Rendezvous in Scarabi (Private)

Hearing about how Maredusa had treated her fake lover, and likely traitors, sent a light chill down his spine as he certainly did not want to imagine what really became of the petrified mare. The chill accentuated as he groaned slightly hearing Sweet of all Changelings speaking of torture most harsh. "Hell hath no wrath like a woman's scorn... But yeah, let's keep up with the day and leave Madam Maredusa to deal with her own issues as she saw fit. As for me, if I let every harsh moment hold me back forever, I wouldn't be here. The bad times hurt, but I still seek the good ones, just like when you get sick and have to do what you can to get better. I'd like to think I'm not the only one here that's had to move on in the face of grief... And Ally? Thank you for your time, but as it were, Princess Thryssa only asked me to come by here if I could spare the time. Like you said earlier, she didn't even make it sound like an order to be honest... Of course, I have no reason whatsoever to deny her, so might as well, right? So, I take it we're done here and I can take the girls then, right? I'll make sure to inform what I can, of course." He was ready to lead the young mares away along with him to the lift, but he would wait to make sure all was in order before he did so. If there was nothing, he'd simply go with the mares right away so as to not squander time.

"A pleasure helping one of our princesses through the loyal work of her soon-to-be right-hoof stallion," Ally says happily. "I think we'll have another prototype ready for your inspection and testing in another week, Mister Market. Most of the work is easy enough but extremely fine articulation requires highly specialized tools only found in an industrial center like Fillydelphia and parts of Trottingham. We have several changelings in high positions  in those industrial works, living in guise of course, and they can help us get the work done but it'll take time to ship the blueprints to them and for them to fit the work into the day schedule."
As they part from the foundry master, Belladonna snorts. "Really stupid that we can't just walk around however we want, isn't it?" she says. "I mean, eighty out of a hundred ponies wouldn't even blink and we're stuck playing dress-up in case one of the other twenty gets a stick stuck in their..."
Sweet places a hoof over her mouth. "It's for the best, Bella. Our queen certainly has a plan for this and it'll all change soon enough. Until then, though, kindly stuff a hoof in it."
Bella contents herself with merely sticking her tongue out at Sweet before looking with interest at Sugary. "So what sort of harsh moments? I mean, other than the stuff with traitors and rival mercs and stuff like that. You look like a stallion who's worked hard to be what you are if you impressed the Princess so much just by standing your ground against some scouts."
"Better yet, ya made close friends in yer work, didntcha?" Bloom asks. "Yer far too good at dealin' with us bein' us to have never done anything like it before."
"Maybe he's just a kind stallion?" Sweet suggested dryly.
"There's kind, an' then there's tolerant," Bloom replied. "He's tolerant. Could be kind too, but definitely tolerant."

Sugary kindly bid farewell to Alyosha as he acknowledged the future plans for getting extra materials to further improve the armor prototype. He'd also be sure to to keep in mind the information about testing a week later. As for being thought of as Thryssa's right hoof, he took it as motivation for his work. If he really could attain what others thought of him as, then he was doing an excellent job, and the thought of it made him happy to go for it if it also meant meeting not just Thryssa's expectations, but everyone else's. It was a lot of pressure, but that was probably a good thing in the long run for him.


Along the way to the lift to the castle, he smirked as the three young mares spoke of his tolerance and kindness. "Tolerance... Yes, tolerance is definitely a big part of it. But I'd like to think I'm a good stallion, and try to do things kindly when I can... Of course, one sometimes has to kindly beat someone else silly, but that's another matter. As for harsh moments, well... I'd rather not go into too much detail just yet on those. Last thing I wanna do now is depress you after what happened earlier, but maybe another time... Unless you really really wanna hear them? I could also talk about my other hard knocks on the job along the way, instead of just the worst of it... Like the time I had to get chased after by Scarabi Changeling scouts when I was very close to just flying into the desert in a desperate run with my airship for a scavenger hunt just before I got here for instance. That sort of thing." He chuckled, thinking for a moment if Masquerade had actually been dead serious of Thryssa herself pulling his ship down despite his efforts if she had caught up with him. He was also preparing himself for more storytelling if needed, but he also did have a report to make as he got closer to the lift, and could only spare so much time with the trio in a casual manner before meeting with Thryssa face to face.

