Blueblood walked through the doors to Celestia’s apartment, his stomach churning all the while. Both the queen and princess already sat waiting at the small dining table. Nopony said a word.

He took his seat and the three of them were silent for a while.

At last, Celestia, devoid of her regalia, spoke. “How was school today, nephew?”

Blueblood looked at the empty spot where his dinner would soon be, not that he was all that hungry. “It was the usual first-day-of-school stuff: the teachers introduced themselves and gave us their syllabi.”

“And did anything interesting happen?” she pressed. “I seem to recall you mentioning something about being in level eight.”

“That was the only interesting thing that happened to me, today,” he admitted. “I thought I’d be in level seven, but I guess the headmaster had other ideas for me.”

“And did you speak with Barti— pardon, Headmaster Yorsets?”

“Yes, ma’am, I spoke with him during the lunch hour. He told me that I seemed to have a lot of potential, and he thought I would do better if I skipped a level.”

“Intriguing,” Celestia responded before sipping her wine. “I must say, Blue Heart must have impressed Dr. Yorsets to have him personally intervene with the placement of a student.”

“I, I guess,” Prince Blueblood mumbled, feeling rather self-conscious under her probing. “Before Philomena pulled me away from that private dinner, Dr. Yorsets mentioned somepony earned perfect marks. I— Blue Heart got all those perfect marks.”

What warmth she had earlier disappeared, only to be replaced with a stolid countenance.

“Prince Blueblood.”

“Yes, my queen?”

“Is it safe for me to presume that you were enrolled at the School for Gifted Unicorns before?”

“Y-yes,” he nodded, feeling more and more uncomfortable the conversation went on. He looked at the princess for guidance, but she was even less discernible than the queen. “All Platinums go to the royal school.”

“I see. And how were your marks before, as Noble Heart?”

“They were pretty good. I was always one of the smarter students in class, but I wasn't anything too amazing,” he admitted.

“I see. When did you decide to audition?”

“Um, a day after my coronation, your grace.”

“And may I ask why you chose to audition Blue Heart, rather than go to school as Prince Blueblood?”

“Oh well, it’s just like I told you this morning, my queen: if I went as myself, everypony would just give me special treatment and give me perfect marks regardless. I don’t want to be incompetent when I take the throne.”

She sipped her wine with closed eyes. “Very wise,” Celestia stated, not really putting any pride in her voice. “Now how did you prepare for the audition?”

“Oh um,” he glanced at the princess again, but she was still as stony as ever. “Well, I would see in a tutor in the morning, eat, and then I’d study in the library.”

“For how long?”

“Six hours, your grace.”

The alicorn breathed softly before gently setting the glass down. “Six hours? Fascinating. How many days a week?”

“All seven?” Prince Blueblood answered with uncertainty. Was… was Celestia getting mad?

“My. How studious of you. What did you read?”

“I read…” and he listed off title after title.

Queen Celestia rested her muzzle on two joined hooves, her violet eyes now calculating.

She silenced him with a flare of her wings, an action that greatly unsettled him. She normally reserved her wing flare for large audiences, not for small, intimate gatherings like this. “You must be a prodigy to not only have read all those books, but to also keep the knowledge in your head.”

He swallowed. “W-well, it took me awhile to—”

“Don’t be so modest,” she cut in, her voice devoid of emotion. “It’s still impressive you went through and comprehended all that material.”

“A librarian helped me!” the colt blurted.

At this, Princess Blueblood at last responded. She narrowed her gaze and glared at him in warning.

“A librarian?” Celestia pressed.

“Um, yeah. He showed me a couple books on study techniques and I just did what the books told me: I rewrote passages, I made flashcards, I went to my tutor for help. I would have been completely lost without the librarian.”

At last, Celestia sighed, tiredly rubbing her eyes. “I am so very, very disappointed.”

Her words felt like a knife in his heart. But he— why didn’t— what did—?

“But, but—” he sputtered.

“Not in you,” the queen assured him. She then turned to the princess. “But in you, and, more importantly, me.”

