Prim Rose's Redemption

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Chapter 5
Chapter 9

Chapter 1

The sound of a door opening stirred Prim Rose from her half-sleep.

Age had become a vise around her mind that forced out anything that wasn’t solidly anchored, and stole the strength that she’d once wielded confidently, her hooves and horn becoming unsteady in equal measure, and so she did not stand to greet the visitor.

The sound of the door closing prompted her goldenrod colored eyes to turn and take in the sight that she should have expected, if the memories of habit and routine had remained with her. Despite having lost much of her mind, the permanence of the figure that stood almost timidly in the entrance to the stone brick room made her larger than life, and more real than the sheets that covered Prim’s aging body.

Princess Luna’s realness shook away some of the dust from Prim’s mind, bringing a smile to her lips, and to the wrinkled edges of her always-squinting eyes.

Prim had worn glasses, once. She knew this, but knew not what had happened to them. But her own confusion faded in the face of the Princess’s presence.

She tried to stand, but Luna rushed to her side and put a hoof to Prim’s side to keep her in bed. Unable to give proper respect by bowing, Prim did the next best thing.

“Thy Highness. Thou hast brought honor to my humble self with your presence.”

Princess Luna’s sad smile nearly pushed Prim to embrace her, but proper etiquette dictated that a Castellan would not initiate contact with royalty without the royalty initiating such. She pondered briefly if Luna’s hoof on her side signified such.

“Oh my little Rose…”

Tears sprung unbidden to Prim’s eyes, and she looked up at the princess in confusion.

“Far be it from I to advise thee in formality, but the royal plural--”

“There is no need, Rose. For you are cherished by myself more than all the ponies in the world. The ‘royal we’ would be too broad.”

Prim wiped her tears away, and let herself smile, relaxing into the pillow under her head, taking in the Princess with an awe and love which she could not properly place to a memory.

“Tell me of court,” Prim said softly. “I regret that I was not present.”

Luna reached out and tucked a bit of mane behind Prim’s ear, which flicked in response to the touch. The old unicorn’s horn was warped upward ever so slightly from age, and her maroon mane with hints of pink was in a braid, while ragged cut bangs shaded her eyes a bit. The braid needed to be redone, Luna thought. Perhaps washed as well. The old mare’s coat was a grey tinted mauve, and had always been such, it was not greyed by age.

“Of course, you are forgiven. We saw a dozen and one petitioners this day,” Luna said calmly, running a hoof down the covers of the bed to smooth out the wrinkles.

“Who served as Senechal?” Prim asked urgently, concern in her tone and the crease of her brow.

Luna calmly smiled, and sat next to the bed, so she could be closer.

“Silver Decanter,” she said with a bit of a smile. “He tutored under thee, and has been serving splendidly for five years now.”

Prim frowned at that, curling in on herself slightly.

“I apologize, princess… A stallion serving thee as Senechal? I… Times change, I suppose,” she sighed.

“It was at thy prompting that we embraced his service,” Luna said, running a hoof down from Prim’s forehead, along her cheek, to her chin to encourage her to look up.

Prim did look up, but was still sorrowful.

“Princess… May thee help me to recall? From… From the beginning.”

Princess Luna had known she would ask, and withdrew an old book from under her wing, keeping it out of Prim’s sight as she laid it on the floor and opened it to the first few pages. It had been written by Prim, after all. A journal. Memories of a whole lifetime, every fear and state secret and horror and wonder, preserved in ordinary paper, and genuine leather binding, sourced from a time when such things had been accepted. Gold leaf pressed into it with precision, to form Prim’s own coat of arms. It was the same as her Mark.

Two flowers above an unrolled scroll on which a pair of lightning bolts are held in an X by a horseshoe around their crossing.

The first words of the journal had long ago been copied from a smaller, flimsier sheaf of papers.

“This day, I hath met my one true future, and her name is Luna.”

Chapter 2

Prim Rose, a young mare of seventeen years old and fresh to her hard earned cutie mark, was one of seven that were being brought into the castle, and she was jostled by the others who tried to stay too close to each other to seek some emotional shelter from the vastness of the structure that rose up around them. All of them were young, all of them were mares, and all of them knew how to read and write.

“Do not attempt to speak to any pony unless they speak to thee first. Do not leave the herd unless commanded to do so by a royal guard or other herald bearing noble or royal,” the mare at the lead of the group told them all while she walked.

Prim memorized the rules eagerly, looking around at the courtyard. It was surrounded by walls so high that she could not see the massive trees of the everfree or the tall buildings of Everfree City over them. Every path that crossed the courtyard led to the front gate of the castle itself, nestled within the outer walls. The castle was a sprawling complex of varied buildings and towers, which seemed designed to be impossible to appraise on sight. She could not estimate it’s size. But it was beautiful.

Passing under the passive threat of the metal spikes of the portcullis, the group witnessed a contingent of guards marching out of the castle. An even mix of mares and stallions in heavy armor and wielding long pole weapons in their magic auras or wings. Not a single earth pony was in the group of more than two dozen ponies.

Prim took it in as a fact, but did not concern herself with pondering on the significance of it, as the herd of young mares continued through the short hallway and into the great hall. The short hallway was more of an intersection, with massive oak doors that could be closed behind the portcullis, and four hallways leading away from it, two of which would have been completely hidden if the doors were fully open. Instead the doors stood slightly closed, both to allow access to those hallways and to more prominently display the crest of Equestria which was emblazoned on the doors in casted bronze and shone gold in the sunlight.

Once in the grand hall, the noise of the guards, the servants trotting around doing mundane tasks, and nobles speaking loudly all faded away. The hall seemed designed to muffle the ever present noise of the castle, with the whole floor covered by one massive toe-thick plush carpet, and banners draped from every possible location along the circumference of the ceiling. Most of the decorations were in crimson and gold, with two royal exceptions.

The two thrones, split by a podium and a high window, were in gold and dark blue respectfully. The gold throne and banner, stylized as the sun with sun carvings to it’s side and on the pillar that held up that corner of the roof, seemed to belong. It fit in with the gold and crimson color of the room, and the cheery light that poured in through the four windows.

The four windows were situated one to each side of the hall, one between the thrones, and one in the ceiling as a massive skylight that left the massive room without a need for torches or lanterns so long as the sun remained in the sky.

But the other more curious throne seemed to hide from the brightness. Out of place in dark blue and black, and seeming to be a dark corner despite receiving equal lighting, Prim’s gaze was drawn to the empty throne of the night, which kept the secrets of its unexpected prominence silently. All of this came to her attention, while every other mare in the group had their eyes on the throne of the day, which held it’s princess.

Princess Celestia was speaking in quiet tones with a young mare whose golden coat and purple mane were so well cared for that she may as well have been a statue rather than a living breathing creature. Once they were finished with their hushed discussion, the golden mare who was only a few years older than Prim backed down a few steps before bowing low to the Princess and turning to walk down to the group.

The older mare at the front of the visiting group almost scowled, but still curtsied to the obviously important mare, who stood tall and looked down on the group with a dismissive huff.

“These mares are to be the candidates to serve in the retinue of the Princesses?” she asked the older mare.

She just nodded, and the younger cleared her throat.

“My name is Golden Sparkle, Castellan of the solar court, and the one who shall decide if thy employ shall commence, or if thou shalt leave these hallowed halls immediately. Firstly, as should any pony working in the presence of royalty, one must address the princesses as they are due. Her Royal Highness the Princess, Their Royal Highnesses the Princesses, Your Royal Highness, and so on. Unless thou art commanded to speak more casually, refrain from it. We expect that thy speech shall be cultured, whether taught upon employment or before, no worker’s talk, and absolutely no so-called pidgin.”

She leveled a glare at the few pegasi in the group, who cowered from her until she looked away.

“If thy appearance is pleasing to one of Their Highnesses, then thy training shall begin immediately to take a place by their side in their Highness’s retinue. Retinue is the term for a group of ponies who directly serve royalty, from honor guard to mares-in-waiting and much more. Stand tall, tail up, ears forward, and stride across the hall whence thy name is called out.”

Sparkle turned to look back at the thrones, and hesitated. Prim could pick out the anger on her face despite the effort to disguise it as just annoyance. For a moment, Prim did not understand why everything had stopped, until Sparkle gestured to a stallion who had been hiding in the shadows, quietly waiting to be called to action. He trotted forward and Sparkle whispered to him, though Prim could just barely make out what was being said from where she stood among the herd of potential hires.

“Discover what is delaying Her Royal Highness, we hath made a schedule we intend to keep. I’ll not hesitate to begin without her if she does not appear soon.”

The stallion bowed and backed away. Once he was in the shadows, Prim saw him turn and begin galloping down the hidden hallways, in search of the missing Princess of the Night.

Golden Sparkle took a steadying breath before turning back to the group. Prim looked behind her, at Princess Celestia. Curiously, the princess seemed to be busy watching Sparkle more than the group of candidates. Studying the young mare and evaluating her every decision and action. Prim realized in that moment that the pressure that Sparkle put upon the new recruits was just an extension of the pressure put upon her by the Princess. Like a tower of blocks, the ones at the bottom must hold the weight of all above it.

“As we await the arrival of Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna, we shall evaluate some basic skills. Of you all, who know how to read and inscribe unicorn script?”

All of them raised their hooves.

“Pegasus pictographs?”

The pegusi of course left their hooves up, but Prim was among the few others who did.

“Earth Pony letter type?”

Again, Prim was one of the non native ponies to keep her hoof in the air. Golden’s eyes landed on her, and for a moment seemed to bore into her before moving on.

“If thou art selected as mares in waiting, thy skill in the care of mane, tail, and coat shall be of paramount importance. Who of thee has experience doing so for ponies other than thyselves?”

Prim prayed to herself that her care of her younger sister would serve as sufficient qualification, and raised her hoof along with two others. Again, Sparkle looked at Prim, almost with frustration.

“Very well, how many have ex--”

A low reverberation shook the hall, silencing everyone within. For a moment the sound was without a point of origin, until a black portal snapped into being over the dark blue throne. Not just unicorn teleportation, but so much more. This spell so casually put on display was beyond any unicorn’s capacity. It was a stable portal, which Princess Luna strode through with complete calm and absolute confidence.

Black mist pooled around the throne, as the deep blue mare with starry mane and tail sat, and banished the portal from behind her with a flick of her horn. The low thrum that had been rattling the bones of every pony in the room ceased.

Looking around the room with something akin to boredom, her teal eyes passed over her frowning sister and down to the cluster of mares that Prim was but a small part of.

In the face of Princess Luna’s striking appearance, Prim felt like the smallest ant on the back of a rock that was being gazed down on by the moon itself, impassive and cold. Prim felt too insignificant to be noticed.

“Continue.”

When Princess Luna spoke, her low voice was exactly as loud as it needed to be to be heard, and exactly forceful enough to spur Golden Sparkle into motion, but no louder.

Sparkle’s horn lit up and she pulled a scroll away from the clutch of the mare that had led the group in, unrolling it to begin reading names. They were alphabetical, and the first few mares walked across the hall, clearly doing their best. They followed Sparkle’s directions, and they strutted with poise. The two Princesses watched on silently, until the fifth mare made her walk.

“Light Breeze.”

The pegasus mare tucked her wings in tight and stood tall, but everyone in the hall could see her tail tucked low and scared. She did her best walk until she was halfway across, at which point Princess Luna cleared her throat.

Light Breeze froze.

“Art thou interested in having Ms. Breeze in thy retinue, sister?” Princess Celestia asked calmly.

Princess Luna smirked and stood, walking down the stairs, towards the mare. Before she even reached the bottom step, Light Breeze went as stiff as a board and passed out, keeling over onto her side in a limp mess of limbs and mane.

“Oh dear,” Princess Luna said mockingly, stopping where she was. “We hath only a wish to comfort the poor mare, she seemed to quiver so!”

She let loose a rough laugh, before stepping back up to her throne and sitting.

“We cannot have a mare in waiting that is trembles at the sight of us,” she said more cooly. “She may find refuge in thy retinue, surely.”

Princess Celestia hung her head slightly before looking down at the unconscious pegasus.

“Take her to a sitting room, we shall retain her,” she said wearily before nodding to Sparkle.

The reading of the list continued, with the occasional mare being selected by Princess Celestia. The entire time, Princess Luna continued staring down each candidate, daring them to do something or say something wrong. Prim watched the ritual go on and made her decision. She would serve Princess Luna. There was something dark there, but something to be earned. Respect, possibly. Princess Celestia was well known, well liked. Serving under her would be routine but simple. It would get her a chance to earn a better job, but not a lot more. However, serving under the little known but oft feared Princess Luna… There was a chance to break free of the ordered structure of court life that Princess Celestia resided within.

“Prim Rose, of the Rose family, hailing from Trothnacum.”

Prim stood tall, set her tail up, and began her walk. Instead of keeping her gaze ahead for the duration of the walk, she allowed herself to look up at Princess Luna, meeting her gaze as firmly as she could. It felt like defiance, or rebellion. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Princess Celestia was concerned with the brazen action, but Princess Luna’s reaction was exactly what Prim had been hoping for. An amused smile.

“Prim Rose,” Princess Luna said, almost in a bored tone. “Yes, we quite like that flower. She shall serve.”

Prim stopped and gave a small bow to the Princess, who was already standing and turning to walk away down a nearby hallway.

“Sister… A replacement for thy Chamberlain must be found,” Princess Celestia said, rising from her throne and watching her sister’s retreating back.

Princess Luna hesitated long enough to look Prim over before nodding.

“She shall serve, as we hath said.”

With that declaration, the princess left down a hallway, ending the debate altogether, and leaving Prim with a position that she had no clue how to fill, or even what it entailed.

Chapter 3

“Dost thou know what thou hath wrought here?!” Golden Sparkle hissed as she pulled Prim Rose aside into a narrow hallway.

A servant who had been headed down the hallway backed away hurriedly, making himself hidden as Prim struggled not to be pinned against the wall.

“Of course not, so please enlighten this poor soul that has so frustrated thee,” Prim replied angrily, but just as quietly.

The gold mare stopped her forceful actions and began to pace in the small space, an act made difficult by Prim’s presence.

“We may yet put this right. thou needst only withdraw thy application. I shall compensate thee generously. Then Princess Luna may select the correct chamberlain…”

Prim’s eyes narrowed and she could feel her suspicion becoming anger.

“The… correct chamberlain?”

Golden nodded quickly, not seeming to notice the dangerous glint in Prim’s eyes.

“Indeed. We acquired the most skilled of alienists to take the position. One that may evaluate her Royal Highness’s state of mind, and assist her in seeing reason. Thee simply must--”

“No.”

Sparkle looked up at Prim in shock, mouth hung open.

“This is not a request, madame.”

“It is not, no. But I shan't entertain the demand regardless. If I shall go missing, her Highness shall suspect any replacement thee may assign. Whether I remit or thee have me disposed of, the only plan that may succeed from here is to employ myself in the position that the princess has assigned me. To do so, surely I have need of some education. What shall I do as Chamberlain?”

Sparkle thought over what Prim had said, and struggled to find a counterpoint. But she'd been asked a direct question, and she seemed to enjoy teaching.

“The chamberlain hath domain over three things in this castle. The Great Chamber, the financial needs of the castellan, who would be myself, and as the night court lacks a castellan thou shalt serve as seneschal for the night court.”

Prim hesitated at the long list of things she knew very little of, but this had been what she had wanted. She stood tall and nodded.

“Then I shall first learn of the Great Chamber. Dost thou have time to spare for this, or…”

Sparkle sighed and peeked out of the doorway to see Princess Celestia speaking with the new members of her retinue. Sparkle then leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, calming herself.

“Art thou not well?” Prim asked, coming to Sparkle’s side.

“I shall do my devoir,” Sparkle said coldly, standing again and gesturing down the hall away from the thrones and towards the great doors at the entrance. “Furthest door to the right side. Go.”

As they both stepped out, Sparkle stopped and bowed to the Princess. It was a low bow so that her horn nearly touched the carpet. She then followed Prim into the hallway partly hidden behind the massive entrance door. It quickly featured a two pony height staircase and then followed the inner edge of the castle wall, with arrow-slits spaced every pony-length, letting in both a sharp cross of light in repeating pattern and a slight breeze as the two unicorns trotted past them.

“These are the buried ramparts. Due to the size of such a grand castle, a single layer of ramparts wouldst leave a scarce single row of mages and archers in battle, insufficient for our defense. So there lay two ramparts atop each other, this being the buried of the two. Sufficient in thickness of wall and height, these ramparts serve during peace times as corridors to access the far reaches of the castle without crossing the great hall. To cross the great hall uninvited is a disturbance to the process of court and should be avoided.”

Prim took in all of the information, but she was beginning to dislike Sparkle’s nasal voice and penchant for over explaining everything.

“There lay two ramparts, these being the bottom ones, and I shall strive not to cross the great hall,” Prim repeated back in a carefully neutral tone.

“It shall have to do.”

They reached a heavy iron door which stood open, and passed through it into a spacious hallway, lined with further doors. This portion of the castle seemed to be of great concern to the guard, as many of them were present. They stood by pair at nearly every door, and a patrol stood in the crossway of the hallway’s intersection with another hallway that ran the length of the castle. The guards only paused in their discussion long enough to acknowledge Sparkle’s presence as she passed with a nod of their heads.

Sparkle turned right to head back towards the Great Hall, but quickly stopped at a pair of ornate oak doors that resembled the main doors of the castle. They were more well varnished and inlaid with brass that formed the Princess’s marks, the moon to the left and the sun to the right.

Sparkle drew a ring of keys from where it had been hidden in her mane, and unlocked the door before pushing the right side open enough for them to slip inside. Once the door was closed behind them, Prim took in the sight.

The room was shaped in a half-circle, the flat side being the wall that the door opened through. Built into the curved wall were two stained glass windows, one in gold and the other in blue. To the right of the two windows was a large bookcase filled with blank-spined books. Further to the right was a floor vase that held a fern native to the Everfree, and then an almost unnoticeable cabinet with a glass face. Currently empty, it was designed to hold all the things needed to serve wine properly. Bottles, glasses, corkscrew, and a genuine quicksilver thermometer all had spots to hang or rest in the cabinet.

Turning to the left, there were two chaise lounges and a scattered assortment of sitting cushions, as well as a low table that was currently empty. To the far left was a smaller cushion and a stand where a scribe could stay out of the way but hear and record everything that was said.

The floor was carpeted in royal purple, and purple drapes covered the stone walls. The ceiling was arched beams of stone that held up a circular skylight of clear glass. She could see crystals held in sconces around the room, mage lights enchanted to last almost a hundred years.

“This is the Great Chamber,” Sparkle said quietly, walking over to the windows and straightening one of the curtains so it would more perfectly match the one on the other side.

“What is it used for?”

“Important meetings. This may serve as a war room or private place of discussion between the two sisters, as well as a place to speak with foreign heads of state or other important individuals.”

Prim nodded as she looked around, walking over to the books.

“They are all foal’s story books,” Sparkle said before Prim could touch them.

“Why?”

“Inoffensive, simple, and boring. We do not want anypony spending more time reading than addressing their purpose for being here,” she explained as she went back to the door. “This is thy first responsibility. The care for this room and the activities within shall be upon thy back. There is a duplicate of this room which their Royal Highnesses manage themselves. I know it’s location, but it is for them alone, not for our eyes.”

Prim nodded quickly.

“Who sees to this room currently?”

“I do. Certainly we shall have to work together to ensure it is cared for properly,” Sparkle sighed. “What experience dost thou possess?”

Prim wondered how much she should lie, or if the plain truth would be better here. To learn what she had to learn.

“I have been a book copier, cared for children, served as errand runner to my mother, and cared for my youngest sister when she was fading. She passed, thus my wish to move here, and begin a career far different.”

“Thou hast my condolences,” Sparkle said as she stepped closer. “Thy caring past may assist in thy interactions with Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna. She is a troubled mare and oft emotional. We tread lightly to avoid her ire.”

Prim smiled a bit as she turned back towards the door.

“Her Highness seemed pleased with my boldness. I shall be cautious though, surely. It was thy statement that I shall be looking over thy finances, and serving as… As Her Highness’s…”

“Seneschal. As Seneschal thou shalt be in control of Princess Luna’s schedule, court, movements outside of the castle, finances, retinue, and much more. But I cannot assist you in that. To learn that position… Ye may find the only source is Her Highness herself.”

Prim nodded, looking around the room which was now her responsibility. As she looked, there was a rattle next to her. Sparkle was holding up a second ring of keys in her violet glow. Prim took them and looked at them as Sparkle listed them off.

“Thy private room. The great hall. The Great Chamber. The cellar. The dungeons. The barracks of the Night Guard. Her Royal Highness’s private chambers. The reading room. The treasury. Most of these places have a pony in charge of them, who will ensure thy work is proper and whom thou shalt only circumvent if instructed to do so by Her Highness. Thy private room is likely still a bit of a mess… The prior chamberlain left rather abruptly.”

Prim raised an eyebrow, but followed as Sparkle left the room and locked it behind her.

They then went down the hallway and directly across the intersection where the guards seemed to enjoy congregating. Again they noted the passing of the two mares with a nod. The hall began to become dimmer. Prim noticed that the magical lights had been enchanted to be more blue and slightly softer, and some of the skylights had blue cloth hung across them to dull the light. The doors all had a night theme with blue adornment and astral bodies featuring in the designs. At the very end of the hall was a pair of massive ebony faced doors which prominently displayed a sterling silver recreation of Princess Luna’s Mark.

Two doors before that point, Sparkle stopped and gestured to a door to the right. It took Prim a moment to find the right key, but once she unlocked the door it pushed open on well oiled hinges, revealing the private chambers of the Chamberlain of the Night.

It looked like a mess. Papers and books were spread everywhere, many of them seeming to have been pulled off the now empty bookshelves in a fit of rage. Two large desks sat one to each side of the door. The room was lit by mage-lights and a skylight. On the opposite wall, two doors were left open. One led to a sizeable bedroom with a window looking out on the gardens, and the other led to a short hall lined with wardrobes, which ended in a private bathing room with it’s own window matching the one in the bedroom.

“Looks to be thy first task may be cleaning thy own office,” Sparkle observed with a tired sigh. “Count did not leave in ideal circumstances.”

“What circumstances did they leave in?” Prim asked curiously as she began re-shelving the books en masse without concerning herself with the order they were placed in.

Her pale yellow aura wrapped around the books seven at a time, the most that Prim could control at once, and she was encouraged to see Sparkle’s violet magic joining hers in the task.

“He, being Quick Count, demanded of Her Highness an accounting of her private projects, their cost, and function. In truth there is no right in the position of Chamberlain to demand such things, but her reaction was… Severe. Her Highness listed all of her projects as being matters of state secret, and threatened to charge Count with treason if he questioned them further.”

Prim stopped, staring in shock at the mare.

“Treason?”

Sparkle just nodded. “Thou surely understand why we had sought to put into this position someone we could trust.”

Prim sighed and went back to organizing.

“I’ll not be trying to examine her Highness’s dealings, have trust in that. In the very least, I hope to serve as a sufficient chamberlain. Perhaps I may even retain the position if I learn quickly.”

“I wish thee all the best of luck.”

The two silently put some order to the office, though the stacks of paper were random and uneven, and the books randomly fitted to the shelves, it did look marginally more like a proper place to work.

With a nod, Sparkle returned to the door.

“I do recommend thee to seek out Her Royal Highness, if only to affirm that she desires thee to begin immediately, and ask for any additional commands. She should also possess her schedule, which thou shalt need to do thy duty. Guard it well, and I shall see thee on the morrow.”

“My thanks to thee, for both thy forthright conversation and thy assistance,” Prim said with a nod.

Sparkle left, closing the door behind herself, leaving Prim alone. The mare sighed, putting her head down upon one of the desks for a moment and trying to calm her racing heart. She had been planning to be a scribe, perhaps a mare in waiting if necessary, or a servant if it was the only option to earn some coin. But now she had the weight of the castle on her back, and she had no idea what she was doing.

She breathed slow and deep before standing straight. Perhaps meeting with Princess Luna would give her direction, and make it clear what her goals and priorities should be.

She stepped out of her new room and locked it before walking to the end of the hall and those tall ebony doors. On either side of the doors there were guards standing. These were unique compared to the rest of the guards she’d seen. They had slitted eyes, bat-like wings, tufted ears, and sharp fangs. She didn’t know what they were called, but they were both mares.

“Excuse me, Gentlemares, I have need of an audience with Her Royal Highness. She selected myself as her new Chamberlain.”

The night guards shared an incredulous look before one of them smirked and stepped forward to look down at Prim.

“Is there not a requirement of age for such a post?” the guard laughed, smirking as she put her hoof to the side of Prim’s head and pushed her slightly so that she stumbled to the side.

“If there was, why would Her Highness be unable to assign it to me regardless?” Prim asked bravely, returning to her straight and brave stance.

The other guard laughed, nodding.

“Twould be a thing her Majesty may do, I see the humor in it. Let us allow her entrance, Tao. At least we may see the little thing thrown out.”

Prim watched warily as Tao looked her over with contempt before stepping back into place and tapping the bottom of the door twice with a hind hoof. What struck Prim most was the guard using the term ‘Majesty’ in reference to the princess. It had been hundreds of years since the fall of the last pony Queens which would have used such an honorific, and that reference was typically seen as one with connotations to tyrannical behavior. But in this case it seemed to be used in a tone of loyalty and honor. Just one more thing to be concerned of.

The heavy doors groaned open, revealing the dark chambers within.

“Enter, Prim Rose,” Luna’s voice called.

Prim took one last steadying breath before stepping inside. The doors closed slowly behind her, and just as slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Princess Luna was sitting on a dark blue cushion with silver tassels at the corners. Immediately in front of the lunar diarch was a low table that held a teapot on an enchanted hot holder, and a single cup that let a thin stream of steam rise to be illuminated by the fireplace only a pony-length away.

Also on the table were three books and a small plate of sugar cookies, one of which was surrounded in the blue glow of Luna’s magic, halfway to her mouth.

She was facing the fireplace, which was coated in bronze, reflecting the light of the fire in a rippled pattern across the rest of the room.

The room contained bookshelves, chairs, and in the far corner there was a massive bed. Opposite of the fireplace, a tall pair of double doors made of flawless glass revealed a patio that looked down across the city of Everfree.

Prim stood there for a moment, taking it all in, as the princess ate her cookie and watched the unicorn, amused.

“We hath no need of thy services,” Luna said casually.

Prim focused on the Princess, frowning.

“Then why waste my time?”

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow and waited. Slowly, Prim realized what she had done wrong.

“Why wouldst thou waste my time, your Highness?”

“It was the simplest way to prevent our sister from continuing to manipulate our actions, now if thou wouldst show thyself out, we may return to our evening duties.”

Prim looked back at the closed door, which she would have to pull open in order to leave. She then looked back towards Princess Luna.

“Your Highness already knew of Princess Celestia’s plan to force their own mare into the position?”

Princess Luna sighed and closed the book she had been reading, turning slightly to face Prim.

“We are aware of much. Hast thou no sense of proper etiquette, when you are asked to leave, thou shalt leave.”

Again, Prim looked back at the closed door, before looking to Princess Luna, her gaze more of a frown.

“If her Highness could indulge me and be more precise, I feel there may be an understanding ahoof here.”

Princess Luna hummed to herself before letting a small smile show.

“We had hoped our command would be misconstrued as a dismissal, so that we could then claim that thou had quit,” she admitted. “But no matter, we may put up with thee as long as necessary to drive thee to abandon thy post.”

Her horn lit up and she pulled a book from the small pile on her table, and laid it at Prim’s hooves. It was elegantly bound and adorned with depictions of the moon and stars. Prim picked it up delicately, surprised at the weight.

“Thy schedule book. Thou shalt find we rarely schedule anything, as the public tends to barely notice our presence when we do attend, so that portion of thy duties shall be light. We expect that thou shalt assume the duties over our retinue as well, and over all finances, as we do not have time for it. The treasurer may give to thee any gold or silver needed for payments. If we find you taking more than your allowance we will gladly have you executed,” the princess said before settling in in front of her table.

Prim hesitated, confused, before bowing.

“Of course, your Highness, but… What allowance?”

Luna hesitated, looking at Prim with a bit of confusion.

“Thou dost not know of your allowance as Chamberlain?”

Prim shook her head.

“Where art thou from, Prim Rose?” she asked curiously.

“Trothnicum, annexed ten years past. My family survived the plague as we were farmers, far outside the city walls.”

“So, thou art not associated with our sister?”

“No, I came here looking for employment as my family can no longer support me.”

Luna looked at Prim like a puzzle she had to figure out.

“Then how dost thou know of her schemes to force our employment of her spy?”

Prim smiled a bit, daring to be sly with her new employer.

“I am aware of much,” she said, in imitation of Luna’s earlier words.

Luna’s sharp bark of a laugh startled Prim, making her flinch, but the princess continued laughing, tapping her hoof against the floor as she shook her head, slowly quieting down.

“Very well, very well. We shall let thee do thy new job, Prim. Perhaps we shall learn to work together, so we no longer have to concern ourselves with our sister’s insistence on completing our staff,” Luna chuckled. “Thou shalt receive one hundred bits every week for as long as thou art loyal to us. We shall speak on the next sunset, once thou hast prepared. Thou art dismissed.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

Prim bowed low and this time she found the door open when she turned to leave.

The doors closed behind her, and she noticed that the guards were standing at attention. Again, the moment of confusion passed once she took into account her new position. She bowed slightly to them, and they relaxed.

Unsettled by the power she had suddenly been granted, Prim went back to her room, closing the door behind herself and wandering to the bed. Falling into it, she set the heavy book on the pillow next to her. Out of the window she could see the stars, and she watched them as a smile grew.

“A hundred bits… Oh mother, thou wouldst be so proud.”

Chapter 4

Prim Rose woke in a strange bed. It was too large, too soft, and she was surrounded by far more light than she was used to.

Stirring, Prim’s head bumped into something and she groaned, rolling over in the opposite direction so she could turn and look at the object. The schedule book laid there on the tan sheets, like an ominous brown stone sleeping next to her.

After blinking away the last remains of sleep, she took the book up in her hooves and pulled the cover away to reveal the first page.

“Schedule, ledger, and roster of the Lunar court. Book twenty eight, years 551-560 after unification. Owner:”

She paused in her reading to take in the list of names that turned the bottom half of the page into a scribbled grey inkstain.

“Seems like this job needs filling often,” she muttered. “Only five years of use and already there’s… Twelve?” she huffed. “I shan’t be giving up as easy as they clearly did,” she decided as she got out of bed and went to one of the desks, getting out ink, a quill, and a small container of white powder called pounce.

A moment later, her signature was drying on the bottom of the page, and she dusted it with pounce to dry the ink faster so she could turn the page without risking staining the inside of the cover.

The next page contained a table of contents. There were four sections to the book. The royal schedule was first, followed by the ledger, then the roster, and lastly a journal section that was free for the Chamberlain to use to take notes or write down important details on the record.

At the start of the schedule there was a template, an example for a week’s worth of schedule with explanation for each part of it. It had been edited many times to improve it or suit each Chamberlain’s style.

She continued, flipping through the schedule. Each page contained a month’s worth of schedule, and up until a week ago each day had been notated with the time Princess Luna took her meals and any unusual activity such as leaving the castle grounds or requesting something besides a meal. It seemed she typically ate at sunset, midnight, and sunrise. A quick peek out the window let her confirm that it was about midday, and she sighed as she came to grips with needing to become nocturnal. It wasn’t unwelcome, but still a swiftly needed change.

Flipping through the remaining pristine schedule pages, she arrived at the ledger. She had to re gather her wits as she gazed at the sum total of the Lunar Treasury’s wealth. Wealth she was now responsible for.

“A thousand thousands worth of gold bits. More, even,” she whispered to herself.

She closed the book, took a deep breath and opened it again. The number remained staggeringly large.

There were notes of taxes received from the cities under the Lunar court’s domain, and of taxes gathered directly from the noble families, and certain taxed businesses. It seemed that Princess Luna spent roughly 15,000 gold bits per month on her retinue, supplies, castle upkeep, and other expenses. She took in a little over 17,000 a month in taxes on average. With how simple the ledger was, she was thankful that she was not in charge of the Solar court’s finances. They were likely to be much more complex.

Taking note of the last few day’s numbers being in a loopy elegant style entirely unlike the prior chamberlain that had served, and assuming that Princess Luna had done her own books for that time, she continued on to the Roster.

The list was composed by listing the position, the name of the current holder of that position, then it’s pay in descending order. The first position on the list was Captain of the Night Guard, who was paid 200 bits a month. Then Chamberlain, followed by the Princess’s private cooks, personal apothecary, astronomer, and her Cellarer, who watched over the stock of wine in the wine cellar, and made sure it did not run low. Only after all of those professionals came the head Mare in Waiting, then finally the rank and file guards, the Mares in waiting, maids, and servants among other lower paid positions.

It was a hefty list of employees, but Prim noticed a few absences. There was no listed herald, a position she would have to fill as Seneschal, and there was no mention of a secretary or scribe, which any retinue should have.

