Antipathy

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all associated names, locations and characters are properties of Hasbro Inc. I claim no ownership to any of the properties present in this fanfiction, and all that other legal stuff that hopefully will stop me from being sued.
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The rhythmic clanking of pickaxes striking stone echoed down the dank mining tunnel, broken up occasionally by the clattering of rocks hitting the ground or the slow clop of tired hooves as one of the miners made his way to deposit his load in the large minecart parked near the center of the tunnel. The cart had already accumulated a sizable pile of priceless gold and gems, and the weary mine ponies were eager to push it out and get back to their families before it got dark.

“Alright, you lot!” barked the shift overseer, a bulky, gray-coated earth pony who went by the name Iron. “Bring it in, shift’s over! You, Gold Dust, push the cart out to the loading hub!” he ordered, purposely singling out the weakest pony in the group.

Gold Dust was a rather young unicorn pony, working in the mine to provide for his sisters after his father had been shipped off to Draconica, the land of dragons, on official business. His cyan coat was mottled with small flecks of ore and large patches of grime, and his normally clean blue mane was frayed and matted with sweat. He was a smart boy, sure, thought Iron, but he needed to strengthen up if he wanted to work a mine.

“Hurry it up,” Iron demanded as Gold Dust began casting a spell. “And no magic!” he shouted as the telltale glow of telekinesis began to envelop the laden cart. Magic was strictly forbidden this close to the border of Aviatia - gryphon lands. The gryphons hated magic, partly because of their feuds with Equestria and partly because of their inability to perform it. Being caught in the act as near to the border as they were was an almost certain death sentence.

Gold dust sighed, the glow around his horn quickly fading as he broke the spell. He begrudgingly grabbed his own pick from the ground and tossed it into the cart before beginning to strain against it. Slowly but surely, the wheels began to creak as they turned against the metal rails below and the cart began its long journey back to the outside world.

“That’s it, heh, put your back into it!” Iron chuckled. While working a mine could be living hell for anypony that was forced into the job, being a foreman was certainly a good deal. He got to pace around the tunnels for a few hours each day, occasionally disciplining slackers or rounding them all up after break, and brought in a substantial paycheck for doing so.

Discipline, in this case, usually referred to a few lashes from the burly pony’s trusty whip, which at the moment rested at his side. It took more skill than somepony would expect to crack a whip held with only your teeth, and it was for this reason that unicorns were often better candidates for doling out punishment. Iron didn’t necessarily enjoy giving out the lashings to the already tired ponies, but he’d rather be giving than receiving.

Of course, the ban on magic in the area meant the owners of the mine had to search a bit harder for their overseer, and they had found Iron to be an outstanding choice for the job. With a mean streak, little empathy and a jaw fit for whipping, the earth pony was a shoo-in for the position. Unfortunately, as he was about to find out, the job could be quite dangerous.

By the time the two reached the exit some time later, the cart had picked up a considerable amount of speed, rolling along at almost a walking pace. Gold Dust, on the other hand, had several new lash marks on his flank, reminders of times when he had slowed down just a bit too much or, Celestia forbid, tried to stop and take a rest.

The sun was just setting in the distance, one princess getting ready to settle down for a while and the other preparing for her turn at controlling the heavens. A few pinpricks of light had begun to reveal themselves in the sky, and the long shadows cast everything into a gloomy twilight.

“Okay, Dust, you’ve done your job, go home and get some rest. Heavens know you’re already a slacker when you’re awake, I don’t want you tryin’ to fall asleep on...” Iron had almost finished his berating of the mine’s newest worker (he didn’t mean most of what he said to the work force, but scared workers were better than lazy workers) when he trailed off. His ears perked up, and Gold Dust stopped his tired half-limp towards his cottage to see what was wrong.

“Sir, is there something-” he tried to ask, but was shushed by the foreman before he could go further.

“Shh... Do you hear that?” Iron hissed, eyes peeled to the sky. While there was a tone of anger in his voice, it wasn’t that of his insulting comments to slacking miners. This was genuine hatred.

Gold Dust was about to ask “Hear what?” when he picked up a sound coming from above. At first it was difficult to make out, but as it drew closer he could say with some certainty what it was: wingbeats. Smaller than a dragon to be sure, but larger than any normal bird.

