Royal Advisor Anon, Princess Cadance | Crystal Castle

The Economy was in shambles. It'd be worse off if Cadance hadn't been working so closely with Equestria -- turns out Anon was right, and they heavily import a lot from their southern Neighbor.

Following Sombra's traumatic rule, the entire population was pushing through some level of individual ptsd, having been mind controlled and forced to work or fight. There have been some efforts to quell this, but the efforts of re-adjusting the Nation to a new time, a thousand years later, have taken priority.

The Mine, which was their primary source of income as an international export, and source of domestic supply, was horribly understaffed, and currently closed for 'safety issues'. A fraction of the population was still willing to work as miners, which crippled both their income, and their domestic Crystal supplies.

Also, turns out, crystals are fucking vital to this places survival. There's an entire festival about shoving the prettiest rock you can find, into the Crystal Heart when your foal is born, to strengthen the heart. The Crystaling, or something.

Let's talk about the fucking Heart for a second.

The Crystal Heart was... awkwardly vital. Like, disgustingly so. Incomprehensibly. It hurt Anon's brain to think about it.

Cadance and him had slowly wandered from the Dining Room as she imparted more and more information. And with every new tidbit about the Crystal Empire, the harder Anon groaned.

It wasn't just their defense against a shadowy King that wanted to return and claim Kingship over the Kingdom, while remnants of his grasp still lingered. It wasn't just fueled by the very turbulent emotions of the general populace, which needed to have their love and hope managed so they Heart could even function, not only to defend themselves. Because it turns out, if the Crystal Heart isn't working; this place gets a lot fucking colder.

There's a few tribes further north. Polar bears, or some fluffy yaks or something. Anon zoned out while Twilight was explaining it on the ride over. Penguins too. But, apparently, being this far North has a unique issue, something that the other groups have had to figure out in their own way to deal with it. That issue being, that the north was referred to as the Frozen North; or the Icy Wastes. Or the fucking Pale. But why does that matter?

If the Heart stops working, a frigid winter cold enough to 'freeze the very wind' will crawl in, settling over the entire fucking city.

A fucking ice age will start if the heart stops working.

They can't move it somewhere secure, because it doesn't work unless it's sat exactly where it is. They can't secure it, or the Ponies will get upset without access to it, and its powers will weaken. They had to leave the single most valuable thing this nation had, sitting on a public display in the plaza, so the entire city didn't freeze over and the populace didn't become miserable. The best they could do is throw more guards at it. Oh, wait, they didn't have any to spare.

Anon held his head in his hands, fingers digging into the sides of his skull. They'd paused their walk so he could sit, head in hands, on one of the benches that line the hallways so he could process; Cadance decided to hop up, and sat beside him as she waits for him to process what she's been putting up with.

This entire fucking Empire was built on the mantra of putting every single egg it had, into one publicly displayed basket. Their defense system for an evil king and protection against a primordial ice age was fueled by public opinions, and sat in town square. And as far as he was aware, the only one who could operate the thing was Cadance, who had a picture of it stapled to each side of her ass. He checked a few other butts in passing just to be sure, including Cadance's; Cadance was surprisingly compliant with letting him get a closer look, scooting over on the bench so he could get a better angle. It's literally the Crystal Heart, on each side of her flank.

So knock even a single step for the whole process out, and they're completely shit out of luck.

So, that's a fucking nightmare he gets to deal with now.

Not to mention everything else that came with a nation returning from not existing for a thousand years, like re-negotiaging trade routes (they had nothing to offer right now), payments that had gone undue (they had none to collect, but several to pay -- apparently, Evil Kings like loans, but not checking interest rates, and their treasury wasn't looking great), and...

Anon huffs loudly, slumped against the bench. He'd probably need to write it all down, honestly. He needs an Office.

Funny, they stopped in the hall with the Princess Amore painting again. That's twice now; might as well be his new favorite rest spot. His gaze roams over the artwork again, as Cadance sits quietly beside him, watching him.

He catches a look at her out of the corner of his eye. She looks... guilty. Like she feels bad for asking him out here, just to stress him out. Alright, Anon. No more stress than usual. Quit making the Pony feel bad; she's too nice for that.

He runs his hands through his hair, sighing. Her ears twitch at the sound.

"Beautiful, huh?" He mumbles.

Cadance perks up, confused, before glancing at the painting.

"Hmm? Oh-- Yes, I suppose it is. Or, she is. Which did you mean?" She questions, ears twitching.

