A Fall, Unnoticed

The griffon’s claw drew a line across the map. “I’m telling you, Princess, this is our final word. We won’t cede an inch of our ancestral hunting grounds.”

For the sixty-second time that day, Celestia stood up from her throne, which looked even more lifeless than usual in the enchanted sconces' still, gray light. The meeting dragged on long into the night, yet the princess walked across the floor of the Celestial Court with confident hoofsteps and marked a line perpendicular to the griffon’s. “Ambassador, there are ponies living there; they built towns without your knowledge. Griffonia cannot hold all that land, and I will arrange sufficient compensation for every mile you’ll lose.”

The ambassador glared at her. Were it not for the new moon outside, Celestia might’ve noticed a hint of a grin visiting his beak. “Absolutely not,” he repeated. “Although, how much gold are you talking about?”

Celestia’s expression remained neutral, though she knew she already had the griffon where she wanted him. “Noble ambassador—”

The stone door slid open, and Brightquill, the princess’s aide, trotted inside. She gave a polite nod to the foreign dignitary and addressed the princess, “Celestia, Princess Luna asks where you are. You were supposed to dine together.”

Celestia’s expression fell, but she steeled herself almost immediately. “Write a letter to my sister. Tell her that something important came up and I cannot join her tonight. I’ll sign it soon.” She waved Brightquill away and turned to the ambassador. “As I was saying…”