A foggy light poured in through the window the next morning, but I was warm, not just due to the thick blankets, but by the two mares who snuggled next to my naked sleeping form, draping themselves over me and breathing softly. I heard a soft wind blowing against the window, rattling it ever so slightly as I lay there, staring at the ceiling with a small smile on my face. A smile which only grew as Zecora slowly stirred, opening one eye and looking up at me with her gorgeous blue eye. I slowly blinked, then reached up and stroked her mane. She smiled wide, moved closer and locked lips with me, I melted into the kiss, running my hand through her mane as we made out.

A hoof tapped my chest, and I pulled away, only to see a pouting Scarlet looking at me. "What, nothing for me?" she asked.

I responded by grabbing a tuft of her mane, then pulling her forward to kiss her deeply. She squealed in surprise, but relaxed and pressed her lips harder against me, breathing in and out faster and faster with each passing second.

Finally, I broke the kiss and let her go. "Yep, I was right. There are definite upsides to being in a herd. At least I won't have to worry about freezing to death," I joked.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and smacked me with a wing. "Laugh it up, fuzzball," she scoffed. "At least you shaved that Mirror Spock goatee."

I ran my hand along my chin. "Yeah, well, I wasn't really one for beards. I thought it made me look a bit more regal, but it just itched."

"I admired it," Zecora admitted, "but let us think of positive things. It might have tickled us last night. Especially when you did things no other stallion would dare to do to us."

I smirked. "Humans do that all the time to their lovers," I said as I slowly sat upright, reaching over and grabbing a set of matches and one of the candles by the side of the bed.

As I lit the candle, Scarlet leaned against my chest and looked up at me. "About last night, if I was a bit sudden about what happened…I'm sorry."

"Sudden? What do you mean?" I asked as I slowly set the now lit candle back on the nightstand.

She looked away, suddenly very interested in the cream colored patterns of the wine colored quilt. "It's just…I wasn't sure if you would be too tired, but Zecora thought you needed some time to decompress."

"And she was right," I said, looking down at Zecora, who was giving me a winning smile. "She's my oldest friend in this world, and as such she knows me better than most. It's one reason why I fell for her, because she's my best friend. And that's one reason why I fell for you too, Scarlet. You're one of my closest friends, too. I wouldn't date anyone unless they were a close friend as well. But I do love you. Both of you. I don't know what that says about me as a person, but I honestly don't care. Scarlet, let me make it official: will you join me and Zecora in becoming part of a herd?"

Scarlet's lips curled up into a smile. "Isn't it obvious? Of course I will," she said happily, leaning in, kissing me deeply, then pulling away.

"Welcome to Jethro's herd, my dear Scarlet," Zecora said with a welcoming smile.

Scarlet beamed happily and threw her forelegs and wings around the two of us, hugging us close. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed happily.

"You're welcome, my dear Scarlet," Zecora said with a warm and loving smile.

"We're glad to have you here," I added, holding her close. "I'm glad to be with both of you."

After a while, we broke apart. Zecora looked up at me then and asked, "What about the others? What will you do about those who have confessed to you?"

"I will take them out on dates," I said resolutely, "and won't just stop after one date, either. They deserve that chance."

"I'd welcome them in the herd," Scarlet said. "I like them all, and I know how much of a good influence they've all had on you."

"As would I, my dear Scarlet," Zecora said before turning to me. "They have been very positive influences on you, love."

"Yes. Yes they have," I said.

Before any of us could go any further, I heard a knock at the door. "Your Grace?" a muffled stallion's voice said on the other end, "are you awake?"

"Yes I am," I called out, "what is it?"

"Princesses Celestia and Luna have invited you, Lady Zecora and Lady Scarlet to breakfast an hour from now. She will be in the upper dining hall on the fourth floor."

"I see. Please inform their Highnesses that we shall be in attendance," I said.

"At once, Your Grace," the voice said as I heard the sound of retreating trots.

I looked down at my naked form, and smiled. "I doubt I can come to breakfast like this."

"Well then, why don't we all get ready for the day," Scarlet said, jumping off of the bed and lifting her tail to expose herself to me. "Perhaps we could have a little bath and some quick fun?" she said, looking over at me with a wink.