"Both, I suppose. The only ruler we know of a pre-Sombra rule, with most of the other records being trapped or burned. Painting is beautifully made; and Princess Amore has this regal air about her, that catches the eye." Anon continues. Cadance is watching him now, curious. "Makes me wonder why this painting survived, when Sombra's cursed or destroyed other records, other works. You think he ever sat here, on this bench, staring at it? Think they had history?" He ruminates aloud. One of the staff quietly cross the hall, pausing to bow to Cadance, who returns it with a nod, before they carry on.

She glances at him. Then to the bench. Then back to the painting.
"...He destroyed so much else, I hadn't even thought of that. Perhaps he did. I have heard he has a study, hidden somewhere in the castle. There are... lingering traces of his magic in some of the halls and rooms, but we've yet to find it. Perhaps some more things are stored away?"

"Hey, maybe. Good to know; I'll shout real loud if I trip into it, or something." Anon snorts; that gets a weak giggle from Cadance.
Tally that to the list of potential problems; evil kings secret room.

"Well... obviously, we're going to need to petition Equestria for some aid, maybe even a loan. Probably best if it comes directly from you, considering your relationship with Celestia. Some guards to bolster our own ranks until we can get the guard up to strength, a loan to invest into local industry..." Anon starts to ruminate aloud. An interested Cadance shifts in her seat on the bench, facing him.

"We can't just ignore the Mine, so we'll need to review it's conditions to make it as safety-regulated and appealing to work in as possible; but I also want to diversify the products we offer both our citizens, and the international market, so we're not crippled if something happens to the Mines." He continues, Cadance nodding.

"The Mine has been shut down since the Empires return; very few of the Crystal Ponies are willing to go near it. Perhaps... incentives, like a shorter work week, and conditional bonuses?" Cadance offers, clearly invested in the topic. "We've been operating off of Equestria's good graces already, but hearing that we wish to heavily invest in our own industry? I see no reason as to why Auntie Celestia would not be pleased."

"Get those Crystal Ponies some scheduled therapy, too. Get an Equestrian shipped out here or something; or I'll even do it myself." Anon huffs, snapping his fingers in thought. "There's the... Crystaling, when a foal is born, right? Think Twilight told me about that one; but are there any other cultural festivals?"

Cadance visibly perks up, eyes widening as she suddenly leans very close to Anon, brimming with excitement, as Anon flinches back in surprise. Pink pony jumpscare.
"The... Crystal Faire! It's a celebration to boost the Crystal Ponies spirits, and strengthen the Crystal Heart in one! We could revitalize their moods, and make them more open to things again!"

"Throw in a little stall about rebranding the Mine, a little expo about refurbishing the guard, and we might just manage to upswing this thing in the right direction." Anon nods; it's hard not to get sucked into her growing excitement. Her and Twilight are pretty similar, especially the way they both get very... involved.

"I knew you'd be perfect for the job, Anon." She springs off the bench, already trotting down the hall, Anon granted his personal space again. "Come on! I'll need my Royal Advisor to accompany me during the preparations!" Cadance calls back, gaining distance.

Anon huffs, shifting to sit up -- something pokes his ass, like a sharp little needle. He makes a noise -- one he's glad Cadance was too far to hear-- springing up off the bench, glaring at where he'd just been sitting. Fucking Crystal benches and their pointy edges--

He squints, leaning down. There's something small and sharp sticking out from behind the cushioning. With finger and thumb, Anon plucks it from its butt-poking spot. He wonders how many other unpoked cheeks this bench has claimed.

It's a small shard of something. Glass? Crystal? A gem? It has this deep, orangy-red mixture of color, and it fits in the palm of his hand. The oddest part about it... is how warm it is. Maybe he'd just been sitting on it. No, too warm for how long they'd been sat.

There's a... tingle, like someone is watching him. Anon shifts his gaze, following it; and finds himself looking up to the painting of Princess Amore.

It's honestly a gorgeous portrait. Likely painted overlooking the entire city, from the highest point in the castle. The morning light gleams over her near-white, pinkish fur, and highlights her curled mane. She stares towards the painter, through half-lidded eyes and that noble, almost otherworldly amber stare as she regally looks outward.

Huh. Anon holds his palm up, comparing the painting to the object he'd found. The shard is the same color as her mane--

"Anon? Everything alright?" He suddenly hears, right beside him, making him flinch. It yanks him from his thoughts, as he blinks several times, nearly dropping the shard.

"Huh?" Anon mumbles. What had he been doing?

"I called for you quite a few times; awfully smitten with that painting huh? Like it that much?" Cadance teases, a playful grin on her face as she nudges his side with a wing.

