I can't really say that today's been a very productive, or fun, or even invigorating experience. It started off with the threatening excitement of seven blimps of a nation we share a shaky neutrality with, only to be drawn back down to a boring compilation of me getting several rounds of chess shoved down my throat. To make matters worse, I didn't really get much in the way of sleep because of it.

I just wanted to spend my layover chilled out in my airship, getting some much-needed shuteye, just a nap even. But every time a game ends, the board is cleared in an instant, the pieces are gathered and placed, and we restart with yet another game.

Even now, it's hard to focus on the game because I'm so damn tired. And this prince is very well aware of my exhaustion, which is why he's resetting the board every single time to start all over. "Eyelids are a little heavy, aren't they, dragon?"

"I'm just thinking." I give off a lazy response, getting a few seconds of shut eye when I can.

But even those moments are disturbed by the sound of him slamming a piece on the board. "You know, bounty hunters like myself are quite partial to a fatigued mark of the hunt. It lets us know that you're on your last legs, you're cornered, there's no escape. You're probably out of your rations, and whoever's with you have already decided in their mind that they're either going to resign to their fate, or turn you over in exchange for their continuity."

Obviously my patience isn't for this game anymore, I just make a random move on the board to help end the game quicker. "Ain't this just a game of chess? Why do we have to be all philosophical with it?"

"But alas, the game of chess is nothing but a bounty hunt. Those who make the better moves, they collect their bounty in the form of the king's head. And you accomplish whatever means to take the king. You stalk your opponent, taking advantage of the best possible openings, plan ahead so that they exhaust all their resources, and then..." He doesn't even take the opening I give him, instead opting to take a misplaced bishop. "Wear them down until they are but a struggling few."

"Well I know I'm struggling to stay awake." I comment, trying to maneuver my king behind a pair of pawns.

He moves one of his towards my backline. "Pawn upgrades to queen. Check."

"Yeah, this is a loss." I say, moving my king in a diagonal space where he's back in front of my pawns.

"But the game is better off played until the bitter end, where there is a definite winner and a founded loser." He grins while he uses his first queen to threaten my king. "Check."

I yawn in exhaustion, not wanting to move. "The board's yours, dude. Just end it already." He sits in his chair, amused for the fact of seeing me so uncomfortable. He waves a hoof at the board, smiling while he mockingly motions me to make a move. I shift my king over to the left.

"You don't like the stalking game?" He moves a rook to cut me off instead, sealing the game for himself. "Then do better."

"Finally." I say as I raise up to depart from the table. But his servants merely reset the table before me, even the prince is levitated along with his chair to seat before me yet again. I drop my head in defeat. "Ugh... again?"

"It's only been six hours. Surely you aren't that impatient." Obviously he's trolling me at this point.

I call him out for his meandering. "We're in Manehattan, the city that quite literally never sleeps. There's so much to do here, and you have us here playing chess for six hours?"

"I find myself being amused not by the flash and glamor of a foreign city, but by the minds of it's administration." He responds before talking to his younger sibling. "Amor, what's the score?"

He replies in a monotone voice. "203 wins to you, 42 to Sir Spike, 8 stalemates." The poor guy is just as exhausted as I am, and he's got a nap in already.

"Ah, I see you've been marking a little too well." He says as he grits his teeth at the amount of losses he's taken. But he looks to up the number in his win column, an already drastically inflated statistic, by yet another game. "The board is ready, let's go again."

"I think my ship is ready." I say, just to get away from this board.

Before the alicorn prince can get a word in, Amor interjects with relief. "Oh but please do check on that! We've been awake for as long as Twilight's raised the sun and we've had nothing to eat yet."

As I walk away, I see that Mrs. Kalimba is quietly snacking on a cucumber sandwich. The sight triggers my own stomach to rumble with complaint. I approach the captain of our ship. "Okay, I'm tired and hungry, and I'm even more tired of this asshole I'm dealing with. Are we set?"

"Thirty more minutes, sir." He informs me.

I nearly tear the scales from the back of my head from how pissed I'm becoming over this layover. "Make it fifteen. I need to get on my ship and get some sleep at the very fucking least."

"Sir, we're just starting the fourth inspection. Boarding will take place at─"

My impatience has reached a boiling point for some time, this one instance is the first time it's truly boiled over the rim. I sternly hold a finger to him. "Fif. Teen. Minutes."

He seems to understand that I don't have the patience for the inspection to conclude a fourth time. "Yes sir."

My nostrils flare for a moment as I trudge back to the table. "We'll do one last game, but then I'm heading to my ship."

He snickers as he rotates the board around, giving me the white pieces for the first time in 253 rounds. He motions to me to take my first maneuver. "I insist."

Guess I'll try to make this game somewhat interesting. I remain standing as I move the pawn in front of my right knight up two spaces. "I suppose we can try this now."

"Strong move." He smiles to himself as he moves the pawn in front of his queen by two spaces. "What do you follow it with?"

"I guess I'll just put this one here." I say confidently, looking to challenge the pawn for center of the board.

He doesn't move a piece, staring at the board with a quiet snicker. "...Checkmate."

"What, how?" I ask. "You didn't even move a damn piece─"

He takes his freed queen to a diagonal route, positioning her to the side of the board, giving a clean path to my king. "Two moves, one strong, one foolish. You gambled for the center, all while opening your backline. Now my queen proves to be the clever marksmare." He topples my king piece with his magic. "And your king dies before the skirmish even starts. No pieces lost, no game to be won. Checkmate in two moves."

I look again at my error and facepalm. "I just did a fools gambit, didn't I?"

The prince boisterously laughs in my face as he resets the board, not as though there's much to be moved anyway. "Lack of sleep does make one the fool, amusing that a dragon would give me such an easy win." He points at me with a wing. "It's almost as if destiny has called for you to learn your place."

I nod angrily, putting on a fake smile. "You know, you're right. I think I'm gonna call it."

"We have time for another." He offers. "Perhaps a chance to redeem yourself."

"No thanks, I need to put myself away for a bit." I say as I leave the carpeted area.

Instead of me having a clear path to my airship, he moves the entire board with the pieces set before me. He's still seated in his chair, a fair distance away. "I insist."

I simply repeat my first maneuver from the last round. He bites on the first, while I simply nudge my pawn out of the way to give him a clear path to the king again. "Oh no, another loss." I mutter with faux show of dismay.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Now he seems annoyed that I gave him another easy path to victory.

"It's your win." He instead ignores the opening and takes a knight to the middle of the field. "Nevermind."

He glares at me, smiling with his usual air of superiority. "We're playing this game, whether you want to or not."

