FEB 26 Friday.

The last week has been an extreme test of my patience and willpower.

Over that week I had to do two more meetings and they were just annoying, thankfully Phelix didn't show up again but that didn't stop many others from coming to annoy me. So many Griffons and so many different faces that leaked out of my mind the second they walked away.

Worse still is that several of the ponies working with us also seem intent on trying to find out my connection to Phelix, so I've been spending more and more time in the lower city where no one cares who I am. It also gave me time to raid the local library for information on the stone tree.

It's been a constant source of interest for me and a nice distraction to throw myself into, it's just too bad that griffons don't seem to care as much as I do. All the books I found only confirm a few useful things. One, the tree is actually a tree, the rock has tree rings and they've also found pieces of stone bark that have mostly broken off and degraded over time.

Along with a few fossils of massive leaves that look like they came from a chestnut tree, but they aren't quite right and don't match perfectly. But it does line up somewhat with the most common theory that explains the tree's existence, it's an aberrant member of its race.

Just like the Ruby Snake this tree may have once been a normal Chestnut tree, but it became something else altogether with magic's influence and effects. But that's all I really found, the tree is too dead to grow sadly and there's not that much I can learn from a dead stone with my skill set, overall it's a bit disappointing but not really unexpected.

I sigh and close the last book with anything useful in it before looking around the decent-sized library as other Griffons read and ignore me. Entropy stands on my back under her illusion and grooms my mind a bit before looking at me. "Food?"

I smile at her. "Sure, let's get back then." I start the long walk back to the mansion as Entropy sings a tune with me. Entropy's simple wants and cares have helped a lot with all the stress I've been dealing with and honestly, she's kept me sane, even if she also drives me a little insane sometimes.

After I near the base of the tree I start the walk up the long steps and get ready for more climbing. These stairs are the single reason most other ponies who aren't pegasi don't head down to the lower city more often. I arrive at the correct branch and Entropy enters my shadow as I approach the mansion.

The guards let me in and after a quick walk with me avoiding busy rooms and hallways, I'm back in my room finally safe from others' eyes. I probably need to check in with Shining for any paperwork I'll need to work on, but before that, I can at least enjoy the simple action of growing fruit and eating with a loyal friend.

"Good. Love." After she's done eating Entropy moves over to me and demands attention for a while, and I even take out a small wooden ball to play with her to simply enjoy the simple things for a moment. It takes nearly an hour to appease her but eventually, she returns to my shadow to rest as I head outside again.

Next to the room Cadance is working and sleeping in is a smaller room that Shining has made his office. Over the time we've been here, I always come here to pick up new paperwork, and when I arrive I see Shining already working on something and he looks up as I enter. "Shade, paperwork?"

I give him a deadpan stare as he asks that knowing damn well he's asked that same question every single time I come here. "Sure," I say back as he smiles and instead gives me a single letter, I raise a brow at him.

"Too bad, it seems you got something else instead, a shame." He says happily and smiles a little, I give him a suspicious look and open the letter slowly.

Shade Evergreen, your presence is asked for at the Blue Palace on the twenty-sixth of this month for a meeting with his majesty King Thelis Ovadon The Third.

It goes on after that and lists the sender, some noble attendant for the king that I have never met, and a few other things like the exact time and even directions to the palace. :I take it back, fuck this city: I just let out a long-suffering sigh as Shining smiles at me. "I now see why you and Cadance deserve each other," I tell him bluntly.

Which gets a chuckle out of him before he gives me a serious look. "Look, just be careful ok? I don't know what you did to get a private meeting that even Cadance can't join you in, but it is not a small thing." In contrast to his previous tone, he gives me a serious tone and a kind tone.

I nod back firmly. "It's not my first time doing something like this, as absurd as that sounds." I joke back a bit but his face doesn't change. "I know how to act and behave, and yes I will be careful," I reassure him and take an equally serious tone for a moment.

He stares at me for a moment before nodding. "Good. Cadance apologizes for not being able to join you, but they were very insistent on that apparently. Remember, stay safe." He says before smiling again. "Now go drive another ruler mad." I just turn and walk out as he laughs a little and goes back to his work.

This is just another straw on my back and yet another reason I want to leave this city, but I try my best to keep my thoughts positive and see some upside to this all. Sure others will notice my presence, but they already do that and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to meet the king.

His predecessor was a very controversial figure. Much of the conflicts Griffonstone had with its neighbors was because of an aggressive policy that the former king had, it made many enemies and few friends in the end. In contrast, the current king has spent the last seven years of his reign trying to undo that damage and make more connections, he's the main reason this diplomatic visit happened.

But that's just what I heard, I have no idea what he's really like in person, but it seems I'll get to find out very soon. The meeting time is closer than I'd like so I spend the next hour getting my appearance in some form of order. A thorough shower, a lot of combing, and take some time to clean my saddlebags.

It's odd but I don't feel much fear or anxiety when I walk up the tree, no it hits when I actually reach the palace itself. I walk to the guards and pass them the letter I got and a moment later a higher-ranking guard stands before me and gives the letter back. "Follow me." A simple and blunt request, or maybe some form of demand.