Right, the Faire. Cadance. He glances at the shard, tucking it into a pocket, looking to the wing nudger.
"Huh? Oh, sure; reminds me of you, so I keep finding myself looking at it. Anyway, let's go, yeah? Probably track down the treasurer or whatever to find out if we even have the funds to run it." Anon points onward, starting to walk.

This time, it's Cadance who gets left behind, staring after Anon with wide eyes.
"...Beautiful, huh? I am right here." She huffs quietly to herself, a coy look on her face. She shakes her head, trotting to catch up.

Royal Advisor Anon, Princess Cadance, Minted Biscuit | Royal Treasury

Off to the Treasury, to meet with Minted Biscuit; a light-brown mare with itty-bitty glasses balanced on her snout. She had this bookish, snobby look to her. Notably, she was a Unicorn, not a Crystal Pony.

The treasury was small, compared to the records room, and guarded by a single sleepy guard. A two-stage setup, with a small office, desk and the works for the Treasurer -- Minted, in this case -- to work from, with the Vault directly behind her. Located central in the tower, the room had no windows, likely for security.

Sat at the desk, Minted has folded hooves sat on their top, as Cadance sits across from her in the only opposite chair: Anon idly gazing over the vault door, after Cadance reassured Minted several times that he was, in fact, cleared to poke around, and was the new Royal Advisor.

"A... Faire, your highness?" Minted asks, dubious. She can't stop glancing back at Anon as he puts his fingers all over her office.

"Yes! The Crystal Faire; it's a deeply cultural, yearly event that bolsters the Nation, and the Heart." Cadance affirms, smiling. She also cannot help but watch as Anon pokes and prods around the vault, the room, the walls.

"I don't think we have the spare funds for a carnival, Princess. As you know, we're already stretched thin maintaining the status quo." Minted warns, shuffling a few papers on her desk.

"Ah. Well, that's why we were looking into getting a loan--" Cadance starts.

Minted places an uncomfortably thick pile of papers, mostly stamped in bright red, in front of her.

"...From my Auntie, Princess Celestia..." Cadance trails off, losing a little enthusiasm.

Minted divides the stack in half, and sets half of it aside.

"...Seriously?" Anon hums, leant over the desk, squinting at the various loans and debts.

"Seriously, Advisor. I have an entire, different pile for Sombra loans that we're still being obliged to pay. Equestria has been more than generous, and is growing tiresome of forking money over." Minted explains.

"What? By who?" Cadance huffs. "Why are we still expected to pay loans taken by Sombra?"

"Groups, companies, guilds, nations, individuals; all credible, and all looking for repayment. Doesn't matter if it's a Sombra-held Empire or an Equestria-aligned Empire, it's still the Empire to them. They want their money, and they want the thousand years of interest. Thankfully, the Pile has gotten smaller; not all loaners survived said passage of time, but a fair amount did." Minted explains, setting the various stacks of paper away. "Sombra had hid a massive portion of the treasury; and what little was left, was divided among the populace to ease burdens post-Sombra." Minted then explains, looking to Anon.

Anon crosses his arms, humming softly. No more loans... and can't really ask Twilight and her friends for help, with their rocky state. And finding Sombra's mystery stash wasn't a good plan to hedge everything on.

"I... see." Cadance ruminates, tapping her hooves and trying to rack up an idea. She wasn't one to back down; something Anon appreciated.

"So how much are we working with, anyway?" Anon asks, nodding to the vault.

"Enough to maintain for a few seasons, like paying guard wages, but little more. If we don't get the Ponies back in the Mines, I don't foresee us lasting much longer; Celestia forbid something happens that costs us money, like a disaster." Minted expounds, and doesn't look terribly content about it.

"Why is the Mine so important, anyway? Do we really not have any industry or other forms of production?" Anon asks, curious now. Did they really have to lean on the Mine that hard?

"Crystals are an incredibly valuable material on the open markets; versatile, their use dependent on its properties. While Equestria is our mainline consumer, there's few sources for such materials, nor is it near as abundant elsewhere, as it is here -- so other nations also seek us for our Crystal supply." Minted explains. Ah -- more international pressure.

"And in most cases, incredibly potent for tasks involving magic." Cadance adds, still a little somber. Her excited enthusiasm had been firmly curbed.

"Though, some new industries are starting to emerge... with their newfound freedom, several Ponies are trying to 'Re-Find Themselves', and are attempting to open new business. Heavy emphasis on the... attempting." Minted expounds, pushing her glasses up. "Their pockets are not exactly... deep, following mind-controlled servitude. Most of what was divvied out went straight to homes and food."

Anon strokes his chin for a long moment, ruminating. Idle money was essentially no money at all; and while an emergency fund was good, this constituted such an event enough, in his eyes. They could try to suffer out the next few months, hoping for change... or fix their problems.