"Don't fucking tempt me, you horny succubus," I said, "because if I was to take you, we wouldn't leave this room. Any of us."

"Promises, promises," Scarlet grinned as she walked towards the bath.

"That mare has to be in constant estrus," Zecora said, "or, as you put it, she's horny as hell."

"Yeah, she definitely is," I said. "Well, come on. Let's go get washed up and ready for the day." So saying, I clambered out of bed, grabbed the freshly laundered clothes I had asked the palace staff to wash the night before, and walked with Zecora into the bath.

An hour later, I was once again dressed in my Emperor's garments, only without my scepter and sword. Zecora had actually styled her mane so that it was tied back in a long ponytail. Ever since we'd first begun dating, she had let her mane grow out and hadn't shaved the sides of it. Instead of a mowhawk, she now had long flowing locks which were naturally wavy and went past her chin. Scarlet went with her normal look, but with a small flower pin on the side of her mane, something I'd found in the great treasure hoard of Torch and given to her as a gift since I thought it looked perfect on her.

As we left the room, I saw Gemini and Mica still standing guard. "Jesus, don't you two ever sleep?" I asked with some concern.

"We slept plenty," Gemini said as she stepped away from the door. "Don't you worry about us."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," I said. "Nominal slave or no, you're a member of my household. I'm always going to be concerned about you and your brother."

I could have sworn I saw a small blush form on her face, but it vanished immediately. "Again, stop worrying. We're fine."

I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get through to her overnight, so I let it go. "Well then, come with us. The princesses have invited us to breakfast."

"No shit, I was there when that messenger came," Gemini snarked, but she and her brother, the latter of whom gave me an apologetic smile, walked on either side of us, keeping guard.

I straightened, then put on my Emperor mask. I didn't have as much experience with it as either Celestia or Luna or even any other rulers on the planet, but I had seen many other rulers in portraits, pictures or videos to at least be able to mimic their stoic features as I moved down the halls towards the large set of white and blue marble stairs that led up the keep to the fourth level.

When we all finally made our way into the smaller dining hall, I saw that the breakfast had already been set and the others who were there had already begun to sit.

The Mane Six were there, along with Spike, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and to my surprise, Chrysalis. Celestia sat at the head of the table beside her sister, both of whom sat in larger chairs than the rest. Cadance sat by Celestia on her left, Shining Armor by Luna on her right. Twilight sat next to her brother, then Applejack next to her, and Rainbow Dash next to her. On the other side, Pinkie Pie sat next to Cadance, with Fluttershy next to her and Rarity on the end. Spike had taken a seat next to Rarity, of course. As he had been for the past couple of days, he was wearing some ancient Dragon clothes. I made a note to myself to ask him why he did, but figured it wasn't as important as anything else that was going on. Chrysalis was sitting one chair away from Rainbow Dash. There were three chairs at the opposite end of the rectangular table, one being taller than the rest and sitting at the very end of the table. The other two were situated on either side of said chair.

When I entered, Cadance immediately locked eyes with me. Her horn lit up briefly, then went out. Her serious expression morphed into one of triumph as she turned back to Celestia. "Pay up, auntie."

Celestia rolled her eyes, but good naturedly raised her horn. A sack of coins came up from under the table and floated over to where Cadance sat directly to Celestia's left. Cadance gleefully took the bag of bits and put it down under the table. I raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know?" I asked.

"The Princesses were betting on whether or not you'd get it on with-MMPH!?" Rainbow started before being silenced by a golden glow around her muzzle thanks to Celestia.

Scarlet, who had reverted in the night back to her normal form, slowly hovered up beside me and put a foreleg around my neck. "Pretty sure whatever we do in the privacy of our own bedroom is our business," she chuckled as she leaned in and kissed my cheek before landing.

"Trollestia at her best," I grinned, and everyone in the room, save for Celestia and Chrysalis, all laughed. Chrysalis didn't really react much, and Celestia looked embarrassed.

"My apologies for betting against you," Celestia said honestly, "but my reasoning was that you would have been too tired."

