House of Horses (Part 1)

>You are Anonymous.
>And you are at one of the most lively parties you've ever attended.
>The guests are happily chatting, the wine is flowing freely, and the music is top notch.
>But most importantly, today is the day that you will be declared as Head Chair of the Court.
>For years, you've done everything you could to obtain that position. A favor here, a secret deal there. Such is politics, even in this land of pastel-colored talking horses.
>Fortunately for you, the citizens here are rather welcoming. Much friendlier than the people back at home.
>Or at least that's how they act to your face.
>"I see you've made it, Anonymous."
>Turning around, you see a purple figure in front of you. She is in full royal regalia, purple and gold silk flowing down her dress. Jewels litter the fabric. Her piece probably cost more than your entire year's salary.
"Greetings, Twilight," you say with a bow, a smile on your face.
>"We're in a formal setting. It's 'Princess Twilight Sparkle,'" she says curtly, a small smile on her face.
>You try your best not to roll your eyes. Lately the title has gotten to her head for some strange reason.
>Maybe it's something she read in one of her many books about royalty.
"My apologies, Princess of Friendship," you say, the slightest hint of sarcasm in your voice.
>"And Books."
"And Books."
>"To be completely honest, I didn't think you would come."
>You take a glass of wine from a passing waiter.
"Oh? And why is that, may I ask?"
>"It just seemed logically unlikely. I did the math."
"Perhaps you forgot to carry the two."
>"Very funny, Anonymous. I don't make errors as simple as that. In fact, I got a perfect score on the Canterlot Mathematical Extrapolation Exam."
"That's because you rigged it," you mutter under your breadth.
>"What was that?"
"I said I'm sure you did."
>"Well, I'm off to meet the rest of our guests. Farewell."
>A flood of relief comes to you as you give a slight bow.
"Farewell."
>As soon as she turns around to harass her next poor victim, you down the rest of your glass.
>It's sometimes not a good idea to show your true sentiments about someone to their face. Especially if that someone has official royal authority.
>Besides, she's the one who said she'd assign you to be Head Chair. You can at least afford to show her some common courtesy, even if she is a royal pain in the ass.
>A servant hops up to the front of the stage and clears his throat, signaling all the guests to stop talking.
>"Ladies and Gentlecolts...and Anonymous..."
>You tip your empty glass in his direction.
>"...I present to you, Princess Celestia!"
>The floor rumbles as a light thunder of hooves stomp on the ground. You give a light applause as well.
>Celestia enters the stage, a smile on her face.
>As soon as the applause dies down, she speaks.
>"Today is a day of celebration as we welcome our new Head Chair of the Court. I personally could not have asked for a better leader who's intelligent..."
>That's you.
>"...strong-willed..."
>Yep.
>"...and has a humble heart..."
>Most definitely you.
>"I welcome to you, our new Head Chair..."
>You can barely contain your excitement.
>"...Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
>Wait, what?
>A loud thunder of applause shakes the floor once again as Twilight flies up to the stage, a wide smile on her face.
>You're too shocked to join them. Hopefully no one notices.
>"Thank you, everybody! This is truly an honor! First of all, I would like to thank my books..."
>You silently make an exit as she rambles on about whatever it is she's talking about.
>Her voice grows fainter as you leave the building and head straight to your home, your inner thoughts boiling with rage.
>You're gonna need a drink.

"That conniving, double-crossing, lying bitch!" You yell as you throw your chair across the room, causing it to splinter on impact.
>Your pegasus assistant on the couch shows no reaction as you continue to throw your fit.
>"More alcohol, sir?"
>Tired and inebriated, you finally sit down and hold out your glass.
"Yes, thank you, Finch."
>She pours some more of the golden liquor into your glass. You begin to swirl your drink around, watching the liquid flow.
"She made a promise, and she broke it. All those years. All that capital. All for nothing. I'm still stuck in the same position."
>"Many ponies would do anything to be Second Chair, sir."
>You heavily sigh and take a sip of your drink.
"I know."
>"So what's the plan, sir?"
>You ponder for a bit, your drunken thoughts clouding your judgment.
"First, I'm going to go to bed. Then I'm going to wake up, clean up this mess, and have a talk with our new Head Chair."
>"Anything I can do, sir?"
"Not right now. Go home and get some rest, Finch. You've witnessed enough drunken violence for one night."
>"Thank you, sir."
>She gives a curt nod and leaves the room. Soon, you can hear the flapping of wings as she takes off into the night sky.
>Grumbling some more obscenities to yourself, you finish your drink and lie down on the couch.
>Your eyelids soon grow heavy, and you drift quietly off to sleep.

