"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch." - Orson Welles

The unicorn stallion kept his and Twilight's location in mind as he navigated them to their first destination. Because of its size, it was common sense that Canterlot Castle possessed more than a few dozen rooms—the largest being a tie between the throne room and the ballroom. The had just left the former, so the closest was the latter. To be precise, there were only three left turns and two straight hallways between them and the ballroom.

“Have you ever been within the castle before?” he asked, glancing at Twilight.

The filly shook her head. “No, all I ever saw before was the exterior.”

“You've always lived in Canterlot?”

“Uh-huh.”

As they neared the adorned doors of their destination, the guards wordlessly bowed and opened the way for them. The empty chamber set on the other side; the only decorations giving the place any character were the solar-themed banners hanging from the ceiling and the massive carmine rug that blanketed the marble floor. Not that the lack of decor stopped Twilight from fawning over the room like it was a scene from a Bridleway production. “Wow!” she gasped, spinning in place. “Is this where all the big parties are held?”

Blueblood nodded. “The Grand Galloping Gala and other such celebrations take place in this very room, yes.”

“Wow! Is it really as spectacular as ponies say?” She stopped spinning—looking to her guide. “I heard that it's the biggest party in all Equestria!” she continued, eager for answers but content to keep asking questions. “Are the tickets really made of solid gold? Do only the most important ponies get them? Is there always lots and lots of cake, because my dad said that Princess Celestia...”

He merely stared at her as she came up with a whole list of inquiries. Did every child have this many questions about the Grand Galloping Gala? Then again, it was Canterlot's most esteemed and anticipated festivity of the year. Not only was it was a chance for all the elite classes to mingle in a single grand setting, but it presented the opportunity for them to mingle with him and his aunt.

By “mingle,” of course, he meant that they completely and utterly exploited their sovereign company with their avarice and flank-kissing. It was the main reason he didn't attend the party in recent years. Well, other than the fact that it was also incredibly dull, but the filly didn't need to know such a thing.

“Twilight,” he softly interrupted. Fortunately, she heard him and her string of questions finally ceased. He then asked, “Would you like to stay here for a while longer, or would you rather see something else?”

The child pensively peered around the room. “Uh, I'm good. I'd like to see more, please.”

Blueblood took a second to contemplate the layout of the castle again. He was certain she wouldn't want to see the barracks or the maids' quarters. “Very well. Let's go to the dining hall, then.”

Once more, Twilight's eyes lit up. “Oh, oh, are we getting lunch?”

Since he missed breakfast, the mention of food reminded him that he had an empty stomach to fill. “We can eat lunch, if you so wish. I wouldn't mind a bite to eat myself,” he sighed. He tried not to rush as he lead his temporary charge out of the ballroom. Twilight already had to keep a brisk trot in order to keep up with him. Luckily, their next stop wasn't far, nor was it crowded.

It was the elites' belief that the dining hall was reserved exclusively for the Royal Family and whomever they deemed worthy of dining with them, like foreign diplomats, dignitaries, and world leaders. It was simply part of the truth alone, since his aunt was content to let the castle staff, guards and all, use it as they wished as long as they cleaned up after themselves. The only exception was when he and Princess Celestia ate their individual meals.

The room itself was rectangular in shape, with a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Like many of the castle's rooms, it was designed with wallpaper of intricate patterns and tall windows. The lacquered-cherry dinner table was long enough to nearly stretch from one end to the other, and was adorned with a maroon runner, golden candlesticks, and a grandiose bouquet of fresh flowers that served as the centerpiece.

As beautiful as it was, there was nopony in sight and it came as a relief to the young prince. “Well, Twilight,” he said, “what do you think of the dining hall?”

The filly stared at the chandelier in wonder. “Whoa, it's so pretty!” she exclaimed—seemingly ignoring the rest of the room. “It's bigger than the one we have at home!”

“You have a chandelier?”

“Yeah, in the living room, but it's smaller and made of silver.”

He chuckled. She's most certainly a Canterlot resident, he thought with a smirk. He took a seat at the end of the table closest to the kitchens and, with his magic, he pulled out the chair next to him for Twilight. “There you go, young one.”

“Thank you!”