She floated over a blank scroll and wrote down “Inquire of Scribes” before returning to her review of the books. It looked like the next day was the pay day for all the castle staff, and she would be the one to dispense the monthly pay. She totalled the pay for all of the castle staff as well as the extra staff who worked outside of the castle but under the Princess’s pay and added “Request 8752.25 G bits from treasury for pay tomorrow” to her list.

Lastly, she browsed through the notes from the previous chamberlains. Some of them were normal, but a few pages had long panicked scribbles that were hard to decipher. Though in one part she did see the words “She’s in my HEAD” etched heavily into the parchment.

Prim looked it all over with a sense of detachment. At worst, she’d be executed for trying to do her job, but even then her first month’s pay would get to her family safely, and that would be enough to make her happy.

When she reached the end of the previous notes, she closed the book and tucked it into a pair of saddlebags. She then cinched the bags tight to her back, and added in a quill, ink, and a few other things she might find useful throughout the day. She then set out into the hallway, hesitating once she realized that she had no idea where she was going.

She turned to one of the bat-winged Night Guards who was standing in the hallway and cleared her throat. The guard turned to face her.

“My lady?”

“When dost Princess Luna rise? I hath several matters to discuss with her Highness.”

“Two hours prior to sunset on most days.”

Prim bowed slightly. “Many thanks to thee. Where might I find the treasury?”

“Cross the Great Hall, to the right side,” he said as he gestured with a hoof.

Prim bowed and thanked him again before making her way back along the rampart path that Golden had taken her the night before, so that she could cross the Great Hall near the entrance doors rather than near to the thrones. Princess Celestia was on her throne, with several ponies around her. Prim briefly met her eyes before looking away, and continuing on her way to the treasury.

Sure enough, the treasury was the first to the right in the large hallway. Prim knocked a few times and waited until the heavy steel bound door opened. Behind it was an elderly unicorn mare with a perpetual scow, wearing fine silk robes.

“What?”

Prim took out her note and recited to her what she needed.

“For paying the Lunar staff tomorrow, I have need of eight thousand golden bits, five hundred silvers, and two hundred twenty five coppers.”

The mare huffed and looked Prim over before shaking her head.

“I’ll not give a single copper to a messenger. Tell the Princess to come fetch her money herself and not send some scruffy scribe.”

With that, the treasurer slammed the door in Prim’s face, leaving the new chamberlain to gawk silently at the crude treatment she’d received. Taking a moment to examine herself, she had to conclude that she did look a bit scruffy compared to Golden Sparkle and the other important ponies in the castle. With a final glare at the closed door, she turned and headed back towards the Great Hall before hesitating and returning to the treasury door.

She knocked, and again the mare opened the heavy door to glare at Prim. This time, Prim held up the ornate book and her ring of keys.

“If thou dost not wish to dispense such a large sum to me, then I shall seek Princess Luna to withdraw it, but at least may I have my Chamberlain’s pay of one hundred gold so that by court I may look less… Scruffy?”

The treasurer seemed to argue internally before taking Prim’s set of keys in her magic and sticking it in the treasury door’s lock, watching it properly engage and disengage, before giving it back to Prim.

“Fine. I shall give thee thy pay.”

She stalked back into the room, letting Prim see inside for the first time. The small room was filled with shelves of marked bags of bits and gems, keys, and other small items of value. Some of the bags had names on them or insignia. On the far side of the room, a spiral staircase descended into the ground.

“What is thy name, Chamberlain of the Night?”

“Prim Rose.”

“Suitably noble name I suppose,” the treasurer sighed as she passed the heavy bag of bits over to Prim. “The Rose family can be traced back to landholders at least. I am Treasurer of the Castle. I serve under Princess Celestia, and mine name is Silver Gleam. Do be sure to return with the Princess to confirm thy first large deduction. After that, I shall have no trouble dispensing to thee,” she said with a firm nod.

Then she again closed her door firmly, before Prim could reply. Groaning with frustration, Prim tucked her pay into her saddlebag and headed for the great entrance doors. Just before she could make it to them, she was stopped by Sparkle.

“Prim, if thou hast but a moment…”

Prim stopped and nodded to Sparkle with a bit of a smirk. “Of course. I have only a few errands to run. What may I do for the Castellian?”

Golden looked Prim over as though trying to figure out if she was just insulted or not, before shaking her head and stepping in front of Prim.

“Princess Celestia wishes for thy presence in a brief meeting.”

“Can it not wait until I am more presentable?” Prim asked wearily. “I’ve not many more clothes to my name than the bag I carry, and Seneschal not to mention Chamberlain are posts that deserve some amount of finery. At the least may it be delayed by three hours? By that I should be presentable to Her Royal Highness.”

Sparkle relaxed and nodded quickly. “That is quite acceptable. In three hours, she shall have a meeting with thee before her evening meal. Hast thou the necessary funds for what may be needed?”

Prim nodded in return and walked around Sparkle. “I do.”

So Prim Rose passed out of the castle’s great gates and into the city of Everfree.

The city spread out away from the moat to the edge of the forest, which could have fit another two castles on every side with room to spare, though bits of the city were lost to the slivers of forest that lined the Harmony River. The river split the city in half, and fed the moat that circled the castle grounds,

As with most cities split in half, the wealthy and the poor had dug in firm holds upon their assigned sides. In the case of the Everfree, they had been assigned by proximity to the road that led in from the plains. The poor needed quick access to the road and the jobs it offered, and the wealthy wished to be as far as possible from the dust and noise. So the Wild and Common districts were born. The city’s expansion over the course of the castle’s construction five hundred years prior had created a Craftsmare’s district that became known as the Bricks, and a district known as the Puffs. Of course, none of the residents of the Puffs called it that, they called it Pegivale. But everypony else took one look at the cotton ball look of it’s architecture and knew what everyone was referring to when they said “the Puffs.”

Prim headed straight for the Bricks. Despite it’s name, it was as much a place of artisans as it was of construction materials and heavy machines. She soon enough found a clothing shop that claimed to have designed one of Princess Luna’s gowns several years ago, and went inside.

Though the clothes in the place were beautiful, the shop itself looked like it was in dire need of repair. In two places, heavy wooden beams held the roof up, as the roof’s struts had started to give way, and two of the windows were cracked, though that fact was artfully hidden with signs on the outer surface of the glass.

“Do come in, come in. Thou must be new to the Everfree, hast thou come in search of some extravagance?”

Prim turned and took in the mare that had stepped out from behind the counter. She was tall and thin, and moved gracefully with a confidence that perfectly matched her dress. She wore a corset and gown that together gave her an eerie quality. The dress was a black satin that shone in the dim sunlight, and the corset was an emerald green that glittered like powdered gemstone, or like the carapace of some great insect.

Her dark grey coat went with the clothes, and her vivid green eyes took in Prim’s form with casual thoroughness.

“Yes… Madam?”

“Madam Chrysalide, please, refer to me as Sali. Now, what may I do for thee, darling?”

Prim paused a moment to take in the mare’s style before looking back towards a rack of cloaks she’d been eying.

“I have been made member of the Lunar court, and wish to have clothing appropriate to my new post. Not… I wish it to be convenient and useful.”

Sali chuckled quietly to herself as she strode over to the cloaks.

“How I wish it were not the assumption that I’d dress any court member in Courtesan’s cloth,” she said in an amused tone. “What position dost thou hold then?” she asked with a bit of a smirk.

“Chamberlain and seneschal,” Prim replied as she stepped up next to Sali.

The fashion mare’s expression was one of surprise and a bit of incredulity. But after a moment she nodded.

“Well, I do hope that thou hast begun searching for a second place of employment then,” she said with a sigh. “But we may make thee presentable for the time being.”

“I’m not planning on a departure,” Prim said, maybe a bit more firmly than she needed to.

“Of course. So, I would recommend a blouse, vest, and cloak. Some jewelry to accent of course, and all in a Lunar style.”

“That sounds… acceptable,” Prim said as she nervously took in the more finely made cloaks that Sali touched as she spoke. “Though… What sort of cost may I accrue?”

Sali chuckled and strode over to a desk where she checked a piece of paper.

“Perhaps five… Ten gold bits?”

“That seems like quite a bit more money than I had expected to be spending on clothes, no matter how fine.”

Sali chuckled to herself and picked up a quill to write out a few things on her paper before humming softly and examining Prim.

“I do not deal in cheap clothes and faux jewels. But I believe we may find suitable attire for four bits, madam.”

Prim nodded, calming down as she looked back at the cloaks.

“Very well. Blouse then would be first correct?”

She stiffened as Sali’s hooves brushed smoothly along her back, and then down around the bottom of her barrel. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was startling to be touched so intimately without warning.

With a blush, she waited for the other mare to stop, and gave her a light glare.

“My sincerest apologies,” Sali said with a sly grin. “Would thee prefer to measure thyself?”

“N… no, just… a moment of warning may serve to let a mare compose herself,” Prim said haughtily, looking away and trying to hide the blush that had sprung to her cheeks.

Sali simply continued with her examination. It didn’t take long and once she was done she began gathering the clothes she would be modifying. She held up a crisp white blouse to Prim’s withers to judge the length to her hooves and then draped the vest over her to see how it rode on her waist.

Once she had her comparisons, she nodded to Prim and sat behind her desk.

“I shall have them done within a few hours, and accompanying jewelry. Please do clean thyself up, thy appearance should compliment thy clothes if thou art to be audience to royalty.”

Prim just nodded and headed back out into the street, before realizing that she did not know where to go. She ducked back into the clothing shop and met Sali’s polite smile with a nervous laugh.

“Where…”

“There are four public bath houses in the city, one in each quarter. They are each… Exemplary of their regions. I would recommend the bathhouse in the Wilds, there are services available there which may yet make thee seem noble.”

“Thank you,” Prim said simply, ignoring the not so subtle insult to her appearance and heading back out of the shop.

Prim crossed over a bridge that spanned the Everfree river, and headed into the Wilds. Immediately the difference between the Wilds and the Bricks was apparent, the buildings were in finer condition and gated yards seemed commonplace. The ponies were of a different sort as well, dressed in the type of cloaks and dresses that Prim had just ordered, and bedecked in enough gold to make Prim feel that she was a commoner in a sea of nobility.

But before she could locate the bath house, she was drawn in by the smell of something divine.

She drifted into the restaurant and almost ran into the host before she stopped and collected her wits. The host, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to decide what method to use to oust her from the establishment.

“I’m so sorry, I do not have a reservation, but I have bits,” Prim said quickly. “I just smelled something absolutely divine within and…”

She paused as the host reevaluated her. After a moment he sighed and picked up a menu in the glow of his horn.

“Very well. We shall seat thee… out of the way.”

Prim put aside her pride for the moment, and was seated at a small table that seemed placed in a desperate attempt to fit one more seat into the venue. It placed her between a wall and a large fern, and so close to the kitchen doors that she could feel the hot air wafting past her as she settled in.

The restaurant was not crowded, in fact it seemed sparsely occupied, but she could see all the other customers were wearing fine clothes and were groomed to perfection. Meanwhile she was decidedly not bedecked or clean. But she hadn’t eaten anything since noon the day before, and was willing to suffer nearly any indignity to have a taste of the heavenly aroma she had detected. She looked down at the menu only long enough to identify the likely culprits and quickly memorize their names. Before the waiter could even ask her for her order, she was ready to tell him exactly what she wanted.

“Thanks to thee, yes, I would like a glass of the Clarique wine, then the yellow squash quiche, the black bean and onion soup, and a berry lemon tart.”

“Most excellent madam, and wouldst thou wish to sample some of the cheeses we currently have in, to add to thy soup?”

Prim hesitated. If not for her father’s stories she wouldn’t even know what cheese was, but for once in her life she had the wealth to explore, and to try new things.

“Yes, that would be appreciated,” she said cautiously.

The waiter bowed, and was gone.

Prim sighed, and rested against her seat. It was odd how intensely she felt she didn’t belong in such a fancy place, but at the same time how determined she was to be there. It made her think of Princess Luna, and how she’d stared down the princess in the first place to get her new job.

All her life she had cared for others and done what she was told, and now when she decided to be firm and to let her anger or determination show, it paid her in gold and power. She shuddered to think how such a world could reward such things, and wondered what that meant of Princess Celestia. The singular most powerful being in all the world. Prim did not know how the Princesses had gotten their posts, she had not been educated as an Equestrian, but rather had been taught about the world by her grandparents while working.

She knew the Princesses supposedly never died, and she knew they helped unite the three races so long ago, but that rather neatly summed up all of her knowledge up until yesterday and her personal encounter with them.

Now that she was so close to them, she felt almost as though everyone had misunderstood. They were just overgrown and incredibly powerful foals, just like everyone else in power.

Of course, Prim couldn’t hold that scorn for long. The princesses did run a country, and she now served one of them directly. At the very least they were foals with fine taste and a need for servants and all the bureaucracy needed to manage servants.

She chuckled to herself.

“Thou art just a well paid servant, is all,” she reminded herself softly.

Her glass of wine was set down in front of her, and Prim’s horn lit up a golden yellow. The same light wrapped carefully around the stem of the glass, and she sipped her drink slowly. The whole purpose of the wine glass after all was to keep potentially spoiling unicorn magic away from the wine that had been so carefully crafted. One had to learn how to pick up such a thing without drowning it in their magical aura.

She, of course, had entered the restaurant knowing none of this, and had simply read it off the menu. Apparently, they were used to novice unicorns complaining about dull tasting wine and had gotten tired of it.

Prim sighed as she enjoyed the complex flavor of the wine, but before she’d managed to drain half of the glass, her food began arriving.

Her quiche arrived and was finished in rapid succession, the rich nutty flavor lingering in her mouth until her main course arrived. Next to it she had a small dish with five small pieces of cheese. Carefully, she sampled each one.

The first was a deep orange and sharp, almost sour in it’s tang, but all at once laced with the flavor of smoke. While she enjoyed it, the smoke was not a positive thing for her.

Next, she tried a cheese that was soft, creamy and sweet. It was unoffensive but not very complex to her. It didn’t catch her attention.

She worked through the remaining three more quickly, and on the last one she found her new favorite. It seemed mottled with something blue, but it’s rich and forceful flavor demanded for it to be combined with something.

Adding it to the soup, she ate it more slowly than she had eaten the cheese, but found herself wishing there had been more when she finished, her stomach sated but the flavor seeming to be something she wanted to continue experiencing.

She smiled and drew her glass close again, relaxing to breathe for a moment, though that moment only gave her time to think more about her situation. She knew that she needed to do so much. Read the records for the Seneschal’s position, understand the state of the Great Chamber, clean herself up, get her clothes, meet with Princess Celestia, and so much more. It really began to feel like a mountain on her back, and she was struggling to breathe.

“Madam’s berry lemon tart.”

Prim opened her eyes to the tap of the plate, and nodded gratefully to the waiter as he trotted away.

The dessert was sweet, and filling, and everything she could have asked for, but the state of her mind gave her no room to enjoy it more than as a passing pleasure.

She paid her due as well as gratuity, and left silently.

Chapter 6

The public bath house of the Wilds was a sprawling building that looked deceptively like the many other buildings surrounding it at it’s entrance, but which spread out to fill a space the size of a city block behind the other buildings.

It was approaching sunset as Prim entered, and she could see pegusi flying up to large lanterns all around the inside of the cavernous building and lighting them with burning torches. The interior of the building was coated on every surface in shimmering tile. It was clear that it had all been decorated as an homage to the Solar Princess, as it was all gold and sun-themed, along with a mural of Princess Celestia taking flight on one wall.

Prim spotted an earth pony stallion that was waiting nearby, and he smiled and stepped closer once she looked at him. She walked up to him and nodded to him.

“I have… never used a public bath before,” she admitted.

“No need to worry, Madam,” he said gently. “Tis a simple thing, I’d happily guide thee through it all for a silver, pays for brushing and oils,” he offered.

Prim bit her lip, looking the stallion over before looking to the pools of steaming water that gleamed invitingly.

“Can I not just… bathe?”

The stallion looked her over with sympathy, but shook his head.

“The water would quickly be muddy if every traveler stepped directly into the baths. There are two brushings of the coat before one enters the baths.”

Prim hung her head before nodding. “Very well, but may I brush my own coat?”

Again, the stallion shook his head.

“Though I respect thy magic, Madam, it is simply not thorough enough.”

“Lead on, then,” Prim groaned.

She was guided to a room to the side of the pools. The room had woven hay mats on the floor that seemed designed to allow dust and dirt to filter onto the floor below. She placed her bags next to the door before standing stiffly on the mats while the stallion fetched a pair of brushes from a shelf and sat next to her.

The first brush had many rows of metal teeth. As he ran them along her back, it pulled free dead hairs and shifted dust and dirt to the surface. Despite her discomfort at the contact, she admitted to herself that it was a pleasant feeling to have that extra coat scraped away. An extra layer between herself and the world that she hadn’t even noticed she was carrying.

“What is thy name?” Prim asked curiously.

“Fleet Hoof.”

As he walked around Prim to get her other side, she looked at his cutie mark, which was a set of horse-shoe marks on a dirt path.

“Why work at a bathhouse if thy Mark is in running?”

The stallion didn’t answer, focusing on properly cleaning every inch of her coat, including her cheeks and legs. His thoroughness was professional, but made Prim nervous. She might have upset him or something, and she was somewhat at his mercy.

“Dost thou enjoy working here?” she asked.

He finished with the first brush and began gently brushing the dead hair and dust off with the second brush.

“It is a good job,” he said quietly.

“Wouldst thou like the be a runner or messenger if the work was available?”

He looked at her mark curiously, as though it could tell him what position she held, but her crest of flowers and a scroll gave him no insight.

“I suppose. But please, relax. We will be going into the baths soon.”

She sighed and tried to stay calm as he cleared the last of the dust from her stomach, before he finally put the brushes down and gestured her forward. She hesitated and grabbed her bags in her magic before following his lead back into the main room. Though her bags were cheap and dirty, she was carrying enough gold that she couldn’t trust even the nicest of ponies to watch over them.

She was led to one of the smaller pools, which was steaming hot. He had her undo the braid in her mane before she took the shallow steps down until the pool covered her up to her back.

Fleet helpfully supplied a cylindrical scrubber, when she looked at it curiously he chuckled before offering an explanation.

“Made from a vine. It is good at revitalizing the bare skin.”

Prim nodded and began scrubbing every part of her body that her coat did not cover. Once she was done, he gestured for her to walk out of the pool and into another. This second pool was cool, the same temperature as the night air. She flinched away from the water for a moment, but slowly edged into it, until she was fully submerged.

Fleet then had her move close to the edge of the pool, and he began to brush out her mane, having her duck her head under the water a few times. He then brushed out her tail, though she rushed him to finish so she could get out of the cool water.

“Oh look, the new Chamberlain is learning how to use a bath. Don’t worry dear, thou shalt never have the opportunity to do so again.”

Prim quickly looked up, to see who had spoken.

For a moment, Prim did not recognize the mare, or any of the group she was with. But as the mare smirked and started to speak again, Prim placed her voice to a memory. She had been one of the mares that had been speaking with Princess Celestia when she passed by to go to the treasury.

“After all, thou shalt either be worked to death by Her Highness, or sent packing in short order.”

Prim grit her teeth, but decided that she could not try to fight back against the mare. She did not know how powerful she was in court, and Prim barely had any standing besides her title and the fickle favor of Princess Luna.

She turned away and checked her bag before following Fleet into a smaller room off to the back of the building. He drew a curtain and began lightly brushing her mane with a tiny bit of oil.

“So what does a Chamberlain do?” Fleet asked curiously.

“By my brief reckoning? Paperwork and cleaning a room used for important meetings,” Prim sighed and shook her head a little. “I’m new to it, I’m sure there’s more.”

“If Filigree is so cruel to you, surely thou art in the Lunar court?”

Prim laughed, looking at him, curious and surprised.

“She’s known for disliking anypony in the Lunar court? Truly? What a relief. I had thought she just didn’t like me personally. But yes, I serve Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna.”

Fleet brushed her mane and tail silently for a while before sighing.

“I’ve always been frightened of Her Highness,” he admitted as he laid her tail over his foreleg and brushed it out in long smooth motions. “Even when she came to me in a dream to help quell my terrors, I still feared her.”

Prim wasn’t sure what to say in reply. As a pony that had grown up outside of the domain of the Princesses, she had never experienced Princess Luna coming to her in dreams, or Princess Celestia granting some gift to her town. They were just distant rulers.

“Is she frightening up close?”

“As frightening as any other equine capable of ordering one’s execution, I suppose,” Prim shrugged. “I’m more frightened of Princess Celestia. She’s powerful, and revered. Not that I think she’d do anything untoward, but giving any pony that much power seems liable to cause some catastrophe.”

Fleet chuckled a little, smiling for the first time since Prim had walked in.

“True enough. Thou seem too young and thoughtful for a member of the court.”

Prim thought briefly to ask Fleet’s age, but decided it would be impolite.

“I hadn’t planned it. I was nought but a farmer’s daughter. But the position needed to be filled, and I was there to fill it. Besides, I’ve been told that I am wise beyond my years,” she said with a self effacing smile.

“Aren’t we all,” Fleet said, rolling his eyes.

He finished brushing her tail and laid it over a slotted wooden bench to dry as he used a smooth-edged blade of wood to scrape the water off her coat.

Prim relaxed, and soon she was mostly dry. Fleet laid a thin cloth over her back, gesturing that she could sit.

She rebraided her mane, and her tail naturally fell into a tousled mess once it was dry.

Floating her bags closer, Prim took a silver coin out, along with two coppers. She gave them all to Fleet.

“I assume I am allowed to pay thee a gratuity?”

He nodded with a smile.

“I appreciate it. Wouldst thee prefer to use the back door to avoid Filigree?”

“No. I shall have to endure her eventually regardless. Many thanks to thee, Fleet. If I have work for a messenger, can I contact you here?”

He nodded, and Prim smiled. She decided to carry her bags in her magic rather than put them on, now that she was cleaner than they were. She then ducked through the curtain and into the main room.

There were more ponies in the bath house than just the group she was avoiding, but if she had hoped to avoid them, her hopes were in vain.

“Oh look there! She’s nearly unrecognizable,” someone called as she was halfway through the room.

“Just goes to show, if thou takest any vagrant off the street and give it a wash, it may seem like a proper pony! Though still, I can’t believe that Her Royal Sadness chose such a… a pathetic example of the unicorn race.”

Prim stopped mid step. Her hooves were shaking in anger, and she knew she couldn’t react. Any reaction would give the nobility more reason to hate her. She took another step, but stumbled slightly.

“Aw, is she scared?” a taunting voice joined in.

Prim finally turned to look at them. Filigree was a smug looking white unicorn with a gold and lilac mane. Her friends were not important to Prim.

“Treason,” Prim whispered.

“I’m sorry dear, thou shalt have to speak up!” one of the others jeered.

“It is treason to mock Her Royal Highness. It is improper and shameful for somepony meant to be a noble to spend their evenings cajoling a member of court. It is pathetic and shameful for thee to verbally attack me repeatedly for being… what, for being a normal pony? For not having my head as far up my flank as thee? For getting a position thou couldst never obtain?”

The last question caused Filigree’s grin to turn to a scowl, but before she could offer up a retort, Prim lit up her horn and shoved the other mare’s head under the water. She didn’t hold her down, but used the moment of confusion and shock to leave the bath house.

Her heart was pounding as she trotted down the street. She'd just assaulted a member of court, possibly a noble, and run away.

Putting it out of her mind and trying to calm her racing heart, she wandered back to Sali's shop in a bit of a daze.

“I'm almost finished, dear. You look wonderful,” Sali said as Prim came in and sat down, gaze distant. “Art thou alright?”

“I'm fine,” Prim sighed. “Do you have saddle bags?”

Sali nodded as she folded the hem of the cloak and began sewing it shut.

“Many kinds. Wouldst thou desire something like what thou carries now?”

Prim looked at her bags and thought it over. She could have anything, practically.

“What about black with silver?”

“That, I can do.”

She finished her stitching and stood, picking out a dark grey set of bags with silver clasps.

“This is the darkest I have, if it shall suffice?”

Prim nodded and began moving her things over, leaving out five gold coins and a few silver.

“Thanks to thee,” Prim said, drooping against the wall she was sitting next to.

Sali waited for a bit and finished the cloak before walking over to Prim. As she helped her into her new blouse, vest, and cloak.

“What happened?” Sali asked as she straightened the cloak on Prim's back.

“I encountered a noble that taunted me… until I shoved her head under water in the bath house.”

Sali chuckled a little. “It sounds like she deserved it.”

“Isn't the chamberlain supposed to be more professional?”

“Why?” Sali asked. “Thou hast been given power, they should respect thee,” she said as she stepped back and took in Prim. “And now thou art clothed befitting thy position.”

Prim looked herself over, and stood before pacing across the shop.

“Incredible… they fit so well,” she marveled. “I've never had such fine clothing. Surely, thou has earned thy pay.”

Prim picked up the coins and turned toward Sali. But as she held up the coins, Sali was immediately in front of her, gently placing a necklace over her head.

She chuckled at Prim's nervous smile, as she adjusted the moonstone pendant to hang at the hem of her collar.

“No need to be so nervous. I'm just putting on thy jewelry thee had purchased. It's not… improper.”

“Thou art just a little close, is all,” Prim whispered as she averted her eyes.

Sali slipped a silver bracelet around Prim's foreleg and leaned in so her head was right next to Prim's.

“Please… come back if thou art in need of anything. Anything at all, Madam Chamberlain.”

“Of… c-course,” Prim said as she gathered her new bag and backed away, bowing a little. “I'll be sure to.”

She then slipped back onto the dark streets, catching her breath and trying to gather her wits.

She slipped her bags onto her back under her cloak and she closed her eyes, letting the cool wind calm her, brushing her bangs across her brow.

“She didn't know. She was not trying to be attractive to thee… she's just a clothier,” she muttered to herself before standing and cantering towards the castle.

The gatehouse guards let her pass without question, and she crossed the long wooden bridge across the moat at the same speed.

She didn't want to think about Sali's breath on her cheek, or the way she smiled at Prim in an almost predatory way. She wanted to be in the castle, focus on her job, and forget.

She entered the yard inside the castle walls and slowed, catching her breath before entering the great hall. Princess Luna was sitting on her throne, and her gaze snapped to Prim as she entered. A smile slowly grew on her lips as Prim approached and bowed low in front of her Princess.

“Your Royal Highness. I have a meeting with thy sister shortly, then I shall be available to serve thee. Shall I take any commands at this time?”

Princess Luna tilted her head to the side, taking in her chamberlain.

“Thou hast cleaned up most admirably. Is that moonstone?”

“Yes, it is your Highness,” Prim said with a smile. “I do hope it pleases thee.”

Luna sighed and shook her head.

“Do not try so hard to please us. We appreciate our ponies for their spirit, not their attempts to gain our favor.”

Prim hesitated at that, and looked at what she was wearing. Most of it she liked, the clothes she felt at home in. But the jewelry?

She took the bracelet and necklace off and tucked them into her bags, before smiling up at Princess Luna.

“Any commands at this time, your Highness?”

“No. Meet with our sister then return to us. We shall discuss thy new responsibilities then.”

“Of course, your Highness.”

Prim bowed as she backed away, before she trotted off into the solar wing of the castle.

Chapter 7

The banners on the wall were gold and white, and there were mage-lights set into the wall every pony length, keeping the hallways brightly lit despite the dark sky of stars and moon overhead, through the skylights.

Every door was guarded by the Solar guards, white coated and blue maned with golden armor. They watched Prim walk by with suspicious gazes, and clutched their spears a little closer as she passed.

It was shocking how it felt like a completely different castle. Like a place she was unwelcome, while the Lunar wing at least felt like it was accepting of her presence.

“I hath been requested to meet with Her Royal Highness,” Prim said to the guards that stood at the end of the hall, on either side of the great pale-wood and gold decorated doors that led to Princess Celestia’s private chambers, assuming that this wing of the castle mirrored it’s twin.

The guards looked to eachother, before one of them stepped up closer to Prim. He was a stallion, and nearly scowled as he lifted up her cloak.

“Remove thy bags, we shall watch them.”

Prim narrowed her gaze. She was being treated as a commoner, a possible threat. She knew that. She also knew that this was her new home and that she couldn’t be making more enemies. Especially since a noble was likely to complain that she’d assaulted her.

Prim removed her bags and allowed the guard to take them.

He then set them aside and knocked on the door three times. After a moment, the door opened a little, and Golden Sparkle peered out, smiling as she caught sight of Prim Rose.

“Ah, Ms. Rose, please, join us.”

Prim slipped inside after Sparkle, and bowed to Princess Celestia as Sparkle closed the door behind her. Prim’s eyes briefly darted to the door, very conscious of her status and the plan that apparently Princess Celestia had been privy to, of pushing a spy or alienist into her position to “evaluate” Princess Luna. The door closing was a normal state of affairs for a meeting with royalty, but Prim felt more trapped than she was comfortable with.

“Rise,” Princess Celestia said, allowing Prim to stand from her bow.

Prim stood, and when Sparkle gestured to a cushion that would be to the side of where the castilian sat, and facing Princess Celestia.

The princess was by far the most imposing figure that Prim had ever witnessed. Even sitting on the same level as Prim, she was twice as tall. Her horn was nearly as long as Prim’s leg, and her wings looked like they could likely spread wide enough for four ponies to stand under each of them. In addition, Princess Celestia’s flawless white coat made her seem as though she glowed slightly, and her crown glittered in the light of the crystals set into a chandelier hanging above them. Her expression was careful, and did not betray any emotion. Though she seemed to be amused, it seemed to be a static expression. The slight upturn of her lips, the straightness of her neck, and slight lidding of her eyes combined with her gently flowing mane to make her appear impossibly calm.

“Golden had just been telling us of thy energetic acceptance of thy new post,” Princess Celestia stated.

She shifted slightly, to face Prim a little more. Her horn lit up in a gold that made Prim’s magic look like a muddy yellow, and a teacup rose up for the princess to sip from. It was a clear sign that she was done speaking, and wished for Prim to speak. But Prim did not know what to say.

“I… wish to do this work well,” Prim said cautiously.

Princess Celestia’s smile grew slightly, as though she’d known exactly what Prim would say. She set her cup down and turned her gaze back to Prim.

“There are a myriad ways to serve a post well. In this new position, dost thou seek to assist our sister in her struggles with the nobility?”

Prim’s giggle, that she failed to stifle, got both Sparkle and Princess Celestia to stare at her, confused.

“My apologies, your Royal Highness. But I had just returned from the public baths of the Wilds, wherein a mare named Filigree accosted me. I had responded by forcing her head below the water to wet her carefully curled mane. I do not believe I shall have any great skill in dealings with the nobility. Certainly, I do not presume I wouldst know much more than her Highness.”

Sparkle looked scandalized, but Princess Celestia’s stunned expression slowly relaxed into a bit of a smile.

“Well, we shall see to it that she does not harass thee again, Prim Rose.”

“It is much appreciated, your Highness,” Prim said with a slight nod of her head.

“On the subject of thy post itself,” Princess Celestia continued, her smile fading quickly. “Golden hath informed us that thou wert told of our desire to employ an Alienist as Chamberlain. But no explanation of why such a thing would be done has been offered to thee. Dost thou wish for an explanation?”

Prim contemplated the question, looking to Golden Sparkle, who seemed nervous. She then looked back to Princess Celestia, who met her gaze without hesitation. Prim looked down at the floor so she wouldn’t be forced to match gazes with the Princess. She did not want to become further embroiled in the plot she’d been informed of. She did not appreciate the lies and trickery at play, and was tempted to say no just to firmly excuse herself from the whole mess. But her curiosity won out.

“Yes.”

Princess Celestia shifted slightly, but Prim didn’t look up to see what she was doing.

“Our sister makes no allies among the nobility, but there is no requirement that she do so. However, the nobility hath begun to wage a silent war against her.”

Prim looked up in shock as a scroll was unrolled on the floor in front of her. It began with a list of names. Filigree was in the list, among many others. The list was then followed by a declaration. They were all nobles that paid their taxes to Princess Luna, not Princess Celestia. But the declaration was clear in it’s intent. To neuter the Lunar court by transferring loyalty of many cities and duchies to the Solar court, completely removing their taxes from Princess Luna’s coffers. It would effectively mean a slow death for the Lunar court, and inevitably lead to the transference of Equestria from a Diarchy to a Monarchy.

Prim did not have to guess at any of the potential causes, the intent and goals of the declaration were spelled out in detail, as well as the justification.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, is not of sound mind, and no longer serves to further the prosperity and growth of Equestria. With her unwillingness to meet with nobility, and scorn for the wealthy, she threatens the stability of our great nation, and in effect serves to weaken the bond between the three races. Thus, her prior immunity to prosecution as an alicorn is null and void.”

Prim Rose read it all and then looked up to Princess Celestia, almost wishing the Princess of the sun would tell her it was not true, that such machinations and scheming could not be real. But her somber expression did not change.