>You're standing outside of the throne room as you hear your name being announced.
>"And next is Anonymous, Second Chair of the Court and Ambassador from Earth."
>The door opens and you enter, your usual fake smile plastered on your face.
>It would be a lot easier to do this if your hangover didn't hurt so much.
>Soon enough, you reach the base of the throne and give a slight bow. Funnily enough, Twilight is the only princess who requires her subject to bow before her before speaking in court. You'd blame it on the books, but you don't know what's inside them. Evidently a certain someone made a law stating that only princesses could read book about royalty.
>The purple horse speaks.
>"The room recognizes your presence, Anonymous."
>No shit.
"Thank you, Your Highness. If I may, I request an audience with the Princess...alone."
>"Very well."
>She waves everyone else out. Murmuring can be heard as they leave the room. Soon, the door closes, leaving you alone with Twilight.
>Could you strangle her to death before they get suspicious and check the room? The thought tempts you.
"Your Highness, I don't want to sound rude, but about the Head Chair..."
>"Yes?"
>You try to find the words to phrase this without sounding too offensive.
"Before last night. Do you recall making an...agreement with me about that position?"
>"Oh, I changed my mind."
>You pause.
"But you made a promise."
>"Sorry, Anonymous. I redid my calculations, and you are mathematically speaking not the best fit for Head Chair. I was the better choice from a purely objective standpoint."
>Sounds like a bullshit way of saying 'my opinion is fact, and I think I'm better than you.'
"Regardless of your...calculations, the basis of a promise is that one keeps them. Breaking a promise is an act of bad faith."
>"I am aware of that, Anonymous. But as I am a princess, I royally pardoned myself for breaking that promise, so that is no longer an issue."
>Urge to strangle rising.
"If I may ask, why did you want to be Head Chair? You're already the Princess of Friendship-"
>"And Books."
>You try your best not to grit your teeth.
"And Books. You clearly have enough on your plate already. Why add more?"
>She giggles, covering her mouth with a hoof.
>"Silly Anon. I want to do all those things. And someone's got to do them. Without me, Equestria would probably be in ruins right now. I should probably be called the Princess of Saving Equestria."
>Or the Princess of Being a Bitch.
"I see..."
>"Don't take it personally, Anonymous. I'm just objectively better than you, so I'm simply the better option for these responsibilities. Nothing personal. After all, you're doing what you do solely to serve your citizens and your Princesses regardless of position, right?"
>Absolutely not.
"Absolutely."
>"That's good to hear. Is that all?"
"...It is. Thank you, Your Highness."
>"Good. Please let the rest of my court in on your way out. Today we're trying to make it a law where it is illegal for Zebras to procreate."

>Finch looks up from her paperwork as you enter your office.
>"How did it go, sir?"
>You throw your coat onto a nearby hook and raise your arms in defeat.
"Oh, just wonderful. Evidently I'm objectively a worse fit for Head Chair than she is."
>"I'm sorry to hear that, sir."
"And for the nth time, stop calling me 'sir.' We're not in the military."
>"Yes sir."
>You sigh as you sit down on your chair and start to idly spin around, watching the room circle around you.
>"So what's the plan, s--, uhh..." Finch tries to recover herself. "Uhh..."
"Smooth, Finch. But our plan is simple. We simply wait for an opportunity."
>"And then?"
"We grab it by the neck and suck the life out of it."
>"Ew, gross."
"Exactly. Now let's go over our agenda for this week..."

