Eternity well spent

The throne room gathering of Sunbeam, Hasty, Cozy, Frill, and Quilt nervously watched from the side as Blueblood and I continued our debate. For my part, I still had chills creeping along my skin from what he had just suggested and was slouching on my throne, fixing him with an incredulous, annoyed leer as he spoke.

"I just don't understand. Have I not been loyal? Have I displeased you somehow?" He huffed with a mildly defeated tone. "I know what I'm asking isn't completely unheard of, at least in this house." The others gasped at his accusation. My eye twitched and I weakly jabbed a finger at him.

"Do not presume to speak to me of how I handle my staff," I shot back, at which he furrowed his brow and frowned at me.

"Seemingly all of your staff, except for one," he retorted, again drawing a series of muted, shocked exclamations from the others. I grimaced and bared my teeth.

"Blueblood, you-" Before I could continue the door gently creaked open and Graggle came waddling in with a guard dog from the road patrol.

"Sorry to interrupt this dispute, O' Dark Prince, but something has come up," Graggle explained stepping past Blueblood and bowing to me. "Ernie has declared his intention to cause what I fear I must describe as an international incident." I groaned and banged my head against the back of my throne.

"Again?" I groused.

"Yes, he claims that he's going to give a very rude letter about Princess Celestia to the Equestrian merchants with instructions to deliver it to any popular Equestrian newspaper," he explained.

"Again?" I sighed, sinking in my seat and drawing my hands down my face. After a moment, I sat up and prepared to stand. "Fine. Where-" Before I could ask anything more, Bloodblood jolted and shot to the base of my throne's dias and held a hoof up at me.

"Wait! Let me tend to this, Master," Blueblood demanded. I paused and fixed him with an even stare. After a moment he lowered his hoof and returned my look with a determined glare. "As proof of my quality and worth." I raised an eyebrow and glanced to the side. The others, now including Graggle, were all looking at me expectantly. Hasty tilted his head with a slight smile and nodded, drawing a quiet grunt from me.

I turned back to Blueblood and swept a hand at him before speaking in my best Lugosi. "Very well, Blueblood. And should you succeed in thwarting this scheme," I hesitated. "I will consider your request." Blueblood's expression hardened, but he nodded in response before making his way to the door.

My Evil Eye followed Blueblood as he solemnly strode across the plains of Woollachia, sword at his side and fire in his eyes. Regardless of what he had asked of me earlier, I wasn't going to let him get himself hurt, so I had the castle guard on standby just in case. Not that I expected Ernie to escalate things, but considering Blueblood's mood there was no telling what might happen.

"How's it looking?" Quilt pressed, nudging my arm.

"He's approaching Threadbare now," I replied. My eyes narrowed as I immediately spotted Ernie, waiting just west of the village on the road all the merchants arrived on. As Blueblood drew near, the ram's attention snapped to him and he fixed him with a smug sneer.

With him were a baker's dozen sheep in flat caps, cloth domino masks, and black-and-white striped sweaters. These were 'Ernie's Dozen,' sheep Ernie had organized as a local secret police to keep tabs on his citizens and on the other goings on in Woollachia. For most, this would be a huge issue. Here, however, it was Ernie, and his goons not only dressed exclusively in those silly outfits even when they were supposed to be sneaking and spying, but when caught they made sure you knew that they were 'sent to skulk by the genius mind of ERNIE.' But those guys were a story for later. For now, they all shot their best impression of a threatening glare at Blueblood, who held his focus on Ernie.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Harlow's little lapdog," Ernie chortled as Blueblood approached. "Ernie guess he caught wind of my plan, huh?" Blueblood stopped a few dozen feet away and began sizing up the group.

"Considering what Graggle reported and knowing you Ernest, I don't believe you made an effort to keep your plan hidden," he said cooly. Ernie snorted and shook his head.

"'Course not! Ernie ain't one to hide the truth! That's why Ernie got voted in as mayor!" He declared and began pacing and sweeping his forehoof as he spoke. "Lace and her chums did a whole bunch of sneakin' and lyin' and hidin'. But not Ernie." He whipped around and jabbed a hoof at Blueblood.

"When Ernie sees a fact, especially one nowooly's talking about, Ernie makes sure word gets around," he said with a dark chuckle before reaching into his wool and pulling out a letter. "And that's exactly what this letter's gonna do!" Blueblood's eyes and horn lit up and his sword shot out and impaled the letter. Ernie froze at the sudden attack and slowly looked at his letter just as Blueblood's magic whipped the sword around in a tight maneuver, completely shredding the letter.

"What letter would that be?" He hummed as he withdrew his sword. Ernie's Dozen all recoiled and shared an anxious look as Ernie stomped his hoof.

"Aw, heck! Cheatin' unicorn with your cheatin' magic. Don't think this is over! You ain't seen the last of Ernie!" He spat, jabbing his hoof at Blueblood again. "Ernie gonna make sure EVerywooly knows how fat your aunty's rear is!" Blueblood snorted and jabbed his sword at Ernie.

"Not today, you malcontent!" He retorted. "Away with you!" Ernie growled in response.

"Bah, Ernie says! BAH!" He yelled before galloping away. "Quick, Ernie's Dozen! To the Ernie Cave!" His cronies took off after him and all disappeared into Threadbare's townhall with him. Once he was alone, Blueblood took a deep breath and nodded. After a moment, he looked back over his shoulder and scanned his surroundings.

"Well," he said after a moment. "Was that good enough?" I flinched and then grimaced as I cut my Evil Eye and sighed.

"Peter?" Quilt said, nudging me again. I opened my eyes and looked at the rest of them.

"He did it."

Once again, everyone else stood to the side as Blueblood and I glared at each other, with the sole exception of Frill who now sat beside me in her own seat, gently brushing my hand with her hoof.

My eyes locked with his as we exchanged steely glares. Despite his trials, as it was pretty hot today and the walk to Threadbare was pretty far, he endured his obvious fatigue with a grim resolution and an expectant leer. Slowly, I leaned my head back and narrowed my eyes.

"Well done, Blueblood," I said evenly. "Very well done."

"Thank you, Master," he replied with a curt bow, taking a few moments to let the tense silence grip the room before speaking again. "So?" I held my glare for a few seconds before breaking eye contact and scanning the rest of the room. Everyone's eyes were now locked on me, with an anxious light on their faces. When I turned to Quilt, she briefly glanced at Blueblood and back before offering a slight nod. Grimacing, I turned to Frill who quietly sighed before offering a smile and gently resting her hoof on my hand with a nod of her own.

I sighed sharply and rubbed my eyes before looking back at Blueblood. His head was hanging slightly, but he continued to stare expectantly at me. After a few seconds more, I nodded and he perked up in surprise. Holding out my hands I nodded again.

"Alright, c'mere," I said with a grunt. Blueblood hesitated for just a near imperceptible instant before darting across the room and leaping up into my lap, stumbling initially before curling up and resting his head on my throne's arm with a happy sigh. I clenched my eyes shut with a harsh grimace before opening one eye to scan the rest of the group.

Sunbeam and Cozy were leaning on each other and turning a pale red as they struggled to hide their laughter. Frill blinked a few times before averting her eyes. Quilt watched us expectantly with a heavy blush and Hasty offered me a sympathetic smile before making a stroking motion with his hoof.

I sighed quietly before complying, gently and uncomfortably petting Blueblood's back, drawing a happy hum from the pony as he curled up tighter.