Tim and Leah are both breathing heavily, on account of the happy exercise both have just completed. He grabs the griff and holds her close, she buries her face in his chest. “Wow.” She murmurs softly. “I swear, that was the best yet!"

Tim chuckles, “Well, everypony else is out for the evening, so I don’t have to divide my attention.”

She giggles, her face red. “My goodness, I mean, I used to think that having you to myself would be the best. But, I do kinda miss the other mares, and Silve, too.”

“Well, they’ll be back, they’ll probably want to resume bedroom time when they get home.”

She hugs him tightly. “I’ll take them up on it.” She pulls her head back a bit to look him in the eyes. “Love?”

“Yes?”

“I think I need to talk to you about the other day.”

“You have to admit, joining in a Pinkie Pie Parade was fun.”

Her face turns red. “A couple of other griffs that were trying to escape got brought in too. Even Grisela. But yeah, it was fun. But that wasn’t what I was thinking of.”

“Then what were you thinking of?” He finishes with a kiss to the top of her head. She purrs softly and holds him tighter.

She is silent for a long time, almost long enough where he thinks she’s fallen asleep, but finally she shifts a bit. “You must think my culture is crazy.”

He shakes his head. “No, certainly not crazy, it works for you. It’s certainly different from the ponies. I’m a foreigner, too.”

She nods. “Ponies are casual about money, no price is fixed, they love to haggle, to bargain, to barter. They are the richest and biggest on the planet, but they are just so damned casual about it.”

Tim smiles. “That’s what works for them. I’m no hippologist, but I’ve learned a lot from talking with Twilight. She is so very well read, and given how much her family is worth, she wouldn’t have to lift a hoof, and that’s without accounting for the income being a princess of Equestria. But she’s driven, not just being a mage, but she’s just as industrious as anypony.”

She nods. “All the ponies are. It’s their nature. Our nature…is different.”

“Oh? How so?”

“The founding experience of griffic civilization was a great famine three thousand years ago upon being forced from our homeland at spearpoint. Only the stingiest and meanest made it. Every resource is to be marshalled and exploited, wealth is to be catalogued and horded. Our homeland is not bountiful and forgiving like Equestria, it’s a harsh and unforgiving place, where between the weather, the beasts, invaders, and hunger, death is always right around the corner for the griff who ever becomes careless. Something you need to understand about the griffs, we don’t seek harmony like the ponies do. We don’t seek communion with nature the way the deer of the Everfree do. We are all about wealth, and the creation of that wealth.” She stops and buries her face into his chest. For a long time she simply lays there, snuggled up to the human. But finally she shifts a bit, though her face is still pressed against his chest, to where her words are muffled. “My dad is probably very disappointed in me.”

“No, there’s no way for that.”

She pulls away and looks him in the eyes. “Oh, but yes. A fool and his money are soon parted. And I am being a fool, because I’m in love.”

He tilts his head slightly. “A fool? You seem the exact opposite of foolish.”

She squeezes tightly to him for a long moment. “I’m a fool…for you, love. For all of you. I would give up what I’ve accumulated, I would give up everything I have.” Her cheeks redden. “For you and Citrus, and everypony else.”

He smiles at her. “But you don’t have to give up anything. We are here, and we support you. Do you need money? I have far more than I will ever need.”

She shakes her head vehemently. “No, that’s not it. Ever since I was little, I was learning what my dad was doing. How he would play the market, buy, sell, making a profit. Seeing where he could cut corners, yet still keep quality up, so griffs and yaks, and minotaurs would keep on buying. He had some really good deals, and he wasn’t trying to directly teach me. I just paid attention.”

Tim frowns. “Why would he not be teaching you?”

“Because I’m a female, I’m a girl.”

Tim shakes his head. “I know ponies have some odd ideas on the differences between male and female. But teaching is done for all.”

“Not among the griffs, Tim.” She huffs. “My dad tried his hardest to teach my brother all the ins and outs of business. How to leverage your money. How to make your money work for you.” She sighs. “But my sister, my mother got a hold of her, was teaching her how to be presentable, how to have good manners, how to attract the best possible suitor. You have no other life. That’s what she really said. And my sister listened with rapt attention. Me, I would just turn off my brain while my mom was teaching us etiquette, and how to be appealing to males. But when my dad was teaching my brother, I hung onto every word.”

