and
Arbalest walked through the corridor towards Duchess Virtue’s office, Boo hanging onto his horn. Boo had told him he had seen Virtue looking stressed, and after a bit of digging, Arbalest had come to a cause.
Duchess Virtue was overworked, overstressed, underpaid, and underappreciated. There was one solution that Arbalest had come up with, and Boo had approved. So as he came to the door, and saw the guard there, he asked permission to see Her Grace.
Storm Cloud notes Arbalest approach and listens to his petition to see Virtue. He wasn’t inclined to let anypony in who was likely to upset her anymore than she already was, but Arbalest didn’t seem like the sort of pony to cause trouble, so he lets him in.
Virtue looks up from the stock records she had been pretending to pay attention to and gives Arbalest a quick, weary look. “Arbalest? How can I help you?”
Arbalest bows before the duchess. “Your Grace, I humbly petition that you cease to take so much work upon yourself. You are tired, and stressed. This is not good for your health, or for the fort.”
It takes a moment for Virtue to respond, but she eventually says, “I... I know.” This wasn’t the first time she’d heard that suggestion, and she was beginning to believe it was true. “I just... I’m not sure what to do about it.”
“Your Grace, if I may humbly make a suggestion? You have three ponies here to help you. The Mayor, the Militia Commander, and the Judge. Each of these ponies covers an area which you are taking upon yourself. The Mayor is the governor of the civil matters, such as administration of stock, housing, and similar. The Militia Commander is the governor of military matters, such as those dealing with the Rainbow Ponies. The Judge is the governor of judicial matters. Each of these areas you are doing. And that is creating a great strain put upon yourself. Please, Your Grace, this is for both your good, and the good of the fort,” Arbalest says earnestly.
She nods weakly. All true, of course. “With Jury here, I’d intended to hand over judicial matters to her immediately.” After their little chat she wasn’t so sure, but still, that’s what she was here for. “The military probably should be handed over completely to Halberd. I let him handle all of the planning already, but perhaps I am still too involved.” She wonders about letting Longshot take over for management... what would there be left for her? “I had planned to speak with Longshot about taking over some management duties. But that got a bit sidetracked after he was nearly murdered...” she trails off.
“Your Grace...I would humbly implore you to continue with these plans to hand over these responsibilities. You are our ruler, and you cannot do everything for us. It would be madness for you to try and make each house, make each weapon, each bed. But this is the same that you are doing. Instead of using the ponies to their best capacity, you’re taking their duties upon yourself. Please, Your Grace...This is something that must happen. Your ponies are here to aid you, not the other way around.”
“You... you’re right,” she responds, hanging her head almost imperceptibly. “It’s something I should have done years ago. I don’t know... perhaps I was afraid to.” It wasn’t really much of an option anymore. It was one thing to do all of this when there were only fifty ponies in Dawnpick. With over a hundred with exponentially more problems, she couldn’t keep up. She really was going to an early grave at this rate.
Arbalest stands up, and walks over to Virtue, and gives the mare a hug. “Your Grace...What can I do to help you?”
She returns the hug. It didn’t make a bit of difference if she was the duchess and he wasn’t of nobility or family. That hug meant about as much as anything else at the moment. “I wish I had a better answer for you... but... just keep doing what you’re doing. Be a good pony like you have been.”
“As you wish, Your Grace,” Arbalest says.
Author
Topic: Dawnpick (My Little Fortress) (Read 236431 times)