The scroll was rolled up, and tucked away.

“They are wrong,” Prim said with a surge of conviction. “We all must seek to prove that they are wrong.”

“Thus we are all in agreement,” Princess Celestia said, her voice more gentle, almost as though she was speaking to a frightened foal. “Proving that our dear sister is still fit for rule, and deserving of her status as an alicorn is not a simple thing. Her mental state must be assessed as being stable enough to lead, she must become willing to hear out the nobility and at times accept their views. Luna must begin acting befitting her station, or we shall be unable to save her from this legal assault.”

Prim hesitated, the tasks laid down before her were vast and complex, and they all stank of deception and forced actions, as though Princess Luna were a filly being led to water and being made to drink.

“Hath she not been informed? Spoken to of this… plot?”

Princess Celestia remained composed, but Golden Sparkle sighed, and shook her head.

“Thee may not have experienced it personally as of yet, Prim, but Princess Luna is well known for her anger, and for her fierce independence. Bringing this to her attention may only serve to further drive her away, and worsen the problem.”

Prim ground her teeth together, looking back at the floor. It all felt wrong, as though she was being cornered, but there was nothing she could do to see a way out of the predicament.

“We only ask for thee to refrain from mentioning this to our sister, and to contemplate assisting us in the future. To do such a thing may yet save her, and bring her back to her rightful position in the eyes of our ponies.”

“I shall keep this secret,” Prim agreed as she stood. “But more… I cannot yet say.”

Princess Celestia nodded to Prim and gestured to Sparkle, who stood and went to the door, opening it for Prim. As Prim approached the door, though, Princess Celestia spoke again.

“We do hope that thou shalt remain in thy post for years to come, Prim Rose.”

Prim turned back and bowed low.

“Thank you, your Highness,” she said, before turning and leaving.

The guards gave her back her bags, and she walked in a daze back to the great hall. Before she entered the vast room though, she heard talking. She stopped just before the exit of the hallway and peered out to observe what was happening.

Princess Luna was sitting on her throne, but she looked different. Her steely gaze had softened, and she was smiling a little. Down on the floor in front of the stairs that led up to her there were two unicorn mares and a young pegasus colt.

“It is quite brave of you both to come to us. That bravery shall serve thee well in a world as tumultuous as ours,” Princess Luna was saying as one of her scribes was writing on a scroll next to her.

“Thank you, your Highness… We did not know whether… Whether thou wouldst approve,” one of the mares said nervously.

“Family is incredibly important to us,” Princess Luna said somberly. “Equestria was founded upon the grounds of friendship and love for our fellow ponies. Family is one form of it, and though the nobility is reluctant to embrace relationships they do not recognize, we shall not fall to the same hubris. The love between mares is familiar to us, and we shall only seek to encourage the growth of thy family to include young Pine Needle. Truly, if a child is in need of a home and a home has a door open to them, what ruler wouldst prevent such a family from coming together?”

Princess Luna seemed pleased with her speech and turned to her scribe, who had finished writing whatever he’d been working on. A little pounce was brushed across the scroll and then Princess Luna took the scroll up in her magic, examining it.

“This is sufficient. We are here this night, by the power of the throne of the Lunar court of Equestria, to fully recognize the emotional and legal bond of love between Windy Pine and Bright Lantern. From hereon, they shalt be recognized as a wed couple under the laws of our land. In this act, we welcome the recognition of Bright Lantern as mother to Pine Needle, in joint custody with Windy Pine. So it is written, so I declare.”

Princess Luna signed the bottom of the paper, not with a pen but with raw magic. A glowing crescent moon embossed itself upon the scroll, and it remained shimmering once she was done. She then passed it back to her scribe.

“Two copies shall be provided to thee so none may question our ruling on this night.”

Princess Luna then stood and walked down the flight of stairs, to embrace the small family in the sweep of her wings.

“Fare thee well, mine little ponies. May thy dreams be ever full of wonder,” Princess Luna said as she released them.

The adults bowed low, and seemed unable to stop smiling as they led their son out of the great hall and into the night.

The princess was quiet for a moment, watching them leave as her mane wafted in the invisible wind created by magic itself. Her mane was full of stars, and was much like a night sky, just before the sun would rise. A deep blue with constellations adrift within. For that moment, Prim just gazed into that section of the night sky brought to act as a mane.

“Come to our side, Prim Rose.”

Prim stepped out of the hallway and up next to her princess, sitting with her and looking out the huge open doors into the courtyard, with the night sky above.

“Was thy meeting with our sister enlightening?”

Prim nodded and looked up to her Princess. Luna slouched slightly, and seemed less tall despite being the same height and build as her sister. She showed her sorrow and frustration on her face without any attempt to mask it. She met Prim’s gaze with curiosity.

“Wouldst the topic of said meeting happen to be ourself?”

Again, Prim nodded.

“Our sister did not swear you to silence, did she? Twould be a most inconvenient thing,” Princess Luna said with a faint smile as she looked back out to the courtyard. “It is much preferred to have a chamberlain who can speak, though we would gladly accommodate such an inability.”

“She… did not,” Prim said as she resumed copying Luna’s stance. “It was a matter of procedure.”

Princess Luna rolled her eyes and stood, walking back up to her throne. Prim hesitated at the base of the stairs, but Luna tapped the floor next to her, prompting her to ascend and sit just beside Princess Luna, and slightly back from her throne.

“Let us hazard a guess. Our sister does not approve of the way that we handle the nobility and the spoiled fools that hoard gold like dying dragons? She has reservations about our schedule perhaps? Or she wishes for us to avail ourselves the services of an alienist?”

“I d-don’t really think that… I suppose that--”

Princess Luna turned her gaze upon Prim, and the unicorn shrunk back from the fury that had appeared in such a brief moment.

“Do not lie to us. If thou shalt be unable to answer a question, state thy inability. We shall suffer no trickery or gentle dissuasion.”

“I swore not to speak of the details,” Prim whispered, her head hung low.

Princess Luna shifted, and when Prim looked up, the alicorn was facing the doors again.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you truly regretted thy actions, thou wouldst not have sworn to them at all. Proceed on from it, we wish to discuss it no longer. What progress hast thou made in acclimating to thy post?”

Prim closed her eyes and tried to slow her pounding heart. She felt as though she had just been dragged across the great hall by her tail, and the shame burned through her. But she gradually recovered to reply.

“The treasurer wishes to hear from thee, your Highness, before dispensing large sums to me, in order to pay thy staff.”

Princess Luna raised a hoof, and a servant stepped closer from the shadows behind the throne.

“Summon the treasurer.”

The servant bowed and slipped away into a hidden passage, and the Princess gestured to Prim to continue.

“I hath noticed no scribes among thy retinue. Though… I see that you have scribes of a sort…”

Prim saw Princess Luna smile a little.

“Oh so subtle. No, we shall not employ scribes that may be required to provide copies of what we say or do to the nobility. Was that the subject of thy secret meeting?”

Prim bristled, and stepped forward to face the Princess, fighting to keep her frown from becoming a scowl.

“No. It was not. I was simply concerned a position was unfilled, your Highness. Despite the meeting with Princess Celestia, I have no intention of deceiving or guiding thee!”

This time, when Princess Luna met Prim’s gaze, she did not flinch away or cower. She recalled the rebellious nature she’d held onto during her first encounter with the Princesses, and she met Princess Luna’s glare with her own. Gradually, Princess Luna seemed to cool, and gestured for Prim to return to her side. Prim did so without hesitation.

“We maintain a private group of scribes which serve us without question. Loyalty is very important to us. No official scribes are necessary.”

Prim nodded and pulled out her scroll, crossing the issue off her list entirely.

“Those were the issues of immediate concern, although…”

Princess Luna did not speak or move, letting Prim stew in her indecision for a moment before she finally continued her sentence.

“I believe that I may have assaulted a member of the nobility.”

Every member of the Lunar retinue seemed to turn to face Prim at once. Princess Luna, two unofficial scribes, four night guards, two mares in waiting, and two servants all looked at Prim in surprise, prompting the unicorn to cower behind her scroll.

“You… believe? Art thou unsure what assault is?” Princess Luna asked incredulously.

“Twas a brief thing… I simply applied a bit of pressure to the back of Filigree’s head while she was sitting in the bath.”

“Thou hast tried to drown her?!” Princess Luna asked, though despite her shocked tone she seemed to be smiling quite a bit more than Prim had expected.

“No! No, not at all, your Highness. I simply… encouraged her to take a brief dip to wet her mane.”

Prim’s cheeks grew redder and redder, making her already rosy coat seem to glow as Princess Luna began to laugh, shaking her head as her retinue struggled not to follow her in mirth.

“Princess Celestia did not seem overtly concerned!” Prim added frantically.

Princess Luna reached out with her magic and pulled Prim closer, before wrapping her in a wing.

“Calm, calm, little Rose. Oh what a wondrous thing to find a chamberlain that shares our distaste for Fine Filigree and her pompous ilk. I believe… we may yet become fast friends with thee.”

Prim, despite her embarrassment and confusion, managed a smile and quiet chuckle at her own expense, as she silently wondered at the sudden comfort of being embraced by her princess, both figuratively and literally.

Chapter 8

“No, this is quite the typical night.”

Prim sighed, looking back at the great hall as she followed Princess Luna towards her private chambers. The practical army of ponies that followed the Princess everywhere she went somehow remained quiet as they moved through the hallway.

“It does not seem proper. Everfree City contains many ponies that are awake through the night, who would benefit greatly from bringing their problems to a Princess to address in a fair and just fashion.”

“They are afraid,” Princess Luna answered, more gently as she strode into her chambers, the doors held open by two guards.

“Afraid?”

“Many of the ponies of the night are of questionable legal status. Stallions who sell their sensuality, ponies who steal or grift. The homeless and the criminals. The night is no longer a time of contemplation and romance. The night is no longer respectable.”

Prim did not try to dispute the assertions with the bitter princess, but followed her to the patio at the far side of the room. Once outside, they sat together looking out on the Wilds, the district of the rich.

There were few lights burning in the district, and most of them were in the businesses. In the early morning, there were no ponies on the street.

“So none come to the night court, and the day court is crowded through the whole of it’s allotted time,” Prim sighed.

“Indeed. Though we hath no pity for our beloved sister. She has ignored our pleas for greater assistance for the ponies that live in our night. She has written off entire populations as undesirable in order to placate the rich. Her crowded schedule is a self inflicted wound.”

Prim grimaced and looked away from Luna, her eyes falling on the Puffs and the towering white cloud structures that glowed in the moonlight. A few winged shapes moved through the area, but Prim could not distinguish their features at such a great distance.

“So, what else hast thou done thus far?” Princess Luna asked.

“Well… I had clothing made for me as thee can see, to fit my new position. I had a fine meal in…” She gestured across the walls and moat at the buildings nearest to them. “One of those places. I had never had a meal before that I did not have a hoof in making.”

“Thou wert raised in isolation?”

“Not intentionally. My family grew flowers, which required a wide swath of land. So we lived out among other farmers in the hills. I knew some of our neighbors at a distance, but when the plague came to Trothnicum, we stopped going to town when we could help it, and my family became very cautious. I did not see the city again until after the plague had passed and we became Equestrian citizens. We journeyed to town then to receive the supplies that were sent to be distributed to the citizens, and the streets were nearly empty. It left an impression on me, and until my sister became sick I hadn’t planned on ever leaving our land again.”

Princess Luna sighed, looking to Prim with sympathy.

“What sickness claimed your sister?”

“A swelling at the base of her horn. She became incapable of thought over the course of a year, and once she passed away I left. I’d planned on being one of your mares in waiting. Or a scribe. Anything, truly.”

“But always thy intention was to join our court?” Luna asked, an eyebrow raised to mark her surprise.

“I had no desire to join in the mundanities of court, to fight for a lowly position and be kept in strict codes of behavior. Not to be impertinent, but thy sister is known for her… ordered approach to ruling, even as far away as Trothnicum.”

Luna smiled and shrugged as she looked back to the city. “There seems no ill will in thy statement, and it is true enough. So thy journey here was in search of some more… chaotic purpose?”

“More free, your Highness,” Prim corrected. “Chaos dost not please me, but freedom always has.”

“Thou shalt find that there are many restrictions upon freedom in the life of a noble.”

“Then I thank thy stars that I am not a noble,” Prim chuckled.

Luna put a hoof to Prim’s withers and leaned in to meet her gaze directly.

“Thy title carries nobility, Prim Rose. Thy family is now noble, by our writ. They shall no longer need to pay their impost to our sister, but rather directly to our coffers, and their land shall be their own, rather than tenants on city acreage. Chamberlain and Castalain both impart nobility for service”

Prim felt very very small. She nodded a little and squeaked “Oh” as she contemplated her new title in a different light.

“May I compose a letter to my family to explain the situation?” she asked nervously.

“Of course,” Luna said as she wrapped her wing around Prim’s back again. “But not this moment. We feel there is much to discuss. A great weight has been placed on thee, and thou art the youngest noble in court. Certainly, there must be questions and concerns.”

As Luna sat up, giving Prim some space, Prim closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before offering her princess a nervous smile.

“Thou shalt never cease to impress us with thy resilience, Prim Rose,” Luna said with a chuckle. “But no need to rush.”

Prim took several minutes to gather her thoughts before she spoke.

“What do you want me to do, princess?”

Princess Luna pondered the question carefully before deigning to answer.

“We hath survived without a chamberlain or seneschal for months. In truth… We were pleased to have all of our affairs firmly in our own grip. However… We are not blind to the purpose of these positions. There is meant to be a sort of assistance. Consultation and the chance for a princess to discuss her dealings with somepony. We would like you to be loyal to us, but that is not always possible, as this is a diarchy. In lieu of loyalty, we would gladly accept thy friendship.”

“So… thou wouldst wish for me to be thy friend?” Prim asked, in awe.

“Yes,” Luna said simply.

“Well… Then yes, I shall like to be thy friend,” Prim replied with a giggle. “Friends with a princess, this night gets better and better!”

“Thou shalt find we are not all that impressive, behind the title,” Luna said with a smile. “Please, what other questions dost thou have? What else can be done to assist thee?”

Prim realized at that moment that Princess Luna was completely the opposite to Princess Celestia. Not just because she ruled the moon while Celestia ruled the sun, but because Princess Luna was not trying to be a princess. She just was one. She happened to be an alicorn, and she tried to rule as herself. But Princess Celestia was embodying the idea of a princess. The proper and historical model of what a princess should be. Prim was not sure if her brief interaction with Princess Celestia was even genuine, if it was all just a political play to manipulate Prim into doing what she wanted her to do.

In a halted breath, she almost told Princess Luna about it all. About everything that Princess Celestia had told her. The pressure rising in her pounding lungs finally was released in a rough cough, as she turned away from Princess Luna, pale.

“I need to get some sleep, I’m so sorry your Highness, I shall find other questions by next night, excuse me.”

Prim ducked out of Luna’s wing and almost galloped out of her room, leaving a shocked princess behind.

She got to her room and slipped inside before locking the door and falling against one of the desks, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

Princess Luna wanted to be her friend, and truly cared about her, and Prim was lying to her. Prim was keeping a potentially deadly secret. The weight of the nation’s future truly did rest on her back, and it was not a weight she could bear. It buried her, squeezing the air from her lungs and making her tremble in fear.

If she said the wrong thing, did the wrong thing, she could destroy the diarchy. Even if she did it for the right reasons. Being honest to her only friend, after so long without anyone who cared, could destroy that friend’s life.

“I can not, I can not do this,” Prim gasped in between sobs, dragging herself to her bed and curling up on the too-soft sheets.

She cried for some time, but could not find sleep waiting for her. Instead, she found the heavy book and opened it, to that page with the ominous words.

“She’s in my head.”

For the first time, she wondered if the desperate phrase referred to Princess Celestia. How far would such a figurehead go to fulfil her goals?

Prim closed the book, and set it on her bed, before taking off her bags and putting them next to the book. She could not sleep, but she could not sit in her room with all the pressure in her mind.

Prim left her room and quickly made her way out of the main doors and then through the courtyard, to the gates that led to the gardens. At the gates were two night guards.

“Am I permitted to enter the gardens?” she asked them as she approached.

One of them bowed, as they opened the gate. “Of course, Lady Rose.”

Prim managed to suppress her surprise at the use of her title, and she passed through the gate and into the gardens that were lit only by the moon above.

She looked up at the moon, and wondered if Princess Luna was watching her. She was an incredibly powerful alicorn, and goddess of the moon. Prim had no idea what she was capable of, but she took a small amount of comfort that Princess Luna may be concerned about her sudden departure, and may be watching over her.

Turning her gaze back to the path ahead, she began to wander through the gardens aimlessly. She passed flowerbeds and fountains, that lay still as the magic pumps were not active. The gardens were quiet except for the soft wind that blew overhead and the shifting of pebbles under her hooves.

“What shall I do?”

Her whisper seemed far too loud, and she looked around to make sure she hadn’t been overheard. But she was still alone.

Nearby though, there was a pond surrounded by grass and a pair of benches. She laid down on the bench and watched the stars ripple off the surface of the pond.

She pondered Princess Celestia’s request. For her to hide the nobility’s plot to overthrow Luna, for her to think about helping Princess Celestia prove that Luna was fit to rule. How would she know what Princess Luna should do to be a proper princess? She was eighteen, and the princesses were hundreds of years old. Maybe older, she didn’t even know.

“What should she be doing?” she asked with a sigh.

Should Princess Luna be acting like Princess Celestia? No. Maybe Princess Luna did not act like her sister, but she acted like a ruler. She acted like a princess, just a different kind.

Prim was walking through the fields of daisies that her family had planted in the spring. Her mane was out of its braid and hung down the side of her neck, loose and ragged-cut.

The wind was gentle and cool despite the warm air that clung to the field. The flowers were all white petaled with eyes, watching her as she brushed through them, leaving a wake of rippling daisies behind her.

She did not have to look back to know that her sister followed her, she could hear her light and innocent laugh and the joyous bounce of her hooves as she danced to each thin patch of bishop’s weed between the flowers.

Prim smiled, calm and relaxed as she listened to her sister play, but she kept her eyes forward.

Far in the distance, a tall blue figure stood upon a hill, but Prim paid it no mind. Likely just another seasonal worker, to be gone before she would learn their name or their favorite flowers.

“‘Rim-rose! ‘Rim-rose! Thinkin’ o ye while out fer a ramble, ‘Own by ah cold frosty stream! Set down on a bed of hemlocks and primroses gently ah fell inta dream!”

Prim knew that the voice that sang and laughed behind her wasn't her sister’s voice, it was her mother's, though young and filled with vigor.

“Into a dream, Compass?” Prim asked with a lighthearted chuckle. “What kind of dream would that be?”

“Well ye'd be there, o’course,” Compass said quickly. “And so’d be Fencepost, an we'd all three go out inta the great beyond! Adventure, an travel, an danger.”

Prim looked down at the flowers in front of her. They were still watching her, and it seemed with an air of pity.

“Fencepost… tell me about Fencepost again?”

“Well, he's dead, idn’t he?”

Prim kept walking, blinking tears from her eyes.

“I know. But tell me about him. What he was like.”

“He was the finest dog that there ever was, Prim. We found ‘em sittin in a hole out by the West way, like a Fencepost come ta life, an given floppy ears. He waited till we fixed ta pull em out afore he hopped out quick as ya please, an set about tryna lick pa’s head clean.”

“I remember, ‘Pass. I was there.”

Frightened by the things she knew could be said, Prim let silence return, as Compass Rose followed behind her, humming and giggling while she dodged through the endless field of flowers. Prim never looked back.

“Are we going to the forest?”

Prim laughed and nodded as she adjusted her course slightly.

“Don't see why not. We've got no work to do,” Prim replied. “and I've finished all my reading.”

“I wanted to learn to read,” Compass said sadly.

They were among trees, and Prim was hiding behind one. Her sister was on the other side of the tree, in the little wooden fort they had built of fallen wood.

“I know,” Prim whispered. “But I… didn't have the time.”

The sound of her sister’s hooves dragging through the leaves brought a pit to her stomach.

“Can you tell me a story, Prim?”

“Y… yes,” Prim said, licking her dry lips as her mind spun, looking for something to say. “A story of a princess.”

The hooves stopped, and Prim figured she had her baby sister’s attention.

Prim relaxed against the tree and looked up through the leaves at the sky. She tried not to cry, but a few tears snuck free as she sat there.

“There was a princess that lived far in the hills on the coast of the pony lands,” she said as she wiped the tears away. “The ponies she ruled over loved her, and she ruled them kindly.”

Prim hesitated. She was so scared of darkness and pain, she couldn’t continue the story, she couldn’t let anything bad happen, even in her story.

“Prim, are you okay?”

Prim felt the hoof on her shoulder and she flinched, before looking up at her sister.

Compass rose was perfect in every way. Her pink coat and white mane were brilliant and lively, and her bright green eyes looked concerned but full of life. In that moment, the beautiful impossibility of the dream was broken, and Prim knew her sister was dead.

“Everything is okay, Prim,” Compass said softly, stepping closer.

“No! No it’s not!” Prim sobbed, covering her mouth with a hoof as she backed away. “It’s not okay! You’re gone! You’re gone and… and… and I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

The wind around them grew in strength, and the sky darkened with clouds. Prim was wearing a black dress, uncomfortable and too tight and too heavy with memories. She was struggling to breathe.

“You can say goodbye,” Compass said as she stepped closer, holding out a hoof.

Somewhere nearby, there was crying, and Prim could feel her mother’s hoof on her back. She was standing in a graveyard, and staring down at Compass, who was laying in front of her in the rain.

“I can’t,” she whimpered. “I can’t said goodbye… Come back, ‘Pass… Come back!”

Abruptly, Prim awoke as she fell from the cold stone bench to the pebbled path. Eyes filled with tears, she beat the ground with her hoof, sobbing until she wore herself into exhaustion. Silently twitching on the ground. Slowly, she found the strength to dry her eyes and stand, looking around the gardens wearily. She was bitterly pleased to be alone. Judging by the moon’s position in the sky, she’d been asleep several hours.

Hanging her head low, she began walking slowly back towards the gates.

When she passed through the tall iron gates, there was a different set of guards, who just nodded as she passed by and headed into the castle. Her cloak fluttered in the wind, and she kept her eyes straight ahead. No point in trying to talk to the guards, they just let her pass.

Soon enough she was slipping back into her bedroom and wearily observing the sun starting to rise out of the window in her bedroom, the black sky brightening to blue, then teal, then hints of yellow.

She turned away from it all and drew her curtains. After all, her walk in the gardens hadn’t helped resolve her painful dilemma, or helped her forget the pain she’d come so far to run from.

With the room again dark, she took the tome to her desk and set it down, before flipping open to the journal pages. There were still many blank pages left to be filled.

She thought of what to write, what she could put down in words that wouldn’t be treason or some other form of betrayal.

She closed the tome and set it aside before rifling through the stacks of papers and drawers. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. A blank sheaf of paper, bound into a half-width little book.

Into it, she poured the last few days, desperate for some emotional release, and in that little journal of secrets she bled her heart.

Chapter 10

Prim Rose stood to the side as Princess Luna and King Grover entered the Great Chamber.

She’d spent the last 5 hours meticulously preparing the meeting, and ensuring that no odors would be present in the room which would disturb either occupant. Considering that King Grover hated pony smells and Princess Luna hated griffon smells, it was not a simple task.

Once they were inside and seated, Prim Rose slipped inside and closed the heavy doors behind her. She was so focused on performing her duties that she did not remember a single word spoken between the two.

She locked the doors, before stepping to the side and slipping two glasses from their holders by hoof. Even using magic for such a simple task near the King could incite his his paranoia.

The glasses were laid out on the table between the two rulers, and then Prim took the wine bottle from it’s cold resting spot. She removed the cork without making a sound, and then tested that the temperature of the blood red wine was exactly as it should be. Then, she turned to walk to the table.

Walking on one’s hind legs as a pony is not an easy task. First and foremost, the pony hindquarters are designed to support the weight of an equine in concert with their forward legs, and the instinct is always there to fall back to the proper stance. In addition, rearing up is a motion in action and brief. There is added stability in being in motion, which walking alone does not afford.

Finally, there is the question of moving from one hoof to another. Typically a pony never balances on a single leg for any length of time, so walking with only two was an exercise in balance few could perfect. Thankfully, Prim knew how to cheat.

Thanks to a ten pound weight tied to her tail to offer a slight counterbalance, and a thick plush rug, she did not have to stand quite so straight, and she did not have to lift her hooves. She simply slid them to move forward.

So, without disturbing the discussion, she swept into place, deftly poured two glasses of wine, and retreated to the corner to stow the bottle.

It was much to Prim’s surprise that she turned to look back at the table she’d just left to see Princess Luna looming over King Grover with a look of fury on her face. Having missed the leading conversation, Prim had no idea what was wrong, but simply remained in her post, trying not to stare.

“Thou art either a fool or a damned traitor to Equestria to say such a thing, Grover.”

The King backed away slightly, snarling in anger.

“If this is the thanks we are given for warning thee of such a terrible thing, then perhaps Equestria is better a stranger to us than we had thought!”

“Perhaps it is so,” Princess Luna said with narrowed eyes.

As King Grover stood, Prim quickly stepped up to the door and unlocked it, opening it just barely in time for the large griffon to brush past her and into the hallway.

His guards escorted him away, while Princess Luna caught her breath and sat again, staring at the spot where the King had been moments before. Prim waited next to the door, stunned by the rapid change in pace.

There had been plans for a brief meal after the meeting, clearly Princess Luna had not planned the outburst either. Something was terribly wrong, and there was no pony there to address it besides Prim.

She stepped forward, and in a daze Princess Luna looked up at her, expecting some banal information about the next thing on her schedule, or some offer of assistance. Instead, Prim decided that was the moment to take action on the request that Princess Luna had made months before.

“As a friend, your Highness… May I speak as a friend?” she asked cautiously.

Princess Luna’s gaze sharpened and she focused on Prim, jarred out of her contemplation.

“You may.”

“What in tartarus was that about?” Prim asked, stepping forward again. “What in the world did he say that warranted such a reaction? I hath given all of my attention to my duties and was not listening.”

Princess Luna’s expression turned dark, and she looked back to her table. Picking up her glass of wine she drained it, before picking up the other glass and emptying it as well.

Both were set down as she stood.

“King Grover insinuated that the conspiracy to dethrone us is orchestrated by none other than our own sister.”

“C… conspiracy?” Prim said, suddenly uncertain.

Luna swept past her and into the halls, and Prim managed only to lock the great chamber to be dealt with later before cantering after her to catch up.

“We hath kept it from thee, as thy work is heavy and new. ‘Tis not something that even a friend should be tasked with, but we hath become aware of a scheme to remove us from power.”

Prim, knowing more of what Princess Luna said than the princess would ever guess, did her best to keep to her side as she tried to understand how to reply.

“King Grover… he said that Princess Celestia led such a plan?” Prim asked, trying to clarify what Luna knew.

“No. Not led, but sanctioned,” Luna said bitterly. “It’s sickening, for him to think that she would know of such an insidious thing and not stomp it out. We hath done the same for her any time that we became aware of treachery.”

Princess Luna’s private chamber doors opened before she reached them, the guards standing aside and swinging them closed once Luna and Prim were inside.

“It’s absurd. It must be a trick. Some way to manipulate us,” Princess Luna muttered angrily, pulling open drawers and taking out writing implements and blank scrolls.

Prim stood near the door, her eyes following Luna as she stood completely still. That pressure was building again, the need to act, the need to come clean to her princess and admit what she knew. She had just a moment ago professed to be Princess Luna’s friend, and now she was lying by omission.

But this time, it was not just her own pride or fear that she was struggling with, but also the weight of the potential alliance between two nations. Despite all of that, it would be so easy for her to say nothing. In the end, it was the friendship that tipped the scales.

“It’s true,” Prim said softly.

Princess Luna’s magic released the things she had been grabbing, and they all fell to the floor as the magical lights in the room were abruptly snuffed out, the room growing cold in a fraction of a second.

If Princess Luna was not still standing there, Prim would have thought that she’d fallen asleep on her hooves and woken up to an abandoned room, the change was so drastic.

Prim straightened her neck, standing tall as Princess Luna turned to face her.

Luna looked like she was split between fury and terror.

“Hast thou misspoke, Prim Rose?” she whispered as she stepped towards Prim, head low and her wings spreading slightly like a bird of prey about to strike.

“I hath not,” Prim said, her voice wavering as she struggled to breathe regularly.

“Explain.”

“The first day I arrived… The meeting with thy sister…”

Princess Luna began circling Prim, staring into Prim as though she could weigh the character of her soul. Prim tried to keep her voice steady despite her growing fear.

“She showed to me a scroll from the nobility… A plan to dethrone thee and… She wished to prove them wrong.”

Princess Luna stopped, blinking in surprise.

“Pardon?” she asked as she closed her wings, and sat as the mage lights around the room flickered back to life, shedding a dim glow on the room.

“She… She wished to prove them wrong,” Prim said nervously, the sudden change of mood making her more nervous than the predatory stalking had been.

“We hath understood thee quite well, Prim Rose, but explain it. Prove who wrong? About what?”

Prim tried to relax and focus, to remember exactly what the paper she’d been shown had said.

“The nobility had created a petition… They wished to remove their cities from the Lunar court and swear fealty to thy sister, to deprive thee of power and taxes, and then have thee deposed as unfit for rule.”

Prim hesitated, looking to Luna who was listening carefully. She seemed unsurprised so far, apparently she’d uncovered much of the conspiracy already.

“Continue, Prim,” Luna said cooly. “How is our sister involved?”

“When she received the petition, Princess Celestia wished at first to encourage thee to employ an alienist in my post, which you knew of, so that they could evaluate thee as fit for thy post,” Prim said quickly. “Then when I became chamberlain, she asked me to help her evaluate thee… I was unwilling. I simply could not stomach the idea of tricking thee into evaluations and behaving… behaving like thy sister does. I refused, but kept the secret of the petition,” Prim explained.

Princess Luna pondered the revelation, standing and walking to the glass doors that looked out onto the patio. Prim remained quiet. Eventually, Luna looked back at her.

“She wished to counter such a thing? Not encourage it?” Luna said thoughtfully.

Prim nodded quickly before frowning and looking away.

“It is true, but… She wished to make thee more like her, your Highness. She wished for thee to respect the rich and nobility, and to be more sociable, I disagreed with these goals.”

Princess Luna huffed and shook her head.

“Such things, difference of rule we hath had for hundreds of years. We may discuss it, we may find a compromise, but to allow this deception and suspicion to stand… No. It shall not continue from this night. We must come together to combat the scheming and greed of the nobility. Not sit opposite to each other in silence.”

She opened the doors to her chambers and strode out, gesturing for her guards to stay at their posts, as Prim followed her, trying to keep up with her long gait.

“I don't… is that… art thou certain that is the wisest course of action?” Prim asked breathlessly, trying to find the most polite way to dissuade Princess Luna from her current path.

“Of course it is. We hath always been capable of settling our differences. This is a problem with the public, the nobles. Our connection to our sister shall never waver.”

Prim whimpered, a sound easily lost in the cacophony made by two sets of hooves cantering on stone tile.

All too soon, they were standing in front of Princess Celestia’s private chamber doors, with a double set of guards looking at them with no small amount of alarm.

“We must speak to our sister,” Princess Luna stated simply.

“Your Highness, I… we had been instructed by Princess Celestia to allow her as much sleep as possible this night.”

Princess Luna’s eyes narrowed to slits, and her horn lit up in pale blue. After a moment of confusion on the part of the guards, she then smiled.

“She is not asleep. We would sense her in the realm of dreams.”

The guards looked between themselves before knocking on the door.

“Yes?” Princess Celestia's voice called, weary. “What is it?”

“Thy sister requests to speak to thee, your Highness.”

“Enter.”

The guards pulled open the doors, allowing Princess Luna and Prim inside.

Prim expected lavish decorations in gold, and finery equal to Princess Luna’s chambers. What she did not expect was to see Princess Celestia sitting between two towering stacks of paper. She could see small crates around the room with additional paperwork, and a scroll basket that had overflowed into a scroll pile.

Princess Celestia looked up, and attempted to smile at her sister. But when she saw Prim, her smile grew bitter, and nearly vanished altogether.

“Sister, it is a pleasure to see thee as it is at any other time. May we ask what was so urgent this night?” Princess Celestia asked, her voice carefully neutral.

Princess Luna nodded briskly, and began to pace the room in front of Celestia’s great desk.

“Indeed, it is an urgent matter. Prim Rose hath informed us that there is some plot by the nobility, a petition that hath been sent to thee, regarding an insidious plot to dethrone us. While we understand that there was a need for secrecy, it is foolish to continue the deception when our investigation into the conspiracy hath already revealed it all to us. Besides, there is no force that can stand against us together,” Princess Luna said firmly, stopping to look up at Princess Celestia.

Princess Celestia was not even looking at Princess Luna. Instead, her gaze was on Prim. When Luna looked to Prim, she was shocked to see that the mare was struggling to breathe, as a golden ring of magic tightened around her throat.

