Just A Shirt And Tie
A golden aura lifted a silk shirt over a white-coated body. Every silver button was buttoned. Not silver-coloured, but actual silver. Only the best would be acceptable for him. It was followed by a stylish tyrian purple waistcoat custom-tailored by Hoity Toity. Then a suit jacket. Jet black. The prince smiled with pride at his always-perfect reflection.
Blue eyes and a dark blonde mane completed the image in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. The cherry wood frame only complimented him, he’d made sure. The comfortable platform he stood on would usually be surrounded by servants attending to his every need and styling him to meet his exceedingly high standards. But not today. Today his aunt, the Princess of the Sun, had decided to give almost every servant in the castle a free day. He wouldn’t even have dared go out without his styling team under normal circumstances, but these weren’t normal circumstances. Auntie Celestia had made an appointment with him. She had said it his presence was essential. As it always is, he thought.
For the last touch, he picked a forest-green bow tie from his rather extensive and exclusive collection. He wouldn’t have learned how to ever tie it if his mother hadn’t insisted. It was only proper, after all, for a stallion of nobility to know how to tie his own tie in an emergency. In this case, no servants.
Finally satisfied, the prince turned to exit his wardrobe. He no longer looked like somepony had thrown pillows at him. In a tornado.
He looked proper as he should be. ‘So the commoners could look up to him’, would say his mother. Royal Flair had not been a kind mare, but she had done everything in her power to ensure her foal’s standing in Canterlot society. She had taught him and pulled strings until the day she passed.
Both the wardrobe and the bedroom doors were closed after him as he walked through the palace hallways with his head held high. The guards all bowed in deference to him. He sometimes took a small amount of pleasure in seeing how close to the ground they would get to meet his expectations.
His destination: the dining hall. Even with the apparent lack of servants, he expected his breakfast to be ready as he had ordered the night before.
Blueblood also expected to see both his aunts there. He almost reconsidered rescheduling his appointment with the castle’s private spa before walking in there without a hooficure, but he decided against it.
Big golden doors stood open. Inside was the hall. On the end of a long rectangular table sat his aunt Celestia. To her side was Princess Luna, enjoying what would be her dinner before heading off to sleep for the day. On the other side sat a purple alicorn. The table was almost empty, and set with every type of fruit, bread, or breakfast food imaginable.
Two places to the right of his aunt, next to the visitor, was Blueblood’s breakfast. Perfectly poached eggs bathed in a cream sauce. Tea with crême and cinnamon, steaming. All served in white porcelain with a gold filigree.
‘Good morning, aunties.’ said Blueblood with his usual tone. He sat with practised refinement and care. His aunts and the purple one looked up at having their conversation interrupted.
‘Good morning, nephew.’ Princess Celestia wore her ever-present small smile. ‘Did you sleep well?’ Luna only nodded. Alicorn number three didn’t even get a chance to speak.
‘I did, auntie. The new imported sheets are perfect for this time of the year.’ He was almost saddened by the fact that, come winter, he would have to throw them away to keep everything up to season.
‘Prince Blueblood, have you met Twilight Sparkle?’ asked his aunt, pointing with her wing to the purple alicorn looking down at her food.
‘Actually princess, we met at the Gala two years ago.’ The purple alicorn, apparently ‘Twilight Sparkle’, answered. Blueblood hadn’t tolerated somepony talking before he got the opportunity to answer in years. Yet he still kept grudgingly silent, seeing as she was a princess and her opinion carried weight in society. He found her tone to be quite annoying, and indicating she did not have fond memories of him. Funny, as he had no memory at all of her, excepting what auntie Celestia said and absentmindedly attending her coronation party.
‘I, sadly, do not remember our meeting.’ Blueblood took her hoof in his and kissed it. ‘Charmed.’
Twilight Sparkle gave a look that said: ‘huh?’. She smiled, unsure of what to do.
‘I hope you both behave later today.’ The white alicorn looked at them both. She stood. ‘Now I must leave. Excuse me, my faithful student, but day court is about to start.’ She exited the room, flanked on all sides by four royal guards.
Blueblood looked at his aunt’s ‘faithful student’ as his cup was refilled. Twilight Sparkle dug into her pancakes at an disturbingly fast pace. She didn’t seem to have the regality or pose necessary to be a princess. But he couldn’t quite judge her, seeing as Auntie vouched for her. There had to be some reason.