Though he remained fairly composed on the outside, Iron’s mind was churning with the possibilities of what it could be. As much as he tried to come up with some other explanation, his brain was set on the one possible answer - gryphons. And encountering gryphons this close to Aviatia was a recipe for trouble. They were highly territorial creatures, especially for a sentient animal, and even though the two ponies were technically in Equestrian lands, most residents of both nations considered the territory contested.

Before Iron could make a move to back away, a shadow suddenly flashed into the sky, almost a hundred feet up. Before Iron could even blink, it had already come down to a few dozen, then little more than ten. By the time the foreman could utter a muffled cry of surprise, the gryphon had landed, not twenty feet away.

Quick as a flash, two similar beasts touched down next to him, a male and a female. One bore an ugly scar across his eye, which was covered with a rough leather patch. The one in the center, obviously the leader of the group, stepped forward several paces.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” the gryphon asked mockingly, clicking his tongue against his beak as he did so. His voice was surprisingly pleasant, at least compared to the voices of most of his species. All three of the new arrivals wore several pieces of sleek black armor, protecting their chests and back. “It looks like a few cocky miners decided to hang around in our lands.”

“What do you want, gryphon?” Iron spat the last word, his voice subdued but still chock full of anger.

“The question is,” the group’s leader said as he casually strolled up to Iron, pausing for effect before continuing. “What are you doing here?” Now he jabbed a talon accusingly into the foreman’s chest a bit harder than was necessary, and the pony could feel a small trickle of warm blood run down his body.

“This is Equestrian land, bird, and we have every right to be here!” Iron shouted, angered past the point of subduing his voice by the gryphon’s cocky attitude.

“Equestrian land, huh? Well, this might be your little princess’s land, but this is our turf. And, you two, what do we do to ponies dumb enough to trespass on our turf?” he asked, now turning his head towards his two escorts. They responded by pacing forward menacingly, one holding up a claw, four razor sharp talons presenting themselves at the end.

Iron was wracking his brain for some plan of escape. As much as he hated the beasts before him, he was no match for even one or two in a fight. Going up against three in a fair confrontation was plain suicide. The gryphons were fast, sure, but their wings meant nothing if they couldn’t see the ground below. There was a dense forest nearby that he could use for cover, but he quickly discarded thoughts of reaching it - the mine was surrounded by sheer cliffs on one side and several hundred feet of open ground on the other.

He subconsciously took a step back, and as he did so the male with the eyepatch took off and soared through the air, barely a sound coming from him as he touched down in ready position about two dozen feet behind the overseer.

“Don’t even think about running, you won’t get far. Oh, and...” the gryphon paused to rake a claw across Iron’s chest. The earth pony winced in pain as he felt the small trickle of blood escalate to a steady flow. “Enough of the insults. Name’s Omen. The one with the patch is Scar, and she’s Mangle,” he explained, gesturing towards the female gryphon who was now staring down Gold Dust.

“Alright, Omen,” Iron gave in reluctantly, though he put a spiteful emphasis on the antagonist’s name. “What do you want from us?”

“Well...” Omen bagan, scratching his beak in mock thought. “I couldn’t help but notice that cart full of gold you’ve got there. Say that cart disappears, and we might be able to let you off with a warning this time,” he offered, a malicious glee present in his voice. If it was possible for a bird to smile, Iron could swear this was the closest he’d ever seen one come to it.

“I... I...” the foreman paused to think for a moment. If he lost a cartload of yield, he was almost sure to get fired. It could even put every worker on the staff out of a job if the owners decided the area was too dangerous. But, he reminded himself, going on living was much more important than any old job, and he came to a decision. “Fine,” he sighed, head dropping slightly.

“Now that’s what I like to hear. And just when I thought all you ponies were too stupid to see a good deal...” Omen chuckled, before noticing that his two allies were still standing around. “You heard him, you two, strap up that cart and let’s get back to the base!”

As the three turned their attentions to the minecart and its priceless cargo, Iron felt relief just to be alive. The feeling lasted only a few seconds, however, as he realized he was out of a job and in the middle of some of the most inhospitable territory in Equestria. Then, he had a small flicker of hope as he noticed something - his pickaxe was only a few feet away.