>Weeks go by and nothing really happens.
>But that's the thing about life. If you can't get a door to open, sometimes you just have to wait for one to do so. Maybe a door will open, or maybe it won't. But you're a patient man. You can wait until you're dead.
>Fortunately for you, you didn't have to wait that long.
>A knocking on your office door brings you back to reality.
"What is it?"
>"The Princess of Friendship--"
>"And Books"
>"And Books is here to see you."
>Huh.
"Let her in."
>Finch opens the door, letting the purple horse inside your room.
>She enters, the same old smile on her face. Oh, what'd you give to punch it.
>The door closes, leaving the two of you alone.
>You rise from your seat and give a little bow.
"Welcome, Your Highness. Care for something to drink?"
>"No thanks. I won't be here long. By the way, did you notice that your personal assistant didn't address you by 'sir?' That's bad etiquette. You should fire her."
>Chuckling a bit, you shake your head.
"No thanks. I gave her explicit instructions to stop calling me that."
>"But protocol dictates that a male authority figure be addressed as such. Rules exist for a reason."
>Quick, change the topic.
"So why is it you're here, Your Highness?"
>"Ah, yes. Well, recently there have been territorial disputes between the minotaurs and gryphons. I want you to help me settle this issue."
>You raise an eyebrow.
"Isn't that within your established responsibilities as Head Chair? Settling disputes and whatnot?"
>"Well, usually that is the case. However, given one of the parties involved, I think you would provide invaluable input toward a solution."
>One of the parties? Is she implying that just because you're bipedal and have hands, you can relate to minotaurs who are also bipedal and have hands? Talk about racist. Or speciesist. Whatever.
>This is the opportunity you've been waiting for and you're going to seize it. Or as you worded it, suck the life out of it.
"I see. Very wise of you, Your Highness. I'd be honored to help."
>"Great. There's a train headed for the summit tomorrow, and..."

>The sun has not yet risen when you and Finch boarded the train.
>Fortunately, Twilight isn't going on the train with you. Instead, her mode of transportation will be the flying carriage. Royal treatment and all that.
>It's kind of a shame, though. You always wondered if a train could be powered by burning a certain purple horse in the furnace.
>Wow, watch that edge, kiddo.
>The two of you finally find an empty compartment. You enter first and set down your luggage.
>Finch remains on the outside, hesitant.
"Is there a problem?"
>"Uhh, should I find my own compartment, or...?"
>You roll your eyes and sit down, patting the seat next to you.
"Here."
>"Are you sure?"
"Are you questioning me?"
>"No, it's just, um..."
"Stop your nonsense and sit down. There are bigger scandals for the tabloids."
>"Like what?"
"Sit here and I'll tell you."
>"Well, if you say so..."
>She sets down her bags and slowly takes her seat next to you.
"Good. Now let me fill you in on a little secret about the Royal Cake Budget. You see, the Royal Sisters have a generous posterior for a reason..."

