Blueblood strode purposefully down the aisle to the throne. His cousin, Princess Cadance, sat atop her throne, a harsh look on her face.
“Announcing His Royal Highness, Prince Blueblood the Third,” a pegasus stallion called when Blueblood approached.
“Prince Blueblood,” Cadance said, lowering her head just enough to be considered polite. “How good to see you. You should have sent word; we would have prepared a more appropriate welcome.”
“Princess Cadance,” Blueblood replied in an equally cool tone. “We apologise for not contacting you earlier. We can always depart and return later if Your Highness is not capable of seeing us at this time.”
The two stared at each other, neither making a sound. Quartz Quill, Cadance’s seneschal, shuffled nervously on her hooves while the court officials cast worried glances. Even they had heard of the Prince's temperament; well-aware that they were witnessing a potential political gaff between the Crystal Empire and Equestria.
“Nonsense!” Cadance stepped down from her throne. “I shall have my castle staff prepare something for us. Quartz, please ask the cook to prepare something for His Highness and myself and bring it to the dining hall. Inform the rest of the staff that we are not to be disturbed.”
Cadance and Blueblood left the throne room, no word passing between them. A blue-maned pegasus guard, the same who had announced the prince's arrival, escorted them to the dining hall in silence.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Sentry,” Cadance said, addressing the guard when they arrived. “That will be all. Please see to it that nopony disturbs us.”
The stallion nodded and closed the door behind him.
The moment the door was shut, Cadance squealed. “You pompous ass!” She pounced forward, tackling her cousin to the ground in a tight hug. “You weren't supposed to be coming for another week.”
“Oh, cousin!” Blueblood chuckled. “I just couldn’t wait to see you, is all.”
Cadance dropped to her knees. “Sunshine, Sunshine—”
“Oh, no!” Blueblood gently pushed his cousin over. “I am too old for that, Caddy.”
“Spoilsport!” Cadance pouted. “Twilight still dances with me.”
To that, Blueblood let out a hearty laugh. “Does she now? That would be something to see: two mighty alicorn princesses dancing like school fillies. Our countries are in such great hooves!”
Cadance responded with a diplomatic raspberry.
“It is good to see you again, though, cousin,” Blueblood said, helping Cadance back to her hooves. He drew her back into a hug. “It has been far too long… I miss having you around.”
“Some of us have a country to run, Bluey!”
“Hey! I have a duchy, that’s… almost the same?”
Cadance raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, they’re nothing like.” Blueblood took a seat and Cadance followed suit. “So, how have things been going in the Empire? No evil ponies of old looking to depose my dearest cousin?”
“No, nothing like that.” Cadance levitated a crystal carafe, pouring two glasses of mineral water for the both of them. “No, these days the only great evil to be slain is bureaucracy.”
“Ahhh, yes, I have heard of this creature; Auntie bemoans its presence constantly. Our knights of yore would not fare well against the beast.”
“And how about you? How is Manehattan going?” Cadance asked, taking a sip of water.
“The mayor is doing a fine job of managing it; I don’t like to step on her hooves. We meet once a month, but she has turned the city into such a hub of commerce… I really don’t think they need fossils like me.”
Cadance gasped. “The mighty Blueblood eschewing his duties? The scandal!”
“Laugh all you want, Caddy,” Blueblood huffed. “Father wants me to take a more active role, but Mayor Blossomhill is far more in touch with Manehattan than I am, and the city is thriving for it. They deserve a little autonomy so I try to stay out of the way.”
“Should I stop calling you Prince Blueblood, then?”
“Oh, Elysium, no!” Blueblood barked with laughter. “I could never give up the title, nor the fame and the fortune.”
“And the mares?” Cadance winked.
Blueblood blushed, turning away from his cousin.
“Oooo, now that is an interesting reaction.” Cadance grinned. “Has some darling mare won the heart of Canterlot’s most eligible bachelor?”
“N-N-No! Nothing like that.”
Cadance slunk around the table, eyes affixed to her stammering cousin. “Reeeeeeeeeeally?” she asked, bringing her smirking face closer to Blueblood’s. “Then have you come to my empire to find yourself a nice little Crystal mare?”
“You’re as bad as father, Caddy.” Blueblood pushed his cousin away. “No, no mare has caught my eye… not for their lack of trying,” he added darkly. He sighed. “No, Cadance, I have not come here to find somepony—I came to get away from that…”
Cadance examined the look on her cousin’s face. There was a tightness about his jaw and the frown etched across his brow would have been deeper had it not been obstructed by the unicorn’s trademark horn.
“What’s happening, Bluey?”
“It’s…” Blueblood looked away. “It’s nothing, Caddy. I just needed to get away from Canterlot for a while.” He turned back to his cousin, sporting a grin Cadance noticed did not reach his eyes. “Besides, we never get to see each other. Not since that blaggard stole you from us!”
“That blaggard is my husband, Bluey,” Cadance giggled. “And if I recall, you used to enjoy playing croquet on occasion with him.”
“Yes, that is true,” Blueblood chuckled, nodding. “So that must make you the blaggard who stole my croquet partner.”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Lighting up her horn, Cadance teleported back to her side of the table and both ponies adopted their regal masks once more.
“Enter,” Cadance called.
Four servants entered the room, pushing crystal dining carts laden with serving trays made of silver.