If anything had been taught to him two years ago by a particularly angry alabaster unicorn at the Gala, it was that—as much as he loathed to admit it—keeping his mouth closed could actually help him sometimes.
With calm and elegance, he cut one of his eggs, watching the warm centre pour out. Raising his fork, he picked up a small bite of the food and brought it to his mouth. The prince wiped his lips after he chewed. He took a small sip of his tea. Delightful.
‘Well, I have to go visit the library. And my parents.’ With that, Twilight Sparkle was gone too, leaving Blueblood alone to finish his meal in a quiet hall. She carried an enormous tome after her, levitating it from one of the chairs.
Prince Blueblood served himself some grapes from the table. He enjoyed his breakfast.
In the west wing of Canterlot Palace, almost to the end of the central hallway and a little to the left, was a door. Not as big as the hall doors or the throne room door, but bigger than the ones to the rooms.
Prince Blueblood approached this door. A guard opened it.
Steam and all manner of flowery and perfumed scents flowed outwards and into his nostrils. He breathed in deep.
Mostly, he wanted to be presentable for his aunt. But he also enjoyed the attention and service. And no one in their right minds would say no to a deep-tissue massage.
This private relaxation and care space wasn’t widely known of, but the prince frequented it as often as he had a reason to, which was very often. He let out a calm breath.
Two mares walked up to him, wearing the spa staff uniform. With perfect care, white and aquamarine hooves took his jacket and hung it inside a suit protector, which was then taken to a small closet hidden in the corner.
‘Hello, Lord Prince.’ said the shortest mare. ‘You were almost late for your bi-weekly visit.’
‘Well, I have an appointment today with my aunt. It wouldn’t be… decent… to pass a spa treatment when an official royal meeting is involved.’ She nodded in understanding.
‘Will it be a full service, then?’
Prince Blueblood nodded. Vapour smiled cordially and stepped through a door, holding it open for him.
Blueblood entered the medium-sized chamber, feeling relaxation wash over him along with the humidity of steam. His face and mane felt immediately comfortably warm. This was the only place besides buried in maps and charts where he found everything to be perfect. That one Gala may have taught him some things, but being out of his comfort zone certainly hadn’t been one of them.
Using his magic, projected from his ivory horn, he wrapped a towel around his flanks. The small wooden room had chairs and a cauldron in the middle. A small amount of steam rose from the cauldron.
Thin green beams shot from the spa mare’s horn and into the water. It bubbled. Vapour rose serenely from its surface. Blueblood sat back and closed his eyes.
Scented steam entered his nose and pores simultaneously. It smelled of white roses.
A rough object began rubbing against his left hoof. The spa mare filed carefully as to keep the perfectly round shape and exact proportion.
The door was slowly opened. The prince was about to ask who dared interrupt his spa time when the question was asked:
‘Lord Prince, would you care for a drink?’ The other attendant of the royal spa, Shiatsu, entered with a round reddish wooden tray in hoof. On it sat various drinks of alcoholic and non-alcoholic description.
‘Yes, thank you.’ Blueblood chose the glass of water. Shiatsu bowed out of the room.
Filing was followed by a hoof polishing and wax.
Vapour shot another green beam from her horn, immediately extinguishing the steam from the cauldron. She gave the prince hoof covers and led him to the jacuzzi room.
Prince Blueblood finally opened his eyes as he walked into the tiled room. The jacuzzi and mane treatment awaited him. He found it necessary, as well as recreational, to have a spa appointment often. He idly wondered if his aunt’s student was getting ready in the same way, or in a similar fashion. He somehow doubted it. As for his aunt herself, she would always be ready for any and all events and appointments, even if her grooming wasn’t as extensive as his.
As he stepped into the water, he found an even higher level of peace. After a few minutes, soft hooves began rubbing shampoo into his mane.
He fell asleep.
By the time he woke because of extremely gentle shaking, his exfoliation and mane treatment were done. Only the massage was missing. He rose from the comfortably hot water and wrapped the towel round his backside.
Blueblood was ready to follow Shiatsu into the massage room when he glanced at the clock on the leftmost wall. 11:54. He was late! He could never be late. Unpleasant things happened and reputations suffered when he was late to a meeting.
The prince sighed. Maybe later in the day.
Aunt Celestia had requested the meeting in her study, just beside the throne room. If Blueblood hurried up, he might even be on time. He sighed again, harder this time.
‘Sorry, but I must leave immediately.’ Shiatsu wasn’t surprised.
