The Price of Amber

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

She laid out the perfect oval stones, glowing yellow in the light from the window. They rested on black velvet that was placed on the table top to prevent any possible scratch on the lovely stones. Each one was a smooth, highly polished cabochon cut piece of clear amber with a perfectly centered captive insect.

Her delicate magic of midnight blue, shot through with stars from the deepest night, lifted each stone and held it up to be examined then reverently set it back to its place.

She sat back, the deepest blue of her fur and mane contrasting with the blue enamel on white gold of the crown with its crescent moon of white gold that sat her forehead, sharing space with the long straight midnight colored horn.

Speaking to the pegasus before her, Princess Luna said, “These are so perfect, Dawn Fire. They are the color of my Sister's sunlight. They will become a necklace to be a present for her. You shall have your price without a quibble.

“There remain two things that I wish to know. Can you obtain one more like to these but somewhat larger? It would be the centerpiece to this Royal Gift.

“The other you may tell me or not as you see fit. I am curious about what YOU paid for these.”

The somewhat off orange pegasus thought for a moment and replied, “If I could get back into Prance, I could get the remaining stone easily. With the present political situation, that could be difficult.”

He chuckled, “As for what they cost, it was one of the heaviest prices that I have ever paid! I was up at Tailswitch Fair in County Corbiestep. A visiting Prance merchant showed me a stone like these but would not sell it to me.

“I did find out that he was not alone in being a glutton for those Rom Ka'chek pastries! I bought a small chest from one of the Rom at the fair and loaded it up with Ka'cheks in a variety of flavors! I flew through the Corbiestep Pass into Prance and tracked down the source of the Amber Stones. I traded the whole lot, chest and all, for those!

“Staying out of snacks that good was just about the hardest thing that I ever did!”

The dark Princess chuckled as she nodded her head in acknowledgment. “Thank you for those kind words, Dawn Fire. I do remember selling them to you! I wondered then what you wanted with the whole chest of them.”

The orange pegasus would have stumbled if he was moving. “Um, that was YOU? I mean, I have heard that you and your sister do spend time with some of the Rom. I would never have guessed that the mare that I bought those Ka'check snacks from was you, Princess.”

Quietly, Princess Luna agreed, “Such was and remains Our intent. When among Our Royal Family, the band of Marchhare, We try to remain as incognito as possible. Being a Princess in Canterlot is more confining than being in a jail. Among the Rom, We have some precious moments of freedom.”

Soberly, Dawn Fire nodded in his turn. “I see. I have noticed, just in trying to get this interview, the many levels of stuffed shirt nobles that I had to go through. They isolate you?”

Luna agreed in a sad voice, “They do worse than that. They isolate Us from the populace and try to insinuate themselves into Our graces for business, personal or family gain. It is a rare noble who truly considers the good of the Realm before their personal gain.”

After sober consideration, Dawn Fire agreed, “I can understand how that could easily be.

“Regarding the issue of getting into Prance, have you any suggestions? I confess that I cannot see any way clear, what with how tightly they have sealed the border.”

Princess Luna smiled as she asked, “As far north in Prance as you were, were you by chance anywhere near the Weird Wood? If so, I do know of a possible route.”

Dawn Fire considered thouhgtfully, “Yes . . . technically where I need to go to get the stone is IN the Weird Wood. I must also deal with a small village just to the south of the Weird Wood. The artisans who cut and polish the amber to turn it from yellow lumps to stones like these live there.”

Princess Luna thought quietly for a while. She broke the silence with, “I do have reason to believe that the so called bandit raids on our Prance frontier will soon abate. While this gift to my sister will be lovely, it is not urgent.

“Do you abide here in Canterlot Castle as My guest for the nonce. When all is safe, you will be given free rail passage to the County of Corbiestep. Also, you will be given a chest of Ka'chek pastries, many of which will be apricot filled, which I know to be a favorite flavor among customers of Mine from Prance.

“The current Countess Protem of Corbiestep, Arianne, will be instructed to give you any assistance that you shall require.

“For the present, until it be a fortuitous time to set out on your errand, take this pass. It will allow you into any non classified parts of the castle and give you admission to any of the parties or court functions. You may find the next few Courts to be of particular interest.”

Luna grinned and some trace of the Nightmare showed in her suddenly razor sharp, shark like fangs! With a cheer that did not seem forced at all, she added, “I am very sure that the Ambassador of Prance and his retinue will find it interesting!”

Dawn Fire perked up and replied, “It sounds like Court might be fun at that!”

The Herald at the door to the Thrones Room door directed Dawn Fire, “Over to the right. There is a stair up to the gallery.” With candor, he added, “It actually has the best view of the proceedings, but the nobles all want to be closer to the Thrones.”

Thanking him, Dawn Fire went up the stairs. The Herald was right. The balcony had an excellent view.

It was an impressive sight as the Princesses entered, leading a procession of Ambassadors followed by the high nobles of the realm. The Princesses mounted their thrones and the assorted Ambassadors, Dukes, Earls, Counts and Barons all took their places to either side of the deep bluish red Royal Purple carpet runner leading to the Thrones of Equestria.

The Herald read from a scroll, “Hear these, the Words of the Joint Princesses of Equestria, Celestia and Luna!

“There are certain problems occurring along Our present border with the nation of Prance. About six months ago, Prance attempted an invasion of Our land of Equestria by a Hearthwarming attack through Corbiestep pass in the County of Corbiestep. The first wave of that attack was by pegassi, dropping incendiary devices which did much damage, destroying the castle of Corbiestep and killing the Countess and all but one of the Count's family.

“The Count himself was on holiday at Sleighbell, and missed the strike and any chance to direct the defense. His young daughter Arianne took over the defense of the County with the very reduced equipment and troops that survived the aerial strike. Her tactics and strategy successfully stopped the vastly superior force attacking her County.

“For his negligence and other crimes revealed by the attack, Corbiestep has been removed from the County and awaits trial.

“Arianne, Acting Countess of Corbiestep, please come forward for your Investiture.”

The pony who stepped forward up the carpet was a young unicorn, barely out of fillyhood. Her blue mane and tail had been expertly coiffed in a flattering fashion and she wore State Robes of soft green over her yellow fur, revealed where her flanks were bared by the robes to show her cutie mark, a bursting flame crossed by spear and sword.

She knelt before the Thrones of Equestria. Princess Luna stepped toward her from her throne to the left of the Empty Throne of the Queen and Celestia came from her throne to the right of the Empty Throne.

Celestia spoke first. “Do you, Arianne, accept from Our hooves and horns, this Pectoral of County, to become the true Countess of Corbiestep? To rule your subjects with Justice tempered with mercy? To lead them with wisdom and care whether in time of peace or war? To serve and save them in times of plenty and times of want or disaster?”

Arianne spoke firmly, “I do swear that I will do all in my power to fulfill all the duties of my County.”

Dawn Fire watched as the ceremony went on, each Office that Arianne took was accompanied by a chain about her neck and each Duty by a badge placed on a sash.

Finally, each Princess took a large sword of beautifully worked Damascus steel, mounted with priceless gems and laid them lightly upon Arianne's shoulders. “Arise before Us, your undoubted Princesses Royal, as Arianne, Countess Corbiestep.”

Arianne arose and looked up to her Princesses. “Your highnesses, a boon I beg of you, regarding the current state of my County.”

Royal voices blended as they replied, “Speak then, Corbiestep, and we will consider your request.”

Dawn Fire could have sworn that Princess Luna glanced up to him in the gallery and winked. For sure, she was smiling.

“Since the failed invasion attempt, both my County's borders and the borderlands of Prance have been plagued by bands of bandits, some of the bands are quite large.

“They flee to our side of the border if pursued by the military of Prance and if my troops pursue, they flee the other way. I have been assured by the local representative of Prance that their troops are doing all that they can to contain the menace. He asserts that some of the larger bandit raider groups have even overrun and looted military units of theirs.

“Based upon the fact that my troops have caught several large raider bands and reduced them, I do believe that the official of Prance is telling me the truth. The bands that we have caught on our side of the border have had captured military equipment and uniforms.

“I wish to have public discourse with the Ambassador himself regarding cooperation in dealing with the bandits.”

Princess Celestia nodded her Royal head and called out, “Will the Ambassador of Prance please come before the Thrones of Equestria?”

The Ambassador was a large, imposing pony. He was decked in robes and sashes. He wore many chains of Office and had a multitude of badges of Duty.

He paused and gave the Thrones a courtly bow. Without bothering to bow to Arianne, he asked in a haughty voice, “What would you have of me? My nation's forces have withdrawn from your County of Corbistep.”

She returned his discourtesy by staring from his hooves to the tops of his ears before replying, “I was unaware that your forces withdrew. Bluntly, Sir, I drove them back in a total rout. The forces that I led captured 426 of your troops, and thirty mage mortars with 176 rounds of ammunition. We looted and burned all three staging camps and, had the matter been in my hooves, I would have taken a sixty kilometer bite out of the plains that you advanced over. You may thank my Princesses that I withdrew to the proper boundaries of the County of Corbistep.

“Originally, it was my plan to hold that part of your nation hostage upon the payment of reparations for the destruction of Corbistep Castle, the garrison barracks, the armory and the dead, including my own mother along with both of my brothers.

“Since then, I have spoken at length with my Princesses and your local military and civil leaders. They have revealed the problem that I spoke of earlier about bandit bands equipped with stolen gear and uniforms. It has been stated by your ponies that they need substantial financial aid to put down the bandits on your side of the Sunset Mountains.

“Captured loot from the campaign, subject to the orders of my Princesses, is mine to use or distribute as needed. I have during the last month, reduced TWO more substantial bandit bands dressed in stolen uniforms and equipage well inside Corbistep, in fact fully out of the mountains. They had what were clearly stolen monies that I did keep and bring to my Princesses.”

Smiling grimly, she signaled. Two husky ponies brought in heavy chests on wheeled dollies. They were painted Prance Military Gray with serial numbers that identified not only their Prance Military Chancery origin, but also the destined units of the army. They were still locked and bore unbroken seals.

The Ambassador could barely contain his rage at seeing them. It got worse in mere moments. Arianne produced a chisel and a striking mallet from under her robes of State and smiling angelically, broke the hasps and locks. Opened, the chests contained payment bags filled with golden Prance Farthings and accounting records.

The Ambassador demanded, “These must be returned to Prance at once!”

Arianne looked sideways at him and asked in seeming innocence, “How then does Prance have any claim upon these? They were captured, as I explained, deep inside my County of Corbiestep. If they were the loot of bandits, they are incontestably mine.

“If they were with the units that are shown on the chests, Prance has invaded County Corbiestep and the Kingdom of Equestria. I have destroyed these two brigades and captured, besides these chests, a great deal of military hardware belonging to a hostile nation. In that instance, Sir, we are at war again and the loot remains incontestably mine.

“So, only one question remains, Sir. Answer me plainly in simple words. Are we at war?”

Chapter 2

He sneered, “War with a fifteen year old filly? How can you possibly stand against the might of Prance?”

Arianne smiled sweetly and retorted, “I am sixteen now, Sir. What you have said, plainly put, is that we are at war. And you seem to have mislaid the fact that I flattened your first invasion attempt and have now quashed your second. I am holding three hundred and seventy four more prisoners, over half of which are receiving medical aid. Some few of those may still die from their wounds, but that is the current tally.”

The Ambassador turned to the Thrones of Equestria and demanded, “Can you allow such a travesty by a mere filly in your Court?”

Luna looked over to Celestia and they both nodded. Celestia tilted her head slightly as she regarded the Ambassador and said gently, “Perhaps you were not paying close attention a little bit ago. This one that you have dismissed as a mere filly was just elevated as Arianne, Countess Corbistep. We did not do that lightly.

“She has fairly stated what she has already accomplished. Your nation invaded Us on Hearthwarming last. Countess Arianne destroyed that army, capturing over 400 of your forces. Unwisely, you have invaded a second time, only six months later. She directed her troops in the utter destruction of your second army, capturing 374 more prisoners, before even notifying Us that you had crossed our border.

“She has managed these military feats while also directing the rebuilding of the Corbiestep barracks and armory and preparing the foundations for the new Corbiestep castle.”

Luna added, “If this is the work of a mere filly, Equestria needs more of them. Further, here in open Court she has proved her right to the loot she has garnered from both of your invasions.

“She then asked you to speak directly to whether We are at war with Prance. Your answer, referring as it did to Arianne standing against the might of Prance, cannot be construed in any other terms than those that she has stated so clearly.

“We are now at war with Prance. You may leave Our Court to communicate this news to your nation.”

Up in the balcony, Dawn Fire raised his eyebrows almost up into his forelock. Luna had certainly been right that Court might be interesting! He was wondering how this development could lead to simplifying his project. However, things were not quite done before the Thrones.

Arianne bowed before the Thrones and requested, “While I am most mindful of the honors bestowed upon me, Your Highnesses, I must repair to my County of Corbiestep at once. What the Ambassador of Prance just made most clear is that they do plan further invasion. I must go to marshal my troops against it and make such other preparations as are needful.”

Celestia nodded graciously and held out a hoof which Arianne tapped with her own. “This request to return to your County is granted, Corbiestep. There, you are to make all such preparation as you think needful and may carry out this war as you see fit until such time as Prance shall sue for peace and a peace be concluded.”

A smiling Luna added, “To speed you upon your way, Dear Corbiestep, I am, as High Commissioner of the Royal Roads and Railroads, ordering you a fast engine with a single coach. All of the Mainlines between here and Corbiestep terminal are to be cleared for your passage. A swift journey to you.”

Arianne left the Thrones Room to a veritable roar of whispered conversation!

A pair of unicorns of noble bearing, having decorations from campaigns among their Duties, requested to approach the Thrones. “Your Highnesses, perhaps it was an oversight, but General Neighsmith and I should accompany Countess Corbistep and give her the advantage of our leadership in military matters. After all, she is but an untried filly who has no real experience in the managing of a campaign. We are, as you are aware, experienced generals.”

Luna sat up sternly in her throne and declared, “General Nullit, it would appear that the Ambassador of Prance was not the only one failing to pay attention today. Arianne may be young but she has considerable skill at war. Which, given the current situation, We wish to test.

“With limited troops and munitions, due to the criminal negligence of the prior Count, she stopped, held and later destroyed the Prance invasion through Corbiestep pass. Six months later, she found, engaged and destroyed a second and covert invasion attempt. In the process, she has captured a substantial amount of munitions and other supplies along with the gold that was shown today in Court.

“We are well mindful that you plan to hijack her campaign and claim the credit for it should it succeed. Likewise, if it should fail, you will try to set the blame on her. You did as much during the Gryphon Empire Slaver's Revolt, attempting to sieze credit for the ground tactics training being given by our Master Sargent Ironhooves as soon as it was shown to be turning the tide of that war.

“You are both directly confined to the city of Canterlot. If either or both of you leave the city for any reason without Our written leave over Our joint seals, you will both be broken of all ranks and honors and set to work on the Royal Roads. Am I clear?”

Both of them tried to exclaim, “Your Highness! It is most unsuitable to say such things publicly in Court!”

Luna promptly retorted, “But it was perfectly acceptable to openly try to grab the leadership of a campaign that my Sister and I have just given to a different pony? I think not. The terms of your parole remain as I have stated them. You are dismissed!”

Not long after, Dawn Fire found one of the castle's Royal dining halls. The matré de blocked his path. “Commoners can use the basement cafeteria.”

Dawn Fire produced his pass. “Um, Princess Luna told me that I could eat in any of the dining halls.”

The matré de took one look at Luna's Royal Seal and bowed obsequiously. “My pardon, good Sir. Please come this way. Would you like window seating or one of the booths?”

“A window seat, please. I would like the view.”

He seated Dawn Fire and laid a menu in front of him. “Simply order whatever you wish, Sir. Ignore the prices. Your meal is on the Bounty of the Princess.”

Dawn Fire was just finishing up his meal with a delightful cherry ice when he heard, faint with distance, the whistle of a steam train. Watching from the window, he saw one of Princess Luna's express engines pulling a fuel car and a single passenger car, as it began a high speed run to the north.

That train was followed by a second, with a deeper whistle. It was one of the Equestrian Defense Bureau's monster armored engines. It had eight huge drive wheels propelled by two big double acting pistons on each side. The fuel car and all of the cars behind it were armored as well. The flat cars were loaded with enormous 200 cm mage mortars! There were over fifty cars in the train.