Tim squeezes Leah tighter, enjoying the feeling of her being close. After a few moments she continues. “At first, I think he assumed I was simply a daddy’s girl. And I can’t deny that. I still am, to be honest. Defying him on this is the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. But I was learning. I was understanding what it means to be a cultured griff, to earn money, to make things happen. I had egg money, doing chores around the house, occasionally chick sitting, you know, that sort of thing. And finally I opened a brokerage account, I was thirteen. I had over five hundred crowns. The griff taking my money, he smiled condescendingly as he did his job. Just some featherbrained female.” She smiles a bit. “I know I wasn’t the first female to try her claw at male’s business. But I am different. I was paying attention. My first investment netted me nearly three hundred percent. Then I’ve worked from there, getting jobs in various places we lived, earning my own crowns, and investing every bit.” She looks up at him. “I learned better than my brother. I found out what he was assessed for being raised, and I’ve earned more than that. In less time than he did. If my dad had assessed me that amount when I turned sixteen, I would have been able to pay it in full right there.”

Her face drops. “But he never did. He did send tips to his son, trying to give him a leg up. And I was doing better than him. I’m not as rich as your family, especially with Twilight Sparkle as a princess. And for a while before I met you, my dad did still pay for some things that are expected of ambassadors and their families. But for almost two years now, up until he kicked me out.” Her beath hitches, she blinks away tears. “Until he kicked me out, I was paying even for everything that was expected of me being an ambassador’s daughter. But I am comfortable when it comes to bits here in Equestria. You did notice that I always pay for herd dates that I invite you on. Right?”

He nods. “I’m still trying to overcome my own tendencies, a man is supposed to pay back home.”

“The same with griffs, Tim. A female is supposed to look pretty, talk gently, and pop eggs out for her husband. My sister would be utterly lost trying to deal with what I deal with in finance daily. It’s good that the ponies are so egalitarian, if I were back home, I’d not be taken seriously, the griffs working at the brokerage houses here in Canterlot have to work by pony rules, and anypony can invest. In Griffinstone, I wouldn’t even be let in the door.”

“That’s horrible,” Tim growls.

She shakes her head. “That’s how things are back home. And as I had said. It works for us. Nearly every female wouldn’t know margin from profit. They don’t know about venture capital. Nothing about making your money work for you.” She barks a laugh. “Though many males don’t know all of that either, to be honest. But what I’m talking about is the wives of the elite of Griffinstone, of our society. They don’t know what makes their husbands rich. They enjoy what that money brings them, tea parties, high society. Everything involved with having a reputation to uphold.” She lays her head again against his chest. “Sometimes I think females like Grizela have it better, she’s unattached. She doesn’t have to worry about looking right for a suitor. She can marry anygriff she wants. I can’t.”

“You are trapped?”

“In a way, yes, but also, no. I have privileges that most griffs have no clue about, and many that griffs dream about.” She looks down. “But I’m stuck, Tim. I’m in love. And I thought it was simple. That I was horny for you.”

He chuckles. “Well, that too, right?”

She turns in his grasp and reaches up her claws to take his head gently, she reaches up her face and presses it to his cheek. In some ways, this is more passionate than a kiss for a griff. He closes his eyes and enjoys the touch, before she eventually pulls away.

“You see, Tim. We griffs…well…in many ways we are more like the dragons. Both of our kinds are greedy and warlike. We have clashed with our neighbors many times over the centuries. But even though the dragons pride power and deception, we pride the rules of trade and personal abilities which might not be power, but a beak for finance, or cooking, or such. Love is supposed to be the worst motivation for anything. It drives up costs, it makes you spend more than you should on something. If you love a meal, you might spend well more than it’s worth.”

“That’s how it works. Except in this case, it’s how much is it worth to you?"

“Yes, but that's the problem, love creates an artificial value, so what you could have for ten bits, because you love it, and the seller KNOWS you love it, they can charge a hundred or even two hundred bits, and you might pay that...for a ten-bit item, all because of love.” She sighs. “I think there is different kinds of value that many griffs don’t really understand.”

His brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“Well a creature that only does things for you till your bits run out won't be there for you if you don't have any bits.” She shifts to look him in the eyes, her expression earnest. “But friends, true true friends, will be there for you through thick and thin, they will help you even if you can't pay. So how much, in bits, is that worth?” She leans back and huffs. “How much in bits is it worth, to have a creature that will try and help, without having to pay, so that in a time of need...they are there? What kind of an...investment...is that?”

He gathers her up closer, holding her tightly. She relaxes into his arms. He nuzzles the top of her head. “The best kind. Because not only do you get their help when you need it. And yes, you help them when they are in need. No real exchange of money goes on. But a deeper exchange happens there. It’s not physical, like gold bits, or crowns, or whatever. But as an investment, friends who would do that for you are more valuable than a dragon’s hoard.”

“But how do you quantify that? How can you tell that you are on a good balance with those friends? How do you know if you are becoming a burden to them? How do you let them know if they are becoming a burden to you?”

He smiles. “You can’t. I’ve had friends that my payment to them, you could say, would be to come over to my place, drink beer, and spend time with them. But if things are really in a crunch, they’ll move mountains for you. But the other side of that coin is, they know that you would do the exact same for them. But that’s not everyone. Some would go to the ends of the earth for you, and then if they have problems, not even reach out for your help. Those are the ones you need to be the most ready to help. But remember to be as much for them as they are for you. Because if that balance gets too lopsided, they might pull back. And losing a friend because you were too greedy hurts.”

She looks at him. “That sounds so stressful.”

“As stressful as making sure you can pay those that you are asking to help?”

She stops and looks thoughtful. “Well, I always try to ensure that I have enough money. But I can see about those without good income.”

“But having those that will show up no matter your income situation are worth more than their weight in gold.”

“Whose weight in gold?”

***

Twilight trots into the living room, her tail flagging. “Silver.”

Silver Wing turns from his work bench, his magnifier on his face, blinking through the lens. “Wha?”

Her tail is swishing. “You, me, upstairs, now.”

Tim looks up from his book, “You okay, Twi?” Citrus has been snoozing on his lap, he keeps his hand on her neck, she is still breathing softly in sleep.

Twi huffs a bit. “Stressful day. I don’t want to disturb Citrus, and Silver’s always ready to play, right?” She looks back at the Pegasus as he places his tools carefully in their places.

He hops off of his bench, a lopsided smile on his face. “Always, Princess.”

Her magic drags him closer and their mouths meet, Tim smiles watching them kiss. She pulls away and walks towards the stairs, the stallion nearly prancing on air, definitely ready for what’s to come.

Cayenne walks into the living room from the kitchen, a curious look on her face as the two disappear upstairs. “What did I miss?”

Citrus’ eyes open, “The royal plot demanded a royal pounding.”

That gets a throaty laugh from the spicy mare. “Maybe I should go up and help.”

North Point looks up from her desk, her horn glowing faintly as she has two pens dipping into ink and drawing on a large piece of parchment. She blushes. “If you are in the mood too, I can help.”

Cayenne looks at North, a big smile on her face. “I’m not in a super horny mood, but I can use some cuddles.”

Tim looks from Cayenne to North, then down at Citrus on his lap, her eyes are open and looking at him. He smiles. “Ya know, we are already cuddling, the more the merrier.”

North and Cayenne stop, looking at the human, Cayenne gets a wide smile and saunters over to the couch, Citrus’ horn lights, sliding them to the middle of the couch to make room, Cayenne hops up and leans against the human, his arm going around her. And in a matter of minutes, North has wormed her way up and is on his other side, her side pressed in with Citrus. Both mares sigh happily as Tim keeps his hands occupied loving on both of them.

After a long moment, Cayenne leans her head close to his, pressing her cheek up against the human’s cheek. “You have told us that you need a razor for your face, and nearly every day, you scrape the hair off your face. I’ve never understood why.”

Tim thinks for a moment. “Human males grow facial hair, it’s called a beard. I’ve let it grow out a couple of days, you’ve seen it.”

“I know, but how long can it get? We have fur all over, but we get shaggy during the winter, but it stays a pretty decent length no matter what.”

“It can get pretty long. Remember, I have to have my hair cut, just like you girls have your manes cut every few weeks. My beard grows like that.”