‘Yes sir.’ She signalled to the suit closet. ‘Shall I get you your clothes?’
‘Yes. Quickly, if you please.’
Trotting, the mare returned almost immediately. Blueblood put on every piece of clothing in front of one of the spa’s many mirrors. After checking for any flaws, and being satisfied with his immaculate attire, he dignifiedly ran out of the spa.
Prince Blueblood stood beside the door to his aunt’s study, catching his breath to not appear ragged when he entered. He leaned against the wall. He couldn’t recall ever running so fast and so long. He wiped his brow with a monogrammed pocket square. The prince hoped the little remaining sweat wouldn’t be too noticeable.
Composing himself and clearing his throat, he knocked on the wooden door. Three polite knocks.
Said door was opened by a Solar Guard in full golden-and-white armour. He looked at the prince gruffly. Blueblood humphed internally. No courtesy.
“Plexus, leave him,” came a commanding but motherly voice from inside. “He has an appointment.”
The guard stepped aside, yet still looked at the blonde stallion with suspicious, narrowed eyes.
For the office of a princess, Celestia’s study was very austere and simply decorated. Only a desk, chairs, bookshelves, and mountains of paperwork adorned the space. Behind said desk sat the sun princess, a pair of thin-wire spectacles perched on her muzzle. Her regalia lay on a red cushion to the side of her chair. An enormous window flooded the room with sunlight.
“Auntie.” Blueblood bowed his head and approached the desk, sitting on one of two chairs opposite Celestia.
“I’m glad you could come, my little pony.” As soon a she had said that, there was one soft knock on the study door. “And that would be Twilight. Would you let her in.” The guard, almost invisible in the corner, nodded and opened the door.
In came a purple head with very distinctive bangs. Blueblood looked her up and down; Twilight Sparkle didn’t seem to have had so much as brushed since he had last seen her.
Celestia’s face broke into a warm grin. The princess of friendship smiled sheepishly when she noticed the book page and quill stuck on her mane.
‘Please come in Twilight.’
Blueblood sat straight, looking to his aunt for any indication of what this particular appointment was about. And just maybe, looking at Twilight Sparkle out of the corner of his eye and wondering why she hadn’t groomed at all for the meeting. He grimaced internally; now he felt like lecturing the mare on protocol.
The prince shook his head slightly, turning to his aunt. Celestia was still waiting, maybe for a question, with that ghost of a half-smile of hers.
‘So, princess, why are we here? Is it another monster? Is it Discord? I knew it was Discord! What did he do this time? Or… a test! It’s a test isn’t it? Oh my Celestia, a test. I didn’t study… But then… it’s a surprise test! What is it about?’
Blueblood leaned back on his chair and raised an eyebrow at both Twilight’s lack of grace and her rambling. Princess Celestia’s eyes darted between the two of them. She let out the laugh of a grown mare watching foals play. Blueblood turned his eyebrow-raised look at his aunt.
‘My little ponies…’ Twilight quieted down at the expression. She sat and listened. ‘Twilight. Blueblood. You are both here because there is something very important I need you for.’
Twilight subtly conjured a quill and grabbed a piece of paper from the desk. The prince’s eyebrow climbed higher. The sun princess turned to Twilight.
‘My faithful student. You have done many things, and I am so proud of you. And making friends as good as the ones you have is one of your greatest achievements. But in this, they cannot join you, I’m afraid.’ Twilight looked quizzically at Celestia while Blueblood wondered why he was here.
‘I… I don’t understand, princess.’ This was a question she had evidently asked her teacher many times, yet her tone carried a slight sadness and a hint of defeat.
Princess Celestia suddenly became a teacher again, automatically switching to a lecture tone. She levitated a scroll from its place in the shelves. Unrolling it, she placed the browned paper on the desk surface.
‘What do you see?’ She said this to both Twilight and Blueblood, her face encouraging them to guess what she might be referring to. The prince scanned the parchment, seeing it was a full map of Equestria and the known world. Ice-blue eyes perused the drawings of continents and seas intently. The prince might’ve not thought much of dusty books and encyclopaedias, but he was always interested in cartography. He scanned every centimetre, noticing the intricacy of it.
‘This map is highly accurate,’ said Blueblood with a small amount of awe, ‘It contains every known location on Equestria. One of the most detailed documents I have ever seen. It’s… impressive. Auntie, you must tell me the name of the map-maker.’
Twilight looked at the young prince like she had just seen dragonfire consume a friend. Celestia chuckled graciously.