"Yeah, well, thanks for not kindly beating the stupid outta me for that thing in the foundry," Belladonna says. "Speaking of such, you totally have to teach us that magic Mister Market, sir. Never seen that sorta thing before, and I'd love to learn how to do it."
"Is it a kinda magic practiced wherever ya come from?" Pearbloom asks.
"Or is it some manner of special training you received as a Tantalus mercenary?" The three fillies become a little more rigid as Masquerade seems to materialize out of the crowd, smiling at Market. "And what sort of magic are these three being so enthusiastic about, Sugary?"
"Oh, Bella lost her temper in the forge..."
"Again?" Masquerade sighs. "How bad?"
"Hang on," Sweet says. "Let me finish. So Bella loses it in the forge and starts throwing things. So Mister Market uses some kind of time alter spell to prevent her from doing any more damage. He uses it without a circle or complex preparation."
"It was awesome!" Bella enthuses.
"An' he used somethin' else ta restrain her too," Pearbloom added. "Dunno what but it seemed ta make gravity higher or somethin' cuz all the things she was throwin' didn't travel so far."
Masquerade blinks at this and looks at Sugary with wide eyes. "Are these fillies exaggerating, Sugary?"

Sugary lightly rolled his eyes and chuckled as the young mares praised his knowledge of magic. He certainly liked their enthusiasm for wanting to learn though, it made him feel accomplished to know other magic users wanted to learn from him for a change.

Before he could try and explain about the spells in question, Masquerade showed up, and he smiled broadly and waved at her. "Good morning, Masquerade. And no, they're not. I'm unsure how I compare to Royal Mages, but I definitely learned -and most certainly applied in practice- a lot of spells from foalhood onwards. Now let me explain a bit..." He turned to the trio specifically to answer their question about his teachings and general studies. "... Where I come from, there are different areas throughout that have their specialties for spell knowledge, and some can even manipulate time and space to their will. I should also point out that magic users are often encouraged to learn and practice since danger might strike at any time. Better safe than sorry and all that. My advantage to being a Mercenary was the chance to study from books on stock and some teachers from beyond the continent in a single place, while traveling and working meant polishing and expanding that knowledge even more so. Like I said, it's hard work, but it sure has its perks... And yes, I'd be happy to teach you sometime. I still have some of my old magic books with me for that matter."

Masquerade smiles broadly. "Hah! You are much more than you seem Sugary, and the Princess has got more in you as her XO than I believe she was aware of. Have you been by Alyosha's foundry?"
"It's where Bella lost it," Sweet answers before Market can.
"Ah, of course." Masquerade nods. "Really, child, you need to get over your half-wit relatives sometime. You mix too easily with all classes to be constantly chained down by the fact that your family isn't worthy of you."
"Well, it ain't like I've got anyplace to be other than around those south ends of northbound ponies." Belladonna sighs. "But I'll deal with it."
"You shan't need to much longer," Masquerade smiles. "You'll be out of their company by your birth date."
Bella looks oddly at her. "How do you figure?"
Masquerade blinks in very genuine surprise. "You aren't aware that you have a berth awaiting you at the preparatory barracks as soon as you reach adult age?"
The three of them gape at her.
"Um... no?" Bella says. "What the hay are you talking about? What berth? How?"
Masquerade looks at her a long moment before chuckling. "Ah, Belladonna... I don't think you realize just how eager your family is to get rid of the only one with their head on straight. I'm sure they were planning to rub your face in it when it was a fait accompli then throw you out so hard you bounced but in addition to being racists, they're as dumb as a bag of rocks and as shallow as a mirage. Also, very big mouths."
Sweet and Bloom look between them. "Um... so Bella's got a berth at...?"
"The three of you do." Masquerade grins at their looks of shock. "C'mon you three... you're practically a city fixture and that means people notice you. The right sort of people have kept an eye on you for a while and decided to make arrangements to channel your... exuberance into useful pursuits."
She then turns to Sugary as the trio remain frozen in open-mouthed amazement. "And don't think you're immune from notice, oh ye gallant Tantalus. Thryssa is going to be thrilled when she hears about what these three saw you do, since you admit their story is accurate. Speaking of such, how'd the prototype inspection go?"

Sugary was glad to hear there were already plans for not just Bella, but for the trio to be accepted into more opportunistic positions within Scarabi, even if the arrangements were made previously in silence. Though that did raise quite a few more questions about what exactly have they been doing all this time to be so well known. "Personally, I say go for it, girls... But I really gotta wonder what is it exactly that you three did to stand out in all this time..." He then got the feeling that he was likely to learn from it a lot some time later if things went well for him as an XO if he got that far, and it both filled him with wonder and a bit of pre-mature worry in that he might actually end up with them under his command.

Then came his own face of surprise as Masquerade specifically called him out on what he did. "Oh? Well, I certainly don't pretend like I don't know magic well. If I have to flaunt my knowledge to her to show her what I can really do, I'd be happy to... Anyway, the Prototype is actually holding up nicely in it development so far. Right now, they're starting the improvements already after testing. Young Bella here actually tore right through it as it weakened with a bodkin arrow, after it got hit several times while I wore it in testing with other weapons. I'll make the full detailed report to Princess Thryssa, but I can assure you, it's definitely better than a lot of the other armors on display in the foundry already. Fits well, moves well, endures well, and still they can do more to improve it. I'm impressed with the initial results for just a Prototype actually. Kudos to Ally and his men!"

