Harem Alliance

Celestia took a deep breath as she looked out over the balcony railing. The invading army had stopped at the gates to Canterlot, and were now camped just out of crossbow range of her wall. Dozens of high-profile cities had fallen, not to mention hundreds upon thousands of soldiers. There was no competing with this force.

She turned back to her vanity and grabbed a brush, running it through her mane and tail. She had managed to call for a short ceasefire, allowing her to meet with the Zebra general that had led most of the battles that she had lost. This was her chance to negotiate for peace. She had to look her best for this meeting.

A heavy pounding on her door drew her out of her thoughts, and she rushed to answer it. It was a group of four guards, already clad in full suits of black armour. "Good morning," Celestia sighed. "Did Luna put you up to this?"

The four saluted, and one stepped forward. "She ordered us to escort you to your meeting to ensure your safety, ma'am. We are not to let any harm befall you. We shall protect you with our very lives, your grace."

"Thank you, but I don't need an escort. You are dismissed, captain. It's been a long night. I insist you find a place to rest for the day."

The captain furrowed his brow. "With all due respect, princess, we don't take orders from you. Our orders come directly from your sister, and she has commanded that we ensure your safety or not bother coming back. Even were that not the case, I would have to insist."

Celestia sighed. "Fine. You can tag along. But you will leave all weapons here."

"We will leave all main weapons here," agreed the captain. "However, we will keep our sidearms. Princess Luna would never forgive us if we were to allow you to come to harm."

"Fine," grunted Celestia. "If it will make you feel better, meet me at the gate in forty..." she looked at a clock on the wall, "make that thirty-eight minutes."

They saluted one last time, then took off to change their equipment. Celestia closed her door and returned to the mirror. She still had a bit of prep work to do.

Five minutes to nine, Celestia commanded the drawbridge be lowered. She could fly, and her two bat-pony escorts could fly, but the three unicorns she had brought with her could not. Only one of them wore white-coloured armour and carried a full-sized weapon, that being a simple sword. She had selected him as her personal guard two days prior, but wanted only the minimum protection required. She felt that too many guards would spook her opponent into thinking this was a sneak attack.

Her walk through the encampment was uninterrupted by the opposing force. Those that went about their morning routine stopped what they were doing to stare and whisper to each other, but none of them called out to her, ran up to harass her, or impeded her march in any way. Their discipline was to be commended; Celestia had seen far worse while visiting her own soldiers.

As she approached the largest tent, a zebra with a very well-decorated mask looked up at her. His mask was flipped up to show his face. "Princess Celestia, you're two minutes early. Did you rush over to catch me while my brain was all whirly?"

"Please don't tease, General Zachar," sighed Celestia. "You've been up since before the dawn. You've had more than enough time to orient yourself. I arrived early because I value your time, and I'd rather not waste it." She raised her hoof in the direction of the tent flap. "Shall we begin, or do you need more time to... polish your sword?"

Some of the officers around the zebra blushed and sniggered at the jab, but the general was unperturbed. "Now, now, there is no need to be glib. Come, let me show you to my crib."

Zachar grabbed three guards of his own and led Celestia into a tent that was smaller than the main tent, but had a table, some chairs, a map of Canterlot, and a cot at the far end. Celestia took her seat on the side of the mp that had Canterlot, and the general took his seat on the side of the map that showed the encampment.

"Now, what's it going to take to ma--"

He held up his hoof, silencing Celestia. "Before we negotiate your terms of surrender, which of these teas matches your splendor?" He opened a box that had several smaller containers of tea leaves.

"Is this really the time?"

"Being a good host is important to me. You've come to talk, so let's talk over tea. We could simply keep fighting in a manner most brutal, but if that is your aim, then this ceasefire is futile."

Celestia sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend. I just want what's best for my little ponies, and the sooner we finish these negotiations, the sooner they can go back to their lives. I don't mean to insult you, but delaying these negotiations is, at best, an insult to them, and a death sentence at worst." She pointed to the chamomile tea.

"I can accept that," he nodded, pouring the leaves and some hot water from a kettle into a pair of cups. "To have in your charge a collection of ponies so numerously large that you need to protect, no matter the cost, so as not to insult the ones already lost. Certainly, it is a quite daunting task, but it is your clear-headedness that now they must ask."

Celestia nodded. "You're right, of course. Perhaps I had let my mind stray too far. This meeting is for their sakes. Please, whenever you're ready."

The general nodded, pulled out an unopened tin of cookies from his homeland, unsealed it, and ate one in front of her to prove that they were safe. "Now, you ask what it takes to call off my troops. Well, the deciders and doers are two separate groups. To keep your lives from becoming any drearier, I need an order from a direct superior."

"What does that mean?" asked Celestia.

"I'm not the one who is calling the shots," he shrugged. "We're just mercenaries for those rich gryphon twats. Our services go to whomever signs the checks. They pay the fee, and we stick out our necks."

Celestia nodded. She was silent for a moment, then smiled. "How would you like a new employer?"