It has been many years since I last met with the leaders of another nation, due in part to there only being one other nation with any interest in negotiation, and the worth of said negotiations being a topic of debate. The lands of the Quetzal empire consist of great deserts, steep plateaus, rocky crags, and savannas of tall grass, dotted here or there. Our lands are harsh and unforgiving, and yet we have adapted to not only survive, but thrive in them. We have what we need. What Equestria offers us is luxury. They expect us to glut ourselves, become dependent on trade with them. This makes vulnerability.

Each year, more as a token gesture than anything, the ruler of the ponies sends an invitation by mail, asking me to come to this discussion. For many years, I have not replied, my silence correctly interpreted as a decline. This year, however, I could not ignore the request.

Rumors have been circling my people, like a flock of vultures, of great changes taking place in the north. Griffin North, as he is called, carved a bloody path across the continent, gathering all those who would follow, and forged an island nation. Aoi Nanashi, though naive, through skill, solidarity, and the apparent fulfillment of prophecy, (as well as having most of his opposition slaughtered by Griffin) put an end to the infighting in Gem Fido and united the clans under his own banner. Marble Pillars, and it's triune of leaders, retaining their independence and undergoing expansion from the mass influx of people who suddenly found themselves leaderless, and King Triton, of the seaponies, who had until now been almost as unknown as my own people, choosing to isolate themselves from their ground-walking cousins for reasons unknown to me. Beyond this, there was also the appearance of the Crystal Empire, apparently a subsidiary of Equestria, far to the north, the return of the second Equine ruler, Luna, and the appearance of another, with an entourage of five. Finally, the appearance of the changelings, their count innumerable.

Given the drastic shift in power that has taken place, it is my duty as Empress of my people to assess these changes for possible threats and eliminate them, through diplomacy or otherwise.

I arrived far ahead of schedule. Knowing that the discussion itself would mostly be a farce, accomplishing my own goal would have me take assessment of the other major powers and how they interact informally. Many of the others seemed to have to same idea, as they arrived shortly after myself.

A pair, no, trio entered. A biped, perhaps a head shorter than myself, walked in next to a griffin and her child. He met with a pair of diamond dogs who I learned were permanent residents of Canterlot and represented the New Dominion. They spoke quickly ,shared a joke or two, and then he moved on to meet with the Changeling Queen. Her visage was unmistakable.

The Queen herself had just finished an immature display of mockery towards someone I was not familiar with. Bright pink and wearing regalia, my own entourage of guards informed me that this was Princess Cadence, associated with the Crystal Empire. Apparently she and the changeling queen had been enemies at one point. In any case, the tall walker and griffin met with the changeling, who provided him with information regarding those attending this meeting. I deduced that this must be 'Griffin North'. He was definitely one to keep an eye on. I tasted the air apprehensively. His scent was strange.

He continued to meet with the representatives of Marble Pillars, who he seemed familiar with, before he turned to look at me. My eyes met his, though his were unnatural. It seemed that he had lost the originals at some point and whatever message or emotion he was trying to convey to me was lost, so instead he nodded in approval.

'We'll talk later, should the need arise.'

Next to enter was a figure that could only be Aoi. Followed by another diamond dog, and a feline as tall as myself. Griffin immediately moved to greet the cat, expressing confusion and relief. They spoke for a time, in tones of sorrow, before the next pair entered.

A third diamond dog, still larger than the two New Dominion representatives he first greeted, but smaller than the other two in his own group, entered, followed closely by a fox with brilliant red fur. The moment Griffin laid eyes on her, it was as if time stood still. He looked to Aoi, who prepared to draw his blades at a moment's notice, the third hound took a position in front of her, and all the forces of nature raged within the confines of the room. Fire burned, storms brewed, and the earth cracked as the world fought to contain his fury.

'He is dangerous.'

He looked at her with an expression of cold rage. Not the hot, blinding fury of someone who lost their sense, but calculating, seething anger. The forces that circled him, however, betrayed that portrayal. She, on the other hand, looked to him completely undaunted. The sheer intensity of her stare made me feel as though I had a knife against my throat, and the glare wasn't directed at me. The third dog in Aoi's group moved into a position to protect her, but he knew just as well that he was preventing her from going after him. The griffin in... Griffin's... company, I have the feeling this will become confusing quickly.... the griffin in the king's company took her position next to him, lightning crackling all over her body as though the very same storm he had released into the room raged inside her body.