Once the time came to take the lift as they moved on, and told the guards the trio of young mares were coming along with him, he'd briefly comment in a low voice as he took a deep breath and saw Scarabi from above with a soft smile. "Hm... I probably could just teleport or Float up... But the view is too nice to pass up on..." The only other thing in his mind along the way would be to see if he would notice anything different about his airship once they got to the courtyard, though he certainly kept his ears perked for anything else the others would hear.

Masquerade laughs softly. "Oh Sugary... there's not enough time in the day to recount the exploits of this trio. They're very much like Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo of the town of Ponyville: constantly adventuring in a quest to become as multi-talented as they can and learn what pursuits are best-suited to them. All young changelings do it to some degree or another but never in a very thorough and systemic fashion."
"We started at A and have been going through ideas ever since," Sweet admitted.
"Ah think if we hadn't been so successful at growin' apples when we did Apple Farming, we'd have got discouraged but... the trees grew an' they made apples."
"Then they fell victim to Lumberjack," Bella said.
"Timber Management," Sweet corrected her. "We passed on Lumberjack because the Dune family would have flayed us alive if we'd tried to cut down one of their trees."
"I still say it could have worked..."
"Catapultist prove ya have a stronger hide than most Bella," Pearbloom remarks dryly. "Harder head too."
"Pff... Armor Testing proved that," Bella scoffed.
"Also why Ally got one of the city mages to invent that circle..."
"Best scar EVER."
Her two friends sigh and Masquerade laughs. "As you can probably tell, Sugary, these three have been highly adventurous. They've also had a fairly impressive record of success at learning the skills they set out to test. As Sweet pointed out, their experimentation with Armor Testing established the need for a magical safeguard of which Alyosha, who only did the testing on dummies, was unaware of. And they established that with enough determination, it is possible to grow apple trees... although we lack the knowledge to manage them as timber. Apothecary, Herbalist, Guard, Librarian, Armorer... such a list. Most stop when they do one thing well; these three stopped when they ran out of things to try and have circled back to successes in preparation for getting cutie marks."
The trio look shyly away and paw at the ground as Masquerade talks about them. She smiles and as they arrive at the top, noses Sugary in a strictly friendly fashion. "But that aside, thank you for taking care of that matter with the armor prototype. I'm sure that Princess Thryssa didn't really mean for you to go as far as you did, which merely proves that you're exactly the kind of stallion she wants acting on her behalf when needed." She sees his gaze move towards his airship, which appears unchanged since last he looked, and she chuckles. "Alyosha and his staff haven't had a chance to begin but I'm sure they'll be respectful when they do."

As soon as he heard about how the three mares resembled the infamous CMC, Sugary suddenly acted as if he had an epiphany. "I knew it! Those are the ones you remind me so much of...!" He felt a slight weight of uncertainty disappear right away as one mystery was finally solved.

Afterwards, there was little else but a smile on his face as even more of the young ones exploits were revealed. "Good grief, if I had met you gals when I was younger as Merc, you'd either be a curse or a blessing! Your drive to go an do all kinds of tasks reminds me of... well... me and my merry band of old friends actually." He let out a hearty laugh right away, feeling like he had even more in common with the trio than he first realized. "I mean sure, we didn't go and do all kinds of things on a whim, but we still did lots of random tasks on and off the job... Sometimes for better or worse. I think you gals would've fit in nicely with all that vigor you got to say the least..."

As glad as he also was to see the Black Mambo in one piece, he looked at Masquerade with a hint of surprise. "Oh? Honestly, I'd have expected for at least one of them to have been in it by now. Then again, there's the armor to work on..." He then almost immediately entertained another thought as they moved into the castle. "... Unless Ally really wants to impress the Princess? Think he's being that much more focused because of it?" He asked Masquerade specifically as the moved towards the direction of the barracks.