"Even if I had, I still would have realized how I felt about Scarlet," I said, putting a hand on her back and stroking her mane. I did the same with Zecora. "And this cheeky Zebra is learning a thing or two from you, Celestia."

Zecora gave me an impish grin and smacked her tail against my leg. "Behave, dearest."

"Yes, my lady," I snorted, bowing low.

She laughed and smacked my head with her flank. "Oh stop it, you," she said as she took a seat.

I took the seat at the end of the table, and Scarlet took the remaining seat by my side. When we were all seated, I looked over at the others. I saw varying degrees of smiles on their faces, mostly smiles of relief. Chrysalis wasn't looking at me, of course, instead staring into her glass of water. "Is anyone else coming?" I asked.

"Princess Ember was invited," Celestia said, "but I haven't heard from her yet."

At that moment, the door opened and Princess Ember strode in, flanked by the other two Dragon guards. Unlike yesterday, she was now wearing a dark green pair of slacks, a brown vest, and the same golden circlet she wore the day before. "Gods, I hate having to wear clothes," she said as she moved to sit opposite from Chrysalis.

"Good morning to you, too, Ember," I chuckled.

"Don't start," she snapped at me as she grabbed the large glass of water by her plate and took a long swig of it before setting it down hard.

I nodded and turned to Celestia and Luna. "So, aside from betting on my love life, is there a reason why you've gathered us all here?" I asked before grabbing my own glass of water and taking a sip.

Celestia and Luna both looked at each other, then both raised their horns. Two pieces of paper, one a scroll and one a letter, hovered over to me and were set before me. The letters on the scroll were written in the harsher script of the Lycans, while I recognized the letters on the envelope as belonging to the flowing, almost calligraphic script that belonged to the Deerfolk. Frowning, I looked up at Celestia and Luna. "When did these come?"

"Early this morning," Celestia said.

I quickly broke the seal on the Lycan's scroll and opened it. What I read completely shocked me.

To the Emperor of Aelyssia Jethro Bethridge,

I write this letter to express my deepest thanks in your actions against the Dark Fae incursion at the Council. Were it not for you, my own daughter may have been seriously harmed or perished in the attack. My Ambassador Jasper has informed me of these actions as well as your ascension to the ancient Crimson Throne of Aelyssia. As such, I am issuing a Royal Apology for my actions against you during your brief visit to our own Empire. I hope that, under your rule, my kind and the Dragon subjects which you rule can remain at peace and our long-standing trade agreement can be maintained.

I hope that we can both speak on this and other matters face to face as soon as it is convenient for you.

Dictated, but not written by,

Empress Amber of the Lycan Empire

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the letter, putting it down slowly before I picked up the seal on the envelope from the Deerfolk. Unlike the scroll from the Lycan Empress, which was slightly dirty and unevenly cut, the envelope as well as the paper inside were made out of a shimmering silver papery substance. The letters themselves were penned in flowing dark gold lettering.

To his Grace, Emperor Jethro of the Aelyssian Empire,

You do not know me, which is understandable. We met briefly when you were projected through the Sightstone. I here and now pen this letter in the hopes that it finds you well. First, I must give thanks for your defense of the two representatives sent to the Council of Equestria during the Fae invasion. The Lady Arathyra and Lord Ebiner are, in fact, both my relatives, the Lady Arathyra my younger sister and the Lord Ebiner my brother by marriage to her. I owe you a deep debt. I have also written to you so that I may invite you, the Elements of Harmony, Zecora Mtunga Dawa, Scarlet Dusk and Spike to visit the Cervinia Citadel starting on the First Day of our New Year. In your calendar, the first of our year would be the first day of February by your calendar. We invite you and any compatriots you wish to bring to stay with us for a week after that day. I have much that I wish to discuss privately with you, and I wish also to bestow my thanks on you and your companions in their actions against the Fae. Please reply at your earliest convenience. I await your words.

Penned by,

High Lady Valindra of the Cervinia Citadel

I raised both eyebrows in surprise, now. I carefully folded the letter and set it back in the open envelope. Celestia leaned forward. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"You seem unsettled," Luna added.