A few seconds passed, during which Blueblood noticed that Twilight hadn't hopped up on the chair yet. He looked down, seeing that she was trying to hop onto it. But, her attempts kept falling short; the chair was far too tall. Suddenly, he felt foolish for not taking her small stature into consideration. “Here, let me help you,” he said. Carefully, he enveloped the filly in a cloud of sapphire-colored magic and he slowly lifted her onto the cushioned seat. “There you go. Better?”

Twilight smiled brightly at him. “Yes, thank you!”

“No problem, though it's a shame you can blow the top off a building but not levitate yourself,” he retorted teasingly.

Her ears drooped as she pouted irritably at him. “I can levitate stuff!” To prove her point, she looked at one of the candle sticks and, once she took a moment to concentrate, she reached out with violet magic to pick it up. After she successfully levitated it a few inches above the table, she set it back down. “See?” she asked triumphantly.

“I did see. Well done. Is levitation your special talent?”

She frowned. “No. My special talent is—”

The deep voice of a stallion interrupted her. “Hey there, Prince Blueblood!” greeted an approaching unicorn. His coat was tan in color and his hair was brown and cut short. More importantly, he was clad in a chef's outfit. “Been a while since I've seen you down here. How may I serve you?”

Blueblood shot him a smile. “Good afternoon, Joe,” he replied. “She” —he nodded in Twilight's direction— “and I would like some lunch, if you don't mind.”

“Oh, it's no trouble at all, Your Highness.” Grinning, Joe walked around the Prince to look at the filly. “Hey, kiddo, what's your name?”

The filly held out her hoof. “I'm Twilight!”

Chuckling, he gently shook it. “How 'bout that? So, you must be the little filly everypony's talkin' about! I'm Donut Joe, but you can just call me 'Joe.'”

“Nice to meet you, Joe!”

“Likewise, Twilight.” He patted her on the head, then he returned his attention to Blueblood. “So, how'd you end up watchin' her? Shouldn't she be with Princess Celestia or somethin'?”

Prince Blueblood raised a brow. “My aunt is preoccupied at the moment and she asked me to watch Twilight for a few hours. That's all.” Honestly, is it so surprising to see me as a chaperon...?

Joe simply nodded. “Got it. So, what will you have?”

“A bowl of soup au pistou and a glass of water will be fine for me. However...” He glanced at Twilight. “Well, I'm sure you have a more sound judgment as to what to prepare for a child. I haven't the faintest idea, honestly.”

“Oh, yeah, don't worry about it! I got you both covered.” Clearing his throat, he turned in the direction of the kitchens. “Hey, Blaze!” he shouted, much to the diners' surprise. “We've got two hungry mouths to feed! Break out the soup pot and the dough!”

Curious, Blueblood looked past the chef in time to see a rainbow-maned pony poke his head out the double-doors. “Yeah, yeah!” the stallion sneered. “Keep your stupid hat on and quit yellin' at me!” An argument was then ignited between the two as they both vanished into the kitchens.

“Goodness gracious,” the Prince muttered. A tiny smile touched his lips as he looked at Twilight. “This kind of drama is why I usually take meals in my room.”

The filly giggled. “Joe seems nice, but who's the other guy?”

“I don't know. He's probably new.” Or, perhaps he's worked here for months. Could it really have been that long since I last ate in here, though?

“I like his mane.”

“Yes, it was certainly unique.”

“And I like Joe's donut cutie mark!”

“Yes. I heard he has quite the fondness for them as well.” That was pretty much all he knew about the chef. His name was Joe, he was Princess Celestia's favored culinary artist, and he really liked donuts. His aunt, despite her busy schedule, was more sociable with the castle staff. If only he were so dedicated...

Silence fell upon him and Twilight, but it was somewhat tolerable. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long for their meals. After only a few minutes, the enticing scent of food foretold Joe's reappearance. Their glasses and plates were expertly juggled in his magical grasp as he neared the table. “All right!” he exclaimed. He set a crystal glass and plate in front of Prince Blueblood. “For Your Highness, there's the glass of water and the freshly-made soup au pistou! And for the young mare...” Smiling widely, he set a plate and glass on the table before her. The glass obviously contained a fizzy drink, while the plate held a large sandwich—one that was topped with a small donut skewered on a toothpick. “It's a double-stacked daisy and clover sandwich! Topped with a glazed donut and served with a glass of fizzy apple juice, of course!”