"Sugary, everyone wants to impress Princess Thryssa," Masquerade chuckles. "Heirs to the throne typically have a very long memory and even decades into the future, she'll remember that this pony or that one impressed her a great deal, or did her a service, or was kind to her when needed, or even acted wrongly somehow. The Dune family has worked their way up to their place of first among equals because many heirs remember being treated kindly by the family, being aided by them, receiving good advice, receiving support in their various endeavors, and things like that. And so when they take the throne, they always tended to listen a little more closely to the Dunes, always tended to make them ministers or give them important things to do, and eventually they became the wealthiest and most respected and most powerful noble family."
"An' when we're rejoined ta Equestria, Dunes are gonna be hittin' the ground running," Pearbloom grins. "An' that's just aewsome. Big rich farmin' family sorta like mine, top o' the heap an' with all the useless chatterin' ponies ta sing their praises."
"They're not useless chatterers," Sweet Bell said with a tone of slight affront. "They serve a purpose."
Bloom fixes her with a level look. "An' what might that be?"
"Distracting shallow ponies from actually doing anything and potentially causing trouble," Sweet says. "Otherwise, Bella's dreadful family might actually try to do more than talk."
"Gotta agree with Sweets here," Bella grins. "They sure love their talk. Of course, sometimes other ponies talk back and then Calliope goes on a crying jag and makes my entire bucking week."
Masquerade chuckles and continues with them to the barracks. "I'll just duck in and check if Princess Thryssa is about," she says before slipping inside. Before Sugary can follow her, he finds his way blocked by three teenage changelings looking up at him with wide eyes set to maximum adorable.
"By the way Mister Market, sir..."
"...did you really mean it?"
"Do we actually remind you of yourself..."
"...and your old mercenary friends?"
"And do you actually think..."
"...we would have fit in?"
Almost as if they planned it, the order goes from Sweet to Bella to Bloom and back to Sweet, one seamlessly transitioning into the other as the previous one takes a breath. At the end of it, they remain looking slightly up at him and he'd get the strong feeling that comparing them to himself and his mercenary friends is being taken as a massive compliment and the best kind of praise.

Sugary would distract himself at the thought of Calliope speeding away once he set his hooves on the ground before she got full of herself, lightly rubbing his forehead due to the markings in place. He'd then blink at the trio of mares incredulously as they stepped in front of him with starry and hopeful eyes before he spoke gingerly. "Okay, first off, that's impressive. I've rarely seen even twins have that much synch between them, let alone a trio. I find it baffling you three aren't related... And as for your questions... The answer is yes."

Just in the exact order they spoke to him, he'd pat each of them on the head as if they were younglings, but not as a means of disrespect, but of endearment, as he kept talking and smiling. "While the Guild may be a formal organization at its core, it's still made up of different kinds of staff and mercenaries of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Trust me, there were also plenty of ragamuffins like you when I started, and every year some more would join. All that really mattered was having the will to work... And boy, did we have a lot of willful sorts just like you..." He then cocked an eyebrow and smirked at them as he urged them to keep moving. "Not that I stopped being willful either, so let's get going. Who knows what else is up for today. Best not keep the Princess waiting..."

"We sorta are related," Bella says.
"Distantly," Sweet adds. "The current monarchy used to be a septarchy--seven queens--which tended to do lots of marrying between them. The three of us descend from two sisters who happened to be servant-queens at the same time. 'Bloom comes from the elder, I and Bella from the younger. I think there may also have been some intermarrying between those two about four generations ago but the matter is... hazy."
"Deliberately," Bloom says. "Lotsa rumors, nothin' for sure. But yeah, we're great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-cousins."
"And just like cousins, Pearbloom, you are both endearing and occasionally irritating," Thryssa says as she comes out of the barracks to stand in the door, looking down at the trio bemusedly. "I hear that you've been smashing works again, Belladonna."
"Scuttlebutt," Bella replies instantly.
"I also hear that Sugary Market put the kibosh on your little tantrum hard," Thryssa grins toothily.
"He did, and it was awesome."
Thryssa chuckles. "I believe that it's time the three of you left. You need not leave the castle, just the immediate area. I wish to converse with my Tantalus about the armor tests and learn more about powers I had no idea he possessed."
"Sure thing Princess," Bella says cheerfully.
"Yes your Highness." Sweet adds with a low bow.
Pearbloom also bows to the Princess and the three fillies disappear down the corridor in the general direction of the throne room. Thryssa watches them go before she steps back into the barracks. "Please come in, Sugary. I knew we'd have something to discuss when I asked you to look to the prototype armor but then my well-cultivated rumor mill tells me about a meek unicorn stallion in the company of three troublesome fillies performing fantastic magical feats such as interfering with the local flow of time, and the effects of gravity."
She takes a few steps into the barracks, which seem to have been deserted in a hurry. "I thought that surely the rumors couldn't be about my favorite Tantalus, mercenary because he struck me as having spirit but not being a great magi. And yet what other unicorn stallion is in Scarabi? And who was the last unicorn stallion to impress me with feats of perseverance? So I found myself with much more to discuss with you than armor."
"First thing's first, however. A report on the matter of the armor, if you would, and especially your impressions of how well it balances protection against ease of movement within."

"Even if they're cousins, I'd still believe someone around here if they told me those three used to be one and the same..." He'd grin to himself as he mused on the thought while listening further about how the Royal lines were mixed over time, but it was somewhat clear it was not something for just anyone to remember properly from the sound of it without excruciating study on the matter.

Once Thryssa's voice and presence became certain, he perked up with a light smile as he had looked forward to this moment since the early morning. He was, however, mildly concerned that she'd send the fillies back home, but fortunately they were merely dismissed in the nearby area, so he could proceed with what he intended.