And then the child riding on her back smacked her over the head.

It wasn't a significant blow, by far, but it was enough for her to regain her sense, and once she had done so, she directed her partner to do the same. The storm quieted, the flames that engulfed his body were doused, with his adornment unharmed by the inferno.

"Excuse us." He said with a cough, similar to one of choking on smoke, before heading to the refreshment table. The Changeling Queen said nothing to him, but but her expression and the mere act of checking on him told me they were not just acquaintances and were somehow affiliated.

"I hate this." He stated.

"Then why do you bother with it?" Does he do it out of duty to his people, like myself? Does he have something to gain from this discussion, or does a force greater than himself demand his presence?

"I have my reasons."

"I normally refusssssse invitation to thesssse kindssss of eventsssss. They tend to be uneventful. The poniesssss drabble on and on about pointlesssss affairs, and I have no reassssson to open dissscourssse with them, regardlesss of what they claim they have to offer. Though I heard that sssssomeone interesssssting would be coming to thissss one, and decided to sssssseeee for mysssself. You have created quite a sssssstir. I do not like thisssssss." I hissed. He has been the cause of much of the uproar in these northern lands. He is the cause of my people's concern, and he is the one that has unsettled the world, disrupting the peace.

He turned to face me, staring me down despite his lesser stature. He looked upon me as though I were merely a commoner who had the audacity to question his motives. I felt myself recoil slightly, though kept my form. I could not afford to let him think I was intimidated by him.

"That'sssss nice." He hissed in a serpentine manner. He was clearly challenging my authority. I tensed my body and swayed on the spot, only to find that he matched my serpentine motion, something normally not possible for someone who isn't a serpent. Where did he learn such behaviour? If he were one of my own people, I'd have him executed for his disrespect and insolence, but he is not. He stands here as an equal. It is entirely possible that he means to impress me. Such actions, from an equal, are equivalent to playful flirtation.

Now I understand. He's been probing me the entire time, trying to learn what to and not to do in a culture he knows nothing about. While to the equines, this behaviour could be seen as crass and hostile, among my people, contests of will are often considered romantic, although without an actual declaration of romantic intent, it's fruitless.

In other words, he's being cheeky and playing with me. It's the equivalent of a child kissing another one to try and make them blush and get a reaction. I found myself smiling.

"I look forward to thissss disssscusssion." With that, I let him be.

It wasn't long before an alicorn I had not met instructed us to enter the discussion room. That must be Luna. I followed the directions of the pony guards and entered the discussion room promptly.

The room itself has a very large, circular table, with numerous chairs designed for pony seating surrounding it. This was a room commonly used by the Canterlot council, and had been appropriated for this meeting. There were a number of cards with card stands on the table, each with a black pen beside it for us to write our name on it.

Princess Celestia of Equestria, Princess Luna of Equestria, Princess Twilight of Equestria & friends. Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire. They grouped together and took their seats formally.

King Triton of Aquaria, instead of a chair, had a large basin filled with water, reminiscent of a half height fishbowl, pushed up to the table.

King Griffin North, of New Dominion, was written on the next card as he moved the low chair to the corner of the room, sat on the floor, and leaned his back against the griffoness. She seemed a bit irate at his informal attitude, until she placed her card, which had written on it,

Gilda of the New Dominion
<- I'm with Stupid.

The arrow pointing to the king. He laughed when he saw it, and she smiled.

The next were 'Etch' and 'Growl' New Dominion consul, Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, Aoi Myoujiin (so that's his last name, Nanashi is his clan then?) Eol, Ubi, Fia, Red, Yellow, Blue, then myself.

"I take it we've all had our introductions?" Princess Celestia, the only one at this table I was truly familiar with, began. "Empress Narin, I do thank you for accepting our invitation." I do not care for her pleasantries. "I know you are all quite busy, so I will endeavor to not waste time, and begin immediately. Since there has never been a formal meeting to discuss the changes that have occurred over the past several years, I'd like to begin with a recap."

Several hours later, consisting mostly of Celestia going over all the little woes her people had faced, and several large ones, most of which had been solved by the newcomer alicorn 'Twilight Sparkle' and her friends, did she finally finish.