"Just more confused than anything else," I said. I grabbed the scroll and held it up. "This letter was from the Lycan Empress. She actually issued an apology for how I was treated back in the day and hopes to see me and talk about future relations between our two empires. Want me to read them?"

"If you feel comfortable doing that," Celestia nodded.

I nodded, then reopened the scroll first. After reading the letter from the Lycan Empress, however, Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof into the table angrily. "That bitch thinks a simple apology is gonna make up for what she did to you!?" she practically snarled.

"Ah have tah agree with Rainbow, sugarcube," Applejack said, a look of cold fury on her own face as she added, "Ah might not be the smartest tool in the shed, but ah can smell some dishonesty from that there letter."

"What are your thoughts, sister?" Mica asked suddenly, startling all of us.

I turned and faced the former Captain of the Lycan Royal Guard. "Yeah, I'm curious too. You've known the Empress for a while, right? What do you make of what I just read?"

Gemini looked put on the spot, but when her brother put a paw on her shoulder, she relaxed somewhat. A thoughtful look grazed her brow and she pursed her lips. Finally, she said, "Look, I'm just a soldier, not a politician. I can't say for certain, but I've seen her talk to foreign diplomats with honeyed words in one sentence, then speak of them to her private counselors with disdain. She wants something from you, of that I'm sure. I don't know what, but I'll warn you now, don't underestimate her."

"I wasn't planning on it," I said. "But this is the letter that intrigues me more." So saying, I pulled the silvery stationary out of the envelope again and read through it.

When Twilight heard that she was one of those who had been invited, she squealed and practically clapped her hooves in joy. "I can't wait to go!" she said happily.

I raised my hand. "Now hold on," I said, "I'm not sure if I want to go."

Twilight practically deflated at that, but it was Fluttershy who asked, "Why not, if you don't mind my asking?"

"For one," I began, "I'm really tired of getting entangled in adventures where my life and the lives of my loved ones are put at risk. I'm already an Emperor, and a Knight of Equestria to boot." I saw Celestia's ears move downward at this, but I went on. "If I wanted to be completely selfish, I would give up being Emperor and pass the throne onto someone like Ember here, but there's another part of me that wants to work on helping them reclaim their birthright. And besides, this responsibility was thrust upon me. I don't want anything more to happen."

Silence reigned. Nobody spoke for a long while. Finally, someone did speak. And to my surprise, it was Shining Armor. He looked over at me, and raised his head. "I think it's a good idea to go. Now, hear me out before you interrupt me," he quickly added. However, I hadn't really thought to say anything, and instead just gestured for him to go on. He nodded and continued. "I'm not a Prince or an Emperor. However, I am a Captain of the Royal Guard. I'm responsible not only for their training, but for the safety of my fellow guardsponies as well. Mom and Dad always taught me growing up that if I wanted to protect somepony, do something about it yourself. Don't just wait for somepony else to come along, because then you're only thinking about yourself. Now, I'm not calling you lazy at all, so please don't think I am. I'm just saying that since you're in charge, there's a lot more to think about than just yourself. Not that you shouldn't think about your own happiness, but there's got to be a balance there."

Cadence looked over at her boyfriend with renewed respect. Twilight looked at her brother in awe. I looked at him with a solemn look, then a nod. "You make some excellent points, but even though I suspect I know the point to what you're saying, please say it?"

"My point," Shining said, "is that making allies instead of enemies with others is better for the safety of your subjects or those under you."

"I figured," I replied, slowly beginning to smile. "At least this High Lady gave me a date. I think I saw her when I was being teleported or projected all over the world. She seems like someone who's wise and wouldn't be too antagonistic, so I think I will accept her invitation. As for Empress Amber? It is a bit suspicious that she's suddenly all apologetic. Especially when it comes to me, a male. There's something going on. Something she wants." I turned to Mica. "She might not have said so in the letter, but I'm pretty sure she knows about you still being alive if Jasper has been in contact with her. If either of them have been in contact with her. If I do meet with her, I want you as far away from her as possible."