Cayenne looks down at Citrus, a big smile on her face before she lounges against Tim. “I think I want to see that.”

That gets a chuckle from the human. “I’ve never been much for having a long beard.”

Citrus looks up at him. “I’m with Cayenne, I wanna see you with a beard.”

Tim looks between the two, then looks over at North, who is giving her best puppy pleading expression. “You too?”

Her tail wiggles. “Yes. You don’t have enough fur anyway. I mean, you’ve got a bit on your chest and legs, and a little bit on your arms, but your face, I mean, I like how your face looks. But I’m curious.”

Tim closes his eyes and sighs, “Okay, fine. It grows pretty slowly, and I’m not going to go totally mountain man, but I’ll trim it to look good and be longer than it is.”

Cayenne smiles and settles against him a bit, then she flinches, looking down at her belly. “She kicked.”

Instantly, the other mares are focused on Cayenne. Citrus leans her muzzle forward and rests it on Cayenne’s belly. After a few seconds, she pulls away, her eyes round. “I felt that!”

Cayenne smiles brightly, rubbing a hoof on her belly.

North pipes up. “So, have you decided on a name?”

“No, not as of yet, she’s still got a while. I asked my mom when she named me. She said that my name came to her when I was born. So, I’m not stressing about it.”

“Is it some sort of magic?” Tim asks.

Citrus blinks at the human’s question, then she looks pensive for a long moment. “I would have to ask Twilight.” She glances up stairs for a moment before shaking her head and smiling. “Ponies don’t really have an issue when changing our names. It happens if we decide that our name doesn’t really fit for us, for our interests and such. For example, you know Pinkie Pie’s boss at Sugarcube Corner? Cup Cake is her name now, but it used to be Chiffon Swirl. I know probably a half dozen ponies who have changed their names over the years. But most of the time, our dams get our names right. So, I think magic is involved in our names.” She looks at Cayenne. “So, you don’t need to stress about naming your foal. The name will come to you. At least that’s what my mom said to me.”

Tim laughs, “So can we game the system, name them something like Track Champion, Spell Weaver, or Biggus Dickus?”

Giggles. “Biggus Dickus? That must be a joke name, says Cayenne. I’m too tired to… you can’t game the system, the name chooses the pony.

Tim nods, though not understanding fully. Cayenne nuzzles his cheek. “I’m looking forward to the beard. Love.”

Tim smiles, cuddling the spicy mare closer, along with the other two mares, and they enjoy their evening together.

***

A knock at the door gets everypony’s attention.

“Coming, coming!” Silver shouts, making his way from the kitchen, where he was helping Cayenne with dinner.

There are several more knocks, impatient and rapid, with little delay between them as the stallion trots towards the door. “I said I’m fucking coming!” Silver growls before he throws open the door to find himself face to face with an impeccably groomed male griffon wearing a finely tailored suit with a bow tie and a cape. Silver blinks a few times at the spectacle before him. He notices immediately his refined poise and glowing quality of his clothing. It would be a task to find finer even if crafted at the hooves of that mare at Canterlot Boutique herself.

Silver looks up and down at the griff. “Uh, hello, can I help you?”

The griffon makes a small bow and holds eye contact with his piercing gold eyes. “Good afternoon, Pony, who are you?”

Silver gulps under the scrutiny, “I’m Silver. Uh, Silver Wing.”

The griffon says, “Good afternoon, Silver Wing of Herd Blush. My name is Gripthorn, son of Gladius. I believe you have something of mine.”

Silver narrows his eyes in response. “Galileah is not some good for sale!” he snaps.

The griff offers a condescending smile, “I have said nothing of the sort, good stallion. Please, it is very public out here, may I enter?”

Silver takes a step back, holding the door open. “Sorry, come in.” The griff nods before entering and Silver closes the door.

“And might I speak to Galileah? Or is it considered taboo for the betrothed to meet in your culture before the wedding?”

Silver sighs, “Please sit at the table, I’ll go get her. But if you think for one second you can just buy us off or make off with her like some booty, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“I intend nothing of the sort,” says Gripthorn, following Silver to the kitchen and sitting down at the table, “Stallion Silver of Herd Blush, if you worry about the safety of Lady Galileah or of what may transpire between us, feel free to watch. It is nothing shameful. Here, as a token of my goodwill…” Before Silver can stop him, Gripthorn yanks out a finely machined and decorated revolver, opens the cylinder, ejects the cartridges, and places the weapon and ammunition on the table. “No tricks, no violence. Now, please, fetch the lady.”

