Of Platinum

This morning I was advised to wake the Princess. I asked, "Why?" but the answer I received was entirely what I'd expected.

"It would be better coming from you."

I do not understand. I was the Princess's adviser. I would have assumed that it would have been better coming from a noble, or perhaps one of  her seamstresses to which she is very close. But, it always had to come from me.

The Unicorns have always suspected that we had some sort of affair, but we always denied. If anything, I thought of Platinum as a sister. Or a close friend.

Not a lover. We had nothing in common, except being Unicorns. She was rich, wealthy, beautiful...and I was simple. Poor. Intelligent.

I opened her door to find her already awake. I bowed. "Good morning, your Highness."

"Clover, tell me what I need to hear."

I looked up. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said, tell me what I need to hear."

"How did you-"

"Clover, I'm not an idiot. Tell me what you know, so I can know that I am sane."

I hesitated. "Your father has been kidnapped."

She lay her head in her hooves. Have I said the wrong thing? I wondered.

After a moment, she spoke. "Thank you."

I trotted to her bed. "This means that you are now Ruler of the Unicorns."

"I know," she spat.

I will admit, I am not one for comforting. Especially Platinum.

I am sometimes unsure of why the Princess needed another adviser. Or, why I was chosen.

I was a simple student under Starswirl the Bearded. Though he often said I had great promise, I was not his best student. Yet Platinum chose me. Faust herself told me I was the right Unicorn for the job. I couldn't have backed down after that kind of praise.

"Clover," Platinum said softly, snapping me back into reality. "Get me a dress."

"Yes, you Highness."

"What does it matter?"

"Well, the plan seems trustworthy. It could be a trap, but the Pegasi and Earth ponies have already began a miniature version of this plan for themselves."

"So it doesn't matter whatever I choose. If I agree, we will either be fed or stolen from. If I disagree, everything will be fine."

I shook my head. "Not necessarily. Princess, may I say something...caring?"

"Oh Faust."

"I don't think this is how your first day as Ruler should go."

Platinum sighed. "Clover, I am grieving. Can't this proposition wait?"

"Might I suggest that you don't use that word?" I hissed. "And no. It cannot. There's a good chance that we will all die no matter what you choose, but I think agreeing to their...proposal may be the only solution."

"Why's that?"

"According to Starswirl, the blizzards will only get worse."

Platinum scoffed. "Of course. We only sent our best Unicorns of to stop the blizzard."

I shrugged. "That's only what Starswirl said. You are the Princess."

Platinum sighed again. "Fine. Tell Hurricane and Puddinghead that we'll keep raising the sun and moon."