One thing he certainly wasn't expecting was the added praise he was getting for his magical prowess, which made him wonder if that was part of the reason the barracks were cleared so quickly, or if the others were merely scheduled for something. At the very least, he'd try and make his report before addressing the rest before moving on to what might likely be a lengthly topic. "Uh... Right, as far as the Prototype was... Initially, it's well fitting and light to be sure. I unintentionally wore most of it while chasing after young Bella, and the weight and movement was far less restrictive than expected. That said, it's as tough as could be expected once the actual testing began. It deflected glancing blows and even direct headshots with relative ease for a significant time before the armor dented noticeably. Of course, the joints gave out first, but still held well, and even when there was visible damage all over, it could still move a bit. Granted, I was under protection from the testing room, so shock and actual trauma is a bit harder to judge, but I wager it's a remarkable suit as is. It was only after the dents increased and a bodkin arrow tore through during the second phase of impact testing that the Prototype had been deemed to reach its limit -plus Bella had actually put in extra effort to make sure the strikes were very effective, so yeah-. It took a respectable beating even if I was just standing still, and since it moved well right from the start, I'd call it very fine armor as is all around. And yet, it's going back into further development despite the fact it could very well be declared as effective and usable by my standards as is. I recall Ally was gonna try and get his contacts to gather better materials and tools from afar for it, so you might wanna check on them later on to be sure... I guess that's about all I can say on the armor for now, but... Princes, before we continue..."

His expression softened a bit more as he looked towards the exit where the young trio ought to be around and then back at Thryssa speaking more softly. "... I'm sure you know why Bella was getting into a tantrum, and wondering why all three of them are here now? I probably should have told you sooner through the pendant you gave me, but I just didn't want her getting involved with her family if it could be avoided after what she told me. Sure, they already have an idea that might work for them, but I find it sketchy to be honest. I asked them to come with me today and help them get their minds out of that funk of theirs with tasks or something to buy them time to think, so... Mind helping me with that if you can spare the time?" There was a silent plead in his eyes towards the Princess as he wanted Belladonna to stay away from the likes of Calliope and her kin by any means.

"Bella was the one that drove in the death blow, was she?" Thryssa mused thoughtfully. "Hmm... well, pleased continue." And then she'd listen to the rest of his report and looks ready to reply before he stops her with his apology, his explanation, and his request. In response to this, she smiles and reaches to lay a hoof on his shoulder. "Sugary Market, you are a good stallion; for good reason, you are already being referred to as 'the Gallant Tantalus' among certain of the nobility that have already heard of you and you backing Calliope off. It shows in this occasion just as much as others: upon learning of Belladonna's circumstances, your first impulse is to take advantage of my good graces for her benefit. Before you think that an accusation of abusing some privilege or the other, I've openly invited you to take advantage by measuring you as my future executive officer; my good graces are yours to take advantage of as long as you're judicious and wise with this permission. I've no reason to doubt you will be, otherwise I wouldn't have extended the privilege."

She looks off in the direction the trio had gone. "I know that Masquerade has already explained to you that there are bright futures awaiting those three, and that she spoke somewhat of why that is. There is more to it than she told you however, although she could not know that. I will admit that there is more than a little predestination at work in the gentle direction of the young and promising, and there is considerable work done by those of us who regard ourselves as wise enough to do so in aid of this purpose. With very focused study and comprehension of how the threads of destiny and potential weave about the newborn, exceptionally strong magi like my mother and my younger sister Tettidora can accurately discern the direction that even the youngest child is inclined to go. This is how my younger sister Chidinida was picked out as the most naturally gentle and loving spirit, and the most gifted with the magic derived from love itself, so she could be secreted into the care of a pony couple at birth and raised in Equestria: Mother saw the direction Chidi would naturally go and placed her in the circumstances that would push her in the direction she would go absent it. Lo and behold, the Princess of Love raised as an alicorn for most of her life, kindly and a natural master of love-derived magic, and soon to be formally married into the Court of the Dual Thrones. And soon after, in the most ancient tradition of alliance-making, that Court will be aligned to our own and the birthright of the changelings as the Fourth Race will be restored."

She chuckles. "Heh, look at me rambling. My point is, Sugary, those three were picked out very early for the direction they were naturally inclined towards: Pearbloom as a gifted horticulturist, Sweet Belle as a social espionage asset, Belladonna as a sergeant of the Honor Guard. No immediate action was taken because there were no obstacles to deter them from their course, but long before it was determined to reserve them berths at the barracks to be placed under the personal direction of the best teachers in the Monarchy, everything was put in place so that when the Dunes came to the decision they did to sponsor the three, all the wheels that needed to turn were greased and ready to do so. Although it draws perilously close to picking out a role for the young to fill and pushing them into it, it's really just easing their way into the place where they will do the most good and be the happiest." Her expression darkened. "Although personally, I would have very much liked to teach Belladonna's family some valuable lessons that they wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon."