"You know what..." I forcefully move his queen to the position to mate my king. After that, I flip the board and storm off to my airship. "Play with yourself."

As I leave, I hear him shout one final insult. "Always the inferior specimen, resorting to rage!"

After a tumultuous period of waiting for three inspections and a crew of some of Equestria's best guards and mechanics to be assembled, we finally hit the almost open air. I can't call it open because of the fact that there are seven airships flying out in front of us. Not that it mattered much for the first thirty minutes, their airships seem a world faster than ours. In fact, they bring themselves to a hover once or twice just to let us catch up to them. After the third time we lag behind, they simply slow their speed and allow us to catch up, where they match our rate of travel. What makes the matters worse is that the leading airship that Prince Asshat commandeers is right in front of us. So you can imagine the cheek breaking scowl on my face as I see his smug mug looking back with that superiority complex of his.

I, at last, have enough of this and retire to my sleeping quarters.

Unfortunately my sleep isn't long for the reason that I have an unexpected visitor knocking at my door. Who knew that Mrs. Kalimba would have more than one weakness. She's not only prone to being airsick, but the fact that we're over the ocean with no way of seeing land in either direction scares her. I ask if she knows how to swim, she simply responds that she's never been swimming before, not even once. I start to question how she became a specialist, but then again that's not what she's marked for. Still, they could've thrown that one in at least once.

A few hours later, I stir from my sleep to see the sky starting to become dark again. It seems that we've reached the other side of the world, at least their side of it. And it's without fail that we'd see the sun rapidly sink to the west since we're cruising eastward. It's a sight I'm used to, but one Mrs. Kalimba isn't. Poor thing thought we were falling out of the sky. I don't blame her, it weirded me out when I first made my trip to Saddle Arabia. Of course, still no land to be seen, so that only serves to rachet up her anxiety.

A few more hours pass and the ships ahead of us sound their bellows. The rest of us walk out to see quite a sight out in the night air. A series of green streaks illuminate the sky, giving off a green glow to all who stand out on the decks. Down below, we see the passing town of Pearis. Apparently we're just above Prance. The zebracorn darts out as soon as she hears the loud horns of the Ponyland airships. She seems ready to throw down at a moment's notice. "Are we under attack!?"

"No, just the customary horn for reaching land." I answer.

"We are above land?" She asks, trying to reassure herself that there's nothing else to be concerned about.

"Easily. Over the skies of Prance now." I inform her before my eyes turn back towards the sky. "Instead of looking down, how about you look up instead." I instruct, watching as she does what I say do, and the immediate reaction of youth-like wonder in her eyes. "Yeah, it's not often you'd see the northern lights this far down. Must be a strong magnetic occurrence in the atmosphere."

For the moment, she starts to walk towards the railing, looking out to the sky and completely forgetting the fact that we're still very much in motion. It's like the unusual sight gave her airsickness a much-needed reprieve. "I only heard of things like this happening in the Crystal Empire, not that I ever left beyond the two cities of Ponyville and Canterlot."

While I wish I could just point downward at the town we're flying over, much less it's international landmark, and give a story, I decide not to distract her too much from this reprieve her body is getting. Instead, I offer words of encouragement. "Give it time, you'll be seeing more of the world in a bit."

She continues to look upward, focusing her attention on the auroras above. She shocks me by turning around to curiously ask me a question. "So tell me something. How did it feel when you first left the comfort of your home cities? I bet it was pretty terrifying to be away from home for the first time."

I know I could just break down and cite Ponyville as my first major outing away from home, but then again I grew to call that place home anyhow. So I instead go for the runner-up option. "The first place we went to was Appleloosa. It was pretty wild, there was a dispute between the bison and the pony locals. It almost got ugly. Thankfully they were using pies for weapons instead of real armaments. Either way, a few walked away with some first and second degree burns. Others came out having to wash pie filling out of their fur for a few days."

The mare chuckles at the thought. "Sounds like a lot of fun was had."

I nodded back at the fairly fond memory. "Towards the end, it turned into that."

She posts herself up against the wall, looking back out to the auroras above us. "You know, Corrotto was like a different world from the rest of the city. As soon as you step in, the entire street changed, the ponies around you as well. Laws were different too. It was as though I lived in a small isolated germ of a country, localized in the Canterlot city limits."

While I could never relate to her experience in Canterlot's underworld, I could recall some experience of a similar place. "I never got the chance to discover that part of town for myself. But I think I've seen something like it before, I've experienced the madness of Klugetown when I was thirteen. Never thought I'd see some random creature asking if Twilight wanted to sell her horn."

"Did they sell changeling limbs?"

I nearly topple over from the mental image her question gives me. "I don't think I've seen anything quite like that, that's pretty damn grim."

She shrugs as if there's no issue. "For some, they needed to recover what was lost to them. And ironically, changeling limbs by themselves can adapt to the body their attached to. So if you take an amputee, give them what they're missing, they'll be right as they were before, feelings and all."

I blink at the mare blankly, not sure if I was prepared to hear that confession. "That's a side of medical science I didn't think I'd ever want to learn."

"Of course, it's discovery and practice has been banned since the purge of the district. Lots of amputees looking to relive their lives raised hell against Celestia for the decision she made to ban it." A small gust of wind jolts the airship, causing her to lose her balance. She crumples to the deck, and holds her ailing stomach shortly after. "I guess in hindsight, it's a good thing she did."

"Yeah. I can imagine the public relations nightmare that would be with Thorax at the helm." I say as I offer her some more of my medicine.

She gracefully accepts my offer and takes a few deep breaths to suppress her nausea. "I suppose my time in Ponyville was my first time seeing a world where ponies lived easy and simple lives. It's also the first time I ever had a home that was mine to live in, even if it was just a hotel room."

"Really?" I ask.

"You have to remember, I had to live in a shack with no insulation or proper bedding, I didn't know how to cook, and I was in subjugation for that portion of my life. I was made to do a lot for others I didn't want to do, but I had to do those things to survive... even when I didn't care to keep going myself."

"You went from all of that to living in a mansion on the back end. Pretty admirable." I point out.

"I have a lot of my modern comforts thanks to the ones who got me out." She says with a smile creeping into the corners of her dimples. "It's because of them, I can give my son the life I never had, the one he deserves."

I see the earnest display on her face, even through her sickness her demeanors are warm and genuine. The otherwise cold expressions have melted away to give rise to this fairly attractive side of her. I know she's not much for wanting relationships, but if I could bring her along, I would. Whoever just left her alone really screwed the pooch with that one, she's amazing. The auroras give light to the deck, her eyes shining as they glance up towards them. "You're an inspiration, you know that?"