Returning to his seat and his dessert, Dawn Fire reflected that the apparent surprise declaration of war in court that morning might not have been very much of a surprise to the Princesses. Or to Countess Arianne, either, come to think of it.

Over the next week, there was little news from County Corbiestep. Dawn Fire awoke on the eighth day of his stay in Castle Canterlot to find, along side his morning tea and sweet biscuits, The Canterlot Crier.

The headline proclaimed, “WAR!” The stories told how forces launched through four passes in the Sunset Mountains of County Corbiestep in a daring night time strike, had already captured three war staging encampments and a major ammunition dump! Arianne, Countess Corbiestep's forces were thirty kilometers into Prance and holding strategic supply routes by dawn.

Dawn Fire went to his favorite dining hall to have his breakfast. The matre de was now well familiar with him and saw him to a table at once. He exclaimed, “It is amazing news! I mean, yes, the war was declared, but who would have expected so young a pony to strike so deeply into Prance? I do wonder if Arianne can hold what she has taken? Prance is a substantial nation.”

Dawn Fire replied, “Considering what she has already done, I would worry more about the freshness of the strawberries on our buttered oatmeal! I think that this morning's Court will be fascinating.”

“Indeed, Sir. Your server will be here immediately.”

While waiting on his breakfast, he was listening to the buzz of conversation around him.

“Total madness! Do you know that I heard that her troops were firing MT84s and 40mm mage mortars from TREES!”

“Infantry should march to battle! She is using captured TRAINS to haul them!”

“Emergency Military Teleport is supposed to be for EMERGENCIES! I heard that she is using it to leapfrog over Prance positions with light artillery to strike them from behind in a cowardly fashion! Besides, it is too short range to be much use in most situations. ”

As Dawn Fire ate his eggs and oatmeal with coffee, he tried to figure out what the outrage was for. It appeared that Arianne's unorthodox tactics were working! Breakfast over, he quietly went to get a good balcony seat to wait for the morning Court. He was not alone. The balcony was nearly filled with mostly retired military ponies.

Even there, he overheard, “Sure, she's grabbed land with a surprise attack. Anypony could do that. Can she hold it? I think not. Prance has many seasoned generals. They will beat her back to the mountains by tomorrow.”

There was a stuttering thunder approaching the castle from the north. It stopped suddenly. Visible through one of the large north facing windows, a formation of pegassi carrying some sort of load glided down, landing out of sight.

There was much muttering among the nobles and military ponies in the galleries and down on the floor of the Court. The Royal procession was late! That was nearly unheard of.

Shortly, the fanfare announced the tardy start of the Procession. The cause for the delay was announced immediately after their Royal Highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. “Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Commander of Equestria's Expeditionary Forces in Prance!”

As she took her place on the runner between the Thrones of the Princesses, just in front of the Empty Throne of the Queen, all could see that Arianne was in a plain infantry uniform, distinguished only by her pectoral of County.

Princess Luna whispered to her Herald who announced, “The normal business of this Court shall be delayed. We have a current war situation report to be given by Force Leader Arianne, Countess Corbiestep who has come to us by Military Teleportation Transport.”

A large display type of magic net mirror was rolled in on wheels and set up where all the Court could see it. As quickly as it was up, it displayed a map of Prance.

Arianne took a pointer in her magic and began, “Moving by night, we struck across Corbiestep Pass, the Candlestick, and Wethall Pass and through the rail line at Grimald Pass. We had little trouble because Prance has had crews clearing the passes during the last four days in preparation for their planned invasion. We simply hit first!

“By midnight, we had captured all three of their invasion staging camps. A great plus for us was taking their central ammunition depot intended to supply their invasion. Since we got it, we have not needed to use any of our own ammo except for small arms and MT84s. Their small arms and ours do not match well and they have almost no MT84 portable cannons. Their 40 and 60mm mage mortar ammo works very well in our weapons so we have been using it.”

She used the pointer to draw on the map. “We secured this bridgehead 30 kilometers into Prance to protect the passes and give our reinforcements swift and safe passage. As soon as it was secure, we sent flying units and Military Teleportation units carrying MT84s, 40 and 60mm mage mortars, ammo and gun crews to take all the railroad and road bridges along the Grimald River, from the Sunset Mountains west to the Grey Flow. We also took the railroad border station at the Grimald Pass. That is allowing us a direct railroad connection to Equestria, which has made our supply and reinforcement situation very favorable.

“These events have fully isolated the whole north eastern quarter of Prance. In a wedge from the Far Northern Dales in the north, to the Grimald River in the south, we are reducing the assorted bases and armories of Prance. We are using their own excellent rail system to move our troops swiftly to every hard point for combat.

“When I left to give this report, we were holding 75 kilometers from the Sunset Mountains, west into Prance. We estimate five more days to secure the whole captured area.

“We have taken 2,560 prisoners so far.”

She put down the pointer to a shocked silence from military and noble alike! No pony in history had waged such a massive and swift campaign against a modern and well equipped army.

Dawn Fire noticed that the already captured area included the entire Weird Wood. He thoughtfully acknowledged the sheer brilliance of Princess Luna. A possible route to the Weird Wood indeed! He became sure that she already knew this was going to happen.

Without waiting to be recognized, the Ambassador of Prance was storming, “This is madness! No pony can possibly have taken so large a swath of Prance in under a day! To the Grey Flow it is more than 300 kilometers! You have, by your own admission, only taken 75 kilometers! Our Generals' counter attack will drive your insolence back into the Royal Gardens of this city!”

Arianne waited until he had run down before riposting, “I think not. To effectively assault our positions, they will need to cross the Grimald River. We hold all of the Grimald valley and its bridges and have lookouts in between them. I have some reports of an attempt to bring massed troops against us for an assault.

“We let them approach to within 20 kilometers of the Highfold Road bridge. That is when we hit them with our 200 centimeter railroad mounted Mage mortars backed up by T Jumping MT84 and mage mortar units preventing them from spreading out to lower their casualties. Their retreat has showed them that our railroad guns have an accurate range of 50 kilometers. Our troops were assessing Prance's losses, securing prisoners and taking reports of civilian casualties and damages from the battle when I left.”

Ears back and neck bowed in dismay, the Ambassador asked, “Why would you worry about civilian casualties and damage? Is not reducing your enemy enough?”

Arianne looked compassionately at him for a few moments before responding gently, “I believe that your questions reveal the difference between our nations better than I could have stated them.”

Chapter 4

In Gaiparee, King Leiuee was huddled with his General Staff. His mood was not lightened by the tall windows, fine curtains and gilt friezes depicting the heroic deeds of the past. His ornate chair, comfortable as it was, brought him no cheer.

“I do wonder, my good Generals, if I ought to have listened to you. Countess Arianne, in spite of this incredible conquest, has offered Us peace terms that are most generous.”

General Falshort reassured the King, “Your Highness, it should not be long now before we have word of General Triard's advance. In tests, we were able to bring a 6000 pony army together in under an hour. It should take no more than another hour to unload the supply train and equip the army. His advance will cut the upstart Arianne's thinly spread army into halves that we can easily break. For practical purposes, this war will be decided by this afternoon.”

“I do hope so, Falshort. It is near to eleven of the clock and We have heard nothing. She is presently holding prisoner almost a third of Our whole standing army.”

Before the General could answer, a Court Baron entered. “Sire, I know that you did not wish disturbance but what our Ambassador to the Court of Canterlot wishes to communicate to you includes news of General Triard's offensive.”

Sitting back in self satisfaction, General Falshort replied, “A protest, no doubt! How far past the Grimald river has he penetrated?”

The Baron cringed but extended a Magic Net mirror in his magic. “Your Majesty, please speak to the Ambassador yourself.”

King Leiuee took the mirror with his own magic and listened. He spoke, expostulating silently. The spell on the mirror prevented any but Him from hearing what was said by either side of the conversation.

Soon, His Majesty Leiuee, by the Grace of the Creators, Ruler of Prance, set down the mirror and slumped into his chair. Bleakly he informed His staff, “General Triard and his army were taken with but few losses. He surrendered at 9:30 AM when his situation was shown to be untenable. I was allowed to speak directly to him and to Countess Ariane. Princesses Celestia and Luna back her.

“She now holds prisoner just over a full half of the entire standing army of Prance. Besides that, she holds the whole northeastern quarter of Our nation, taken intact with a rich harvest to come.

“If We will give over the war and request peace, Countess Arianne will allow our buyers into the captured area to bid on the crops in fair competition with Equestria's buyers while negotiations are ongoing. She offers to return the whole of the captured territory in return for certain guarantees to prevent any further invasion attempts and the right to continue free and unrestricted trade with the whole region north of the Grimald river.”

General Falshort gave an eye squinted, tight lipped smile as he pointed out, “That could be our golden opportunity! Sue for peace. Then, while we drag the negotiations on for weeks, we infiltrate our strike force, disguised as grain and other crop traders. The sudden surprise strike will split Arianne's forces and recover our stolen territories.”

King Leiuee nodded slowly. “We could try such a thing, Falshort. As well as she has managed the rest of this invasion, I would be astonished if she has not already anticipated you and taken precautions against it.”

He picked up the Magic Net mirror and made a relatively short call. Placing the mirror on the table, he turned to the head of his General Staff and placed both front hooves together while leaning back in the comfortable chair.

“My Generals, I asked Countess Arianne what name she had planned for the new province, should peace negotiation fail and she keeps the land that she has taken. Her choice of name was revealing. She plans to call it the Principality of Falshortia. She will, in that case, bar us from any of the produce of the area's farms or mines. In other words, she has absolutely foreseen your notion. I have given her Our surrender and requested Peace.

“She agreed at once. She will maintain the border sealed until the written terms that she has offered are signed by Myself, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and herself.”

In Canterlot, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and the Ambassador from Prance were looking over the peace terms that Arianne, Countess Corbiestep had sent by Magic Net mirror.

He looked up, brow wrinkled, ears pointing forward and low, “What is this demand for two and a half million gold Farthings?”

Princess Luna replied thoughtfully, “I asked that myself. She showed me the documents. It seems that she is regarding the civil population that she is holding as her subjects until they are returned to Prance by the treaty. She will continue to take care of them later, through the treaty's terms.

“She found out that your nation's buyers for crops, mines, quarrys and forest products have been paying for purchases with notes of payment instead of currency. For the last three years, they have refused to give the miners, farm cooperatives, or pretty much any others, the gold due them. They have presented the notes for payment repeatedly and they have not been honored. Beyond this, there have been many notices of foreclosure or of late payments for debits owed to the Nobility further south in Prance. Those nobles will not honor drafts drawn against their own notes of payment.

“Arianne has not only totaled all of the notes of payment, she has added penalties for each time that they were dishonored. That is what the two and a half million gold Farthings are for. She is further demanding that all future buyers allowed by the peace terms pay for goods or services only in gold or silver currency.”

The Ambassador nodded, “I see. Um, is this a draft for negotiation?”

Celestia chuckled deep in her chest as she replied, “The only changes that Arianne will allow are to make the terms clearer and easier to understand.”

In his personal study in the Royal Palace in Gaiparee, King Leiuee was studying the document of Surrender by the Land of Prance to their Highnesses Celestia and Luna, offered by their Leader of the Equestrian Expeditionary Forces, Arianne, Countess Corbiestep. As such things went, it was remarkably clear and straightforward. Several things mentioned and covered solidly bothered him a great deal.

First, he tiredly picked up a Magic Net mirror. A note attached to the Surrender Document gave him several codes. Consulting it, he tapped one of the codes. In only seconds, he was looking directly at the young mare who had dealt his kingdom such a massive blow.

Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Leader of Equestria's Expeditionary Force in Prance, began simply, “Your Royal Majesty, King Leiuee, I see by the code group that you have called by that you have received my terms. Is there a problem with their clarity or wording? I did have some help from local legal and government ponies but your language is not mine.”

“No, Countess Arianne. The language is most clear and easily understood by any reader. I am wondering about the two and a half million golden Farthings payment on debits owed to you personally. What debit does my Kingdom owe to you?”

“Your Majesty, did you get my gift sent by one of your postal couriers?”

“You mean the rather handsome desk frame of your Occupation Currency? Yes, I did get that. Why did you bother with an Occupation currency? Especially as you do point out in the accompanying letter that your coin is precisely matched to Ours in weights and purity for simplifying exchange.”

“When I took this place from you, it was near to total economic collapse for want of circulating money.”

“What! That is madness! My nobles have told me that they have had to raise the prices paid for all the produce from those three provinces twice in the last three years!”

Suddenly Arianne's ears shot up! Her lips pursed into an O as she sucked in a breath of surprise! Her face relaxed into a nearly diabolical grin as she asked, “Do you have laws regarding the issuance of false Notes of Payment? I have been putting my Occupation Currency into the economy by the redemption of what appear to be falsely issued Notes of Payment. Many of them are up to three years old and ALL of them have been presented multiple times and refused for payment. For the last three years, no shipment for any sort fodder, forest products, quarry, or mine has been paid for by anything but Notes of Payment that are not being honored. My clerks calculate the interest due on the overdue notes plus a penalty for each failed redemption attempt. That is what I am paying to each Note holder.

“In doing so, I assume these debits. There will be no Peace or withdrawal from the occupied territory until I am fully paid for these false Notes.”

King Leiuee went as dead still as a snake about to strike! “Countess Arianne, do believe me when I say that I knew nothing of this fraud. Can you transmit to me copies of the falsely issued Notes along with your accounting of interest and penalties for each one? I realize that I am asking a great deal of trouble on your part to do it. I will accept a further penalty for increasing your costs to do it.”

Arianne instantly nodded, “Completely agreeable. My clerks already have the Notes sorted by noble backers and banking houses. What you receive will be fully organized for collections.” She paused to snicker as she added, “Don't forget to tack on YOUR expenses too! There is no reason why you should suffer a loss in this deal. Send me the mirror code to use in providing you with these documents.

“As soon as I have the amended terms approved and translated, you can expect the new document of Surrender.

“Sire, it has been a pleasure to meet you. I would wish it were under better circumstances.”

Somewhat later, in Canterlot, Celestia and Luna chortling over the latest version of the Surrender Terms and news given them by their Ambassador to Prance. Luna was pointing to a page of the report.

“I wish that I had seen this Court, Tia! The faces of Leiuee's nobles must have been priceless when he gave them written copies of the banking laws regarding Notes of Payment.”

Tia interrupted, “And then started handing about all of those overdue and refused for redemption Notes of Payment. I would bet that they came close to revolt when he simply ordered that all the Notes be properly paid within thirty days!”

The Ambassador joined their merriment. “I do believe that your Highnesses are correct! My contacts in my Service and a few in the Court have told me that they near rioted when told that the Crown of Prance will no longer accept Notes of Payment on any debit at all. His Majesty Leiuee is considering outlawing them entirely.

“He, like you, has a Royal Intelligence Service. They have dug up proof that a cadre of nobles were plotting to seize that whole rich region and require the populace to labor for them to clear off the false debits. King Leiuee is not a happy pony!

“In a private conversation that leaked to my ears, His Majesty stated that he has come to like and admire the Countess of Corbiestep. He has been consulting with her quite regularly, since he found out that she has been doing so much to improve the lives of his populace that are presently under her rule.”

Princess Luna gave a deep chuckle and signaled for a page pony. “Would you please get the document on my desk that bears three Provincial Seals from Prance? I do thank you, Ridor.”

In moments the page Ridor returned with the document. The Ambassador's eyes opened wide and his ears shot forward as he saw the Prance Provincial seals for the area that Countess Arianne was holding.

Luna explained gently, “I have verified that our good Corbiestep had no hoof in this. The Governors and Councils got together on their own and drafted this, which they sent, concealed among a largish bunch of paperwork about upcoming crop yields.”

Opening the folded and sealed sheet, the Ambassador blinked several times and put the paper down as if it were a deadly serpent! “The Councils and Governors have petitioned you to anex their lands under the rule of Arianne, Countess Corbiestep? What have you answered?”

“We have not done so, yet. Should Arianne decide to retain her conquest, We as her Sovereigns, will present this granted petition to her as part of her redrawn Patent of Title and Grant of Lands.”

“I see, your Highnesses. Why have you made me privy to this?”

“We did think that if you were to leak the presence of this document to King Leiuee, he could use it as a lever to pry fractious nobles back into line. The real desire of these people is not to leave Prance, but to have good and honest governance. Should it prove needful to leave Prance to get it, they will. They do hope that their King will do what is needful to restore proper and honest rule.”