“Sister! What possesses thee to harm our friend?!”

Princess Luna's magic sprung into a bubble around Prim, breaking the grip Celestia had, and allowing Prim to gasp for air, falling to the floor.

“Treason is punishable by summary execution,” Princess Celestia said, sounding almost bored. “Or so thee asserted to thy past Chamberlain. And thy past head mare in waiting, and thy captain of the guard, or was it…”

Princess Celestia feigned confusion, putting her hoof to her chin as the great windows of the room showed the night sky rapidly growing brighter.

“Was it thy honor guard? We cannot recall. Thou hast threatened so very many ponies with death after all. So if we decide to execute one lying, dishonorable, traitorous unicorn, why dost thou react with such shock?”

Princess Luna stepped back, looking at her sister in fear.

“Sister… put the sun back, it is night, what art thou doing?”

“One promise. Just to keep a single secret,” Princess Celestia said bitterly. “Just to honor the order of things. The order of ruling a country, the order of proper etiquette, the order of bureaucracy.”

She said the last word with a bitter hatred that coincided with her mane bursting into a roiling fire that rippled the air with heat. Quickly, the pillars of paper surrounding her burst into flames.

She smiled cruelly and her magic pushed the flames to spread around the room, catching every flammable thing alight as Princess Luna backed towards the door, eyes wide and dragging Prim in her magic.

“Sister, don't do this!” Luna begged. “Stop this at once!”

“No. No more polite requests,” the voice said from the flames. “No more smiling for the sake of others. No more picking up after your messes. No more trust, or honor, or the way things should be. No more sister. No more Princess Celestia.”

From the flames strode a changed mare. The alicorn’s teeth were sharp and predatory, her eyes were a dark burned orange with yellow pupils that seemed to flicker like flame.

With the sun rising behind her, she was walking in a beam of sunlight that cut through the rising flames, silhouetting her as she walked towards Princess Luna.

“I am Daybreaker,” she said as she looked down on Princess Luna with unholy fury in her gaze. “For I shall break even the natural order of things if it stands in the way of my whim and pleasure.”

Luna had just enough time to teleport Prim to safety before the solar wing of the castle exploded with enough force to send stone blocks as far away as the edge of the Everfree.

Luna was flung through the chamber doors, and landed hard in the middle of the great Hall before sliding nearly to her own bedroom doors.

As she stood she watched while Daybreaker floated closer and began walking towards her, tossing the bodies of her guards aside with a casual air that showed Princess Luna that this thing was nothing like her sister.

“Stop this!” Princess Luna shouted as she stood firm, bracing herself with magical spells. “You have a royal duty to uphold the diarchy!”

Daybreaker’s harsh laugh echoed in the halls as tapestries around her caught fire and screaming began to be heard throughout the castle.

“Dost thou intend to lecture me in royal duty, you pathetic excuse for a princess? Thee, who spent more of thy treasury on the poor who squandered it on brief satisfaction, than on any sort of sensible investment? Thee, who changed laws of marriage without consulting us for a sensible way to do so, and rather chose to alienate every traditionalist in a broad sweep of thy pen? Thee, who spends more time concerned with the state of thy guard than the state of thy country? Don't make me laugh.”

A beam of sunfire burst from Daybreaker's horn, roaring across the castle and only missing Luna by the width of a hoof, as she burst up out of a skylight into the suddenly bright sky.

She struggled to see as a pillar of light erupted from what little roof clung to the ruins of the far side of the castle. A second later, Daybreaker flew up to face Luna, her grimace of hatred becoming a scowl as she took in Luna's fearful expression.

“Afraid, Luna? I thought thou wert the warrior of the two of us. I thought thy confidence in thy honed skills of combat was firm. Surely thou hast bested thy sister before, or art thou beginning to realize that she let thee win?”

Princess Luna shook her head, a bubble of protective darkness forming around her.

“I never wanted to fight thee in anything but play, sister! Never like this. I have no desire to fight thee!”

Luna could see ponies exiting their houses all around the Everfree, or peering from their windows to take in the sight. To take in the flames rising from the castle. They all seemed stunned by the appearance of their two princesses, floating in the sky and speaking of combat.

“Oh but that simply won't do,” Daybreaker said with a cruel grin. “I'll have to make thee fight. Thou hast professed to hate the nobility, thou may be surprised that I do as well. Let us see if thou shalt defend them.”

Daybreaker waved her horn and there was a brief pause during which every pony in the Wilds started to run in every direction. Then the light in the sky changed.

Three meteors, wreathed in flames and screaming through the sky, became visible. They were headed straight for the city, and with some brief consideration, Luna could guess they would impact the Wilds.

Princess Luna did not hesitate. Blasts of her magic chipped away at the rock, but it was not fast enough. She placed dozens of shields in front of them, but they shattered every one of them effortlessly, leaving Luna dripping in sweat, her horn smoking.

In a final attempt to save her ponies, she flew just below the three meteors and called upon all of her power, slamming into the leading meteor from below, spreading her magic out to let her wings hit the other two at the same time, with the same force.

The explosion sent an exhausted Princess Luna into the ground below, and the meteors flying just over the tops of the tallest buildings, to crash into the Everfree forest, leaving three overlapping craters, and a single smaller crater in the streets of the Wilds, where Luna had landed.

Princess Luna barely found the energy to stand, but as she climbed from the hole in the ground, she looked up at Daybreaker, looking down at her from above the burning castle, and smiling. She knew that she was all that Equestria had left, their only defense against her former sister. If she did not defend them, all of Equus would burn. That realization somehow gave her the strength to go on.

“We shall protect all of our ponies!” Princess Luna shouted as loud as she could, before taking flight.

This time, she was the one to attack first, unleashing a spear of deadly black void that Daybreaker dodged, before replying in kind.

At every attack, Luna tried to ensure her attacks would not impact the city. Daybreaker seemed to have an opposite goal, and every attack was a forced choice for Luna. Take the beating, or let the ponies take it for her.

Too many times, Luna took the flames to spare her dying city.

Finally, the flames proved too much, and she was blasted from the sky, falling through the ceiling of the castle, and hitting the stone floor too hard.

Spiderweb cracks radiated out from her body, as Daybreaker laughed overhead.

“Burn! All of thee, burn! No more lies! No more hollow sympathy, no more kindness!”

The screaming of ponies brought a sob out of Princess Luna as she tried to get up, only to suddenly have a smaller pony pressing against her side, helping her stand.

“Prim?” Luna whispered as she opened her eyes.

It was not just Prim, but her night guard as well.

“What are thy orders, your Highness?” Prim asked in a soft tone.

Looking around at her ponies, she felt the stirring of pride in her chest. They were loyal to her still, despite it all.

“Evacuate the city, protect all you can. Prim, there is a lever behind the stairs up to our throne, pull it.”

The ponies all departed rapidly, while Luna caught her breath. Looking up, she saw her sister cackling madly as she burned Everfree City for its crimes, both real and imagined.

The clanking and grinding of machinery stirred Luna from her horrorstruck stillness.

Gradually, the machinery set into the foundation of the castle pushed up through the shattered stone, and with it came the elements of harmony. Five gemstones which represented Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, and Joy. Luna gathered them all in her magic before reaching into the stone sphere at the top of the statue, and drawing forth the sixth gem. Magic. Friendship.

She looked up at Daybreaker again, but this time it was with sorrow. She knew that the elements of harmony would put things right, but they were often brutal in their methods, turning an enemy to stone, destroying them entirely, or changing them in permanent ways.

Luna just hoped she would still have a sister when this horrible night was over.

Luna opened her wings and sprung back into the sky, as the elements formed a circle around her, already glowing with white light.

“Stop this now, sister!” Luna called out one more time.

Daybreaker stopped tossing fire and turned to look back at Luna. Again, it struck her how bored Daybreaker seemed. How uncaring.

“Thy sister has perished. She died slowly, painfully, while thou didst nothing.”

Sorrowfully, Luna began the elements spinning around her, forming a shield of rainbows.

“Thou hast leaft me no choice!” Princess Luna begged, eyes filling with tears.

“No choice at all,” Daybreaker agreed, before she unleashed a finishing attack.

The blinding star fire splashed off of the elements like water, before Luna replied with a rainbow beam.

Daybreaker struggled, pouring her power into resisting the inevitable energy, her attacks becoming more frantic by the second, until finally she was overwhelmed, and the light of the elements shot out and up into the sky.

For a moment, it seemed that Daybreaker was truly gone. But as an alicorn, Princess Luna was able to look into the sun without pain. There she saw the visage of a screaming mare, etched in sunspots on the boiling surface of the sun itself.

With her wings spread, Luna slowly glided down into the ruins of the castle of the two sisters, as the elements of harmony one by one froze into stone and fell to the ground below, inert and frozen, their connection to Princess Luna completely broken by the sorrow in her heart at what she had just done.

Chapter 11

“Your Highness…”

Princess Luna looked up to see Prim approaching her. Prim looked scared, and clearly concerned about the state of her Princess.

Luna looked up at the sky, the sun and the moon splitting the sky in a way that made her skin crawl. She knew what she had to do. She reached out with her magic, immediately feeling the moon, waiting for her like an old friend. But the moon was where it was supposed to be. Instead, she kept searching until she felt a flame in her mind. The sun. It burned to the touch, but Luna steadied her grip and began forcing the sun down beyond the horizon.

It hurt terribly, and a certainty grew in Luna's heart that the sun would never obey her willingly, and that pain would be her burden to bear for a long time to come.

“What hast thou done? Where is she?! Where is Princess Celestia?!”

Luna and Prim both turned to look at Golden Sparkle, who had just limped into the great hall.

She was bleeding from a cut along her side, and one of her forelegs was fractured or possibly broken judging by how she held it limply off the ground.

Princess Luna lowered her head as the sun was once again in place, and the sky returned to star filled blackness.

With the moon as the only light, it was easier to see the flames eating their way through the scorched rubble, and the mage lights that still shone even when they had been knocked out of their sconces, or when they had become nothing but shimmering dust spread across the fractured floor.

“We hath failed her,” Princess Luna said sorrowfully.

Golden Sparkle limped towards Luna, tears streaming down her face and grimacing in pain, but Luna shook her head when Prim went to stop the unicorn.

Luna let Golden reach her, and pound her good hoof against Luna’s side in anger. Ineffectual, but Luna took every blow without complaint.

“Bring her back! Bring Princess Celestia back!”

Princess Luna slowly put a foreleg around Golden, holding her gently and making sure not to put any pressure on the mare’s broken leg. Golden sobbed into Luna’s coat as she held her. Prim moved closer and put a hoof on Golden’s back, trying to offer some comfort.

As they were silently mourning the loss they had suffered, the sound of hooves approached, not just one set but many.

The day guard, the night guard, and every still living member of the castle staff poured from the rubble and still intact rooms, bearing witness to their remaining leader, and their sorrow. Slowly the two captains of the guard approached.

Night Fury, the bat-winged mare that served as night guard captain, approached and bowed low before Princess Luna. Braced Bridle, the unicorn stallion that had served Princess Celestia, approached and only inclined his head slightly, keeping his eye on her with suspicion.

“Your Highness, thy orders hath been seen to. The city of Everfree has begun evacuating to the edge of the forest, as fires spread. We hath pegasi in the sky, bringing in clouds to douse the flames. The solar guard is in disarray, though Captain Bridle has gathered all he could in admirable order, many of their number are missing,” Fury said quickly.

“Begin securing the perimeter of the castle. Bring all injured here, and begin recalling the citizens once the fires are out. We shall need four of each guard to assist us in rescue attempts within the castle. Golden Sparkle is still Castellian, and Prim Rose is still Chamberlain and seneschal. Once the flames are extinguished, send fliers to Hoofnia and Canterlot with request for immediate aid, and send fliers to Hoofnia, Canterlot, Trothnicum, and New Prance in request for their mayors and delegates to attend an emergency court session in one month’s time.”

Fury bowed low again as one of Princess Celestia’s scribes quickly recorded what she said. But Fury hesitated.

“What shall we tell them has happened?” She asked.

The small crowd fell completely still as Luna hung her head.

“Tell them that Princess Celestia fell under the pressures of commanding Equestria alone, and has been sealed away in the sun. Princess Luna, knowing she is at fault for the tragedy, takes up the reins of power, and shall endeavor to be as fine a princess as her sister hath been for five hundred years.”

In mute shock, Night nodded and turned away, before starting to direct ponies where to go and what to do.

Within an hour, the great hall was filled with the groans of the injured and the sharp hoofsteps off doctors and nurses tending to them. Even the mayor of Everfree was among them, setting broken bones and soothing pain with the skills she had as a zebra shaman.

Meanwhile, Princess Luna was lifting rubble with delicate precision, finding bodies and occasionally living ponies trapped below.

It was dreary and painful work. The bodies outnumbered the living, and Princess Luna felt she had to acknowledge, identify, and recognize every single one of them, even when she needed magic to recreate their faces.

“Princess.”

“Hmm?” Luna hummed as she shifted a heavy stone to reveal the empty space beneath.

“There's something wrong with thy mane,” Prim said as she stepped closer.

Already suspecting what she would find, Luna reached back and pulled some of the cloud of stars closer so she could better see it.

Individual strands of dark hair were visible, with stars glimmering inside them. At the edges, her mane had grown smaller and slightly lighter in shade.

Princess Luna sighed and let go of it, before grabbing another stone and lifting it out of the way.

“What is it?” Prim asked, her insistence briefly irritating Luna as she tried not to think about the body she’d just found, and how it was one of the castle maids.

She couldn’t remember the mare’s name, but she gently lifted her and laid her on a cot, telling one of the guards her post before she was taken away.

“We hath consumed so much power this night, we hath depleted our reserves far beyond what is typical for an alicorn. We shall likely lose consciousness upon raising the sun in four hours time. The drain may further change our appearance, but we hope it does not begin to affect our physical stature. Draining one’s earth pony magic takes much longer to replenish than the other two races’ magics.”

“If thee were to rest, it would be no shame. Let the rest of us complete this work,” Prim urged, but Luna just shook her head, lifting a massive stone and setting it aside. As she did, Prim could see her mane fading into pastel blue at the tips.

“Princess, I am ordering thee to go lead thy ponies, not to perform menial labor that any pony could do and exhaust thyself in the process,” Prim said with a confidence and force that Princess Luna had not heard from any of her staff in hundreds of years.

Slowly, Princess Luna turned to look at Prim. The unicorn didn’t flinch or back down but stood tall and pointed at the great hall. Slowly Luna nodded and sighed.

“My thanks to thee, Prim. We needed a firm hoof. Guards, please continue. We shall be nearby if our power is needed.”

The guards sprung into action as Princess Luna followed Prim back into the shattered castle, observing the many injured ponies laid out on cots. One of the servants approached Princess Luna, bowing low and waiting for her to let him rise before speaking.

“Your Highness, a Verdant Spring is demanding entrance to the castle grounds. He is uninjured, but claims to be Princess Celestia’s consort,” he said quickly.

Princess Luna, confused, looked around for Golden Sparkle. Gesturing for the servant and Prim to follow her, she went to Sparkle’s cot.

“Golden…”

“What dost thou wish of me?” Sparkle said quietly, not looking at Luna.

“A stallion named Verdant Spring is claiming to be our sister’s consort,” Princess Luna said simply. “Is this true?”

Sparkle looked up at his name, before nodding.

“He is. It was official five months past, though done quietly. He did not wish for the public to treat him as royalty.”

Luna nodded and put a hoof to Sparkle’s side.

“We give our thanks to thee, Golden. Now rest.”

They walked away from the cots and Luna nodded to the servant.

“Allow Spring into the castle, guide him to the grand chamber, it is undamaged. We shall be with him in minutes.”

The servant ran off and Princess Luna took Prim back down the hallway towards the shattered portion of the castle, but she stopped at the first door on the right.

Prim pulled the keys from her bags and unlocked the treasury. They stepped inside and Prim locked it behind them. Luna then took a pair of large keys from a hidden compartment in the stone decorations near the ceiling, and they descended into the vaults.

Prim had never seen them before, having no reason to enter the lower reaches of the castle. The vaults were reached down a deep spiral staircase, which ended in the middle of a chamber with a single vault door on each of its four sides. Each vault door was made of solid metal, forged by earth ponies and unicorns working in concert. Luna went to the vault door which had a sun etched on its surface. The key opened it and Prim was allowed to see the wealth of the solar treasury. Gold bits wrapped in paper labeled with amount, golden bars and bags of gemstones, three crowns and two torcs with their matching boots, as well as a small bookshelf with the rarest oldest books in equestria, except perhaps the ones in Luna’s neighboring vault.

“A key to the royal vaults was just… hidden in the stone?” Prim asked incredulously.

“Only us and our sister knew of these keys until today. They were made and hidden as a last resort. If there was revolt or our staff somehow lost all of the keys for the vaults, we would still be able to access our treasured memories and wealth before fleeing. Four hundred years ago we had less trust for the tribes of ponies we had united,” Princess Luna said as she picked up and judged the three crowns.

She set down the most heavily adorned of them, and then decided that a thinner lighter crown would be better than the heavier one which Princess Celestia normally wore.

The crown she chose was a fairly thin band of woven silver and gold scrollwork with diamonds set across its upper edges and a gradual peak at the horn which held a star-shaped arrangement of yellow diamonds. It was likely more expensive than Princess Celestia’s normal crown had been, but it would be easier to reshape.

“What is our purpose here?” Prim asked as she looked around at the vault’s contents. Princess Celestia’s mementos and secrets were here.

It felt like standing in someone’s bedroom while they were absent, an invasion of a private space normally granted only to a select few.

“The Diarchy must remain. As our sister has left us, there must be an appointment of her successor.”

“Thou art planning to appoint Verdant Spring?” Prim asked, looking back at the stairs up. “We know nothing of him, he could be dangerous, he could hold us at fault for Daybreaker!”

Prim’s hoof went to her neck, but Luna just nodded as she gathered a set of Torc and boots, and closed the vault once they were in the middle chamber again.

“Perhaps he shall. But are we not at fault? Not thee, but I. We put the burden of the state on her, and she collapsed. That is our fault in every way. Royalty is not assigned by skill or how much they are pleased by our presence, but by right. When Celestia chose Spring as a consort, she chose him as sufficient enough to rule in a catastrophe.”

The lock clicked into place and they began to ascend into the treasury, the keys hidden again before they exited and Prim locked the door behind them.

“We would say this is a catastrophe.”

“I suppose,” Prim sighed, before seeking out a pair of scribes and all of Luna’s mares in waiting that she could locate, which ended up being five.

Finally, they all together went to the great chamber.

Prim opened it first, nodding to the guards outside, before standing aside and looking to Verdant Spring as Princess Luna entered.

He was a green coated earth pony with a rust mane with pale yellow highlights and teal eyes, average build and mostly unremarkable except for the stance he took. He sat tall and did not react to the presence of royalty except to deepen his scowl. His cutie mark showed a bouquet of flowers with the sun above them.

“You monster.”

Everyone froze, even Princess Luna, as Verdant stood. Slowly, Luna took another step forward, looking down at Spring, focused and carefully neutral. She then nodded and sat, letting the rest of the ponies file into the room. The scribes set up in the corner and Princess Luna sipped a bit of water once Prim delivered a glass.

“At fault, we shall accept. We shall even accept that we hath been negligent in the past, and our sister suffered for it. But becoming Daybreaker was not our doing,” Luna said as gently as she could.

Spring just narrowed his eyes, waiting for Luna to continue. She gestured to a scribe, who raised a quill and began recording what they said.

“Verdant Spring. On this night, I, Princess Luna of Equestria, must perform a rite which no ruler ever wishes to perform,” she said gravely, looking down at her hooves. “But in moments of endless pain, the nation looks to its leaders, and we must never fail that harmony.”

She took a deep breath and looked up to meet Spring’s eyes. He looked uncertain, scared.

“Our sister has, through a breaking under the pressures of her post, abdicated the solar throne.”

Spring seemed about to object, but he looked to the scribe, aware of their purpose, and that his words would be recorded far into the future.

“As her consort, and with no other heirs to the throne available, thou shalt take up the crown of the sun, to maintain the Diarchy.”

Before he could back away or shout, the crown was raised and placed onto his head.

“May thy presence grow our country and prevent such a horrible tragedy from ever happening again,” Luna said before touching her horn to his forehead.

“By the power of harmony and by the grace of past royalty I, Princess Luna of Equestria, grant to thee, Verdant Spring, the station of Prince until such a time as your predecessor may retain the post you shall protect. In this post you may never allow Equestria to fall, you may never allow for evil to claim the hearts of our ponies, and you may never allow for power to lure you to greed. By these tenants do you so swear?”

“I so swear,” Spring whispered shakily.

“Thus we declare thee to be His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring of Equestria.”

“Long live the Prince,” the guards in the room said in unison.

The scribe finished writing, and the scroll was passed to the other scribe to make a copy. The first scribe then galloped out of the room to fetch further paperwork as Spring reached up to touch his crown. He then looked to Luna.

“I never wanted this.”

“Neither did we. We had hoped to heal the divide between us and our sister, we had hoped dearly that the Elements of Harmony would cure her of the Daybreaker, but instead they banished her.”

“Daybreaker… Banishment, where… Please, explain to me what happened,” Prince Spring begged.

Prim shifted nervously as Luna began to speak. Just the memory from hours ago of what had happened was enough to make her feel sick. The cruelty and apathy in Celestia’s eyes when she’d held Prim’s throat tight with her magic still swam in her mind.

Prim realized that there was a hoof on her back, after a few moments. Princess Luna had stopped talking and had turned closer to Prim to comfort her. Prim had been hyperventilating, and even Spring looked concerned.

“I suppose I can see how… she may have caved under the pressure, but… She was always composed with me, never letting me see how difficult it was to rule. There was the Celestia I knew, and then the Princess on the dias, and they never shared the same face… Is she alright?” he asked finally, gesturing to Prim.

“Prim? Thou art safe,” Luna said gently, drawing Prim close and letting her drink from her cup.

“I’m sorry… Your Highness… your Highnesses, I just… I’m sorry.”

“It is quite alright,” Luna said firmly, holding Prim with a wing. “Thou hast stood by our side this day, the darkest of days. The pain thee struggles with is the pain I feel, and it is no minor thing.”

Luna steadied herself and turned back to Spring.

“We suppose our sister did not let us see this… true self, then. We knew only of the Princess. The ever certain and righteous figure. It is a shame, we’d known her for so very long, yet did not detect the growing darkness in her.”

“Where was she banished to?” Spring asked after a moment of silence.

“The sun. ‘Tis too bright for most ponies to see, but we could see it, her image upon it’s surface.”

Spring hung his head, before quickly hiding a tear he had shed.

“Is there a path back from such a place? Is she gone forever?”

“We do not know,” Luna admitted. “But we shall seek such a way to return her. Some way to safely bring her back to us. Then we shall do so. But thou must know that the Elements of Harmony do not seem keen to enact temporary solutions. Discord is still frozen in stone, after all. It may be some time until we are able to retrieve our sister.”

“I understand,” Spring sighed, looking out of the windows into the gardens, his eyes glossy with tears.

Princess Luna, meanwhile, seemed distracted, looking down at Prim several times, and encouraging her to drink more water. Finally, she stood.

“It is nearly time for the sun to rise. We shall be incapacitated once we have done so, and Prim Rose shall assist thee in the operations of the castle until we awake.”

She lowered her head to be next to Prim’s, and Prim nodded quickly. “I can do this. With Golden Sparkle’s help, we can do this, your Highness. I just needed a moment to recover,” she said with a timid smile.

“We had no doubt in thy skill,” Princess Luna said, before nuzzling Prim and leaving the room, leaving Prim and Prince Spring to figure out what needed to be done.

Chapter 12

The sun rose, bringing light through the windows and the many holes in the ceiling as the many ponies crowded into the castle seemed to pause all at once. They all looked up into the brightening sky, and they seemed to take in what had just occurred for the first time. Some ponies burst into tears, wailing at the sun and the pain of what had just happened. Some stared into the sun directly, until they could see Daybreaker’s sneer, and look away with spots seared into their vision. Others turned away from the sun, as if to refuse acknowledging it would somehow preserve them from the pain of what it’s Princess had done, keeping her image pure in their memories. A few did not notice the moment passing at all, as they remained unconscious or so damaged that they were unaware.

Some did not bear witness, as they no longer could see, or no longer lived.

Prim paid them all no mind as she strode, level headed and with a steely gaze, to Golden Sparkle’s bedside.

“Can you walk, Lady Sparkle?” she asked quietly as she sat next to the cot.

“No,” Sparkle said sharply. “And I would prefer to be alone.”

“If I could honor thy wish, I would. But a new solar diarch has been crowned. We must attend the castle, as Her Highness is now unconscious from the strain of raising the sun.”

Sparkle closed her eyes, curling up a little more and wincing in pain as she did.

“What do you need of me?”

“Where is the duty roster for the solar court? We must start an accounting of survivors,” Prim said quickly. “I also need to know where any documents may be that detail Princess Celestia’s dealings, so we may begin moving them over to Prince Spring.”

Sparkle sighed. “Prince Spring… How could… No, do not listen to me. The duty roster and my ledger are both buried beneath the rubble of my room, from whence I crawled. The records would have been largely in her chambers, though some were kept in the library and the sitting room.”

She levitated her own set of keys from her mane, where she apparently kept them hidden, and chose one of them, a smaller key.

“This accesses the sitting room, They key must be used on the leg of the right chair, and then that chair tipped back, away from the table. The hidden doors then open.”

Prim nodded, committing the directions to memory before turning to leave. She hesitated though, looking back at Sparkle.

“Thou hast my deepest sympathies for thy loss,” Prim said cautiously.

But Sparkle turned her head away from Prim, and Prim could only leave.

She gathered a pair of day guards, and together they cleared the larger pieces of rubble from Golden Sparkle’s chambers. The roof had partially caved in when Princess Celestia’s chambers had exploded, and the bed was so damaged that Prim could only marvel at Sparkle’s survival.

After a brief search, Prim found the ledger and roster, both in the remains of a shattered table. Once she had both in her bags, she took the two day guards into the library and right up to the chair she’d been told about. The guards both seemed nervous, stopping near the doorway as she continued.

Prim paused, looking back at them with a questioning hum. The senior officer cleared his throat, shuffling his stance a bit.

“The sitting room is an… open secret. Guards and staff are not to enter unless invited. It was a place her Highness could go to be alone.”

Prim looked back at the chair with a new understanding of what she was about to do.

“Ask for Prince Spring’s presence, if he does not mind.”

The guards both rushed away, returning a minute later with the prince. Spring was not wearing his crown, and for all purposes looked like a normal stallion. Prim frowned, but did not raise the issue. The stallion had become royalty but an hour ago, and surely he was adjusting. She could not expect him to act as a prince should act so quickly.

“You had called for me, Lady Rose?” Spring asked softly.

The weight of the night was clearly catching up to him. He looked defeated and near to tears. But Prim felt a sort of cold certainty. The weight of Equestria rested on her back at the moment. Not Princess Luna, not Prince Spring, not Golden Sparkle. She understood the roughness that Sparkle had displayed on that first day. She understood how she must be firm as granite under the weight she carried, or ponies could die. Cities could fall. She acknowledged the pressure and firmly set aside the panic and fear. She had a job to do.

“Your Highness. We must begin gathering all the knowledge of thy wife’s affairs, to put things in motion. To properly induct thee and prepare for the future--”

“My wife?” Spring said, raising his head to look at Prim with an incredulous glare. “Celestia is not just… Not my wife. She is our Princess! She is the leader of our nation! She--”

Prim stepped up nose to nose with the Prince.

“Then surely she can lead the nation now, and I am not needed,” Prim said firmly.

The prince stepped back in shock, and the two guards looked to eachother, uncertain.

“I did not intend to be so cruel, but now is not the time to honor Princess Celestia’s memory. Right now the image of Daybreaker is still bright in the sky, and Equestria must go on. So. We must gather all of the knowledge related to the solar throne. Within the sitting room is much of that information, and to honor the importance of that room, we would all rather that thou enter it, rather than us, the uninvited staff.”

The prince nodded, silent as Prim went to the chair and unlocked it, pushing it back and triggering the two nearest bookshelves to grind out of their positions and begin rolling to the sides, revealing the chamber within.

Prim was surprised by how similar the room was to the great chamber she cared for. An exact mirror to it, down to every detail except the books on the bookshelves and the table in the center.

On the table in the middle, a single ornate book lay, but Prince Spring did not touch it or even look at it. Instead, he began removing the many books from the shelves and putting them on the library table.

“What is that?” Prim asked the older guard, gesturing to the book on the center table.

“The princess’s private journal,” he replied quietly. “They kept it together for many years, but in the last decade only Princess Celestia wrote in it.”

“I shall have to ask Princess Luna what to do with it,” Prim sighed as she began sorting the books.

It took almost an hour to sort every book into various categories. Official records, private journals or other books written by Celestia that were not official, externally created fiction and reference books, and a few private books of Luna’s.

They returned everything but the official records to the bookshelves, but as the last were returned, Prince Spring hesitated at the doorway. He looked at the soft lounge chairs, and the room as a whole.

“For today, I would like to stay in this room, if it is acceptable,” he told Prim as he took one of Celestia’s personal books from the shelves and held it to his chest.

“Of course, your Highness. I shall return if there is more I need from thee,” Prim said, before bowing and taking the two dozen record books with her, floating in her yellow magic.

She went back to her room before calling two of the solar scribes to her. They showed up nervous and downcast but willing to help.

“We must transfer all of Princess Celestia’s official titles, contracts, and other dealings over to Prince Spring in order to understand where we lay.”

“Well… Much of it is held by the solar throne,” one of the scribes offered. “So by his royal highness’s appointment, he would inherit them. Not all of Princess Celestia’s matters will need to be transferred so long as the solar throne is maintained.”

“Good! Good, that will simplify things. Much of Princess Luna’s dealings are to her by name, not to her throne, so I had assumed…”

The scribes shuffled nervously, looking away.

“Is... what she has been doing not proper?” Prim asked more gently, concerned.

“Well.. She does not keep scribes, that alone is odd. Those she treats as scribes are more… Personal assistants. But it all should be owned by the throne, not by the Princess.”

Prim nodded, thinking it over.

“Very well. I will speak with her on that point then, but for now, may thee begin the process of officially assigning the solar throne to Prince Spring? Then we may begin finding what else must be addressed.”

The both got to work and Prim relaxed, leaving them in her office while she left, gathering two night guards to go with her.

They began the grueling task of gathering names and crossing them off a copy of the duty roster. Too many names were missing. By the time she had accounted for every pony in the castle, half were still absent. Many, she hoped had run or been away at the time of the fight, but the bodies were too numerous to hope that many had escaped in time.

After double checking the living, she finally went to the courtyard, where the bodies had been laid out under plain white sheets. Guards stood watch and various shamans and healers were going to the side of each fallen pony, closing their eyes and giving their spiritual respects.

“The names,” Prim said quietly as she approached one of the guards.

The guard gestured toward the guard on the other side of the courtyard before going back to staring at the ground in front of him. Guarding the dead was a ceremonial duty, and one that gave the guards plenty of time to dwell on what had happened, concerned only with keeping eachother company.

Prim felt she should say something, but there were no proper words that she could find, so she just nodded to him and continued to the other guard, a mare who was speaking in hushed tones with one of the pegasus healers that was standing near the bodies of some fallen guards, still in their damaged and bloody armor.

“It’s customary to leave the armor on, to show… their service. I understand that Fletcher was a member of the church of providence but considering that he fell in the line of duty, could he be buried with his armor at least, of not wearing it?”

The robed pegasus nodded solemnly.

“We shall wrap it in cloth, like a personal belonging, if that is acceptable?”

The guard relaxed, nodding quickly as she backed away from the healer a little as she saw Prim, but Prim did not interrupt.

“Yes, thank you. I simply… I feel they should be honored for it all, if that is understandable?”

The healer stepped closer again and put a hoof to the guard’s chest, and the guard closed her eyes, head lowering slightly as the healer began a soft prayer.

“In Harmony’s light, both sun and moon bright, we all mourn the passing of those before their time. But rejoice in the knowledge that their memory will never truly fade.”

“Amen,” the guard said quietly, as the healer let go and stepped away to resume tending to the dead.

Prim stepped forward and nodded to the guard.

“Lieutenant, I’ve been told thee possesses the list?”

She nodded and produced a scroll, but didn’t hold it out, narrowing her eyes as she examined Prim.

“Some of my mares tell me that thou wert present in Princess Celestia’s chambers this past night. What happened?”

Prim noticed for the first time that the guard was armored in gold, a day guard.

She stood taller, knowing that she had to be truthful, and had to be complete.

She recounted to the guard the story of the secret she'd been asked to keep. Her reluctance, and her response to Princess Celestia, swearing to keep it, but declining to join in the conspiracy. As she spoke, other guards and priests gathered, listening. Before long, she had a crowd of two dozen.