The sudden compliment seems to ring a brightened response. She pauses in shock, but gradually grows to accept it. She tilts her head towards me with what could be her nicest smile yet. "I think we inspire each other."

*THUD-DUM*

I don't even hear the moans of the engines anymore, or feel the late night breeze impacting my scales. I just see her. A cold drop that seems to give weight to a new growth in my chest. It's a familiar feeling, one I haven't felt in some time with such strength. The last time I remember it was when I walked into the town hall of Ponyville, and I saw a seamstress hard at work deciding the ribbons for the decorations. I was smitten... but crushed is all I would be.

The zebracorn starts to giggle at me. I'm shocked back to the present. "W-what's so funny?" I ask, my voice cracking a bit.

She leans back, continuing to keep her eyes on the mystical sky. "You should be more careful with your heart. Tripping around like that, you're bound to drop it before some creature not looking to pick it up for you."

I quirk a brow at the mare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She closes her eyes for a moment. "You're still at that age. So I'll tell you from my experience, it's a warning to not spill yourself to others with obligations." She turns to me with her smile slowly fading. "Be it personal, or professional."

Ah, now I see.

Sir Fencer walks out with a boisterous declaration to the world below. "Well... this is it!"

Both Mrs. Kalimba and I stare at the stallion, wondering if he either intends to jump off the side or pull some other strange stunt. "What do you mean?" I ask him.

He turns back to us, mainly towards the zebracorn. "I guess this is where we start to bid our adieu's. I know I'm not for long when we land."

"Won't your prince seek to protect you, just as you've protected him?" She questions the guardian.

"Of course he will. Doesn't mean much when he'll be able to do very little."

"You know, I think you're being a little too negative considering your skills, dude." I say towards the resigned stallion.

"I'm only a mere rat given a chance to prove himself." He rebuts. "A rat can only chew for so long."

"And I take it you wanted to say your adieu to me?" Mrs. Kalimba points out.

The stallion maintains his distance out of respect, but gives yet another attempt towards the mare. "Well the northern lights aren't the only beauty of these lands. There's the mountains, soon will be the sunrise, later the sunset, but right now is nor more than the sky, and you."

The zebracorn is not very impressed with the stallion's wooing. "You flatter too much."

"Yeah, but I know that if I don't get a chance to say it now, I never will." He says with a gloomy tone. "There will probably be another who'll look to gain your attention and I've no contest."

Mrs. Kalimba stands up, looking to walk inside to avoid the air from chilling her too much as we get closer to the mountains. She offers her assessment of him. "In a past lifetime, I'd allow you your transgressions, even for a final comfort. But in this lifetime I have now, I must be better... for my family, my son." She softens her tone to one of regret and shame. "He deserves that much."

"A mare of respectable boundaries." He walks past her, taking his cue to go inside and retire to his own room. "Looking has never brought me so much peace."

She brashly comments to him. "Yes, yes, rub one off with me on your mind so you can go to sleep."

He candidly jokes quietly as he leaves. "As if I haven't had that in mind already."

A few hours pass and we're brought to the dark reaches of the north. While I wish I had my phone to check the time, I can only guess it's sometime around the hour of five in the morning. The sky is already starting to transition from the midnight darkness to the blue twilight before the dawn. The astronomical glow barely allows us to make out the castle walls below us. But upon a closer look, you realize that it's merely the outside walls of an ever greater city. The darkness hides much of the density, but I can make out the shadows of buildings with three to four stories to them. And looking beyond the fleet of airships, I can see the looming structure that holds dominance over the entire city, nothing comes close.

We traverse to an area in the city, a large airfield localized somewhere in the middle part of town. It's sprawls for a considerable amount, with a number of hangars for the other airships. I don't even get the chance to count how many there are, but I do know that they have at least a few dozen of these things here, probably more in some other towns. All it tells me is that they're good and stocked up for an invasion of wherever they may want to hit. And if they do, it'll be disastrous for whoever's on the business end.

There's room enough for all of us to land, all eight of our ships landing perfectly in the formation we were in for the past few hours. And upon landing, their field crews are already scattering like busy insects. Some crews of four bring hoses to the ships, connecting them to what appear to be large pumps stored under the ground of the airfield itself. A crew even approached our airship, but stopped in confusion as they didn't know where to place their hose. Instead, they were waived off.

As we all step off the airship, at last onto ground, Prince Amor yawns with comfort. "I swear if I hadn't slept throughout that flight, that would've felt so long."

Mrs. Kalimba stumbles down to the ground, thankful that we've finally gotten out of the air. "Well I didn't sleep a wink."

As I step off, I notice something quite off with the reception I'm getting. Sir Fencer walks besides me as I take in the uncomfortable reception. "Getting some preeeetty ugly stares here."

"It's just the usual Ponyland behavior." He says.

I politely fill in the blanks for him. "That's a unique way of them saying 'We hunt dragons like you'."

"Would you rather me just outright say what they do?" He asks. "Because I don't think you'd want to know the answer."

As we approach, a gathering of sedan chairs and the like are provided for us to ride in. I notice that the sedan chairs are covered with rich curtains and lined with the finest silks, more specifically bugbear silk, soft to the touch and firm enough not to easily tear. It's not only incredibly hard to harvest, but even harder to curate properly.

Dammit... Rarity's habit of observation just popped right out on instinct.

"Quite a caravan here." I say as our party gets closer to the grouping of sedan chairs.

"Finally!" A loud shout sounds from in front of us. The alicorn prince makes a landing upon his sedan, propping the curtains open to mock us once more. "Lousy Equestrians and your inferior airship builds! You made a seven-hour trip a whole eleven-hour slog for no reason other than shoddy craftsmanship and vastly inferior machinations! We'll be willing to sell you plans for one of our lower quality builds if the trade talks go through!"

I start to hold the side of my head, hearing his annoying voice just brings pain to my mind. "Does this guy ever shut up?"

As Amor looks to take his own sedan, he's instead guided to the one his brother rides in. The young prince appears sapped of life as he makes a slow march to join Xerxes. As soon as he steps on, the curtains are closed behind them. Sir Fencer watches the motionless vehicle with an observant eye. "Believe me when I say how much you don't want that to happen."

As I approach one of the sedans, I notice that there's another vehicle coming from the back. It's a drawn wagon with a wrought iron cage situated on the back. I stare with confusion as it slows to a halt right in front of me. Xerxes pops out from his sedan and hollers at me. "Alright, you! Get in!"

