Unforeseen Consequences - Welcome to Griffonstone 4

>It was the start of a new day in Griffonstone. There were few clouds in the early blue sky, allowing the sun to gently bathe everything below with its tender warm, while the thin morning fog that covered the entire kingdom made sure to keep the temperature cold enough.
>The wind blew across the muddy, lifting a few blades of hay in the process. A few griffons started to come out from their homes, the adults started to set up their street shops, while the children ran, jumped, and flew from ruined house to ruined house, calling their friends out to play.
>Yes, it was a new and peaceful day in Griffonstone, one that on a superficial look, wouldn’t reveal anything inherently wrong with how the griffons carried on with their daily lives.
>The problem is that, as you just stated, this was just a surface level, a façade of sorts, and just like the hay that littered the streets, it really didn’t took much effort to get to the muddy reality of this kingdom.
>You were perfectly aware that Equestria isn’t a perfect utopia where the water tastes like honey and everyone behaves like angels, but despite its many flaws, you have never seen the kind of misery, frustration, and defeat that plagued the faces of every adult griffon.

>Only the children smiled in this kingdom, but even then, their happiness was frugal. Not even they could escape from the greediness of the adults. Because as you began to understand, Griffonstone was the kingdom of fees.
>Fees for asking a parent if their child can come out to play. Fees for borrowing a ball. Fees for playing in front of somebody else’s home. The hunger for bits that some of these griffons had rivaled or even surpassed the hunger of love that the changelings had under Chrysalis’ rule.
>How much it broke your heart to see all of these previously eager children to end up with the same defeated and frustrated faces as their parents, and to see the lack of shock in the adult’s faces, as if this was an expected result, was something that you can’t really begin to describe.
>You don’t know if this was just an ironic coincidence or a deliberate act of maliciousness that the building that the griffon council used served as a perfect encapsulation of Griffonstone.
>A semi-dilapidated structure made of stone and clay, covered in red painting that had almost banished due to the passage of time. Heavy stone statues of proud griffons were placed alongside the front walls, none of them were in a particular good state.

>The tall and wide doors were little more than a couple of splintered wood planks nailed to the entrance, and the stairs that lead to them, if they could even be called stairs, were all covered with a thick layer of dust, sand and hay.
>And that’s where you stood in front of, with your mom Luna by your side and an unamused look on your face. That’s when you decided to break the silence that had been reigning between the two of you.
>Of course, you did it with a little humorous remark.
“Woah! So this where the griffon council works, huh? Let me tell you, mom. This building looks…! Yeah, I don’t really know what I was expecting.”
>Your mom had a serious expression on her face since you left the hotel. Like she was gathering all possible scenarios that the meeting could present inside of her head. That professional seriousness was broken the moment you decided to make that little joke.
>“You better believe me when I say that is not as bad as the first time I came here…” Your mom placed her hoof on her forehead and shook her head “At least they have proper doors now.”
“I dunno, mom. I feel like you’re overstretching the definition of doors there…”
>“Maybe I am, but there is no point in discussing it since this is as good as the council is willing to get, and speaking of that matter. How are you feeling, my child? It is quite fine if you feel a bit nervous. This is your first time handling an international meeting, after all.”

>Considering what you asked Aegia and that bartender to do last night, it was a bit hard to see your mom right in the eye. You absolutely hated to keep these kind of secrecy around her, but the harsh truth was, you also absolutely needed the information you asked to recollect.
“Nah! Considering that the council are confirmed idiots. I’m actually feeling more pumped about this whole thing than yesterday! I can’t wait to see how you handle them!”
>There was a positive side, though. You didn’t really need to lie about your feelings. Because you were honestly feeling excited about crushing the council’s hopes of pocketing more bits, not only that, what you just said about your mom was also completely true.
>With the exception of your mom Celestia, you knew this wonderful and kind mare more than anyone else in the entire world. That’s why you weren’t TOO concerned about the request you made to Aegia, because more likely than not, your mom’s intelligence and skills will outshine whatever the council throws at her.
>As if you needed more proof of her kindness. Your mom gifted you a beautiful smile as she caressed your mane with the love that only a mother would have “I think you meant “How WE will handle them”. Do not underestimate your own capabilities, my child.”
“Well, that is true, I wasn’t planning on sleeping through the whole thing, but c’mon, mom! You’re talking as if I was on your level! The only negotiations I’ve ever done were at my school!”

>Your mom’s smile was quickly replaced with an expression of disappointment. Which in turn, only served to bring down your mood since that meant that the meeting hasn’t even started and you were already screwing up.
“Mom? W-What’s wrong? D-Did I say something wrong?”
>She must have noticed the drop in your enthusiasm, since your mother slowly shook her head and turned her gaze to the dilapidated building. She then spoke with a more serious tone, one that also had a bit of sadness hidden behind it “As I said, do not underestimate yourself, my child. Now come, we do not want to be late for the meeting.”
“A-Alright, mom”
>The very first thing that welcomed when you entered the building was the incredible amount of dust this place had. It was almost like a thick layer of smoke that would have made breathing a difficult task if it wasn’t for the kindness of your mom.
>The moment you started coughing, it was the moment when she immediately casted a very subtle, almost invisible shield spell around you, which not only allowed you to breathe normally in this dust filled air, but also to see the true state of ruin that the council’s building was in.
>It was a bit impressive that the interior of the building was somehow in a much worse state than the exterior. The saddest part was that it was clear this used to be an imposing structure a long time ago.