Chapter 5

The next morning's Canterlot Crier had the account of yesterday's rather eventful Court. It sensationalized the treason of Nullit and Neighsmith, so clearly proved. It also had a new map of the captured areas of Northern Prance.

Young Countess Arianne had a busy day and night of it. Over a full third of the land from the Sunset Mountains to the Grey Flow river had been taken. The balance of the territory was isolated from Prance. All communications and transportation was interdicted.

Prance's Generals were being much more cautious about counter attacking. They had learned a hard lesson from the Highfold Road counter attack disaster. It was reported that they were sending many small, isolated groups north over a wide front to expose the fewest possible troops to Arianne's deadly artillery. There was speculation that the small units would link up into strong attack forces once they were close enough.

Dawn Fire thoughtfully read the news while nibbling in a leisurely way at his breakfast. He heard a soft yet penetrating voice that he knew. Princess Luna was entering the room nearly skipping with delight, “Dawn Fire! There you are! May I join you at table?”

Dawn Fire was looking up with a smile when a portly pony with the Pectoral of an Earl stood up in her path. “You must breakfast with me, your Highness. That is a mere commoner. I will order him removed from this dining hall.”

“Earl Wrathmore, remove yourself from my presence. I have come to share table with my agent. You may not join us.”

Stubbornly staying in her way, Wrathmore demanded, “Which is more important? A mere commoner or an Earl who needs a proper resolution to a land boundary?”

“The Brackenfield issue has been settled, Wrathmore. Which is more important? Breakfast with my agent. I will repeat, you may not join us.”

“What could he have to say that is so important?”

“I will answer that with two words, after which you will remove yourself from this dining hall. State Secret. Leave now.”

“Very well, as soon as you offer me the new province in Prance, which I will accept.”

“Guard! Remove the person of Earl Wrathmore to his apartment and there lock the door on the OUTSIDE. One of the palace guards to be stationed there. Wrathmore may not leave his quarters for any reason until I give him leave to do so.”

A squad of five in Royal Guard armor promptly entered the door and enclosed the hapless Earl! “Sir, you are arrested by Royal Order. Please come with us. If you refuse, we shall use force.”

As the portly pony was led away, Princess Luna sat comfortably at Dawn Fire's table. The waiter approached. “What will you have, your Highness?”

“Those crispy wheaten waffles, please. A stack of five. Each well buttered and covered with maple syrup. Top them with a whipped cream swirl and a mix of berries in season. I will have a caramel coffee to drink. Thank you.”

The waiter carefully confirmed the order and left them alone.

Luna looked across the table and smiled, “Here, where you could order almost anything and you are having oatmeal topped with melted butter, brown sugar and strawberries?”

“I like oatmeal with butter and brown sugar. The strawberries are a little luxury for me.”

She chuckled, “I have some news for you. It came in from Arianne only an hour ago. She holds the whole area from the Sunset Mountains to the Gray Flow river. The territories that she had not yet conquered saw how she was treating the rest and surrendered. She is presently holding a meeting with all of the governing bodies to explain their situation. One resolution has passed already. They are calling on Prance to enter peace negotiations.”

“I see. That sounds pretty favorable for my getting you the last stone.”

“Yes, it is. We will wait for another two or three days to be sure that things are safe and you can be on your way.”

Dawn Fire chuckled, nearly laughing as he pointed out, “You had a pretty good idea that this was going to happen when we first met, didn't you?”

“Not really, Dawn Fire. Earlier, before that second invasion this summer, she was only thinking of going as far as the Weird Wood. This massive invasion and territory grab was a total surprise. She still has construction going on for the new castle and garrison barracks that were destroyed in the Hearthwarming attack, too. She is a remarkable filly.”

Dawn Fire nearly fumbled his oatmeal! “Weren't those enormous rail mounted Mage Mortars sort of a clue?”

She chortled, “We wondered about her request, but we did say that she should prosecute the war as she saw fit! Nopony has figured out how she moved strike forces so swiftly.”

“Princess, I wondered about that when she mentioned both flying and Military Teleportation units carrying assorted light artillery. I used the castle library to look up what I could on military uses of teleportation. There was not a lot. Looking up training unicorns for teleportation showed me why. Generally speaking the further the jump, the more difficult it is to only move the unicorn and whatever he or she is carrying. They need to see where they are teleporting to or be very familiar with it. Practically, they can only go about a half kilometer.”

Dryly Luna replied, “I do know all of that, Dawn Fire. I have had a few years to learn those things.”

“I did not mean to patronize you, Princess. I was laying a ground work. I think that I know how she is doing it. She is taking advantage of the natural tendency to move a LOT more than just the teleporting unicorn.”

Luna's eyes widened with interest, as she spoke around a mouthful of crispy waffle, “Really? That has always been a serious liability with teleportation. How could you take advantage of it?”

“It is simple, really. It goes back to the fact that pegassi like me can lift substantial loads. Did you see that Canterlot Crier story where a team of four pegassi using an emergency carrying net pulled two ponies at a time off the roof of that burning building?”

“I did. How does that answer Arianne's troops moving so fast?”

“Think of this. A team of four pegassi lift a teleport trained unicorn along with a pony's weight of weapon and ammunition. Because they are well up in the air, the unicorn can teleport the whole lot of them without worry about taking along large amounts of earth or whatever. With clear air, perhaps they could go as far as several kilometers at a time. Doing that, they could make as many jumps as they need to to get to a target. When they are near the target area, the pegassi handle the landing. Two of them take the weapon and ammunition and the other two lift the unicorn back up to safe T Jumping altitude to return and get another gun, ammo and two more pegassi to handle it. Ammo and ration resupply can be done the same way.”

Luna sat and looked askance at Dawn Fire. “Have you mentioned this to any pony at all, besides me?”

“No, my Princess. I only thought of it when I saw that news story.”

“Your notion has just become a State Secret. When Countess Arianne arrived the other day, she had a team of five ponies with her. Four pegassi and a unicorn.”

Dawn Fire responded innocently, “She did? I wonder why she would have an entourage like that?”

Brightening up, Princess Luna shook her head. “I have no idea, Dawn Fire. I mean, she had no earth pony in her entourage. Surely that was an oversight.”

Dawn Fire chuckled as he munched happily at his oatmeal before asking, “Are you going to update the Ambassador from Prance? I mean, he appears to be a changed pony from the one I saw when war was declared.”

“You are not the only one who can think, Dawn Fire, though sometimes in Court, I do begin to wonder about that. Yes, I already relayed Arianne's latest report to him. He has sent it to the Royal Court of Gaiparee. I do not know what the result of that will be. Court should be interesting indeed.”

Princess Luna was prophetic. Dawn Fire watched the drama unfold from the balcony of the Thrones Room.

Just after the Royal Procession, the Herald called, “Will the Ambassador of Prance please approach the Thrones of Equestria!”

He came forward, in his finest Court robes, draped with his Chains of Office, and resplendent in his sashes of Duties. He kneeled before the Princesses. “I am here, Your Highnesses. What would you have of me?”

“At Our last Court, you were presented with terms of peace by Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Our Expeditionary Forces in Prance. Have you any reply from King Leiuee in His Court at Gaiparee?”

“I fear, Your Highnesses, that he has ordered me to reject the proposed terms. In this, He was influenced by His General Staff. I was instructed to ask you why she would capture such a huge swath of Prance if she was simply going to give it back?”

Celestia chuckled, “Her aim in doing this, I do know from discussing that very question with her. It is simple. She wants King Leiuee to know that invasions can go TWO WAYS and that she is better at the invasion game than his generals. With a solid treaty of peace, containing the guarantees that she outlined, she will return what she has taken. She simply does not want to have to repel your constant and toothless attacks on her County. They are a waste of her time and yours.”

“Your Highness, I took the liberty of recording your answer with my magic net mirror. With your permission, I will transmit your words directly to my King.”

“That would be most welcome, my Lord. I do have an update on Arianne's situation in northern Prance. She held a meeting of the mayors and Governors of the captured area. Their consensus was to request that King Leiuee begin peace negotiations with Us in Equestria.

“Also, this morning, somewhat before dawn, all of those small platoon sized units that have been infiltrating north coalesced into an army six thousand strong under General Triard. They formed up on the southern side of the Grimald Hills where the Courser highway and Rail line enter the Grimald valley. Their goal was to capture the bridges at the confluence of the Courser river and the Grimald river. That would have allowed them to advance up the Courser river valley, splitting Arianne's forces in two.

“Their gathering place was within five kilometers of the Grimald river railroad bridge held by Countess Corbiestep. Their advance was awaiting the arrival of a supply train bringing their main supplies of ammunition and their heavy weapons to begin the assault. The plan was to be so close to the rail line that her big railroad guns could not fire on them safely. Unfortunately that ploy did not work.

“Arianne's intelligence had already located the assembly point of General Triard's army. She had stationed two of her railroad guns, one ten kilometers east of the bridges and the other ten kilometers west. How she managed to surround the General's troops without being observed, we actually do not know.

“What we do know is that the big guns broke the rail line at the Crossin Creek bridge, giving the supply train ample time to stop. As soon as it did, their shells broke the rails behind the train as well. They also blew up the highway that might have been used to deliver the ammunition and weapons that General Triard needed for his assault.

“That was when he found himself surrounded by the Countess' troops equipped with forty, sixty and one hundred millimeter mage mortars and 20 millimeter MT84 quick fire portable cannons.

“When the big guns blasted the highway and rail line in the pass he needed to advance through, General Triard knew that his situation was hopeless. He was surrounded by alert and well armed troops and his retreat and advance were both blocked by the same artillery that could decimate him where he was.

“Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Equestria's Expeditionary Army in Prance accepted his surrender at 9:30 AM. You may relay that information to your King as well.”

The slightly stunned Ambassador bowed to the Thrones and replied, “I suspect that this news will assist my King in requesting peace terms.” He withdrew to make his report.

Court nobles were clamoring for Royal attention! The Heralds recognized Duke Grabaland. “Your Highnesses! Arianne has taken a rich land for you. It would be pure folly to simply return it to an enemy nation as she naively plans to do! It is such a vast area that it should be divided into two or three new duchies. Perhaps it could even be made a new Principality, like Ponyville!”

Princess Luna answered coldly, “Perhaps you need to sweep the cobwebs out of your memory, Grabaland! We gave this war to Countess Corbiestep to carry out as she sees fit! Her vision is to establish a long lasting peace with good neighbor. If that vision fails, she will have the entire thing in Our Names. We have already seen her abilities as an administrator as well as her skill at war.”

Chapter 6

The Ambassador chuckled and replied, “Consider this leaked! Um, do you want me to claim it as shared by your gracious selves, found through espionage, or learned of accidentally in conversation?

Princess Luna considered thoughtfully, “A combination, perhaps. A careless word overheard in a dining area, leading to your actually seeing the document through careful espionage. Of course, you could not actually remove it because so important a paper would be missed.”

The Ambassador nodded slowly, “That could work. My King shall know of it this afternoon.”

Later in the day, Princess Celestia was approached by Count Lesserone. “Your Highness, perhaps you have heard already but there is a low born common pegasus who has been loitering about the palace? He has been eating in our reserved noble dining rooms. What shall we do about this disgrace?”

Mildly interested, Celestia inquired, “How can he gain access? Those dining areas are reserved.”

“He purports to have a pass from your sister Princess, as if a commoner could have so important a document.”

“Easily checked, Lesserone.” Celestia took out a Magic Net mirror and tapped a code expertly.

“Hi, Luna! Got a question for you. Have you given a pass to a pegasus lately? I have a complaint from Count Lesserone about it.” She listened for a moment, the privacy spell keeping any other from overhearing the Royal conversation. “Thanks, Sis. I will let him know. I don't really think he's going to like it though.”

Putting away the mirror and turning back to the Count, she nodded, “Dawn Fire does have Luna's pass. He is her agent in some matters of State Secrecy that you are not cleared to know. She has her particular reasons for keeping him in these parts of the palace at this time. Neither you nor any other may interfere with him or his doings.

“Princess Luna considers him important enough that she ordered Earl Wrathmore confined to his apartments for attempting to interfere with him.”

“I see, your Highness. Do not answer me this. The question is merely rhetorical, but what could a mere commoner know or do that is so vital?”

Celestia grinned, “I will answer that in the same spirit. This has nothing to do with Dawn Fire as such. It is an example drawn from ancient history. Do you remember learning of the Nightmare Wars over two thousand years past? The last Nightmare War was ended just barely in sight of this place.”

She got up and invited the Count to accompany her to a big north facing window. Pointing with a hoof, she asked, “Do you see that line of trees, just about at the horizon? It has a small hill at the east end.”

“I do see it, your Highness. Are they not the trees surrounding Crescent Lake?”

“They are indeed. Crescent Lake is thirty kilometers across. That small hill is what is left of Mount Everstone. The lake was blasted as a large crater and the mountain melted, flowing down into it. That resulted in the Crescent shaped lake, when it cooled enough that water filled it in.

“What is important here is that the monster rune that caused that huge blast was created by a common goat who was a simple farmer. His family was murdered before his eyes by Unicorn forces during the Nightmare War. He joined the True Nightmare in the war and learned the secrets of Rune Magic.

“What could Baratted, a common goat, know? You see the result.

“What could Dawn Fire, a common pegasus know? I have no idea but I suspect that my Royal Sister knows very well. I am sure that when I need to know it, she will tell me. I do trust her and so should you.”

Dawn Fire noticed a great change in the attitude of the other diners shortly afterwards.

In the halls of the Great Palace of Gaiparee, King Leiuee was walking quietly in the company of a select few of his High Nobles. He paused where the windows gave on a most pleasant view of perfectly manicured gardens.

“Good my Lords, I wonder how you are doing at gathering the gold needed to pay off those Notes of Payment? There is an issue which has come to my attention with regard to them. You see, Countess Arianne has bought all of those Notes and not only paid their face value, she has added interest for the payments being overdue and penalties for each time that a note was presented and refused for payment.”

Seeking to change the topic, Graspar, Duke Forgon, gazed out at the garden and inquired, “How rich is this Countess of Corbiestep? Two and a half million golden Farthings she has paid for these Notes? Where comes her money to buy them?”

King Leiuee smiled grimly as he answered, “She imported ore crushers, refineries and a water driven minting mill to stamp new coin. Her mining experts looked into a number of abandoned mines up in the headwaters of the Courser river. They found the lodes that had been lost and the mining is all being done by hired local miners.

“That has two purposes. It puts money into the hooves of the lower classes, who will spend it. That circulating money is getting the moribund local economy moving again. Secondly, it is providing the solid coin that she has purchased your worthless paper with. Those purchases are also putting more circulating money into the local prosperity for all three of the captured provinces.

“The occupation currency that she is providing is exactly matched to our own gold Farthings and other lesser coin to make exchange easier. Where you gentle ponies were bankrupting the local economies with worthless Notes of Payment, she is restoring the economy of the Northeastern provinces.”

Count Carron of Krow grinned widely, “It is? Excellent! I hold many mortgages and other loans in those provinces. They are up to three years in arrears. Now they can pay them up to current! That will get me the money to clear these pesky Notes of Payment that you are so concerned about!”

King Leiuee rounded on him and snorted, “Can you not read? I gave you those banking laws for a reason! Not a one of those loans is in arrears. In point of fact, they are ALL canceled.

“A draft drawn on a Note of Payment cannot be refused by the Note issuer without canceling the debit. They did pay with drafts drawn against your Notes of Payment. You refused to honor the Notes of Payment and further refused to take the drafts. That canceled those mortgages and loans. All that remains to do is pay the Notes off to Countess Arriane, who now holds them.

“If you refuse, it will cost the Kingdom three of its richest provinces. Your titles, fortunes and lands will be seized and you will be tried as traitors. When young Countess Arianne told me of the financial state of the provinces, I set my Royal Intelligence Service to looking into the matter. It did not take long for them to uncover the plot between you gentle ponies.

“I have in my possession, solid evidence of your collusion to seize the northeastern provinces through foreclosures and bankruptcies. You further conspired to make the population labor for you at slave wages, most of their so called pay being taken back to pay off their bogus debits. Your plan relied on them not knowing the laws that would have left them in full possession of their homes and lands and businesses.

“Guards! Take these ponies to the secure tower. They are under Royal arrest!

“Gentleponies, you have twenty nine days left to raise the funds.”