Naturally, anything used to pierce hard rocks would have little trouble breaking through nothing but feathers and some metal plating. With their backs turned, he had the element of surprise. Not wasting time, lest he reconsider, Iron quickly and quietly gripped the pick between his teeth, moving at a careful pace towards the three figures.

He would focus on the leader first, he decided as he was approaching fifteen feet away. All it would take was one good blow to incapacitate him - ten feet - and the other two would be caught off guard long enough for him to dispatch them too. Gold Dust was paralyzed with fear as he watched what his overseer was about to do, so he wouldn’t be much help. Five feet, and Iron readied his strike.

Gryphons were tough in a fair fight, sure, but in a situation like this they relied on intimidation. Chances were they wouldn’t be very strong-

But Iron never finished the thought. Instead, he found a sudden steel grip over his throat, talons slicing into the tender flesh there. The pickaxe clattered to the ground, and he suddenly had to choke down what air he could to stay conscious.

“How cute,” said Omen, mockingly but with a definite tone of malice beneath. “The little foreman tried to sneak up on me with his little toy pickaxe. Clever,” he said, tightening his grip. He looked down at the tool with contempt, before easily smashing apart the handle under one paw. Once he was satisfied with the condition of the thing, he leaned forward to whisper in Iron’s ear. “Too bad I don’t like clever ponies.”

The fight, if it could be considered that, was over before Gold Dust could blink. After Omen muttered something inaudible to the overseer, there was nothing but a blinding flash of feathers and arcing blood before the young miner closed his eyes, not wanting to watch. He heard a sudden gasp, a choked cough, and then silence.

Gold Dust looked up. Iron lay a few feet from the cart, three large tears across his throat and several others where Omen had originally grabbed him. The killer himself was now stalking towards the unicorn, flanked by his two cronies.

“Tsk, tsk,” Omen spat, anger now fully present in his voice. “I was hoping for a clean job. Get in, grab the gold, get out. Nopony dies. Nopony even gets hurt. Why do you always have to be... so... stupid?” he shouted, punctuating the last word with a large leap towards the miner, until their faces were almost touching. Gold Dust responded with only a whimper.

“It’s a shame you have to die because of him, you know,” Omen explained, mock disappointment in his voice. “You seemed like such a smart one, for a pony at least. Dunno why you were working with him, but oh well...” he said, suddenly lashing out with his back paw and knocking Gold Dust to the ground as he finished. The miner gave a cry of pain and a sharp crack told him that at least one of his ribs had been broken by the impact as he tumbled to the ground.

Omen wasted no time, pacing forward and lifting the unicorn up by the throat. However, he made sure not to choke him, only make breathing a bit difficult. It really was almost a shame he had to kill the second one. He would have personally been satisfied with only the idiot foreman, but he had a leave-no-witnesses policy and it wouldn’t do to have the miner running away and getting the country all riled up.

Meanwhile, Gold Dust’s brain turned itself over looking for something, anything, to get him out of his situation. Bribery? No, they were already making off with enough gold to make any average pony - or gryphon - set for life, and he had little money to speak of himself. Intimidation was right out, the attackers were masters of it themselves and he could hardly struggle against Omen’s grip, let alone scare the three off. Appealing to the higher authority was the only thing left, the only chance of getting out. While gryphons might not have respected other countries’ laws and rules for the most part, almost all of the race both respected and feared their own local and national rulers. Mind made up, he gathered himself and got ready to pull off some acting.

“I’ll... I’ll rat you out! We have watchers in the trees, you’ll be reported! Detained! Executed!” he stammered, grasping for some believable way the three’s actions could ever leave the small clearing.

"No, please, you can't report me! I'll never last in gryphon jail!" Omen cried, the smallest hint of sarcasm showing through. Gold Dust smiled, thinking his plan was working. Omen, however, saw right through the near-transparent ruse. It was a card that had been pulled many times before, and the foal was grasping for straws at this point.

“Yep, that’s right! You’d be in custody by tomorrow, I bet! Just let me go and I won’t have you reported, I promise, just allow me go free and you can be on your way!” he proposed, proud of himself for thinking up such a plan on the fly. However, the smile quickly faded as he realized none of the gryphons were even remotely phased, or, more importantly, making any move to release him. “I-I’ll have you reported to the king! The king of all Aviatia!”