"Any questions?"

"Actually, yessssss." I began. Celestia seemed intrigued. At the few sessions like this I had been to in the past, I usually remained silent. "Let me sssssee if I have thissss correct. Knowing that an area rightfully belonged to a tribe of buffalo, poniessss sssssent a massssss ssssssupply of ressssourcessss, a town sssssprung up within two weekssssss, and then painted the buffalo assss the villainsssss when they tried to reclaim the land you unlawfully annexed?"

An orange pony, from the group of Twilight and friends, spoke up.

"Yeah, but we settled it nice an peaceful like. The town can stay, so long as they provide the buffalo with some of the harvest."

"That may be." Griffin responded, still sitting in his overly comfortable position, not even bothering to turn his head and look at the other representatives. "However it is worrying that Equestria can just go around taking land they feel they're entitled to. I'm glad it was settled peacefully, but this should never have been a problem in the first place. Couldn't the residents of Appleoosa have discussed the settlement with the buffalo before building it? It makes more sense than finding a spot and pouring resources and hours of labor into a settlement, only to risk having to tear it down because you don't even own the land, or... the alternative of declaring war."

"And the founding of the New Dominion is any different?" Celestia asked.

"Of course. We spent weeks traveling the islands of the ring sea, checking if they were inhabited or not, and before founding any settlements, we checked with the local Zebra tribes to see if any of them laid claim to them. A fairly large number of sites we passed over specifically because the zebras of a nearby island were using it as a resource node. That's part of why we have such good ties with them, and they're our closest trade partners. Several settlements have even joined the New Dominion, or were created under our flag, populated mostly by zebras. Speaking of ownership, it doesn't only cover land."

"The honorable King Griffin is correct. Unlike Equestria, the New Dominion has respected our borders." Princess Luna seemed confused by this. Griffin immediately picked up on it.

"The ocean, in it's entirety, belongs to the seaponies. It belonged to them long before I showed up and claimed a chunk of it as my own. When we first encountered them, Mayor Bluebeak, who governs the capitol, immediately stopped all fishing industry, despite that being our primary food source, until we had discussed it with the seaponies. In turn, they survey the ocean floor, and tell us where the best fishing spots are. A much better way than claiming the Manehatten bay as 'Equestrian property' then building and polluting it as you see fit. While Equestria does try to be eco-friendly, Manehatten is a big city, cities will always have some degree of pollution, which means a portion of it will always wind up in the ocean. The New Dominion recycles literally everything, and anything we can't gets tossed in a volcano on one of the uninhabited islands."

So, that explains why the seaponies chose to segregate themselves from Equestria. It's not that the pollution is overboard, it's the very principle of it. Same as when they founded a city on buffalo land and didn't even bother to ask. Until now, these lesser groups haven't been able to do anything about it, because they'd be going up against the might of Equestria. Griffin defeating Celestia in single combat has diminished the fear these groups have of the Equestrian military, and they may even align themselves with the New Dominion if they feel threatened, which would not only secure their own place, but give the New Dominion a foothold on the mainland that requires minimal maintenance, since, for Equestria, the very idea of threatening the King of the New Dominion is unthinkable. Any kind of aggressive expansion has been stopped in it's tracks.

"Ahem.... moving on, we are glad that Aquaria, Zebrica, and the New Dominion have such good relations. It will ensure an era of peace, stability, and prosperity in that portion of the world. Speaking of which, the New Dominion call for doctors and teachers..."

"Has already been handled, and is a non issue." Griffin interjected, waving his hand dismissively. Celestia seemed surprised that it was resolved so quickly, but quickly recovered.

"Equestria would also like the thank the New Dominion for lowering the export tax. In the wake of Tirek's destructive rampage, a lot of Equestrian infrastructure needed to be rebuilt. Specifically, we took a major hit to our farming sector. Being able to import food at reduced cost has prevented a possible shortage in many areas. Are you entirely certain you wish to stick with a barter system?"

"Yep. For now anyway."

Wait... a barter system, and government regulated taxes that can fluctuate at the kings whim? I see. Trade in the New Dominion consists of the exchange of goods. Certain goods are more valuable in certain areas, which means merchants can make a profit of raw goods just by carting it where it needs to go. Within the New Dominion there is no, or relatively low, tax, which guarantees that there's never a shortage of required goods. This is especially useful since the New Dominion is almost entirely self sustaining. If they have a shortage, they can bring materials in from one of the other islands, or buy it from Equestria if it's cheap, while not being reliant on them.

