Amber finished wiping down the counter of the bar top while she watched as the few other servers that have come in, fill the orders of those that have made their way out to her tavern this morning. For the small town, as with most, a Saturday was a ponies’ chance to catch up on whatever sleep was missed the week prior. Thanks to that, the crowd in the tavern was very thin, and Amber found herself able to take more than a moment to relax while she waited to get off in a few hours, so she can enjoy her own weekend.

“That clock can’t move fast enough,” she remarked while watching the second hand move seemingly slower the longer she stared at it. Though with the ring of another bell from her door opening, it beckoned the mare to greet her new guest. While in the few fleeting moments that followed, made her wish that she spent more time on her mane this morning.

Somewhere between her eyes, brain and mouth, Ambers’ body failed her as she watched the princess of the nation walk in to her own business. “W-well good-d morning,” she gulped, quickly brushing away any stray locks to her mane with a hoof, before she took a bow, “your majesty… how may we assist you?” Amber asked. As all others present in the bar quickly made their way to the ground with her.

“Easy now everyone,” Grace said with a simple elegance to her, before raising them all up with a gesture of her own wing, “It’s the weekend, and I’m simply passing through. Just looking for a quick bite to eat before heading back to Boralus.”

“Well that we do for sure,” Amber broke out a menu for the mare and her companions, “we don’t normally start serving that broad a range of food until lunch. Though I think I can make an exception, please take a seat,” she urged them.

In a few moments all of the stools at the bar are filled with the princess, her assistant, and the guards that followed. Allowing Amber to serve them with relative ease, after getting their drinks filled. The mare made her way down the line, jotting down quickly all their orders as she sent them through to the few cooks on the other side of the serving counter top.

“Here let me get that for you,” Amber calmly said, trying to maintain her composure for the royalty as she filled Graces’ glass. Thankfully all of them decided to get something simple when it came to drinks, mostly water, with only a sweet tea for the silver drake there next to the princess.

“Why thank you,” the princess smiled back at her, gladly accepting the refill as she watched the mare put the pitcher back.

“If I may ask…” Amber started off, waiting to hear any sort of denial from the princess or her escorts putting her back in place, “What brings you to our little town, your majesty?”

“Oh… just a simple visit,” Grace brushed off, not wanting to revile too much about what was really going on with her country and its neighbors, “the nation just needs certain goods made and I was looking around for a helping hoof.”

“Well you certainly can find it here, our towns always been willing to lend a helping hoof when asked.”

“Doesn’t sound like it if you talk to that colt…” Silver muttered under his breath, receiving only a quick nudge from his friend.

“Well that’s hard to believe,” Amber replied while pouring herself her own glass of tea, rather surprised that one of her own in town would shoot down the princess when she asked. More so by the fact that they had the guts to do it.

“Well he didn’t exactly say No,” Grace responded in the colts’ defense, “I just had to talk some sense in to him, and he seemed to take it close to heart when I did.”

“You do have a way with words it seems,” Silver mentioned, “perhaps Mister Knight will consider it, and we’ll see him in Boralus in a few days’ time.”

Overhearing all of the drakes’ words, it took a few seconds to process them all as Amber nearly chugs down her glass. Though once the name hit home, whatever was left in her mouth almost made her choke. “Excuse… me…” she said between coughs, “did you say Mister Knight?” she watched as both princess and her assistant looked at one another puzzled.

“Yes? He did,” Grace picked back up.

“Iron Knight, emerald coat, hazel eyes?” she waited for them to nod, before Ambers’ own eyes dilate to about the size of the beer mugs behind her, “Oh dear what has he gotten himself in to now…”

Grace looked at the pained expression on the mares’ face before putting two and two together, “I take it you know him then?”

“Yes…” she groaned, “I apologize any sort of grief he may have caused you, I will personally kick his flank when I see him next.” Amber replied cracking her hooves, talking back and joking with her is one thing. But saying who knows what to the princess is a completely different story.

“I don’t believe that will be necessary, miss…?”

“Amber, Amber Ale,” she extended a hoof to the princess.

“Well… Miss Ale, Iron didn’t do anything horribly wrong around me,” Grace said as they shook, already feeling the glares of the guards and her friend looming over her, “He just needs to learn a thing or two about manners.”

“Good luck with that,” Amber said before she could hold her tongue fast enough, “Sorry your majesty…”

“Hmm… Is Iron your… oh how could I put this,” Grace tried to word, hoping that the longer she waited the sooner Amber would be able to pick up what she was trying to say.

“Oh him? No, no, no…NO,” she waved it off, thankful that he wasn’t here at the moment, knowing full well the colt would have had a field day with the comment, “Iron’s just… just a very good friend that has been around for years.” She finished off, scrunching up her nose as she swears she can hear him in the back of her head laughing.