I merely stare back at him, pointing at the damn thing, knowing damn well I don't deserve this treatment. "That's a cage."

Sir Fencer whispers over to me. "Can you also believe me when I say that this is probably for your protection at this point?"

I start to argue with the Ponyland guardian. "Okay. Why do I feel like this has happened before? Like recently 'two weeks ago' before."

"I'm afraid that's the cost of living these days." He mutters quietly as to not make much of a scene. "And trust me, you want to be where the stray daggers can't cut you cleanly."

Daggers? Like I understand rotten fruit and shit like that, but daggers? "...Hell of a dignified welcome."

He was not playing about that statement.

The entire time we're on route to the castle, there's an abundance of items thrown my way. Of course there's the typical affair of rotten fruits, potatoes, rocks, mugs, and bottles of old wine, but there's also sticks, knives, axes, spears, and even a few swords thrown my way. Some even make a game of it, trying to see who's accuracy was so pinpoint that they could successfully hurl something in the gaps of this iron cage. What once was a offering of disrespect, it can still be construed as such, is now a boon for my own safety. It's astounding that I'd even get to the point where my safety is all but assured in this cage clearly built for the transport of feral cargo.

The only saving grace there is with this situation is that the others weren't here to pay witness to how I just got treated by the Ponyland denizens. If so, that would be a hell of a report to give to Twilight when we all get back to the ship. Only Mrs. Kalimba is accompanying us for the time being, to aid in our diplomatic talks. While I wish I could bring the whole crew, the local accommodations haven't been made for them yet, yet another topic to be discussed with the figure in charge.

We at last make it to the castle grounds, the walls forming as massive towers themselves, reaching as high as eighty feet tall where the main gate sits. In passing through them, we come into a large courtyard full of flowers and banners as far as the eye can see. There's also the statue of a figure standing tall over what appears to be the splitting image of Lord Tirek. There's a plaque on the front that reads 'Imperatoria Victoria' or 'imperial victory'.

Funny, don't quite remember them beating Lord Tirek twice, with him being imprisoned in stone in their gardens.

As we pull up to the front of the castle, the others are politely guided off of their sedans. Both Mrs. Kalimba and Sir Fencer are guided off. And at last it's my turn to be guided as they unlock the cage that protected me. "You, out." A guard commands with absolutely no hospitality shown.

I quickly hop off, seeing that while everyone else is given the red carpet treatment, I'm just simply given the cold shoulder instead. Not that I wasn't already prepared for this since I know what else lies in store for me otherwise. The fact that they gave me a cage is more demeaning, but also depressing because it served as a protective measure. I don't even bother exchanging pleasantries with these guards since they don't care much for me. Instead, I catch up with Sir Fencer. "Guess you weren't playing about those daggers."

"I told you." He whispers at me while the obnoxious prince walks over to us.

"Take note to tread carefully, dragon. If you step so much as one bit out of line..." Every guard on post slams their spears into the ground in unison. It startles me a bit while he grins with his constant air of superiority. "The hunt begins."

"No such thing as diplomatic immunity, huh?" I comment.

"Not in Ponyland." He replies. "My father believes in no such concessions. He's a just ruler."

As we're guided down the halls, I feel the many eyes peering towards me from varying directions. It's like everything I do is being judged, from how I breathe, to the way I walk, the way I speak, all for the explicit purpose of seeing if I'm worth keeping alive. This kind of provocation is often seen as a hostile act in the international community, can't imagine if this is how Nondis felt years ago during his stint with the guard. "How do you guys get visitors?" I lean over to ask Sir Fencer.

"Usually, they're all ponies." He explains.

"What about if they were a different species?" I inquire.

"Well you're free to find and ask them for yourself." He whispers under his breath.

I look around, seeing nothing but the typical unicorn, pegasus, and earthen variety. "No thanks, I don't think they'll be able to answer me at this point."

"If what you're implying is the worst outcome for them..." He points to a statue of a unicorn figure holding up the head of a dragon. "You're not wrong."

The obnoxious prince brings our party to a stop. We're brought before a set of large wooden doors. Amor's ears pin back as he appears anxious. "And now I'm deeply worried."

"You're the prince, what do you have to worry about?" I ask as the doors suddenly open to reveal a grand hall, strangely enough with the pathway leading to the throne lined in flowers planted into the ground itself. An albino figure sits upon the throne with an intimidating presence. It's another male alicorn, only this one being much older. And he doesn't look too happy. "Nevermind, I think I know the answer."

A guard calls out to the court. "I bring the Equestrian representative. Spike... the dragon."

I lean to my side, whispering over to Amor. "Do I have to get in a cage for this one?"

"It would be preferred." Xerxes says as he walks by me, stepping between us both.

The younger sibling speaks up for a moment. "Not mandatory, but Xerxes just wants to see you in a cage for his personal satisfaction."

"Amor..." He looks to his younger brother with clenched teeth, almost as though to hold back any verbal barbs he may have over the mere act of treating me well.

He sheepishly steps back. "...Sorry."

"We will discuss the matter of your discipline tonight. Now remain quiet." The older prince says through clenched teeth.

Completely silenced by Xerxes, Amor turns his head away from me while the former grins at me with yet another so-called victory. "Seriously?" I grumble.

A guard walks by the emperor to whisper words. The alicorn in charge nods in response and the guard loudly calls across the hall. "His imperial majesty allows. Enter."

As we approach closer to the throne, I make out the words of their banner. They read 'Vince omnem potestatem. Vivet imperium'. "Hmm, ominous."

The zebracorn walks beside, also reading the banners for herself. "What does it say?"

"Overcome all others. Long live the empire."

She hums with a grave tone. "That says much."

"You can say that again." I whisper back.

Emperor Basileus Apollo

High ruler of the Ponyland Empire, Noble Blood Primus

Upon getting close enough to exchange words, the Ponyland emperor swiftly calls me out. "You are Spike the Dragon, the Royal Friendship Advisor to Princess Twilight Sparkle of the Equestrian Realm?"

"Yes, your excellency. I have arrived, with your son. We present him to you unscathed." I bow before him, Mrs. Kalimba doing the same.

"I see that." He says with an unchanged expression. "But how do I know if this isn't some sort of changeling in disguise?"

Xerxes nudges Amor. "Speak now, brother."

The young prince is quick to find a topic of specific detail to engage with. "Your rose garden, my lord. It is where you've introduced yourself to my mother, the evening of your... copulation... with her."

"Your mother's name?" He seems unimpressed.

"Aurora Amor."

Just even the slightest jump of his eyebrows make the situation a little less tense. "Ah... yes, Aurora. She served her purpose to an acceptable end." ...Uh, that's how you talk about his mom?

