The Yak Prince Rutherford watched contentedly as his companions started to become more at ease with the ponies. He even spotted a few sampling their apple cider, a fruit they couldn't grow normally in the north, along with that pony Berry Punch. They'd drink it all at that rate.
Princess Celestia sidled up next to him. "Enjoying the party, I hope?" she asked politely.
Rutherford felt his bushy eyebrows rise. "Oh, but of course, Princess," he replied, bowing as deeply as his tiny legs would allow. He winced as a knee popped...then another, and another.
Oof! I should really start laying off the yak cakes.
He staggered to his feet, trying to keep a hold on his dignity. "That pony you employed-Pinkie Pie- is quite talented. And she is friends with the Princess Twilight as well?"
The Princess nodded. "Yes, she is. And I am sure that everything went smoothly under Twilight's guidance?"
"Why, certainly. I have never seen another pony with such a natural genius for diplomacy," Rutherford said with a straight face.
There was a pause, then both of them burst out laughing.
"She really fell for it, didn't she?" Celestia said, her shoulders shaking wildly.
"Completely," Rutherford guffawed. "'This not Yak hay!'" he mimicked, snorting. "As if there was ever a difference between your hay and ours!"
"And that mechanical piano!" Celestia gasped, tears in her eyes. "Where she got that contraption, I have no idea!"
"To be fair, it did play quite well," Rutherford said, sobering down. "Except that dragon forgot to turn it off..."
The pair broke into chuckles once more.
"Thank you again, though," Celestia said after a short pause. "Can you think of what disaster would have happened if we'd let Twilight handle a real diplomatic visit?"
The yak prince smiled amiably. "Oh, it's no trouble. The training of a princess is, after all, of utmost importance."
"But you had quite a bit of fun with it, didn't you?" Celestia nudged him playfully. "Declaring war? Really?"
Rutherford protested, "A princess needs to know how to deal with those situations, doesn't she?" Celestia eyed him sternly. Rutherford slumped. "And the Yak Court is really boring..." Celestia raised an eyebrow.
Rutherford threw up his hooves theatrically. "What can I do? I'm fun-starved!" he moaned loudly. "Why do you think I brought so many companions? They were practically begging to go!" His eyes gained a thoughtful glint as he considered the now-dancing Pinkie Pie. "If she was the court jester, though..."
"Hey, hooves off!" Celestia complained, swatting his side. "She works like a charm in the Day Court. The nobles don't know what to make of her." She grinned. "She's priceless."
Rutherford let out a deep chuckle. "If you say so."
The pair watched in silence as the party became more and more energized. More and more equines started dancing as Pinkie brought in DJ Pon3, while two yaks hung out by the cider barrels, drinking cup after cup.
Celestia pointed at the two yaks, looking slightly apprehensive. "Do you know how much those two have drunk?" she asked.
Rutherford made a face. "Enough so that we'll have to drag them home, if their behavior shows any sign." He scowled as the duo began what appeared to be a heated argument with Berry Punch. He turned back to the white alicorn. "I apologize, truly. It's the first time most of them have tasted cider, and they must have gotten carried away."
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," Celestia assured him. "Applejack made that batch specially for your visit." She smiled mischievously. "I believe she would have been quite disappointed if none of your delegation got carried away."
Rutherford slowly raised an eyebrow. "And am I correct in assuming that is another of Princess Twilight's friends?" he asked deftly. Celestia nodded. "Ponyville has quite the colorful cast."
The princess laughed lightly. "Yes, it does."
The two lapsed into silence again.
"...So, when are you going to give her a real diplomatic assignment?" Rutherford asked eventually.
Celestia sighed, keeping her eyes fixed ahead. "I'm not sure she's ready for that yet," she replied honestly, a frown crossing her face. "I worry about her sometimes..."
Rutherford raised an eyebrow. "If she can handle a yak delegation, she can handle anything," he boasted. He shrugged. "Especially a delegation being unreasonable on purpose..."
Celestia grinned in spite of herself. "War, of all things." The two laughed again quietly.
The princess sighed again after they quieted down. "Still, sometimes I'm just not sure-"
"Princess Celestia?"
The two spun around startledly to see...Twilight, looking slightly embarrassed. She carried a small platter with two glasses of apple cider.
"I'm sorry, I thought you might have wanted some cider," Twilight apologized, holding up the platter. She frowned. "Am I interrupting something?"
Rutherford recovered first, accepting a drink. "Oh, no, we were only discussing trade," he said quickly. "Speaking of, who can I talk to about importing some of your...apples?" he asked, hoping he had the pronunciation right.
Twilight brightened. "You should talk to Applejack," she told him, pointing him to the orange mare. The earth pony appeared to be scolding both the two yaks and Berry Punch. Twilight turned back to Rutherford. "I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you, there was a very good harvest this year," she said brightly.
"Then I'll be on my way," Rutherford agreed. Before he turned to leave, he looked to Celestia. "Perhaps we can finish this conversation later," he said lightly. Celestia nodded.
As the yak prince made his way over to Applejack, Twilight turned to Celestia in confusion. "What did he mean by your conversation, Princess?" Twilight asked perplexedly. "I thought you were talking about trade?"
Celestia covered her smile with a hoof. "Nothing. It was nothing."
"...If you say so."
Author's Note
Edit: As I have now been informed by i_am_the_jam, the yak prince's name is actually Rutherford.
