He was pleasantly surprised when he saw that there was a crackling fire lit in his royal apartment. He was also greatly displeased when he saw the princess dozing in his bed.

Blueblood the Younger silently slid off his panniers and sweater. What did she want now? Well, no matter. They’d discuss it in the morning before he met with his tutor. The young prince made his way to the door. He’d have to sleep with Celestia tonight.

“Don’t be rude, nephew,” Princess Blueblood CVIII growled from the other end of the room.

He felt her field grab his tail and yank him back in.

“Stay,” she commanded.

“Oof!” he exclaimed as he was dragged to the center of his apartment. “Just what do you want?” the prince demanded.

“It has come to my attention that you are receiving outside aide in your studies.”

How did she…? “Yes, ma’am,” he nodded.

Princess Blueblood looked directly into his eyes. “Does this pony know who you are?”

“No—”

“Do you think you can lie to me, boy?” she spat. “Don’t insult me.”

“How did you even know?” he demanded, not even bothering to defend his dishonesty. “Do you have somepony watching me?!”

The decrepit mare rolled her eyes with a sneer. “I saw it in the way walked and held yourself as you went to your studies. I saw it in how you performed the tactile portion of our magical training sessions. Despite my warning about having outsiders interfere, you still—”

“No pony can challenge the gods by themselves!” he shouted back.

Blueblood CVIII bit back whatever retort she had to say and glared.

“The queen said it herself: nopony can challenge a god without help. She offered to help, so I took it!”

The princess closed her eyes and sighed. “Yes. It is true that no single mortal stands a chance against gods. But you cannot trust just anypony—”

“Twilight’s not just anypony! She’s my friend and she promised to keep my secret!”

She raised an eyebrow. “Your friend?” she repeated. “And did you show her who really are?”

“Not on purpose,” he admitted. “I stepped on my scarf and it came off.”

“Did anypony else see?”

“No, we were in an empty wing of the library.”

“As far as you know,” she bitterly muttered. “And just who is this filly exactly?”

“She’s not a filly, she’s a mare. She has a husband and a son and a foal on the way. Her name is Twilight Velvet Sparkle.”

Prince Blueblood immediately felt himself yanked forward by his aunt’s field.

“Sparkle?” she hissed, her eyes murderous with rage. “Twilight Velvet Sparkle of House Sparkle?”

He now found himself levitating upside down in front of her. Again.

“You little fool,” the princess growled. “Whatever friendship you think you had with that wench, it ends now!”

“What?!” he screeched. “Why?!”

“Because, you naïve little twit, she’s using you! She’s using you to further her own agendas!”

He looked at her in angered shock. “Are you kidding me?!” he yelled right back in her face.

And then the princess cast Prince Blueblood’s most favorite spell in the world: the zipped lips spell.

“Listen to me and listen well, colt,” she murmured softly. “You will encounter few more treacherous and cruel than nobles.”

“Mmm?!”

“While you have made your disdain for House Platinum loud and clear, believe me when I say that they are hardly the worst of the lot. Nay, it is the lesser houses you should be wary of, for they have so much to gain through skullduggery, chicanery, and other such unchivalrous practices.”

He glowered at her impatiently, feeling the blood pound in his temples from both fury and being held upside down.

“Remember that you are now Queen Celestia’s heir, and as such, you are the second-most desirable pony in the world. Mares will throw themselves at your hooves to fawn, and stallions will constantly give you their adoration. Ponies will claim how much they love and respect you in the hopes of political favors (among other things). You must be ever vigilant against those sycophants for they will do everything in their power to use your power. Am I clear?”

He nodded at her, scowling all the while.

“That Twilight Sparkle is not your friend. Whatever aide she has given you is only a means to an end, and that is getting ever closer to power. Am I clear?”

He nodded.

“Now tell me: what has she done for you?” And she undid the spell.

“She’s a librarian!” he shouted at her. “Twilight is a peasant! Her husband is a professor of astronomy at the university! And her son goes to some plebian school, not Queen Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns! Does she sound like a noble to you?”

“What?” the princess demanded with a raised eyebrow.

“This isn’t even the first time I met her!” he insisted. “I met Twilight before my father put the zipped lips spell on me for a month. She helped me with my homework and bought me something to eat at some commoner’s café called Pony Joe’s. Does that sound like something a noble would do? ”

She narrowed her eyes, searching his eyes for any falsehood.

“The noble houses have long since made it forbidden for peasants to bear noble names, so it is entirely impossible for that Twilight to not have connection with House Sparkle—”

“She’s not—!”

“I will see to that,” the princess growled, dropping him on the floor.

He tried getting up, but the pounding in his temples intensified, so he could only lie on his rug until his head straightened.

“So you’re going to spy on her?” he demanded.

“Only if I have to,” the princess stated, nonchalant about the whole matter.

“I can’t believe this!” he snapped. “You were just going on about how despicable nobles are, but look at you: you’re going to spy on somepony—”

“I need to protect you!” she barked.

“From what? A librarian who wants to help me study for the entrance exam?”

“No,” Princess Blueblood stated in a cold voice. “I need to protect you from those who would get in your way. You will be king when Nightmare Moon comes, and while she will more than likely defeat you, I will not have you be a casualty before she even lays eyes on you. Am I clear?”

“But—”

“Am. I. Clear?” she demanded in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

He looked away indignantly. “Yes, ma’am,” he murmured.

The decrepit mare looked down on her nephew, expression once again unreadable. “Whatever study technique she has shown you, keep at it. Your book knowledge has markedly improved. I will see you soon.”

He staggered onto his hooves. “Yes, ma’am.”

Author's Note

Please point out any typos.

Had to delete and edit this chapter and the one after this one. Now the story's flowing along much better.