"My mother has always cherished the interactions you had with her."

"Your mother was a fair look, as all of my concubines have been, and will be." ...Wow, I see where Xerxes gets his attitude from. Like that's all you can say about the guy's mom, that she was a good lay in bed? If that's the emperor's personality, then I completely understand why Twilight is willing to tear off a limb to keep this guy's genetics at an oceanic distance.

But I don't know what's worse, the emperor's lack of compassion for Amor's mother, or Amor's lack of a reaction to it all. In fact, he's carrying on like it's a basic conversation about the weather. "You also punished my brother, Amor Adelphos, for trying to woo his then-maiden to his chambers by using your garden, much like you continue to do to this day."

"Yes, I did." Seriously, all he did was use a rose garden to romance a girl. How do you punish a guy for something like that? "I chastised him with the appropriate method. Even now, she remembers little of your brother. Instead, she's focused on the burden of proof she now carries to our heritage. So do be cordial and congratulate her on her honor, if you will." Oh... shouldn't have asked.

"It is always a joyful endeavor to know that I am to have another sibling to share my time with." Seriously, Amor? You're not going to show any kind of vitriolic response to that?

"Great, another lesser blood for the books. I suppose it'll be somewhat useful as a brother." Even Xerxes has more of a negative reaction, albeit we have differing reasons for our disgust.

"I pray for a sister, your lordship." Amor says cheerfully.

But even that small reaction, no matter how positive or negative, gets a stomp and a firm correction from the snooty prince. "Silence yourself, brother." He's right back to being quiet and reserved, it's evident that his brother has him under a very short leash.

The emperor brings his attention back to me. "Well, Sir Dragon, it seems you have brought back one of my own heritage. Much commendations to you." The monotone nature of his response does not yield much in the way of optimism.

"Your lordship, I am honored and humbled." Disgusted and uncomfortable is more like it. This guy's nonchalance at even his own choices are so off-putting.

"And so well-trained. I must say you are from a good influence. And judging by the condition of your scales, you even appear well-groomed, my throne room doesn't smell a hint of sulfur. Commendable."

I'm sure by dragon standards, that's an insult. But for my usual practice, I'd simply call it another day ending in 'y'. "Thank you, sir."

He rises from his throne, bringing surprise to all in the room. He stands as his purple cassock wafts from his movement. He walks by me and speak. "Come, stroll with me."

"I would be honored." I say as I wait for him to make the first move.

He takes notice of my wait and calls me out for it. "Walk not behind, but beside. I want to see your face when I talk to you."

You know, it's probably the first time in this entire trip where I've been legitimately treated with a bit of the respect that I'm due, and it doesn't come from the guards, the welcoming committee, none of that but from the emperor himself. I give a quick glance over to Xerxes, who's scowl is at an all-star level. Probably the first time I can get a nod in against him without repercussions. "At once, your lordship."

We take a quiet stroll behind his throne, a pair of guards opening the curtains to allow us into another part of the hall. I take observation of the lack of any security around, but also keep in mind that they aren't making themselves visible for a reasonable purpose.

As the curtains close behind us, the emperor begins to speak once more. But this time, there's a little more expression in his voice. "You saved me from having to pay a hefty ransom. Seriously, a trillion bits for the likes of a lesser blood son of mine, they seriously overestimated that value quite a bit."

Still just as crass and cruel with his commentary, but this time the mask falls just a bit to reveal his true face. "Quite astounding, my lord. Astounding and perplexing."

"I'm glad to see you'll agree with me." A subtle smile forms on his lips.

"The pleasure is all mine, sir." I have to tell myself to just keep smiling, that this will be over soon enough.

"I want to ask you a few questions, and I wish you to be honest." Okay, guess I should prepare myself for this one. "Firstly, is your princess a virgin?"

EXCUSE ME!? "My lord?"

"I wish to assess the value of the mare that my foolish son has found infatuation with. I'm sure you understand that I ask with a father's concern. Now please, does she retain maidenhood?"

Well that's a way to lessen the impact of that question, but still that's a hell of a bomb you just dropped off at my front porch. "It would be hard to gauge, sir. To be frank, she seeks a stallion of prestige, preferably military prestige." I know that should eliminate Amor from the entire conversation and bring this topic to an anticlimactic pause.

"Then I trust your princess has engaged in the act of coitus?" Nevermind, he's still going strong on the issue.

"My lord, it's a complicated matter, I'm not even sure if I'm at liberty to discuss such a sensitive topic on an international scale."

"Nonsense." He rebuts. "Think not of this a conversation between two representations of respective nations, we'd be back on the other side otherwise." THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS! "But think of it as a clandestine discussion between those of common key, a crack between comrades, a rap among frat." He hovers up and places a hoof on my shoulder, giving off a much better attempt of a friendly smile. "A coming of age topic between boys. It's a matter that requires only a short and thoughtless answer, yes or no."

I feel like not playing along to his schtick is going to net me into some hot water. Perhaps he'll show disappointment in the idea of Twilight having had experience in bed, instead of being as clean as the metaphorical virgin snow. If it's that answer that will put an end to this whole situation, then I'm sure she'd appreciate the answer I give... I can only hope she'll forgive me for having discussed it. "...Yes."

A sigh leaves his lips. "Oh, thank the good doctor."

Wait, he's not disappointed? "Sir?"

Finally, he let's his real face come through, his more lively expressions manifest as he gives complaint of the young prince. "Oh let me tell you, Amor Ambrosia has significant confidence issues in his mating practices. It's almost embarrassing to think about when I have to even consider him as a lesser blood of my heritage. His ability to woo is far from the standard becoming of my blood, I swear that his late brother took that genetic trait and ran with it to leave poor Amor with none to work with. It was so bad that I had to do the unlikely thing and arrange a marriage with a distant cousin from the south. So I'm sure a more-experienced mare of his choosing who'll show great patience will allow for him to mature."

...Oh god, now he's playing wing-dad. Why didn't I see this coming, who the hell is this guy? "I-I see."

He glances back at the curtains with a grimace and a shrug at the mention of his other son. "While my son Xerxes seems to be quite apprehensive towards you, I do understand that you are a true representation of what she looks to inherit to future generations of Equestrians, which I can respect. We have our political differences, she and I, but I do respect that you are her second in command, and the mouth which she uses to speak. So I bear you no ill will." Well I'm sure he's just talking this up, but at least the verbal commitment makes me feel a little more comfortable. "But allow me to add further, a unity between our two realms would be highly beneficial to you, would it not?"