She sighs. "Well, getting back to the business at hoof, thank you for your report. You did far more than you were asked to do, far more than you needed to do, and you have proven my intuition correct. Seeing to this matter in a complete manner, acting as my personal hoof in this, is precisely what an executive officer is for. The role is that for the purposes of important things, you and I will be the same, and what you do, and order, and report will be exactly as if I had done those things personally. In this way, I will be in more than one place at once and be doubly as powerful and effective in my appointed role. It may seem like mere errands at this time, and that's how it'll be for a long while, but imagine if there ever came an occasion where battle needed to be joined. Not only would I be in the command tent planning strategy, but I would also be on the front lines exercising personal control of the battle at the point of combat. Naturally you're not me but the matter of the prototype armor proves that you are naturally inclined to exceed your instructions and do as I would have done if I'd been there." She nuzzles him lightly. "You have done well, Sugary Market, and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

From the moment Thryssa placed her hoof on his shoulder, to the moment she nuzzled him in gratitude, Sugary had been as attentive as could be expected, and smiled very contently as his initial efforts were being appreciated much more than he expected, which did wonders for his already chipper mood.

As thanks for having her allow his decision on the three young mares, he returned the nuzzling with one of his own, if only briefly as he remained close since she had not dismissed him. "This is much more formality than I expected, Princess, but I'm happy to oblige. And as for me fulfilling duties in your place, it's me basically getting back to some old duties I'd do for my former Commanders..." He then chuckled lightly as he spoke. "Which is good! I like being delegated. You can count on me for that to be sure... Also, thank you. I really do wanna help those three little mares. Divination or not, they're a good bunch. None of them deserve having such... foul influences. Especially after learning something Masquerade told me: About how, for example, Changelings tend to keep Monogamists in relationships to avoid spreading hate between groups... So I'd imagine, if I understood Masquerade's words correctly, Bella's family is doing just that to her, and I worry it might spread to her good friends. The sooner she can be on her own, the better I think things will go for them I wager, right? Also..." He looked straight onto those deep golden eyes of Thryssa with curiosity. "... I'm sure there's more work to do, but I'd like to know something... Was your destiny divined as well?"

"Yes the sooner we can separate Belladonna from her poisoned roots, the better it will be for her." Thryssa chuckles a little. "Although she certainly goes out of her way to separate herself from her roots, at least in terms of who she associates with." When Sugary asks his question about whether her destiny was divined, she breaks eye contact to visibly contemplate the question. "It's... complicated," she admits after a moment. "Because the answer is both yes and no. Yes, because I was born first my destiny as the heir to the throne was divines when I was born. At the same time, whether I will realize my destiny will be up in the air until I'm actually crowned queen. We have had tragic results in our distant past from heirs that were unsuited for the throne, tragic results that led to our people being expelled from our homes and made to come out into this desert. Although we love and revere her, Amaryss was an unsuitable queen because she was so shy that she couldn't do her duty until forced to. Malyss was an unsuitable queen because she was a vicious, violent racist who permitted such wrongdoing that Celestia was forced to do something." She pauses. "But the point of this is that heirs are assessed every moment until they are actually crowned. I have no doubt that if I was unsuitable, Chidinida would inherit the throne and if she refused it as she is likely to do, Tettidora will be our queen and if not her, Lepinora although that would be a sure sign of the apocalypse."

Sugary chuckled lightly along with Thryssa as he was quite sure Bella was hardly tied down so easily from what he knew, but until she was entirely free from her family, he would not quite stop worrying. "Still, we ought to help if we can."

Afterwards, what he got told as far as her destiny went gave him much to consider. Particularly in terms of how he thought she compared to Queens of old so far, while the rest was something he'd have to discover for himself and assess over time.

He'd actually laugh at the thought of Lepinora being in charge, taking the news of it much more optimistically than Thryssa to be sure. "Doesn't sound that bad, I think she might make things more colorful at least. But that's just my guess... Still... That hasn't happened yet, now has it?" He began to sound a bit chipper as he spoke. "You seem level-headed... You don't seem shy... And you don't seem like a violent racist at all... And your mother is the Queen, so there's a living and breathing example right there. I'm sure you'll do fine." There was a good chance he was undermining the complete significance of becoming Queen, but at the same time it was common sense to make the most out of the obvious. "If you lack what made the bad Queens bad... then you got something going for you, right? So, what tasks do we have today to move a little bit closer to that goal?" It was both a question for her and for the both of them. As far as he knew, if she was working, he was working, even if she was going easy on him while he recovered properly.