>Man, this summit is pretty boring. Wait, rephrase that. It is really, really boring.
>You'd have more fun watching two diseased potatoes participate in a marathon than listen to all this.
>"These catbird freaks have been stealing our crops at night for the past several months!"
>"We did no such thing! I'm insulted that you'd even accuse us of such a crime!"
>"Well I'm insulted that you're insulted that we insulted you!"
>"Well I'm insuled that..."
>It's like watching a bunch of children bicker over candy. The only way this could get more childish is if--
>"Nu uh!"
>"Yeah huh!"
>"Nu uh!"
>Aaaand there we go.
>Twilight seems to be very interested in the pointless argument, furiously writing down notes with her magic.
>Finch fell asleep to your side, drool starting to fall onto her papers. Thankfully, everyone else was too invested in the debate to notice.
>Occasionally, one of her ears twitched, providing you with more amusement than the ongoing 'debate.' You even started to keep count.
>205, 206, 207...
>Eventually, Twilight speaks up, signaling everyone else to stop.
>"Alright. That was a very productive meeting. It's getting late, so why don't we all get some rest and start this again tomorrow morning?"
>The gryphons and minotaurs grumble as they leave the room and go their separate ways.
>You nudge Finch awake. She yawns and stretches. After she comes to full consciousness, she realizes what she's done, her eyes wide open.
>"H-how long was I asleep?"
"Only enough to miss most of today's meeting. Relax, you didn't miss much. Your hyperventilating is sucking in all my air."
>She soon collects herself, gathering her drool-stained papers.
>At the far end of the table, Twilight gathers her own stack of papers all filled with writing and makes her way towards you.
>"So...what do you think?"
>You pretend to think for a couple moments.
"I have a possible solution, but I'll need more time to think about it. Perhaps you have a more coherent solution?"
>"I'm almost completely confident that I have a way to fix this situation, but I'll need more time to analyze it as well."
>That can't do. You need to know what her solution is going to be. It's the key you need to take the next step in your plan.
"Maybe you could run it by me and I can give you a critique of it."
>"I'm not sure, Anon. I don't want to give a premature answer..."
>Think, Anon. Think. Play on her ego.
>You shrug.
"Very well then, Princess. I trust you. No need to waste your breath on saying it. Besides, I probably didn't need to hear it anyways. Goodnight."
>You take your bow and start to leave when Twilight speaks up.
>"W-wait! What exactly are you implying?"
>With an apologetic smile, you turn around and shrug.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness."
>"'Probably didn't need to hear it?' Are you saying that your solution is better than mine?"
>Hook, line, and sinker.
"Of course not, I--"
>"Well you're wrong, and I'll prove it to you! I think that we should split the disputed land. Additionally the gryhons should receive all the bodies of water, since fishing is one of their main products while we give more of the mountains to the minotaurs."
>She gives you a smug grin.
>"So...what do you think?"
>Trying your best not to smile, you nod your head.
"That is...far better than what I had in mind, I admit."
>"What was your solution?"
"Well, I was thinking about giving the majority of the land to the minotaurs, but it doesn't matter. Yours is better. I think both sides are going to be very happy with this compromise."
>"That really is a silly solution. The minotaurs aren't intelligent enough to even know what a majority is, while the gryphons are too greedy to not claim all the lakes and waterways as their own. Told you mine was better. I guess I'm just the best at these things."
>With her head held high, Twilight leaves the room with her stack of papers.
>A smile on your face, you turn to your assistant.
"Let's get something to eat. We have something very important to discuss."

>This restaurant you're at is pretty classy. Canterlot's fine cuisine has got nothing on this.
>"You're crazy."
"Perhaps."
>"You're not even allowed to do that."
"Well, technically not. Your soup's getting cold, by the way."
>Finch stops speaking long enough to shovel several more spoonfuls of soup into her mouth.
>She can really eat. You might run out of money just by feeding her.
>Not a minute after, she stacks her empty bowl on top of the rest of the plates she cleaned.
>"You gonna finish that?"
>Finch gestures towards your unfinished meal.
>With a sigh, you push it over to her, and she soon inhales whatever is left of your dinner.
>She leans back in her seat, satisfied. A small burp escapes her lips and she covers her mouth, turning a slight shade of pink.
>"Sorry."
"Don't be."
>"Well, back on topic..."
>Finch grabs a toothpick and starts cleaning her teeth.
>You should probably teach her some table manners after all this is over.
>"If this doesn't work perfectly, you could be spending the rest of your life in a small, cold cell somewhere."
"Probably."
>"I might be imprisoned as well."
"Don't worry. If everything falls apart, I'll take full responsibility."
>She pauses for a few moments, moving the toothpick around in her mouth.
>"You do realize that I'm supposed to report you for what you're scheming, right?"
>Putting your hands together in front of you, you lean forward in your chair.
"Are you?"
>"Well, no..."
"Why not? You've only been my assistant for a couple months."
>"I can't exactly put my hoof on it, but there's something about you..."
"Oh?"
>"Yeah. It's almost as if I have this feeling that you're gonna do something big. And I want to be a part of that."
"Gut feelings have been wrong before."
>"They've also been right before."
"Touche."
>"But that brings up another question. Why do you trust me with this plan of yours? What makes you think that I wouldn't report you as soon as you told me?"
>You laugh a little.
"I guess you can say that it was a...gut feeling."
>"You can't copy my answer."
"Yes I can. I'm writing your paycheck."
>"And paying for the meal, too?"
>You sigh.
"I'm afraid so."
>"Great, because I'm gonna get myself the most expensive dessert they have."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself. The last time my assistant did that she mysteriously disappeared."
>"W-what?"
"Just kidding...sorta."