"Well, that sounds like a good place to start. Push for as many extensions on as many of the loans as you can; we'll wager our heavy relations with Equestria as a bulwark towards threats." Anon suddenly speaks up, hands slamming on the table. Cadance perks up instantly, nodding -- though Minted is far more reserved, and even a little offended at the treatment of her desk.

"As I have already been doing, Advisor." She states bluntly, poking at his fingered appendages to try and get him to move them.

"Delightful -- keep it up, then. In the meantime; we need to create jobs. The people have no money, so they have no bits to spend, so they have nothing to invest. Cadance; we should take a look at the Mine, and figure what can be done to help stem their distaste of approaching it again. Like you suggested -- Incentives, compensation programs, market-competative rates and benefits --" Anon begins listing off. Minted holds up a hoof.

"And where is the money for this meant to come from? As we have established, we have minimal funds." She clarifies harshly.

"Your summary was status-quo for a few seasons. First, Let's go all-out for one. The Faire, Mines reinvestment; we might be able to push a recruitment drive, but I might recommend saving it for later, once the bits are flowing." Anon answers quickly.

"...You can't be serious." Minted blinks heavily, looking to Cadance for support.

"Second; we involve Equestria in the Faire. Make it a tourist attraction, bring in Equestrians, get all the Princesses involved. Make it a big, united event; tired of spending money or not, they'll shell out again for something that pushes their ideal status-quo so soon after the wedding." Anon continues. Minted wants to object --

-- Unfortunately, it seems Cadance is smitten with the idea, now also slamming her hooves on Minted's table.
"Delightful! See it done, Minted!"

Internally, Minted groans.
"Very well, your majesty... I will shift the funding, and provide the required papers. Let's hope this maneuver pays off, or it's wraps for the Empire."

Minted reaches for her quill; but finds one of the humans hands is scratching her ear. She feels deeply offended by the act, and slaps his hand away.

...She slaps his hand away. Any second now.

No, she doesn't lean into it, she slaps his --

Oh, buck it. She starts writing the initial funding approvals, barely, ever so slightly tolerating the scratching.

Minted glances up from her paper. Why does the Princess look jealous?

The carriage jostles along the northern road, towards the outside of the city. The Crystal roads gave it a surprisingly smooth ride. Which was nice, since with the lack of Pegasi, land-wagons would be all they'd get outside Equestria.

Anon, bundled up in his coat, and Cadance, with a rather flattering fluffy cape, sat opposite of each other -- oop, and now she just sat beside him, getting comfortable and giving him a smile.
"Since you don't have fur, I thought you'd appreciate the proximity." She says casually. Well, she's not wrong. Cadance is pretty damn warm for a pony.

One of those fancy four-wheel carriages, Anon peeks out the window at the passing rocky houses. They're being pulled by a pair of Crystal Guard, who just so happen to also serve as their escort. An unfamiliar Mare with a cream fur and blue armor, and you guessed it, Cobalt again.

"So how far is the Mine?" Anon asks, glancing to Cadance as she nestles in beside him. He was more than used to getting his personal space impeded by Ponies; just... not usually Ponies with this much flank. She was taking up a good chunk of the seat.

"Not that far at all; the Crystal city has a few locations of note just outside its walls, like the farms to the south. You should see a rail track actually appear once we get outside the walls; it runs all the way to the Mine, and is one of the few things our guards patrol outside the city." Cadance helpfully explains, leaning against him to point out his window.

Farms? They actually grow shit out here? He'd have to follow up on that next.

Anon follows her pointed hoof; sure enough, after a few moments of variously colored, suburban style crystal housing, a large crystal structure of near rectangle growth emerged, very close to the edge of the city. And from it, a long rail track curved into the distant icy landscape, alongside the road.

"That's the refinery, where they process and manage any of the Crystals, Geodes, or Ores that are found in the Mines. It's been quiet for some time, unfortunately." Cadance helpfully and happily explains, before sitting back again.

"That Mine really is this places lifeblood, huh?" Anon muses with some trepidation. He'd heard of enough nations or places from his world with a similar setup. Usually with oil or a precious metal; they go all-in on it, and eventually suffer from going narrow minded, or outside political impact; like war.

"It is. Not just to the Economy, but to the Crystal Ponies themselves. I'm glad you're taking this all so seriously, Anon. It's been a relief to have someone capable in my corner, already tackling problems." She smiles, putting a reassured hoof on his leg. "How did your talk with Shining go, by the way?"