“I had no choice in that moment but to reveal to her Highness that the plot was real, but that her sister had sought to dismiss it, rather than allow or encourage it. Princess Luna wished to settle it all, and strode quickly to the other side of the castle and the solar chambers, wherein Princess Celestia sat, at work in the governance of our nation…”

Her mouth grew dry, and she looked out on the crowd. Half of them served the solar court, and would be hearing for the first time what had happened from an observer. If they believed her at all.

“When Princess Luna began to explain how she had discovered the petition, both from myself and from her investigation, Princess Celestia turned her eyes to me, and began to choke me with her magic.”

Her voice trembled, and she looked down at the grass rather than at the shocked ponies before her, some of whom had gasped and covered their muzzles in shock.

“She would never--”

“Well she did!” Prim shouted over the solar guard who had spoken, her hooves trembling, tears in her eyes. “she then justified herself on the threats Princess Luna had given in the past to her staff, and my betrayal of her trust, before she brought fire to bear on the papers in her chamber, and brought the sun out of its sleep. Declaring herself no longer Princess Luna's sister, and no longer our Princess, she abdicated the throne and renamed herself Daybreaker,” She finished quickly. “Princess Luna flung me into a teleport to the gardens outside her chamber window just before the eruption, and from there I know as much as thee.”

After a moment, the lieutenant gave Prim the list of names, shaking her head.

“Had I not seen her in the skies myself, I would not believe it,” She said before looking to the other gathered ponies. “We've troubled lady Rose enough this day, and I am certain she is weary. Let us all do our part in this recovery. Quickly now, go.”

They all dispersed, carrying the story with them, as Prim tried to steady her breathing. Retelling the story had brought back the searing heat and choking tightness to her chest, and she felt all at once too hot and too cold.

“Lady Rose?”

One of the night guards had stepped up next to her and shaded her with a Bat - like wing.

“Apologies, I am… recovering, as we all are. Please, if you could verify the names?”

The guards nodded quickly and began comparing the two lists, narrowing it all down to fourteen names that were unaccounted for. Quickly, they returned to the inside of the castle, and then to Prim's chambers. She drew her curtains against the bright sunlight, and sat for a moment among her more familiar bookshelves, while the guards stood watch outside and the scribes worked tirelessly.

Once she had calmed herself, Prim buried herself in her work. She composed official letters stating who was missing, and a single letter to be copied and sent to each family that had lost a loved one in the attack. It was emotional work, but it was work that she could focus on rather than her own pain. She also wrote down her thoughts on how they would be moving forward, and how to accommodate Princess Luna's dislike for nobility. Ways to strip them of political power while maintaining the appearance of importance. They would all have to be evaluated by scribes who knew more of the law than her, but she needed something to do.

A guard knocked on the door near midday, shaking Prim’s focus.

“Come in.”

She entered with a nervous looking Pegasus colt, who bowed to Prim. The guard stepped up next to him.

“This is June Bug, messenger from Canterlot. He flew here to deliver a message to Princess Celestia.”

Prim took in the colt in a new light. He was lean, with wide wings and a fit physique. A messenger, sure, but a young and practiced one.

“What is this message?” Prim asked.

He drew a scroll from his bag and passed it over, letting Prim open it and read it herself.

“The mayor of Canterlot had been pressuring Princess Celestia to process the petition to remove eleven cities from Princess Luna's domain,” Prim concluded, rolling it up with her magic.

“Come with me, all of you.”

Prim marched her four guards, two scribes, and messenger through the halls, drawing stares with the cold and determined look on her face. They got to the library and entered, as Prince Spring looked up, surprised by the sudden entrance.

Prim walked up to the doorway of the reading room and stopped, dropping the scroll on the table in front of him.

“Though the petition to effectively remove Princess Luna was destroyed in the fire, it still stands to be evaluated, and the nobility will likely still press to execute it,” She stated simply, as Spring struggled to keep up.

“Petition?” He asked, looking from Prim to the guards.

“She didn't tell you?”

He simply shook his head, and with a heavy sigh Prim recounted from memory almost exactly what the petition had meant to do.

“And this was destroyed in the fire?” He asked, as he pondered the idea.

“Correct, though we may in time find another copy.”

“I deem, by the royal power granted to me by the solar throne, that Princess Luna is fit to rule,” Spring said simply.

Prim hadn't expected a simple declaration, and hesitated, looking to the scribes.

“Does that fix it?”

They both seemed uncertain, but one of them finally nodded.

“He may need to say ‘we declare’ and sign a written version using the proper royal plural, but… yes. I believe that it nullifies the basis of the petition.”

Prim grinned and gave Prince Spring a quick nod.

“Very well, your Highness, we shall have a written version for thee to sign shortly, thank you for resolving that.”

“I'm… we? The royal plural, I am supposed to be saying ‘we,’ correct?” He asked, one of the scribes nodding. “We would much rather have Princess Luna at our side, running Equestria as the diarchy it was meant to be, than letting some group of wealthy ponies get rid of the lunar court.”

“I just wish that Princess Celestia had felt the same,” Prim said, her smile fading to a bitter frown.

“She may have. She might have been planning on using her authority as a last resort,” Spring said firmly.

Prim looked at him and realized that he really did still love the mare that had tried to kill her. She would have to be careful not to let her resentment show. Instead she just nodded.

“She might have. If we need anything else, I shall return,” Prim said, before turning and leaving.

She went back to her chambers, and while the scribes wrote out the declaration, she wrote out a step by step account of the events of the night. Once it was done, she wrote a second shorter letter that explained the current state of Equestria, Prince Spring’s induction, and the lists of the missing and dead.

She then had more scribes make many copies of them all, before bundling up a single set of all the information, along with a copy of Prince Spring's declaration, and gave it all to June.

“Take these back to the mayor of Canterlot. I expect another messenger will arrive in the following days to request the attendance of the mayor in a court session once Princess Luna has recovered.”

He bowed again, and was quickly gone.

Chapter 13

Prim was in the middle of a brief meal when one of the servants ran into her room, breathless.

“The princess… She is asking for thee.”

Prim galloped after him, and was quickly led into Princess Luna’s chambers. They were dark, every shade drawn, and not a single pony within besides the princess. The doors were closed behind her, and Princess Luna raised reddened eyes and a tear streaked face to look at Prim, who was frozen at the door. Prim hadn’t even thought of how Princess Luna would be coping with the tragedy. She’d only been thinking of herself and the ponies around her.

“Princess Luna?” Prim said softly, stepping closer.

“Tell me it was all a nightmare,” Luna croaked, fresh tears matting the coat of her cheeks. “Please, Prim, tell me my sister is still here.”

Prim had never heard Princess Luna speak without the royal plural, or so emotionally, so desperate. She walked closer, until she was standing over the fallen princess, who had cornered herself where her bed met the wall. Prim hesitated for a moment, before she sat and carefully took Luna’s head in her grasp, embracing her.

Luna’s sobs shook both their bodies, until Prim was crying with her.

“I didn’t mean to do it!” Luna wailed. “I did not mean to leave such a burden on her!”

“I know. We all know,” Prim said, her voice low, and her eyes closed. “We all know this was not thy intention, Luna. This is not thy fault.”

Never in her life would Prim have imagined that she would comfort a princess in a time of need, but she found that it was a natural thing to do. Luna’s head was just a little larger than anypony else’s and it lay heavy in Prim’s foreleg, as the other hoof ran down the side of Luna’s neck to her shoulder, before repeating the gesture. It was not meant to heal, Prim had not nearly enough confidence to think that she could heal such a deep wound, but she thought she may be able to stop the emotional bleeding this evening.

“I miss her,” Luna whispered, as though she was afraid to be overheard.

Prim didn’t speak. It wouldn’t be proper to interrupt her, to break the delicate moment when the princess was willing to speak on her pain.

“There was so much I needed to tell her,” she said, her breath coming in short gasps.

Princess Luna stood roughly, her hooves slipping on the floor like a long legged filly trying to stand for the first time, as she looked to the sun, low in the sky outside her window. Stumbling towards the window, she was stopped only by Prim stepping in front of her and putting her forelegs around Luna’s body, holding her as tight as she could.

“M… Maybe she c… can hear me!” Luna wailed, her magic ripping the window open with enough force to blow the glass panes apart, but Prim didn’t let go despite the glass shards bouncing off her back.

“Sister!” she howled, tears dropping on the top of Prim’s head as the alicorn tried to struggle forward, but failed to gain a step. “Tia, please, I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t… Oh stars I didn’t mean to. Please… Please…”

She came to rest in Prim’s arms again, her shouting having faded to mumbled whispers, quiet begging for a reply that wouldn’t come.

Prim did not speak, because Luna’s wracking sobs shook her body so sharply that Prim knew she wouldn’t be able to say anything steadily anyway, and Luna needed an immovable rock to lean on, no matter how temporary.

“We gained our marks together.”

Several minutes had passed, and Luna’s crying had become less violent, but Prim had stayed firm, holding the Princess’s head close.

“What happened?” Prim asked after she realized Luna was waiting for her to speak.

It surprised her to realize her own voice was rough, her cheeks matted with tears.

“Starswirl came to us when he failed to set the moon… We didn’t understand how painful… How draining it was for the unicorns to raise and set the sun and moon… They would give themselves completely to it, the task leaving them unable to cast even the simplest spells for months or even years…”

Prim gently brushed some of Luna’s tears away from under her eyes.

“It was a last resort. We had no marks, no talent, just… figureheads. Symbols of… unity. Two unexplained alicorns wandering the land, not knowing what we sought”

She closed her eyes tight and her lips twisted in a pained grimace as she fought the sorrow. When she finally spoke, her voice cracked and wavered.

“Tia thought we could do it… She was so… so strong and… certain. I followed her to the peak of the mountain and we brought our magic to bear on the greatest things any creature could hope to grip. The sun and moon. It seemed impossible.”

She twisted her head to look back out the window, at the sun. It was slightly lower, the sky starting to tint red.

“She rose the sun while I set the moon, and in that moment… I found something of myself, a way of living, a reflection… of something more than myself.”

Her expression turned to a bitter scowl, and she went limp against the carpet.

“Now, all I shall reflect is sorrow.”

“No.”

Prim’s voice was as firm as she could make it, and her grip on Luna tightened, holding her close.

“You don’t just reflect your mistakes, nopony does. Thou art thy successes, thou art all the times that thou hast saved ponies and cared for them. Thou art a reflection of thy ponies and thy nation, not just… Not just thy sister and the pain thou must feel now.”

Luna slowly released the tension in her neck, and her wings fell limp against the floor. Finally, Prim took in her appearance, which she had not bothered with on entering the room.

Princess Luna’s mane was as long and flowing as ever, but the burning stars that had lit it’s black surface had faded to the barest glimmers, and pastel blue strands had taken their place. She seemed so crushingly ordinary, as though she were a holy icon that had been stripped of all it’s silver and jewels, and was bare before her, all wood and lead and cloth.

But somehow, Prim found her more precious for it.

Slowly, a silver-blue light came to Princess Luna’s horn as she lay there, gathering and growing into a bright white flare. As it grew in brilliance, the sun outside set beyond the mountains, and though Prim could not see it, she knew the moon was rising on the opposite horizon.

Such powerful magic was being performed just inches away, and yet Prim paid only attention to the tears still streaming from Luna’s eyes. The princess was a mess, and she seemed so drained that she would not even break her gaze from the shattered window in front of her. She seemed content to lay there as her horn darkened, and the depth of the night reclaimed her unlit room, the moon in the sky far from the proper angle to light it.

Prim’s horn slowly took on it’s own straw-yellow light, and she slowly stood, as a handkerchief floated over from a bedside stand.

While the sounds of the city outside driften in, Prim dried Luna’s eyes and nose, refusing to pay attention to the princess’s huffs and pinned back ears until her nose was dry. She then fetched a basket of brushes and began running it through Luna’s mane, then her coat. The princess would shed more tears, but each time she did, Prim dried them carefully and resumed her care. It was the sort of thing that a mare in waiting would normally do, but made so much more personal by the circumstance.

No more words were spoken between them in the following hours, only an unspoken growing bond. Something greater than the friendship that Luna had offered, and something lesser than the pain they had both collapsed from, it persisted in spite of it all.

She guided Luna into her regalia, and carefully brought strands of her mane into place as Luna stood at the window, looking out at the city and the craters in the forest. Prim hesitated, finding something wrong with the image of the regal princess. Her simple blackened silver regalia did not match her grief or her expression of despondency, and almost seemed to mock the mare who wore them.

Though Luna looked to her questioningly, she did not stop Prim as she removed the regalia and went back into the royal wardrobe. It took a few moments, but she finally found something fitting.

When she emerged, Luna’s eyes widened and she almost backed away, but Prim persisted, and dressed her quickly.

The crown was polished silver and had not a trace of black, but with it Prim paired a mourning veil to trail down Luna’s neck. Her Torc was thin, decorative, not like the armor that it got it’s name from at all, and the boots were almost like slippers.

Doing what she thought would match the somber mood, Prim dressed her princess, only to halt at a whisper from Luna’s lips. She didn’t quite hear, and stepped closer in the hopes of catching it.

“I’m sorry, couldst thou repeat thyself?”

“Get out.”

Prim’s blood went cold, and she looked at Luna’s expression to try and understand what seemed to her to be a sudden change, but Luna’s face was a mask of fury.

“I didn’t--”

“Get out!” Luna roared, and with a blast of magic she tossed Prim aside, letting her tumble across the floor to land near the door.

On shaking hooves, Prim tried to work the handle, but it wasn’t until the guards opened the door for her that she was able to leave, her princess tearing the regalia off herself as Prim ran to her own room, stumbling and hooves trembling.

She made the scribes leave and locked herself in before curling up on the floor, sobbing. She didn’t understand it, she felt dazed and rattled to her core, and she could only blame herself. She had seen perfection in Luna, and somehow she had ruined it.

She began slamming her hoof into her hind leg, striking it again and again as the shaking grew worse, desperate to punish herself for whatever she had done to enrage the one pony that she now realized she loved.

When Prim awoke, her memories were clouded, and the evening before seemed so far away. She stood from the floor and took her clothes off before climbing into the tile lined washing tub that likely cost more to manufacture than her childhood home and farm.

The distant thought of buying all of Trothnicum and becoming a noble in right as well as title gave her a short thrill of vindictive pride, her lips pressed in a thin humorless smile as her magic gripped the handle and turned, allowing a thin spray of cold water to rain down over her.

Her magic undid the braid in her mane, and soon the water had soaked into her, easily enough to rinse the dirt and sweat from her. She remembered the public bath and her thin smile faded. She could have just come back to the castle, but she’d forgotten she had her own bath back then, it was such a distant and strange thought.

Looking around, she realized that she did not have scrapers or brushes, just towels.

She used her hoof to scrape her coat clean, once she turned off the cold shower, and then she dried herself as she started to shiver.

The moon had not yet set, and it was still dark outside, but she couldn’t go back to sleep. She did not remember her dreams, but they had not been pleasant. Everything outside of her room seemed so far away.

As she paused at her window, she looked out on the garden and saw the guards patrolling. The city seemed normal, quiet, and still at this early hour. She resolved then that she would begin waking earlier, if at all possible, to take in this emptiness she craved.

So, awake and with her emotional state in a neutral place, Prim began to work. She balanced the lunar budget, checked the numbers with the treasury, ensured that all of the roster schedules were posted, and that all the ponies who had worked in the past month had been paid. It took time, but it took her mind off more painful things.

It seemed like very little time had passed when the sunlight pouring through the skylight made her uncomfortably warm, and her stomach ached with hunger. So she reluctantly set her papers aside and left her room.

It was shocking, how different the mood was outside her chambers. The shattered hallways and the injured ponies lining the great hall all spoke to the violence that had befallen the place, a violence she did not want to remember.

She had to pause near a cot and catch her breath as the feeling of being choked came back to her, and would not leave. She had to close her eyes and block out every sound around her as she whimpered, the panic attack nearly making her cry out. But slowly it subsided.

When she was aware again, a healer was shading her with their wing, offering her a place to hide from the sun above.

“I’m sorry, I--”

“No apologies. Not when in pain,” the old pegasus said firmly. “Is this seizing of the heart new?”

Prim nodded and the healer grimaced.

“This is a lasting pain. One which appears connected to the heat of the sun. I would recommend to thee a cloak, to offer a sense of protection, and a strict schedule to comfort the heart. No tragedy leaves it’s victims easily.”

Prim just numbly nodded, and the healer walked away. Before the heat of the sunlight could catch up to her, Prim cantered to the other side of the hall, taking refuge in an intact section of hallway before ducking into the tunnel that led to the staff feast hall, which was being used to feed all the ponies residing in the castle.

The hall was busy with day guard and staff, as well as all the injured that were healthy enough to walk, and the healers who gathered meals in bulk for those that could eat but not yet walk. Just like the rest, Prim waited in line, staying quiet and solitary as conversations buzzed around her.

Once she got to the front of the line, she was given the same quick meal as everyone else. An invention from a city in Prance that Princess Celestia had once visited, the Pasty. It was like a pie but baked without a form and small enough for an earth pony to hold in one hoof. It made an efficient meal for one, and was served along with a folded paper pouch with some dried figs inside. She was also given a wooden cup that could be filled with a nearby barrel that was attended by a guard, as clean water was not easily available, the forest tainting much of the water that flowed through the moats and under the city bridges.

After gathering her things, Prim sat and ate, watching the other ponies go about their lives with a bit of curiosity, but a healthy amount of comfort in not having to interact with them. Though she did not mind other ponies, the last 24 hours had left her feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed, and the last thing she needed was more ponies trying to speak with her, like the healer in the great hall. While the healer’s help was necessary and at some level appreciated, Prim did not like how easily the healer had evaluated her.

She finished her meal and stood to leave, just as Golden Sparkle was being guided into the room by one of the healers. Her broken leg was held in a sling with a tightly bound splint on it, and she was leaning heavily on the healer as she tried to walk with only three legs. It was certainly doable, but extremely difficult for a pony that had never tried it before.

Prim watched, and saw that all the other ponies were watching as well. As though Sparkle’s recovery was something they all depended on, and maybe they did in a way.

Prim slipped outside, and with the focus of the room on the castalian, noone saw her go.

She went straight to her room, galloping across the great hall to avoid staying in the sun too long, and fetching her nicely made cloak. As she slipped it on, she realized that her role in the castle had changed. Previously, she had wondered if she might lose her job in a day or two, at any moment her inexperience being discovered, but now it seemed Princess Luna needed her, or at least trusted her. Such a thing changed the way she would live.

She pondered her priorities. Most of her work was done, and largely things would not change from her position being more long term, but she would need to plan more. One of those things was proper attire. She had only a single set of clothes, and though they were decent, they would not do for someone of her post for long.

Making sure that her cloak covered her completely, she advised a lunar guard of her destination, posted them outside her office in case she was needed, and left the castle, her black and silver cloak drawing the eyes of more ponies than she may have preferred.

Though Prim thought about going to several other shops, especially now that she had more money at her disposal, she decided that she did not want varied styles of clothes. She wanted varied clothes but in a congruent style, and though Sali had made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, the clothes she had made were exactly what Prim wanted. So, she returned to the run down shop with its cracked windows, still hidden by signs, masquerading as a fine boutique.

The little silver bell over the door was new, and it briefly startled Prim as she tried to locate the source of the noise. By the time she looked back towards the counter, Sali was leaning on the counter, smiling.

This time, Sali was wearing a grey and red dress, with the thin triangles of red going down her back looking somewhat like butterfly wings. She had her dark green mane done up into a bun with a jeweled red pin. It went well with the slightly darker red slippers on her hooves, and her red eyes. Prim could have sworn that her eyes had been green last time.

“Welcome back, Chamberlain and Seneschal Prim Rose,” Sali said, her sultry voice low but brightened with amusement. “My cloak at least is in fine shape I see.”

“Indeed,” Prim said, hoping that she was not blushing.

Sali smirked and stepped out from behind the counter, sauntering up to Prim and examining the cloak more closely.

“So, what wondrous event has guided thee back into my shop?”

“A need for clothing, if thou wouldst believe it,” Prim said sarcastically.

Sali actually tutted, but her smile never left. “Such a temper. If one did not know better, they may assume that thou art reluctant to be here at all! But that would simply be absurd, after all, thou art my new muse! Do not my colors strike thee as familiar?” Sali asked as she spun in place.

Slowly, Prim realized that Sali was wearing Prim’s own coat and mane colors, a grey-red and more vivid pink and maroon to match Prim’s mane and tail. Her blush spread despite her wishes that it wouldn’t.

“Dost thou enjoy the dress?” Sali asked, her nose nearly touching Prim’s as she stepped forward.

“‘Tis… a fine thing,” Prim admitted. “Finer than any… muse may be.”

Sali just laughed and trotted daintily back to her counter.

“Well, a need for clothes it is then, what sort of creation may I summon for thee?”

Prim relaxed a little, shivering while the other mare’s attention was away from her, before standing straight and walking closer.

“I need… More clothing, naturally, as I shall be serving as Seneschal and Chamberlain for some time to come.”

“Ah, did thy replacement die in the fires?” Sali said with a smirk.

Her smirk vanished when a magical shove sent her crashing against a shelf, a basket of buttons spilling onto the floor and rattling in every direction. Stunned into silence for the first time in a very long time, Sali looked up at the furious unicorn in shock. Prim was trembling, but fighting to calm down.

“I apologize, that was uncalled for,” Prim admitted. “But nopony should make jokes of what happened the night before last.”

Sali nodded numbly and stood, watching Prim carefully as she took out a pad of paper and a pencil.

“A dress, two more cloaks, cold weather clothing, a waterproofed cloak, boots, stockings, a full skirt, a set of socks, and another set of blouse and vest,” Sali listed off quietly as she wrote them down.

“Change the skirt to a pair of breeches and add a finer set of bags, and it shall suffice,” Prim said just as softly.

She felt like she’d broken something precious in silencing the boisterous mare, and like she should fix it somehow.

“I can finish it all in a week’s time, for eight gold.”

Prim chuckled softly, her nervousness making it hard to pretend to be happy as she rubbed a foreleg with her hoof, looking away.

“For such a bargain price I’d expect a demand to use my name in a sign on the window. The official clothier of the Lunar court.”

“”I have no wish to trouble thee,” Sali said, still demure.

“Please…”

They both stopped, silent across a counter, and unwilling to look at eachother.

“I am deeply sorry,” Prim finally whispered.

Sali hissed in a breath past clenched teeth, as if fighting to keep back words that she wasn’t willing to let loose, and losing the struggle. She opened her mouth, then closed it, wiping tears from her cheeks and looking at Prim with hardened eyes.

“Apologies do not fix everything, but it shall serve as a start,” she said, voice trembling.

“Please, use my name. Thou hast clothed Princess Luna and myself, and I shall only come to thee. If I may serve thee some good, I shall.”

Sali sniffled before smiling slightly, tilting her head a little and making Prim think of a disappointed mother.

“Money shant heal this wound.”

“I’ll not expect it to,” Prim promised. “I’ll only expect it to heal a cracked window and some spilled buttons. The rest… Is time and other things,” she said as she stepped forward and placed ten gold pieces on the counter. “I’ll do thee right.”

Sali took the money and nodded, standing and straightening her dress.

“I’ll get to working on thy clothes then, Lady Rose. I shall send a runner if they are finished early.”

Prim nodded and walked to the door, stopping with her hoof on the wooden bar used to press it open. She hesitated as she felt some great existential emptiness looming over her. A pain too great to acknowledge directly, casting a shadow over her soul, as blinding as the sunlight outside. It ached so much she thought she might began crying and turn back to seek comfort in the sly mare she’d hurt, but instead she drew her hood and pushed the door open, leaving under the ringing of that silver bell.

Chapter 14

The ringing of a bell in the distance was all that got Prim Rose to open her eyes, and she had to blink several times to clear the haze from her vision. But once her eyes were as clear as they would ever be, she took in the sight in front of her.

Princess Luna.

Most would say she was unchanged by the many years, but Prim knew her better than that. Luna had been a rowdy filly when Prim first met her. No wonder they got along so well then that she’d been so young. Luna had been rebellious even of her crown and the ponies that served her. She’d hoarded the loyal and the rare like a dragon seeking the brightest gems, oblivious to the rising lava that would soon encase all of it’s pretty treasures.

But now… Now a true Princess sat before Prim Rose.

She’d grown into the status of a ruler. Her eyes bore it most clearly to Prim. Even now, even in the crux of love and death, her eyes stayed unreadable. She was calm, serene, and solid. A rock even in the wildest of storms, and what was Prim going through but a particularly final storm?

She wore her crown with pride, just so on the top of the head and just the perfect angle behind the horn to reflect it’s light in the gleaming silver and brighten the black scrollwork into blue-grey among the tiny gemstones that studded the crown’s edges. Her boots fit her hooves so tightly she could wage war in them without a slip.

But Princess Luna also sat with poise, and stood with grace to move closer. Her neck back to hold her head high, her forelegs almost straight and hind legs bend just the tiniest bit to shift her whole body into a more commanding position. Her wings were held slightly away from her body, as if ready for flight at any second, each feather preened with care. After so many years there was also the recovery of her astral mane, the flowing mass of the night sky rippling and shimmering even in the light.

“This,” Prim thought with an irreverent and greedy smile, “is what the great poets must have spoken of when they mentioned Lunacy. This piercing delirium that strikes a pony and leaves them ready to fling themselves into the sky beneath the summer moon, laughing all the while.”

But those words were fleeting, and her mind held not tight enough to bring them to her lips, so instead she just said one word.

“Luna.”

“We are by thy side, as always,” Luna said, her stoic eyes betraying a misting of tears yet to come.

“Why didst thou become so angry when I dressed thee?” Prim asked curiously.

If Luna had not seen that Prim was still smiling, she may have begun to cry at that memory in particular being called up, when there was so little time left for Prim to call memories forwards.

“We were but a fool back in that time, Prim,” Luna said as she stepped even closer and drew Prim to her under a wing, her hoof stroking Prim’s cheek.

“Even fools have reasons. Even if poor ones,” Prim pointed out, chuckling a little.

Luna sighed, hanging her head. “Thou shalt not relent until an answer is given?”

“When have I relented but in the face of a direct command?” Prim asked, her eyes turning to refocus on Luna now that she was closer, her smile becoming more thoughtful.

“We were distraught… Furious with what had happened and broken hearted with our sister’s actions. But deep down there was a pride. A joy in us that… We had not succumbed to whatever flame stole away our sister’s mind. That pride and the sudden realization that we then bore all of Equestria and the power of it, we were conflicted. Not just sorrowful but… Darkly joyous. When thee dressed us, it was in the clothing of a funeral. It only made us feel more artificial, more like a liar. Then, our anger took hold of us.”

“You weren’t that frightening,” Prim scoffed.

“Thy nightmares held our image on many occasions for years from then,” Princess Luna pointed out, seeming unamused.

“Not half as often as skeletons or old apple trees would be the subject,” Prim pointed out with a giddy laugh.

Luna, despite her inclination to take her past crimes seriously, could not continue berating herself in the face of Prim’s joy. She felt the pressure of time weighing down on her like lead chains. She felt the time approaching when that laugh might never be heard again, and she couldn’t break this moment in the risk that it would be one of few remaining.

Like a starving pony, she rationed out her last few morsels to sustain her, careful not to consume them all at once.

“Do not look so sad, Princess Luna. Thou art loved.”

The causal certainty of the declaration cut through all of Luna’s careful facade, and she began to cry. She climbed into the bed and the old mare in it shifted to better wrap her forelegs around the alicorn, still smiling peacefully. Luna cried and held her beloved Prim Rose close, and it took nearly an hour for her to find that Prim Rose had fallen back into her deep sleep, her energy again not enough to sate Princess Luna’s desire for more time.

So the princess stood and tidied the bed, making sure that Prim was comfortable. She then tidied herself, caring for the damp coat on her cheeks and her tousled appearance before standing and leaving the room.

Outside, two night guards were posted, their dark armor and pole weapons seeming unchanged in the spanning years between the foundation of the diarchy and the modern day. It offered a strange nostalgic comfort to Princess Luna, that she could imagine the same night guards roaming the castle after so long.

“She is resting, please ensure none but the healers disturb her,” Princess Luna said, her voice leveled and calm.

“Yes, your highness,” one of them said in reply, snapping to a salute.

Luna had become well versed in the formalities of her position, and knew there were many ways to respond to a salute, not just the dismissal salute she’d become used to using for so long. She’d been more a general, she realized, than a princess. She could nod to them, state their dismissal, or a dozen other ways of acknowledging the formality, but she instead thought of the pony who had helped her compose a list of all those options. The pony who she was trying not to think of.

Luna barely nodded at all before turning and walking past the library, and through the halls. She crossed the great hall with barely a nod to Princess Clear Spring, Verdant Spring’s daughter. Princess Spring clearly was worried for Luna, but she said nothing, did nothing besides return to her discussion with her assistants as Luna passed into the Lunar wing of the castle, which had expanded significantly.

The war room and Vault of Relics were the most notable additions, but several other rooms now graced the once familiar area. Prim Rose had encouraged Luna to have her own library, in addition to the one designed and built by her sister. Princess Luna paused outside it’s doors and looked at the sign, still fresh after twenty years.

Another thing that pressed in on Luna, made her feel as though she wasn’t doing enough to save Prim, to preserve her life and memory. As though she was failing her closest and possibly only true friend.

It was all too much, and so Princess Luna turned and walked back into the great hall, and then out of the front gates. Two of her honor guard followed at a distance, but she took none of her retinue with her, none of her many scribes, mares in waiting, or the new Castalian and Seneschal. She left them all behind and strode across the drawbridge and into the city.

She didn’t think she had a goal, but her firm hoofsteps betrayed her aim, and she knew where she was headed long before she knew why.

The grand monument was named “The fallen star.”

It was where she’d landed, upon deflecting the three meteors, and it had been turned into a small pool with her figure in black marble standing defiantly, looking upwards. It was supposed to signify her strength in defending her ponies, but it did not go unnoticed by the princess that it had been financed by all the nobles she’d hated so very much. In the end, it was not as much a monument to her bravery and strength, as it was a physical representation of a failed plea by the rich. A plea that Luna had not listened to, but she could still practically hear when looking at it.

“Please let us remain in power over the poor.”

It had been actually put to her more delicately, of course, but even in that memory, Luna found Prim had been by her side, listening to it all with the same incredulity that Luna had held. Luna hung her head and let a few tears fall.

She could not focus on her work, on the conflicts and threats of the new era that was dawning, and all she could think of was missed opportunities and meanings unexplored. Now, as Prim Rose was setting like a new moon, all Luna wanted was to go back and do it all over again.

For an immortal, many assumed it was a feeling she’d experienced many times, but in fact it was rare even for her. The all encompassing obsession with a pony only occurred when that pony had changed her life significantly. Maybe Prim could have been any pony and Luna would have been so connected to the pony in her position due to the cataclysm that had struck during her lifetime, but there seemed to be a unique vulnerability and earnestness to Prim that Luna had always appreciated, even in their first meeting.

It made the loss of such a pony so much more crushing.

She looked up at the area around her. What had once been the public baths were expanded, and though public were used more for socializing than cleaning oneself. The restaurant that Prim had gone to and first tried wine in was a shop that sold glassware and jewelry, but curiously the shop next to it that had been a jewelry and silversmith shop was now a restaurant.

It all felt wrong, and it seemed like there was so little left in this place for her.

She turned away and returned to her castle with a new determination, a new more bitter fire in her that briefly overcame her depression. She strode up to her throne and sat, giving Princess Spring a bit of a start at the breech of protocol, but she knew better than to press the issue with Luna, and let her stew for a moment while she finished her work and dismissed the ponies involved, finally turning to face her co-ruler.

“Luna, may we assist thee?”

Princess Luna nodded and looked to Princess Spring.

“We wouldst seek to move the capital of Equestria to another city. One more central to our nation, along trade routes, and more independently economically sound.”

Princess Spring’s mouth hung open in shock.

“It may take time,” Princess Luna conceded. “But we have the good of our nation in the future to think of.”

Spring narrowed her eyes suspiciously, crossing her forelegs.

“This is due to thy former Chamberlain!” she declared. “We cannot move the center of a nation to avoid painful emotional reminders,” she said with all the firm authority of somepony who was raised a princess, and thought they were in control.

But Princess Luna just smiled a little and looked off towards the room where Prim Rose was laying.

“That she plays a part, we shall not deny. But there is more pain here than those memories alone.”

She gestured to the elements of harmony, spheres of stone embedded in the hall floor. No matter how beautifully accommodated that was what they were.

“This place was our sisters and ours together. No matter how noble thy family, it is beyond it all to no longer have her here. We hath attempted justification, we hath tried to make it a home of ours, but it comes to this in the end: We cannot make a future for Equestria while burying ourself in it’s past. We shall move the capital, and it shall be the Canterlot, the largest city in the nation. But do not worry on some short schedule.”

She stood and sighed, before starting back towards Prim’s room.

“We do not wish to flee until all the good has left this place.”

