Mid-Evening
April 18th, 71 BNM
Baltimare, port district
Mermare’s dive tavern

The bustling noise and music that filled the tavern seemed blurred to Aubelles, despite only having touched a single mug of cheap grog. But in this tavern, as per the letter’s instructions, he’d disguised himself so as to appear as a bronze Pegasus.
Opposite him, Chack finished his story, laying out the strange green tool on the table between them. The Salamander’s tale was odd to say the least.
A forest spirit, and more on those beings in disguise that had ill intent towards Alicorns as a whole, among other things, and that they were on the loose now without their master at the reigns. Worse, that two were here in Baltimare for some reason.
“Neither you nor I are drunk, so I’ll assume this is the truth. It isn’t like you to lie, or at least, not lie in such an extravagant manner of tale…”
Chack frowned at this, before the Salamander shifted his brown cloak over his smaller frame, remarking bluntly: “You know damn well, as I’ve said before and at Tartarus, I wouldn’t do this if I was uncertain.”
“Even so, why should I help you? After you betrayed my trust?”
“A lie of omission, you didn’t need to know, but I let you know at the battle when the time came. It was you who said to me when we were first partners that loose lips can sink ships.”
“Aye it was, but if we are to be partners, I must ask if this truly is a threat against both, because I still do not support who your ‘master’ is with.”
“Believe me, Starswirl is unbiased, but he sees more benefits to being where he is. I on the other hand can be in Nationalist territory without much word spreading.”
“Only because I put in word that you died in battle during the Tartarus siege, saving my hide…”
“You what!?” Chack nearly exclaimed, to which Aubelles remarked coyly while sipping from his grog mug:
“Of course I could reveal that-.”
“No, no. Actually, anonymity is good for me. I guess I owe you that much..”
Aubelles gave a small flick of his eyebrows as he drank, stating with an air of victory over Chack:
“Yes you do. You stay dead for convenience, and I ensure you don’t withhold any truths I must know anymore.”
As Chack lightly scoffed at Aubelles’s subtle manoeuvring to have him by the balls, the Salamander had to admit to himself that Aubelles could have taken this much worse.
Putting down the grog mug, Aubelles turned more to serious matters:
“So, who are these two?”
“Unknown, except that they will target Alicorns in Baltimare, or already are. One who uses lustful desires against themselves through her manipulation, another with a gluttonous hunger who absorbs magic and anything else for his food. Unfortunately, they are the only two of the seven that neither me nor Starswirl have actually seen, save for uncertain mental visions…”
“That is not exactly the best description, if they can shapeshift as much as rumoured.” Aubelles remarked, the disguised Alicorn flexing his wings in frustration. Around them, the tavern was more lively than their conversation at the table in the corner.
“As far as I am aware, all the Alicorns currently in Baltimare except myself are nobility, courtiers. If the female one is after them, she will be in among the courts. As for the gluttonous male, who knows…”
Chack thought for a moment, as Aubelles looked at the Salamander with some well founded concerns:
“And what of their magical power, if they are like the others, they are dangerous.”
“As long as even one is killed, the overall threat is gone. We may not even need to kill them, perhaps threaten them for the others, like the dangerous ones at Tartarus.”
At Chack’s words, as Aubelles wracked his mind, the disguised Alicorn suddenly had a brainwave.
“Wait… There has been some discourse, rumblings and subtle betrayals and harmful gossip floating around the court in past weeks. Especially vicious in the last week. If we find the source of that gossip, we find her.”
“And find her, the male may come to aide a friend. A good plan…”
“One that requires me, an Alicorn, to be bait.”
“You proposed the idea Aubelles, and being indebted to you I can only recommend it.” Chack’s coy remark was stated with narrowed eyes, as Aubelles gave an aggravated sigh.
“Fine. But this may well be for the best anyway, given the timing. I’ve had to deal with the courtiers inviting me, a hero of the commons as they say, to their frivolous meets and dinners. I’ve got another invitation tomorrow night…”
Leaning forwards, the Salamander pocketed his green weapon, asking briskly.
“Could you perhaps help me get into the residence without sneaking in?”
Aubelles’s eyes lit up slightly, as the Alicorn gave a small, sinister smile:
“Of course, they’ve had a surprising number of new staff rehirings if talk around the city is true.”
Scowling slightly, Chack remarked: “You’ll enjoy that role of mine for certain, but it does highlight something afoot there.”
“To both of those things, it certainly does.” Aubelles took another swig of the grog, while Chack leant in, beginning another train of conversation:
“Now, about the court members themselves, what do you know of the frequenters…”