As the protesting nobles were led away, King Leiuee reminded them, “You are to have all access to your funds to gather or other assets to sell to meet your debits. Any attempt to move or conceal funds or income sources will be dealt with harshly.”

Up in the Occupied Territory of the Courser river valley, Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, called a gathering of the ponies of Prance who had been drawn by the news of gold and silver lodes. Dressed in her now famous simple Equestrian Infantry uniform, with only her pectoral of County showing her different from her soldiers, she began by asking, “How many of you know the rules and laws for making, filing and working claims?”

A surprising number of hooves were raised.

“How many of you think that those rules and laws are in any way fair to you who will be producing the gold and silver?”

Only a few stayed up. One commenting, “They are unfair but even so, with a bit of luck, I will make a lot more than staying on as farm labor.”

Arianne nodded, “Your point is well taken. Most of the gold or silver that you find will be too!

“My good ponies, I know that you have come in the hopes of starting mines or placer operations on the river. I have consulted with the local civil authorities to determine the proper way to allow you to do this work.

“Upon looking at the procedures, I found them to be totally unfair to you, who will, with luck, be producing the gold and silver. They not only paid you poorly for the raw gold, silver or their ores, there was provision for the nobles to pay for your gold and silver with Notes of Payment. Worse, any claim which proved to be highly productive could be seized by a highly placed noble in Gaiparee. You would be paid by a Note at 1/10th the estimated value of the claim's production for only six months.

“You would get paper and far off nobles would get the gold! For the last three years, no Note of Payment given in these three provinces that I now hold has been paid!

“This unfair set of rules will not stand! I have issued new rules to let you keep and work or sell your claims. You still must bring your raw products of mining or other recovery to my Courser River Mint. It will be assayed, weighed and value set while you watch.

“Sadly, it does cost money to turn your gold or silver into coin. Those who do that work must be paid. The machines, furnaces and coin stamping presses are not free to run. That said, your price for what you bring Us will be a full one half of the assay value. It will be paid for by good coin, fresh from our mint!”

The meeting closed with all the attendees getting booklets of the new rules and maps of the areas open to claiming.

In Canterlot Princess Luna was looking over her latest report from the Occupied Territories of Prance. Besides chuckling at the way that Arianne was putting her stamp on the civil administrations, she was quietly admiring how their warrior Countess had dispatched a goodly part of her prisoners back to Prance on their parole not to fight against Equestria.

Celestia put her hoof on the same paragraph. “You know that they will just pick up arms again, as soon as they are back.”

Luna nodded vigorously, “I know that. So does she. Read the next paragraph! It seems that nearly a fourth of the prisoners do not want to go back to Prance! She is offering them work with the many local farmers to make up for the lack of seasonal farm workers and they are taking it! They KNOW that their generals don't have any useful brains!”

“Did you see this, Sis? Over three fourths of the gold to clear the Notes of Payment that she bought up has now been paid! The latest peace terms include outlawing Notes of Payment.”

Luna nodded with fake sorrow, “I know. Only a little more gold and she will be giving back our newest Province. Pity.”

Celestia pointed out, “She cleverly put that the state of War between our nations will resume immediately upon the violation of any of the peace terms.”

Luna soberly set her seal to a paper included with the report. Celestia shook her head slightly as she too sealed the requisition from Arianne, Countess Corbiestep to retain three of the enormous 200 centimeter railroad mounted Mage Mortars and 600 rounds of ammunition for them. Along with that she reported that she was fully stocking her regular armory with all of her legal supplies of large and small arms, tents and all the usual equipage for a borderland County.

Only four days later, both Princesses and their good sized retinues were on the train for the newly rebuilt Corbiestep Castle. There would be much pomp and ceremony to accompany the arrival of King Leiuee of Prance and his retinue.

A happily, almost dancing, Arianne lead her Princesses on a tour of the newly rebuilt castle and such of the facilities as was appropriate. In a beautifully made garden in the castle's forecourt, she stopped, suppressed a sob and shed a few tears before three tasteful stones marking the graves of her mother and both of her brothers. They had pretty floral borders and newly planted trees to both sides of the plot.

Celestia's eyes misted as she saw both the tribute paid to a family unjustly slaughtered and the still raw grief in her Countess. Luna simply dropped all royal formality and used her wings to wrap and hold Arianne. As a courtier was about to remonstrate with her about proper decorum, he was lucky enough to notice the Nightmare glaring at him from Luna's eyes.

The whole party retired to a large shady pavilion where a wide variety of light snacks and drink awaited them. Predictably, several nobles led by Duke Grabaland, grumbled, “What is this? We are due a banquet! This is an insult to their Royal Highnesses! And who is that common pegasus that Princess Luna is keeping so close?”

Luna stepped close to them, quiet as a dream, and interrupted their complaints. “Good my Lords, Our banquet is awaiting the arrival of King Leiuee of Prance, as I am sure that you are intelligent enough to know already. Your behavior is an insult to our hostess, and, I believe a calculated but veiled one. As for Dawn Fire, I have told you before this that he is my Agent in certain Matters of State Secret that you have not the clearance to know.

“Await the arrival of King Leiuee who has arrived at the Grimald Rail Terminal and will be here soon. Should you mar the occasion of this peace agreement between nations long hostile to each other, you may be certain that both Celestia and I shall remember it.”

At that moment, a clear and precisely blown fanfare of trumpets announced the arrival of King Leiuee and his retinue.

Chapter 7

Dawn Fire was impressed by King Leiuee and his gracious manners. He was less so by certain members of the King's retinue. The King politely commented on the gardens that surrounded the new Corbiestep Castle.

“One would hardly know that only eight months past, this place was a bombed and burned ruin. You have created almost a fairy tale castle here, far prettier than the old one.”

As Dawn Fire watched, the King's praise was thrown over by one of his generals, what was his name? Oh yes, Falshort.

He dismissively pointed to the beautifully shaped spires that topped the towers of the castle and the sweeping steep pitch of the great hall roof.

“Yes, look at that waste of effort. A good solid fortress with sound towers that ponies at arms can stand atop to defend them would be better. Those tall points serve no use but to waste resources and make the whole place less defensible!”

Arianne nodded with a smile. “I hear what you are saying, General. You have built exactly as you have just described. I have examined your defensive structures with care and in detail after I took them. The greatest difference is that I did not need to use incendiaries to reduce them. And not one held out for an entire day!

“If my roofs are steep, and shingled with stout slate, providing that fairy tale look, you might notice that aerial bombs and such munitions will find it near impossible to find a target on them. They will be deflected away, causing no fire or other harm. They not only will bounce away, the shape of the roofs send them to places where their detonating loads are near harmless.

“My gardens are indeed pretty but useless? Not really. They provide both floral pleasances and kitchen vegetables and herbs. They also offer no place for an attacker to hide from those defending my walls.

“Over there, in that pleasant bower are the stones marking the graves of my mother and both of my brothers, murdered in the bungled invasion attempt of last Hearthwarming.”

The King signed to a follower who brought forth a beautiful floral wreath. King Leiuee laid the wreath at the graves and knelt briefly in prayer. Turning to Countess Arianne, he said softly, “You have my deepest sympathy and apologies. Your assentation should have been under far better circumstances.”

The General shrugged and commented in an off hoof way, “Some casualties are to be expected in war.”

Nettled, the Countess replied in a level and serious voice, her stance gone rigid, “In a war, you are correct. However, a war requires a declaration of war, such as you had from me before I struck. You did not bother with any such nicety, rendering the whole Hearthwarming attack nothing more than a large scale bandit raid.

“You, the bandit chieftian, fled the field, abandoning your men when I closed my trap on them and destroyed what you have been falsely pleased to call an army.”

General Falshort swelled up in a rage and tried to change the topic, since he was clearly showed to be in the wrong. “How dare you speak to me that way, you are a mere filly!”

She relaxed with a giggle as she retorted, “Right! The great General Falshort who is now shown to all as unable, by his own admission, to beat a mere filly! I have trampled armies led by you or operating to your plans FIVE TIMES, in less than a year!

“Of course, since we are signing peace terms today, your criticism, while of interest, is totally irrelevant. Were my defenses to be put to the test by your forces, you would dishonor your King, making his word over his signature and seal worthless. You would dishonor your nation and your troops by proving the nation unable to keep a treaty. Yourself, of course cannot be much worse dishonored than you have shown by your multiple banditries. None of your campaigns against my nation or myself having any declaration of war, save only mine, which we are settling today.”

King Leiuee gave his general a glare and snapped, “My lord Falshort! Why have you chosen to be so rude to our hostess? I do regret bringing you along. You did insist and you are here. Behave yourself or be sent back to Gaiparee in disgrace!”

Very sour of expression, his ears laid back in suppressed anger, the General growled, “My lady, if I have inadvertently given offense, I apologize.”

Her ears up at a jaunty angle, eyes sparkling with malicious humor, she bowed to him as she retorted, “I do accept your apology for your inadvertent lapses. The deliberate ones, no.”

Turning to King Leiuee, she gestured to her newly built Great Hall and invited, “You have had a long journey and however pleasant your company, I am sure that the opportunity to dine in comfort will be welcome. Please honor me by sharing my table and vintage in friendship.”

Dawn Fire was delighted by Countess Arianne's handling of the situation. He was stunned when Princess Luna gave him a wink and asked, “Dawn Fire, my Agent, would you do me the honor of being at my left hoof for this banquet?” It was obvious that she was in a great good humor at her request.

“Certainly, Your Highness. It will be my great pleasure.”

To the consternation of many nobles of Celestia and Luna's Court, Luna made Dawn Fire a processional place, processing alone, just behind she and Celestia. She actively chuckled as they sat to dine with a commoner at the high table with the Princesses. As they took their places, Dawn Fire was stunned to realize that his place to the left of Princess Luna, put him between the Royal Twins!

As they were being served, Dawn Fire noticed that Countess Arianne also had a private of her army sitting to her left.

She rose and lifted a glass in her magic. “A toast to the brave soldiers who have served us all so well! I have Private Rathburn here take this toast for all of my army! To those upon whom all of our success rests!”

Glasses were raised at all the tables. General Falshort was tardy in lifting his glass and only did so when directly glared at by King Leiuee.

The meal itself was delicious and varied. During it, Celestia indicated Dawn Fire and commented, “Quite the prank, Sis. I have been hearing lots of speculation about him. This is your Agent Dawn Fire? Secret even from me? What can you tell me?”

Luna smiled serenely and said, “That I will discuss with you, Countess Arianne and Dawn Fire in private. A side effect of his work was a single suggestion that has been tested in great secrecy and works. Very well indeed.”

Duke Grabbaland overheard and sneered, “What could a commoner know that is of any interest to the Crowns?”

Luna smiled and the Nightmare's glare speared him from her eyes and when she spoke, fangs showed clearly as she snarled, “Grabbaland! You are inquiring Knowingly and in Public into matters that YOU KNOW ARE STATE SECRET!”

Turning, she asked Arianne gently, “You do have secure cells to hold prisoners, do you not?”

“I do, Your Highness. Is it your wish that Duke Grabbaland be housed in one of them?”

“It is.”

The Countess signaled a guard and instructed, “Use as many as you think needful to escort Duke Grabbaland to cell SB14. Be sure that his horn is securely capped.”

The table conversation discretely avoided any mention of the empty place or its occupant.

At the meal's end, Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Equestria's Army of Occupation in Northeastern Prance, stood and invited, “As pleasant as this meal has been, my Lord King Leiuee, I hope that you will find the next task equally good. In the garden, under the sunshade, I have arranged for us to sign the document returning your three northeastern provinces to you in return for certain guarantees of peace to come.

“Follow me, if you please, your Majesty and your Highnesses.”

Outside, the weather was fine with clear skies and but few clouds. In the shadow of the large sunshade which was so placed as to give a good view of the graves of Arianne's mother and two brothers, were tables and comfortable seating.

As his King was taking his seat, General Falshort sniped, “So, you shame yourself before your dead family by signing a peace with those who slaughtered them?”

She smiled angelically as she returned, “No. You are a dishonorable and criminal bandit who slaughtered my family. By deliberate fraud, through false Notes of Payment, you robbed the ponies of your own nation as well.

“This gracious King and I are conducting an honorable peace. You have no part in this document but to follow the orders of your King and the peace terms that his Royal horn signs and seals.

“I wish the souls of my loved family to know that there are in Prance good and honorable ponies, contrary to the experience that you exemplify.”

He steamed for a moment, stamping his hooves in frustration! He snorted, “Your signature is worthless because you are too young!”

It was Princess Celestia who stomped that line! “She became fully authorized to create and sign documents when she was elevated to County Corbiestep. Of course, if you really want her to not sign, Equestria will remain at war with Prance and We will be forced to keep these three provinces that she has won for us.”

Princess Luna laughed as she added, “We gave her permission to conduct this war as she sees fit. As long as you remain a General, I have to wonder how much of Prance she will have to take before you sort out that you are incompetent.”

Arianne, Countess Corbiestep smiled sadly and pointed out, “It could be argued that you are correct and that I need a conservator to sign for me. In that event, we remain at war for at least tonight.”

Turning to King Leiuee, she smiled sadly and asked, “Your Majesty, Leiuee, would you consent to remaining at war with Equestria for this afternoon and tonight? We can sign in the morning. I will be pleased to house you and my Royal Princesses in the interim. I do have good apartments in my castle for such hosting.”

Looking only mildly interested, King Leiuee inquired, “And what would you do with this sixteen hours of war?”

“I regret that for the first time since I declared this war, I will strike five specific and limited civilian targets.”

Tilting his head in curiosity, the King asked, “Might I know more of them?”

Drawing a deep sigh, she told him, “They are four chateaux: one on the side of Mt. Bokenfel, one on the outskirts of Gaiparee, one at Seinnemouth and the last at Harkenhill. Besides these, there is a three masted yacht anchored in the roadstead at Monfere.”

Falshort was snorting, “So! You finally realize that some casualties will happen in . . .” he trailed off as he sorted it out! “You can't do that! Those are my chateaux and my yacht! They are all that I have left after selling properties to pay those wretched Notes of Payment!”

She managed a very good imitation of the General's voice and manner when he dismissed the death of her family, “Some casualties are to be expected in war.”

King Leiuee gave a lop sided smile as he nodded slightly but offered, “If General Falshort can keep a civil tongue, I would rather not, but I do indeed understand your provocation. Can you truly strike that accurately over such large distances in Prance in so short a time?”

Her only answer was a confident nod.

He turned in his seat and speared General Falshort with a hard gaze. “General! You will be civil to our hostess and all others here or I will grant her the right to strike as she has said, whether the peace is signed or not! Am I clear?”

“But Sire! If you allow this I shall be ruined!”

“You will be left as you left her. Homeless, with nothing but ruins to rebuild.” He gestured at the very pretty but solid castle behind them. “She has done well. Will this filly show you up yet again?”

The General looked down, lips pulled down at the corners, ears flat back. He pawed the sod with a forehoof as he grudgingly replied, “I shall be civil. I was trying to find some way to lessen the humiliation of our nation by this event. I choose a poor way to do so.”

The King nodded shortly to his General. “That is so. Oddly, in looking over this document, I find a most strange thing. Rather than humiliation, it leaves the nation of Prance stronger, rather than weakened. It requires an economic model that reinforces and builds our nation as a whole. We gain far better trade relations with Equestria. Our armies and navy are reduced but we are left with the ability to defend ourselves from aggression from abroad. Much of this stems from a few basic but simple monetary policy reforms that limit large scale frauds such as the Countess found in our provinces of Monatine, Graforest and Trerive.”

Picking up a quill and dipping it, the King quietly asked, “I do have one question that, in all the uproar of Courts and War, I never found the time to ask.” He neatly inscribed his name and titles. Carefully pouring melted wax in the proper space, he set his seal to the document and moved to give his space to Countess Arianne.

She too, signed and sealed document and made way for Princess Celestia. Princess Luna added her signature and seal. Following that, both Princesses together added the great seal of their mother, Skyglow, Titan of Life Creation and Titular Queen of Equestria.

The document was laid, page by page on stacks of prepared parchment and reproduced perfectly by contagion magic. Simply pouring wax in the proper seal areas produced copies of the seals as well. The Royal copies and the copy for Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of Equestria's Army of Occupation were poured in red wax. All the others, for archives and distribution were poured in black.

As the last of it was done, Arianne, now only Countess Corbiestep asked, “What was that question that you never got to ask, Your Majesty?”