Chapter 15

“Why did thee not teach me all this months ago?” Prim whined.

Golden Sparkle huffed angrily, pushing Prim’s hoof with her magic, getting it into the right position to properly hold the banner over her head.

It had Princess Luna’s Crest and Mark, with Prim’s own mark below it, small on the corner of the cloth, next to the Equestrian flag. It was mounted on a heavy oak pole that Prim had difficulty lifting with her magic alone, and was surprised to learn was designed to be held by an earth pony. With how much unicorns seemed to be treated overly well in the castle, it was a surprise to find anything designed explicitly for an earth pony or pegasus to use.

“Thou wert Princess Luna’s Seneschal. It has been almost fifty years since Princess Luna preceded over a major court alone, as the regular nightly courts don’t require such formality, and most major events were led by myself. Now that Her Highness is leading a court, the duty to act as Seneschal finally falls to thy back.”

Prim nodded as she stood a bit straighter, making sure to keep the banner straight.

“Now, recite Her Highness’s full introduction.”

Prim concentrated, trying to remember each accolade and mark of recognition.

“Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, Lady of the Moon, Sovereign of the Stars, Sole rightful ruler of the Badlands and the Whitetail woods.”

Sparkle nodded. “That is the first half, yes.”

Prim paled, she had thought that was all of it.

“First… What is the second?”

Sparkle chuckled and withdrew a scroll from her bag.

“Don’t fret, the second half thou art permitted to read from the records.”

Prim relaxed as she opened the scroll and frowned as she reviewed it.

“This is Prince Spring’s title.”

With a nod, Sparkle simply waited for Prim to read it aloud.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring, Lord of the land, consort to the sun, rightful heir to the Canterhorn mountains and Hoofnia.”

Prim paused, frowning as she finished, and lowered the scroll.

“Is something wrong?” Sparkle asked.

“It doesn’t seem right to me that a Prince is referred to as Consort.”

Sparkle hesitated as well, looking at the scroll in a new respect.

“Can it be changed? Is there enough time?”

“Certainly,” Sparkle conceded, “But we would need to determine the proper title.”

“Duke to the Solar Court, and Marquess of the great Plains.”

Both Sparkle and Prim turned to see Princess Luna, half hidden in the shadows of a servant’s hallway from where she had spoken.

“Those would… suffice,” Sparkle agreed slowly.

Prim quickly added the line to her scroll and then read it aloud a second time.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring, Lord of the land, Duke to the Solar Court, Marquess of the great Plains, rightful heir to the Canterhorn mountains and Hoofnia.”

Princess Luna nodded and ducked back into the hallway, quickly vanishing as suddenly as she had appeared.

“Very well. Thou hast the titles of the attendees, and the order they shall appear in. Thou must ensure that they take their place in the hall before calling the next attendee. This includes their accompaniment, if they are followed by ponies, wait for them to be seated as well. If they do not sit, stare directly at them, they will sit eventually. They should all know where to sit, but if anything comes up the rule to follow is to seat the most important dignitaries up front, center first, then to the right of the hall, then to the left. Guards and other armed individuals are to line the walls, our own Day and Night guards will ensure none go into the halls where they should not be.”

Prim followed Sparkle’s pointing hoof to each part of the hall and did her best to memorize it all, before asking any questions.

“What happens when the court session is finished?”

“There is a meal planned for their Highnesses and the Mayors of each city, that will take place in the Great Chamber. I took the liberty of assigning the best two servants we have to clean and prepare it, and thou may examine it after we are done here.”

“My thanks to thee,” Prim said genuinely, relaxing a bit and letting the banner lean against the wall. “I think I may have lost my mind if thou had told me I needed to prepare the chamber without help as well.”

“There is no shame in needing assistance to do a job properly,” Sparkle replied, her tone a bit more somber than Prim’s. “Had my Princess known that, perhaps she would still be here.”

Prim did not want to agree, but knew that Sparkle was likely correct. She remained quiet until she found another question to ask.

“How are the subjects dismissed at the end?”

“Princess Luna will signal to thee that the court session is over. At that point, thou shalt state that this session of the Lunar court has come to an end, those that should leave shall leave, those that should go to the Great Chamber shall be guided there.”

Prim wrote it all down on her scroll quickly, before nodding.

“I think I’m ready.”

“Not likely, it is thy first court and it is a large one, there are bound to be mistakes, but if there are simply continue despite them. There is no point in stopping and making a bigger mess of it.”

Prim nodded along and took one last look at the scroll before rolling it up.

“Okay,” she sighed as she tucked it away. “I have enough time to check the great chamber, get something small to eat, and check the meal preparations before I take my post, dost thou need me to do anything?”

Sparkle stood and began limping away, shaking her head.

“I shall be overseeing Prince Spring’s preparations. Fare thee well, Prim Rose.”

Prim watched her go, and then went to her tasks. The chamber was properly prepared, though Prim ensured the newly added large table was rotated to let the light fall directly on it from the moon above, through the skylight. She then ensured the wine was ready to be brought up when the meal would begin, and that all the glasses were cleaned a second time, to ensure they were perfect.

She then went into the kitchens. There was a joke among the castle staff that there was one part of the castle that the princesses had no sway over, and that was the kitchen.

The royal kitchen was funded jointly by the two treasuries, and operated independently of the courts. Certainly they could be held to the same legal standards as any business operating in Everfree city, but they could not be fired or punished except by the Chef. This meant that all meals and events were paid for directly to the Chef, and that Prim had only as much authority in the kitchens as any maid that may be sent to retrieve an order.

But nonetheless, Prim had a responsibility to ensure that preparations were on schedule, and that included checking on the progress of the meal.

When she opened the door she took a moment to take in the large room.

The floors were well worn wood, and the walls were covered in white tile that seemed pristine. The stoves and ovens used unicorn mage enchanted stones to heat their food, but a separate group of stoves and ovens were designed for wood, for when the chef did not want to use the mage heat. Every pony in the room wore aprons and washed their hooves after walking any distance, and the stairs down to the cellar seemed well traveled.

The ordered and clean environment was marred by a portion of ceiling and wall missing, burned away with star fire hot enough to melt metal. Two of their workers had been on duty during the late night shift when the attack had happened, and the kitchen had been hit by Daybreaker's attacks, costing them both their lives.

The missing portion of the wall was covered with several layers of canvas, which kept the cold night air out.

Prim waited until she could spot to Chef among the six ponies in the kitchen.

“Chef?”

The green coated and black maned earth pony mare extracted herself from the line of ponies that were chopping vegetables, and trotted up to Prim.

“Lady Rose, are there any changes to the meal?”

“No, no,” Prim said quickly. “The orders stand as is, but I wished to check on the status of the preparations, to ensure everything is proceeding as planned.”

Chef sighed, nodding as she washed her hooves in a nearby sink.

“Yes. Yes, Lady Rose, the preparations are proceeding as planned. If any delays arose I would seek thee out to inform thee immediately. Please, no interruptions during preparations.”

Then, she went back to her preparations, leaving Prim to nervously nod and back out of the room.

Once she was back in the hallway and the door swung close, muting the busy sounds of knives on wooden cutting boards, Prim turned around and headed down the tunnel into the meal hall, deciding that she would not concern herself with her interruption of the kitchen’s work, just remembering not to disturb them without cause again. She did not want to see Chef actually get angry with her.

The constant conversations being carried out in the hall formed a droning hum that was all at once comforting and almost overwhelming, almost every night guard and servant filling the hall, making sure to eat before the event that would not let them leave their posts for possibly the whole night. Prim did not expect to be noticed, but a cluster of the bat-winged night guards stopped talking and waved to her.

She hesitated, but decided that it would be better to address the issue immediately, if there was a problem. So she went over to them.

Despite not being very skilled at recognizing the differences between the Thestrals that made up all of Luna’s night guard, she was able to tell that Tao and her partner were two of the group of eight, as well as the captain of the night guard, judging by the nicer armor and cloak that Captain Night Fury wore.

“We hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting face to face,” Fury said as Prim approached. “With thy presence seeming to be a more lengthy one, we shall have to rectify that. My name is Captain Night Fury.”

Prim shook the offered hoof and tried to smile, despite her nervousness persisting from all the things she had to keep in mind about the next few hours.

“I am Prim Rose, It is a pleasure to meet thee, Captain Fury. I shall admit I myself did not expect to persist so long, but it seems Her Royal Highness has seen fit to extend my service indefinitely.”

“Well then, let us all hope that thy service dost not suffer the same collapse that Her Majesty’s sister experienced under the weight of Equestria’s banner.”

That use of “Majesty” again bought a nervousness and tension to Prim’s shoulders, as she felt again like she was among blind loyalists, while she was simply a realist, who had on occasion referred to Luna by name alone.

“I do hope,” Prim agreed. “Pardon, I must have some small meal before Court.”

Her abrupt departure left Captain Fury frowning, as Prim tried to walk away without urgency.

“Please, let us speak further, Lady Rose!” Fury said with a sneer.

Prim hesitated and looked back at them. Captain Fury smirking, Tau and her partner worried, the others a mix of impartial and amused.

“Sustenance first, Captain Fury. Then I shall speak with thee further.”

“Of course, of course,” Fury said as she rolled her eyes and stepped back to her table.

Prim sighed and continued on to the counter on which the meals were being served up. The meals were more personal and finely crafted, now that the hundreds of injured ponies had been moved to newly constructed infirmeries around Everfree City and the kitchen staff had fewer mouths to feed.

Prim waited for one of the servants to notice her before stepping forward.

“There is stew, bread with garlic and butter, baked aubergine and carrot, and tea.”

“Some of all would be wonderful,” Prim said, accepting a plate after it was prepared. The stew was thick, the reduced mushroom broth more like a sauce and barely spreading on the plate. Prim’s mouth watered and she realized she had neglected to eat anything when she had woken up, and she’d been hungrier than she’d likely allowed herself to notice.

She recalled the words of the healer she had encountered in the great hall before, and how she had spoken of forming a strict schedule to “comfort the heart.” Maybe she needed to adhere to that more than she had been, to ensure she was fed and cared for properly.

She sat alone in a corner and ate her meal quickly, barely tasting the food besides the lingering garlic which she let herself savor in between gulps of water. Other tastes that she couldn’t identify by name swam at the edge of her awareness, tangling with the smells of the meals other ponies were having.

Deciding that she couldn’t put off the conversation with Captain Fury any longer, Prim took her dishes back to the counter and then went back to the cluster of Night guards who had gained two members, bringing their number up to ten in total.

“Thou art welcome to sit at our table, Lady Rose,” Tao said in a tone that suggested she was at least sympathetic to Prim’s concerned expression.

“My thanks to thee, Tao. Though I’d wish to be certain thy captain wished for our conversation to be public.”

“These mares are loyal to myself and Princess Luna without question. ‘Tis not public in the least,” Captain Fury replied, turning to situate herself opposite Prim across the table.

“Very well, then in thy confidence, what dost thou wish to discuss?” Prim asked, hoping that Fury would have some simple matters to clear before the event, and she could go to Luna briefly before it began.

“Thou wert a secret keeper for Celestia, I have heard,” Captain Fury said, her expression and tone betraying no sign of displeasure or even the barest change of emotion.

“I made a habit to keep the secrets of any royal or noble that gave them to me, until the secret being kept would harm the diarchy,” Prim admitted, trying to negotiate some justification in her mind.

“That becomes thy saving grace,” Fury agreed, leaning forward onto the table a bit as though to casually examine Prim. “To bring thy secret to Princess Luna’s attention at such a crucial juncture, one could say that thou art responsible for Princess Celestia’s transformation into the Daybreaker.”

Prim did not have a rebuttal for that, and looked down at the floor, cheeks flushed with a bit of anger, and confusion. Captain Fury was not wrong.

“One may say that thee acted as a salvation of Princess Luna as well.”

Prim looked up, suddenly confused and taken off guard.

“Pardon?” was all she could stammer out.

“Did it not cross thy mind that the anger, the obsession, the paranoia that Princess Luna was expressing were… extreme?”

“I knew her no other way,” Prim pointed out. “Upon my arrival, her Highness saw me as a spy and I cannot blame her. There was a plot to put one in my post, after all.”

“We know,” the captain said as she settled back, tipping her head towards Prim in agreement before continuing. “If that plan had succeeded, it may have come to pass that Princess Luna would have succumbed to the same Alicorn darkness in her heart, and fallen rather than her sister. I am pleased that I have my princess still, no matter the cost, and for that I owe thee.”

Prim stared at the captain as though she’d told Prim that she was going to wake up a thestral the next night. She stared so long that Tao tapped her shoulder with a hoof gently.

“Art thou alright?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes. Apologies, I… I had expected some sort of confrontation, not… Not a debt of gratitude,” Prim said quietly as she looked between Tao and Fury. “So… I shall not attempt to extract some repayment from thee, Fury. I… I do not know what to say.”

Fury chuckled and nudged a guard next to her.

“She is but a child, I should have known she would freeze,” she joked, getting a very short lived scowl from Prim that faded into a smile.

“I am quite young for the post, it is true.”

“But thou art a natural thus far, it seems! So, no more of the avoiding of discussion, or the excessive formality, thou art new to court and likely hath never seen one of our kind before. There are a plethora of trivial questions we are asked by every new noble and member of staff, so go ahead, ask thy questions.”

Prim hesitated only a moment before speaking.

“Why do Thestrals refer to Princess Luna as Her Majesty? I’d thought the term retired.”

Captain Fury nodded as Prim asked the question.

“I thought I detected some aggravation when I referred to her as such. It goes back to a three hundred year old legend. There is no way of knowing its truth as Princess Luna will not confirm it, but it is our legend so we believe it. Thestrals were a race that lived in an enchanted land at that time, a land where the sun was blackened by thick smoke, and only briefly shone through by the wind’s whim. We were an assemblage of three tribes which cooperated in all things except one. An ancient church built upon a hill that all three tribes claimed. Within that church was a dark well from which a voice spoke, and which all three tribes wished to claim as part of their own, an arrangement that served the voice well, as all three tribes brought it endless gifts seeking it’s loyalty.”

Captain Fury hesitated, looking to the others before continuing.

“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived in our lands in search of a great evil which was using it’s power to reach out into Equestria and corrupt the minds of the ponies there. They immediately came upon the church, and sought to bring the darkness up from it’s hiding place, though the tribes found the two alicorns before they could do so, and demanded they leave immediately. They wished to protect the voice. Before long the Star clan negotiated an understanding with Princess Celestia, sympathising with the idea of the voice being evil and manipulative. They wished to gain the loyalty of Princess Celestia instead. The Dusk tribe sided with the voice, and decided to protect it at any cost. Our tribe, the Wind tribe, decided to seek no loyalty but to listen to Princess Luna’s knowledge and seek some solution given more time.”

Prim opened her mouth but stopped before speaking. Captain Fury nodded for her to speak.

“Three tribes, the wind tribe… Are you saying there were once Thestral unicorns and earth ponies?”

The captain chuckled but shrugged.

“As much like the unicorns and earth ponies as we are like the pegusi, but yes. Approximately.”

“I apologize for interrupting, please continue,” Prim said quickly.

“Thy curiosity is… heartening,” Fury admitted. “Not many care so. They instead seek assurances that we do not drink blood, or bathe in it, or fear garlic,” she said with a smirk and a gesture to the half eaten garlic bread on her own plate.

Prim let herself chuckle at the absurdity of the rumors she was glad she had never heard. Fury smiled a little, and continued.

“When the voice realized the tribes were divided, it chose to have the Dusk tribe assault the Star tribe, and a war began. We named it the War of Church Hill, but it is not recorded anywhere but our legend.”

She hesitated again, and this time Prim could guess why.

“Princess Celestia let them fight, didn’t she?” she asked softly.

“She fought as well, but yes. She killed many of our kind, though in a righteous cause.”

One of the guards huffed angrily, and Fury did not correct them.

“Princess Luna drew the fighting to an end as soon as she could, and she proclaimed we would be under her care. Part of that included discovering the nature of the voice. We learned then that ‘twas a dragon. Ancient and fat with magic and greed, it had abused our kind for so long that we were but part of it’s collection. A collection it wished to expand with ponies from Equestria. After the fighting, many of the Wind tribe left that bloodied land, and came here to live and serve the princess that had saved us.”

They sat quietly for a moment before Prim nodded and sighed.

“So, it’s a sign of respect, as she’s your protector,” Prim said, understanding the use of the word for the first time.

“More than that, she’s always been our only princess. Our only ruler, and one we chose. So for us, she is the only queen we’ve ever known. All the reasons ponies avoid that word do not apply.”

Prim smiled and looked around at the guards.

“I… am curious, I noticed that the Night Guard does not patrol outside during the day, is that… Does the sun hurt?”

“Not hurt, really. It doesn’t burn us, but our eyes function much better in dark light, and being in bright light for extended periods of time can injure our eyes, leading to spots of blindness.”

“Oh!” Prim smiled. “That makes… a lot more sense.”

“More sense than talk of us retiring to coffins when the sun rises?” Fury asked with a smirk.

“More sense than being frightened of the sun. I’d never heard of… coffins.”

“There are many bizarre theories ponies have regarding us,” Fury sighed, looking around at the other ponies in the room, namely the ones without Night Guard armor. “Many make us seem scheming and evil. What other things are you curious about, Lady Prim?”

“Well… Are you glad to see Princess Celestia gone?”

The guards all shifted, uncomfortable and possibly worried they were being accused of treason.

“We… appreciate that Her Highness was a crucial part of Equestria, and mourn her loss, or absence if she is to return eventually. But many of us are pleased that ponies are finally seeing Princess Luna as the ruler she is. Treating her with respect. Most thestrals are not especially surprised that Her Highness had such an emotional break.”

“But not necessarily glad,” Prim pressed.

“No. No fall of such magnitude can be celebrated. Especially with all the death resulting. We lost three of our own, and the world would be a better place if there had been a way to keep her from such an act.”

Prim nodded in agreement and looked around at the meal hall. It was mostly empty.

“It is nearly time, we should take our positions,” Captain Fury said as she stood. “Thanks to thee for taking time to meet us. I hope we can work together.”

Prim shook Fury’s hoof and offered a true smile.

“I hope so as well.”

Chapter 16

Prim took her position as the last guards took theirs, and she saw the first dignitaries lined up at the doorway. The two thrones remained empty, and for the moment she was the single pony in the room that controlled what happened.

She raised her banner and unrolled her scroll, looking to the first dignitary. She took a deep breath and stood tall to project her voice as far as possible, and then she struck the stone floor twice with a hoof.

“Presenting the Honorable Svelte Dressage, Mayor of Everfree City, Matron of the Oakheart house, humble servant of the crowns, caretaker of the Everfree Forest.”

She stood out as she was not only a zebra, but as tall and stately as Princess Luna. Her general bearing seemed that of a goddess just arrived upon Equus, unconcerned with the activities of the ponies around her, and imbued with a power all her own. She wore two golden neck bands and golden earrings, along with a wide variety of bangles and bracelets on her front hooves. Her eyes shone just as bright a gold as her jewelry, and on her back a forest green cape lay, with the Everfree crest sewed into it.

Prim had learned quickly that Svelte ran the city of Everfree because her people had an ancient claim to the place, but she had sanctioned the construction of the castle. She was the type of zebra that always spoke in prophecies and riddles, and Prim was thankful she didn’t have to spend too much time interacting with her. Not because she didn’t like her, but because Prim became stressed at just the thought of being caught up in some prophecy, or having to interpret complex rhymes.

Once Svelte was seated with her two assistants, Prim spoke again.

“Presenting the Honorable Spectra, Mayor of Canterlot, Watcher of the Canterhorn mountains, General of the pegasus Wonder guard, viscountess of the Cloudsdale weather farms.”

Spectra entered the hall in a march. The pegasus had a white coat and a colorful spray of rainbow hair for mane and tail, which faded to white at the tips. Her eyes were a deep green, and she did not look like a mayor. She clearly took her title as General more to heart than her other titles. She walked into the great hall in battle worn armor, well polished but covered in cuts and dents that were left as signs of battles survived. She wore a helmet as well, which tamed her prismatic mane into a crest, and she had a thin silk cloak in royal red that fluttered as she strode forward.

Due to being in the presence of royalty, Spectra carried no weapon, but her stride was confident enough to make it seem as though she was armed. She sat next to Svelte and her guard and assistant sat with her.

“Presenting the Honourable Sharp Wit, Mayor of Hoofnia, Baroness of the Ivory Tower collegiate of magic.”

Sharp Wit was a unicorn with a tan coat, faded teal mane, and burgundy eyes. Her horn was almost needle sharp, a sign of a unicorn that regularly casts powerful spells, and she wore a heavy purple cloak with the hood bunched up around her neck. She seemed almost like she was cold, walking in alone and pulling her cloak in around herself once she sat down.

Prim waited a moment to make sure there weren’t any assistants before she called the next mayor.

“Presenting the Honourable Sea Breeze, Mayor of Trothnacum, sister city to Hoofnia.”

Unlike the quiet and subdued unicorn, Sea Breeze literally pranced into the hall, followed by a single assistant. Breeze was a pegasus with a deep blue coat and spotty teal and grey mane, with turquoise eyes, unadorned with any clothing or symbols.

She smiled constantly and bounced several hoof widths off the ground with each step, her wings open. Every time she tapped off the ground, Sharp Wit flinched in annoyance, but she still offered a somewhat friendly if tired smile when Breeze settled in next to her.

“Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring, Lord of the land, Duke to the Solar Court, Marquess of the great Plains, rightful heir to the Canterhorn mountains and Hoofnia.”

Everypony in the hall sat up a little straighter, and watched the hallways to the Solar wing of the castle. It only took a moment for Prince Spring to walk out. He wore a crown, a torc, and boots. Clearly Golden Sparkle had been coaching him in his walking, as he strode with the confidence and pose of a royal.

He walked up the stairs and took his throne, followed by his retinue of nine ponies, who then settled in around the back of the throne, ready to serve his every need. He then nodded to Prim ever so slightly, a signal she was grateful for. Prim took a deep breath and for her final announcement she gave her full energy to every word, knowing she was introducing the singular most important entity in the world, and the princess who trusted her to do her job properly.

“Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, Lady of the Moon, Sovereign of the Stars, Sole rightful ruler of the Badlands and the Whitetail woods!”

Princess Luna strode in immediately, followed by her retinue of a dozen. It took Prim by surprise that Luna was wearing the set of regalia that Prim had picked out for her on that painful night more than a week ago. Princess Luna sat, and also gave Prim a small nod.

Prim turned to face the gathered ponies.

“The Lunar court is now in session, Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna presiding.”

“Thank you, Lady Rose,” Luna said gently. “We hath assembled all of thee to discuss the recent catastrophe. As thou hast surely witnessed, our sister, Celestia, is not present.”

Princess Luna paused, letting the shuffling and murmured speech die down.

“Six nights prior, our sister grew weary of the pressures of the governance of our fine nation. One great burden she had been forced to carry was a petition.”

Spectra and her guards tensed, while Sea Breeze’s smile faded a little. Luna watched the slight shift in mood, and watched a few of the noble’s guards look nervously at the night guards along the outer walls.

“For those of thee that may not have been informed… A petition was created by Diamond Blade eight months before this day, suggesting… nay, demanding that all settlements within our domain be reaffirmed into the Solar Court, and all related taxes to be redirected. This petition was then refined to propose that our ability to rule was in question. To insist on our removal from power.”

“Thou had left us no choice!” Spectra shouted, stepping forward boldly.

Princess Luna stared at the mare until Spectra backed away slightly, returning to her position. Princess Luna nodded, approving of Spectra being put back in her place.

“Our ability to rule hath been called into question. In a kind world, we would turn to our sister for confirmation, and discuss our deficiencies. But this is no longer possible. Under the great pressure of the nation and the conflict within, she has abdicated her throne.”

“No!”

Again, it was Spectra, lunging forward and flaring her wings out aggressively.

“No, ‘tis a lie! It must be a lie!” she screamed.

It only took a quick gesture from Princess Luna and ten night guards stepped forward, surrounding Spectra with their weapons held at the ready.

But most remarkable was Prince Spring, who looked shocked but had tears running down his cheeks.

“Hold,” he said. “Please, Mayor Spectra, hold…”

He struggled for the words while Spectra slowly calmed herself, and the guards relaxed.

“I would not have believed it either,” Spring said mournfully. “I do not wish to believe it. But I saw her fire in the sky. I saw the sun rising before it’s time… Before even that, we spent nights speaking of the pressures she was experiencing, of the weight an entire nation creates upon its leader. It had seemed hypothetical at the time, and something she was carrying well, but clearly she was not.”

He stood, and several ponies shuffled nervously. It wasn’t protocol for a diarch to stand until the end of court.

“We all failed Princess Celestia!” he said much more firmly, bringing his pain into a speech. “We all failed to uphold the harmony Equestria was built on, and we all owe her a strong nation to return to, when she returns. We must be better. We must stop questioning Princess Luna for not being the same as her sister, because in her own way she is a princess. She is our princess, and I have already declared her fit to rule.”

The surprise silence lasted long enough for Prince Spring to sit and nod to Luna, letting Luna resume her speech in a quiet room.

“We were forced by the circumstances to utilize the elements of harmony,” Princess Luna said as she used her horn to illuminate the six stone spheres that were embedded in the castle floor, and newly framed with circles of smaller white granite stones that seemed to highlight them. The few that had fallen in the middle of the room had been moved to the sides, so that the hall was still clear.

“The elements hath bound our sister within the sun, and through study of the magical power being expended to keep her there, the imprisonment may last as long as one thousand years.”

Gasps rolled through the hall, and Prim found her careful poise broken as she put a hoof to her mouth, trying to hide her horror. Even she had thought Princess Celestia may return in her lifetime, or not at all. Such a great imprisonment seemed almost cruel to her.

“We shall endeavor to find a method of retrieving her before that time, but the Elements of Harmony are more powerful than ourself or our sister, clearly. So, with Princess Celestia having abdicated the solar throne, a new diarch was required to secure the freedom of Equestria. Having discovered that Verdant Spring had become her consort, his position was affirmed as Prince, and he now claims the solar throne, in keeping with the diarchy we hath constructed. In this way, we seek to begin a new age of Equestria. An age of ponies,” she said, signifying the end of the “age of alicorns” that had begun when Celestia and Luna rose to power.

She gestured to Prince Spring.

“Thus, we officially recognize Prince Verdant Spring on this night, and with his ascension to the throne, and his decree, we are free from the burden of the petition that had been proposed.”

Princess Luna then looked directly at Spectra.

“As of this night, the laws of Equestria shall change to reflect the lack of propriety and humility that the nobles have displayed. From this night on, any citizen of Equestria may write petitions, not solely the nobles. Any petition shall be provided to both courts, with no exceptions. Petitions questioning the ability of a diarch to rule must be filed as a formal protest with evidence and presence in court. No longer shall the nobility retain the right of privacy when matters of state are concerned. No longer shall the nobility be permitted to reap the hard earned wealth of their fellow ponies in unlimited amount, all nobility shall be limited to a tax equal to a tenth of the earnings in their domain, and shall provide evidence this has not been exceeded. We hereby strike down the rights of eminent domain, summary judgement, and to muster a private army.”

With each declaration, the mayors seemed more uncertain, but Spectra was nearly on the floor by the end of it, hanging her head and looking away. Svelte seemed the least affected, calmly listening with only the slightest nervous shuffle when the right of eminent domain was struck down.

Prince Spring listened, and seemed nervous as he realized just how much he did not know about the sweeping changes Princess Luna was making. Meanwhile Prim just smirked, pleased to imagine that the noble she’d shoved under the bathwater so long ago would be losing all of her unfair advantages in life.

“Why not just take away our titles as well? Thou hast put some strange stallion upon the throne, and stripped us of so much,” Spectra said grimly.

This time, it was Golden Sparkle who hobbled forward. She waited for Princess Luna to nod to her before speaking.

“Prince Spring is not a stranger to those of us that knew Her Highness more personally than as some political tool, or some holy symbol to be called upon. He was her consort, and beloved. His position here is one in keeping with the honor of Princess Celestia’s post.”

“Thank you,” Spring said with a sad smile.

“‘Tis what Her Highness would have wished,” Sparkle said, before limping back to her corner.

There was a pause before Luna smiled, looking down at Spectra.

“No more outbursts? Comments? Snide remarks regarding our name? Thou wert most creative in the use of ‘lunatic’ if we do remember properly.”

Spectra sat up, doing her best to seem calm, and shook her head.

“We shall continue then. Prince Spring, the court falls to thee.”

Spring pulled a scroll from where it had been hidden besides him, and began reading from it.

“Upon discussing the following matters with the royal scribes and advisors, we must make the following declarations. Firstly, all of our holdings in Hoofnia are now inherited by our eldest sister to remove any appearance of a royal estate beyond this castle. Second, as right of ascension has not been established for a mortal pony in our position, we are establishing ascension by appointment, with a default of direct family. Third, we are establishing a group hereupon known as the Sol council, to monitor the movement of the sun, ensure that Princess Luna's absence would not result in the fall of Equestria, to seek a way to return Princess Celestia to us, and to carry on the good work she had championed.”

He then settled back into his seat and looked to Princess Luna, who turned her attention to the nobles before her.

“We hath spoken long enough, and now it is time for us to hear from thee. We grant Svelte Dressage the floor.”

The zebra stepped forward and looked to Spring.

"Your Highness, I don’t believe we have met. I am Svelte Dressage, and we shall meet often, I shall bet. The great forest has suffered from the fire and fighting. What aid is offered to soothe the wild's ire and blighting?"

It took a moment for Prince Spring to understand the question, but when he did he looked to Princess Luna, who pondered it as well. After a bit the princess had a reply.

"Wouldst thy forest gain solace from a new growth of trees? Brought from the mountains as saplings and seeds?"

It was clear that Svelte enjoyed Princess Luna's attempts to match her rhyming speech, and she nodded.

"To bring in new life and varied species, will offer a gift to any forest as old as these."

Svelte then bowed and backed to her spot to sit. Next, mayor Spectra stepped up and looked to Prince Spring. She struggled and then looked away.

“it is my wish that His royal Highness serves a long and gracious reign. May Equestria bloom beneath his hoof.”

She then bowed and returned to her position, gaze despondent, and ears laid back as though she was cowering.

Next to step forward was Sharp Wit. The older unicorn looking around the room with a vague air of distaste. She then turned her gaze on Prince Spring.

“Your Highness. I do believe thou wert born in my city, wert thou not?”

He blushed slightly at the personal matter of her query as he nodded. “I was.”

“If I detect even a hint of favoritism towards Hoofnia’s interests in thy ruling, we shall share stern words, young stallion.”

“I would not dare to abuse the power I have been given,” Spring replied with a bit of a smile.

Wit nodded briskly. “Well then, I request for a day of memory to be established at thy leisure, to preserve the memory and respect for Princess Celestia into the future, so that when she returns she may return to ponies that know her. I trust this request will not be opposed?”

She turned her gaze to Princess Luna, who just nodded.

“We shall do so, Mayor Wit,” Prince Spring said.

Wit returned to where she had been standing, and Sea Breeze flew forward to land and bow low.

“Princess Luna, Prince Spring, your highnesses. As it has been and as it shall be, Trothnacum swears it’s fealty to the diarchy. Never shall we waver. In the past I have spoken freely in the presence of royalty and I see no reason to change that habit now. Princess Luna, Thou hast never been a ruler of Equestria, thou hast been a ruler of the ponies of Equestria. While it is a beautiful thing, thou must be both. Thou must care for the mechanizations of governance as surely as the emotions of thy people. Let me offer myself first of thy subjects as a potential friend and ally in this new age. Dark times have found us in the past and may find us again soon, but nonetheless, we must find joy and laughter where we can. Call upon me if thou hast any need for a friend, and I shall find a way to thee.”

She bowed, and as though she hadn’t just made such a bold statement, she trotted back to her position with a bounce in her step and a smile.

Luna looked to Prim and raised one hoof slightly from her cushion, gesturing in a slashing motion that she was finished. Prim stood tall, and spoke to the whole hall again.

“Thus the first grand Lunar court is concluded.”

The assistants, guards, and scribes all left, as well as Spectra turning and walking away to follow her pair of guards. The remaining three mayors were escorted by the night guards to the Great Chamber, with Prim Rose waiting for the Princess and Prince to follow before taking up the rear.

She was not privy to the content of the meeting itself, so the doors were closed and she sat outside with the two pairs of royal guards.

“It all seems to have gone well,” Tao said with a nod to Prim.

“I’m grateful to thee that I was not asked me to run after Lady Spectra,” the day guard opposite of Tao said to Prim, as he chuckled. “She had seemed… averse to attending.”

Prim shrugged and looked over her scroll, realizing she hadn’t even known that Spectra was supposed to attend. Inadvertently she’d followed Sparkle’s advice and just continued onward. It wasn’t urgent, so it just happened. She seemed so calm that apparently the guards had assumed she was just unphased. It was a good feeling, being seen as unflappable.