Next day
Early Evening
April 19th, 71 BNM
Baltimare, uptown area
Trumane manor
Main ballroom

The musicians played, the buffet table was stocked, and the fading sunlight glistened in through the large pane glass windows of the manor ballroom.
Noble ponies, mostly Unicorn or Alicorn, mingling with the lesser numbers of noble Pegasi and Earth Ponies, filled the room with chatter and laughter as they recalled events.
“-even with the draw at Tartarus?”
“I believe that while it was a draw they couldn’t afford it as much as we could. Believe me, as well as believe that we already have some spies and defectors from the Royalists willing to pass on the secrets of that, super-spell, they unleashed against our armies.”
“And no more word from the Citadel, a shame considering what came from it in regards to living forces. A cataclysm buried it, nothing much else is known.”
As conversations muffled the air, a few choice ones reached the ears of Lady Trumane, her magically heightened senses hearing it all as she listened in for the usual gossip.
“My Lady Trumane…”
“Lord Pearlhoof, welcome. But where is your wife? She and I have not spoken in a while. Do not tell me she is still in mourning…”
“She shall recover, but she is in no condition to attend, despite us living in this city.”
“Give her my well wishes after tonight, I insist. It’s a tragedy to lose one’s child in miscarriage, especially an Alicorn…”
With a swift bow to her, Lord Pearlhoof respectfully ventured off to rejoin the party, whilst Lady Trumane ventured around, her light yellow body suddenly enveloped gently with Lord Trumane’s white wing:
“Tonight seems to be going very well.”
“As if it would not?” With a small laugh following this rebuke, Lady Trumane lightly kissed Lord Trumane on the lips, the Alicorn couple pulling back as they both gazed over the party itself.
Glancing around, Lord Trumane noticed something that made Lady Trumane’s eyes narrow very slightly, as she kept her smile intact:
“Is that the Earl of Pambarley? I thought tales of him ascending to Alicorn status were false…”
“False they were not it clearly seems… Well, no sense waiting around, you and he have likely much to speak of since you last met. I’m afraid I have others besides him I feel wish for my company.”
With a departing nuzzle, Lord Trumane ventured over to the newest entered Alicorn, while Lady Trumane turned around to head into the mingling of the various guests.

Meanwhile
Trumane manor, kitchen levels

“Those drinks were to be refilled and served 5 minutes ago, pick up the pace!”
A call from up the stairs of the kitchens echoed into the busy level, as Chack shuffled his way through, making sure the serving smock he wore on his smaller body was kept stain free. All around him, the staff busied themselves, serving staff and cooks busy at work, and washers making progress on the used plates and cookware.
Keeping one of his webbed hands in his pocket, he fingered the green tool inside, as it began to glow a slight green, unseen inside his pocket. Under his breath, as he shuffled past one of the cooking mares, he murmured:
“Find the being, one of the two… Where are they?”
As Chack shuffled through the throngs of staff, pretending to be retrieving an unspecified serving dish, the cooking staff worked away feverishly.
At the rear of the kitchen, the so called ‘dessert’ staff worked feverishly on the various whipped creams that were going into many of the treats that night, by magic mixing or by hand mixing in one certain Minotaur’s case.
“There, that’s the lot. Unless some of them want fourths or so on I think this will suffice.” The lead chef, a Unicorn stallion, came over to look at the trio of mixing bowls full of whipped cream, hovering them over in his magic to the waiting pie and cakes that had just finished cooling enough from the ovens.
As the others left, Satio heard a call from over by the bread bakers, asking for his help in unloading a large tray of bread rolls from the stone oven.