Silver looks at the weapon for a long moment. “Very nice smithing there, sublime inlaying and engraving...” Silver murmurs before turning and trotting off.

The griffon waits patiently as Silver disappears up the stairs to go get Galileah. He returns shortly with her in tow. Her shoulders sag the moment she sees him. “Oh, it’s you…”

“Good afternoon, my Lady, I have come to discuss business with you. I first visited your little apartment, how quaint.” He smirks. “No wonder you are here. Definitely several steps up from that rude little place. Do you invite these ponies there?”

“It serves my needs.” She snaps back.

Silver stands beside the table. Galileah stands there for a long moment, taking in the scene before taking a seat. “If I must.”

“Can we trust him, Leah?” Silver says softly. “If not, I can get Citrus, or even Twi…”

She shakes her head. “No, he came all the way from Griffonstone, and divested his armament without being asked, this is as honorable as it gets with us. He won’t harm us, at least not physically, at least not today.” Silver nods and kisses her quickly before giving them some space.

Gripthorn starts by asking, “How are you, Miss Galileah?”

“I am fine, thank you. And you?”

“I am fine, but anxious. The journey was expensive and as you know, the stakes are high,” he answers.

“I see. I’m telling you now, Sir Gripthorn, I’m not coming with you to be your nest hen. You can find some other griffonness to buy for your bed.”

He laughs, “My dear, I’m not here to buy you to serve my bed, I’m here to finish the deal I made for you.”

“And I’m not coming with you!” She crosses her arms, talons balled tightly.

“Are you sure? Every griff has their price.”

Galileah says, “Why would you pay so much for me? You know females and finances don’t mix.”

“Well, as they say, exploitation begins at home.”

“Indeed, Gripthorn, and as they also say, wives serve and brothers inherit. What can you possibly offer me?”

“Wealth beyond your wildest dreams. A griffon with no profit is no griffon at all.”

“You’re not making this sound worth my while at all. Satisfaction is not guaranteed, I was always going to marry well. What can you do no other griff can?” She places her talons on the marble countertop, flexing her claws. “What’s in it for me?”

They lock eyes, each glaring an intense concentration at the other. He smiles and says, “Well played, my dear, you know the rules quite well. I expected nothing less from the daughter of one of Griffonstone’s wealthiest and greatest.”

“Would my father raise any but the finest chick? The early investor reaps the most interest.”

“Indeed, and it’s my interest he’s holding,” says Gripthorn.

“I know already, and you already know what I’m going to say next.”

“Once you have their money, never let it go.”

Galileah nods, “And I see you are no idle hereditary moneygriff.”

He says, “There is no substitute for success. Always know what you’re buying.”

She rebuffs, “Gold lasts longer than lust.”

“Everything is for sale, even love.”

“And what can you offer me that Herd Blush can’t? You’re trying to sell the sizzle not the steak,” chides Galileah at her dogged suitor.

Gripthorn only laughs, “Good, good, very good. I see you are no fledgling who sees the rules as revelation. Your father, whether or not he intended to, taught you well. You are a worthy bride to be indeed. Enough then, no more of this molt, let’s discuss real matters.”

“It is about time you said that. So, what’s your offer? What can you offer me? And don’t start on the dowry, that’s for my father. What do you offer me in particular?” Galileah challenged Gripthorn, preening out her wings as she did so like a pegasus displaying her pride.

Gripthorn smiles, “I guarantee I make more money than you. Come, what’s your income? Your job?”

Galileah hid her face in embarrassment. “I do as many griffs do, I invest, both here in Equestria, and back home in Griffinstone, as well as a few other places where the winds of profit take me.”

“You didn’t answer my question. You invest, so do many, but to invest successfully…” He drags a claw across the marble counter almost as though he were bored.

“A good month might be five or ten thousand…”

The griff snorts, “I host dinners that are more than that.”

“I’m in a herd that makes a lot of money.”

“Oh are you now? I thought you were just toying around with them, are you a member?”

