Twilight hour was upon Ar-Athazîon; the sun had set but the light was not yet gone, and the air was cooling to a more tolerable warmth. Empress Alaia and Tempest were making the evening rounds to water the plants of the palace's gardens, or at least the ones the Empress took an interest in.

“I heard you have new friends.” Alaia said, inspecting a plant's leaves to make sure they weren't withered.

“They're not my friends.” replied Tempest, picking up the watering can and following the Empress as she identified what plant needed the watering. She was a Queen, but the Empress was the Queen of Queens; so technically, she was bringing no indignity to her station with such manual labor. And it was nice to do something physical that she actually liked.

“I also heard there was some drama regarding Lady Snowy and one of these new friends.” The Empress gave her a sidelong look, and waited for her to say something. Tempest could only grit her teeth.

“Fine, I'll tell you about it.” That got a slight smile from Alaia. “Snowy had a little sister, this entire time, she never once told me about. I feel fooled. I never even got so much as a hint this Hemlock Farpeak even existed.”

“Was it important to know?” asked the Empress.

“Well...” Tempest scowled, knowing full well it wasn't. “Not really. But I would have liked to have known before she was standing in front of me!”

“Everyone has their secrets, Tempest.” Alaia chided, though not sternly. “I'm sure you have something you'd rather not talk about with your friend.”

“Hmm.” For the moment, Tempest said nothing more.

“What did Lady Snowy say, anyway?” asked the Empress.

Snowy was sitting on the battlements outside the dungeon, looking out at the sea in the warm morning sun. Her breathe came quick and shallow. “What happened in there?” Tempest asked.

“I can't believe it.” whispered Snowy in a trembling voice. “Why did she come here?”

“Well, she was captured-” Tempest reminded her.

“Thank you for pointing that out, Tempest.” Snowy snapped, ears going flat. Tempest recoiled a little; it stung when her friend got that sharp with her. “I hated her.” continued Snowy. “I still hate her! After all she did, she turns up now to- to-” She looked like she wanted to scream, but Snowy made not a sound more.

“I don't understand.” said Tempest quietly.“You never once told me you had any more family out there. Not even a hint. If I had a sister that turned up out of nowhere... I'd be overjoyed.”

“Your family loved you. They never hurt you, not even your uncle. I used to be jealous of you, you know.” Really? Tempest asked silently. “Even if Maelstrom died, she actually cared about you, Tempest. I would have rather had that for as short a time as it lasted.” Snowy lowered her head, sighing.

“What happened with you and Hemlock?” asked Tempest.

“I- I don't want to speak about it. Now right now.”

“But she's your sister-”

“Tempest,” Snowy took a forceful tone, “not right now.”

“Alright...”

“I still wish I knew.” Tempest grumbled, moving with Alaia to the next flowerbed. “Why didn't she tell me before? What happened between them? There's so much I don't know, because no one ever told me.”

“Those are questions for her, not I, Tempest.” the Empress stated. “She'll tell you when she is ready. But not tomorrow, you will be busy.”

“I will?”

“As you're aware, the Lûndôvîn arrived last night, with their King as well. He will be meeting with the Emperor and your Aharôs, your presence has been requested as well.”

“W-what?” stammered Tempest. “Why?”

“It's a council of monarchs, my dear, you must be there too. Or have you forgotten your station?” Alaia smirked. “His name is Fâôs Harthkanî, ninth of his name. I've never met him, but I've heard he not as severe as King Aharôs... Though you would be hard-pressed to find a man more so.”

The two finished their rounds in the gardens, and Tempest retired to her chambers. There were too many questions today, and they all revolved around the people near her, man and pony alike. She didn't like any of it, not one bit. Why won't Snowy tell me anything? she wondered, as she considered going through the washroom to actually ask her. They'd been the only friends each other had for more than ten years, surely there was some measure of trust there! Tempest snorted, and laid down on her bed. Alaia was right, though; Snowy wasn't ready to talk. Not yet. Besides, it's not like I've been entirely honest with her either. Even after a month and a half, the encounter with the shadow spirit still lurked in the back of her mind. That wasn't even considering the myriad other nagging doubts that constantly assailed her. Only the Benefactor had learned of those, and he was now with Sidâl, whatever he really was.

In the morning, Tempest skipped breakfast entirely, seeking out Aharôs instead. His dwelling was as shady as his chambers in Nikadîon, she'd come to expect such a solemn atmosphere with him. “Good morning.” Tempest greeted.

