. He didn't think he had come off as a Princess hater. Had he been wrong?

"I don't hate her, I just don't trust her. She's had a long life. Lots of secrets. You don't trust someone like that. You can't."

"Why?" The steward was unusually invasive this evening. This was important to him.

"Because I don't have a shred of doubt in my mind that she has had to do some very dark things to keep her nation together. And between you and me, and whoever you decide to tell, I've been looking into a lot of the laws that she has in place for dealing with other nations. From defense to trade, there are a lot of loopholes that seem to favor Equestria."

"You are implying that she has likely done nefarious deeds in order to secure her position and her nation's interests?"

"Let's put it this way. If you have centuries of political knowledge and lived through history itself, thus knowing everyone else's dirty laundry, would you not take advantage?" He took another sip of water.

"You have a point. I would be too tempted to use what is available to my advantage." Eberhard gave him an appraising glance. "You have great potential in politics."

"No thank you, I'd rather be dead." He laughed and the steward could only shake his head ruefully.

"There is another reason for my return. All the guests have arrived. You have done well, but now the real conflict begins. Remember, Lady Rosebreast is subtle, but she will likely approach you straight away. You are new, and not one of them, she will seek to embarrass you and cause you to act out." He leaned in. "Remember your unfortunately brief instructions."

When the letter had arrived, no one was too happy about it. Orion did not possess the training necessary to have a battle of wits with someone gunning for his throat. Back in Equestria, it was easy because everyone still viewed him as a foal, though that collective opinion was beginning to change year by year, which was to his disadvantage.

Here in Griffonia, he was viewed as an enemy at worst, and a nuance at best. Everyone here only viewed him as an Equestrian. Which meant that they were not about to treat him with kid gloves.

In the brief twelve or so hours they had, he had been drilled with court protocol and what to expect. It was a headache, but so far those lessons had proven useful.

Now the real test would begin.

A bell sounded deeper within the manor, and Eberhard's features hardened.

"That is the announcement. She is coming. Prepare yourself as well as you can Orion, and remember, be vague where you can be."

"Got it, confuse her with nonsensical wordplay to the point she gets frustrated and storms off." He grinned at his sour look. "I'm kidding, dude. I will be polite and respectful."

"See that you are." The other guests were making their way to one side of the grand hall, near a pair of ornate double doors. That was likely to be Rosebreast's entrance. "Go, do not be the last to arrive or it will look like you were attempting to hide." He patted his shoulder and walked away.

Orion, as he walked over with the rest of the attendees, mused over the fact that, that had been the first time he had ever seen the steward physically touch anybody.

Worming his way into the press of bodies he was surprised to find many giving way to his much taller frame with little complaint. Perhaps his conversations did go well, though, all he had felt was being wrung dry by the assault of inquistive griffons.

Across from him was Screaming. She had chosen a position at the very front just on the other side of the horseshoe-shaped gathering. He grimaced at her tight-faced expression.

"Shit, she must have been wrung out too."

About halfway through he stopped pushing forward and found himself standing next to Lady Hardwind, which had not been by accident.

The Baroness of Eastperch had hung back and not engaged with him so far this night, even as those that had been talking to her broke off to come to him.

He hoped that didn't offend her, but he was about to.

"I expected you to be standing at the rear," Dorothea spoke cooly. Her eyes remained fixed on the polished wood doors.

"Considering my height, I should be. But I was advised against that. Our most gracious host might take that as hiding. So unfortunately for the good folks behind me, they have a very pretty wall to stare at instead of her, Lady Hardwind."

A small curve of her beak appeared as she finally glanced at him. "You know my name. Do not expect me to be impressed." Cold hard blue eyes stared at him for a moment before she turned her attention back.

"Not much to impress with just memorizing a name." The way she spoke, the aura this griffon gave off, made him want to be direct. "I'm surprised you even bothered to speak with me, given what I know of you which is very little, I'd half expect you to ignore me entirely. You know, given your low opinion on certain subjects."

"You would goad me?" That had gotten her attention, ignoring those around her she fully turned and glared up at him. They made space and watched from the sidelines, Orion had to remind himself to be very careful from this moment on.

"Not goad, so much as lay the facts out plain." He shrugged uncomfortably in his coat. "In all honesty, I believed you might favor a more direct conversation."

"You did not give this gift to others. Why me?" She asked, no longer glaring.