>It's later that night. Close to midnight, to be exact.
>It is at this time that almost everyone is asleep, so it's much easier to go around without being noticed.
>You prepare yourself as you stand at the entrance of the minotaur leader's quarters.
>Every step must work perfectly if your plan is to succeed. One wrong step and you might as well kiss your life goodbye.
>A voice booms from inside the room.
>"Enter."
>You gently push the door open, revealing a rather luxurious bedroom.
>Freshly carpeted floor, a bed made of goose feathers, curtains made of silk...
>The balcony outside had a fantastic view of the landscape.
>It must be nice being a primary guest of these summits.
>A tall minotaur stood in the center of the room, his muscular arms crossed. He motioned his guards out, leaving the two of you in this room.
>Suddenly you were more afraid of being snapped in half than rotting in a dungeon.
>"You do realize that you're not supposed to be here."
>You take a step forward, your hands in your pockets.
"I know."
>"Then what are you doing here?"
"I want what you want. An end to this dispute."
>"And how do you suppose we do that?"
"Well, there are a couple proposed solutions to this dilemma."
>"Yours or the Princess'?"
>Oh, he is good.
"Well, I can't say for certain, but word has it that the Princess is going to propose a border that will give all of the major bodies of water to the gryphons."
>"Let them take their silly lakes. We minotaurs have no use for them."
"All of the major bodies?"
>"I don't care about the major lakes and rivers. We already have enough of those to maintain our communities. But I do admit that giving ALL of them to the bird-brains is an act of bad faith. Why did she not give us at least SOME?"
>You look down and kick the floor.
"I...I don't feel comfortable saying, sir."
>"Come on, out with it! Unless you want my guards to beat it out of you?"
>You heavily sigh. As soon as you say this, there's no going back.
"Well, I don't think the Princess is comfortable just giving the griffons the majority of the water because..."
>Pause to increase anticipation.
"...because she thinks that minotaurs...aren't intelligent enough to know what a majority is."
>"SHE WHAT?"
>You try your best not to fall flat on your back.
"Please lower your voice!" You say in a hushed tone.
>The minotaur shuts his mouth, then proceeds to throw various items out the window.
>It would probably be a good reason to run, but you're too scared stiff to do anything.
>"HOW. DARE. SHE. THE. VERY. NERVE."
>Silently, you hope that the rooms are soundproof...and that no one gets hit by the falling miscellaneous items.
>After he runs out of things to throw, he stop his rampage, his shoulders heaving with his heavy breadth.
>"AND YOU!"
>You don't respond as he walks up to you and looks down into your eyes. Hopefully you don't look as scared as you are.
>"Why are you telling me this? Don't you work for the Princess?"
"I don't know if you're aware, but I don't exactly...fit in."
>You gesture toward yourself.
"I know what it's like to be an outsider. To be treated differently by others. To have laws placed upon him by the Princesses because they think they can manage me better than I can. Like you, in a way."
>He seems to be calming down a bit.
"Your people are perfectly capable of managing yourselves without outside intervention. Without the Princesses' intervention. I know that, and you do too. And I think that when someone else is going to call the shots, you at least deserve to know the truth."
>The minotaur's expression softens, his shoulders fall flat.
>"Their involvement has been...frustrating at times. They have micromanaged almost everything thinking that they know better than we do."
"I know."
>"Is there a way where we can make peace with the gryphons?"
"Well, I think that given your history with the land, you deserve the majority of it."
>"The gryphons would never agree to those terms."
"You'd be surprised."
>He raises an eyebrow.
>"What exactly do you have in mind, er..."
"Anonymous."
>"Right, Anonymous."
"That's not important. But what's important is that you have two options to choose from. I hope for your people's sake that you make the right choice. Farewell, sir, and goodnight."
>You take a bow and leave the room, leaving the minotaur to his thoughts.