“Oh, that would be just terrible! There’s only one problem with that plan: You want to report me to the king? Well...” Omen paused, producing some sort of badge from a pouch on his armor with one claw while he continued to hold Gold Dust with the other. He felt a sly satisfaction as the grin on the pony’s face turned from a smile, to a frown, to a look of despair as he opened the small badge, revealing the insignia inside. The insignia of the Royal Aviatian Crown.

“Who do you think sent us?”

Gold Dust’s last thoughts were of helpless defeat as three talons dug across his throat and the world faded into darkness.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia of Equestria greeted warmly, if not wearily, as her most faithful student trotted into the her personal study. While there was no breeze through the room her vivid mane still waved majestically behind her, and though a few tired lines had crept their way up around her eyes, her coat was still a brilliant white. “I’m glad you were able to come on such short notice, and your friends?”

“They’re staying the night at the Hayton Hotel,” the purple unicorn mare reported, the heavy book bags saddled over her back rustling gently as she came to a stop. One of the bags was almost bursting with various encyclopedias and guides - none of which Twilight ever left Ponyville without - while the other had a more lively occupant.

“Twilight, when are we gonna get some food! I’m starving!” bemoaned Spike loudly as he poked his head out from the pouch he had been riding in. He had been complaining for almost the entire journey, though he had eaten a hefty plate of fried daisies before they had left. “Oh, Princess, I didn’t see you there!” he cried as his eyes fell on the regal alicorn before him. He jumped from the bag and snapped off a quick salute, puffing his chest out almost comically far as he did so.

While Spike normally rode on Twilight’s back, the royal palace was chock full of gems and treasures of all varieties. If the mare had learned anything in her time with the dragon, it was that he had an insatiable appetite for gemstones of all shapes and sizes. She figured it would have been safer to take the extra precaution of keeping Spike and priceless jewels as far away from each other as possible, eventually deciding on stuffing the dragon into her bag to at least keep the tasty morsels out of sight.

“Oh, please, Spike, no need for formalities,” Celestia said, smiling as she assured the purple and green reptile. “We might be here for official business, but I don’t see any reason we cannot talk as friends.”

“Right, ma’am- I mean, uh, miss. No, wait, I mean-” Spike began sputtering, trying to figure out how to address the princess without any official titles when Twilight shoved her hoof over his mouth.

“Moving on, why exactly did you want to see us, Princess?” she asked. It wasn’t normal for the princess to call her up to the castle without any warning like this.

“I have a task for you, one that will go well with all you’ve been learning about friendship,” said Celestia, quick to bring Twilight’s mind back to the present discussion before she got thinking about books. “Have you any experience with gryphons?”

“Gryphons? Well...” Twilight began, scratching her chin with one hoof. “I have met one, one of Rainbow’s old friends. She wasn’t very nice, that’s for sure,” she said, thinking back to the unpleasant times she had spent with Gilda.

“‘Not very nice’ is putting it lightly, most of them can hardly stand to be around ponies. In most cases, the feeling is mutual. If you started out on the wrong hoof with their race, then I can say this assignment will be none too pleasant,” sighed Celestia. Twilight frowned now, rubbing her chin once more.

“Princess, if you don’t mind, I still don’t know why you called me here in the first place... Is there something you need me to do?”

“I called you here for a diplomatic mission,” the Princess explained, and as she said this her horn began to glow. A few moments later, a large scroll zoomed over to the pair, stopping abruptly and opening to reveal a map of the border area of Equestria and Aviatia. “Our relations with their country have been less than great, to put it lightly, and I’m worried that this may escalate further if we don’t take action.”

“But Princess, I thought we had good relations with almost all countries. Why are the gryphons angry at us?” Twilight inquired. Sure, Gilda hadn’t been very pleasant to be around, but she never seemed openly hostile. Any conflicts between the two countries were recent.

“Land disputes, as always...” Celestia said, sighing once more. “As you know, gold and silver are rare and precious commodities in Aviatia and all too common here. Expanding mine prospects have started coming too close to the border, and the gryphons consider the precious metals to be theirs. Recently they’ve demanded an unreasonable tithe for mining from ‘their’ lands, and threaten violence if we don’t comply.”

“That sure is a predicament...” commented Twilight, wrapping her mind around the situation. While the metals were rare in other countries, they were a near requirement in Equestria. If the supply was choked, much of the nation’s cultural practices with them would have to be scrapped. Even many technologies relied on the stuff, and without it the production of medical equipment or other vital pieces of equipment could be stopped.

