The night of the coronation was as much a time for celebration as was the day, though as a general rule far more alcohol was involved as soon as the clock passed seven in the evening. This was a universal law of such happy times as this; even the remaining nobility, current politicians and foreign dignitaries were invited to the halls of the palace to enjoy a night of revelry. All accepted of course, denying the emperor was no death wish in the empire these days; but few wanted to squander their opportunity to gain favour with their new ruler and even fewer would say no to spending time at such a delightful party under a royal roof.

Unfortunately, Nightmare and Sombra were also included in the guest list.

Grover would much rather have spent time talking to River Swirl, the Jaks or even the notoriously icy polar bears and penguins; but he had prepared himself for this. Really everycreature present had been quietly preparing themselves for what were broadly seen as demons and incredibly bad omens for the empire. However, those that attended this party were also very aware of why they were here and, like their emperor, had no choice but to put up with them; much as they had to put up with these revolting griffons.

All attendees at the event, even the most important of individuals, knew that it was best not to provoke the wrath of the moon or invoke the lust for revenge of her husband. Partially because they feared for their lives, and rightfully so, but also because they were all representatives of their respective homelands in such a context as this. The whole affair was not merely a party, but a charade in which each participant must perform their part for fear of ruining the delicate game that they chose to play. It was a game that Grover was, for obvious reasons, very inexperienced at; but he was astute and determined to learn, even if it meant making mistakes.

“Champagne your highness? Wine, perhaps?” One of the butlers whom Grover had sadly not yet gotten to know offered.

“Not tonight, thank you.” He returned with a slight smile.

If he had known him then he would have been aware that the emperor was effectively teetotal and had no intention of changing that. His majesty couldn’t help but smile slightly for the unawareness, but he wouldn’t be so unkind as to inform the very polite griff of his error.

Instead he needed to busy himself with socialising for the night, just as his aunt Gabriela used to do in his father’s court. She was taking time off with Gerlach at the moment, both of them seemingly tired of this part of the job and tired from organising a lot of the coronation themselves. Grover had actually encouraged them to relax tonight too since it would motivate him to do this sort of thing proactively in the future; to take responsibility into his own claws. Even though he didn’t particularly enjoy this schmoozing it was a skill he would need to hone for the purposes of realpolitik.

Nocreature here was going to get thoroughly drunk, such was inappropriate for parties of this calibre, which made it a good time and place to get to know his future allies and rivals. Any head of state would be a good place to start but they all seemed like reasonable options. Well, all except the obvious pair and their current quarry. He could see poor Prince Bradford effectively being bullied by the tyrant monarchs of the east across the enormous room and decided that it would be best to avoid those three for now. In spite of typical Jaki temperament that was bold and headstrong, the prince had to be incredibly careful with those two constantly eyeing his territory. Joining in that conversation at the wrong moment could be catastrophic, so for now he had to allow the poor creature to effectively kowtow at their hooves.

Instead the emperor’s calm eyes were drawn to Aleksander Eskildsen and Anne Kjellberg, the male penguin and female bear diarchs of the Arctic Commonwealth respectively who appeared to be finishing up a conversation. He had, as of yet, never met these two members of royalty which made them of particular interest; though he was admittedly apprehensive when it came to pronouncing their names. He’d try to avoid using their names at all, if possible.

“Your highness!” The small group exclaimed in a staggered fashion once Grover was close enough.

“Your majesties, good evening to you both and to you all.” He replied in a relatively suave manner, bowing moments after they did, though not quite as deeply.

So far so good.

“And to you, most esteemed Emperor of Griffonkind. We had just been discussing nuclear power of all things; news travels fast about such innovations.” Aleksander returned, eager to continue conversation.

This was less optimal. For all his education Grover had never specialised in or been especially fond of nuclear physics; but he did know enough to hold a conversation on the reactors that they were currently building around the empire. Hopefully that would be enough. Or perhaps… No, there was a better choice here. He would let them explain the technology to him. Whether he understood that explanation or not, it would make him seem more humble in the eyes of his guests and allow them to gush over a subject they were clearly passionate about, at least from an economic perspective. He was already beginning see why court culture could be so intricate and stressful, now that he was engaging with it in person.

“Ah, yes. I must admit I’m no expert on the subject, even if I have approved the construction of reactors that utilise the technology. I understand that they use nuclear fission to generate power, but that is the limit of my knowledge.” He replied with a slightly quizzical but genuinely interested look on his face, practically begging any of the group for a more detailed description.

What followed was a legitimately engrossing conversation about nuclear fission and its applications in both the generation of power and the creation of nuclear weapons. They spoke of the basics which he was already somewhat aware of, but also the exact elements involved, the process by which control rods were used to mitigate excess energy and even the basic layout of potential reactors that they might wish to construct in their own country. It was admittedly difficult to keep up, something that he knew would be a running theme throughout this evening and really his reign as a whole. He just had to match the rest of the world as it sped by; that was his duty after all.

“…which… is why we are so interested. Our vast supply of… Arctic crystal would allow us to innovate in the nuclear industry and… Get ahead of the competition.” Queen Anne explained, having detailed the potential benefits of magic and crystals in nuclear programs.