I quirk my brow at the emperor. "A unity, sir?"

"If I am not mistaken, there has been no queen or king, no true discernable monarch in Equestria since the olden ages predating the era of the two sisters. A marriage would change that, allowing your princess to be crowned the one true queen."

In all honesty, if Celestia both kept her power and chose to marry anyhow, she'd be very much the queen she deserves to be. The only thing is that she wanted less paperwork and more time getting worked, which after a thousand years of not having is probably her only M.O. right now. "That is true."

"Then you would approve of my fool of a son's request to allow himself to be a suitor to your princess? He'll be without power over your nation's interests, of course."

Maybe if I placate to his demands, I'll not only get to keep my head, but I might be able to get the others off of that airship into some decent lodging. After all, I can clearly give a green light for him to try... "She's had a suitor before. Don't see why she can't have one now. I'll bring it up to her the next time we meet." Once more, that's an issue for future Spike to deal with.

"Splendid." He says with a nod of approval. "Now, to my next inquiry, who is that striking breed you've entered my court with?"

I take it he must mean Mrs. Kalimba. "One of our dignitaries in training, sir."

He gives a scoff and a bite of the lip, already letting the ideas run through his mind. "I must say, you Equestrians are coming with the goods these days. I don't usually say this when it comes to half-breeds, but I am impressed. Thoroughly impressed with her pedigree."

And from one uncomfortable subject to another. "I'll be sure to run the compliment by her."

"No need. I will address her myself." He says as he starts to hover off.

I try to give him a fair warning before she thinks to shut him down herself. "Sir, I don't think she's able to─"

"Oh come now, you Equestrians came with such a promising presentation." He says with cheer. "Tell you what, you may spend the nights here in our guest quarters, stay a while as I, along with my dignitaries, drum up a little trade agreement. We'll be accommodating to your demands and protections, we'll even make a festivus of it, a parade, a feast, maybe a night or two in our exclusive parlor, I'm sure you don't mind equine mares."

If it wasn't something I'm already used to. "Not at all, sir─"

Before I can finish, he interrupts me. "Wonderful. I shall entrust you to Amor during your stay, that way you won't have to curtail to the obscure demands of Xerxes. I'll give him the executive powers required to assign your protection, it'll be as if the word comes from a pureblood."

Still devaluing Amor, but trading that for my assurance. Gotta admit, this is a hard sell if it wasn't for the fact that my scales get to stay affixed to my body. "You're too kind, your excellency."

"I am a benevolent emperor. And I wish nothing more than to share my good will with you and your kingdom." He opens the curtain, guiding me back to the main part of the throne room. "Come, let us return."

"Yes sir." As we cross back over, I see the expression shift back on his face to what it was when we first arrived. But as we both walk back into the room, I get a glimpse of a disturbing sight. Xerxes is leaning closely into Amor, the younger stallion being the first to catch glimpse of us returning. He startles and turns away with deepening embarrassment as Xerxes looks back with annoyance.

"Oh for the love of─" The emperor groans with disgust. "Xerxes, mind yourself. We're in the presence of company."

The alicorn prince clicks his tongue and groans with compliance. "At once, father."

The emperor leans into me and whispers. "Apologies, I know that the moment has shocked you. But I'd be remiss to not announce their closeness with one another." 'Closeness?' Had we walked into a private room, that would've been awfully smutty. "Tis another reason for Xerxes' overpronounced introduction to your shores. A provocation I give my deepest apologies for." ...I'm still processing what I just walked in on. Even now, Amor tries to hide himself, but Xerxes keeps him on such a short leash that I can't look past the shock collar option.

The only thing I can do is smile and nod respectfully. "Well I am open-minded to ...differing cultures." I sheepishly reply.

"I thank you for your understanding, Sir Spike." He mutters before readdressing the room. "Heed! While our countries values differ from one another, I must say that our talks have yielded in a successful first round of discussions, for I see this potential onset of transactions to be mutually agreeable. Therefore, I make provisions to host our esteemed guests. Lesser Prince Amor Ambrosia, I hereby grant you the responsibility to guide Sir Spike of Equestria to our guest halls."

It seems Xerxes doesn't like that idea as much. "But father─"

"─And... the protections that be." He holds a hoof up to assert his decision before the upset prince.

He makes a quick glance towards his younger brother before trying to make another justification for his objection. "Our customs, father─"

"Son." His use of that word has a sharpness that cuts into the objection like a scalding knife through butter. "Why don't you go out and visit the countryside for a while, engage in the hunt. We'll be here in the meantime." His face changes once more, but to a fierce look of rebuke. "So tomorrow, take a little time away and try not to embarrass me further."

He gives a snort of refusal, but a bow of acceptance. "...Your word is law, my lord."

The alicorn prince takes his leave, his father delegates his attention back towards us, more specifically who I've come with. "Madam, can you tell me your name?"

"Kalimba, Representative Kalimba Mavembe, your highness." She answers with a bow.

He approaches her, giving her a swift look up and down. "Such an exotic name, and beauty. I wish you to accompany me with our trade engagements, as you also do represent Equestria and her dealings. I would want you to review the terms and conditions to see if these will be fair to your country and kin."

Already seeing through his intentions, she politely declines his offer. "Your highness, I cannot. I do not feel that I am in any capacity to engage in such high talks."

"Nonsense, you are in training." He says, dismissing her excuse. "Sir Spike has told me of your status, and I would wish you to be the one who goes back to your home country with the good news, and trade agreement in tow. Please, honor yourself with this privilege, it's not afforded to many." He sharply glances at Amor, giving an unspoken cue.

The young stallion shakily bows. "Father, if I may guide Spike towards the guest halls now?"

And just that quick, he's already separated us. "By all means. I'm sure the journey was long for him. Let him get his much-needed rest."

"If you'll excuse us then." The young prince says as a blue aura encircles my wrist, he guides me away. "Let's go."

After dragging me away from the throne room, Amor and I initially try to have a discussion about his relationship with Xerxes. It's understandable that after being seen in that circumstance that he'd want to avoid it, and we end up doing just that. I suppose he's not comfortable enough to open up about that, especially since this is his brother. I can't help but to wonder how this all came about, or worse, how far they've gone.

He instead looks to make a topic change and he brings us to a hall with a number of tapestries depicting the history of Ponyland and it's heroes. He calls it the empire's claim to fame, but admits that it's nothing on the level of having stained glass windows depicting our historic events in Equestria, much less me being in some of them.