Twilight's eyes widened to the same size of that of her plate. “Whoa!” she gasped. “It looks so good! Thank you so much!”

“No problem, kiddo! Go ahead and eat up!”

As the filly then proceeded to do just that, Blueblood smirked at the chef. “Well done,” he said. “How did you know she would like that particular dish?”

Joe frowned. “Have you ever been around kids?” he asked. His question earned a slow shake of the head from the other stallion. “Well, kids don't really care about the fancy, more complicated stuff. They have simpler tastes. Plus, most of 'em have a preference for sweeter food.”

“I see. That explains the apple juice and the donut.”

The chef chuckled, slowly turning away from the Prince. “Yep! Well, I better leave you two to your meals. I'll send Blaze out to get your dishes when you're done.”

“Thank you, Joe.”

“No problem.”

Once the tan stallion took his leave, Prince Blueblood began to eat. Twilight was already way ahead of him. In spite of the sandwich's size, she took large enough bites to make quick work of it. She was a rather messy eater and she seemed more interested in the actual sandwich than the sugary donut that now set on the edge of the plate. Or perhaps she's simply saving it for last, he thought, raising another spoonful of soup to his lips. He (surprisingly) found himself correct in his assumption a short time later, when his charge finally finished her meal.

As soon as she swallowed the final bite of her sandwich, she then took a large gulp of apple soda before popping the tiny donut into her mouth. “That was so good!” she hummed. While Blueblood consumed the remainder of his meal, she set about guzzling what was left of her drink.

In a matter of minutes, they were done with their lunches. The Prince had to admit, now that his belly was full he was more than confident enough to continue the tour. “Are you done here?” he inquired, smiling at Twilight.

She nodded, jumping down to the floor. “Yep!”

Blueblood stood and he casually stretched one of his hind legs. “All right, let's get this mess squared away, then we'll continue onward.”

Seemingly on cue, somepony dashed out of the kitchen in a speedy blur. When they stopped beside the table, Blueblood and Twilight saw that it was the same rainbow-haired stallion from earlier. “May I take your dishes?” he asked, stretching out his wings.

The Prince rolled his hoof. “We are done here, so you may take them.”

“Awesome!”

Much to Blueblood's bewilderment, the periwinkle pegasus raced back and forth between the kitchens and the table—taking only one piece of dinnerware with him at a time. A hint of amusement graced the Prince's voice as he said, “You're a speedy one, aren't you?”

The winged pony, picking up what was once Twilight's glass, smiled at him. “Sorry, Your Highness,” he said. “I'm trying to finish up my shift as soon as possible.”

“It's all right. What is your name? I don't believe I've seen you around the castle before.”

“Name's Rainbow Blaze, Your Highness. I've been working as a buscolt here for only about a week now.”

Twilight's head slightly tilted. “What's a buscolt?” she asked.

He looked around Blueblood's towering form so he could see the filly. “That means I wash the dishes. I sometimes clean up around the kitchens, too.”

“Oh, that sounds boring.”

While the Prince suppressed the urge to laugh, Blaze let out a hearty one. “It's really boring!” he exclaimed, ruffling Twilight's mane. “But, bits are bits, and I'm lucky enough to have this as a part-time gig only.” He shot a glance at the kitchens' doors. “I'm close to wrapping up my shift anyway. Excuse me.” He bowed before Blueblood, then he flew away at the speed of light. At least, he appeared to come close to it.

Without thinking, Blueblood asked, “Is there someplace else you need to be?”

In spite of his speed, Rainbow Blaze came to a solid stop before he reached the doors. A huge, yet warm, grin appeared on his face as he looked over his shoulder. “Home. My little girl got her cutie mark today,” he replied, his voice soft with pride.

“Oh, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Prince Blueblood.” With that, the pegasus returned to his work—vanishing once more behind the doors.

“Nice fellow,” Blueblood whispered to nopony in particular. Between Joe and the buscolt, perhaps I should interact with the staff on a more daily basis... With a sigh, he turned his attention to Twilight. “Let's go, little one,” he said. “There's more to be seen and little time to see it.”

Author's Note

... I like Joe. I always wanted to write him as the castle's head chef, which is why his donuts are so bitchin'.