“We'll see about that.” answered Aharôs, emerging from the typical darkness of his room in his typical dark clothes and wearing his typical dark expression. “You've been informed of our meeting today?”

“Yes.” she nodded.

“Very well.” Aharôs stalked over to the maps on his table. When Tempest approached, she saw the familiar shape of Athair's coast. Little markers had once dotted it, but they'd all been knocked over and scattered.

“What happened to your map?” asked Tempest.

“Emperor Îrilôs altered our deal.” said the King, clenching a fist until his knuckles turned white. “We agreed last year that after Verâd was mine, I would bring my army south to help him enforce Imperial authority. Fair enough.”

“Quite fair.” Tempest agreed, though with a sinking feeling. She knew where this was going. “So what changed?”

“Reshîv, and his scheming whore of a mother! You were there, I don't need to tell you!” Aharôs fumed. Wisely, Tempest said nothing, and let him continue. “Now I'm a king with no crown and no throne and no army! What use am I to the Emperor? Very little, I'll tell you what! I came to him, thinking I had a friend in the Emperor, asking for his aid in returning to me what was mine, by every law in Sarathûl!” He flung the map of Athair and all the markers off the table. Aharôs then seized a large scroll, and violently unrolled it, revealing a rough chart of Equestria. “This is the price for my home and birthright now!”

Tempest's heart fluttered at the prospect of returning home. “Lord of Heaven... it really is happening.”

“Yes, and I have the honor of leading it. The entire damned expedition.” seethed Aharôs. “Not just giving you back your kingdom, but I have to take all of it to get mine!”

“That's not fair.” she said, knowing that Aharôs would probably only be more incensed at hearing that.

“Fair? Nothing is fair, Tempest. Maelstrom told me that once, before our final meeting; I didn't believe her until she died in my arms. And I still didn't want to. I thought I could do justice by her, restore your lands to you like I swore. I never thought I'd lose all of mine trying to do it.” He sat down on the wide chair, hands on his head like he was beset by an ache. Tempest shuffled awkwardly, wondering if she should join him or not.

“I'm... sorry?” In all honesty, she didn't want her kingdom back. The Benefactor had helped her see that. Aharôs had lost his kingdom for hers, and she wouldn't even be grateful for it. Guilt set upon her. He's given you everything, Tempest, when he could have sold you to Celestia and had enough gold to deal with anything Reshîv sent at him. Instead, he wasted a decade of his life on you. She lowered her head, ears drooping.

“I'm not sorry, though. I made a promise, I intend to keep it. For your mother's sake, for yours too, Tempest. And when I've restored your rightful realm to you, when I've subdued the alicorns and Equestria's strength is spent...” Aharôs looked up at her, anger melting away into cold sternness. “I will bring justice to those who've wronged me. No matter the cost. Every man and woman will reap what they have sowed.” A shiver ran over Tempest. Aharôs's justice was cruel, that was for certain. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. “Now come, we have things to do.” He snatched up his medallion of office and put on a ring with his house's sigil on it. Tempest had never seen him wear those before, but she'd never seen him in a formal occasion as king before either. “Don't you have something to wear?” he asked.

“No, not really.” she confessed. “My uncle once told me that there's a crown and collar in Highcrest. But I've got a necklace from my mother I could wear.” Tempest said. The king nodded, and they stopped by her chambers to get it. When she put on the silver chord with its single ruby, Aharôs's expression softened. He knelt down, and lifted it up for a closer look.

“It's been a long time... Maelstrom wore this the first time we met. Must have been fifteen years ago. I haven't seen it since.” For once, Aharôs smiled. Even minutes after his barely-contained fury, he smiled. But it was over as quickly as it began. “Better days.” he said, leading her out into the hall again.

“It's hard to believe there were ever better days to you.” remarked Tempest. “You've been grim and gloomy since we met.”

“Things went wrong.” That was all Aharôs had to say on the matter. Once, Reshîv had said he wasn't always the way he was. Maybe it was true? But whatever the answer was, it didn't matter now, Tempest supposed. She had too many questions lately.

They went to the same council room Tempest and Snowy had attended after their arrival, a comfortable room with a wide table to sit at. There was a view of the the rising mountains to the north and not much else, but at least it was relatively cool. Îrilôs and the fourth monarch were already there.