Then comes the hall depicting the tyrannical reign of Lord Tirek, his dominion over Ponyland itself. It seems that while he was successful in his plans to take all the magic in the empire, it still wasn't enough for him and his brother. They did have a dragon assistant that aided them in their efforts initially, but he turned on them in his own bid for power. Needless to say that failed and he was punished severely, a punishment duly given to all dragons to this day.

More of our tour unveiled a lot of Tirek's legacy left here in Ponyland, including his improbable defeat at the hooves of a large band of ponies with spears and improvised flamethrowers. I'll admit, I didn't see that tapestry coming. Amor proudly waxes on the history of that day, all from the perspective of what he was taught. "And since he carried out much of his tyrannical reign here in this very castle, Lord Tirek had the halls themselves renovated more and more, each time with his growth. Even now we walk in what's known to be the final height adjustment before the castle was reclaimed."

"Huh. Had to be pretty damn big at the time." I point out as I look to see the ceiling being as high as thirty feet.

"He was." He groans. "But not big enough to ward off the weapons that were created to drive both him and Scorpan off. If it wasn't for that, we'd probably still be under his influence."

We come to a hall of windows, each looking out to the battlements of the lower levels. As I watch the guards march back and forth, I see a squad inspecting a few other things lining the top of the battlements. "You guys have party cannons lined up on the walls?"

The prince croaks with uncertainty. "Not sure why you Equestrians have cannons for parties, but those are not for the party you'd want to have."

"They aren't?"

"Of course not." He answers. "They're for the defense of the castle... they're weapons that basically turn any pony into a crushed mess."

Looking down further, I see a courtyard with a squad of five trainees. They seem to hold staves pointed at some thatch dolls set up a distance away. The stallion in charge holds a saber to the air, then drops it to give the signal. Clouds of smoke erupt from the ends, some of the thatch dolls fall over from the hits, one has a head blown off, a few others are unscathed.

The sound from inside is similar to a loud popping sound, one that rings too familiar for me to ignore. "You guys have guns?"

He seems unfamiliar with my term for their firearms. "Uh, not sure what that is, but what they're using are hoof cannons, long barreled weapons used on the fields of battle to dominate the front."

I slowly turn to the stallion. "Where'd you get this technology from?"

"From legendary creatures of an old age, summoned by that dragon we highlighted earlier. They came with much knowledge, their eyes cut narrow but their minds were sharp. It was said that they were the offspring of an alchemist in their world. They walked on only two legs, but their technology helped us in our pursuit to reclaim the castle from Tirek and his forces of marauders. That was well over a thousand years ago."

My jaw drops to the ground, stunned over the revelation of this occurrence. "A thousand years!?"

While I express my shock, he points out yet another weapon they use. "You see those spears, they are sometimes outfitted with rockets and ran on a rack. From there, they can be fired from distance like rapid-fire artillery." He walks forward with a prideful smile, moreso a sense of naïveté over the destructive powers they have... and what it could advance to. "Our country specifies in warfare and conquest, the only thing that's been in our family is fighting for dominion, and maintaining our superiority." A sadness starts to show on his face. "Unfortunately, our advancements have been used more in the homestead than it ever has been used on the fields of battle with our adversaries."

"So you guys learned how to make your weaponry from humans." I point out.

The prince appears confused. "Humans?"

I start to explain what I mean. "Two-legged creatures, tall─"

*klangalangalang*

A loud crash echoes throughout the halls, everyone but me seems fairly indifferent to the sudden outburst of chaos in the otherwise tranquil halls of the castle. "DON'T ASK ME WHY THEY HIRE USELESS SACKS OF SHIT LIKE YOU! DO IT AGAIN, AND DON'T YOU FUCKING COME BACK UNTIL IT'S DONE RIGHT!"

As the yelling takes place further down the hall, Amor tugs on my arm, trying to pull me in the same direction we just came from. "Um... I think we should go." His tug is a lot more forceful than when he pulled me out of the throne room.

"What the hell was that?" I ask the prince, who seems more embarrassed than disturbed.

"You probably don't want to find out. Having to deal with Xerxes is already hard enough." He complains.

My eyes buck open at the idea of whoever that was yelling is somehow worse than the annoying asshole that wants me dead from the onset. "Seriously, there's someone worse than hi─"

Before I can finish my sentence, a bunch of spears are casted just a few feet away from us, denting into the marble floor and cutting some of the carpeted walkway. I yelp in surprise while Amor sighs in defeat. "Ugh... to answer your question, yes."

An albino alicorn mare descends from the height of the ceiling, her pink magic active on the spears that cut us off from our retreat, her fiery fuchsia eyes set on us both. "What in the Good Doctor name is all this fuckery!? Why's a dragon here!?" She speaks with a Gaelic accent, a crude rasp in her voice that manifests harsh cracks with certain tones.

She simply takes a spear from an attentive guard and points it at us both, primarily at me. "Uh..."

Amor speaks with a deadpan tone. "Yeah... that's what I was avoiding."

She points the spear at my neck, backing me even further into her makeshift barrier. "Who the fuck do you think you are, just dancing about the place like you're not going to get snatched and butchered!?"

Amor steps in, slowly moving the spear's tip from my vicinity. "Spike... my eldest sister, Zenobia."

High Princess Rosa Zenobia

Noble Blood

"This your sister?" I ask with a directed whisper.

"Rather half-sister. She's born from the my father's second wife, Xerxes' mother." He quietly answers.

"Xerxes has a younger sister?"

"She's the older, actually."

Zenobia stares impatiently as we continue our exchange of questions and answers. "Xerxes is second to the throne... So you're telling me that─"

"I should probably stop you before we go down that rabbit hole. Our genetic process for ascension is a difficult process to explain, our line of succession is lot different from that in Equestria. It's not as simple as just being born."

"Equestria!?" She asks, pointing the butt end of the spear towards me instead. "You're that scaly fucker our father's been on about? So is that why you've been brave enough to risk getting your shit snatched and chopped for the bait?"

I glance to Amor. "She's a crass one."

"And wouldn't you believe it, she's also my father's first-born." He adds.

"I'm right fucking here, you shitstain of a lesser blood!" This time she shoves the spear in the face of her younger half-sibling before readdressing me. "Now as for you, I hear you service your current princess."

...Come again? "Uh... not quite sure what you're trying to draw on here."

"Her submissive, you serve as her submissive!"

That does not make things any less awkward. "...Define submissive."

"Lackey!" She screams to the top of her lungs.

Okay, that's a little better. I thought she meant I was─you know what, nevermind. Don't need that image in my head. "I wouldn't quite put myself down that far, but yes I am her second in command, administratively speaking."