The walk is slow while the guard doesn't say a word as my worry rises with time. We pass the more open areas of the palace and enter the deeper parts that most never see. Finally, we reach a single wooden door with two guards on either side. "His majesty is inside." The guard that led me stands at attention near the door and says nothing more.

All this walking gave me time to think about how to go about this, and to be blunt I think it's best if I handle this like I did with Shining. Tell the truth, but bluntly say something if I don't want to answer while remaining as polite and formal as I can. I take a deep breath and open the door before my doubt can drown me.

I let my life magic senses move and sense only one being in this room, along with two others in a different area nearby, but I don't know if they are also in the room. When I enter I see King Thelis Ovadon The Third sitting on a couch and reading something quietly.

The room has full bookshelves covering the left wall, the right wall has a few paintings and a door along with a few potted plants, and the back wall has a large glass wall that lets you look out over the world. And at the center, there are two couches in the middle of the room that face each other with a short table in the middle.

He turns to me as I close the door and bow quickly and deeply. But he waves a talon immediately. "No need, friends have no need to bow to us." He dismisses that formality.

I'm tense and on high alert, but I do as asked and stand up again. "Shade Evergreen, a name we never found. Who knew you would find us first." His tone is completely neutral as he talks, but it does hold some inherent authority. I also take notice of the words used. :Have they tried to find me? Probably. I'd do the same thing:

I don't move and decide to just continue like normal. "Your Majesty." I greet him.

He looks up from the papers and tosses them aside. "Sit." I don't question him and sit down on the couch opposite of him. "The dagger." Another order, but the tone makes it sound like more of a request that could be ignored, but I know better and hear the undertone of that voice.

I kept the dagger on me and took it out quickly before moving it onto the table. He slowly picks it up and looks it over for a moment before holding it back out to me. "It is you then, it seems I have you to thank for saving my niece's life." The blunt way he brings it up startles me a little, but not as much as his tone shifts.

He seems to relax more and take a more friendly tone and body language. He holds out an open talon, "It's good to finally meet you, you have my utmost thanks for what you did." He even shows a small smile. I'm again taken aback by the abrupt shift but take his talon and shake it.

"It wasn't much honestly." I downplay my actions. "Can I ask his maj-" I'm cut off at that.

"King Thelis is fine. And I suppose I wanted to meet you because you make little sense." I don't comment on that and just stay silent as he correctly guesses my question. "Do you have that chess set with you?" I nod and he motions to the table with a talon and I take it out before he starts to set it up. "I need practice, father always wins." He comments something openly yet again.

Once the gameboard is ready he makes the first move and looks at me again while I hesitantly move a piece. "I'm not one to repay kind actions with demands, or insult allies. So take this as a request, who are you?" He keeps the friendly tone but is a little more serious now.

I expected this to come up, I guess I'm lucky it's not an outright demand, but I still don't trust him that it's not a demand at all. "I work for the Equestrian crown, I am loyal to the princesses and I will not say anything about my work." This is my plan, hide behind loyalty. After all, I am loyal to Celestia as a friend, and by extension the Crown.

He narrows his eyes and moves another piece as I tense even more. "Very well, then I only demand you do not abuse the friendship that was willingly given, for anyone." His tone is deadly serious at that.

I nearly look away from his eyes but keep still and nod. "As long as that friendship does not endanger my loyalty that is something I can guarantee, King Thelis." I answer just as seriously with a tone I normally never use, one of conviction and certainty. I mean what I say and will keep my word if I can.

He smiles a bit several moments later and gives me something of a nod of respect. "Good." He moves one of his last pieces and I end our game with a victory. "I see why he likes you, you can challenge him." He's once again switched from one tone to another, he's friendly again as he stands up.

I put away the chess set as he looked at me again. "You have done my family service, but you have asked for nothing. Even if you didn't know who we were then you do now, and yet you still ask for nothing. I'm curious why?" This question is not remotely phrased as a demand, just simple curiosity.

I could lie, or deflect and tell a half-truth, but he's been surprisingly kind so instead I tell him the truth. "You have nothing I want." I say with a truthful tone before putting away the chess set. "Even with me as a friend of some sort, why not... Demand answers?" I ask back with a little hesitation.

He looks out the window for a moment and down at a few of the lower branches of Griffonstone. "My predecessor always demanded things, even from friends. It did not end well. Now come on, I have a promise to fulfill." He says while moving over to the door I saw earlier while I look on a little confused.

The two sources of life magic I felt are behind that door as well and after a moment I follow him over to the door before moving through it. It's an open-air balcony with a beautiful view of Griffonstone and a table with two beings sitting at it, Phelix and a young hippogriff. I watch as Silvis plays with a few paints and some paper.

The old pastime of finger painting, something I haven't seen in a long long time now. "Uncle!" A light gray and white filly nearly tackles Thelis as she slams into him. He just laughs and picks her up before giving her a beaming smile.

"Yes! With a guest no less." The little filly's eyes look at me and she looks confused for a few moments before smiling in an adorable way. She looks to be around six or seven years old and full of energy.