“That’s an understatement,” said the princess grimly. She pushed the map to the side, where it listed lazily in the telekinetic field, and pulled up another scroll. As she unfurled this one, Twilight could see that it was some kind of complex legal document. Scanning it briefly, the unicorn caught several words and phrases that went over even her head.

“I’ve formulated this land agreement over the past few weeks. However, I cannot deliver it myself as I must be here to raise the sun; as such, I need a diplomat to take it to their leader,” Celestia explained, quickly glancing at the document while Twilight thought.

“But, why me? Surely you have trained diplomats ready, don’t you?” Twilight asked. There was no need for Celestia to answer the second question - the mare already knew that around a dozen diplomats were kept on standby at any given time in case some pressing matter came up.

“As much as they’d like to believe otherwise, most diplomats aren’t trained for hard journeys or danger, which, I regret to say, you are more than likely to encounter,” Celestia told her student. She turned to the map of the border once more, pulling a small pointing tool from a nearby desk.

“As much as I hate to give land away like this,” Celestia continued, “it seems necessary to avoid further hostilities. Two miners have already disappeared, and reports of fly-overs by gryphon scouts have come in from border, even inland settlements. I won’t have any more lost lives from this than I must.” She paused to tap an ornate “X” on the Aviatian side of the map with the stick, which appeared to be at least a hundred miles inside gryphon territory.

“You’ll be taking the plans to the capital here, Featherfall City. As much as I’d love to have a scout take these, I know that the king won’t agree at first. It will take the kind of debate skill I know you have, Twilight, to get this done right. Moving on, the agreement entails trading some land in one of the many nearby fertile valleys for a much larger cut of profits from the mines. I believe that if we give up land here and...”

Spike, not one for boring political gunk, had snuck off soon after he got out of Twilight’s bag. The discussion the two were having was boring him to tears, and being bored and hungry wasn’t a good combination. Even if there were no gems to be had, anything would feel good in his constantly rumbling stomach.

The dragon’s nostrils flared open as he caught a whiff of something delectable. Following the scent into a small hallway that connected Celestia’s study with Luna’s, Spike also saw a large door inset on the wall. On it was a small golden plaque with the word “Kitchen” inscribed into it. As the smells grew stronger, Spike could even hear the sounds of pots and pans clanking and rattling as chefs went about creating their many dishes.

Pushing open the door as quietly as he could, he quickly darted behind a large cart full of dirty dishes. Shortly afterward a pair of unicorns in chef’s hats strolled past, using their magic to suspend several dishes of delectable roasts and stews which trailed a bit behind them, sending their tantalizing aroma into Spike’s nose. As soon as they were in the hall proper, he slipped from his hiding spot and made his way towards the ingredients cabinet. The Royal Kitchen had plenty of food to spare, he thought, they wouldn’t mind a few breadsticks going missing.

“Oi!” shouted a moustached earth pony in full chef’s garb from behind spike. Though his coat was a dull tan, his face held a tinge of red as he stared down at the small reptile before him. “Did-a you not see-a the sign? No dragons allowed! Last-a time we let-a one of you in here, half our garnish gems went-a missing! Out I say!”

Before Spike could scramble away, he was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and carried to the door. Expecting to be put down, he was caught off guard when he felt a hoof hit his backside, sending him rolling a few feet as he hit the ground.

“And-a stay out!” the pony shouted as he slammed the door, and Spike heard the telltale clicking of a lock engaging. He sighed and began walking towards the other end of the hall, but before he could get into more mischief he heard hoofbeats coming from Celestia’s study.

“I thought I heard a racket, were you in that kitchen? What have I told you about ‘liberating’ things from innocent ingredient stocks?” Twilight asked scoldingly. The unicorn’s face was painted with a look of displeasure, though Spike could detect a hint of a smile underneath. “Come on, Spike, we can pick up something on the way back to the Hayton.”

“But Twilight...” Spike whined. He wanted gems, darn it, not another plate of flowers.

“Don’t you ‘but Twilight’ me, mister,” Twilight said warningly, before Celestia stepped up behind her.