“Why did you have such a concern for the populace of the conquered provinces? I know for a fact that had my Generals conquered any land, they would not have worried so. They would have looted farms for provision and any occupation currency would have been fiat paper.”

She returned his honest question with compassion as she told him, “Your Majesty, I did not treat them ill because, from the time that I took them, they became my subjects. I did not know whether they would be mine for the long term or, as it has become, a short one. My subjects deserve and get the best of governance that I can give them. As much as my subjects support me by taxation, I support them with sound economic management and fair justice. That is how Fealty is supposed to work.”

The King smiled and held out his hoof to her. “I was raised as a Prince in the Court of Gaiparee. I was surrounded by nobles and other wealthy folk, all of whom sought advantage by many means. None of that education that I received touched more than slightly on the lower classes of society.

“You have been a teacher who could not be ignored. In spite of that, you have remained a good and gracious friend. That sounds strange to say of one who has conquered my land, but it is the truth. From my first call to you by Magic Net, I found a friend, concerned with establishing a proper and balanced relationship between our nations.

“One of the reasons that I assented to sign this without turning weasel minded diplomats loose to negotiate, is that over half of it are things that we talked over in personal calls.

“My Ambassador to Canterlot told me of a thing that you said in open Court before these, your Princesses. That the outcome that you hoped for was to share a table and vintage with a friend. To that end, I have brought some of Prance's finest vintage with me.

“If you will provide the table and meal, I would wish to make that come true.”

Arianne smiled widely and gestured back towards her newly built castle, “Good King, I happen to have at the ready a great hall and fine kitchens to do that exact thing. I would be honored if they were put to that use.”

Princess Luna quietly interposed, “Our good Countess, We require your presence along with my Agent Dawn Fire and my Sister Celestia for a private conference. Set up this banquet and meet us all as soon as may be.”

Chapter 8

There were two doors to the comfortably appointed conference room separated by a short hallway. Arianne explained as she conducted her guests in, “The outer door must be shut and locked from the inside before the inner door to the secure room can be unlocked. If the outer door moves after we have gone in, we will receive an alarm.”

With us all seated about the table, Arianne wanted to know, “Princess Luna, you have ordered this meeting. Will you please tell us the reason for it?”

“With pleasure, Countess Arianne. My Agent, Dawn Fire, is a very perceptive pony. He saw a news report in the Canterlot Crier that set a train of thought in motion. He reported it to me at a breakfast conference some time ago but after your invasion of Prance was well underway.

“As a result, I have ordered some very secret tests done and may include units using Dawn Fire's idea into Our armed services. The way that you move forces leads me to think that he has sussed out a secret of your success against the armies of Prance.”

Arianne tilted her head and carefully regarded Dawn Fire. “Would you tell us what it is that you have sorted out, my lord Dawn Fire?”

He chuckled, “I have read a whole bunch of treatises and several books by reputable generals, not all Equestrians on the military uses of teleportation. Basically they all agree. It is functionally useless for any tactical or strategic situation. About the only thing that they have found is single ponies infiltrating past guards on camps. Even that is known to be unreliable.

“I think that I have found a way to use it very efficiently for both troop and weapons transport, supply and reconnaissance. And do so with great secrecy.”

Countess Arianne asked, “And where would any leader find as many unicorns well trained in a difficult art like teleportation?”

Dawn Fire snorted, “You don't. The thing that makes it difficult and dangerous is simple. When one teleports, the natural tendency is to take a volume around the unicorn with them. On a long jump that can be a sphere of several meters diameter. Even a short jump will take along some besides the unicorn. But I am not telling you anything new. I think that you are using that large volume that moves with a unicorn that has only enough training to actually make a T-jump.”

Celestia's ears perked up! “How can you use a T-jump that drags along several tonnes of unwanted dirt, worms, rocks and maybe parts of trees?”

Dawn Fire shrugged, “It is called cooperation. I saw a news story printed in the Canterlot Crier where daring pegassi in flying hazmat gear rescued earth ponies and unicorns trapped on the roof of a burning building. It took four of the pegassi with a transport net to carry two ponies at a time from the rooftop.

“My idea is that four pegassi without that burden of hazmat suits, could fairly easily lift a unicorn and a pony's weight of weapons and ammo. The unicorn does not need to learn how to restrict the volume of his T-jump. In fact, quite the reverse. The pegassi lift him and the cargo up well clear of taking unwanted stuff along and the unicorn should be able to T-jump the whole group several kilometers at least. Maybe up to five. If they are going a long distance, they stay airborn and as fast as the unicorn can get his next jump target, they are gone.

“When they get to the planned target, the pegassi glide in for silence and land. They unload the weapons and ammo and two stay as strike troops. The other two fly the unicorn up to jumping altitude and they go back the same way that they came and get another load and two more pegassi. If it is just troops, the procedure is the same but the load is another pony in war kit.”

Arianne sucked in her cheeks and nodded slowly. “Very nearly exactly what I am doing, yes. Is this conference to verify that or would Your Highnesses like full details? He mentioned reconnaissance and I would have his ideas on that first, if it is alright.”

Princess Luna nodded, “It is both. I wanted to share this with you and to learn from you. Later after things have settled down, I would like to have your veterans who know the ins and outs of the method to provide some units of our army with training in its use. It will be kept a secret for as long as we can.”

Arianne smiled at Dawn Fire as she explained, we have a modest padded wicker bed for the unicorn's comfort. Our loads are on lightweight skid pallets that the two lead pegassi are harnessed to before they go. When they land, they simply drop the net and pull the pallet off it. The back two are rigged to the front corners of the net as well as the back. When they take off, the unicorn on his flight pad is automatically kept level if the pegassi have proper training in flight coordination. That actually takes longer than training the unicorns for this kind of T-jumping.

“Recon is a weak point with us. We use a team of three, two pegassi and a unicorn. The unicorn jumps them and makes sketch maps as they go. They are in possible sight from the ground for too long. It works but I wish that there was a better way.”

Dawn Fire smiled back at her. “There is. It uses your team of three but the unicorn carries a Magic Net mirror.”

Arianne nodded, “We tried that but the field of view is too narrow.”

Dawn Fire agreed, “It would be if the mirror was all that you used. The University in Canterlot has a really fun set of lab curiosities. Where most lenses focus things, like a telescope, meaning getting a lot of light but only a small field of view, they have lenses and the rules for making them that take in very wide fields of view that they focus on a ground glass screen. I got a set of those and put them in front of a mirror like any pony carries in their saddlebag. I had to borrow the meter square mirror but it got the picture that the small mirror was sending.

“Princess Luna told me that it might be of interest, so I brought a copy of what I got. To get the image, just lay a sheet of paper on the big mirror and use contagion magic to transfer the picture. Only takes a few seconds per picture.” He reached into his saddlebag and produced a folded up paper.

Arianne stared at it. She took out a magnifying glass and stared more. “How long did this take to make?”

“About ten minutes. I gave the small mirror to pegasus who flew it over Tailswitch. I used the mirror to tell him where I wanted him to be and copied the picture by non Equine contagion magic. Then he brought it back.”

Arianne put a hoof solidly on the table. “I need those lenses! Please get them for me.”

Luna pushed the paper over to Celestia and said, “See why I was keeping nosy nobles away from Dawn Fire?”

“Have you had any other ideas along these lines Dawn Fire?”

He pulled a face with sucked in cheeks and said, “Well, yes. It is kind of insensitive to mention here, though. Bombs.”

Arianne went still. After a moment she took a deep breath and said, “No, Dawn Fire, it is not insensitive. What is needed most in any war is to save the lives of our troops. Tell me of these bombs. How are they different from what Prance used to burn the castle, barracks and armory last Hearthwarming?”

“Very well, your Ladyship. First, the ones used in General Falshort's attack were small. For some reason, the pegassi of Prance are quite large as pegassi go. From what I was able to find, they have the same basic amount of flight magic as our smaller Equestrian pegassi. There is not enough flight magic left to manage weather control. They buy it from Cloudsdale. Their wing spread makes cooperation in lifting difficult. They can't lift as much either. On average, only about fifteen kilograms. Their bombs were of that size.

“Our pegassi can lift a lot more and cooperate to lift really large loads. Start with your usual team of five. They can lift a unicorn to teleport them and about 275 kilograms besides. Bombs of any size up to that weight can be made. Fasten them to the underside of the carrying net with quick release knots.

“Even if they are seen, pegassi can not get up to their altitude before they drop the bombs and teleport away. Unicorns magic can only reach up about 300 meters tops. If the falling weapon weighs from fifty kilograms on up, no unicorn on the Equestrian world can deflect it from its fall.”

Arianne had a hoof over her forelock and was shaking with sobs. “I thank you master Dawn Fire. It is hard to think of these things, it is true. They are also necessary.

“Let us all repair to the Great Hall, where dinner awaits us.”

We left the secure room, it being necessary to lock the inner door before the outer one could be unlocked from the inside. In the hallway outside, Arianne said, “I must go to my apartments and there change to my proper Robes of State. I will join you for the processional.”

As she was turning to go, she paused and asked, “Knowing his importance to you, though at the time I knew not why, I did have the High Table seating the same as last feast, that Dawn Fire be between your Highnesses. If that is no longer satisfactory, I can have him put wheresoever you wish it.”

Celestia chuckled happily as she responded, “It will be most satisfactory, Corbiestep. We shall enjoy it immensely.”

As she trotted away, she giggled, “Good! So will I!”

As predicted, the Processional caused a stir of very unhappy nobles! As it was her castle, Arianne led it off paired with King Leiuee. Celestia and Luna followed. Dawn Fire was placed by himself just behind the Princesses. The Dukes of both lands followed, paired, one of Equestria to one of Prance. Their noble mares followed, except for those cases where the holder of the title was the mare! Then it was their consorts who followed. Bringing up the very end of the Processional, by the joint Royal Orders of the Princesses and King Leiuee, were Duke Grabaland paired to General Falshort!

Grabaland was already a bit into his cups, and literally rubbing his side against the General's uniform saddle bag. As they were seating themselves, Grabaland got a puzzled look, his brow furrowing and sweating profusely. He tried to get a breath. Almost to his place of disgrace, he collapsed!

The whole hall looked on in horrified interest! Arianne called out, “Surgeons! Attend to the Duke!”

Luna literally leaped across the High Table and sprinted to the fallen Grabaland! Skidding to a stop, she had him in her magic! Careful not to touch him except by magic, she conducted a swift evaluation of the corpse.

She called out, “Nopony eat or drink anything at all. Grabaland has been poisoned!

From her Royal Robes, she produced a small case. Open, it held many small vials. Judiciously, she selected one. Its stopper had a small glass rod attached. A minute drop of the contents was applied to Grabaland's nostrils. The result was a slowly spreading ring of pale red.

She applied a second minute bit to his tongue. Nothing happened at all.

Her magic lifted him up as if he were standing. His side that had been facing the General had visible corruption. His robe showed some damage.

The Princess' magic took the General before he could flee! A touch of the tiny glass rod to his saddle bag produced a spreading red stain that smoked slightly.

Princess Luna, holding the struggling General effortlessly, in spite of his attempts to use the magic of his horn, called out, “Guards! Horncap the General but do not touch him! Use magic only! Grabaland leaned against that saddle bag and died of it! There is a potion of Death Angel Aminita in that bag and it has leaked some. It may have been used to poison a cup or plate, as no food has been brought out yet!

Sturdy unicorn guard ponies came out. The General's struggles were in vain. With Princess Luna assisting them, he was horncapped and in manacles in short order.

Princess Luna quietly strolled up to the High Table. She paused and turned back. In the U shape of the banquet tables was a small table set for two. Countess Arianne and King Leiuee. Applying tiny amounts of her test potion to the cups showed both to be poisoned. There was none on the rest of the service.

Trying the High Table found no further poison.

General Falshort was screaming for mercy! “Get that bag off of me! The bottle has leaked! Save me!”

Taking her time, and leading King Leiuee and Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Princess Luna paused to inquire of the restrained General, “Please tell me WHY we should save you? The Gryphon Empire, at the southern end of the Sunset Mountains call poison the Coward's Weapon. They are right.

“When this filly, only an heir apparent, due to your cowardly attack without a Declaration of War, beat back your invasion on Hearthwarming, you abandoned your troops and ran, allowing her to capture hundreds of them.

“You next tried to infiltrate an invading force. You supplied the plan but were afraid to lead them. She caught them too. She came to Our Court in Canterlot with gold filled pay chests that she captured as well. That was when, in open Court, War was Declared,

“Your next attack was to be an invasion through four passes into Equestria. Arianne, with a lawful war declared, struck first by two days and drove you out of THREE PROVINCES.

“You did lead the Highfold Road counter attack. When the big railroad guns opened up on your troops, you fled the field again, leading to a rout.

“You devised General Triard's attempt to cut Arianne's conquest into two. She captured the whole six thousand pony army and all of its munitions.

“She found out about your Notes of Payment fraud scheme that you had with a few other nobles to effectively steal the three provinces from your own nation by bankruptcies and foreclosures. She defeated that scheme too.

“Now, at the last, returning the conquered lands as she promised to do, you have tried to assassinate both her and your King. That plan has also miscarried.

“Our Warrior Countess and your King will share that vintage and meal as friends, just as she hoped to do. You will not have to see it happen though.”

“Princess! You can't just stand there and let me die! You must save me!”

Arianne turned to King Leiuee and asked curiously, “Can you think of a single reason to spare his life from this poison that he meant for us?”

King Leiuee shrugged. “I can think of one, yes. I would prefer to see him publicly hanged and gutted. That is really not reason enough to save him from his own poison, though.”

The General's struggles took on a less coordinated aspect. He started to have difficulty drawing breath. He shut his eyes to keep from seeing those watching him die. His breath slid out in an impossibly long sigh as his heart beat its last.

All returned to the interrupted feast of friendship.

Chapter 9

King Lieuee poured the wine he'd brought for the two of them and Arianne served them the meal from her kitchens herself. They dined quietly, watched by both Princesses and the many nobles from both lands, who were dining at the big U of tables surrounding them.

The King noted, “I see that you follow the custom of the bread trenchers and bowls. I know that you have both china and plates of silver. These golden cups show that. Why then, follow such an ancient custom?”

“A fair question, my lord Leiuee. Not all that is old is outdated. Many disparagingly say Sops for the Poor. These breads, soaked as they will be by the sauces and gravys, and having in them the leftover things that we did not eat, will be given at no cost or charge of any sort to the poor. Each thing will make a good meal for those who have been beggarded by circumstance, war or the poorly thought out action of some noble.

“It is not enough, really but it costs us naught and helps some. That, I see as both a gain and a requirement of Fealty. No poor pony is turned away from my aid. I have places in each of my towns where the poor may receive some rations for free. My County is not a place where any pony need starve.”

King Leiuee smiled as he responded, “I do see it. Like all that I have seen, your skills of management shine through. Not only do things get done, but those who do them are cared for at the same time.

“Let me guess, those rations to the poor? With but one or two that you pay to oversee them put up properly, the poor who will benefit from it are the main labor to create it, and portion it out to the rest. Am I close?”

Pausing to swallow a bite of her asparagus salad, she replied, “Near to exact. If all is managed well, every pony is cared for and the County actually has a profit from it all.”

Overhearing, Princess Celestia, noted to Luna, “We must consult with our good Corbiestep about some of these issues, ourselves. I am hearing ideas that we might benefit from.”

The King broached a different topic. “The peace document allows buyers from your County to compete freely with our own buyers at the purchase of the products of the three provinces. So that some legal weasel cannot twist that, do you mean that to encompass free trade between Us of Prance and Equestria? I mean no barriers of tariff at all?”

Arianne smiled, “I cannot speak for Equestria on such a policy, though I would recommend it. I did mean it to our present limited case. Trade passing across the Grimald Pass by road, rail or air or for that matter, our other joint passes. From my County of Corbiestep to the three Provinces of Monatine, Graforest and Trerive or the other way, there shall be no tariff or other barrier.

“That does not mean that there will be no rules. The first and primary rule is simple. NO Notes of Payment at all. There are established means to transport hard currency to banks. A buyer must put actual currency into a bank in the region where he wishes to trade. The bank can issue him a letter of credit for that currency ONLY. A purchase will reduce the value of the letter. The seller can then recover the gold or move it to their own accounts in the bank. Funds can be verified by Magic Net call to the bank in question.

