Starry couldn't help the pit of anxiety that grew in her stomach when Jimbia sat across from them, levitating a tumbler to Stone and a wine glass to herself. The stallion settled himself at his desk across from the couple, glancing between them with kind eyes and a half smile.

"Let's get this started then, shall we?" Jimbia stated, removing a file of papers from his desk and setting it between them ", Your father's authenticator quit last year just before your 18th birthday. This means that any documents created in that time frame are invalid, meaning that should your father fall from grace, you will inherit his estate. And Orion is falling fast."

"When is he set to fall?" Stone asked, cocking his head to the side.

"By the year's end-" Jimbia nodded at the bat pony, raising his glass to take a sip "- but if we make a stand and request an audience with the princesses by the end of the week? We can settle Starry in Orion's place by the end of the month."

"The princesses?" Starry asked with wide eyes ", How are we going to get the princesses involved in this?"

"Your father is part of Princess Despina's court," Jimbia answered ", As well as a main benefactor to the palace. Despina knows of the article, I'm sure of that, and she will not have someone with that history advising her."

"If I present myself as the heir of the House of Clever," Starry continued ", I can take his place with the blessing of the princess. Father will have no leg to stand on."

"Yes-" Jimbia smiled ", Very good, my dear. But you will have made enemies in the Elite. Not many ponies are excited about Orion falling. That is where Mister River will be of great use."

Starry glanced at Stone, who sipped calmly at his glass, "How is that, sir?"

"Please- Sir is not needed here, Jimbia will do well," The older lunacorn nodded ", But Mister River, you are all the talk in Canterlot and will be for some time. A scandal like this lives on and if you stand by Starry? You will terrify those who might have been in that court proceeding, scaring them into identification and ousting like Orion is being now."

"Can't I do that anyway?" Stone grumbled ", Those ponies don't deserve any seat of power."

"In time, my friend," Jimbia held up his hoof with a smile ", In time, but Starry needs to be settled safely in place of Orion, quickly if we can manage it."

"Hold on-" Starry held up her hoof, setting her wine glass down ", This is happening in a week? Isn't that fast?"

"We need to act fast, Starry," Jimbia morosely, tipping his head to her ", I can have this done in two days. I've already requested and been approved for an audience with Despina tomorrow night."

"You're turning our hooves, Uncle-" Starry scolded Jimbia, rising from her seat ", You've set this game into motion without asking."

"You want to do it," Jimbia responded ", Don't you?"

"She wants to do it on her terms," Stone answers with a hint of rage in his voice ", Not yours. You promised help, not action."

"There isn't much difference between the two," Jimbia answered curtly, his face darkening as he glanced at Stone ", She came all this way and I intend to make her effort worth it."

Starry paced the room, draining her wine glass and slamming it on the table. Too fast, too fast, and too familiar. She could feel her tail shaking under her dress and she wanted to run, to blow off the steam that was rising inside of her.

"We have lives, Uncle-" She seethed "- And you are uprooting us. Stone has a business-"

"We have a business, Starry-" Stone interrupted with venom lacing his voice "- A business that can be run from a distance. But that's a conversation for us. Take it. Meet with Princess Despina- You want this-"

"Stone, I-" Starry started but she was cut off again when the stallion hushed her wing his wing.

"Starry-" He whispered to her, pressing his forehead against hers ", You want to help others, and this is the way to do it. I know it's happening fast..." He paused, taking a breath and shaking his head "... But I know you. And you'd do it anyway."

Starry sighed and pressed her head against his, closing her eyes.

With her eyes closed, she could imagine how much easier it would have been if she had stayed in Ponyville, but it wasn't really. Even if she wanted it to be, there was a duty she had to fulfill, even if it was one she wasn't proud of.

"Fine-" She breathed out, glancing at her uncle ", But we do this my way, Uncle. No more choices are made unless I approve them."

Jimbia nodded and glanced at the small clock on his deck, his attitude suddenly chipper as he stood and turned to the door. "Supper will be ready by now, we should go."

Starry nodded, turning to the door and slamming it open. She cantered towards the dining hall where Nova and Aria were waiting, smiling until they saw the sour look on her face. Stone glanced down the table at her as she sat and picked at her food. She wasn't hungry, sitting through the meal in silence as she prodded her meal with a fork.

There was no point going back to the train stop, so Aria led Starry and Stone up to one of the spare rooms. Starry locked herself in the bathroom as soon as the door closed behind her.

"Starry?" Stone called from the other side of the door, knocking and trying to open it ", Love, can we talk?"

"I'm going to shower-" Starry shuddered out ", I just need to be alone for a little while."

He stopped knocking, "All right. I'm going to get ready for bed. Am I going to be alone?"

Her heart clenched.

"No-" She answered ", You're not going to sleep alone."

She heard him start away, stop, and climb onto the bed. Starrys stayed in the bathroom until she was sure that Stone was asleep. She tore off her dress and tossed it in the corner of the bathroom, tossed her hat to the side, and washed her face.

She was far from tired.

The door opened swiftly under her hoof, and she saw that Stone had kept the bedside like for her on. She smiled and cantered over to the bed, climbing under the blanket and wrapping her hooves around his neck, waiting for sleep to come.

But it didn't.