“Now, now, Twilight. You did drag him along for this, he deserves a little treat. Come on, I have a few outdated catalyst gems you could have in my desk. They aren’t the best, but I’m sure they’re sufficient,” Celestia said, and Spike’s mouth began watering again at just the thought of a good meal. The princess had always had a soft spot for the dragon. After all, he was a hard worker and even a little cute. She smiled as she pulled several jewels of various shapes and colors out of a drawer and passed them off to the dragon.

Several minutes later, the two ponies were saying their goodbyes while Spike munched happily on a golden opal. The crumbs of several small emeralds and a sapphire already dotted his chin, and he was just beginning to feel his stomach fill.

“Now, I’ve arranged a grand meal for you and your friends, so you have ample time to say goodbye before you leave. I’ve also detached-” Celestia was informing her student.

“Wait, ‘say goodbye’?” Twilight interjected. ”My friends are going with me, aren’t they?” She had been planning for her five best friends to accompany her - it just wouldn’t be the same without them. Celestia sighed.

“I knew you wouldn’t like it, but it can’t be helped. This mission is too dangerous for a large party, it could be interpreted as a hostile move by Aviatian forces. Not to mention, as well meaning as your friends are, I want as little publicity on this mission as possible and they aren’t very good at being... well, discreet.”

“But I can’t just leave them behind!” Twilight argued. She didn’t like to disobey a direct order from the Princess herself, but she hated to leave her friends behind more. “My friends are who’ve helped me all those times in the past! They helped me defeat Nightmare Moon, and fight Discord!” she cried, trying to change Celestia’s mind.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but it has to be this way.” Celestia said, sternly. She was nervous about sending even the five soldiers she was, and they were some of the best in her guard. The gryphons were on edge and could easily mistake a large bodyguard for a hostile scouting party or even a forward squad of soldiers. More importantly, she didn’t want Twilight to go through the loss of one of her closest companions if things went wrong, and the larger the group was, the more likely that possibility.

“Fine...” Twilight said, defeated. An order from the princess was an order, but as much as she hated herself for it, she felt like breaking the rules for the first time in her life. How could Celestia expect her to just abandon her friends like that while she went on a life-or-death mission? How could anyone?

“Now, as I was saying earlier,” Celestia continued. “I’ve detached a small squad of royal guard to accompany you in case of trouble. You’ll meet up with them tomorrow morning at the gates, where you’ll travel to the border by cart.

“As you should know if you’ve been reading up on your geography, Aviatia is a very mountainous country, so from there on you’ll have to go on hoof. As I said before, this isn’t guaranteed to be a safe mission. You’re my most trusted student, Twilight, so I know you can do this, but just be careful.”

“I will, Princess, I promise,” Twilight assured her as she helped spike up onto her back. As she was about to exit through the heavy doors that were inset into the far wall of the room, Celestia stopped her.

“Oh, and Twilight...”

“Yes, Princess?” Twilight asked. Celestia had a solemn look on her face as she examined her youthful protege. She had grown so much since her first days in Ponyville, and while she was still very young, Celestia was confident she had grown enough to undertake the task she had been given.

“Good luck”

“Thank you,” Twilight said gratefully as the door swung closed. “Thank you...”

Celestia sighed as the door shut with a barely audible click. She worried about Twilight sometimes - she was one of the most able magic users the princess had seen in at least a hundred years, and she hated to make her leave her friends behind like this. However, the unicorn seemed to underestimate her own strength, a strength that had saved Equestria on two separate occasions.

She turned to gaze out the large window set behind her desk. It was around three o’clock, the sun having begun its downward arc some time ago, now drawing closer to the horizon. Silhouetted against the brilliant orb of yellow light was a figure. A pegasus? No, Celestia thought, that was impossible. The area around Canterlot was a no-fly zone on account of the large number of airships that passed through each day which could become a potential hazard to anypony caught in their path.

Suddenly the figure turned, and now instead of facing head-on to the palace it was perpendicular. At this new vantage, Celestia could see the shape of whatever it was much more clearly. Two paws, what looked like claws, and two large wings. A gryphon? It was possible, but unlikely. The princess passed it off as an illusion, maybe an oddly shaped ship or a misinformed pony flying a little too close to the palace.

After all, any unauthorized gryphon would have been caught by the guards long before they could reach where they were, thought the princess. There was no way one could have made it this far into their territory, right?

Right?