"Fuck that," Mica said, standing up straighter. "I'm gonna be right by your side, like it or not."

"For once, I agree with him," Gemini said, looking at Mica, "I didn't risk everything just for you to throw it all away."

Mica looked at his sister with defiance in his eyes. "I don't care," he said, "I'll be there even if I have to sneak into luggage."

"Enough," I said, raising my voice slightly. I looked at Mica. "I admire your spirit, young man. We can discuss this later-"

"I'm. Coming." Mica said. "And not just to protect you, but my sister as well!" He stood beside his now stunned older sister. "She's the only blood family I have left! I won't leave her alone even if she is still a better warrior than I am!"

I locked eyes with the young teen Lycan. Something inside me told me that arguing any more with him would be pointless. "You know, you've got some serious balls, talking back to me," I said, "and that's part of what it means to be a warrior. Not only that, but your reasons aren't anything I can argue against. Very well, if I do decide to go, you will accompany me."

Gemini looked angry at this, but one glance from me shut her up. She sighed. "Fine…do what you want to do. Willful brother of mine…"

I turned back to the princesses. "If I do meet with her, I will do it on my own terms. Do you know if there's a neutral meeting place between the Empire and the Citadel?"

There was silence for a brief moment, before Luna said, "Sister, is the Revelin Arch monument still standing?"

"I don't know," Celestia admitted, "but it was made by the best enchanting smiths from back then. It was designed to last for ages, so unless either of them attempted to destroy it, it should still be there."

"What's the Revelin Arch?" I asked curiously.

Celestia's face turned grim. "Back after the war between Lycans and Deerfolk was averted, when my sister and I…forced peace on both races, we had our best Pony architects construct the Revelin Arch. It's a large stone structure enchanted to last for a very long time and was meant to be a symbol of peace."

"Honestly, sister, that arch should be torn down," Luna said.

Celestia's ears flattened. "I know…I know they should," she said. "I just…" she trailed off and looked up at the ceiling in somber silence.

"Can someone bring me a pen and some paper, please?" I asked after a few seconds, breaking the silence. Immediately, there was a purple flash, and one of the G7 pens I'd given to Twilight appeared in front of me, as did a few pieces of clean white paper. I looked up and saw the purple Unicorn mare smiling and waving at me. "Thank you."

"Are you planning on writing now, before you eat?" Luna asked.

I had just grabbed the pen, when I paused. It would be rude to write a letter while eating or even before eating, I thought as I slowly pushed the paper and pen aside. "When does the next Council meeting start?"

"It will be our last meeting for this summit," Celestia said, "and it will begin at ten thirty."

Looking at my phone, I saw that it had just passed nine fifteen in the morning. I nodded. "Alright, I'll write them after breakfast and before the Council meeting."

Just then, the doors to the kitchen opened, and Pony servers began carrying food into the room, setting them onto the table. Celestia smiled. "Then let's not delay any longer. Let's eat!"

To the Esteemed High Lady Valindra of the Cervinia Citadel,

I greet you in the name of hopeful future peace between our two nations, and possibly between ourselves as well. I thank you for your high praise, but I simply did what needed to be done in order to protect all members of this Council. The Lady Arathyra and Lord Ebiner fought well during the battle. I've no doubt you would be very proud of how they helped.

I would be very pleased to journey to your Citadel and speak with you. I have heard many good things about your kind, and am eager to know more about whatever it is you wish to pass on to me in private.

Penned by,

Emperor Jethro Bethridge of the Aelyssian Empire

To Empress Amber of the Lycan Empire,

I thank you for your Royal Apology, and am pleased that I was able to ensure the continuing line of succession to your throne. As the new ruler of the Aelyssian Empire, I am very interested in keeping former ties between our realms unchanged, and I am very willing to speak to you on the matters of trade and anything else you might wish of my Empire. I regret that I cannot come to see you immediately, but I would be glad to come and speak with you at the Revelin Arch on the tenth of February of next year by common reckoning. However, I must insist that the meeting be between you and me alone. If this is disagreeable to you, please let me know so that we can negotiate further.

Penned by,

Emperor Jethro Bethridge of the Aelyssian Empire