She knew Îrilôs well by now, but the new king was quite a sight, the opposite of Aharôs. He was tall, fat, bald, red-faced, sported an impressive mustache, and looked like he was about to laugh. The Lûndôvîn King wore all golden yellow, and his big medallion of office bore a serpent scaled in tiny blue sapphires. “So,” he said, standing, “this is what an Equestrian looks like?”

“Yes..?” Tempest answered, ears tilting back in confusion.

“Bigger than I expected!” Fâôs remarked. It was strange that he didn't know what one of her kind looked like, Tempest knew that it had been his men who caught the pegasus and unicorn down in the dungeon. “I am Fâôs Harthkanî, the ninth King of Lûndôvîr by that name! How do you do?” He nodded just enough to be respectful, but not enough to humble himself.

“Well enough, I guess.” said she. “I'm Tempest. Uh, Tempest Blackwind, that is.”

“And the second Queen of Highcrest by that name, I would add. A good friend of mine.” Îrilôs stepped forward with his usual sly smile. “Please, sit.” The Emperor gestured for the three to make themselves comfortable around the table, which held another large map of Equestria. It was the biggest she'd ever seen. “I'm a busy man in these times, so let's get right to it.”

“Yes, yes.” agreed King Fâôs. “Given the complications with the Athairîm, I will be providing you your army to deal with the last of the miscreants in this region, my Lord. As we discussed the other day, King Aharôs will now lead the war on this Celestia girl.”

“So it is.” Îrilôs said, placing a little wooden boat on the map, before turning to Aharôs. “I understand that you've been plotting out a strategy for placing our Equestrian friend back in her homeland?”

“I have, my Lord.” Aharôs pushed the boat across the map. “As you know, my knight Turaz and Sidâl have been to Highcrest in the past. We've determined our best landing point would be just to the south of Cape Coldweather here. Our ships would need to lay anchor some few hundred feet out, but the beach is long and free of reefs or rocks. As the engagement last month showed, Equestrian ships are no match for ours. We should be unopposed.”

“And then what?” asked Îrilôs, leaning over the table. “We can't land and just say Tempest is in charge now.”

“The strategy is simple. We force the Equestrians into open battle, smash them, and march on Highcrest. Our cannons can make short work of them, Sir Turaz assures me. But, as for actually doing it? I do not know. I...” Aharôs clenched his jaw, and exhaled. “I am not a tactician, my Lord. Nor even a good strategist. We've seen that in Verâd.”

“No, you are not.” the Emperor agreed. “But you have a very useful ability to inspire fear in your enemies, King Aharôs. I think we can use that.”

“Really?” asked King Fâôs, obviously interested. “Did you catapult heads into a castle? Impale a few rebels along the road?” Aharôs looked up to him, and answered without a pause.

“I burnt a city of traitors down with the traitors still inside.” he stated.

“Ah...” Fâôs leaned back in his chair, hand on chin. “Well... That's quite a bold move.”

And he didn't mention the sorcery or demon-summoning, Tempest remarked to herself.

“I did what I had to.” said Aharôs. “I've always done what I had to, and I always will. If that means razing cities, so be it. If that means invading other continents because our Lord and Master, the Emperor, commands it, so be it. If that means destroying Equestria to ensure our dominion over all life on Earth... so be it.”

“So be it.” repeated King Fâôs. “Queen Tempest, what will you do once you're in power again?”

“I was never formally Queen. Nor was my mother for that matter, she started this mess.” Tempest explained. It felt weird to be called Queen by someone other than the Nikadîon garrison or her pegasi. She'd need to get used to that. “Once I'm there...” she shrugged. “In total honesty, I never considered I'd ever return home. I suppose I would keep the peace and give you whatever you needed to deal with Celestia.” The thought that Princess Celestia would fall from power was a nice one. The thought that Princess Celestia might be killed by the humans also occurred to her, and was also just as pleasant a notion.

“It's a start.” Fâôs said. “I'm not much of a general either, but I believe I will be going with you. Our securing of Highcrest will gain us a foothold across the sea, and with you in power, we'll have a friendly region to secure a flank for us.”

“Then comes the main invasion.” Îrilôs grinned, placing five more of his little boats on the map. “Six thousand men-at-arms from Lûndôvîr are the only men here at the moment, and are likely to be the only ones who appear this year at all. I expect they'll be closer to five thousand once we've dealt with local troubles. Not the fifteen thousand King Aharôs promised, but they'll do.” Aharôs gave a dark look to the map. “They'll be the ones going with you to Highcrest, along with whomever else shows up before this coming spring. I expect most of the lords who answered my uncle's call to war will be arriving closer to summer, in campaign season. Perhaps as many as twenty or even thirty thousand! More than enough to defeat the Equestrians and take the entire western coast and then some!”