Thryssa shudders slightly when Sugary suggests that Lepi will make things more colorful. "My youngest sister making things colorful is exactly what I'm afraid of," she sighs. "Even bits that her first decree would be to paint Scarabi red and I don't just mean by literally painting. It would be unseemly, her lounging in the throne entwined with her marefriend." She pauses. "Check that, it was unseemly to come into the throne room and see Lepi... well, if you've seen her around her marefriend or any other mare she's close enough to, you can well imagine exactly what she was doing. I adore my littlest sister but she has absolutely no shame." Her disturbed mood seems to brighten a little as Sugary's final question focuses them back on things that can be done. "Well, you've taken care of the armor inspection and I've collated and sorted the various border reports so that's two large tasks done today. I noticed that Ally and his compatriots haven't begun to inspect your airship and given their determination with the armor, I suspect that it'll be some time before they get to it. The last truly major task of the day is systemic inspections of standing forces. I should like to do that in your company, because the saying that you get what you inspect, not what you expect applies with particular force in this situation. You likely have noticed that the warriors of our people are serious about their work but act as if they're civilians with unlimited leave when not on duty. Thus, close discipline and a gimlet eye are required to get the most out of them." She smiles a little. "I'd very much like it to be otherwise but the ways of our people are too ancient for a single heir to change even in the immense lifespan of our royalty."

Sugary rubbed his chin lightly at the final task for the day, having come to terms with how the progress for his ship was gonna go. He also chuckled lightly about Lepinora, but would say nothing more on the matter till he got to know her better as well. "So... make sure the soldiers are just at ease and not complacent? Yeah, I can get behind that. From my experience I'd rather be allied with the overly serious and dedicated ones... But just barely. Some of them got way into duty to the point they were just being irritating and not actually helping. But I digress..." He lightly pounded his chest in his own form of salute with a hoof, eager to get to work with a soft smile. "Ready for troop discipline and morale inspection, Princess!"

"Changeling soldiers are as serious and dedicated about their duties as any others I've ever seen," Thryssa says, looking mildly offended. "They are eager to serve out of love for their queen and often their princesses as well, and will endure a great deal to do that duty for queen and country. Just because they spend every spare moment relaxing and filling their idle time with appropriate hedonism doesn't make them inferior. I'm frankly somewhat disappointed in you, Sugary... I'd have thought you the last pony to make assumptions about ponies you don't know." With the look of being offended, however, Market would be able to tell that the princess is also a little hurt by his comments; even though his enthusiasm for the task causes her mouth to twitch into a small smile, that look of mingled offense and hurt remains.

It didn't take long for Sugary's own enthusiasm to drop down a bit as Thryssa looked upset. It seemed there was some misunderstanding going on. "... And I believe you. If I must be blunt, I meant that I was to make sure they really were just at ease. Just as I've been with overly serious dedicated soldiers, I've seen and been with my fair share of horrible slackers. Until I get to see more of Scarabi, all I can do is assume in general. I don't expect anything more or less than competence until proven otherwise... And that's what I intend to find out. If every single one of your soldiers is truly of top caliber, you have my praise... Can you pardon me for watching out for any possible slackers? I wouldn't be doing a good job inspecting if I wasn't looking for them carefully as well." He hoped he got the message across properly as the last thing he wanted was for Thryssa to think he didn't think well of the troops at all, when the truth was the opposite if most were anything like Masquerade.

Thryssa looks mollified by what Sugary says and leans down to nose at him in a friendly fashion. "Soldiers are of differing levels of ability, experience, and inclination just like any other pony," she says to him. "There are the militia which are virtually all of the population since no changeling is defenseless so long as there is positive energy to draw upon and any changeling who's reached their older teens can use a guise. As you can well imagine, they're not especially disciplined although they're not quite what you'd call 'slackers' for our people tend to work as hard as they play." She says the last with visible and audible pride. "The second tier is the general army, the ordinary and faithful soldiers who are the backbone of our military power. They may be the least in ability but not in zeal. You would know the Throne Guard and the Honor Guard already, and would well know that they work hardest and play hardest. Especially if they're loved by and love a certain member of our nobility." She smiles. "Well, enough of that for now Mister Market. The barracks up here is for the two Guard and I feel they'll need the least inspection at this time, so I'm afraid we'll have to return to the city proper so as to begin."

Sugary smiled softly again at the nosing, glad to have cleared things up with Thryssa soon. He listened well to the explanation involving the main branches, though he did wonder about a few other details such as the whether or not High Guards and Honor Guards all were as fortunate in love as Masquerade and Callista. "Right, let's... Not that I got a problem going out again, the city is nice as is. Can't be that much of a chore, can it?" Perhaps he was being a bit too optimistic, but then why worry over things before anything happens? Then he remembered how she vocalized her concern for his health the previous night. "Ah... By the way, the medicine has been doing wonders for me. I hardly feel tired lately. So, nothing to worry about so far... Ah, yes, will the gals be coming us, or will they be staying here in the meantime?" He looked around for the trio as he got the distinct feeling they were close by, but ultimately the decision fell on Thryssa.