“And for what reason?” Blueblood the Elder snapped. “The boy needs the best education in the world.”

“But more importantly,” Celestia countered, now sounding genuinely angry, “he needs to live: he needs to have a foalhood, he needs to explore the world around him, he needs to play, and he needs to have friends. Not be stuck up in a library, consumed by his studies.”

The colt pressed his ears flat against his skull at her statement, but the action went unnoticed by both mares.

“If time were a luxury that Equestria had, I would let him. If he wasn’t going to be king, I would let him. If his destiny wasn’t to battle a god, I would let him. But sadly, reality remains: Nightmare Moon is coming in twenty years, and you’ll be gone when that happens.”

“You’re killing him,” Celestia stated, her eyes now hard.

“No, your sister will most likely have that honor,” Blueblood CVIII snarled.

The alicorn recoiled, but continued to argue. “He is still a child. He deserves more than what you’re pushing him to do!”

“And what about you?” the princess spat. “If I recall correctly, you and your sister were born under the reign of Discord. You were both still fillies when you journeyed across the lands, seeking a means to stop him. When were you ever a foal?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right,” she agreed. “My fillyhood was paltry at best, since we never knew our father, and our mother died when we were young, leaving me in charge of Luna in a world of chaos. Regardless, I would never wish my life on anypony else, and that includes our future king.”

“That is so very, very easy for you to say, considering that you’re not going to be here when your sister breaks the spell,” Blueblood then pointed a hoof at her nephew. “But he is. Equus needs a champion! Somepony to be a bastion of light in the upcoming darkness.”

“We need somepony who knows what it is to live, so that he does not turn as dark and as wretched and as miserable as our enemies of olde!”

“STOP FIGHTING!” the colt boomed, trying (and failing) to mimic a true Royal Canterlot Voice.

The two mares tore their eyes away from each other and looked at him.

“Queen Celestia,” he began. “I know you want me to grow up to be like all the other foals in Equestria, but… but the princess is right: me playing with other colts my age isn’t going to stop Nightmare Moon. But magic and studying? That’s Equestria’s best chance.”

Her eyes softened tremendously. “Oh, Noble Heart. I have failed you tremendously.”

“You keep saying that, but I don’t think you have,” he assured her. “You have a country run. You have millions of subjects to take care of. When I’m ready to help you, I’ll join you, but right now, I’d just be getting in your way, and by doing that, I’d be hurting Equestria.”

Neither Blueblood could even see her moving or even casting a spell: one second she was sitting in her seat, the next she was crushing him in an embrace.

“Never say that,” Celestia murmured furiously, before kissing his head. “Never ever say that. You are as precious to me as my very nation.”

“But—”

“Hush,” she silenced him. “I wasn’t lying when I said that family is one of most my important priorities.”

“Queen Celestia…” he whispered, unsure of how else to respond.

“Princess,” she commanded. “Please leave us.”

Blueblood the Elder, while not looking all too pleased with order, did as she was bidden.

When she was gone, the queen spoke again. “Do you want to know what happened one thousand years ago, when my sister became Nightmare Moon?”

“Yes.”

Celestia pulled away from him and lay down so that she was at his level. “Then I will show you.”

She lit up her horn and touched his.

When Celestia pulled away, Blueblood looked up at her, his eyes as violet as hers. He blinked and they went back to their usual blue.

“Are… are you afraid that I’ll turn into Luna?”

“Yes,” she admitted, her tone somber with honesty. “I neglected my own sister for my— our duties, and the whole world suffered for it.” The queen then caressed his cheek. “I will not make the same mistake again.”

“And I promise that I won’t make her mistake and be consumed by my loneliness.”

She embraced him again. “I want to be a part of your life, Blueblood, not as your queen, but as your family.”

“I want that, too.”

Celestia smiled down at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Then let’s eat. Tell me all about what you did at school today.”

“As long as you tell me about your day, too,” he smiled back at her.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Author's Note

Please point out any typos.

So whose side are you on: Queen Celestia's or Princess Blueblood's?