“That will apply to ALL buyers, regardless of where they are from. And yes, buyers from Prance may bid on the products of my County too. Past the borders of my County, you must speak to my Gracious Highnesses, Celestia and Luna.”

He raised his cup to her, saying, “To our trade!” After they drank, he offered, “That was a better offer than I hoped for. Regardless of what restrictions may be placed on trade outside of your County, I shall open Prance to your buyers on the same terms.”

There was a loud ping! Luna tapped her goblet and lifted it. “To free and fair trade! The agreement just made between our good Corbiestep and Your Majesty Leiuee is most agreeable! It shall be drawn for our joint signatures before you leave this County. TO FREE AND FAIR TRADE!”

She drained her goblet and about the hall, others raised theirs and the toast resounded about the room.

This feast was far more convivial as assorted nobles, conveniently seated next to nobles of the other land, realized that they were seated next to potentially profitable trade partners! The possibility of mutual profit helped them to get along as nothing else might have!

Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had King Leiuee and Countess Arianne come to sit across the High Table from them. It really took very little talk to bring the notion that Equestria's traders could go where they wished in Prance and Prance's traders had an equal privilige in Equestria. The main things to be settled were issues like both sides being barred from the inquiry into or the attempt to purchase military goods, hardware or information. With the details hammered out, Countess Arianne summoned one of her scribes to set the whole agreement to writing.

Before the feast was over, this second treaty, one of trade, was signed and sealed, with all necessary copies made!

Leiuee laid down his pen and asked, brow furrowed but ears forward, “This has all been so easy to accomplish. Why have we been enemies for so long?”

Arianne put her hoof solidly on the answer. “Profit. There were two major revenue streams that we have now scotched. The first, and obvious one, was the sale of military goods to the crown's generals, who if Falshort was an exemplar, certainly profited from the many contracts involved. The second, nearly succeeded, one was the theft from your control of whole provinces. They were being forced into what would have been slave like labor to pay off bogus debits to the very nobles who caused their ruin. The scheme needed the first one, near constant war, to distract you from the second. They would have made enormous profits from every part of the whole vile scheme.”

King Leiuee suddenly grinned almost ear to ear as he snorted, “Their schemes have been foiled by a very generous and honest invader! It is ridiculous but the whole economy of Prance was saved by your invasion! It overset all of their plots! I do thank you! You may be sure that I will be searching the rest of my kingdom for the signs of similar criminal plans, either carried out or in train.”

With the feast breaking up but not in the usual way, nobles of Prance and Equestria were hobnobing with eachother but now in larger knots, working out who would trade what to whom and what the larger groups might do together. It was actually serious business being done to arrange things for mutual profits so King Leiuee, Countess Arianne and both Princesses quietly left the room, Dawn Fire with them.

After they were in the hallway, Princess Luna said quietly, “My good Dawn Fire, attend me.” She led him way from the group.

In a private room of her apartment, Princess Luna produced a beautifully crafted wooden chest. It had straps that would allow a pegasus to carry it comfortably while in flight. The Princess opened it to reveal a selection of wonderful smelling Rom K'chek pastries with a variety of fruit fillings!

With a near diabolical smile, she pointed out, “Near half again as many as before. More than half are, as promised, apricot filled.”

As he was strapping the box into place, Dawn Fire commented, “If I leave now, I can be half way to the Weirdwood by dawn. I will need to rest for a few hours before continuing.”

“I did think as much, this pouch of coin should help that and the purchase of food as well.”

Dawn Fire opened the pouch and near dropped it on the table! “These are golden Farthings and silver Octads!” After sorting it he noted, “And copper Phenigs. I see that these are all Arianne's Occupation Coins.”

Luna snorted at that. “Yes. Her Occupation Currency is presently the most widely accepted and sought after coin in all the northeastern Provinces!”

Dawn Fire put the coins back into the pouch. “I make it two hundred fifty Farthings even, in total. I will try to keep a good account of my spending.”

Luna saw him out to the battlements and said softly, “May the wind beneath your wings bear you swiftly and safely on your way.”

Dawn Fire noted, “A moonlit flight. This should be fun.” And launched himself from the high wall, disappearing into the night.

The night flight was uneventful if rather lovely. The moonlight cast everything with a silvery glow. From altitude, most details were difficult to make out, but larger things, like farmseteads and roadways showed well.

Seeing the lights of an all night inn, Dawn Fire spiraled down to land in the courtyard. Using the hoof latch, he entered the room. It was lantern lit, with a heavy beamed ceiling whose timbers showed the soot stains of age and too many candles. The shredded bark of the floor was fresh and soft under hoof. The tap room was almost empty except for a few at a table in the corner and the barkeep, who was wiping down the bar for something to do or his bored expression lied. There was a mare in mob cap and patched robe tending a small fire in the andirons of the big stone fireplace.

Seeing him, the barkeep stopped waving his rag at the bar top and scowled as he growled in fair Equestrian, “What can I do for you, friend?”

Dawn Fire did not have to fake being tired. He yawned as he replied, “Oh good! Your Equestrian is better than my Prench! I could use some warm tea first, then a second floor room until a bit after dawn. Do you have oatmeal for breakfast?”

The mare in her blue mob cap trotted around the bar from placing a fresh local news paper on each table. “No,” she replied in perfect Equestrian, “but we do have a nice porridge that is of oaten meal and ground barley. What all are you needing?”

“The porridge sounds fine as a breakfast, with some of the best local bread and coffee, to see me on my way. As I said earlier, some warm tea for now and a second floor room until somewhat after dawn.”

Her eyes widened a bit in recognition. She smiled, “What brings you to Prance?”

“I did an earlier errand here. Then this one got delayed by politics. I came on to finish this one as soon as I could. I hope that nothing else delays it. I just need to rest up a bit.”

She nodded agreeably, “That will all come to an octad, three phenigs.”

Dawn Fire dug in his pouch and pulled out a small purse. “It sounds reasonable, now lets see if I actually have enough.” He poured the small purse on the counter. Let's see, here are some of these silver parts and here is a whole phenig.”

The mare expertly sorted the coin explaining to him, “Here, these silver parts make up the octad, this one is the same as a phenig. Add your whole phenig and these parts make up the next one. All paid and you still have half an octad left to buy your lunch.”

The barkeep slapped his tea down in front of him, slopping some. The mare snapped at him, “Charbee! What has got into you?”

She took away the tea and wiped the counter. As she was bringing him a replacement, Charbee snapped, “That's two teas! He gotta pay extra!”

“No, Charbee! That tea was not done properly and you slopped it! He is paying good coin for good service and that is what he will have or you are fired!”

Turning to Dawn Fire she apologized, “What you must think of us? Charbee was in General Triard's army. The general surrendered and Charbee is all bitter about it. He has swallowed the death and glory thing whole and the general's surrender to save his troops stuck sideways in his craw. I am sorry that he has been so rude.”

“War does that to some ponies. I am a veteran too. Gryphon Empire. Grayak's Legion. I was on the beach at Ironstone Reef when Celestia's navy ran the Prance southern invasion fleet onto the rocks. Over a quarter of my unit were killed in action. We did stop them from making it into an attack on the Empire.”

She actually smiled as she pointed out, “That explains the Gryphon War Knife that you have there. Grayak's Legion? I have heard some stories about them.”

“Thank you for the tea. My room now?”

She showed him up the stairs to his room, giving him the key to the lock. Dawn Fire thoughtfully locked the door from the inside. He left the key in it, partway turned, to make it really hard to push out from the other side.

His sleep was interrupted by Prench cursing at his door and the scraping of a key being tried in the lock! He ghosted over by the door. He heard a unicorn say quietly, “Let me see if I can get that key to turn enough to push it out. I already got the inside limit latch lifted.”

The one that had been cursing replied, “What if that box ain't got anything worth the trouble in it?”

“No problem. We just dump them both in the woods somewhere where they won't be found. If there is something good in there, we only dump his carcass and sell whatever it is. One less Equestrian in the world either way, so it is a win, win.”

Dawn Fire quietly took the key out of the lock. There was the tiny scrape of another key being put into the lock He waited for the click that told him that the door was unlocked. He snapped it open in the surprised faces of the unicorn and an earth pony! His War Knife lunged expertly into the neck of the unicorn and slashed the leg of the earth pony as he pulled back into the room! He took a guard position in the open doorway!

He heard Charbee yell, “Murder! That damn Equestrian killed Orbe and wounded Kal!”

The Mare sprinted up the stairs, boxing in Charbee and the earth pony Kal! She was yelling, “Drat you, Charbee! How could you do this to us? How did those two get a key? You had to give it to them, didn't you? Didn't you hear anything I told you downstairs?

“I have already called the ambulance! I'll have the gandarmari on you for this! You are fired!”

Ponies in medical sashes charged into the main room! Where are the casualties? Was it a bar fight?”

The mare called, “Up here! Second floor hallway! It was a murder attempt on a guest. He defended himself!”

The medics took a look at Orbe and one told the other, “I will get the neck brace. If we can get him strapped to it, he should survive.”

While he was getting the neck brace for Orbe, Charbee was trying to tell anypony, “That damned Equestrian pegasus there, done it! They was in the hall, minding their own business and he attacked them!”

The mare told the medic, “These two tried to murder a paying guest who is VERY important. He defended himself. That is all. Charbee is lying.”

Several Gendarmes had entered along with the pony carrying the neck brace. One asked the mare, “Why do you think that this guest is so important?”

She pointed, “Get the news paper from downstairs.”

When he brought it up, she pointed to the front page. “First, he came here by doing a night flight. That is important. He told me that he did an errand here earlier. Then his next errand here was delayed by politics. He came on as soon as he could. By a night flight.

“Now look at the front page of the paper. That is King Leiuee signing the peace accord. Just back of him is Princess Luna. To her left, that's right. He is only identified as Princess Luna's Agent. He was present at the Peace Accord. Next to Royalty.

“Then, look here, the Processional for the Banquet to celebrate the signing. Led by King Leiuee and Countess Arianne, followed by Princesses Celestia and Luna. Right behind them, processing ALONE, is Princess Luna's Agent. Look closely. IN THE PROCESSION, he is ARMED with a Gryphon War Knife! Look at the banquet picture. King Leiuee dining at a small table to fulfill a thing said in open court in Canterlot. Behind them at the High Table what do we see? There seated BETWEEN the Royal Princesses, is Princess Luna's Agent.

“Put these things together. He did an errand for PRINCESS Luna. That led to a second errand which was delayed by “politics,” like a war? He is present with the Royalty at the signing of peace. He is placed above EVERY NOBLE of TWO kingdoms! He dines at the High Table between the Princesses. He comes on his errand as soon as he can, even though it means a night flight!

“Are you beginning to get a picture now? Flying by night to get on his way as soon as possible? State Secrets any Pony?

“And these idiots tried to kill him. And found out the hard way that his ten years in Grayak's Legion was not a joke!”

The Gandarmari nodded at each other and quietly collected Charbee and Kal, as soon as the medics were done with his leg wound. One informed the gandarme dealing with Kal, “He needs better medical treatment than we can do here. The Horspital would be best.”

The mare shook her head sadly, “Charbee, you would be better off if you had jumped into a deep cess pit and drowned in shit.”

Dawn Fire listened to her analysis with admiration. Parts of it he had never considered until now.

Chapter 10

The best part was that, even though he knew that Princess Celestia had called Princess Luna's treatment of him during the whole visit to Corbiestep Castle, “quite a prank,” there was not one part of the inkeeping mare's analysis that he could refute. The way that he had been treated did lead directly to her analysis.

Blinking his eyes in amazment, ears perked right up, he wondered how many other ponies, especially ones in high places, had reached the same conclusion? Then he realized just how long Princess Luna had been on one of the Thrones of Equestria. Whistling softly under his breath he admired the subtle way that, with no fanfare, she had totally misdirected the Royal Intelligence Services of many realms.

The innmare was sitting in the hallway looking so dejected that Dawn Fire stepped close and asked, “My errand should take less than a week. Could you please hold this room against my return, starting four days hence? I will pay you for any day it is vacant, as well as the day that I use.”

She looked up, her lips quirking up in a small smile as she replied, “I can do that. What happened to your broken accent? Now you seem to speak perfect Prench.”

He tapped his nose lightly as he responded, “You did. I heard what you said. Of course I cannot confirm it or deny it but it was a masterful analysis.”

“What now, sir?”

“With this bout of light exercise, I expect that I will be sleeping until around noon. Wake me then, if I am not up. I will have the breakfast that I asked for. Then I must be on my way, if I am to get where I need to be in time.”

“Yes, good sir, it shall be as you requested it.”

He passed a restful time, awakened by a soft knock at the door.

Calling, “Down in a moment!” Dawn Fire rolled out and strapped on the transport box of treats. His war knife fastened at the ready, he trotted down the hall. He was half way downstairs when he heard and saw the innmare striking a pony away from the fireplace!

“What was that? This is a customer meal! Get you gone!”

Dawn Fire launched from the stairs with a powerhouse of a flap adding to his trained leap! He was over the head of the retreating pony before he banked sharply, bringing all four hooves against the door! A rolling drop had him on his feet in front of the miscreant, Gryphon War Knife on guard!

He called, “Good mare! Do not discard that gruel! Put it in a stoneware bowl for this fine pony who has seasoned it for me! It will make him a lovely snack! Use a clean pot to make me mine. Some poisons are that nasty!”

The brownish pony was staring crosseyed at the point of the War Knife following his every move. Dawn Fire nodded, “That is right. Sit. Eat what you just prepared for me. If you don't eat it you will eat Gryphon Forged Steel. Understand? No need to like it, just do it. Or be killed.”

With a bit of a suppressed chuckle, Dawn Fire added, “Good innmare, if I do have to stab him, I will pay extra for removing the blood stained shredded bark flooring and replacing it.”

Seeing his cheerful attitude, she responded in kind, “His is served! Yours will need a few more minutes! I have your breads, coffee and a goodly bowl of butter for the breads! For this pony's inconveniencing you, I have added a bowl of strawberries, on the house.”

She served Dawn Fire's prisoner from across his table, where he could not grab a hostage without exposing himself to the War Knife of an experienced warrior.

Very hesitantly he started to eat, his every pause met by a prick of sharp steel. “There! Ate it all! Now let me go!”

Dawn Fire pulled back his War Knife. “Go, then. I wonder how far you will get?”

As the door closed behind him, the innmare snorted, “He won't go far! I had the courtyard gates shut until you leave! Here is your breakfast.”

She watched protectively over him while he tasted the gruel, added honey and butter, which he stirred in. Then he topped it with strawberries and ate it with every evidence of delight. He lingered over his coffee and breads spread with honey and butter.

Finally, he got up and strolled out to continue his flight. The mare found an entire golden Farthing under his bowl as she cleared up. Then she called the gandarmarie for the pony collapsed in the courtyard.

Dawn Fire was enjoying the exercise as he flew, a few flaps now and again, followed by long glides, searching out thermal updrafts and spiraling high before continuing.

Keeping an eye on the two pegassi following him was fun too. Thinking to himself, If those are veterans of Prance's service, it is no wonder that they loose in the air! I know that Prance's pegassi are bigger and slower than Equestrian pegassi, but this is ridiculous! I have had to slow down and wait for them to catch up twice! Time to play, I guess.

They had old fashioned single shot crossbows. The sort that can't be cocked and loaded while airborne. He went into a dive straight towards them, using only enough wing to maintain control!

They had to dodge out of his way! He held close to the one on his left, his War Knife slashing at the crossbow string as he flashed past!

With a squall, the pegasus dropped the weapon that had just turned on him! It slashed his face with the cut string that flailed about as the bow released! He barely caught himself from a falling tumble, getting his wings under him in time to control his hard landing!

Dawn Fire broke his dive with wide spread wings and swooped up as far as momentum could carry him! He flew hard, passing under the remaining pegasus. That one was trying to aim steeply down at a target that was passing toward his rear! Dawn Fire was climbing on hard driven wings behind his opponent! The pegasus tried to make a sharp turn to face his enemy! Looking frantically about, he realized too late that Dawn Fire was above him and stooping like a huge hawk!

The crunch as Dawn Fire's hooves struck between his wings told of broken bones! With a drawn out scream, he fluttered toward the ground! There was a crackling whump as he hit a thicket!

Dawn Fire continued quietly on his way, arriving at his destination, the village of Sudanweird. Alighting politely outside the village proper, he trotted to the local inn.