Thryssa smiles. "No, reviewing the troops has never been a chore to me. I love to be about and among my soldiers because they're my people and I will eventually be their queen." She nods as he tells her that his medicine is proving effective and permitting him to go around feeling healthy and not worn out and if anything, her smile grows brighter at the news. "I'm delighted to hear that you're better and that you're feeling more healthy Sugary," she tells him. "Not only will you be able to give better and more vigorous service..." her cheeks get very slightly pink "...I'm personally happy to see you in better condition. Despite the fact that I have little love for Equestrian ponies, I'm always grieved to see one sickly, starved, and desperate. Especially one so gallant and pleasant as you are... and as..." her blush gets more visible "...appealing in other senses."
"In other words, big tough pony-disliking Princess Thryssa is starting to fall for the unicorn," a voice that Market would remember all too well observes in a smug voice.
All the blushing and smiling of Thryssa's expression disappears instantly and she turns an expression of intense disgust and dislike in the direction of Calliope. "This is a private meeting between myself and a pony favored of the court Calliope," she growls. "You are not welcome and have been given no permission to speak in the first place. Get lost."
Calliope's eyes narrow. "You will call me 'countess'."
"I will call you the misbegotten spawn of racist slime if it pleases me Calliope," Thryssa tells her. "How you have the gall to speak to me and require me to respect you is quite beyond my comprehension."
Calliope's face tightens angrily. "You will respect my family, Thryssa bar Chrysalis, and the agreements long ago forged between the queens. You will address me by title."
Thryssa glares but sighs and gives her a curt nod. "I apologize, Countess. But the rest applies: begone, for you are not welcome and your forked tongue displeases me."
"Oh I'm just passing through," the noble smirks. "And I'm just observing, oh your Royal Highness. Wouldn't want you to act unwisely, after all."
Thryssa's eyes narrow. "I don't care who you are, who your family is, what agreements were made, or what your title is. If you don't get out of my presence right this instant, I will use you to test armor prototypes. What your future queen does, who she does it with, who she brings into her life, and who she trusts to work loyally and faithfully for the good of the Hive Monarchy are not nor will they ever be any affair of yours."
Calliope bares her fangs. "Be cautious, your Highness. You shall never be anything but..."
Thryssa takes one stride forward and backhands Calliope with her hoof, literally sending the other mare sailing into the air and crashing audibly against the wall opposite the door to the barracks. Calliope lays there looking briefly out of it and then looks up at Thryssa, her expression dumbfounded.
"Get. Out." Thryssa snarls. "My mother is a great ruler of infinite compassion and patience. I am a soldier and have no time for trash that regards herself as important to our kingdom. Your family may be important, Calliope, but you are a spoiled brat who will never amount to anything. When the throne of my mother is joined to the Dual Thrones, not even your family will be important. I promise you that."
Before Calliope can reply, Thryssa turns to Sugary. "Mister Market, if you will attend me we have responsibilities to carry out. The Countess can find her own way out, as can your able and clever companions." With that, she turns and walks towards the lift, paying the stunned but obviously unhurt Calliope no further attention.

Sugary's chest was feeling rather light as Thryssa spoke well of him this time around. He felt she probably did that quite often when he hadn't done enough for it in return, but that didn't stop his mood from becoming elated. Everything was just going swell before inspections began.

And just as soon as Calliope's voice instead of Thryssa's ran through his ears, the light reverie he found himself in as he stared into the Marshall's deep golden eyes was shattered and quickly felt the tension in the air build up. He kept a bemused expression the entire time he had to look and listen to the intruder, and actually scowled lightly when she demanded so sternly for her title from the Princess, as he could tell there was not an ounce of respect for Thryssa in her words.

He flinched once from the moment Thryssa smacked Calliope halfway across the room, but it was more from the sound of the crash than the hit itself as he had a distinct feeling Thryssa had no intention of bottling up her anger. While he wouldn't voice it, he approved of the act as a smile briefly made itself shown at the edge of his mouth before it went back to being bemused.

He quickly nodded in acknowledgement as he stood at attention before Thryssa once more, and soon followed, though he made sure to share a thought with Calliope as he looked upon her passing by. "Word of advice: You'll have a brighter future the sooner you stop leaning back on your lineage and support the Heir. Some of us have a vision to fulfill..." And he meant it. Supporting the vision of the Queen and Thryssa would be an honor for him to aid in seeing it through. He had chosen to repay the kindness he was shown with loyalty and friendship.

Once he had managed to catch up with Thryssa, gazing over the city ever more fondly from the courtyard, he made a comment to her as well as he stood by her side while joining her down the lift, feeling quite motivated to prove the likes of Calliope and her kin to be in the wrong on their ideals. "You know, Calliope might have a point about one thing... I'll be doing a great job if I become a stallion worth falling for. I'll be happy to prove her right in that regard." Admittedly, it may well have been a mild tease and flirt towards Thryssa, but there was a certain kind of satisfaction in working towards a goal where the enemies got both what they saw and didn't seem to want.