“If Mayor Spectra does not wish to have a meal before returning to her city, we shall not delay her,” Prim said smoothly. “Though if I were to be flying all the way to the Canterhorn mountains, I’d wish for a meal first.”

The guards chuckled, and they all seemed to relax a bit. It was a rare moment when the two groups of guards interacted. Typically in the past the guards were split by the rising and setting of the sun, never interacting much. Prim let the silence stretch for a little while as she pondered a way to utilize the situation.

“I’d like to start rotating shifts,” Prim said thoughtfully.

The night guards tensed, but the day guards seemed curious.

“They can’t work during the day,” One of the day guards said incredulously, gesturing to the night guards. “How would that work?”

Before they could start an argument, Prim held up a hoof, and was pleased to see that they all waited for her to speak.

“I have spoken with Princess Luna many times about isolation in the last two months or so. She speaks often of how the night is treated as forbidden or somehow less than the day. This hurts the day as well, it presses more work into the solar court, it causes secrets and periods of time where one court has no oversight over the castle. We need to work together, and with Golden Sparkle injured, I would like us to all be able to fall under one schedule, one treasury, and one unified government,” she said, getting the night guards to calm down a little and contemplate the idea.

“How would they be able to work during the day?” the day guard asked more directly.

“First, please stop saying ‘they’ as though we are speaking of some group outside the walls. The night guards will be able to patrol given a number of accommodations, which I have been contemplating,” Prim said, when in reality she was coming up with them in the moment. “We could schedule the weather patrols to keep the castle grounds shaded. Not with heavy clouds, but shaded enough to allow them to function without pain. We could also deploy shaded covers across the skylights to allow patrols within the castle itself, in the same way that the lunar wing is shaded already.”

The night guards nodded eagerly, while it was the day guards’ turn to look nervous.

“So we’d always be in the darkness,” the day guard said nervously, getting a shake of the head from Prim.

“Think of it as a fog that burns away by midday and comes back in the afternoon. There is no need for a night guard to always be present, just for us to share our duties more completely. I would like night guards working in the morning and afternoon to mix with and get to know eachother. For example, while I know Captain Fury and most of the staff in the Lunar court, I do not know the names of the Solar court’s members beyond Golden Sparkle. What is the Solar captain’s name?”

The day guards seemed surprised, but one of them finally spoke.

“Braced Bridle is our captain. He was standing next to Golden Sparkle during court. Um, I’m Swifty Jaunt, and this is Hopeful Task,” he said as he gestured to the quieter mare day guard next to him.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Prim said, shaking their hooves. “This is Tao and Evenstar,” she said as an introduction.

In that moment, Prim reshaped the way the two guards functioned, and began the melding of the two courts, all while Princess Luna discussed the implications of her sister’s abandonment of Equestria with the most influential mayors in Equestria.

Chapter 17

Two months passed, and with them passed many unseen barriers that Equestria had been operating under, which had gone unmentioned for hundreds of years.

The guards began planning their patrols and duties together. The guard captains were seen walking together and talking often enough that a rare rumor of her interest in him sprung up that Fury had to denounce, red faced and flustered in a sunset meeting with both wings of the guard.

The clouds over the castle became barely noticeable as the weather pegusi began a late winter, delayed by the violent events that had occurred just days before it was supposed to start, disrupting everything from the agricultural industry to the supplies of workers that transported water-laden clouds from the Canterhorn mountains to the settlements spread around Equestria.

But winter began nonetheless.

As court sessions were moved to Dawn and Dusk to allow Princess Luna to assist Prince Spring in his duties, the shape of work and play itself changed in Everfree City. Many stores and businesses found themselves closing for the latest hours of night and brightest hours of day to allow them to remain open during court hours, and gain the money from the greatest number of ponies.

The small group of Thestrals that were living in the Bricks near the castle’s rear bridge felt safe enough to move to the Puffs, a decided step up from the nervous isolation they’d had before.

In an attempt to placate Princess Luna and gain her favor, Mayor Spectra and the Solar loyalists that had created the petition had a statue made, a statue of the princess in black marble, sitting in a fountain pool and looking up into the sky with a determined gaze, and three white granite spheres in the pool around her. The whole monument was placed where she’d fallen from the sky after deflecting the meteors, and named “Fallen Star.”

The blatant attempt at pleasing the princess gained only an appearance at the unveiling, and a grim nod from Luna, nothing more. The changes she’d made stayed.

Tourists began to arrive from across Equestria, many carrying with them exaggerated or completely false tales they’d heard to explain the sudden absence of their favorite princess. There were stories of how Princess Luna had assassinated her sister, or driven her to madness. There were even more far fetched third-hoof stories of how Princess Celestia hadn’t actually left at all, and how she was simply leaving for an extended vacation at the nation’s expense. There was no attempt to enforce a story, but the more fanciful claims died out on their own.

Then, there was the memorial.

Many had died, not just in the castle but throughout the city. Many ponies had been killed in fires and collapsing buildings, and some were simply missing, presumed lost. As the first heavy blanket of snow lay across Equestria, a grand funeral was held, one the likes of which had not been seen since the griffon war many years before, and would likely never be seen again. Those who’d had family among the missing or dead had gathered since the tragedy, and even more traveled from the nearest cities and towns once the event was announced. Throughout the night, clouds were assembled to seat any pegusi or thestrals, and wooden stands were constructed to hold the rest.

In the blasted churned earth where the three falling stars had finally come to rest, the ground was leveled, and the crater furthest from the city was turned into a field of waiting holes, with stone markers prepared for every known pony. Eleven unknown ponies lay together, their pine boxes side by side next to the larger grave that would be marked with the memorial that would form the centerpiece of the circular graveyard.

Day and night guard in their finest armor stood guard on every side, as Princess Luna, Prince Spring, Prim Rose, and Golden Sparkle walked along the center path, flanked on either side by the stands that were filled with grieving and stunned figures. They were still and quiet in the pre-dawn light that was just beginning to grace the horizon, while the moon remained directly overhead, as though watching protectively over it’s Princess.

The four ponies arrived in front of the monument and the lectern that sat in front of it, facing the crowd. The four sat facing the lectern, joining the crowd and leading it in a way, joining in the mourning.

As the light began to grow, the Master of Ceremonies strode out from among the graves, towards the lectern. He was followed by two dozen of his attendants. In times of celebration, some of these would play music, but now they wore black robes with gold and silver trim, marking whether they served in honor of the sun or the moon. The moon had a scant five representatives among them, as the Solar court had heavily influenced tradition and spiritual belief in the last hundred years as Luna had done relatively little, eschewing pomp and ritual.

Many of the assistants had been weeping, and had pointedly not dried their faces, in fact some of the stallions had marked the track of their tears with ash, making it stand out all the more starkly. This was not just a funeral, this was a funeral held for almost one hundred equines who had been murdered. In opposition to tradition, though, the murderer was not being held in shackles, and the Master would likely not mention her role in the event, as she was still widely considered the most favored Princess there had ever been.

Sometimes it truly was that simple. One does not speak ill of the beloved.

Once the Master reached the lectern, the others took positions behind the eleven unknown coffins, as though standing guard over the bodies. The Master of Ceremonies reared up and put his forehooves on the Lectern, so that he could be seen by all, and his voice would more surely project out into the masses, while the unicorn assistants lit up their horns and directed the magic to the Master’s throat, enhancing his voice to reach out to even the furthest pegusi.

“There are no sure words to heal sorrow,” he began, his voice even and deep.

Prim watched her Princess carefully, as Luna seemed to struggle, her expression hard to read but her eyes becoming glossy and distant, as though she was seeing something beyond the graveyard, beyond the mourning all the other ponies were experiencing.

“So in times of sorrow, ‘tis often not the words said which change us, but the deeds done. Nonetheless, the words I have are meant to give some solace to every pony in mourning.”

The stallion gave a brief glance to Princess Luna, and Prim saw that Luna took note, a tear finally falling, and her jaw tensing as her breathing became rougher and wet at the edges. Prim wondered what she would do if Princess Luna began to weep, or if it was the appropriate response, and she should do nothing. But for the moment, Luna grieved without becoming noticeable to anypony further away than Prim.

“The great mystery of life, is in it’s ending. In all known history, none have breached that barrier and returned. No evidence of what lays beyond has ever been made firm. In this some ponies find dread, it is true. It is only natural to fear the unknown, for a time. But given many years of contemplation I must, by my moral righteousness, come to a different view. The unknown beyond could be anything. But most assuredly it is an absence of suffering. For all that we strive daily and nightly to do good, to be pure of heart and soul, the world is unceasing in its complexity. There is hunger, for as long as there is the will to eat. There are the cries of a foal, for as long as new things are there to be discovered. These things are beautiful in their own ways, but the suffering and complexity of life fades when faced with it’s end, and we can only know that these ponies shall be remembered in gilded light for eternity, and that their suffering is no more.”

He took one hoof off the lectern and drew forth a parchment scroll, which he unrolled carefully.

“Nine of the beloved were guards. Servants of the crowns, who swore their lives to us all, carrying Equestria’s banner proudly. But they were much more than guards alone…”

Prim could not follow the recounting in detail. As much as she may feel ashamed for not knowing the guards who had passed away, she did not know most of the castle staff. Of course she would mourn them, but it was at leg’s length, a hurt that was not so personal. She listened, and let it all flow over her like dark water.

“--So it is with heavy heart that I ask now for the families of the deceased to lay their gifts upon the coffins, so that we may enshrine their memories in the love they are owed.”

The tide reversed, as a slow trickle of ponies left the stands to walk into the graveyard. Soon it became a flood. It seemed like an endless stream of ponies swept out across the grass with precious trinkets and flowers clutched close to their chests, tear-drop-stained and damp in the morning dew as the sunlight began to grace the highest clouds, lending a surreal quality to the scene, as though it were separate from day or night, a liminal space between time and emotion that seemed to drag on and on, until finally the mourners returned to the stands.

Prim wondered idly if the Master of Ceremonies practiced standing on his hind legs for long periods, to stay perched with his fore hooves on the lectern for so long. She wondered how much of this all was a performance, an art form for the stallion that had likely performed last rites for soldiers in the last war, and had taken the last wishes of many of the ponies who were being buried.

The Master of Ceremonies looked to the two royals.

“Your highnesses?”

Spring stepped forward first, with a wreath of daisies he may have actually woven himself. It was simple, but heart-breakingly honest in it’s symbology. Prim wondered if he knew that they symbolized innocence. He laid it down on the middle of the eleven boxes and then bowed ever so slightly to them, before returning to his throne.

A thousand eyes turned to Luna.

In her magic she raised eleven white roses, each bound in silver thread. Prim Rose had prepared them, of course, and they were impeccable. She strode confidently to the coffins and one by one laid the roses out, before inclining her head and closing her eyes in respect.

“Speak!”

Luna’s eyes shot open and she looked up to the pegasus stallion that had shouted. It was one of the relatives, clad in gold and fury, standing on a thin cloud and looking down at her with impunity. Murmuring broke out among the crowd, and shortly more ponies joined in the cry. It was not a desire for absolution, but by the symbols of the sun on his clothes it was an attempt to hold her accountable for the death of his child.

“Speak! Speak!”

Princess Luna’s horn lit with golden flame, as she halted the rise of the sun for the moment, her sense of proper order demanding that she withhold the sunrise for the proper time in the ceremony.

She then turned to face the crowd, and raised her voice to be properly heard. Prim Rose watched her with adoration that out of place at a funeral, wondering at how calm the alicorn seemed in that moment of blazing emotion.

“Were it that we could give our wings to bring life to the lost, ‘twould be done. Were it that we could turn back the clock of time to attempt a finer solution, ‘twould be done. But in this dawn twilight we find ourself bereft of our sister’s light, and our ponies lives. There is no more painful duty of a royal than the duty to see those buried whom we hath failed. There is no more stark reminder of the consequences of our actions.”

She hesitated, and though all others likely saw a pony in conflict, Prim saw Princess Luna break. She’d let her heart decay in the past days, and she spoke more from the heart than from the crown.

“We are not the princess that wouldst be preferred by thee on this day of sorrow, that we know,” she said in a near whisper. Those in the stands that could hear relayed the message back through the mass of spectators. “If we had the right to demand it of the Fates, we would give to thee our sister in our place, without hesitation.”

She raised her head again and set her stance, finding some firmness in her heart.

“This day, we are but another mourner, another loved of the lost, wishing for our loved one returned. This day, we join thee, and we find ourself without a solution.”

She then turned back to the coffins. After a moment of thought, her horn lit and a thin silver-blue blade of magic appeared. She used it to cut a group of strands from her powder blue mane, and then scattered them among the coffins, before returning to her seat and facing the lectern again, her face an impassive mask.

The rest of the ceremony was swift, and the grinding of stone as the eleven were sealed below the monument matched the sunrise, as it brought light to the graveyard, and the many ponies were laid to rest together, under the dawn light. Princess Luna left as soon as it would be considered appropriate, and Prim Rose had to canter to catch up to her long-legged gait.

“What is contained within our schedule for this day?” Princess Luna asked, keeping her gaze on the castle in the distance as her retinue fell into step around and above her, some pegusi and thestrals flying in formation to protect her from an aerial intrusion.

“We hath received and processed requests for audience sent by many of the family and survivors of the lost, to form a singular court this day. Twere appropriate it seemed as all would be in attendance, all may attend to your Highness then after,” Prim explained. “Then, a lunch to be shared with Prince Spring by his royal Highness’s request, followed by a half length period of rest and sleep before an evening meeting with the dual guard in preparation for the increased traffic of lesser known ponies to repair the solar wing, now that suitable sources of proper stone and glass have been found. Then, dusk court and the beginning of thy proper reign, though I hath taken the liberty of ensuring it is an idle rein to accommodate for this day’s unusual requirements.”

Princess Luna smiled ever so slightly, glancing to the little pony trotting next to her.

“Truly thou art indispensable. Seneschal is a position oft thought of as lesser. Truly, thy persistence hath served us well.”

Prim blushed at the high praise and even managed a trotting curtsy.

“I only wish to fulfill the job I hath been given,” She said proudly. “It is gratifying to hear that I hath done so.”

Princess Luna nodded as they crossed the bridge and entered the castle grounds. The courtyard was empty even of guards besides the retinue that accompanied the princess. To the far left the gate that led to the lunar gardens was closed, and Prim reminisced briefly on the time she spent there, not exactly joyful memories but still connected inexorably to her time and new life in the castle by Princess Luna’s side.

To the far right, the gate that led to the solar gardens was covered with cloth to prevent anyone from looking in at the destroyed section of castle without flying overhead in clear view. The structures of the vaults and tunnels below that had been exposed were considered to be sensitive, and not proper to be viewed by those who did not work on them directly.

The group marched into the great hall and many of the guards immediately split off to take their normal positions around the castle, while the mares in waiting followed Princess Luna up to the throne. They then began fixing her mane and tail, brushing out her coat as Prim Rose sat in front of her, pulling a scroll from her bags.

“I hath all the names of those that shall attend this special session, if your highness would wish to review them.”

Princess Luna chuckled as her mane was pulled out of her eyes and the mares in waiting began fretting over the frayed section of hair that remained after Luna had cut it.

“Only the heads of each household, to be brief.”

“‘Tis still quite a list, your Highness. Perhaps only those whom asked for direct meetings? It is assumed they are most determined to speak to thee.”

Princess Luna nodded in agreement, and Prim Rose quickly rolled through the scroll to get to the section of names she sought.

“The largest group of concern is led by Mayor Svelte Dressage, as it consists of all surviving now parentless children of the victims. She shall be representing them all herself, but has listed her assistant as Nova Star, the eldest of the orphans of this tragedy.”

Prim Rose paused as Princess Luna winced, one of the mares in waiting having attempted to tuck the errant strip of mane under the rest of her mane and back toward her neck, snagging it on the edge of her crown.

“Leave it as it is,” Princess Luna sighed. “We shall see to the style of our mane another time. Please, fetch us water and some figs, Ananas.”

The red and cream mare nodded quickly and ducked away into a side tunnel, before Princess Luna looked back to Prim.

“Continue, please.”

“Svelte Dressage shall be assisted by Nova Star, the eldest of those orphaned,” Prim summarized before moving to the next entry. “Steel Shield was one of the most insistent of the plaintiffs, he seems under the mistaken impression that your Highness executed the attack, not D-- Daybreaker.”

Prim hesitated, surprised by her own stutter, but Princess Luna covered the pause smoothly by choosing that moment to speak.

“It seems those rumors may indeed cause us trouble. We must have two day guard present to show joint solidarity, and Golden Sparkle attending to the solar throne.”

She nodded to one of the servants, who quickly ran off to fetch the requested ponies.

“There is also a widow and three widowers that had requested direct audiences. Mint Mortar is a well known herbalist from a small village to the West, who is seen as something of a spiritual leader in the Western forests, and the SouthWestern deserts. Her husband was staying in noble accommodations within the castle by Princess Celestia’s request when the solar wing was destroyed. Her letter mentions requests for a monument, reparations, but the point she seems most earnest on was her request for a body. There is none so far as we have found. She may have asked for money and a monument, but her grief seems to be her driving force, not so much a political grievance.”

“We shall be thankful of that, at least,” Princess Luna sighed.

Ananas returned with Princess Luna’s snack, and she ate slowly after signaling Prim to continue.

“The three widowers have mixed motivations but not much influence to execute their grievances. Joint Crux is a novice inventor and architect who was married to one of the day guard. He seems just to wish for some emotional address, though in his letter there was mention of his inability to care for himself financially, without his wife’s income. Glint Jewel demanded an unreasonable sum of money, title, and land in his letter. He does not seem to have a profession and was married to a guard as well. Finally, Altimus was married to one of the scribes, and wishes only to understand what took place from thy perspective, as he witnessed the fire in the sky but does not understand what caused Princess Celestia to do such horrible things.”

Princess Luna sighed and put her water aside, thanking Ananas for fetching it for her.

“It must surely be what our sister experienced, to hear so many names of importance and barely remember them in the next second. Svelte with little Nova Star, Steel Shield, Mint Mortar, Joint Crux, Glint Jewel, and Altimus?”

Prim Rose nodded, and Luna sat up a bit taller.

“We are ready, then. See them in once they hath all assembled. Any latecomers may come in at their leisure.”

As instructed, Prim headed out the great doors and to the gatehouse, to begin allowing in the crowd of ponies that were still dressed all in black and tears, to see their only remaining Princess.

Chapter 18

“Lady Star, ‘tis a joy to see thee as always,” Princess Luna said as she took the elderly mare in the embrace of her wings and drew her close.

Lady Nova Star had aged well, even for an earth pony. She was one hundred and nine years old, but still performed her own gardening on her estate, and showed no signs of slowing down, unlike Prim Rose, who lay asleep in her room nearby. Nova Star was not very tall, but had the thick strong legs of a mare that was accustomed to plowing fields and doing heavy work. It was a contradictory appearance to her well polished hooves, silver tiara, and the royal lunar crest upon her cloak that hung next to the door. Her coat was royal blue, with a jet black mane that had thin strips of white in it, like shooting stars through the night sky. Her eyes were a pale blue.

“And an honor to see thee, Lulu,” Nova said with a soft smile.

Princess Luna laughed, light and joyful, as she let the mare go and shut the door to the great chamber.

“Truly, thou art my child like none other, able to make formality itself sound loving,” Princess Luna said as she relaxed into a lounge chair, Nova taking the one across from her.

“For I choose thee!” Nova said gleefully. “Truly, I’d have no other mother than thee.”

“Flattery, Nova. Flattery.”

“Unfit for royalty, but not unwanted,” Nova countered playfully.

“Ah, thee may outwit me in every joust, even in private. Fair, fair. What of thy grandchildren?” Princess Luna asked curiously, smiling.

“Terribly playful,” Nova said with a wistful smile. “The youngest just gained his mark, and is now determined to reshape the whole of the glassmaking industry to somehow construct a new type of telescope. He says that he will yet find all of thy celestial secrets.”

Princess Luna chuckled, shaking her head. “Secrets… Even I know not what lays in the stars. Only that I may shift our view of them, as a sculptor turning to expose a fresh perspective. There is no fine control.”

“Nonetheless, my grandson shall soon be peering into that black sky, seeking out hidden meaning. The rest are… doing well enough.”

Luna was curious, but waited until Nova continued, looking to her silently rather than interrupting to question her.

“They are old enough to know aunt Rose,” Nova said after a prolonged silence. “With her deteriorated condition, many of them are coming to the realization that she will not be here much longer, and though their parents are similarly upset, they know how to accommodate grief. The grandchildren are… struggling.”

Luna nodded, and looked away. She had no helpful words or ways of dulling the pain. Besides burying it or ignoring it, she was not handling it all so well herself. She looked in the direction of Prim’s chambers down the hall, before looking to the floor.

“Art thou fighting to keep her alive because thou art just as frightened?” Nova asked, as gently as she could.

Luna stood and paced to the blue stained glass window, through which she could see the gardens. The first memory that sprung to mind was when she’d happened across Prim’s dream that night she’d fallen asleep on the garden’s stone bench. She remembered how she’d been caught up in the emotion of the dream, and witnessed it from a distance, wishing only to better understand the mare who was living it. She wished that she had intervened somehow instead.

“I do not know,” Luna admitted weakly. “Can it not be both for her and for me?”

She looked back at Nova, who looked concerned. She then looked back out of the window.

“Can I not just be keeping her alive because it is the right thing to do?”

“Is it?”

Luna closed her eyes and shuddered, trying to fight off the simple question. As tears began slipping down her cheeks she shook her head.

“I can not let go of her,” Luna whispered. “I can not… She’d forgive me!” She said weakly.

“I know. We both know that she wouldst forgive thee without hesitation, but that does not make it right,” Nova said as she stood.

She went to Luna’s side and leaned on her as Luna cried, eyes closed as if she could keep it all from truly touching her if she did not open her eyes.

“How long would she have if thee stopped the medicine, stopped the spell treatment?”

“A day, maybe two,” Luna whimpered.

“Would she be in pain?”

“I would fix that, pain is no obstacle to an alicorn’s magic,” Luna said as she turned her head away, opening her eyes and taking in the great chamber, all the little changes Prim had made.

The books were more interesting now, as it shared duty with the reading room. The wine cabinet faced towards the wall, hidden partly behind a small table where dishes could be rested. The table in the middle of the room had two segments which could be raised or lowered. The skylight had a curtain matching those on the stained glass windows, which could be drawn across it with a pull string, allowing meetings during the day without sunlight or spying eyes intruding.

“But she would be able to stand, be awake?”

“Well enough,” Luna admitted sadly.

“So dost thou let her fade quietly away, asleep more often than not, or will thee arrange a final time together? Not for my grandchildren, not for me, but for thee?”

Luna hung her head and looked down at her hooves, trying to stop the flow of tears.

“I do not deserve such--”

“Shove what you deserve,” Nova said briskly, sitting up a bit and looking at Luna sternly. “I swear, for an alicorn older than this castle, thou art quite skilled in finding the most crucial times to behave like a child.”

Nova sighed as Luna closed her eyes again, looking hurt.

“Thou art a skilled ruler, and a good pony, but thou art so very determined to punish thyself and deprive thyself of joy. Stop it.”

Luna moved to leave but Nova grabbed one of her forelegs tight. Despite being old, the mare was strong.

“If thou wouldst not do this for thyself, do it for Prim. Give her a little more time with you.”

Luna stopped pulling away and fell still. After a moment she drew a handkerchief from a nearby hiding spot and dried her eyes.

“I will ponder it,” she said, voice detached and quiet.

“Very well,” Nova said as she let go. “Ponder it, if that is thy need. But do not deliberate over long. I shall return in ten days, and I hope to bring some crafts from the griffon lands for thee. Do not… Do not abandon me for my boldness, please.”

Luna stopped, almost to the door. She then looked back to Nova.

“I would never abandon thee, my daughter. Never. But in this moment, solitude is perhaps the salve we seek.”

Nova went quickly up to her and embraced Luna as well as she could.

“I love thee, mother.”

“I love thee as well, my shining little Star,” Luna said softly, returning the embrace for a moment, before kissing her forehead, releasing her, and going to her own chambers.

Though when Luna reached the black wood doors, she hesitated. Her guards had opened them for her, but she did not feel comfortable entering her own rooms. Instead, she turned and looked back towards Prim’s chambers, which lay on the opposite side of the castle. She knew her guards stood there, waiting patiently, waiting for an order or a request. But there was nothing for her to say. Slowly, uncertainly, she turned and began the long walk. Her guards closed her doors behind her, and soon she was standing outside Prim’s chambers.

She knocked, just as she did every time she visited. There was no answer, of course. These days Prim was under such a colossal dose of herbal medicines and magic designed to stave off the minor infections and insidious deteriorations that were killing her, that she was rarely awake. When she was, she was rarely aware. Even when Luna tried to visit her dreams, they were too often just endless grey or muddied fields. Prim’s mind was losing it’s long fight.

She opened the door, uninvited.

Her view was, she imagined, different than Prim’s own perspective of the room. She remembered it’s many iterations, after all, while Prim had lost those memories.

It had once been the barracks of the day guard, but shortly after the two guards were combined, they had needed new housing. A new hall had been built in the space between the two gardens behind the castle, leaving the two barracks rooms inside the castle empty.

This room had then served as quarters for Prince Spring’s family, then for the Prince himself when his daughter took the throne, and then Princess Spring’s spare room until Prim had needed it.

It was one of the rooms that had been largely rebuilt after the attack, and so it was slightly different from the older portions of the castle. Slightly newer stone, and slightly stronger floors.

The bed had once been Luna’s bed, until she’d gotten a new one and forced Prim to take it. The night stand held its own series of stories.

The herbal remedies were crafted to counter every physical ailment that an old unicorn could face, and even from the door Luna could smell it’s strong vapor. They’d been made by the granddaughter of Svelte Dressage, as her family line had continued their shamanistic practices, though the granddaughter was not mayor, and lived out in the forest with some of her relatives.

The book of spells and accompanying container of powdered silver was a dangerous last ditch attempt at rebuffing the mental degradation that had been progressing steadily through Prim’s mind. She could see even at a distance the blue tint to Prim’s skin, caused by the silver seeping into her blood. There were no good options left, and Luna was finally being shaken from her mindless search for any method of dragging the beat of Prim’s heart on for a little longer.

She closed the door and strode up to the side of the bed. She realized the journal was still back in her room, but it did not matter, she’d memorized every word. Every day and every sentence that seemed to prompt a chuckle or frown from her sweet Rose.

Luna spread her wings and used a fraction of her power to make herself light as a feather. She barely disturbed the covers as she stepped up onto the bed and circled around to Prim’s back. She then laid down and slid one foreleg under Prim’s head, in place of the pillow.

She wondered if Prim knew how many times Luna had wanted to slip into her bed uninvited and hold her. She wondered if Prim knew how many times Luna had crept a little closer than she really should in the last few months, while Prim was barely aware. She almost hated herself for how badly she wished for Prim to have known all along.

“I…”

Luna couldn’t even continue the sentence, as soon as she formed it in her mind, her cheeks were again wet and her throat tightened.

She pulled Prim just a little closer, pressing her feverishly warm body against Luna’s own. Luna looked down to the only pony she’d ever truly loved, and kissed her gently on the top of her head. She pressed her nose to the little unicorn’s mane and tried to understand what she was supposed to do. The hardest part was that there was no proper thing to do. There was no procedure or protocol for losing somepony so important.

“I love thee,” she said, so very softly that she sounded like a young markless alicorn that she had been so long ago, looking up to Starswirl the Bearded with a sprained ankle, tears on her cheeks.

“I love thee,” she admitted to herself for the first time, knowing with all her heart that it was too late.

“I… remember the beauty in thy eyes…” she sang softly, her voice wavering off-key.

“I remember the way thee saw through my disguise.
Every time I raise the moon I know now
It wasn’t until thee that I truly knew how
Those lost lovers in my moonlight feel
When they found that love was real.

Oh Prim Rose please!
I’ve known no heartbreak like this
How I wish the fairytales were true
That I could grant thee wings with but a kiss
And make an immortal out of you.

Oh Prim Rose please…
Please don’t let me go.
I never had a chance
I should have let thee know
Damn the political dance…

I love thee and only thee, in a way so new to me, If only earlier I had chanced to see--”

“We could have been together, thee and me.”

Princess Luna’s eyes went wide and she looked down at Prim, whose eyes were slightly open, and who was wearing a wide smile, as she’d provided the final verse to the impromptu song.

“I love thee as well,” Prim whispered, wiggling herself slightly to press herself tighter against Princess Luna, who spread one of her wings over Prim’s body, like a living blanket that kept her tight in Luna’s embrace.

Prim did not stay conscious long, and she seemed to drift in and out of awareness. She seemed content to stay in Luna’s embrace, despite in moments not seeming sure of who or where she was. Luna took it as it was. A precious and imperfect gift, one she may not be able to ever have again.

Eventually, Luna drifted off to sleep holding her beloved, and fell into dreams of her own, of chances she could have had.

When she woke, Prim still slept. Luna carefully removed herself from the bed, and summoned the court apothecary. They had a brief conversation on options for a brief period of alertness, and the powerful medicines were removed, replaced with a simple white powder that would spur its user into alertness, while reducing pain. It was horrifyingly addictive, but Prim was not likely to live more than a few more days at most, so addiction was no longer a concern.

The book of ancient spells was removed, and replaced with a scroll of simple spells to improve memory recall and help bolster the body.

Princess Luna prepared it all, and then retreated into her room to mourn privately, knowing that she was preparing for a final day with her Prim Rose, and knowing that she could not allow for any of the court or public to witness the immense pain she was feeling. Her lack of emotion was the stuff of legend, and truly she knew no way to address her sudden grief, besides to hide away and weep.

Chapter 19

“The Lunar court is now in session, Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna presiding.”

The great hall was filled with ponies in black clothes, some with silver or gold trim, a common symbol of one of the princess’s blessing, made ironic by the source of their grief being one of those very same princesses. But traditions die slowly, and for the time being those ponies took solace in what they could.

“Welcome,” Princess Luna began, her tone much softer than was normal for a court session. “To our court. Though we wish with all our heart that thy presence was in recognition of a joyous occasion, it is a day of sorrow that brings thee to our gates. We--”

“Thou art a murderer!”

Gasps and quiet sobs rippled through the crowd as Steel Shield stepped forward, his glare meeting Princess Luna’s impassive eyes as though he expected her to be shocked. Princess Luna could now tell that he was the same pegasus that had demanded her speech at the ceremony.

“Please, Lord Shield, if it is thy wish that we feel responsible for this tragedy, be assured that we shall remember this grief forevermore. But If it is thy intention to convince others that we are directly responsible for the death of thy son, we shall have to disappoint thee. Thou art deep in mourning, so we shall not take any offense to thy outburst. Please, sit and let us address what has occurred in a civilized manner.”

“Thou art even unaware of who I am!” Shield said angrily. “I am no lord!”

“Ah yes, we were interrupted before reaching that point, weren’t we?” Luna said simply. “All ponies in attendance at this time are to be known henceforth as the Lunar nobility. In the past we hath been reticent regarding the subject of appointing nobility, and largely that is due to our appointment being a very personal matter. While our sister endeavored to use the assignment of nobility as a political tool, we shall never assign nobility without a personal cause. In this case, all heads of household are to be assigned the rank of Countess, and all children and descendants shall be granted the rank of Baroness for so long as the land we are granting to thee is held properly. Land shall be assigned along the paths from Everfree City to Trothnicum, and along the shore-facing border of the Whitetail woods. Funds for relocation and construction shall be provided,” Princess Luna stated as servants began delivering scrolls and papers of title to all of the adults present.

“This is not to comfort thy grief, but to reflect the great cost thou hast paid in these days,” she continued, more gently and clearly mournfully. “Before we continue from this point, we feel it is essential that all are properly informed on the series of events that led to the tragedy at hoof. This account hath been confirmed by Princess Celestia’s Castelian, Our own Chamberlain, the day guard, the night guard, and all those who were present in this city on that night.”

She then recounted the whole event, starting with a summary of the petition and how it had disrupted both courts, then explaining Prim Rose’s attempts to keep her promise to Princess Celestia, until she saw that Princess Luna was being driven to extreme action in her pursuit of the plot’s leader. Then she slowly explained Celestia’s reaction, raising the sun before it’s time, and assaulting Prim Rose while Luna spoke. Finally, she recounted the battle and her attempts to save as many lives as she could, culminating in using the elements of harmony, and followed by driving herself to unconsciousness by taking control of the sun and moon without the proper preparations.

By the end of it all, even Steel Shield seemed somewhat mollified, and the hall was filled with the quiet sniffles and muffled sobs of the many mourners, even as they clutched the papers that exempted them from hardship for the rest of their lives.

Princess Luna had several wet trails down her cheeks, and was looking down at the floor in front of her throne, more than at the audience. After a moment, she gestured to Prim, to call the first plaintiff.

“Svelte Dressage and assistant plaintiff Nova Star are called to present their request to the court,” Prim Rose said, keeping her voice much more calm than was typical for her court announcements.