>It was a miracle that the whole place hadn’t collapsed. The tall ceiling had a massive whole in it, almost like a bomb went right through it. What were supposed to be powerful Greek-styled pillars in the past, were now a little more than rubble.
>It should tell a lot that the stone stairs, located in the center of the massive hall, were the best thing about this building. Even then, they weren’t in a presentable condition, either. They were all cracked and fractured.
>These stairs separated in three ways, similar to a fork. Based on the old and rotten wood logs that were encrusted at regular intervals in the upper-walls as well as the piles of rubles located beneath them, you probably could deduce that the stairs on the sides could have led to a balcony or a second floor here.
>Speaking of rubble, that wasn’t the only thing you needed to avoid. You had lost count on all the small craters on the floor. Some of them were superficial, others felt like staring into a deep abyss.
>One of the biggest surprises that you had, was to see that at the end of the central stairs, which you should point out, were the least badly kept out of the three, a giant pair of mahogany doors with some beautiful carvings of old Griffonstone’s kings in them.
>Your initial thoughts were of course, that the court where the council worked were behind those doors. You were kind of wrong. What you found was an actually well-kept lobby. Sure, the room wasn’t made out of ivory or anything like that, but it still was impressive.

>Just like with the doors you went through, the walls of the lobby had engravings of, what you assumed at least, previous leaders and other important historical figures of Griffonstone. Meanwhile, the floor was so polished that you could see your reflection on its black and white tiles
>There was a little contradiction in this lobby that you found a bit funny. For the most part, it was completely empty. The only piece of furniture in this room was a mahogany desk placed in front of another set of doors, the difference with the previous ones being that, the cravings in these ones were covered in silver and gold.
>This was also the first time since you entered the building that you saw actual signals of life. Sitting at the desk was a female griffon chatting with another griffon who was hovering in front of her. Before you go anywhere else, you have to admit something, both of these gals were actually quite cute.
>The girl sitting at the desk had very round cheeks, like a cute squirrel, and was wearing a gray scarf with a little pin of a waxing crescent moon around her neck. The feathers in her head and chest were, for the most part, of a greenish gray color. This coloration changed to a pale emerald green when it came to the ovoid spots she had around her eyes and the edges of her head and chest. The rest of her body was covered in a scarlet coat, except for the wings, these were of a darker color. Amaranth, perhaps?
>You could already tell that the other cutie was, to put it mildly, a very cheerful gal. Her turquoise eyes were brimming with life and excitement. Her coat was of a bluish gray color, same as the upper half of the feathers in her head. From the cheeks to the chest, her feathers were of grayish cyan color with a white spot that went from her chin to a little below the throat. Not only that, but she also had these cyan marks that looked like freckles.

>As you said, these two were having a friendly conversation related to the mail that the grayish griffon had just brought with her. This was of course interrupted once the girl at the desk noticed that you and your mom were here, as she quickly pulled aside all the papers on her desk and happily waved at the two of you.
>This excitement didn’t end there. The girl at the desk quickly left her position and greeted your mom with a warm hug “Princess Luna! It’s so nice to see you again! Man, I wish the stupid council wasn’t at it again. I could tell you how I got into the national boffyball team!”
>“I am incredibly happy to hear the good news. I always knew that you had an amazing talent for sports, but with that said…” After breaking the hug, your mom made a very subtle chuckle and replied with a polite, yet friendly tone “How many times do I need to tell you to just call me Luna? We are not strangers.”
>Feeling a bit embarrassed by your mom’s words, the desk girl smiled sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head “I’m sorry, Luna! It’s just that… is not like I’m used to deal with actual rulers. The best we get is the fuddy-duddy squad, and y’know how bad those dudes are, I mean who in their right mind could think that…”
>The desk girl was then interrupted by the grayish mail griffon. She basically just bargained into the conversation, her eyes sparkling with awe as she cutely held her cheeks with her paws and exclaimed “OH MY GOSH! You actually know THE Princess Luna?! Why’d you never tell me?! This is so awesome!”

