The newspaper shuffled slightly in her hooves, a cup of morning tea being lifted to her muzzle. Celestia sighed, letting the awfully addictive substance pour down her throat. Mornings. Celestia hated them. For more than a thousand years she had greeted up in the morning, lifted up the sun, checking it was moving at a good enough pace, then a spot of morning tea and the latest gossip on the tabloids shed subscribed to over the centuries.
'Hmm. That must be why I love winter more than summer' she mused, enjoying the feeling of getting to wake at least quarter of an hour later and the nice feeling of snow on her coat as she nudged the sun awake.
But today was nearing the summer solstice, her pony-dubbed 'birthday.' Calendars were uncommon when she was born. Oh what simpler times they were. Celestia coughed, trying not to mesmerize herself in nostalgia. Today she had other things to worry about other than the day court where nobles would strut to her throne, kneel, then demand how to eliminate their biggest threat to rich-kind. Fun! Celestia laughed a bit at that. Two hundred years and that was still funny.
"Your toast, m'lady," A voice that broke her concentration spoke. Turning, she saw her chef holding three silver trays, each holding her regular morning breakfast. Using his magic, he glided the large trays down in front of the millennia-old monarch. Giving her silent thanks, Perkins retreated to the kitchen presumably for Luna's supper. As that was the routine for… what, three- four years now?
Turning back to her trays, she lifted the three tops off of her meal. Toast. Cereal oats. Five small cupcakes with a few rainbow sprinkles on yellow icing. All simple things, nothing like the over-glorified lettuce she'd get if any other cook were to serve her breakfast. That's why she liked Perkins. He was a simple unicorn. He knew not to grovel to his knees, begging to keep his job, saying he'd get carrots from a the Easter rabbit's garden and cover it with the spices from the highest authority in the zebra homeland. Celestia smiled, life always seemed Ike she was like a normal pony's -albeit a rather rich pony- with the old stallion around. Although he also knew her guilty pleasures. Looking at her clock and back at the door, she counted down from twenty as always, waiting for Luna to come in with bagged eyes and her crown put on backwards like her court-loathing sister always did.
And she was right. The doors budged slightly and slowly opened big enough for an Alicorn as a tired Luna hobbled in, letting a yawn escape her as she seemed too tired to use her hooves or magic to open the door. Failing to keep in a small giggle at how funny her sister looked in the morning, Celestia pushed forwards the entire jug of morning coffee forwards as well as a folded newspaper towards where the moon princess would usually sit.
"Morning," Celestia said, nodding slightly. Luna sat down, her head drooping low as she looked at the coffe, her crown slipping from her head. Nodding as well, Luna made a valiant effort of greeting the princess, only letting out a small gargle. She then put her mouth around the lip of the jug and cocked her head up, keeping one hoof on the bottom side of the container as she chugged down a pint of coffee.
"I take it you had another all-nighter, Luna?" Celestia asked, trying to put forwards a conversation on the usually quiet table. She sat there patiently as Luna rubbed her sore eyes and put her crown back on.
"One thousand years of every Tuesday and Friday. How did you cope?!" Luna somewhat answered, looking over the sun princess' shoulder as she heard the door to the kitchen close.
"Well, the first five centuries were alright. Just me saying 'yes' or 'no' to construction of new roads, settlements and new areas of cities like houses and markets. Then I spoilt them," Celestia looked down as Perkins placed two cups of extra coffee as well as a small stack of toast with yeast extract spread across them. Celestia had no idea how Luna could find the taste delightful. It made her sick, "The rich became richer in their estates and the poor became moderately wealthy on farms selling these special apples or something like that. And the worst part of it all, Lulu: I have to live with them!" She finished, waving her hooves a bit as she heard the doors to the dining hall open.
"Hello auntie Celestia and Luna!" a rather chipper Blueblood called, waltzing to his seat and began waiting for any other cook apart from Perkins to give him his morning arse-cactus.
"Soo… Blueblood. How was last night?" Celestia asked in a deadpan tone, earning some shock from the snob.
"Well auntie… I went out to the pub and… a-and" He stammered, looking into Celestia's now-soulless eyes, "And this rather rude mu-Earth… pony was in my seat. S-so I…" he trailed off, trying to look for Luna for some hope. But she was looking at the paper, her face stuck in a jovial, yet cruel expression. She was always like that when she was being playful,
"Well… Nep-Blueblood. It says here that a certain unicorn was assaulted by an earth pony who is now in the hospital. Care to ask your side of the story?" Celestia asked, her head tilted to an angle. BlueBlood swallowed a lump in his throat.
"As I said, aun-"
"By my title and name" Celestia intervened,
"What…?"
"The public prefers to call me by my title, followed by my name," Celestia said.
"Princess Celestia?" Blueblood asked. Celestia nodded at him to continue, "A-as I was saying this rude pony stole my seat. I-I offered him to mov- Pr-princess, are you feeling alright?" Blueblood stopped himself, now concerned for his own well-being.