"Oh, good. Made some small talk, got a tour of the castle, chatted ideas for the Guard. Honestly, the Crystal theme hasn't been as bad on the eyes as I first thought it was going to be." Anon admits, snorting.

"Truthfully? I had the same worry. Crystals are delightful to look at, certainly, but for everything? I'm glad its grown on me." Cadance giggles in turn.

"Oh, speaking of Shining -- slight tangent, if you don't mind -- he said I smell good. Do I?" Anon asks, looking to Cadance expectantly.

She blinks a few times, getting a little quieter.
"He did? Are... you asking me to check?"

"I mean, if you want? That's not weird, is it? I'm kind of just curious, and trying to learn how you little pastel hoofers work. Human's don't have nearly a strong nose as Ponies, so hearing I have a smell surprised me." Anon shrugs.

"Alright then, hold on..." Cadance mumbles, shifting in her seat, using her wings for balance. Haunches and back legs still scooted back, she puts one hoof on his leg, the other on his shoulder; since they're sat, they're roughly the same head-height.

Anon kind of just awkwardly holds still. Honestly, he just wanted to ask her about it. But, here's where things went, he supposes.

Her nose tentatively hovers just off his neck, warmth breaths awkwardly spaced out. Was she nervous? Was this weirding her out? Was this a thing for Ponies? Now he kind of felt bad for asking.

She's just been hovering for a few moments, making his neck warm.

"Everything alright? I didn't ask for something awkwardly intimate, did I?" Anon asks, tilting his head ever so slightly to try and get a side-eye glance of Cadance. He'd done that a few times before, entirely by accident.

She startles, flinching back.
"N--No, It's good! Er, I'm good!" She quickly stutters, grinning.

Anon raises an eyebrow slowly.
"...This is totally a thing for you ponies, isn't it."

Cadance purses her lips, glancing away.

Long, drawn out silence, punctuated only by muffled hooves pulling the carriage as it rattles quietly.

"...It's complicated. It... kind of is, but only sometimes?" She eventually tries to offer. "It's... contextual."

"Alright, counter question. Is this weird for you, or did I weird you out? Because again, smell isn't really a thing for my people; or at least, nearly as much, so if it is iffy, we can like... not." Anon says, trying a different angle.

"No. I don't think this is weird." Cadance responds quickly, quite firmly. "Sorry, I was just... distracted." Cadance returns, soft but surprisingly firm. She leans close to him again, taking a more notable breath; the tip of her nose presses against his skin, making Anon crinkle his neck.

"Tickles." He mutters.

"Hm. Shining was right, you do have a... scent, to you. Do you find other Ponies enjoy standing close to you?" Cadance muses, still very close.

"Uh... yeah, I guess? Ponies do like napping on me." Anon shrugs. "And they fold to getting pet pretty quickly."

"Really?" Cadance hums. Her nose touches behind his ear, now. "Well, I saw that with Minted. I never thought she'd tolerate that."

"Yeah, Twilight likes to crawl on me and use me as a heater. Honestly, I just don't really get to have personal space with ponies, so I stopped trying to. Now half the time, I'm the one initiating. They never seem to mind." Anon continues, ousting purple while he ruminates. It gets a light giggle from Cadance.

"You do radiate warmth, so I wouldn't blame her. You've been quite comfortable to sit beside; perhaps I'll station you close to the throne, for the colder nights? Truthfully, I'm just glad you two are close." Cadance smiles, sneaking in some jokes. At least, Anon thinks they're jokes.

"Yeah, she's a good friend." Anon affirms. He's reminded of the contract she scrawled up for the demon she meant to summon. Clean her library, don't be evil, be her friend. It still makes him snort when he thinks about it.

Cadance finally shifts back -- but not by very much, hoof still on his leg. There's a playful smirk in her face.
"It's a pleasant one, if you were worried about the smell. It's... calming. Your people wouldn't happen to have a habit of... lulling creatures into a false sense of safety, only to eat them, would they?"

Anon chuckles dismissively.
"No, my people dominated the food chain by throwing things, like rocks and sharpened sticks. You'd be surprised how far that gets you."

Cadance leans a smidge closer.
"...Hm. Then why--"

The carriage suddenly lurches as it comes to a stop, interrupting the conversation. There's a short knock on the door.
"Princess, we've arrived." The guard-mare announces.

"R-right! Thank you." Cadance quickly clears her throat, hopping down off the seat; she pauses to quickly check her Mane, and swings open the door, hopping out.

Anon trails out after her, ducking through the carriage door. Directly ahead, merged into the side of a mountain probably no more than half an hour outside of the city, is a massive entrance to a Mine.

Author's Note