In the morning, Dawn Fire found himself treated almost like royalty by the mare who ran the Three Little Pigs. As he pushed back from a third helping of excellent toasted bread, dipped in egg batter and fried, served with berries and dusted with confectioner's sugar, he asked, “What brought this on? Not that I am objecting, mind you. Just wondering why I am paying regular breakfast rates for this. Marvelous coffee, by the way.”

The mare giggled and replied, “Magic Net is wonderful, is it not? Charmane, who you stayed with night before last, called all of the inns within a day's flight to tell of your stay with her. She did mention that you are held in such esteem that you are not only allowed but required to be armed in the Royal Presences of the Gryphon Empire, Equestria and at least allowed it in King Leiuee's presence.”

“I see. Tell me, how did she work out the Gryphon Empire part?”

“Umm, according to her account, you had an active night and morning. She got the opportunity to see your War Knife up close. It is etched she said, 'From the claws of the Throne of Empire for Meritorious Service to the Realm.' In the Empire, a weapon given by the Throne is expected to be worn in the presence of either Strong Wings or the Empress herself.

“Besides that, at the Peace Accord, you were armed beside Princess Luna and also between the Princess and in the presence of our King Leiuee.

“During the negotiation of the Trade Agreement, you were at the same table with the good Countess Arianne, our King Leiuee, and seated between the Princesses of Equestria. She sent the news pictures around to back it up.”

Dawn Fire's wings were shaking with suppressed chuckles as he nodded, “Charmane is a sharp one, I give you that, my good Fleur.

“Now I need to get in touch with Mister Hishine, but I see that his shop is closed.”

Fleur gave him a curtsy as she shook her head, “He is staying with widow Moren, who runs a rooming house. His shop was foreclosed last week by the Shire Bank, at the order of Duke Deepinit, to whom Mister Hishine owed a substantial sum.”

“I see. Tell him to bring the Note of Payment, his drafts against it and all notices of impending foreclosure, as well as the foreclosure itself. I wish to review the documents before doing anything rash. If I find what I expect, I will be doing something very rash!”

Fleur's eyes opened wide and her ears shot up! Excited, she got to her Magic Net mirror and made a call! She began working down a list, making call after call!

Returning to Dawn Fire's table, she curtsied deeply. “Good Sir, I have gone beyond your direct order. Mister Hishine was but the first to be foreclosed. There are others all about the village as well. I took the liberty of calling them, too.”

Dawn Fire suggested, “Looks like a busy morning, after all. I hope that you have lots of coffee and pastries to go around among these good ponies. Me too, of course.”

“I did think that might be your order, Sir. I have already spoken to the kitchen staff.” With a truly happy smile, ears up and forward, she added, “If you can do as I hope, you will owe me naught. These ponies are all friends and associates of mine.”

“What of you, Fleur? Do you have any such debit?”

“Nay, good Sir. Though it appeared to cost me much, I have always required good coin for payment.”

“Wise, indeed. Have you any more coffee? I think that I am going to need it.”

A serving pony in surprisingly skimpy attire for this area, came out, pushing a service cart with two urns on it and three big trays of filled croissants and other fine, flaky pastries.

She drew Dawn Fire a cup and added a chocolate filled croissant. Fleur snickered at his stare. “That's one of the reasons that we have continued to draw good coin instead of worthless bits of paper.”

Soon the room was filled up with ponies, some of them mares. All of them clutching papers. Some were in envelopes, some in files and a few simply trying to keep track of all the treacherous bits that wanted to fly on every breeze or draft.

“Mister Hishine, I want to start with you. Please bring me your papers.” Dawn Fire began to study them, brow drawn down in concentration. Shaking his head, he stated, “You were literally robbed. We will fix this. I want to see the others before we get the crowns involved.”

“What!? This is just a local property thing. How are the crowned heads involved?”

Dawn Fire answered with a grim smile, “This has been done by a direct violation of Prance's banking laws. It also commits treason by a direct and willful violation of the newly signed Peace Accord. Putting a topper on the snack, it is a criminal breach of the Royal Exchequer.

“King Leiuee will be most interested.”

He carefully put the incriminating papers into a file and called the next one. And the one after that and the next. It did not take long at all to go through the lot of them.

Dawn Fire addressed them all, “I must notify my superiors about this. We will then go to the Shire bank and your situations will be sorted out today or there will be some serious repercussions, particularly for Duke Deepinit. In any case, these bogus problems will be taken care of and your places will be safe.”

Hishine muttered, “That's fine for them, my place is already gone.”

Fleur snorted, “And you are going to get it back!”

Turning to Dawn Fire, she offered, “I will take care of this lot out here. My office is through those doors. Make all your calls in full privacy.”

Ensconced in Fleur's office, Dawn Fire called, “Countess Arianne, how are you? I have something for you. Don't want to get your hopes up but your troops might get a precision strike or two out of this. That will depend on King Leiuee.”

He explained the situation in a few words.

She replied brightly, “Certainly sounds like you have something. Shall I call him? We have private line.”

Chapter 11

Dawn Fire smiled agreeably, “Calling him is certainly a good idea. Before you do, though, I am sending you direct copies of all of the criminal documents. I am sure that he will want to see them.”

As Countess Arianne happily looked over the documents as they came to her Magic Net mirror. “Oh my, Duke Deepinit appears to have tried to jump onto the ferry boat after it left the dock, doesn't he? I KNOW that King Leiuee will want to do something about this.

“Duke Deepinit was at the Court in Gaiparee where Notes of Payment were outlawed except as transfers of wealth between banking institutions and those required to be payed in gold in thirty days or less.

“This is ALL flat out illegal and better, the Duke knew it when he did it. I love how clearly you have spelled out the criminal charges and directly connected them to Prance's banking law, Royal Edict, treaty violation, and, as the Notes were not paid at all with the Required Bankruptcy not filed, breaching the Royal Exchequer.

“I will give this whole package to King Leiuee at once.”

“Thank you, Countess. We shall be repairing to the Shire Bank to take care of the local end of this mess.”

Emerging from the office, he announced, “Please come with me. We are going to the Shire Bank. They will be restoring your titles and making up the unlawful payments that have been extorted from you.”

At the Shire Bank, they were met by a haughty clerk who demanded, “And why should I allow you to see Msgr Squire? This is but a rabble of debtors facing foreclosure.”

Dawn Fire quietly proffered a paper. “This is a Royal Warrant signed and sealed by King Leiuee. If Msgr Squire does not comply with repairing these frauds, he shall be placed under Royal Arrest, the bank put into receivership and these frauds dealt with by the Royal Exchequer's receiver.”

“This must be a forgery! Gandarmarie!”

To his surprise, four of the Gandarmarie stepped briskly into the bank foyer! To his worse surprise, they spoke directly to Dawn Fire, “Knife Holder, how may we serve you?”

“First, Please verify that this is indeed a genuine Royal Warrant. Then, if this clerk will not open Msgr Squire's office that we may serve the warrant, please, as the local representatives of the Royal Law, open that door and serve the warrant to Msgr Squire.”

The Gandarmes politely informed the clerk, “The Royal Warrant is indeed genuine. It was delivered to our station Magic Net mirror directly from the horn of King Leiuee in Gaiparee. Will you cooperate with its service or must we charge you as an accessory to the crimes involved?”

The clerk swallowed hard and simply turned to open the door to the office. A harsh voice snarled, “Porman! I told you that I was not to be interrupted! I am working on the Havaplace foreclosure and eviction!”

“I am sorry, Msgr Shire but these people have a Royal Warrant requiring your signature now.”

“Pish! Put it at the bottom of my inbasket. I will sign it when I get to it!”

At that, all four Gandarmes shoved past Porman and slapped the Royal Warrant onto Shire's desk! “Sir! You are served with this Warrant from King Leiuee in person! You MUST read it and sign it! If you do not, we are required to sign the affidavit of service and take you directly to the gaol to await King Leiuee's pleasure.

“If you carry out the required actions in regard to the Warrant, you can avoid the criminal charge of accomplice to Duke Deepinit's treason and other charges that he faces.”

Shire curled a lip and laid his ears back into his shaggy, off red mane! “When the Duke hears about this travesty, he will be . . .”

Dawn Fire cut him off cheerfully, “He is fully aware of all the charges that he faces and the evidence against him!” He stamped a hoof for emphasis as he finished, “He was taken into Royal Custody at the direct order of King Leiuee at 9:45 AM this morning! His present lodging has bars on the door and the single window!”

Shire began to frantically read the Warrant! He looked up even more ashen faced than his usual mostly white, tinged with green fur. He did tap the verification codes into his desk's Magic Net mirror. Horrified at what he heard, he slashed his signature in the required space!

Instead of the Gandarmes, Dawn Fire signed the Witness to Service section. There was still no name. It read, “Princess Luna, by her authorized Agent.”

To Msgr Shire's unpleasant surprise, the Gandarmes nodded, “Just as King Leiuee told us to expect.” They took their copy and left two, one for Dawn Fire and one for Shire.

The banker made one more try to wriggle off the hook by suggesting, “Um, this mess could take weeks to sort out.”

“No. All the titles are here, in this bank. You need only remove them from the files and sign them back as PAID IN FULL. You then, from those same files need to find and pay the full amount of the Notes of Payment. As you hold and administer them for Duke Deepinit, you are solely liable for them. Collection of your expenses from the Duke is YOUR responsibility.

“One other thing. Each victim of this fraud will receive an additional sum equal to all of their payments and costs, even if those were drawn against the original Note.”

Smiling in a forced way, at Shire, Dawn Fire reached across his desk and picked up a file. He neatly extracted two papers from it. He laid them on the banker's desk and tapped at spaces. “Sign here to return Mister Hishine's shop and home to him. Sign the Note of Payment in the presentation box. Mister Hishine has his documentation of expenses here. Simply add them up and double them.

“You see how quick and easy it is? Except for your signature releasing each title, your clerks can do it all, even to giving out the hard currency from your vaults. They do know how to get receipts for the payments.

“This will all be done by closing tonight or your bank will be. Closed, I mean.”

With a genuine smile, Fleur and Dawn Fire escorted Mister Hishine out to the teller's lobby to get his money. As they walked out, Dawn Fire offered, “Come, Mister Hishine. Let us go and set your shop back into order. I then have some business for you.”

Hishine breathed a sigh of relief as his keys rattled in the lock of his shop. Entering, he winced. His show cases had all been broken and his strongbox had been forced.

Slump shouldered, tears in his eyes at the wanton destruction, he turned to Dawn Fire, “Knife Holder, I am sorry. I did have such a stone as you wished to buy. As you can see, even with the indemnity that I got, I may be out of business.”

He opened a door to a back room. Though there had been some vandalism, he rummaged about and straightened things up. As he placed the last things onto racks in an orderly fashion, he noted, “My equipment is all here. If I could get more of the raw stock, I can cut and polish more stones.”

Dawn Fire gave a bit of an evil grin, his ears pointed like horns! “First, do you have any sort of inventory for what was taken? Second, this property was under the care and FULL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of Msgr Shire. He has to make good the loss and damages!”

Hishine nodded slowly, “I see. Yes, I can get the inventory. I kept it at my lodgings to insure that a disaster or robbery at the shop could be documented for the Gandarmarie. “

“Wise of you, Hishine. Get a cabinet worker to assess repair or replacement of your show cases. Take the whole bill to the Shire bank.

“In the meantime, where can I obtain more of this amber for you to work?”

Hishine lowered his head a little in embarrassment. “It is not too far from here. There in the Weirdwood, I can show you the exact place, is a grove of Gumble Trees. They not only drop the Gumble sap on whatever they feel is a threat, they can project it for a substantial distance.

“Whatever it hits, it encases in a lump of dull yellow gumble. With proper treatment, cutting and polishing, it becomes the amber stones of my trade.”

Dawn Fire's wings were quivering with amusement. “I take it that gathering the fallen gumble lumps is not so simple as it might seem!”

“Indeed. A number of ponies have died in that grove, trying to steal the gumble. They get encased in it and then the grove absorbs them, gumble and all. Sometimes, some of their equipment is left behind.”

Dawn Fire winced at the thought. “How do you collect it then?”

Hishine chuckled, shaking his head sadly, “I don't. Not any more. I used to take a jointed rod with a rake end and a basket end to scoop up fallen gumble drops. During my last two ventures, I nearly got taken myself.”

“I see. If you knew what you were doing and the dangers, how did that happen?”

Hishine sat and found a bit of paper and a pencil. He sketched as he explained, “The Gumble Grove is growing. It sends vines out from its branches into nearby trees. The vines drop creepers that take root to become narrow trunks that grow into new trees. The vines look like this,” he pointed to his drawing, “and they can drop gumble on the unwary. They are devilishly hard to see, too.”

“One last question, then. How many of the drops catch bugs like the ones that I got from you before?”

Hishine leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, “I am giving away a deep secret with this. Almost none have them. I can see to the placing of the bug in the finished stone. I have a nice middle sized dragon fly that can be set up, should you wish it. The vandals missed my collection of dried bugs.”

Dawn Fire nearly doubled up laughing! “Give me the collecting stick and I will see what may be done toward restocking your store!”

Following Hishine's directions, Dawn Fire ventured into the almost innocent looking Weirdwood. He was well aware that it was no more innocent and no safer than the Everfree Forest of Equestria. Some even said that there was some sort of hidden ways that connected the two and even other places about the world, all of ill repute, like these two.

The directions guided him without mishap to where he could see the Gumble Grove. Well there was one small problem. A quite large one for its kind, actually. A horsefly! The biting kind! It was whirring as it buzzed about his head, trying to find a place to alight, long enough to deliver a painful bite!

He swatted at it repeatedly! It dodged his flailing hoof with contemptuous ease! He almost connected with it by swinging the folded collecting stick! It dived, aiming for a sensitive ear!

Dawn Fire raised his lunch bag as an impromptu shield!

In the heat of battle with the bug, his hoof hit a gnarled root of the nearest Gumble Tree of the Grove! As he almost regained his balance, his enemy forced him to duck again! Already off balance, he toppled to the hard turf, lunch bag shield between him and the horsefly!

The poor sap was saved from the horsefly by a falling glob of yellow Gumble which hit and encased the vicious bug. Dawn Fire scrambled frantically away from the deadly tree as more blobs of Magical Gumble fell!

One glob did hit his tail and partly encased it in solid Gumble Amber. He cautiously retrieved the collecting stick and, from safely out of the tree's danger zone, began collecting as many of the fallen drops and globs of the gumble resin as he could. He was pleased to realize that he had obtained several kilograms of the raw amber resin.

He made his way back to the shop of Hishine. “This is a wonderful lot, Knife Bearer! With this, I can easily prepare the dragon fly stone that you want!”

“I hoped that you could! This large lump has a really pesky horsefly in it!

“On a related note, can you get this out of my flank fur and tail?”

Hishine snorted, “By a number of means, all fun and amusing to watch. Embarrassing to experience, however.” Going serious, he replied, “Yes. It is not even difficult. We just need a little cooking oil. You will want a bath afterwards, though.”

Dawn Fire luxuriated in the bathing tub of the Three Little Pigs inn. Fleur laid on coffee and a pile of pastries set on a side table in easy reach of the bather.

“Good Sir, we are all so grateful for the miracle that you have worked! We were in despair, most of the village's businesses were due to be closed. The bank's agents made it clear that my friends would be working for slave wages in the businesses that they had owned. None could understand how they had become so far into debit.”

As Dawn Fire sat in the tub and sucked down coffee and nibbled another croissant, he replied, “That is because they were not in debit. That conversion trick from Note of Payment to debit was simple fraud. I have heard from my connections that Msgr Shire has pled that he was forced to do it by the Duke. He was clever enough to have papers that make it appear to be true. They MIGHT even be genuine.”

Fleur giggled, “We of the town think not. We are actively seeking another bank. An honest one, if we can find it!”

Dinner was accompanied by almost every pony in Sudanweird crowded into the big tap room! Dawn Fire had to plead, “I can't eat all of this! I will be too heavy to fly for a week!”

In the morning, Fleur had his bowl of oat and barley gruel, with strawberries awaiting him. And a plate of waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream! And her endless and excellent coffee!

As he was leaving, she asked, “Sir, will you ever return to Sudanweird? Know that if you do, your welcome here is assured.”

He bowed to her as he replied, “I do not know, Good Fleur. I would like to return with no Royal errand or wrongs to right. Your hospitality has been beyond compare. Are you sure that you will take no money for my stay? I do have it.”