Tempest glanced uneasily around. It was seven months until the spring equinox, but the humans sometimes spoke of spring beginning whenever the first sprouts appeared. That was as early as her February, which was but six months away. She had fall and winter before this was upon her.

“We'll figure out the details later, of course,” Îrilôs went on, “but for now, a loose strategy will do. Once we have the coast, we can strike inland. First, to Lithton, and then along this mountain range until we hit Everfree. With the heart of the Second Alicornia in our hands, the Equestrian spirit will break.”

“Everfree is a long way from the sea.” Tempest noted.

“We don't need to go that far.” spoke Aharôs, pointing to a mountain on the map. “Sidâl told me that they're building a new capital, here. Canterlot, they call it. Work started before the plague killed most of the alicorns. Take that, and it'll be just like taking Everfree.”

“Who is this Sidâl?” asked Fâôs.

“A man of many talents and many friends.” Îrilôs told him, quickly moving back to the subject at hand. It must not be good practice for an Emperor to keep sorcerers. Sorcerers and Emperors often ended up on opposing sides of a battlefield, she'd learned. “Highcrest, Lithton, Canterlot. That's three major realms under our control.” He reached over to the far side of the map, which was blank and devoid of any markings at all. “There is another realm here, I've heard, but I'm afraid it will remain too distant to attack.”

“Eastmarch.” corrected Tempest. “And beyond it is the Griffonlaw of Greenland. To the south is the Vesperswood, and in it is the hidden kingdom of bat-ponies.”

“Bat-ponies!” scoffed Fâôs. “What else is there?”

“South of that is nothing but earth pony tribes and the direct vassals of Everfree.” Tempest frowned. “This is a very big continent, Emperor Îrilôs. Not as big as Sarathûl, but it's more than this map shows. I doubt thirty thousand men will be able to even hold the western coast for long.”

“Have faith, dear Tempest.” Emperor Îrilôs soothed her. “Equestria doesn't have a grain of black powder, we have a limitless supply. And not just for cannons and arquebuses, but for rockets, bombs, and all manner of other weapons I've dreamed up. Our smoke will blot out the sun, and when it clears, only their dead will be left.”

Aharôs and she departed some time later, in silence. Neither was happy, though for different reasons. “I didn't take you to be interested in the polities of your homeland.” he finally said.

“I didn't either.” Tempest admitted. “Maybe I listened to Snowy better than I knew.”

The King nodded approvingly. “Listen to her more, then. She's more useful than any of your other followers ever realized, I believe.”

“Yeah.” said Tempest. “A shame they're not around to realize it.” They continued on for a while, before she spoke again. “Do you think this is possible? This grand scheme of Îrilôs's?”

“I don't think it's possible. I've seen it.” Aharôs whispered. “I've seen the future.”

“What?”

“Sidâl showed me the shape of things to come, the other day. I asked him what was going to happen, and I saw it. Mankind will stand triumphant...” Aharôs clasped his hands, getting a distant look.

“But I'm a pony...” Tempest pointed out worriedly. “What will happen to me? To us?”

“That's precisely why you have nothing to fear.”

Whatever he meant, she didn't understand. That was the last she heard from Aharôs for a while, he went off to do whatever it was he had been up to lately. Streaming Breeze had mentioned he spent a lot of time with Sidâl and someone else, a woman. She'd never seen Aharôs show any interest in the other half of humanity before. For a moment, Tempest wondered if the obvious was happening, but Streaming Breeze said all they did was pour over old scrolls and books and artifacts. That was certainly more Aharôs than any intimate relations. I wonder if he's even capable of that, Tempest asked herself.

“Did something happen to Aharôs when I was young?” she asked Streaming, while they took a dinner of tomato soup and bread together the next afternoon. The red mare looked thoughtful.

“Not that I recall, my Queen. My ship was caught on a sandbar during the storm, by the time I got to Nikadîon your mother had passed several days prior. That was the first time I met Aharôs; he was in a bad mood then, and he's been in a bad mood since. Though we were all unhappy in those days.” said Streaming.

“He told me he wanted to run a watermill once. He was never supposed to be king, but he ended up as the heir anyway.” Tempest recalled their talk, after he had put his own father to rest. It was the closest the two had been in a long time. She wished that he could always be so understanding, but Aharôs had pulled back within himself once again the next day, and remained there. “And now, all this has happened.”