>You are swirling your cup of liquor in Finch's guest room when someone opens the door and enters.
"So, how did it go?"
>"Well, the head gryphon didn't react positively when I implied that the Princess thinks of them as greedy."
"And?"
>"They're willing to give the minotaurs the majority of the land if they get substantially reduced export taxes for their fishing industry."
"Good. Very good."
>Finch takes the seat across from you.
>"This is really happening, isn't it?"
>You take out another glass and pour some for her.
"It is. No turning back now."
>You hand her the second glass, which she accepts.
"To a peaceful compromise...and a happy ending."
>She solemnly clinks her glass with yours, and you both down your cups.
>Finch coughs a bit, causing you to give a hearty chuckle.
"Not used to that sort of stuff?"
>She examines her empty cup.
>"A bit too strong for my taste, but I think I can get used to it."
"It grows on you with time. Trust me."
>You stand up and stretch, a few joints making audible pops as you do so.
"Well, it's getting late. I'm gonna head back to my room and get some rest. You should do the same."
>As you open the door, Finch calls out.
>"Er, Anon?"
>You turn around.
"Yes?"
>She pauses, then looks down.
>"I, uhh..."
>She shakes her head.
>"Um...goodnight."
"Goodnight, Finch."
>You leave the room and head back to your own, the buzz finally reaching your head.
>You also wonder if they serve alcohol in the dungeons.

>Today's summit is a lot less raucous than yesterday's.
>No blind accusations or name calling. A few 'good morning's' are even exchanged.
>Everyone is here, except for Twilight.
>Probably rehearsing her proposal for the millionth time.
>Oh, how you can't wait to see that smile shatter into a million tiny pieces.
>"You didn't do anything, did you?"
>You turn to a concerned Finch.
"Of course not. I may be dumb sometimes, but I'm not stupid."
>She was going to reply when an announcer's voice echoed through the room.
>"And now, Her Royal Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
>Everyone rises as she enters the room, accompanied by her half dozen guards. You have to admit, she does make quite the entrance.
>Rumor has it that at a certain point in time, she didn't like to be treated like royalty. Seems hard to believe.
>Then again, everyone was probably a completely different version of themselves at an earlier time.
>You sure were, but that's not important right now.
>Twilight takes a seat, signaling everyone else to sit back down.
>"Good morning, everyone. I'm happy to say that I think that I have the perfect solution to end this dispute."
>A few murmurs are head here and there amongst the other attendees. You exchange eye contact with the lead minotaur and gryphon.
>"I propose that we draw a border to separate gryphon and minotaur land. Additionally, all major bodies of water goes to the gryphons to help with their fishing industry. Most of the mountains would go to the minotaurs. Although no one group gets all the lands, the assigned territories should be more than enough to accommodate each group's needs. So..."
>She clops her hooves together, a look of pure glee on her face.
>"What do you think?"
>The head gryphon and minotaur exchange looks, almost as if they're in on a secret joke.
>The minotaur you spoke to last night was the first to speak up.
>"Well I think that this is a fantastic idea!"
>Your heart stops.
>"That is, if I were a COMPLETE BUMBLING BUFFOON! I'D NEVER GIVE ANYTHING TO THE LIKES OF THOSE BIRD-BRAINED GRYPHONS!"
>The head gryphon responded, standing up from his seat and putting his claws on the table.
>"WELL I'D RATHER EAT GRASS FOR A YEAR BEFORE GIVING UP ANY OF OUR LAND TO THE LIKES OF YOU MINO-BORES!"
>"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
>"NO YOU!"
>"I'LL HOOK YOU IN THE BEAK! I SWEAR ON MY MUM!"
>"YOU WHAT, MATE?"
>A colossal shoutfest then commenced, even louder than yesterday.
>It took all the strength in your body to not break up into uncontrollable laughter as you look at Twilight's face. Her cheery demeanor is nowhere to be found, instead replaced by a look of utter horror, on the verge of tears.
>"Please, everybody, calm down! I can fix this!"
>She pulls out one of her books and skims through the pages.
>"There has to be something that can be done about this! What am I supposed to do?"
>Twilight turns to you.
>"Anon, please help me!"
>You shrug, your expression one of sadness.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. This is beyond me."
>Within moments, Twilight burst into tears and left the room, her guards right behind her.
>As soon as the sounds of her sobbing fades, the yelling stops.
>The head gryphon spoke up.
>"Was that too much?"
>You rise from your seat, straightening your attire.
"No, it was just the right amount. Now, let's move on to business. My assistant here is now going to pass around a proposed set of terms that include accommodations for..."