“Judging by your expression,” Silver started, reading her once more, “It sounds like that friendship should have ended long ago…”

“Well it’s not exactly that…” Amber stopped for a moment, ready to launch off in to the long saga about her friend.

Thankfully the plates of food for her guests came up just in time for her to set her mind straight and get her words in order. Putting the plates to each guest as they ordered them, Amber filled in any last condiment preferences before she allowed herself to take a breath, somewhat hoping that her friend wasn’t brought up again.

“Ms. Ale,” Grace beckoned her over after taking a much needed bit from her garden salad sandwich, “about your friend…”

‘Oh dear…’ she moaned in the seclusion of her own mind.

“He does seem a little… off-”

“That’s the understatement of the century,” she remarked, unknowingly cutting off the princess. Though instead of a scowl, she only saw Grace start to giggle a bit as she covered her own mouth with her hooves.

“I’ll say, however, I came here hoping to get some help when it came to the production of metal,” Grace treaded lightly, trying not to give up too much information regarding her predicament. “I learned from another guard, and a friend of mine, about Iron actually.”

“Freefall?” Amber asked, recalling the name.

“Why yes, are you friends with him as well?”

“Not so much, just our mutual friend,” Amber added, “Iron has mentioned his old guard friend a few times while we’ve hung out, especially after he came back from his contract. Not face to face though, Iron's very good at compartmentalizing his life like that.”

The mare waited for her regal counterpart to finish the first half of her sandwich before Grace fired the conversation back up, “I see, is he as good as Free says he is with his craft?”

“Working with metal? Absolutely,” the tone in the mares’ voice change in a moment, from one of mild disgust for her friend, to admiration to what he can do, “Iron has always been one to work on his little projects here and there. I take it you’ve seen his home?”

“Yes, yes I have… kind of messy I might say.”

“Well that’s just how he likes it,” Amber put in, “he knows where everything is, and it works for him. Toying with metal is his pastime, and trying to make suits of armor is his passion. Heck if he does decide to come help, don’t be surprised if he has his own project on the side, along with whatever you ask of him.”

“As long as he helps, I could care less,” Grace admitted to herself. After all what the colt does to keep his mind occupied was none of her business. “Though I get the feeling he doesn’t like to work with others.”

“Only a few… not the real social type, he likes machines better than most ponies. In his words ‘you can fix a machine, though someponies you just can't’, which I have to say is true,” Grace nodded in complete agreeance, as Amber launched off in to the subtleties of her friend, “I mean he has a rude sense of humor, a terrible judge of character and can be an unbelievable ass sometimes…” she caught herself once more, “Sorry about that.”

“Oh no harm no foul, I’ve heard worse,” Grace brushed it off, before leaning in to the mare and propping her head up on a hoof, “Though with all that, as my assistant said, its sounds like he’s hard to be friends with at times.”

“More than you will ever know,” Amber shook her head, recalling the numerous times the two have nearly gotten in to a magic duel while out in the streets because of Iron being Iron, “yet at the heart of things… He really isn't that bad once you get to know him. Yes, he can be a jerk, but when he wants to be, he can be a real gentlecolt as well. As well-mannered as any noble and on top of that, probably one of the sweetest colts I know…” from one memory to the next, Ambers’ eyes glass over while she noted the times that Iron has really shined in her eyes. When he’s shown his true colors and not what every other pony sees.

From the mares’ mind and what her face paints out on it, Grace can see the fond memories that the two have shared with one another, as even it brings a smile to her face, “Sounds like a very odd sort,” she finished off for the mare, just as she finishes her meal, “but not without his moments of granger.”

“When he isn't being a complete jackass… or a colt on his latest alcohol binge,” Amber stated flatly, “He means well, just doesn’t always end up doing well,” she said before picking up the princesses’ plate as well as her guards that finished up just as she did and pushed them through to the kitchen.

With that Grace and her escorts got up from their seats and prepared to leave. Checking that they are all ready to go, Grace reached up under her wing to pull out a small bit bag, dividing out the right amount for all her guards and what they each got. It’s some fairly easy math to do in her head, most of them got the same thing to eat. Though as she put the bits on the counter, Amber leans back over and tries to push them back to her.

“Your majesty, I can't accept this,” she tried to plead with her, pushing the pile of bits away, “I mean you are the ruler of the nation I live in, how can I charge you for a simple meal?”

“It’s nothing really, Ms. Ale,” Grace waved off, urging the bits back towards her with an outstretched wing, “after all me and my group simply wanted something to eat. Besides, you gave me a little more insight on one that will probably be working for me here soon,” she winked at her, grateful for what Amber shared with her, “Consider it payment for that, if it makes you feel better… however we must be off,” she said as they all started towards the door, “Take care of yourself Ms. Ale, and have a pleasant day.”

“To you as well, your majesty,” Amber waved back, as she watched the last of the guards leave from her door.