“That it has.” Streaming nodded with resignation.

“You're the most normal person in my life, you know.” Tempest told her, pushing some bread around on her plate.

“I'm aware.” snorted Streaming, with a wry look out the window to the higher levels of the palace.

A question occurred to her, that she'd never asked before. “All my life, you've been in the background. I don't remember when we first met, because you've always been there. But all I know is your name. Who are you, Streaming?” Tempest asked. The other pegasus blinked in surprise; an amusing look on such a hardened and scarred warrior like her.

“Who... who am I?” she repeated.

“Who are you? Why are you still here? Why do you care what happens to me?” pressed Tempest, trying not to sound rude. I probably failed at that, but she probably expects that. Tempest hadn't always been entirely polite with her.

“I am who I am, my Queen.” said Streaming. “I was the youngest daughter of a poor family, I was hungry, so I joined your grandmother's retinue.”

“You knew my grandmother?” Tempest interrupted.

“Tempest Blackwind, the founder of the house, yes. Fearsome pony; you were named for her.” Streaming smirked. Tempest recalled the names of her great-grandparents, Squall Whitewind and Quercus of Everfree. Her grandmother had been legitimized, and lived a very long time and had many children. Maelstrom had been the last of them, born from the very late age of forty-nine from the first Tempest. Tough old mare. Nothing like her granddaughter at all.

“You could say I knew her, but I only saw her once, just before she died of cowpox, and that's when I met Maelstrom. Your mother was just a little older than you when she inherited the Blackwind lands and wealth, you know.” I had a vague idea, she was twenty-six when she died... “But even as young as she was, she was a true leader. Maelstrom was... inspiring. In different ways for different ponies. She was strong, courageous, clever, kind, beautiful. All of us who pledged allegiance to the Blackwinds served her without question. Your mother was as loyal to us as we were to her. And for a young mare like me, who had been disregarded all her life, that was something powerful.”

Tempest nodded in understanding. The Benefactor had told her something very similar, months ago.

“It was good for me.” Streaming Breeze went on. “Lady Maelstrom showed me I could be something more than an awkward, nervous young mare just serving for a hot meal and a place to sleep. I could be proud, I could be alive, I could have honor and fidelity to our cause. What more can I say? Our Lady became our Queen, she led us against the Swiftrains, and she lost. By then you were alive, and you know the story.”

“And yet, so many of my mother's followers deserted me.” Tempest said. She thought back to those rainy days after the wreck, when the alicorns and Swiftrains promised a full pardon to any who returned, and a wealth of gold to whomever brought Tempest back to them. Aharôs hadn't let any of them near her, not even her uncle Hearth, for weeks. “You didn't.”

“I was a true believer. Queen Maelstrom had done well by me, more than I warranted from one like her. I thought I could honor her name, and serve her daughter as well as she taught me to serve her.” The red mare shrugged. “So here I stand. The last soldier of the greatest pegasus since Hurricane Whitewind.”

A spell of glumness came over Tempest. A long time ago, a mare named Nightwatcher had been a part of their company. She had a shadowy mane and silver eyes. A fitting name for her, really, like many pony names. Nightwatcher had always interested Tempest; she had treated Snowy decently and never shied away from the hard questions Tempest asked as a child. But one day, Nightwatcher left, like so many others, to go home. From several hundred to seven, they'd all abandoned Maelstrom's cause. Then, something compelled her to say something she'd never said before.

“I know I've never treated you as well as you deserved, or even given you much regard at all... But here you stand, like you always have. Thank you for staying, Streaming. I know I'm not worthy, but thank you.”

Again, Streaming was surprised by her. A genuine look of gratitude went over her face, and she searched for words. “That- that means a lot to me, my Queen. After all that's happened in these twenty-eight years... Some recognition is really nice.” She nodded to herself, and couldn't stop a happy smile from spreading across her face.

“Well, you earned it.” she said. It was like the Benefactor told her up north. Cherish what you have, Tempest, he said. She had Snowy, a steadfast friend, and Aharôs, a not-as-steadfast guardian, but she'd forgotten about Streaming Breeze, a steadfast servant. Tempest didn't know her, and had never cared about her, but perhaps it was time to see things from a new light. She'd need all the ponies she could trust, soon enough. But there was a more pressing matter: “Tomorrow we have to go finish the... interrogation, I guess, of those two in the dungeon.”