"Mostly because I'm impatient. I'd rather get it over with and not have a potential confrontation hanging over my head the entire time I am here."

One final lesson that Eberhard had given him before getting dressed for the ball, was this. He had to choose someone to get just a little hostile with. It would show the nobles that he wasn't to be marched over like just another stone in the road, and it needed to be done before Rosebreast made her entrance, but not so soon for her to learn of it beforehand.

The reason for this gamble was rather simple. On her arrival, and after her veil-thin hostile conversation with him, she would attempt to convince the assembled that he was useless and worse, that he was simply an agent of the Throne of Equestria.

It was a gamble to be sure, but one he knew he had to take at the very last possible moment.

"Impatience nets you no fish." She spoke hotly. "It gains you no time either."

"When you have no time, the latter is pointless. Strike while the iron is hot as a smith would say. You don't like me, I am perfectly fine with that." He leaned forward, taking full advantage of his height. "What I am not fine with, is sending those three," he jabbed a subtle finger at the direction of a trio of minor noble ladies that had done little more than attempt to belittle his even being here, "to antagonize me."

She flushed in embarrassment at being called out, and Orion briefly regretted having to do this. His decision had been made because out of everyone there, she could take the abuse. Not to mention she had technically started it.

The question was, how would she respond?

The blush suddenly faded away, and the scowl was replaced by a self-satisfied smile.

Had he made a grave mistake?

"My, my. Lady Fairheart certainly knows how to find the strong ones, doesn't she?" Lady Hardwind said in a languid tone. He blinked in surprise and she moved closer, lowering her voice. "I do not like Equestrians, that much is very true and I will not apologize for it. However, you are very much not an Equestrian, Mr. Falls of Stalliongrad."

This…griffon, basically just said she knew more of him than anyone else here. At least in this room. "Did she know as much as the King?" He coughed to clear his throat.

"Well, and here I thought I was the aggressor." He lamented, lowering his voice with hers.

"Oh, no. It was a great showing. You have taken very well to the lessons. Very clever waiting till now, by the way, I had not expected you to use me as your foil." She chortled softly.

"And…how-"

"Oh, fledgling, please." She interrupted, placing a familiar hand on his chest. From across the sea of griffons, he could see Screaming's face darken. "You danced well, but your manner was a bit too stiff, you have not had the practice. But you understand the steps. Give a few more years, and I dare say I would be at your mercy, instead of the other way around."

She was flirting with him. No, no she was now goading his friend, who could clearly see what was happening from her place in the crowd.

"Do not use me to screw with Lady Fairheart." He said hotly, proud that he remembered to use her actual name. Lady Hardwind tutted and removed her hand.

"Forgive an old griffon for wanting to see the mettle in one so young as her. She should know how to properly contain her emotions." She glanced Screamings way and spoke softer. "Does she know that you hold affection for her, but not love?"

"And how would you know that?"

"Mr. Falls, her dress makes that clear." He wanted to smack himself. The Language of Colors again.

"Fair." He carefully did not sigh heavily. "I don't know. Until I came up here, I had no idea she was even interested in me."

"She doesn't have access to her aunt's network. She does not know your opinions on the matter of romance and families." Dorothea said sadly.

"Network? Queen Gabriele has a network?" Then it clicked. It wasn't King Fairheart, but his wife that had found out all that information about him. A spy network. A very sophisticated spy network.

"Shit. Is that why you know so much?" He tactfully ignored the fact that he had just swore for the first time that night.

"Oh, no. The Queen is not the only one with a network of her own. However, I use mine merely for financial reasons. Understanding the market in other lands can be very profitable if you know what to look for, and how to apply it." She hummed to herself. "Though I had only come upon you because of your exploits. You are much talked about in Canterlot."

Double shit.

"I have…a knack for jumping first and ignoring where I am landing completely." He muttered.

It was a good thing that the others had given them so much space. Otherwise, their low-pitched conversation would have become a very interesting topic for sure.

"Very true, and a good self-assessment. Though you should be proud of your self-control this evening." Looking at the door, she nodded, and whispered, "Come to my home Monday, I have a small manor here for when I am in the capital. With Lady Fairheart often distracted with her duties, you and I shall have a…frank conversation."

Orion had no time to answer her, for the doors gave a slight cracking noise and swung open.

Their host, had finally arrived.