What's more, by having an import and export tax, it makes shipping goods into or out of the country more expensive, which in turn stimulates that same self sustaining system. They'll only buy from Equestria if Equestria has a massive excess, and the price drops low enough that it's cheaper to buy, ship, and pay the import tax. At the same time, it encourages keeping wealth in the country. Equestrian bits aren't guaranteed their value in the New Dominion, which leads to currency fluctuation.

Up until now, the value of a bit was guaranteed by the crown, since there were no other currencies to put it up against. The New Dominion currency of trade goods means that the value of a bit will fluctuate now, if goods are cheaper on the islands than they are on the mainland. Bread is bread, no matter where you get it, but if there's a shortage in Equestria, they'll have to get it from the New Dominion, and they'll buy it with bits. Anything exported to Equestria will bring in a sum of bits. By raising the price on everything in his country through tax, Griffin can effectively devalue the bit, while collecting a large sum of them. Then, he can lower the tax when he wants to make a purchase, raising the value of the money that's sitting in New Dominion coffers. In fact, by having export tax higher than import tax, he doesn't even have to alter it frequently. Buying from the New Dominion will naturally be more expensive than buying from Equestria, for Equestria, while, for the New Dominion, buying from Equestria can be around the same.

He's basically ensured that anytime Equestria has a shortage of anything he can provide, New Dominion coffers will get flooded with bits, and if not, then his people are stable on their own. Not by taxing his own people, but by taxing the merchants that bring goods to Equestria, and not the ones that bring goods to the Dominion. Instead of having their own currency, any economic instability is leveraged against the bit, since trade goods will always have an inherent value. If the price of fish drops, then you eat fish. The princesses don't know about currency fluctuations, since they haven't had proper trade with any other nation. We Quetzals isolate ourselves from the northern countries, the seaponies isolated themselves, the zebras don't take bits and only accept barter, the diamond dogs are the same, if they were even willing to deal with Equestria, and the griffins were so disorganized they didn't have an economy up till now. This is a brand new game for them.

Not only does Equestria not know about currency fluctuations, they don't even know that they're unaware. As long as he keeps it within reason so he doesn't crush the merchants, Griffin can continually leech the pony economy, and they'll never be the wiser. He's presented himself as a valuable trade partner, but if the Equestrian economy ever takes a significant dive, he won't hesitate to eat them alive.

His attempting to get a read on me back in the lounge, pouncing on Equestria the moment I provided even the slightest edge in these discussions, setting up to strike economically at the first sign of weakness...

Looking around the table, there's the New Dominion, Marble Pillars, Aquaria, the diamond dogs associated with the New Dominion, the changelings, and then the zebras who aren't represented here. Then there's me. Then the diamond dogs under Nanashi, and finally the ponies. There's a lot of representatives, evening the playing field, but the number of powers that those ponies represent is actually a lot smaller.

If we were to limit it to one representative per power, I have one, Equestria is one plus the Crystal Empire for two, Nanashi is one, and then the New Dominion, one, Marble Pillars, two, the Changelings, three, Aquaria, four, the zebras, (again, they didn't send a representative, but that doesn't mean they don't exist, considering I usually don't send a representative myself) five. He's sitting on an alliance of more than half, with endless options for expansion, like the buffalo should their relationship with Equestria go sour.

And this is precisely the kind of threat I came here to assess. Now, the question is, what to do about it?

Author's Notes:

Originally, I was going to have Royal Mockery be only two parts, but I decided to take a quick perspective from the Empress's point of view to explain things and flesh out her character a little more. Royal Mockery will have at least 3 parts, possibly even four.

Needless to say, I've been planning this thing for a while. Hopefully it doesn't turn into a fustercluck like the Gala.

Also, Vidar won the arm wrestling contest. Bjarke is being a sore loser about it, so he challenged him to an ax throwing contest, knowing that Vidar is way too drunk to throw straight. I couldn't care less who won what, but at least they're off my table and I can type.

(.... Because the random nonsensical fantasy in the author's notes can be almost as interesting as the story itself. Bar wench! Another mug of mead!)