“Come on, he has to be here. He said Satio was a Minotaur…”
Looking around, Chack saw only one Minotaur working here, a rather fat one, but sporting a pristine brown coat atop his fat form. Staring for a few moments, Chack shook his head, remarking to himself:
“No, too obvious, he’d never-.”
“HEY, idle workers can be sacked workers very quickly! I want those serving tables restocked 4 minutes ago!”
Snapping from his thoughts, Chack rallied to a queue of servants picking up serving trays of drinks and small cakes, along with large plates of food to restock the buffet available to the party guests upstairs.
“You, fishface, take the buns to the serving table and then come back for the drinks.” The head waiter, an irritable Earth pony stallion, passed by each pf the new waiting staff with orders, and remarked this to Chack as he passed.
Bristling under the insult, Chack kept quiet as the chefs carried over trays of food, in his case a tray of bread buns to restock the buffet. The fat Minotaur lumbered over, sparing a few apologetic remarks as he shuffled through a pair of rushing soup chef ponies, bringing the tray down to Chack’s level as he deposited it in the Salamander’s hands:
“Careful, they’re hot…”
“Thanks for…” Chack began sardonically, as the tray of buns came close to his outstretched hands, stacked high to the point where they’d block his head as he carried them.
But the world slowed down as the green tool in his pocket began to pulse, and he sensed it. Gluttony, in the Minotaur.
Staring at the minotaur, Chack blinked for a few moments, wary, anticipatory.
Then the tray touched his hands, and the surprising heat made him remember where he was.
“Ah-ah, ah..!”
“Warned you, now get moving before Raimsleigh has your head for being slow.”
As Satio wandered off, the disguised being was ignorant of the mesmerised, even perplexed look Chack shot him as he shuffled up the stone steps.
Said Salamander turned his gaze back to where he was about to enter the party fray, blinking a few times as he mouthed, hidden behind the tall stack of bread rolls:
“Too obvious, plain sight, genius or lazy..?”

Trumane manor
Main ballroom

“-cannot stress enough how charming it is that the rabble adore you so, even worship at times. As if you were one of them.”
At the seemingly dismissive tone from the noble Unicorn mare, Aubelles bore a grin and replied coolly: “I’d hesitate to call them rabble, not after seeing how much they can pull together when they need to, battle or work.”
“True, though I expect you know better than us in this regard, first hoof experience and all.”
Giving a courteous head bow, Aubelles let the noble Unicorn mare return to her gossips, as his left eye twitched in annoyance at yet another rather air headed noble pony. Most here were Unicorns or Alicorns, with the odd Pegasus and earth Pony here and there.
Looking around, Aubelles saw Lord Trumane further away, speaking to a younger Alicorn he didn’t know himself. But as the bronze Alicorn enhanced his hearing with magic, he overheard some snippets he felt were useful:
“-young mare kicked out, clearly she was driving a wedge between the Lady and Lord.”
“-oh but the food drugging, horrific what happened to Lady Pearlhoof 3 days ago, losing her child. I am glad those two kitchen ponies were executed for such heinous crimes…”
“Commander Aubelles?”
Snapping from his subtle eavesdropping, Aubelles saw Lady Trumane of all Alicorns standing before him, to whom he politely bowed while replying coolly:
“Lady Trumane.”
“An honour to have you here, respected among the commons and the nobility.”
“Yes, perhaps some more than others…” Aubelles mumbled, though as Lady Trumane spoke, he couldn’t help but notice a Salamander among the serving staff, shooting him a flick of his head as he turned from depositing the large plate of bread on the buffet table.
“Truly you are honoured, especially after your heroism at Tartarus in wake of the surprising resistance the enemy put up.”
“Urm, if I might my lady, there’s an urgent matter with that Salamander I brought, I think he’s received some news I might want to hear…”
“Ah, so it was you that brought him here. Perhaps a replacement for the Salamander mercenary you had ties to before he died at Tartarus? Surprising, considering what other rumours there are from my friends…”
“Sometimes gossip is nothing but rumours, but I will be back soon…”
Aubelles politely shuffled past, making his way over to where he saw Chack about to enter the kitchen doorway.

As he was about to enter the kitchen stairwell, Chack was stopped as a tray of drinks were all but shoved into his hands, the wine goblets filled already as the head waiter pony addressed him boredly:
“Ah, there you are. I need you to bring these drinks out, they’re draining us dry.”
“But I need to-!.”
“Get moving..!”
With an urgent hoof wave, the waiter saw Chack off, the Salamander letting out a miniscule snarl as he turned around, a polite, grit-toothed smile on his wide amphibious head as he walked out, drinks tray in hand.
As he walked, one glass being taken by a Unicorn mare dressed in dark blue after he politely offered it to her, Chack saw the next glass hover off his tray in a bronze glow, as Aubelles lowly spoke:
“Busy?”
“Spare me your enjoyment. I found one of them, he works in the kitchens.”
“The male? That was fast.” Aubelles seemed surprised by this, though it was cut short as Chack finished up.
“Yes, but he seems approachable, docile even. What about the other? Have you found anything out?”
“No, but I’m following gossip. If she uses desires against each other, gossip is her weapon. So I’m going to Lady Trumane, she knows anything to be known.”
As he nodded, Chack spoke before moving off to offer more drinks up:
“Remember the spell Starswirl passed on to me. It is meant for my blade but you can use it. In case she tries to sway you.”
“I’ve been using it since I got in.” Aubelles replied smoothly, as Chack headed off, his acting as a serving waiter impeccable as a visiting Alicorn couple called him over for some wine goblets.