"Grandsires friend!" Apparently she remembers me and thinks I'm Phelix's friend. "How have you been? Do you like to paint?" She starts to ask questions immediately and I just wait patiently as the Griffons watch me. "Or drawing? Oh let me show you what I drew!"

She seems excited about everything and squirms out of Thelis's grasp before quickly moving back to the table only for Phelix to move the papers out of her reach. "That's not how we greet guests." He uses a slightly stern tone and the filly pines a few feathers back and looks back over to me while looking at the floor.

"Hello, I'm Silvis Ovadon... Nice to meet you, Grandsire's friend!" She beams again at the end and gets her energy back after greeting me.

This mirrors how we first met quite well, and I find it both cute and humorous, so I answer the same way as last time. "My name is Shade. I am doing just fine. Yes. Yes. And I'd love to see it." I answer back with a friendly tone and move over to the table as she has stars in her eyes before looking at Phelix with puppy dog eyes.

I see a rare smile on Phelix and he hands the pages back after she introduces herself. She smiles widely again and quickly takes the pages before shoving it in my face. "Here! What do you think?! Huh? HUH!?" She tries to hurry me along and I take a moment to move over to the table and look over the pages by splaying them out.

They are all decent actually, most are drawings of Griffonstone or other buildings, all in bright mismatched colors. But there is order to the chaos, lines form skylines and cities and some structure. It's odd but has some beauty to it, "It's well done." She beams again at that. "Although, do you want me to show you a trick for how to draw better lines?" I try to interact with her.

"YES!" Another stern look from Phelix. "Ummmm, yes... Please?"

I can't help but smile at the hopeful and innocent look she gives me. "With pleasure." I take a blank piece of paper and simply bend it over the table edge before creasing it in a straight line and then laying it flat again. "There you go." I pass the paper over to her as she looks curiously at it before copying me and smiling as she succeeds.

It's a simple thing but she happily entertains herself by working on a new page as I look over to the two Griffons who seem a little pleased at my actions. "Phelix." I greet him just as simply as before and he nods back.

Phelix turns to Thelis and smiles again. "Did you lose?" Thelis nods with a slightly annoyed look. "Not a surprise then." He then turns to me and looks me up and down for a few moments. "You holding up?"

I'm a little surprised he cared enough to ask, but this whole family seems far more kind than I'd originally expected. I nod. "Well enough. If you don't mind me asking King Thelis, what was the promise?" I question Thelis as he sits down with us.

He doesn't smile but looks pleased. "You can probably tell I'm not that good at chess." I could tell as much from our last game. "So Father promised to teach me if I found a good opponent to demonstrate." That is a bare-bones excuse to question me when I arrived and see how I reacted to Silvis, that I can see plainly.

But I'm not one to turn down a decent game of chess when I can actually lose. "Sure. But I'd like to help." I make a slight demand and take out my chess set again, no one rejects that demand, and so the game begins again.

I ended up spending longer than I'd thought talking idly with the two and entertaining Silvis by drawing a few birds for her to color in with paint. I also try my best to teach Thelis how to be better as does Phelix, and with a lot of tips and several practice games, he does improve a little over the next few hours.

Eventually, Silvis tires out after asking many questions. so Thelis picks her up and looks at me. "My duties call me, and this one needs sleep." A polite excuse to leave.

Silvis seems to disagree. "No I don't!" She complains but fails to break free from his grasp.

He smiles slightly. "Like I said, she needs sleep. It was a pleasure to meet you Shade Evergreen. Know you will always be welcome here." He puts some emphasis on that last part.

I nod firmly. "Thank you. Have a good day King Thelis." I use his title with a little respect as he smiles more and wrangles the filly before walking off.

"Goodbye grandsires friend!" The adorable filly waves while being carried and I wave back with a small smile of my own, it seems I have a new title to my name. I turn back to see that Phelix has beaten me and the game is over, and a moment later he starts to put away the game.

I raise a brow and he shows a tiny smile. "I would like some rest, I don't often talk this much." I nod and pick up the game after he's done putting it away. "Shade." He offers his talon and I shake it happily.

"Phelix." A simple goodbye but a fitting one for us and how we act. I turn on the spot and walk over to the door.

But before I can walk through he speaks again. "I've seen a lot." I stop and turn my head back to see him staring out at the city. "I've seen battle after battle and far too many foolish things done by foolish beings." His tone holds a weight that reminds me of Celestia in a way.

"When you've seen enough in your life you get a feel for some things. A feeling that points you in a certain direction or makes you think about something more." I'm not sure why he's saying this but he still doesn't look at me and just looks out as I stand still.

"In battle you get a feel for how dangerous someone can be." He looks at me now. "You have a good mask, many would never second guess it for a moment." I stiffen as he talks about things that are a little too close to the truth for my liking.

He smiles again before standing up and moving to the railing. "I pity whoever you hide from, because, by the time that mask falls, it will be far too late. Don't be a stranger." With that last remark he takes a quick leap off the balcony and takes flight like nothing was said at all.

I stare at him for a moment and go through the door. :I hope he's right. By magic, I hope he's right:.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :D
Current year is 994

Not too much in this one. Also, I'm taking tomorrow off.