“Truly fascinating. Perhaps we too shall explore such possibilities with the use of griffon enchantments; a race to create the most efficient nuclear power source.” The emperor returned, struggling to make out the Herzlander through her incredibly thick bearish accent and slow speech.

“Or the most powerful nuclear deterrent,” Aleksander added, clearly set on developing a true method for stopping Nightmare and Sombra.

That made Grover stop and start for a moment. A nuclear race would mean a nuclear arms race too by default, if other nations acquired such technology. This was a new era of weaponry and diplomacy for which none of his predecessors’ knowledge could help him. That was terrifying. For how long would griffons hold a monopoly on such weapons?

“Indeed,” the golden-feathered griff said simply, suddenly wondering whether they had made a mistake in pursuing this technology.

~*~

Sombra watched from across the way as the emperor excused himself from the group he had just been in; now heading over to one of the food tables. It seemed as though he’d left a good impression on the party, though it was rather difficult to tell from a distance. Well, he could always go up and ask; nocreature was going to stop him. He turned to his partner and tilted his head with a smirk, indicating the currently lone boy filling a warm plate.

“Feel free darling, I have some business to attend to with the riverponies; do try not to permanently traumatise him, or… Perhaps do. I’ll leave that one up to you, hmm?” The alicorn replied, nodding in response and smirking slightly.

“Likewise to you,” He retorted with a playful grin, receiving a kiss on the snout and trotting off.

Grover had barely picked out a well-balanced meal when he felt the presence of something just behind him. He was about to turn and greet whoever it was, but only got so far as the former as the Crystal King immediately introduced himself.

“Am I interrupting, your majesty?” He asked, rather more politely and properly than the emperor had honestly expected.

“Not at all, your highness; in fact I meant to thank you for going to such efforts to come out here for my sake, I was under the assumption that things were rather busy on Equus.” The golden-feathered griff returned, courteously returning his plate to the table to make conversation.

What he struggled to hide, as Sombra very easily noticed, was the very thinly veiled lie in that statement. It was seemingly true that the Emperor of Griffonkind was surprised by his presence even if they had been prepared for his arrival, but he was unconvinced that he had any desire to give thanks. For a moment the king thought about playing along with this little game that these birds seemed to covet so, but he was little interested in toying with someone as inexperienced and dull to the world of court culture. Why not test the waters instead, see the child's true colours? Perhaps make him feel a little conflicted in the process? That sounded far more interesting.

“Now, let’s not play coy. We both know why I’m here and how little my presence is desired, the same goes for my partner; does it not?” He immediately responded, already knowing the answer to that question and continuing, “I would rather be at home, maintaining my spells; but I imagine you know that just as well, at least if the last KG operative we found was any basis for assumption.”

To say that Grover was unprepared for this conversation, informality and outward discussion of state secrets aside, was an understatement. It seemed like this was a test of sorts from the unicorn, one that he thought he was about to fail, given the fact that he had absolutely no idea to respond.

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not assessing you; not just yet anyway. You are only a child entrusted with the lives, safety and prosperity of millions of griffons. To be frank, I am surprised that your carers aren’t here looking out for you. It’s quite the party to miss, isn’t it?” The crystal king continued, casually assessing his insecurities on the spot and driving a hoof into them.

“Well, I… yes; they’re taking the night off. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get better at this part of the job.” The emperor managed in response, not checking to see if others were looking or listening to his façade shatter.

Even though Grover was noticably larger than Sombra even at eighteen, a combination of griff genetics and Boreas’ blessing giving him the slight size advantage, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly small at this moment. He’d come over to this table already needing to mull things over before proceeding to the next lot of guests, this was exactly what he didn’t need right now.

“Mmm. Admirable,” The unicorn noted, seemingly studying the griffon’s features.

“Excuse me?” His royal highness gave out, once again taken aback by the shift in his tone of voice.

“Your willingness to improve yourself is admirable. A good monarch should seek to do his utmost to achieve the utmost when faced with adversity. Not only that, but clearly you have looked for an opportunity where you encountered difficulty. That too is something I can respect.” The diarch explained, having instantly lost his previous malice but making Grover no less uncomfortable for it.

He had a grey claw lifted off of the ground, having originally intended to move slightly, but now found himself utterly still and bewildered with his beak ajar. Sombra was a unicorn that enslaved over forty million ponies at any one time using magic and he was complementing him, which was somehow worse than the initial dread and yet oddly reassuring at the same time. What, by Boreas, was he doing? Was this all some sort of game to him? Some sick joke?

“I’m… just making the effort to be the best that I can be for my subjects. A monarch is a representative of the people, for the people; they must strive to epitomise the best aspects of the society over which they rule.” The emperor replied, managing to recover by quoting his uncle Gerlach to provide adequate reasoning.

“Oh you don’t need to explain yourself to me, monarch to monarch I quite understand. You choose to mould yourself around your griffons, whilst I mould my ponies around me instead. A test of systems, to see which one emerges victorious; if political romanticism is to your liking.”