Finally, Aubelles returned, apparently speaking lowly to his temporarily provided serving Salamander:
“I apologize, just some news from the local garrison I asked to hear of. Nothing to worry over, mundane matters.”
“No apologies are needed for devotion Aubelles. And please, you may call me Pristana if you wish. If anything, both me and my husband trust you as a, forgive the term, simple pony to judge. Naught hidden to be worried over.”
Smiling through the faint superiority jab, Aubelles bowed, flaring his wings slightly as his horn shone in salute: “Of course Lady, Pristina.”
With an almost flirtatious laughter, ‘Pristina’ Trumane gestured for Aubelles to follow her, as a few of the nobility waved lightly for a word with her and the reputable Alicorn commander she was making talk with.

Later that evening
Trumane Manor
Staff exits

“We’ll be underway when you get there Satio, we’ll have our fill before you clean house. See you there!”
Satio gave a polite wave as the other staff ponies left through the gates, the manor security guards letting them out with wordless glances. They knew these staff, even the handful of non-ponies hired out for exotic skills, including himself, a Minotaur.
Speaking of exotic skills however, a newcomer was venturing up to him.
Wiping some dust off his semi wet skin, Chack strode past Satio while gesturing up the darkened, oil and magic lamp lit street:
“You heading to the tavern as well?”
“Yes, why would I miss out on its good grub?”
“Why indeed? See you there.”
Chack bid the Minotaur a brief farewell, heading down the road himself too. Keeping his eyes glancing back, the Salamander knew to keep a close eye on the Minotaur tonight, now that they weren’t embroiled in catering to a party.
“I just hope Aubelles finds her…”

Early Morning
April 20th, 71 BNM
Baltimare, uptown area
Trumane manor
Main ballroom

Last night passed in flashes, as he felt something akin to intoxication building over the course of the evening.
He saw a few hushed arguments, a few aggressively leaving Alicorns from the party, but otherwise all was well.
Especially when Lady Trumane, Lady Pristana Trumane, was around.
She whispered into his ear a few things, compliments, rumours about the other Alicorns. He didn’t even realize that some Alicorns had such thoughts, such intents, such desires in one case.

He recalled Lord Trumane himself offering him a place in the guest rooms for the night, a courtesy gift to him for his service to the Nationalist cause. How could he refuse a gift from the defacto highest ranked Alicorn in the Nationalists, especially after such a night.
Clearly the Lord Trumane appeared very drowsy, bags under his eyes evident as the Alicorn slowly left down the same hallway to his quarters.

He dreamt of her, of Pristana, her sumptuous light yellow form, curvy wings and beautiful flanks and horn. Her eyes glistening with their chocolate brown shades, and a hint of dark blue behind them.
Dark blue, that colour puzzled Aubelles. As did her coming into his room in the night, whispering unintelligible words of sweetness and desire into his ears as he lay there, sedate.
“Such a strong stallion you are…”
Things became truly dreamlike as she pulled the covers over both of them.

Guest bedrooms

Awakening groggily, Aubelles felt himself inside a soft bed, part of his right forehoof numb as he’d clearly slept with his weight atop it.
But alas, as he pulled, he felt not his weight, but somepony else.
Cautiously, as he pulled back the covers, and saw Lady Pristana Trumane laying there, bereft of even the sensual night attire she’d entered in during his dreams.
Not dreams, memories.
Dawn had barely broken, and her soft snores were undisturbed as Aubelles slowly slid from the bed, his bronze magic shifting a pillow to take his place where she’d had a hoof wrapped around his torso. As she lightly seized it, he carefully used his magic to gather and oh so stealthily slip on his dress armour’s bronze design, as he also slipped out of the doorway.
Pausing outside the now shut guest room door, Aubelles was completely over the hangover he may have had, any shock about sleeping with Lady Trumane while her husband was here overtaking it.
Manipulation is her tool…
Aubelles’s eyes widened, as he turned his gaze towards the door, remarking quietly to himself:
“The eyes have it.”
Dark blue eyes to be precise.
Slowly at first, he made his way to the end of the hallway, before taking off into more of a gallop.

Lord Trumane’s bedroom

“Lord Trumane, forgive the intrusion, wake up!”
Aubelles had entered the bedroom of the Lord, using his military authority to bypass the two guards outside the door for now, and had begun to quickly awaken the sleeping white and blue maned Alicorn.
“Whuh? Who are you, how dare you enter my quarters unannou-Aubelles?”
“Your wife, she was with me this morning. I apologize but I fear something is wrong with her…”
Staring at the Alicorn commander with utter confusion, he spoke with rising annoyance:
“What on earth are you blathering on about? My wife has been away on her own business for 4 days now!”
“Then who exactly snuck into my guest bed last night after the party you both organized? Whom did I awake to this morning?”
“I organized it, she wasn’t involved!” Lord Trumane rebuked, shooting out of his bedsheets at the accusation, even outlandish and adulterous claims Aubelles was making.

Further down the halls, awakened by the lack of a warm bodied Alicorn beside her, Iena’s eyes snapped open.
“They don’t wake before me. He resisted!”
Scrambling from bed, the disguised creature kept up her appearance as Lady Trumane as she quickly dashed out the hallway, towards her ‘husband’s’ quarters.

“I should have you arrested for such outlandish claims, Alicorn be damned!” Trumane jabbed a hoof in Aubelles’s face, to which he urged the Lord:
“We have to expose her before-.”
The doors flung open however, as the guards let Lady Trumane stride in. Turning to see her, Lord Trumane began in shock:
“Pristana, is this-.”
But a single wave of her hoof, with suspicious dark blue magic coming from both it and her horn, sent Lord Trumane passing out onto his bed behind him. The guards came from behind her, spears and horns alight as Aubelles backed up to the window, whilst Lady Trumane’s own eyes flickered the dark blue colour of the enemy, Iena.
“Strong stallion, and clearly resilient somehow. Now, make this easy for everyone...”
“Not likely, creature. Your friend will likely be at the mercy of mine already, the Minotaur. And he’s not as willing to act as you are it seems…”
Iena’s own eyes narrowed, still maintaining her Lady Trumane disguise as she turned to the guards:
“Leave us.”
The guards exited the bedroom, shutting the doors behind them as Aubelles and the disguised Iena stood their ground before the bed, Lord Trumane still out cold.

Meanwhile
Early Morning
Baltimare, port district
Waterfront

Satio sat on the edge of the stone waterfront, the slightly grimy waters of mid tide a few feet below him as he ate the small basket of bread he’s sneaked from the bakery they’d all but raided with their appetites and wallets last night, though half of it was on Satio’s part.
The Minotaur relished the morning mist, as the distant masts of moored merchant and fishing ships in and around the bay contrasted with the stone buildings on the shore, fortress or normal.
A few slapping footsteps sounded behind him as a familiar Salamander came to sit beside him:
“Come out to see the sunrise too?”
“Nursing a headache more likely…”
“Funny, you didn’t drink much yesterday.” Satio remarked, to which Chack remained quiet, mumbling something Satio didn’t catch under his breath about needing to keep his senses alert.
Sat beside the portly minotaur, the Salamander grumpily nursed his head in a faux headache, all pretend, as he remarked:
“So, how did you end up out here of all places? I got traded as a servant, how about you?”
“Same story, but cooking, not serving.”
“Any previous masters you feel like speaking of? I could go on about my own if you wish to compare…” Chack began, clearly harbouring some discontent with some previous superiors.
Reclining slightly, the Minotaur began to reminisce: “Well, first I guess there was me moving to set up my own little farm, but largely I just got cheated out of my land and I found my way here.”
“Go on…” Chack asked.
As Satio began to regale in limited detail, Chack secretly stroked the green tool, and his normal sword, hidden inside his sort of robes he wore on him, watching, trying to catch him out, interrogating him. One slash hopefully.
But he was worth interrogating while he was alive, before Chack had a chance to be rid of the problem of there being seven alive in one quick stroke.
He was unaware of Aubelles’s current standoff, nor was he concerned. He had Satio right where he wanted him.

Author's Notes:

In the gossips overheard at the party, among some of Chack and Aubelles’s displeasure at what they must contend with, there are tantalising hints of what they’ve done in the past week while infiltrating, such as Lady Pearlhoof’s miscarriage of her Alicorn child, and the kicking out of one of the Lord Trumane’s mistresses for seeding distrust.
Worse, Iena has taken to exercising control of the staff and Lord Trumane in Lady Trumane’s recent absence on business. More on that next chapter.