It was the first thing the two did after breakfast; Snowy quietly excused herself from the affair. “I don't want to see her again.” she murmured, looking everywhere but at Tempest. Truly, it was rare for Snowy to be so set against someone, but Tempest was sure she'd be able to understand if she had any idea of what had happened between the two sisters. So, Streaming and she went to the dungeons alone. Since their last encounter, Goldleaf the Unicorn and Hemlock Farpeak had both been cleaned up; they looked much better now.

“There were some complications, but we'll resume now.” Streaming Breeze said, when the two captives had been put into the same cell. Tempest sat off to the side, while the red mare faced them from the center. It was noteworthy how Hemlock looked so much like Snowy; just more athletic in form. They even had a similar smell. It was also strange to smell a new pony after all these years... Tempest had almost forgotten every one of her kind had a different scent, as different as one face from the next. Goldleaf did not interest Tempest nearly as much, even if he was the first unicorn she'd ever met; he was a stallion just past his prime, and a cripple too.

“Wonderful.” the unicorn said.

“Goldleaf the Lame, they called you.” said Streaming.

“So they do.”

“Queen Maelstrom spoke to me of you, once. You're apparently the most powerful unicorn in Equestria?” she asked. Tempest sat up a little straighter. If he was the most powerful unicorn, why hadn't he blasted his way out of here yet?

“From a certain point of view.” Goldleaf admitted. “At the moment, I am the most powerful... But there is no doubt there are others more powerful than me, who were wise enough to lay low.”

“Perhaps.” Streaming asked about their mission to Sarathûl. Apparently, Princess Luna had been sent to gain a foothold on Lûndôvîr's rugged coast, but to no avail. Goldleaf had been abandoned by Lady Silver Farpeak, and Hemlock had stuck with him for whatever her reason. Silver Farpeak, Tempest mused. That was a name she'd only heard a few times in her life, and never once from Snowy. The unseen mare was more of a villain to her than the Great Enemy of human mythology. The one time Coldstar had mentioned Lady Silver, Snowy had shivered like a scared child hearing the name Vahâdrîn.

There wasn't much to be learned from Goldleaf and Hemlock. They both cooperated, but they simply had no information of value. Neither knew were Celestia was building her fleet, neither could tell them about Highcrest's current defenses, or the future movements of the Equestrian armies. When asked why they were so cooperative, Goldleaf said: “Neither of us truly believe in this war. If your human friends can end it quickly, all the better.”

“Fair enough.” Streaming agreed. “Well, we've learned all we can for now. I'll report this to Aharôs, my Queen.”

“Do so.” Tempest nodded. They were moving Hemlock back to her own cell, but Tempest decided on something else. “I would like a word with her.” she said.

Streaming frowned. “You're completely unarmed, my Queen-”

“If they wanted to hurt me, they would have by now.” Tempest said.

“Very well... But if you get killed-”

“I won't.” she stated. Streaming retreated reluctantly, while Tempest led Hemlock deeper into the dungeon.

“Where are we going?” Hemlock asked.

“Somewhere private.” said Tempest, nodding to the stairwell at the back of the dungeon, which led deeper down into the tunnels Îrilôs had used to take them to the House of Dragons. Hemlock gave her a wary look, which only served to confuse Tempest. “This isn't an execution or torture session.” she assured the other pegasus. “What I want to know,” said Tempest when they reached the spiral stairwell, “is why Snowy says she hates you. She won't talk to me, so I'm talking to you. And you don't have a choice, unlike her.”

“Ah...” In the half-life of the dungeon, it was difficult to see Hemlock's expression. “What's it to you, though? A Queen shouldn't concern herself with the troubles of those beneath her.”

“I'm not very good at being queenly. My... guardian once told me a true monarch has no friends, only enemies and subjects. But I have a friend, and I care about her.” Tempest stated. “Now speak.”

For a few moments, Hemlock remained quiet, looking down at her hooves. She sat, and her ears fell. “I really don't have a choice?” she asked.

“You gave up your choice when you surrendered.” That's what Aharôs would have said, she believed. Some small part of Tempest was very happy to be in charge for once; what better way to than doing what Aharôs always did?

“Has Snowy told you about our mother?” asked Hemlock.

“Only enough to know what she was.”

“I had better start there, then...”

Author's Notes:

I know I promised a Horn of the Damned update next, but inspiration was flowing for this, and not for the other story.

Spring 1505, it's happening, mark your calenders. Will we ever get there though? Or will John Hood keep throwing character drama at you? Things may be moving faster than they appear...