>You are back in your office in Canterlot, reading the paper.
>"The recent summit between the gryphons and minotaurs proved to be successful as both parties have reached a compromise. The minotaurs have received the majority of the land, but in exchange for giving up certain territories, the gryphons received a large reduction in export taxes, one that analysts predict will help get their economy get back on its feet. Anonymous, the Second Chair of the Court, was given praise for brining an end to this long struggle. When asked to comment, he said 'Oh, I can't take all the credit. Princess Twilight helped a lot as well. This compromise definitely wouldn't be possible without her.' We tried to reach the Princess for comment, but her secretary has turned down all requests for an interview. Meanwhile--"
>A knock on your door interrupts your reading.
>"Princess Twilight is here to see you."
>You were starting to wonder when she'd show up.
"Let her in."
>The door bursts open, startling you a bit.
>A manic-looking Twilight rushes into the room. Her mane was frazzled, her coat and royal regalia dirty. Heavy bags sagged under her eyes, one of which twitched constantly.
>"You!...You traitor!"
>She uses her magic to grab your suit and bring you face to face with her.
>"You ruined me! You sabotaged me! I thought I could trust you, Anonymous! I'll have you thrown in prison for a thousand years for what you did!"
>A concerned Finch stands at the entrance, but you motion her away.
>As the door shuts, Twilight lets you go, causing you to drop to the floor.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
>"Don't play dumb with me! I did my calculations, and I am 95.885% certain that you did something under my nose that made me look like a fool in front of the entire kingdom! Have you read the tabloids? 'Princess Twilight breaks into tears at summit'!"
>You slowly raise your hands and look her in the eye.
"Please, Your Highness, calm down."
>After a few seconds, her breathing slows, and she collapses onto the floor, a few sobs escaping her lips.
>"Was it because of the Head Chair?"
"Of course not, Your Highness. You should know me better than to think that I hold grudges."
>"Then why did you do it? Do you hate me?"
>You gently rest a hand on her shoulder.
"Your Highness, I have always been one of your most loyal servants. It's not because of money, or power, but because I sincerely care about you. When I cleaned up the summit, I tried to do it in your name. I even told everyone that the compromise was your backup plan."
>A few tears roll down her cheeks.
>"Are you telling me the truth?"
>You wipe a tear away with your thumb.
"Nothing but. I promise on my life."
>She hics a few more, the tears continue to flow.
>"Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Princess Celestia has officially renounced my position as Head Chair and is giving it to you. She's announcing it tomorrow."
>You pause.
"Your Highness, I possibly couldn't--"
>"It's what she wants, Anonymous. You're Head Chair whether you like it or not."
"I'll do my best to try to fill your shoes."
>Twilight sniffs and laughs a bit.
>"I didn't do that much. I'm sure you'll be fine. Maybe you were right about the whole 'taking on too many responsibilities' thing..."
>You give her a handkerchief, which she accepts.
"You should get some rest, Your Highness. You cannot rule in this state."
>"Okay," she says weakly.
>Slowly, Twilight gets up and somberly leaves the room. Not long after, Finch enters.
>"So...how did it go?"
"Well," you grab a napkin and wipe your hands. "We're not wasting the rest of our lives in a cell. So I think it went pretty well."
>"And the position?"
>You smile.
"It's mine."
>With a cry of joy, Finch jumps into you and hugs you tightly, nuzzling into your chest.
>Upon realizing what she has done, she blushes and drops down.
>"S-sorry, I got a little carried away."
"Oh, come here."
>You pick her up and give her a hug of your own, which she gladly accepts.
>After the moment is passed, you let go and head to your special bottle of scotch and a couple glasses.
>"Again?"
"Oh, come on. It's time to celebrate! You and I both deserve a drink."
>"It's a wonder why you're not an alcoholic."
>You pour the glasses and hand one to Finch.
"To...an adventurous and successful future together."
>"Agreed. Head Chair Anonymous."
>Head Chair Anonymous.
>You like the sound of that.
>But you know what title sounds better?
>King.

The End