“No,” Galileah admits, “But I could but…” She finds her face reddening.

“Could. Would. Should. Tell me, girl, how much do they make?”

“I… don’t know…”

Silver breaks his silence to say, “Between my herdmates and I, we make about three hundred thousand a year, and that’s without Princess Twilight – between her family income, and the fact she is a princess, she’s a one mare economy. Believe me when I say we are not poor, and if Leah wanted in, she would be in, instantly.”

Galileah mouths a thank you with a blush while Gripthorn responds, “Three hundred thousand, not bad, not bad, but that’s only a few tens each. Very nice, very quaint. My coffers take in two million crowns per annum, and given the exchange rate, you know what that means compared to Equestrian bits. I believe that speaks for itself.”

Gali nearly fall of her chair. “Two million, you said two million, right?” Her eye is twitching, a vein is pulsing in her neck beneath her feathers.

“Yes indeed, two million crowns a year, every single year. I have servants who make more than you; they all do, in fact,” says Gripthorn.

Galileah, still in visible shock, says, “That’s a lot of money.”

“It is. And it can be yours. All you have to do is marry me.”

“I…”

He smiles at her. “Come on, say yes. You’re used to a certain lifestyle, and you’ve never cared to earn your own, anyway. It’ll be just like when daddy took care of you. Marry me, I’ll put you in luxury you can’t even imagine – the tenderest meats, the newest fashions, fastidious servants, vacations to the Dream Isles, anything your heart desires. Your father will be so proud of you. Be a smart griff, what do you say?”

Leah puts her head down in her talons and shrouds herself with her wings. She rocks back and forth. Something is chewing through her mind as if it is at war with herself. Gripthorn leans back smugly, resting his head in his interwoven claws.

Galileah pushes herself back up to meet his gaze. He raises an eyebrow at the hen. She braces herself on the table with both claws and stares the other griffon dead in the eye.

“No.”

His eyes widen. “I beg your pardon.”

“I said no, I don’t want to be your property.”

“You want to stake everything on a herd you’re not even part of?” Gripthorn’s eyes are bulging.

Galileah is completely cool. “Maybe I will.”

“A pony herd?”

“Home may be sweet, but the stars are made of gold,” sings Galileah, her levity visibly agitating Gripthorn.

Gripthorn glares are her. “I think that you should reconsider.”

Gali answers, “I don’t think I will, Sir Gripthorn, I have decided where I want to be, that matter is over.”

The griff visibly chokes down his anger to stay with a forced calm, “So it is, my dear chick. The matter of your heart may be settled, but not the matter of the dowry, and do not doubt for a moment I will have my satisfaction.”

“I would imagine you intend on it. But the dowry itself is between you and my father, I was not consulted, nor did I have any input on it.”

“More than intend,” says Gripthorn. He offers a claw to Galileah. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he states stiffly. She shakes his claw and then hands him his revolver.

“Until next time, Gripthorn.”

“Until next time, Galileah.”

Silver escorts him to the door and lets him out. As the door shuts, the stallion sags and sighs out with relief. After a long moment, he turns back to Leah. “Was that for real?”

She nods. “I gave up…”

Silver walks over to her, rearing up, he uses his wings and his forelegs to give her a big hug. “You know, you are a part of this herd, even if not officially. You didn’t give up anything. Remember, that stuff that Tim brought with him when he came here, he’s going to be able to buy Gripthorn with his petty cash in a few years.”

She shakes her head. “It’s not about the money. I mean, the money is important, and that much of it, certainly means a lot. But I’m not with you, any of you, based on how much money you make. I’m with you because of you. You, Tim, Citrus, Cayenne, and North. You all mean so much to me. More than even that amount of money.” She reaches over and lays her cheek against his muzzle. “But thank you for your support in all of this, Silver.”

He smiles. “Always glad to.”

She pulls away, smiling. “Ya know, dinner won’t be ready for a little while. Tim and Citrus are out on a date.”

His eyebrows rise. “Are you suggesting something Leah?”

She nods. “Let North finish helping Cayenne, but they can join us later. I find I need some comfort, and you are just the pony to offer it.” She hops from her seat and leads the stallion towards the stairs. He whickers softly before following her.

Next Chapter: Chapter 51. Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes