“And it’s a welcome to have you back, your majesty,” all of the council members took a respective bow towards their leader, as Grace took her seat and beckoned them to join her.

“It’s a gift to be back,” she smiled at them with all the warmth that she could manage, thinking that there’s at least a dozen different places she’d rather be.

With the pleasantries out of the way, the file on the airships’ crash was brought out by each of them and placed on the table. As one of her advisors looked to Grace, “I’m sure you have read the reports?” he waited for her nod, “needless to say, it’s quite a cleanup operation.”

‘One that I’m sure you have plenty of ideas to go about…’ Grace mumbled to herself, blissfully watching the lips of her various council members move as they rambled amongst themselves, while she nodded in acknowledgement.

“As you have been recuperating in the ward, there has been many things that have been tossed about this room,” another member piped up, grabbing her attention when it was really needed, “and as a result, there are a few things that-”

Grace held up a single hoof, silencing him and all the others from their little side conversations. “For far too long… I have sat in this chair, listening to the arguments that have waged between all of you… I’m sure you all have great ideas of how to handle this situation that we have,” the princess stated, forming the words in the back of her mind as she spoke.

“That said however… you are my advisors, here to toss in your own two cents when it’s suggested, and run things in my absence… following my order,” Calmly, the mare got up as she places her hooves on the table, looking at every single one of them. Narrowing her vision to the point that several started to lean back in their chairs, if only to get away from the snake like gaze.

“My country has been at war for the last several months now, we have lost a good deal of our own soldiers from various little fights here and there, with many of our own displaced from their homes as a result of the fighting,” she pauses to catch her breath, “I’m not a queen, I’m not a politician, that’s why I have all of you… but what I am is a sensible pony, and one that knows when something must be done.”

“And we just want the same,” another member rose with her, “your maje-”

“Then explain to me why when this council took more power after my parents passing, processing and efficiency seemed to take a down turn, and nearly grind to a halt,” Grace asked the same member, watching as their mouth shut and seconds later took their seat. “My point is… for far too long I have let you lead me, without doing some of the leading myself.”

Steadily, one of the council members took a gulp in their throat before they even dared speak up, “So what is it you’re asking of us… Princess Grace?”

With all the sincerity and pride that she saw from another mare in her eyes, Grace imbued in to her own as she glared at them all, “how about a change of pace,” she replied with, “I’m going to work to wear the title that I have.”

“So I shut them all up…” Grace said proudly as she pounded back her third cup of ale, holding herself steady as she sat in the middle of the trio with Iron by her side. Gesturing for Able to come over and refill her glass with the same brew, while the other three digested what she just told them, “they will advise when I ask of it in matters I may not know, they will take charge when I am not around but will follow my orders that are laid out,” the mare took another sip of her drink, savoring it more this time around, “and lastly, when I make a call, they’re to only advise in its possible change… not just do it behind my back.”

“And just like that, they all submitted?” Free asked, drinking from his own glass.

“At the time they couldn’t really argue with me,” Grace summarized the many reactions, and some objections, she got from them, “besides, what I had ordered to be done wasn’t really as farfetched as they might have thought.”

“This is very true; you ordered that many of the same weapons Bronze created, formed in your own nation, to help keep the DDR and Gryphons in check,” Egyes started to ponder how much of an arsenal Seren could pump out, given its vast resources. “While on top of this you amended the treaty between the other nations that if another threat is made against your own, there will be no negotiations, only a war they couldn’t hope to win… given your upcoming armaments.”

Grace smirked at her last change she made with the council, happily taking a large gulp of her drink, “I’m not a politician, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sort ‘em out when need be.”

“So you finally got a backbone against those that advised you…” Iron snickered at her, “Bravo to you, Gracie.” With a light smack to his side, Iron winced from the minor shot of pain, knowing she held a key advantage to use so long as his ribs were still healing.

“Well now I had it put rather well to me not too long ago…” she pondered for a moment trying to recall the exact words, “I’m the bucking princess of Seren… I believe you said,” returning his smirk with her own. The colt had nothing to say to that one and only clanked his glass with hers.

“I’ll drink to that.”

“I know you well enough to safely say, you’ll drink to anything,” Grace held up her glass with his, and brought it to her lips, “though I couldn’t agree more.”

For a time, they all quietly sat there at the bar counter. Relaxing to themselves, as they let the stresses and worries of the last several months’ melt away for a time. Relishing in the simplicities of the drinks they were served, and the company they had with them. Though at a time like this, it leaves ones’ mind to wander in to the unknown, as one stared to wonder but one question.

“So… what happens next?” Grace looked up from her half empty glass.

Egyes sat there for a time in silence, fiddling with his glass before making up his mind. “Whelp, your majesty… if it’s all the same to you, I think I could take you up on your offer.” He watched as the princesses face of confusion turned to that of a smile, as she traded the baffled expression with one of the colts next to her.

“Oh? What might that have been?” Free asked, looking over the top of his glass.

“Given the untimely death of a certain drake… an assistant spot just happened to open up in the castle,” the gryphon rolled his eyes about, snickering that the dragon in question got what he deserved, after hearing the whole story from the mare. “I may have to brush up on my paper-pushing skills, but I think I’m up for the task… so it seems I’ll be sticking around the area.”

“Hehe… you’ll have Free to keep ya company then,” Iron pointed out, “plus when it comes to heading out in the field, at least then I’ll know that he’s got someone to watch his back.”

“As much as I hate to admit it…” the Pegasus looked back at his tattered wings, waving them wistfully against the air, “he’s got me there, I’m not nearly going to be as good in a fight as I used to be.”

“Plus you have to go automaton hunting, there’s still quite a few out there…” Iron pipped up, “especially after Bronze decided to salt some of the land from her ship.”

“Thank you… Iron, for reminding me,” Free slumped down in his stool, already not looking forward to the thought of having to go hoof to hoof with those armored devils.

“Don’t worry there, Free,” Egyes cracked his knuckles against themselves, “I’d be more than happy to lend a claw in breaking a few of those cans down.”

An eerie chuckle escaped the mares’ lips, already starting to tally up some of the casualties of hunting down those remnants of the mare that she left behind. However, with these two working together, she had little doubt that they couldn’t get the job done. Yet one question was left in her mind though.

“So what of you then, Iron,” she almost cooed to him, beckoning his full attention, “what will you do?”

The colt upon hearing her question, sat there for a time, pondering her words. Granted, he’d love to stay around and play with some of the new toys that the nation would soon have to work with. Hell, Iron probably could come up with a few of his own. It’d been a while sense he had been around Free, plus the new friends he made along the way. Pitching a tent up back in Seren a second time around, wouldn’t seem so bad.

‘Then again, my calling is elsewhere now…’ he told himself at the time, “For lack of a better term, my work here is done,” Iron said quietly as they all tuned their ears to him, “I still got a job back in Degus to return to after all… besides,” the colt shrugged his shoulders, trying to brush off the minor loss he was feeling inside, “its Wednesday, so if I left sometime tomorrow, then I could still make it there before the weekend.”

Silently, the other three patrons of the group nod in acceptance. They knew the colt loved his job, none more than Freefall. It was only expected that Iron would have to go back to his roots eventually when this debacle ran its course. Sensing the moment was right for what he had been waiting for only about half the night to say, one gryphon took it upon himself to raise a glass to the air.

“Then may I say this,” Egyes pounded his chest, working out the air that had built up in his gut so he may catch a breath, “may at some point, we all meet again… under better circumstances the next go around.”

After a chuckle from the group, they all clanked their various chalices together, and took that wordless oath to return to one another. With those words said though, they got back to the comfort of what the tavern had to offer them.

A cold drink, and good friends.

It goes without saying that some creatures can hold their liquor better than others. Ponies typically come around midrange on the tolerance scale, donkeys the lower end, and all things considered… never challenge a dragon to any sort of drinking game. Though for the last two remnants to walk out of the bar to be a pair of ponies in a heavily diverse region, that’s something to be said.

Free had enough not long after their toast, the weight of realizing he would have to return to duty sooner than expecting took its toll, as he ventured to at least attempt to get an early start to the day. While Egyes taking his duties as “Royal Paper-bitch” (as dubbed by Iron) rather seriously, wasn’t far behind him, if only to get him settled in the new quarters he was given. Leaving only two left to walk out on to the streets by themselves.

“This is why I normally drink in my own chambers,” the princess murmured as she stumbled on her four hooves, “there isn’t that much distance between my couch and my bed.”

“Well as long as it doesn’t turn out like the first night I drank with Free sense my return…” Iron looked up and around every which way, if only to ensure no one was lurking around, “I think we’ll be fine.”

“Ever the one for a clever comment, aren’t cha?” Grace turned her glassy eyes to the colt, as he helped lead her down the streets to her castle.

“Hey I would suggest you to fly us there…” Iron smirked over his shoulder down at the mare, “but I think we both know how that turned out last time.”

At this point from the many comments and jokes made in the bar to now, Grace had had enough, and barely able to stand to begin with. Found herself balling on the ground in a fit of giggles. Iron didn’t have a chance to keep her up at this point, granted he was making fun of their near demise, but then again. At least he was making good humor about it. Besides, a mare, drunk out of her mind, laughing her flank off well past midnight, in the middle of a street… and a princess at that. Some moments you don’t want to pass up watching, and you just have to save them in the back of your mind.

Managing to get herself under control, Grace climbed up to her hooves, with some help from him. As they continued their way back to the castle, “… I might have wanted to kill you at first,” she watched the ever knowing brow of the colt stand on edge, “Okay… I unquestionably wanted to at least strangle you,” she corrected her statement, “But I have to say… I’m gonna miss you, Iron…”

And just like that, the silence returned to them once more.

Though this time, the colt was ready for it, “This isn’t a goodbye you know,” he brought her chin up a bit as it began to drop, with a nudge of his muzzle to the side of her own, “School years almost over, you realize that right?... being a teacher has its perks, for example, I can do whatever I want these next coming months,” Iron began to think on it more, “actually I think this is the fastest the year ever gone by for me…”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” she smirked with him, the colts’ words bringing a smile back to her face, “… or when you’re almost getting killed, but then again I think you liked the thrill.”

“Oh it was a guilty pleasure of mine, I admit that… however, I can probably still get scrolls by magic, sending them might be tricky, but I’ll manage,” he said as they headed up to the castles main gate, and a pair of guards let them in. Never questioning the colt that Grace had in tow, “All I’m saying is an extended visit in the near future, wouldn’t be out of the question… I’m like an STD,” he watched as Grace stopped mid stride from where she walked, and turned sober if only for a split second, “you aint getting rid of me that easily, sweetie.” He left her off with a wink.

Processing the comment as best she could, Grace righted herself, as she caught back up with the colt, “Horrible reference… yet oddly fitting,” they finally reached the cross roads of the castle where they would have to part ways. Stopping there she watched as various guards went about their patrols of the night, while others on shift did their duties, “Unless I get down there first that is.”

“I think you owe me another drink by now anyway,” he grinned at her, as if she needed a reminder for the quickest way to his heart.

Grace considered the sentiment as she nodded politely at him, before putting her hooves out to him, and the two embrace one another once more. “Then again… by this point, I think I owe you a hell of a lot more than just a drink…”

Though the mare got the drop on Iron as he remained lost in the moment, and had a few brain cells fried from the thoughts trailing. Leaning up even further, the mare planted a sincere kiss on the side of his cheek. Yet unlike the first time she had acted, the colts’ brain seemed to retain most of its function, and Irons’ eyes simply started to droop as they eased down to hers.

Mustering the sincerest words he could, given the state of mind he was in. Iron hugged her a little tighter, “Have a goodnight, Miss Grace…” the colt bowed, and kissed the end of her hoof, “I hope to see you soon.”

“And to you as well, Mister Knight,” she returned the gesture with a curtsy, “on both accounts.”