“Good Sir, I doubt that your gold is good anywhere in this village. We are that grateful for the good that you have done us.”

He strolled up the way to Hishine's shop. The door was open and he could hear the sound of tools working wood. Entering, he saw that Hishine had been busy last night. One of his show cases was fully repaired and the cabinet worker was fixing another. Wood shavings and sawdust littered the floor.

The repaired case had a dozen lovely golden glowing amber stones laid out to be seen behind the crystal clear glass.

A smiling Mister Hishine greeted him, “Knife Bearer! I have your special order ready, right here!” He pushed forward a larger case and a somewhat smaller one.

Opening the larger case, Dawn Fire beheld a lovely perfectly cut amber stone, glowing with a pool of golden light. Trapped in it, perfectly centered, was a modest sized dragon fly, wings spread and body showing iridescent green! Dawn Fire's breath was taken away by the excellence of of it!

“What is this other one? I only ordered this and it is perfect. What do I owe you for it?”

Seriously, Mister Hishine replied, “You have paid me already. You restored my shop and home. You brought me a supply of amber to get my shop started.” He smiled jubilantly as he added, “And you got that crooked Duke jailed!”

He pushed the smaller box forward. “This is yours with my thanks. Please take it.”

Dawn Fire opened the case. There, trapped for all time, preserved exactly as it had been was a big horsefly, forever on the attack! The stone was finished with as much care as the other.

Nodding, Dawn Fire accepted the tribute! He snickered, “You won't have my money, fine. I do have something else that you did like last time that I was here!”

Opening his travel carrying box, he poured out onto the counter the whole small chest of Rom Ka'chek pastries! There were apricot, peach and some berry ones!

Eyes wide and mouth drooling, Mister Hishine nodded, “I can take these! Thank you!”

Dawn Fire swept the boxes with their stones of amber into the travel case, bowed to Mister Hishine, who was already nibbling at an apricot Ka'chek, and took his leave.

Chapter 12

EPILOGUE:

Princess Luna greeted Dawn Fire with a wide smile! “Did you have any trouble getting this appointment, My Agent?” She snickered as she leaned on the last two words.

“Very oddly, no, My Princess. Something about having your pass AND my place in the procession at Corbiestep Castle during the Peace Accord signing.”

Luna nodded vigorously, “And dining between Celestia and I. And very visibly helping to negotiate the Trade Treaty.”

He shared another chuckle as he laid out the small wooden case for her. “I found it amusing that they all called me a mere commoner to such an extent that those few who did know my name had forgotten it. That was brilliant, just having me introduced and announced as Your Agent!”

She was smiling at the memory as she opened the case. Nestled there in crushed velvet was the dragon fly stone. Lifting it out by her magic, it caught the light in a glowing pool, surrounding and displaying the entombed insect to perfection.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight. Tilting it this way and that, she shook her head in wonder. “I have never seen such perfectly preserved and displayed insect in amber before. Did the money that you had cover it, or do I owe you more?”

Laughing, he returned the pouch of coin. “Here. Two hundred and forty golden Farthings. The villagers at Sudanweird would not take any of my money for anything. The artisan who cut the stone did take your Ka'cheks. I helped them to straighten out a minor financial problem and that was the result.”

Luna tilted her head skeptically as she stated, “That, I did hear about. Duke Deepinit was jailed and stripped of his title and lands as a result of your minor help. King Leiuee was really upset that he would try such a thing so soon after it was directly outlawed.”

“Um, yes. Countess Arianne told me about it. She does remember my name. I would wager that she is the only noble in the kingdom who does. To all the rest, I am Princess Luna's Agent. They aren't alone. The news papers in Prance only identified me that way in all the photos that they published.”

Princess Luna gave a near nightmare chuckle as she carefully packed away the stone. She asked thoughtfully, “Would you mind it too much if we kept up the charade? Referring to you only as my Agent, I mean? Ever since the Earl Wrathmore incident, I have had so much more freedom here in Our Court, whenever you are anywhere about!”

Dawn Fire snickered, “I do wonder why?”

“No clue, my Agent! It is nearly to the noon. Would you do me the honor of dining with me?”

Getting up he replied, “It would be my honor, my Princess. May I ask, as I do know that you use your magic to literally see into and through things, are we dodging some noble pests?”

“You catch on very fast indeed, my Agent. There are five of them out in the hallway attempting to ambush me for a lunch where they are trying to get me to reverse rulings already made in lower Courts but which Celestia has let stand.”

Opening the door to the small audience chamber, Dawn Fire was cheerfully saying, “So you see, Highness, we can do it with . . .” Appearing surprised, he went on, “Your pardon my Lords. Your Highness we must take this up where such as they cannot overhear.”

“Most agreeable. We can continue this conversation in the East Room dining hall. I will have it cleared so that we can speak privately.”

Settling at a nice window table in the now empty dining room, Luna offered, “As you observed, I did see deeply. You have another stone. I am presuming it to be yours, as you did not mention it to me. May I see it?”

Dawn Fire pulled out the smaller box and proffered it to her. Her magic opened it and she let out a chortle! “Oh my! A gadfly on the attack! Is there a tale about it?”

He nodded, “In the grove where the amber is found, it was attacking me. It nearly got us both trapped in the stuff. I was lucky. I only got some on my flank and part of my tail. The amber worker, Mister Hishine, freed me from it. He polished up the stone, bug and all, as a gift for me.”

As Luna luxuriated in the absence of courtiers swarming about, she stated directly, “I have already placed our order for lunch! You are NOT getting buttered oatmeal!”

~THE END~

Chapter 3

Celestia spoke from her Throne, “As welcome as your news is, We of the Thrones do wonder why you left your command to bring it to Us in person. Would not reports by Magic Net have sufficed?”

“I would have thought so, your Highnesses, but I had to follow the orders issued to me by Canterlot's General Command. I have here my orders and the rail pass that was sent with them by the courier.” She produced an order flimsy and a rail pass that she gave to Princess Luna. “Since it was delivered by courier, I demanded and got this delivery receipt.” She gave another paper to Princess Luna.

Princess Luna peeled her lips back in a snarl as she read the documents. Rigidly controlled, she gave the lot to Celestia. She too went near rigid with rage. She quietly gave the documents and some whispered comments to one of the courtiers grouped close to her throne.

They turned as one to face Arianne and stated, “Good Corbiestep, we do not doubt you and so far as we can tell, you have done no wrong. We are having certain aspects of your summons to come here verified. If you would be so good, get behind the large Magic Net mirror where you will be out of sight until we ask you to come forth to give testimony.”

Shortly the herald announced, “A representative of the Royal Intelligence Service wishes to approach the Thrones of Equestria with information and two prisoners guarded by five of the Royal Guard.”

Up in the balcony, Dawn Fire's eyebrows almost rose to his horn! He recognized the two prisoners. They were the Generals Nullit and Neighsmith who had earlier been confined to Canterlot for trying to hijack Countess Arianne's campaign.

The unidentified RIS official gave a folder to Princess Celestia. He silently retired to a small group by her throne. Celestia opened the folder and gave the contents careful scrutiny before passing it to Luna.

Luna also examined the folder with care. Looking up, she stated, “General Nullit, General Neighsmith, the evidence presently before Us compels the opening of a trial under the Royal Wing. The charge against you both is Treason against the Realm of Equestria.

“We will present the evidence that you face and truly do hope that you can explain your actions to our satisfaction. If you cannot do that, the least penalty under the Law will be the loss of all titles, honors, ranks, duties and twenty years at hard labor. The worst penalty will be the loss of all titles, honors, ranks, duties and the Traitor's Drop.

“Do you understand what the charge is and what the penalties are?”

General Neighsmith replied in a haughty voice, “We do understand the charge and the possible penalties. What we do not understand is why such a charge has been brought against us. Simply examine our General Staff files. We have done nothing wrong.”

Sighing, Princess Luna replied, “We have examined your files and they appear to be in order. APPEAR being the critical word.

“I shall now lay our case before you and this Court. Four days past, you and General Nullit jointly had drawn up an Order to Appear. In violation of Law and Procedure, you had the scribe prepare only a single original, with no copies made for the files. You personally, General Neighsmith, took possession of the single copy.

“We have been given that copy and located the scribe. He gave the RIS the information that I have just presented.

“General Nullit went to the Canterlot Central Rail Depot and purchased with cash a one way civilian rail pass from the County Corbiestep Terminal to the Canterlot Central Depot. We have the rail pass and traced the circumstances of its purchase.

“General Neighsmith then got a pegasus courier for the purpose of flying to Corbiestep with a sealed envelope containing the improper Order to Appear and the rail pass. The courier was given orders jointly by you both to deliver the envelope to Countess Arianne between two and three hours after her troops started to move through Corbiestep Pass. This he did. Due to the confusion of the night attack it was actually delivered about four AM.

“The courier was intercepted on his return flight by an agent of the RIS. He gave the Royal Intelligence Service his evidence and a copy of the delivery receipt. These We received by Magic Net mirror.

“Countess Arianne did not use the rail pass, which would have taken her two and a half days, simply to get here. She arrived at nine thirty five AM this morning. Besides giving Us a war situation briefing, she gave to us the Order to Appear, the rail pass and her copy of the delivery receipt.”

Luna paused and gave her evidence folder to the generals. “This is the evidence given to the Crowns of Equestria. It demonstrates a plot to derail Equestria's offensive against Prance by removing Countess Arianne from active command for the five days that her round trip by rail would have taken.

“We are fortunate that Countess Arianne chose a far faster means of transport than you anticipated. Her arrival here by those means in only five hours exposed your plot which could have cost Us hundreds or thousands of good troops and given Prance the excuse to invade Us again.

“Please show Us in what particulars We are mistaken.”

General Neighsmith gestured to the situation report mirror and snorted, “That whole campaign is a monstrosity. I saw in the Crier that she has taken three camps and an arms depot.

“That battle must still be raging, since Prance had a large army in those camps. The plan showed on that Magic Net mirror is hopelessly optimistic. All of those bridges will have to be taken one by one by a hard fought infantry campaign. That will take at least two to three MONTHS. All of those agricultural valleys will have to be taken by a scortched earth campaign to deny their supplies to the enemy.

“You are looking at a six month hard fought campaign to pacify the area. It will need tens of thousands of troops to hold it secure.”

Celestia, sitting on her throne, nodded. “I see, General. Your assessment of the campaign to come leads me to call Our next witness.

“Will the Ambassador from Prance please approach the Thrones? We understand that We cannot compel you to make any answer and that what you tell Us is purely voluntary.

“Please tell this Court Under the Royal Wing of Equestria, is that a map of the campaign to come or is it a current situation report?”

He took a deep breath while deciding what to say. “Your Highnesses, as you know, you have been courteously allowing me private Magic Net communication with my government. That map was an accurate situation report as of 9:00 AM. It is now 11:30. In those two and a half hours, we have lost the agricultural region of the Courser River, with its three towns and a military base with arms depot.”

His magic picked up the pointer and added the lost area to the growing wedge of occupied territory. He added, “Curiously, we have had no reports of looting or the destruction of any civilian properties at this time.”

“Thank you, Ambassador. We appreciate your good honor. That must have been difficult to present to this, the Royal Court of a presently hostile nation.”

Luna regarded the two generals askance and ordered, “Countess Arianne, We of the Thrones wish to hear your reasons for not striking at the fields, vinyards, orchards and other agricultural assets that Our experienced generals have said should be destroyed.”

Arianne stepped out of concealment and bowed to the Thrones. “If my campaign were fought as they described, that would be needful.

“As I am moving my troops and striking forces very swiftly, the capture of the crops is a valuable tool to insure that the populace will give us the least opposition.

“If I finish the pacification of the region from the Sunset Mountains to the Grey Flow River as planned, those supplies will feed our army and the local populace as well.

“Depending on how peace negotiations go, any of several outcomes are planned. If Prance does not sue for peace in a timely fashion, we will buy our supplies from the local farms and cooperatives at a great savings over shipping them from Equestria. Because of purchasing rather than seizing, we will gain the best favor from the populace.

“If Prance does sue for peace in a timely fashion, we will allow their buyers to bid on the crops in fair competition with our buyers. Prance will be allowed to ship what they buy to their markets. Again, the populace of the region will be best served and thereby offer us minimal opposition.

“In any case, I will require a sixty kilometer military free zone on the west side of the Sunset Mountains. The land will remain Prance's. They will be allowed taxation, civil police and local governance. Military units will be barred on pain of instant and unwarned attack.”

General Nulit chuckled, “Talking about PEACE already? Got no stomach for a REAL war?”

Arianne smiled sadly, “A REAL WAR, Sir? You mean a slow and murderous, scortched earth war with thousands dead? Your ego raised up like a hot air balloon fueled by the rising plumes of smoke from burning cities? No, Sir, I have no stomach for that. I can do it but choose not to, at least not unless I must.

“I have done what I have accomplished for the purpose of creating peace with my neighbors. I hope that when we are done, I will share a drink and table in friendship with them and no need to fight any more.”

Luna spoke compassionately, “Corbiestep, while the final fate of these two who sought to derail your campaign is under the Royal Wing, We, Your Princesses, do wonder what you would do with them, were they under your rule?”

Arianne did not hesitate but returned, “I would place their titles, offices, duties and responsibilities in the custody of one of your choosing. I would place the persons of Nullit and Neighsmith in a madhouse until such time as they recover from the present insanity that places their egos above the kingdom and the lives of its soldiers.”

Celestia stood before her Throne and demanded, “You have heard the verdict of Arianne, Countess Corbiestep, Force Leader of the Armies of Equestria in Prance. You may choose her judgment or Ours under the Royal Wing. What say you?”

They blustered, “You would put our fate in the hooves of that FILLY? Lock us away in a madhouse? No! We will not be so humiliated.”

Luna stood forth and proclaimed, “Neighsmith and Nullit are Vacant! Let them be stripped of all ranks, honors, chains of office, and badges of duty. Lay all before the Empty Throne of Our Mother, Skyglow, Titan of Life Creation and titular Queen of Equestria!

“You have been found guilty Under the Royal Wing of the charge of Treason to these Thrones. Offered the clemency of your lives, before this Court, you have refused.”

Heavy of heart, Celestia pronounced, “You will be given the Traitor's Drop.”

Luna stepped across the space between them and laid a dark wing up over the shoulder of her larger sister. “In this hard duty, my sister, you shall not be alone.”

Together, the pale pastels of Celestia's magic and the clear dark blue, shot with stars, of Luna's magic picked up the struggling ponies and lifted them out past the parapet. Let to fall, their screams went on and on. It takes a long time to fall 550 meters.

Returned to their Thrones, Celestia pointed out, “I do hope that all present understand just how seriously We of the Thrones take any interference with this war effort. We would never have allowed this expedition at all, had Prance simply chosen to be a peaceful neighbor. Instead, they have repeatedly struck at County Corbiestep, destroying the castle, armory and garrison on Hearthwarming last. Countess Arianne drove them off.

“Regretfully, they have since actually invaded through other passes and were met again by the just turned sixteen Countess Arianne. She engaged two full brigades, taking many prisoners along with much loot of weapons and monies. In the process, destroying that invasion attempt also. She did not bother to report it to Us until AFTER she took them.

“With TWO attacks on Us in just less than six months, accompanied by intelligence that another attack was being prepared, We directly authorized Corbiestep to strike first. Remember, this war was declared here in this room by Prance's Ambassador. In spite of our striking first, we are not the aggressor here.”

Arianne politely signaled for permission to speak. “Your Highnesses, since we have all learned that my being here was part of a plot to derail my assault, may I please be allowed to return to my troops?”

Celestia nodded agreeably, “Most certainly, Our good Countess Arianne. How will you travel there?”

She smiled, “I have spoken to the transportation unit that brought me here. They are rested, fed and provisioned for the trip already. I can be back to the battle fronts in just under five hours.”

Princess Luna grinned as she commented, “Please return to your attack. Later, We would be most interested in learning the details of HOW you can travel so fast.”

She withdrew to a huge buzz of whispered conversation.

Speaking through their Heralds, the Princesses called the Ambassador of Prance back before the Thrones. “My good Lord, Ambassador, did you hear the peace terms that Countess Arianne has proposed?”

“I did, your Highnesses. I have used my Magic Net mirror to relay them to my government and King. I have not yet had any coherent answer.”