"Astounding!" She hollers in total disbelief. "A dragon being made to lead ponies? That's absolutely maddening! How the fuck does she even go about taming a beast like you for something so high in civilized culture like that?"

"You know, we dragons aren't exactly rocks-for-brains." I respond.

"But you lot are stupid." She jokes mockingly.

Amor jumps in to break his sister's provocative insult. "Okay, can we not with this?"

She merely shoves him aside. "I mean look at you, you wander into the corridors of Ponyland's capital city, looking to negotiate a return for my lesser-blood brother in exchange for a lucrative round of peace talks, knowing that your country is about as battle-ready as a group of villagers holding reeds and rocks for weapons."

His means of mediation is turned now to me. "I'm sorry Spike, my sister is a bit underutilized and ill-prepared for international discussions─"

"You don't fucking speak for me, shit-brain!" She says, tossing the stallion aside with her magic. "I speak for myself."

While it is my objective to keep a peaceful disposition, I do try to defend the nation I represent. "Well I can assure you─"

She yanks me down to her eye level in her magic, proving she's very capable of multitasking at an advanced level by unicorn standards. "And you shut the fuck up! This isn't your country to be speaking and moving about so freely!" She leans in with a snarl, but the fierceness on her face lessens with a realization dawning on her. Her nostrils flex as she takes a few quick sniffs of the air between us. "Strange... your breath smells fairly inoffensive."

"Uh... thanks?" I say as I try to break from her magic, instead she holds my wrists to my waist.

She leans closer to me, giving a very thorough inspection of my person. She tilts her head, squints her eyes, pulling back a few scales for filth, and forces my jaw open to gander at my teeth. "I bet you're a pretty well-tamed one, aren't you?"

"Why hu you hay tat?"

"A dragon that doesn't smell like you've been shitting sulfur and eating shit, pretty rare for one of you to come smelling like you've some understanding of civilization." She finally finishes her random five-point inspection of me, tapping her chin in thought.

"I... guess."

She points a wing at me, her magic still bending me to her eye level. "So how'd your princess tame you?"

"I'm not tamed. It just so happened that I was just hatched out of an egg in pony society, adapted to the rules and social standings, interact in a manner that's pleasant to those around me and avoid conflicts that lead to consequences..." I pause in thought, coming to realize that's exactly what happened. "I guess that is kinda what being tamed is all about, though."

"You're telling me you were born to ponies!?" She asks with shock. "How the fuck does that happen!?"

"Magic school." Both she and Amor stare at me, even while he's pinned against the wall upside down. "Trust me, it's a lot less confusing than what you're thinking."

"Interesting." She replies as her magic quenches from around her brother, him falling head-first to the ground. She keeps me bent over as she circles around me, doing things like lifting my tail and wagging it around. "You ever grew up being curious about pony females?"

I instinctively move my tail between my legs as I speak. "To be fair, I did start off with having a crush on one."

She walks around to my front, pulling it even further between my legs. "Did it ever confuse you?"

I look away from her as she takes in the amusement of toying with me. "Not really."

She forces my head forward, pulling my chin to only maintain her direction. "Any interests?"

"Your highness, I cannot specifically converse the matter without keeping this conversation in official capacity, out of respect for both you and myself."

"Shouldn't have really said that." Groans Amor through the pain of having to reset himself. "Ow."

"Really now?" She mulls with a creeping smile reminiscent of her brother's. "What if I was to say that I give you permission to speak freely this one time, unofficially so?"

Her magic still holds strong over my body, so I shift my eyes to avoid the mare's glare of interest. "I still wouldn't feel comfortable talking about it."

"Then I'll cut you a deal, dragon." She levitates me to the air, flipping me upside down to gain my undivided attention. "Since I am merciful, I will allow you to continue on this matter upon a later time. Since my day is rather boorish with much assigned, you'll appoint yourself a visit to my chambers tonight, under my strict decree, and you..." She lifts my tail to disrupt my attempt to hide any potential interests I have in the current discussion. Thankfully I'm more consumed by intimidation than arousal. "...discuss in great capacity your thoughts and history with mares."

"Why am I doing that exactly?" I ask as my cheeks redden with ignominy.

She turns to Amor. "He's met Xerxes, has he not?" I let loose a groan of displeasure, snapping her attention back to me. "Oh you have, good. Then understand that if I shed word of our crossing paths, and illuminate to my brother the fact that you bear interest in equine mares, he will be foaming at the mouth to bring a hunting party to collect you within the hour."

I try to counter her threat with a reminder of the potential consequences. "Your highness, doing that will risk an international incident, much less a conflict─"

She yanks me even higher into the air, this time she hovers to where I am and gives me a smirk. "Then you'll have no issue with this agreement then. A piece of peace for a piece of you." I gulp from the immense initiative she takes in handling me. "My chambers, you and me, midnight. Come freshly groomed, if you would."

"Did I just get threatened into a one-night stand?" I ask myself under my breath.

"For your sake, you'd better hope this isn't for one night." She leans in to whisper. "As big as you are, I expect nothing less than an adequate presentation. And you'd do well to not keep me waiting, Zenobia does not do well with delayed gratification. I expect much, since you have no reservations on tonight, no schedule, no thoughts against equine opposites." She teleports me back to my feet on the ground, all while gliding gracefully back down to the direction she appeared from. She whispers to a maid, who appears from behind a pillar, they nod and teleport away. She loudly sets her demands from across the hall. "The escort will also supply your provisions for tonight, be sure to have them ready as you arrive. I look forward to our negotiations, Equestrian representative."

The spears that once blocked off our path fall hapless to the ground. Amor walks beside me with a shudder of repulsion. I mouth over to him. "Did your sister just─"

He doesn't just pull me along, he shoves me full against my back towards the room I'm slated to stay in. "Yes... And you should probably just take your party and run before the nightfall. I'll have Sir Fencer worry about Representative Kalimba, I'll sneak you out personally."

"As long as I don't get to be in chains again." I complain.

"That should be the least of your worries."

Author's Note

Well it's been a long while, sorry for the wait. I had a lot going on and there was hardly any time on the schedule to keep track of my writing of the story. But the good news is that I've drafted the next ten chapters as is. Now I should be back on a relatively smooth schedule for the time being.

As for the story and what takes place, I should advise you that the current location does unveil some rather dark things that take place. It won't reach to the levels of the predecessor's dark levels, but it will reach about the halfway mark at some points. There will also be some themes that I know some of you would not be privy to. I just wanted to get that out there before we continue. Even if it is a RATED MATURE story, I do need to keep some sensitivities under advisement.

I thank you for understanding, and I hope to see you for the next one.