“The chef hopes Your Majesty enjoys the cuisine of our empire,” said a blushing crystal mare, setting down a silver tray in front of the prince and removing the silver dome cover with a flourish.
Blueblood nodded to the mare before she stepped away.
“Thank you,” Cadance said to the staff. “Lieutenant Sentry, please see that we are not disturbed again.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Though, if you do see my husband, please inform him that Prince Blueblood has come to visit.”
Blueblood turned to look at the guard that had attended to him and Cadance. The pegasus had the lean athletic look common to the pegasi guards—lithe, suited for aerial combat. Unicorn and earth pony guards tended towards a bulkier build. The lieutenant’s armor shone bright gold, polished to perfection, greatly complimenting his orange coat.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Lieutenant Sentry said. Perhaps noticing the prince’s lingering gaze, he smiled, nodding to Blueblood before he left.
Once they were alone again, Blueblood spoke. “I wasn’t aware there were pegasi amongst your guard, Caddy.”
“Hmmm?” Cadance mumbled, looking up from her food. “Oh, yes, we had a few of Shining’s old guard transfer from Equestria. Flash Sentry—the guard who was just here—his family immigrated not long after the return of the Empire; he was one of the first naturalized Crystal Guard pegasi to join.”
“That is… awfully specific.” Blueblood raised an eyebrow— before a smirk crossed his face. “Oh, I see. I suppose he does bear a slight resemblance to your husband.”
Cadance blushed. “It’s not what you think!”
“Oh, Cadance.” Blueblood chuckled. “You know I would not judge you, if you were indeed having a scandalous dalliance with one of your royal guard.”
Cadance turned a darker red, matching the crystal berry jus on her serving tray. “I—I wouldn’t— I’d never!”
“I know, Cadance, I know,” Blueblood laughed. “But in all seriousness, you keep that much of a tab on all your guards?”
“N—No…” Cadance looked away. “He’s more of a… special case.” When she spied Blueblood leering again, she huffed. “I said it wasn’t like that. You see, Twilight—Twilight has a little bit of a crush on him.”
“Really?” Blueblood asked. “I didn’t think little Twilight would ever find interest in stallions. And… I am surprised; he doesn’t seem like her type.”
Cadance chuckled. “I know what you mean. I would have expected her to fall for a scholar of some kind, but I guess when she has spent so much time with Shiney—”
Blueblood snorted. Seeing her glare, he held his hoofs up in defense. “I didn’t say anything!”
“Oh, you’re as bad as Shiney, I swear! It doesn’t matter though, he doesn’t seem to have any interest in her.” Cadance sighed. “I’ve assigned him to escort Twilight whenever she comes to stay, but…
“Bluey, this is my job, my special talent! They should be married with twenty foals by now!”
“The empire has only been back for a year and a half, how could they—”
“I’m that good, Bluey! I’m that good.” Cadance looked to her food, levitating a crystal corn tartelette and taking a bite. “Or, at least, I was! So… if you would only let me—” she started, a smile on her face again.
“No!” Blueblood cut her off, ignoring her pout. He sighed before explaining, “Father has been pushing me to find somepony and get married. It is my ‘Royal Duty’, I ‘should be contributing to House Blood by now’…”
Cadance winced. “That bad, huh?”
Blueblood nodded.
“Well, if that is the case,” she said, nodding, “then I promise I shall not pester you again while you are here.”
“Thank you, Caddy,” Blueblood said, a weak smile on his face. “I appreciate it.”
“You know,” Cadance said, “Shiney was really looking forward to your visit. I believe he said he would have to get out the old hoofball again.”
“H-Hoofball?” Blueblood paled.
“I reacted very much the same way,” Cadance giggled, politely covering her mouth with her hoof. “I gave him the Crystal Empire Ministry of Sports; he’s really taken to the job.”
“Really?” Blueblood chuckled. “From Flugelhorn Champion to Minister of Sports—who would have seen that coming? Does he still make snap decisions using his lucky… what did he call it… dee-twenty when he’s in a panic?”
“Not since they released the fourth edition of O&O,” Cadance sighed. “Apparently ‘Wizards’ are dead to him now.”
“He dislikes the Canterlot College of Arcana?”
“Nevermind.” Cadance shook her head. “Ask him if you want to hear about it. It’s a great cure for insomnia.
“So what did you have planned while you’re here?” she asked.
“Well,” Blueblood started, “I was hoping to get out a bit, see some of the local sites. You know… incognito.”
“Ahh…” Cadance nodded, smiling. “Well, I suppose the Empire is one of the few places you can still do that. Will you be staying at the castle? If not, I believe there is this lovely little hotel in our common district… very Bohemian, only a few crystal rats.” Cadance chuckled when Blueblood paled again. “The castle, then?
“Well, if you go out incognito, I shall have to assign an undercover guard to escort you.”
“That is unnecessary, Caddy.” Blueblood shook his head. “I will be fine.”
“I’m sorry, Blueblood, but I have to. Do not worry, they’ll be discreet.” Cadance smiled. “Maybe I’ll send Flash; you might have more luck with him than Twilight did.”
Blueblood spattered and coughed as he choked on his food.
“Oh, Blueblood,” Cadance laughed. “Don’t be so old fashioned. There is nothing wrong with two stallions being in love.”
“Not everypony thinks that,” Blueblood muttered.
“It’s a new millennium, Bluey!” Cadance said as she levitated a piece of celery to her lips. “You’re going to have to get used to it, just like everypony else!”