"Can I say what I think what happened, as did what I think is somehow similar to The Gala the year after my sister returned when you were with the element of generosity?" Celestia asked, continuing whether her unofficial nephew liked it or not, "You went to the tavern with some nobles who agreed to join you because you were royalty. Then you over-reacted to some unknowing pony at said tavern. Then when you let things go out of hoof, he was sent to a hospital whilst the journalists claimed you were the victim because. You. Are. Royalty,"
Celestia sounded more angry with every word, still keeping her voice quite, "Is that right, civilian?" she finished, raising a brow. Luna was struggling to hide a laugh, covering her mouth with the newspaper she was holding with her hooves. Blueblood on the other hoof was sweating, not knowing what would come out of Celestia's mouth since he had never seen the monarch like this in public, or nowhere near this in private.
"Well, Au- Princess," He laughed awkwardly, "That does sound familiar… if maybe exagge-"
"Blueblood. You know how much it pains me to give any punishment to anypony, right?" Blueblood nodded, "Well, I am giving you a punishment: like a parent to their spoilt troublemaker. A rather fitting analogy, if you ask me." she let out a small chuckle before sounding somber once more, "You remember your step-sister, Cadence and her husband, correct?" She was now stood up, sounding like a teacher talking to a student. Calm and collective whilst showing now joy with sound or expression. After seeing the nod of Blueblood, she continued.
"You will see them before your… trip to the Crystal Empire. Although, I will tell them the meaning of your arrival. In the small bag next to my stool is two hundred bits. On the eve of the Summer-Sun celebration on the 16th, you will leave with them. Any questions?" Blueblood looked confused about the purpose of his visit to sisters' empire.
'There has to be a catch! Let's see… what aun- princess Cel- oh… by the stars!'
The public prefers to call me by…
you were royalty…
Is that right, civilian?… Civilian?… *Civilian"!***
BloodBlood's eyes bulged from their sockets, speaking like a blurr,
"Auntie? Y-you cannot possibly imply that… I-I -a member of royalty would converse with… p-peasants?" A tear began to roll down his well-pampered cheek.
"Yes. You will be a among commoners. And a mostly earth pony population no less," Celestia could not help herself but laugh a bit at that, "I'm sure the population has never heard of Prince Blueblood, or at the least know that there is a pony called Blueblood. Also, your yearly wage of thorty thousand before tax will be split. Half will go to the pony you injured whilst the other will be added to the monthly check I give to the church every year until I and Cadence will deem you worthy of coming home. Until then you'll be on your own paying rent with your two hundred bits in a flat above the local shop. Agreed?" Celestia finished, feeling a tear herself roll down her face. How she hated doing this no matter how deserving they seem… to an extent.
"W-why?" was all Bluenlood could say, no longer in the warm, Ivory shell of royalty. He had lost his protective layer, vulnerable to the commoners who supply the food he eats and the fabrics he wears. Celestia sighed, hoping he would have gotten the point by now.
"Blieblood, honey. I am tired of this. If you were just like one of your friends when you hit that pony, you would be in prison if it weren't for me being a relative. You could not be the victim, those reporters would make a scandal of you. 'Vicious noble attacks helpless civilian' it will say, Blueblood!" She cried, "Today I will visit that poor stallion in the hospital along with his money. And while I am gone, I expect you to be in your tower packing essentials other than bits. I will make sure of that. Now, go" She finished lecturing her nephew and took in a deep breath which she only released in the for as a long sigh when the stallion left.
Luna walked around the table and sat on the stool next to Celestia and wrapped a wing around her older sibling,
"That must have been hard for you," Luna said, letting Celestia put her head on Luna's shoulder. Celestia sighed again,
"I will have to tell the public that Blueblood has a fitting punishment in the 17th. I just hope they don't think I'm protecting him in his Ivory tower." Celestia spoke, spiritually tired from having to act like that in front of family. Luna hummed with acknowledgment to her sister, rocking her body back and forth slightly, "I just hate it when I have to talk like that. It seems so… odd," She continued,
"It did seem a bit out of character to how you usually act, Tia. But you did what you had to do. To him, at least a year on his own in a land of earth ponies is worse than any dungeon, exile, or exile in a dungeon," Luna tried to laugh a little at her own joke, but could not find the heart to do so.
"Ma'am. M'lady?" the voice of Perkins called, both princesses looking back to see the old, grey stallion at the doorway to the kitchen, "Would you like anything else?" he asked, his eyes slowly flashing between the princesses and the kitchen. Celestia coughed, blushing a little bit with embarrassment,
"Y-yes. can I have two sad muffins, Perkins. I'm a bit unwell at the moment." she locked eyes with the chef, exaggerating her lower lip a bit. Luna just said nothing.
"Okay then m'lady. Two double-chocolate-chipped muffins with white chocolate sprinkles on blue icing then!" He said in his jovial manner, turning with haste to the kitchen.
"'sad muffins'?'" Luna asked in a deadpan tone with a 'seriously' expression.
"What? I'm sad and only Perkins how to help in situations like this!" she half-laughed, feeling a little better already, "So then… what did the nobles want to talk about in court?"