>The desk girl was a bit uncomfortable by the excited bluntness of the mail griffon, causing her to push the gray mail girl a bit away “Geez, Gabby! Don’t you know what personal space is? I swear!”
>So the names of these two were Greta and Gabby. The bartender was Garen and the supposedly leader of the council was Goyri. There’s a pattern here, the griffons doesn’t have a completely equal naming system to humans. It seems like every griffon’s name must start with the letter “G”
>Curious indeed, but ultimately pointless. After all, what you cared about who the individual was, not how it was named.
>Speaking of actions, after giving a small scolding to Gabby, Greta had finally took notice of your presence. Of course, she first asked your mom “Hey, Luna. Is this the cool new Prince I keep hearing about?”
>Your mom’s face was filled with pride when she nodded and replied with a similar tone “That is correct. Greta, I want you to meet my son.”
>The desk girl smiled and without hesitation, grabbed your right front hoof with her claw and politely shook it “Hiya there! Sorry for the rudeness, I just needed to remind a certain nosy griffon what manners are! Let me introduce myself, though! My name is Greta, the best boffyball player in all of Griffonstone! Oh! And I work as the council’s secretary… but that’s just part time!”
>Greta was the pushed away by Gabby, who vigorously shook your hook… and also managed to disorient you for a couple seconds “And I’m Gabriella! But you can call me Gabby! Pleased to meet ya, lil’ guy!”
>It took you a couple more seconds to make the world stop spinning… and to take in the hyper personality of Gabby, but once you did, you brought up the princely attitude.

>Well, you could have introduced yourself in a much more casual manner, but as they say, first impressions are the most important, and this is a business trip, so you thought that being as professional as possible was for the best.
>So what you did was to offer the two cuties a courteous bow coupled with the best kind of greeting, a smile as warm as the sun and as soothing as the stars.
“Miss Greta and Miss Gabby, I have to say, the honor is all mine. I’m Anon, Prince of Harmony at your service. Oh! Before I forget, like my mother said, please don’t mind my title, just call me Anon.”
>Gaby’s beak was comically opened to the point it looked like an “o”, she then scratched her head and said “Whoa! Now this is what I call a prince! Whee-hee-hee! I’m friends with a royal now!”
>Greta rolled her eyes and pushed Gabby away from you “Gabby! You can’t just push yourself onto him like that! It’s rude!”
>That actually made Gabby to feel a bit sad. She touched her talons together and gave Greta such puppy eyes that you couldn’t help but feel your heart melting “But… But he said to call him Anon… that’s what friends do, right?”
>Greta let out a tired sigh as she shook her head “Yeah, but I think that Anon here was just being polite, y’know, like a royal is supposed to be”

>It was a good thing that you didn’t pass a judgment on every griffon based on the interactions and information you had with the council. Otherwise, you would be forced to seriously re-consider how truly capable of holding your title you really were.
>Not to say how hypocritical you would have been to Discord, Eris and Thorax… and that little runt of Scrappy. Wonder how he’s doing.
>No, you made the wise decision of remembering a very important value that had to learn the hard way: kindness. Which of course, was what you offered to poor Gabby.
“I’m sorry, Miss Greta, but Miss Gabby is absolutely right. Regardless the business that my mother and I have with the council, I would be thrilled if the three of us could be friends from here on out.”
>Gabby was beaming with joy when she heard that, so much that she spun a couple times in mid-air before happily holding Greta’s face with her claws “Greta! Greta! Did you hear that?! He said we are friends!  How awesome is that?!”
>Greta’s face looked both hilarious and cute when it was being squished by Gabby’s pawns. It was somehow rounder, and her baffled expression made the whole thing much more enjoyable to you “Yeah! That’s… Very awesome, Gabby, but you have to chill out!”

>“I can’t!” Gabby said as she cutely shook Greta’s cheeks “I’m so happy that I could burst! Oh wait, I almost forgot! But I actually didn’t! Hey, Anon! We’re friends! You can drop the Miss!”
>Meanwhile, your mom kindly was smiling at the whole thing, but, well, she knew that this couldn’t last for too long “I am happy to hear that, and I would like to extend the invite of friendship to myself. Sadly, we do need to move on. But! I do hope we can meet again soon.”
>After finally freeing herself from Gabby’s grasp, Greta turned to your mom and gave her a confident nod “Good luck, Luna! Show the fuddy-duddy squad what you’re made of!”
>Gabby on the other hoof, paid much more attention to you “EEEEE! ANON! I would say, good luck, but, but, but, BUT! I just know you will be totally awesome! Soooo~! Have lots and lots of fun and…uh, toodles!”

>You know, if she was anyone else, you would find Gabby’s excitement a bit creepy, but this gal something that inspired you such confidence that you couldn’t help but find her antics endearing.
>It was that same feeling that made you to keep with the princely attitude, and that means, giving this gal another courteous bow and warm smile.
“While I’m not nowhere near on the level of my dear mother, your words are definitely much appreciated, Miss Gabby. I promise you that I will do my best to not fall short to your expectations.”
>After that, your mom and you walked through the second set of doors and ended up in what you took as the biggest insult from the council to the population they were supposed to guide and lead.
>Whereas most of Griffonstone was immersed into the worst kind of poverty, this scum had a court where everything, from the podiums in which these old imbeciles took seat, to the tables and chairs were you assumed were going to take be was made of gold and silver.
>Not only that, but despite the clear fact that the council had just arrived at the same time as you did, they had the nerve…
>NO! Screw this! Their “leader” had the frickin’ balls to glance at your mother in disgust and said with such a prepotent tone that would make Blueblood look like Fluttershy “Hmph! You’re late as always, Princess Luna! That will cost you one… nah! TWO HUNDRED BITS!
>Dang it! The meeting hasn’t even started and you were already wishing to have the information that you requested to Aegia!