“I apologise, but I must ask; what of Eyr’s many treasures are you trying to gain from this conversation?” The griffon asked, barely managing to maintain his composure.

“Must there be an answer to that question? I simply mean to enjoy my evening, your highness. You would do well not to overwork yourself. It is only your first day as emperor after all,” The Crystal King answered, raising an eyebrow and generating a look of genuine concern.

It was like being repeatedly drenched with water, another bucket every single time he did something unexpected. Sombra was the king of manipulation and dark magic, not just of the Crystal Empire; yet Grover couldn’t help but be more confused than concerned at this point. He replaced his talons on the floor and blinked once or twice before, of all reactions, smiling and laughing. This was not how he had expected this conversation to go, was he really just… Sympathetic? Surely not.

“Well, thank you for… Expressing your concern. This… This isn’t where I saw this conversation going, to be honest.” Grover admitted, leaning into the lack of formality.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” The ancient unicorn returned before smiling with his fanged teeth, “I quite understand your difficulties, really I should apologise for bringing up your regents; they surely must mean a lot to you, as any parental figures would. I imagine not having them here is quite difficult, even if you’re using the time well.” He offered, returning the honesty with an apology.

At that the emperor realised that he had to take a reality check. There was absolutely no chance that Sombra would be this likable without wanting something from him. He was a tyrant and a thoroughly evil individual with no regard for the lives of his subjects; the great war had proven as much to any that dared observe the conflict. This interaction was absolutely surreal. Even though his general opinion of Nightmare’s consort had been cemented long prior, he couldn’t help but wonder if any of this was real. But it couldn’t be, not from the Crystal King.

Grover had been about to thank him a second time, if only superficially, but the unicorn turned his head to look behind him for a moment; only for both of them to notice that his wife was slowly sauntering their way.

“I’ll handle her, don’t worry. Go on and make the most of your night,” Sombra gave out, turning and giving the boy a pat on the shoulder using one of his hooves.

It certainly wasn’t a comfortable conversation, nor was the good-natured gesture particularly endearing; but if anything he was thankful that he didn’t have to talk to her. Had he really gotten even a little used to Equestria’s slave driver just like that? Wasn’t Sombra worse than Nightmare for what he did? The griff shuddered, grimaced and had to flex his wings a little as Sombra trotted over to the dark alicorn, suddenly having found just a tinge of grey in the black next to the white that he was used to. The euphoria of the coronation had worn off very quickly.

Oh, and his food was cold. Great.

"How was your little chat, darling?" Nightmare asked in a chilling tone as the unicorn approached.

"Interesting my love; very interesting indeed." Sombra answered in earnest, maintaining a contemplative expression.

~*~

“Don’t you think we should at least check in on him?” Gabriela wondered aloud, making her husband roll his eyes and laugh.

“You really don’t stop worrying about him, do you?” Gerlach replied sarcastically.

“Well he’s trying to take on the weight of an empire all by himself! I know he’s talented and that we both want to work less, but there’s a limit.”

“I… I’m worried too. But he’s a strong griffon, a little naïve and idealistic maybe; but so were we way back when. We still are, really. You know as well as I do that if he’s anything like his father then he’ll seek help only when he desperately needs it; if we try to pre-empt that then he’ll just turn away what we offer him. Benito would tell you the same,” The Duke said calmly, turning to look at his partner with a weak smile.

“It’s just… difficult. I don’t like leaving him to deal with that sort of thing alone. He doesn’t deserve to struggle with it,”

“I know. But he’s never more than a half-day’s train ride away; he’ll be alright in the end, no matter what happens.” The grey-feathered griffon gently added, putting a talon atop his partner’s; both resting on the second-story balcony they stood behind.

For a moment they both sat there, bathed in a weak half-moon light; gently squeezing each other’s claws and taking some slow breaths. They’d just had dinner in a small but well renowned restaurant some miles away from Griffenheim city limits, but neither felt very satisfied. It was a damned if they did, damned if they didn’t sort of situation; trying to think about how they could best look after their son.

“Gabby… Do you think Grover knows how much I care?” He asked all of a sudden.

“Oh Boreas… I… Yes, I think so. Just because I’m more emotive doesn’t necessarily mean-“

“No, I mean… Well, you know what I mean. You’ve always spent more time with him, always wanted us to get along better. I’m just… Mmm.” Gerlach began, looking at the strawberry-feathered duchess and then back up at the night sky.

“I think that… You both need to reach out. Whenever that happens you’ll both… Feel a lot better.” She managed in response, looking into his scarred eyes for a moment.

“You think?”

“Yeah,”

He nodded slowly and smiled, before shuffling over a little and wrapping a wing around her as she leaned into his soft neck plumage. Everything was going to be okay.

Author's Note

SoMbRa Is A fLaT cHaRaCtEr
Not if anything to say about it, I have.

Anyway here you go, an introduction to the era we're living in as well as Grover's aunt and uncle who have brought him up; plus a little hint at the politics of the world at the moment and some historical events. Not to mention the beginnings of his majesty's insecurities on the emperorship's greyscale issues. Hopefully this one didn't feel too bloated, idk; let me know if so.

Hope you all enjoy, as always