Svelte guided the filly up to stand in front of the stairs that led up to Princess Luna’s throne. Nova Star looked very small and very nervous, and was only about half of Prim’s age, but Svelte put a supporting hoof on her back, and smiled. It seemed to be enough to prompt the filly to speak.

“I thank thee for thy time, your royal highness, Princess Luna,” She said stiffly, looking up at the throne above her. “M-- My papa was a servant for her royal highness, Princess Celestia.”

She looked up to Svelte, who nodded encouragingly. Nova then looked back to Princess Luna, her voice trembling slightly.

“My mama left when I was young, and I don’t know who she is, so I’m alone now. I… Don’t want to be alone, but I don’t… I don’t want to live in a big house with a bunch of servants, and still be alone. That’s what… If I had lots of money, that’s what’d happen. Love…”

She looked to Svelte, and Svelte nodded again.

“Love cannot be bought,” Nova said as she looked up to Luna.

Nova clearly had tears at the edges of her eyes.

“Mayor Dress… Dress ahs says that I shouldn’t count on being adopted by anypony. Adoptions are rare, and adoptions of rich fillies are bad because they just want the money. So… So I want you to be my mama, your Highness.”

A few ponies in the crowd gasped in surprise, a few others laughed. But Svelte looked up at Princess Luna with a grin so smug that Prim Rose was surprised that she wasn’t laughing at the princess. Luna just looked confused, until she noticed Svelte’s expression and narrowed her eyes. She quickly hid her expression and looked to Nova, who was waiting for a reply.

“We would be a poor mother, my little pony,” Luna said slowly. “Very busy, awake at night more oft than day, and unable to spend much time caring for thee directly.”

“But Svelte says that thy love goes to all thy ponies, Highness,” Nova said firmly, her legs shaking a little. “All of them, and… I want love more than I want some pony to teach me how to… to braid my mane.”

Princess Luna thought it over for a bit while the crowd watched on, breathless. Eventually, Luna nodded.

“We shall do this, then, little Nova Star. We shall be thy mother.”

“The rest of ‘em too!”

This time, there was only stunned silence. Even Svelte, who seemed to have organized Nova’s request to begin with, was surprised and looked unsure of how to proceed. Nova, though, was suddenly determined as she gestured to the small herd of about a dozen fillies and colts, waiting behind her.

“They’re the same! Lost, lonely, an… an they need love. Not just me. I can’t… If I was back there and one of them up here, I’d want ta be loved too! It’s not right. So I got to make it right. I got to do the right thing.”

With that declaration, a shimmering silver light bloomed from Nova’s body, briefly illuminating the tile around her before fading, and revealing a mark on her hindquarters. A bright star shining it’s light down in a beam, showing the path for those that may follow. In that moment of determination, Nova had gained her Cutie Mark.

Princess Luna couldn’t help but smile.

“Very well. Henceforth, thou shalt together be known as the Children of the Night, and shall reside in this castle until more suitable lodging is discovered. Svelte, I trust that there are four caretakers to be hired at the least, to reside in the castle for the time being and assist us in caring for our children?”

“Of c… course, your Highness,” Svelte said quickly.

Luna nodded in approval before looking to the crowd. Before she could speak though, she realized something unexpected. Svelte hadn’t rhymed.

She looked back to Svelte, but the zebra was guiding Nova back to the herd, and seemed quite busy. It was not to moment to point out the inconsistency. So she looked to Prim Rose and gestured for her to call up the next plaintiff.

“Steel Shield is called to present his request to the court.”

Steel Shield swallowed his nervousness and stepped up, alone, in front of Princess Luna’s throne. His original complaint seemed no longer to be on his mind, and he seemed to be debating internally which of the things rattling around in his head to put forth. Finally making a decision, he took a deep breath and looked up to Princess Luna.

“Thy Highness, thou hast told us all of Princess Celestia’s sudden break. Of her… grief with the weight of ruling Equestria, and of the burdens put upon it. What assurances dost thou give to us that thou shalt not fall to the same pressures? What shall keep thee through the pressures that thy sister succumbed to?”

Princess Luna hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer such a question that called her ability to rule into question so directly. But Prim Rose had a thought.

Before Trothnicum had been annexed, before the plague that cut its population to a tenth of its former size, it had been part of an alliance between it and all the nearby villages. Trothnicum had acted as the capitol for the nation-state, and been ruled by a council of elected mayors and tribal leaders from each village and city, given weight of power equal to their population. It hadn’t been perfect, but neither were princesses, as the last few days had shown. She quickly lit her horn and withdrew a piece of parchment, onto which she quickly scrawled “elected council of mayors and leaders, weighted by population, to assist in leadership and share the burden.”

She then left the Seneschal position at the bottom of the stairs to trot up next to the throne, the technical position of Chamberlain or advisor. Then she provided the paper to Princess Luna.

Rather than immediately announce anything, Princess Luna gestured for Prim to come closer and they began discussion.

“This could open up the possibility of the council to depose us, we shan't allow such a possibility. How could it be modified to prevent that?”

“change it so any change to the function of the diarchy itself requires three fourths of the council and one of the diarchs to assist the petition,” Prim proposed.

Luna nodded before looking at the paper again.

“Though a voted position such as mayor having so much power could be troublesome, they could be made to take the burden of much of the mundanity of ruling,” she pondered.

After a moment more of silent contemplation, Princess Luna turned back to Steel Shield, who was waiting patiently.

“In the following days, with consultation of our advisors and Prince Spring, we shall be establishing a ruling council composed of the mayors, governors, and tribal leaders of Equestria. This council’s details have yet to be established, and these leaders have not yet been informed, so please do not anticipate it’s formation at this time, but it shall share the burden of governance so that we… Prince Spring and ourself are not taxed so heavily. All major decisions shall come to the throne, such as matters of war and royal petitions. Beyond that, as some of the few Lunar court nobles, thou art all capable of contacting us directly and meeting with us often, and on short notice. If our behavior is incorrect, or there are concerns for our well being, thee shall be our warden.”

Steel bowed low and gave a mumbled “My thanks to thee” before backing into the crowd, and making himself hidden. Luna gestured to Prim, and Prim called the next plaintiff from her position adjacent to the throne.

“Mint Mortar is called to present her request to the court.”

The mint green earth pony mare with a striped mane of various hues of grey and silver stepped forward and bowed low. When she stood, she took another step forward, standing tall and proud as she looked up to Princess Luna. After a short pause during which she seemed to examine the princess from afar, she spoke quickly.

“Thy sister signed my husband’s fate upon inviting him to this castle. Thou surely can see how I may have been reluctant to then come to this place. But I hath been told again and again that my chief reason for coming here cannot be fulfilled. I wished to retrieve my husband’s body. Now I hath seen the unclaimed dead, I hath walked the crater where he perished, and find myself unable to blame thee for his death and the absence of his body. This being said, I now wholly blame thy sister, with nary a reservation. Celestia is no longer worthy of the title of Princess, being remembered in fond terms with her insignia upon these halls, or celebrated during the summer solstice. If these things are not rectified, then I shall dedicate the rest of my life to separating the Western region from Equestria.”

She turned and walked straight out of the front door, leaving a shocked hall behind. Luna only muttered a weak “No, but…” as the mare left. Once she was gone, Luna turned to Prim, wide eyed and worried.

“We need to meet with Lady Sparkle and Prince Spring as soon as this is finished,” she whispered before taking a sip of water to wet her throat and gesturing for Prim to call the next pony.

“Joint Crux is called to present his request to the court,” Prim called out before slipping behind the throne to provide a servant with the needs for the meeting with the Prince.

The three widowers asked for confirmation that they would be financially cared for, and their grievances were addressed quickly. Then Princess Luna finished the court session by addressing all of the assembled ponies, which numbered over seventy.

“We must now continue with the business of caring for Equestria. Thou shalt all be guided in assigning land to thee, and arranging construction of new homes in those places for thee, by four of our scribes. Please, be patient as they are few and thou art many, but any complaints or requests may be directed to us, and shall be addressed as soon as we are able.”

As Princess Luna stood and left, Prim called a close to the session and quickly followed her princess while the scribes began assigning priority to the gathered ponies.

“We had hoped that Mint would not be a political problem,” Princess Luna said as they entered the great chamber, referring to Prim’s prior statement that Mint did not seem to have a political grievance.

“Her letter did not imply it,” Prim said bitterly, closing the door behind them and looking up at the harsh morning light coming through the skylight before sitting.

“Well, we shall have to do something to address this. The West is wealthy in metals and rare plants, and also serves to defend us from the Arimaspi to the south.”

“Aramaspi?” Prim asked, confused.

“‘Tis a reclusive but temperamental race. We hath not heard from them in a hundred years, but they have gone as long before in between assaults. They are sworn enemies of the Griffons, and out lands fall between theirs, thus a constant risk.”

Prim shook her head, sighing.

“So, the West is of concern, and we need it to remain as part of Equestria, which means that we must concede to Mint’s demands?” Prim asked incredulously. “Though not a great friend to thy sister, it seems terrible to scorn the memory of what she was before… this.”

There was a knock at the door, and Prim opened it to allow Prince Spring and Golden Sparkle in, before again closing the door.

“Is there trouble, your Highness?” Prince Spring asked, getting an indulgent smile from Princess Luna.

“Please, Thou art the same rank as we, Luna shall be sufficient between us. We had a court with the relatives and loved ones of the deceased, during which a mare named Mint Mortar laid an ultimatum upon us. She is an influential mare in the West and SouthWest. Thou may know of it as the area spreading from the San Palomino desert south of Applewood all the way to Vanhoover. She is one of the few public figures capable of uniting the many small towns there, as she and her husband created a wide network of herbalists and healers under the Mortar name. She has declared that she shall endeavor to remove her region from Equestria’s control, unless we strip our sister of her title, remove her insignia from the castle, and cease celebration of the summer solstice. This would not only deprive us of nearly a fifth of our nation, but also the natural resources within. We…”

Though Princess Luna had been speaking very matter-of-factly, she hesitated and looked down at the table as she switched tacks to speak of her own feelings on the matter, her manner of speech also shifting.

“I do not feel proper in stripping our sister’s legacy from our country, but I do not see this as a fight that we could stand to lose, if started. We would be forced to take an aggressive and possibly bloody approach.” She looked up to Prince Spring, nodding to him. “What side would thee support?”

Prince Spring looked uncertain, but Golden Sparkle looked enraged. She seemed to keep herself in check only by keeping her glare focused on Prim, while she shifted to keep her slung and braced leg comfortable.

“Why… I understand that Celestia did something horrible, but… This mare truly believes that she must be exiled in such a way? She is already sealed within the sun,” Spring said sheepishly. “I love her, even now. Even though I know what she has done. Is there not some way to compromise? What of…”

He looked up, suddenly inspired.

“She wishes to hold Celestia account in her absence, yes? What if we did so but in a way that does not remove her legacy?”

“Explain thy thoughts,” Luna said, leaning forward, curious.

“The summer solstice may become a re enactment, an explanation of what happened, in a way. Instead of waiting through the night to celebrate the rising of the sun, it could instead be a celebration of that night. The shortest night of the year, using the night as a cool respite from the day, a night of celebration in contrast to the many daytime celebrations we have. Rename it to be the Summer Moon Celebration, and teach the true history of what occurred, rather than some censored version without Celestia within it. Remove her banners from the castle, but keep golden ones with earth pony symbols of wheat, apples, and sugar cane on them, to represent the solar court. Certainly it is no sun, but at least a legacy.”

Princess Luna nodded as he finished, smiling a bit.

“‘Tis not a perfect thing, but at least it would preserve her. As for her title?”

Spring sighed, shaking his head. “In all truth, she would likely have not been troubled by its loss. Being a princess was not her preferred position, but one born of necessity, or so she told me.”

“It does match her statements from long ago, even if we failed to believe them in the last century,” Luna said, looking down and frowning. “We should have believed her. Believed that this was not the life she wished for. But it is too late now for our regrets. Very well, Golden, speak thy mind, it is clear that thou hast much to say.”

Sparkle looked to Prince Spring, who nodded in agreement, effectively granting Sparkle the freedom to say anything she wanted.

“Thou wert not there, in the months before the fall,” She said quietly as she looked at the table so that she would not be speaking directly to one pony. “Your Highnesses, though each of thy lives touched hers, thou wert both distant compared to the experience we had. Princess Celestia could not assign councils, could not distribute the ruling of Equestria upon others, for any single mistake could spell catastrophe for our ponies. She bore it all alone, because only she could be perfect. Only she could perform every duty without flaw, and she would give every hour of sleep, every hour of freedom or calm in exchange for that perfection.”

Sparkle stood, wobbling slightly as she balanced to keep her broken leg off the ground.

“She gave everything for this nation,” she said more forcefully. “Her heart, her mind, her soul. Nothing remained but a princess who did her duty without thanks and without reprieve. So to strike her title and symbols? It is treason. It is blasphemy. It is cruelty and carelessness of the highest order, and I shall have no part in it.”

Her horn lit as she opened the door, and she left the room, limping with a scowl on her face.

The three remaining ponies watched her go, stunned. But when they turned back to face each other, though they all seemed to carry their silent regret and agreement with parts of what Sparkle had said, Princess Luna spoke in a resigned tone.

“Does another option exist, to avoid conflict?”

“I do not know of one,” Prince Spring said quietly.

“We could seek to use force to silence Mint,” Prim said halfheartedly, the words bitter in her mouth.

“We know it is simply the only other suggestion to be made, but it shall not be done,” Luna said as she put a hoof to Prim’s back in comfort. “We shall enact the plan as put forth by Spring. It shall have to do.”

“I shall have the new banners commissioned immediately then, and begin planning for this summer moon celebration. If we make it seem as though it is being planned by some of the nobles, then the public may adopt it more readily. A celebration of thy protection,” Prim said.

Luna just nodded, and stood, letting Prim open the door and bring a close to the impromptu meeting.

“What… else was planned for this day?” Princess Luna said wearily as they started towards her chambers together.

“A meal with Prince Spring, but I am certain he would understand the need for thee to rest. I hath scheduled half a period of rest but with this time thou shalt gain three quarters, at least. The guard shall wake you when it is complete,” She said as they reached the door.

“And rest for thee?” Princess Luna asked Prim as she paused at the doorway.

“The same. I hath kept to thy schedule, so we will be going to our beds in unison and rising together.”

Luna nodded before stifling a yawn.

“Very well. Upon waking we shall have a meal, whether with Spring or not. Surely we shall otherwise starve,” Luna sighed.

“I shall see to it.”

They nodded to each other, and went to their own rooms to try and sleep.

Chapter 20

When Prim Rose entered the royal dining room, Princess Luna was already eating a small meal of fresh fruit and vegetables. She nodded to Prim, as Prim entered and sat nearby, stifling a yawn.

“Sit here, and eat. We hath called for Spring so that he shall join us shortly,” Luna said as she gestured to the seat next to her.

Prim only hesitated for a moment before sitting and taking a few slices of apple for herself.

“Upon completing our meal, we shall have the joint guard meeting, correct? What was the subject?”

“Repair crews and the security thereof,” Prim said before eating a slice of apple.

“Ah yes, then we shall have our dusk court,” Luna said as she looked to the evening light pouring over Everfree City through the window.

They sat silently for a while and ate until Prince Spring entered, guided by two of his guards and Golden Sparkle. He nodded to Luna and sat across the table from her, where Princess Celestia had sat in the past.

“My thanks to thee for setting aside time to see me,” Spring said nervously.

“Of course, our rule may only function jointly, and consult must be done to ensure that. What is thy concern?”

Spring hesitated before looking to Prim and Golden.

“May we speak alone?” he asked cautiously.

“Of course,” Princess Luna said, gesturing to Prim who rose and exited the hall along with Sparkle.

Once they were outside and the door was closed behind them, Prim and Sparkle looked to eachother.

“What dost thou think they are speaking of?” Prim asked curiously.

“Likely Prince Spring’s fear and panic of being in his new position,” Sparkle said, sounding bored as she leaned against a wall, while a guard moved slightly to give her room.

“He is feeling so unsettled?” Prim asked incredulously.

Sparkle rolled her eyes, massaging the shoulder of her injured leg with her free hoof.

“There is no stallion ready to rule, and certainly not one which simply fell in love with a princess. He is frightened, small and certain that he is going to fail in some way, and be disgraced. Likely he is blubbering to her to get her sympathy as we speak.”

“Thou art not a friend to Prince Spring?” Prim asked, surprised by Sparkle’s extremely critical statement.

“‘Tis not my duty to be a friend to my charge. No, Princess Celestia had made it clear that I shall serve the post best if critical, exacting, and efficient. So I am not His Royal Highness’s friend, and I make it clear that I do not appreciate the replacement of Princess Celestia’s banners. Lying shall serve noone.”

Prim looked away and grimaced. “Lying hath not served me well either,” she said softly.

“That is not thy fault,” Sparkle said.

Prim looked to her, shocked, but Sparkle wasn’t looking at her. She was looking down the hallway, eyes focused on something that wasn’t there. Prim waited for her to continue.

“Princess Celestia and I made the decision to ask for thy confidence together, and we should have told Princess Luna of the issue ourselves, not kept it. It is my greatest regret.”

Prim had to fight the urge to yell at Sparkle, to tell her off for putting her in that position to begin with. She had to remind herself that Sparkle had already paid for her crime, and that Prim's vindictive words would only serve as cruelty. Still, she couldn't stop a bitter smile, though Sparkle seemed not to notice.

“Dost thou seek my forgiveness?” Prim asked curiously.

“No, such a thing would be hollow at best, and not serve to return my true Princess to me. Do not bother thyself with the gesture. Instead, rest easy knowing that thou wert not at fault for this catastrophe. I hath been told of what Princess Celestia had said to thee that night, and surely it was a cruel falsehood, driven by her possession.”

“Possession?” Prim asked, confused.

“The change she had undergone, it was no disguise by the description I hath been given, but a true transformation, the kind of which must have been brought on by some sort of incorporeal being. That is my theory at least,” Sparkle said as she rocked her head back and forth, thinking over the idea yet again.

“It seems a bit hard to believe,” Prim said as she sighed. “But were it true, then why would the elements of harmony not clear this force from her?”

“That… I do not know,” Sparkle admitted. “It is only a theory anyway.”

They fell silent for a while, until one of the night guards shifted and looked to Prim. Prim recognized her as Evenstar. Prim knew that Tao was assigned to the other door that allowed access to the royal dining hall, otherwise Prim would be surprised by the duo not being near eachother.

“Permission to speak, Lady Rose?”

“Permission given, but do so with thy audience in mind,” Prim said, curious what Evenstar wanted to say.

Evenstar turned to face Sparkle a bit more, and lowered her weapon to rest on the floor, sitting instead of standing at attention.

“Perhaps Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, was voluntary in the possession? An alicorn is powerful and could not be easily possessed against their will,” she proposed.

Prim noticed that Evenstar was being particularly thoughtful in her use of Princess Celestia’s titles, but nonetheless Sparkle tensed and immediately frowned, shaking her head. But she paused, and seemed to actually consider it for a moment.

“It is… easier to believe than a voluntary slaughter,” Sparkle admitted after a few more minutes, hanging her head. “But it would imply that she allowed herself to be corrupted without knowing the nature of the entity that refers to itself as the Daybreaker. For I refuse to believe that she would know that it was a murderous and hateful thing, but embrace it.”

“She stated all her reasons for doing so, for all to hear that night,” Evenstar said quickly. “She stated that she was weary of ruling alone, of the difficulty of--”

There was a knock on the inside of the door, and everyone quickly got in their positions, Evenstar standing at attention, while Prim and Golden moved to the center of the hallway.

“Later, we shall speak,” Sparkle said quickly.

Shortly, the door opened to reveal Princess Luna and Prince Spring side by side.

“--council I shall seek quite often, I am certain,” Spring was saying.

“Remember what we hath said of the royal plural, and it’s importance,” Luna said with a small smile.

“Of course, of course. Council we shall seek,” he corrected with a matching smile and a small chuckle.

Princess Luna nodded to him in agreement before turning to Sparkle and Prim.

“We assume that Prince Spring’s schedule is accounted for?” she asked.

“Of course, your Highness,” Sparkle said, bowing only slightly.

“Excellent. We shall attend to the meeting of the guards then. We shall see thee both upon the Dusk court, there is much to be done. Prim?”

Prim bowed before following Princess Luna off towards the lunar guard barracks, which was being used for both guard groups, with the solar guard’s barracks still in disrepair, and with no roof or floor.

Before she could reach the door, Evenstar stepped up and knocked on the door, so that when it was opened, the two dozen guards in the room were at attention, and silent. Princess Luna strode in and went to the far side of the room, where a window looked out on the main courtyard.

Captains Fury and Bridle both stood at attention until Luna sat and nodded to them, letting them relax. She then looked around at the assembled guards. The crowd had doubled by the time she sat down, several guards filing in and some coming in from the side rooms.

“We appreciate the presence of thee all. We understand thirty more guards are on duty at this time, and shall be appraised of the situation by thee. This day we begin a new task, which is a painful one, in that it is sourced in the tragedy that shook us so recently. But the repair of this castle is at hoof. Crews hath been assembled and vetted by the captains, and shall begin delivering materials and evaluating the damage in the morning. Construction shall continue from dawn until dusk each day, and we must assume that these crews are not wholly loyal to us, due to the sensitive nature of their work. They shall be watched closely, and searched if needed. With portions of the dungeons and vaults exposed, a select few workers shall be permitted access to those portions of the crater. Those names shall be provided by Captain Fury.”

Princess Luna paused and looked around at the guards, contemplating their appearance and the changes that had been made over the last few weeks. Even the clouds above the castle, which shaded the grounds, were a constant reminder of the night’s mixing with the day. A new saying had come about due to it all. “To have a cloud above one’s head” was used to signify a peace or tranquility. It was one of the many abrupt changes from the scorn the night had been shown in the past, and Princess Luna had to bury the feeling of joy she felt at such things, as it was at the cost of her sister’s presence.

“We also must speak to thee about the state of our rule moving forward.”

She looked to Prim, standing next to the door, and decided in that moment that she could gather the strength to move on.

“It shall be a thousand years before our sister may return to our world. We hath sought every method of breaking her bonds, of retrieving her, and of communicating with her. Each has failed, and each has been pressed to its limits. We are left with the knowledge that Equestria shall need our rule without interruption for twice as long as we hath lived thus far. We shall tell nothing but the naked truth, this is a daunting task for anypony, alicorn or not. This is a great mountain we must climb, with the assistance of our nation, and it is a mountain we must be allowed to direct all of our attentions towards. We can struggle no further with the memories and heated discussion on what our sister hath become in the eyes of our ponies. We can no longer allow our focus to be laid upon the growing legend of… Daybreaker.”

The word tasted bitter in her mouth, and she turned to look out of the window.

“Though two courts shall remain, our sister’s touch upon this country must be muted for our focus and loyalty to be sharpened. Braced Bridle shall become the Captain of the Equestrian Guard, as Night Fury is granted the rank of General. The General’s post shall be expanded to oversee both Guard and Army, through the Captains and Knights, respectfully.”

She turned back to look at the guards. They were all standing at attention, careful to betray no emotion. But she had to see their loyalty.

“All uniform, insignia, and traditions of the Night Guard shall be embraced as the Equestrian Guard’s, with the Day Guard’s being retired until the return of our sister. Upon finding a way to cure her hysteria, and returning her to her throne, the Day Guard shall be revived. Are we understood?”

Every guard present saluted, standing tall. Not a flicker of doubt in their eyes. As one, they replied.

“Yes, your Highness.”

Princess Luna nodded in approval and began slowly walking back toward the door as she spoke.

“All day guards shall be accepted at current rank and given newly crafted armor and uniform. All shall be enchanted to embrace the unified image of the Thestral that our guard has taken for the last one hundred years. Henceforth, there shall be no flying of the Solar banner, and any declarations of allegiance to the Solar court shall be called into question to ensure that thy loyalty lies with the court, and not with Daybreaker.”

She stopped at the door as Prim opened it for her, and she looked back at the crowded room.

“Dismissed.”

Prim and Luna left, as the guards relaxed and began speaking amongst themselves.

“I prefer thy guard’s armor anyway,” Prim said conversationally.

“Regardless, it is not our preferred action to take. We would much rather embrace our sister’s legacy and history, but we hath seen recently that Mint is not the only pony with influence who seeks to make that legacy pay for her crimes. Letters have been sent to us with similar sentiments, and though we are certain there are many who wish to preserve her image in a positive light, they are neither as vocal nor in line with the deeds committed. Thus we are pressed to continue the isolation of our sister’s past from the future. Perhaps in time it may be possible to rebuild her legacy anew, in such a way that shall not offend those she injured.”

Prim sighed, shaking her head.

“A problem for a time long after I have passed,” she said with a smile. “Perhaps I should not be so thankful, but it is a problem complex enough that I have no desire to confront it.”

The two entered the great hall, and Princess Luna ascended to her throne as Prim went to the doors, checking with the guards to learn that there were only about a dozen petitioners in line. She then went back up to sit next to Luna’s throne. Shortly after that, Prince Spring entered, and they began the Dusk court, slowly trudging through the individual troubles of a country full of strife.

Chapter 21

It was a year before the castle felt stable again. A year of change and adaptation, a year of complaints and requests taken into consideration, until things began to feel permanent, and changes began coming more gradually. But, as with most things in life, change is inevitable.

Golden Sparkle entered Prim Rose’s chambers quietly, and without any fanfare she laid her ledger, keys, wax seal, and a small bag of insignia onto Prim’s desk.

“I am resigning my post,” Sparkle said, sounding all but defeated.

Prim set aside her own work and stood, walking around the table to stand next to Sparkle.

“Why? What has happened?” she asked, concerned for the golden mare and the seemingly sudden willingness to depart her post that only a year and a half ago she’d held with zeal and fervor.

“The world has moved on without me,” Sparkle said as she looked out of Prim’s door and into the hall, where the new banners of nature were hanging, the sun no longer present. “I find myself unwilling to serve the solar court if it is not called such, and unwilling to accept that Princess Celestia is gone. Prince Spring needs assistants and tutors more than he needs to have a Castalian, and I hath trained thee in all I know. So… Now I am no longer needed.”

“You are needed,” Prim insisted, but Sparkle held up a hoof and shook her head.

“My decision has been made. I shall be leaving immediately, and recommending that thou art given the post, and thou shalt need to locate and train a new Chamberlain and Seneschal. I recommend that thee leave it unfilled for only a brief time, running the castle alone is not sustainable.”

Sparkle turned to leave, but Prim put a hoof to her side. After hesitating for a moment, she put her forelegs around the mare and embraced her.

“I have only thee to thank for my ability to sustain Equestria thus far. Without thy guidance, the whole of the country may have fallen in the time since the the tragedy.”

Golden hesitated, but slowly returned the embrace, sighing.

“Truly what none of the nobility or royalty seem to grasp, is that this nation’s success rest upon the backs of those mares eager and determined enough to take up the tedious but essential tasks that no others wish to do. The cooks, the guards, those who organize it all, they are the lynchpin of Harmony. Not Princesses, no matter who wondrous. Yet we are not recognized or held in high regard. We are expected to do our duties flawlessly, and endlessly. Truly, it is a position that must persist through the ages, I only wish to see it given the respect it deserves. But, since I shall leave it, no longer shall I concern myself with it.”

She let go and looked Prim in the eyes.

“I shall retire to my family among the hills. Being young and wealthy has its clear advantages. I recommend that thee train and ready a replacement to thy post, so that thou art able to retire as well, before the position consumes thee.”

“Of course,” Prim replied with a sympathetic smile, though she had no plans of leaving her post anytime soon.

“Then I take my leave. Fare thee well, Prim Rose,” Sparkle said as she walked out the door.

“Fare thee well,” Prim replied quietly, watching the golden mare leave, and looking to the things that Sparkle had left.

She stacked the Solar ledger with the Lunar one and sighed, staring out the window at the garden lit by the fading evening light as she contemplated potential replacements. None came to mind.

“Of course, leave me without time to prepare for thy absence,” Prim grumbled.

She then composed a letter, which she would have distributed among the mares in waiting and servants. She did not want a guard to take the post of Chamberlain, but she did compose a letter regarding the post of Seneschal, which the guards would be given.

Then, needing to not only inform Princess Luna of the change but also to begin the night’s schedule, she took her ledger and made her way to Princess Luna’s chambers, nodding to Tao and Evenstar as she was let inside.

Luna was sitting at a small table next to the window she’d ripped open more than a year before, now the only window left in the castle that had any symbology of the sun in it. The plain clear glass had been replaced with one of the golden stained glass windows that was removed to be replaced with the less contentious natural symbols. Luna had successfully made the case that her chambers were an exception, and now a clear window cast the shadow of a golden sun across the table where Luna picked through a bowl of berries.

“Prim, art thou unwell? Thy face is pale, and expression unsettled,” Princess Luna observed.

“Perhaps unsettled, but not sickly,” Prim reassured her as she approached. “Golden Sparkle has left. She advised me that she was no longer willing to continue, and believed me ready to serve as Castalian, before departing. I was unable to convince her to stay.”

“Hmmm…”

Luna poured herself some tea, watching the steam rise before looking at the snowflakes falling outside her window.

“Well, there’s nothing to be done. Any agreement or bond she may have had was with our sister, not to the throne. So, she is free to go. Dost thou believe thy ability may rise to meet this challenge?” she asked as she looked back to Prim.

She didn’t answer right away. She imagined running the castle herself, what it would entail beyond what she was doing already. Sure it would require her to find some new ponies to serve as Chamberlain and Seneschal, but there were many positions to fill, and though it may take time to find those new ponies it would not be impossible. Could she count on her ability to put the castle in order in times of war? Or emergency? She practically already had, though she’d not needed to seal the gates as the emergency was brought by Celestia, and she was already inside. But these were all duties that she’d at least taken part in or been instructed on. It was clear Sparkle had been divesting herself of duties since the moment of Princess Celestia’s fall, and in effect training Prim. It certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was enough.

“I believe that I am capable,” Prim said with a nod. “Though we shall need to acquire new staff immediately to compensate for the sheer number of posts unfilled, now only greater by two.”

“Then have it done, take what funds thou shalt need for it, and let us hold a dinner in the morning in celebration!” Luna said cheerfully, standing and putting a wing over Prim’s back.

“A celebration?” Prim echoed, confused.

“Indeed! Thou art promoted to the greatest station below our own, Prim Rose, it shall be recognized! A feast for all, we shall call in entertainers, and open the gates!”

“That seems a bit much,” Prim mumbled, cheeks dark red from flattery and embarrassment. “We are already short of hooves, it may be unkind to press more work upon the staff to put out a feast and great event at such notice…”

“Oh Prim, it would be an event for all to enjoy, but… Very well, very well. A more subdued event then, a dinner for ourselves, and any others that thee wish to invite.”

Prim thought on it for a moment before smiling.

“The children of the night. They seem to desire some exposure to courtly life, and I shall admit I have not grown to know them all that well, so let us have an open invitation to them, that they may enjoy a fine meal and get to know me a little. After all, as Castalian I shall be their guardian in a way, such as a governess.”

Luna chuckled. “A governess? Hardly. More to the tune of co-ruler by the work that thou art capable of, and role that thee may play in their young lives. With ourself as the one parent, it is as though thou art the other.”

Prim’s mind, though joyful in the thought, did not seek out a platonic fancy, to care for those children in a chaste cohabitation with Princess Luna. No, her mind went quickly to the realm of being anointed consort, and calling the children all her own. Simultaneously a fanciful dream and a clenching nightmare. She could only imagine the fury that the public of Equestria might display at such a thing.

“Certainly, I shall care for them deeply,” Prim agreed tamely, looking out the window to avoid meeting Princess Luna’s eyes. “I shall see to the arrangements at once. A meal for eleven children, the two of us, and the four caretakers. Is there anything else?”

“No, I suppose there isn’t,” Luna said, looking Prim over suspiciously, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. “Did our statement of thy import frighten thee? Dost thou not wish to be such a figure to these children?”

“It is not that at all, your highness. I shall serve to care for them, eagerly, I simply… I am occupied with thoughts of preparations, is all.”

“Very well, see to them, and we shall look forward to the dinner,” Luna said as she turned back to her grapes.

Just before Prim reached the door, however, Luna looked back to her.

“Prim?”

“Yes, your Highness?”

“Treat thyself to a new addition to thy wardrobe for the occasion. Consider it a small gift.”

Prim hesitated before bowing.

“Of course. My thanks to thee.”

She then hurried out of the room. Once she was in the hallway, she paused, closing her eyes and sighing. Her damned emotions, and her damned heart, aching for someone to love, when she knew she couldn’t have it. Princess Luna, there was no higher star to ache for, no more unattainable precious thing to lust after. Prim shook her head and resumed her trot down the hall, across the great hall, and then through the doors into the kitchen.

As always, the kitchen was busy, the sounds of chopping and the smells of cooking were fairly constant, with brief pauses just after each meal during which the sinks were occupied by dishwashers. When Prim entered, Chef spotted her almost immediately, and turned to face her.

“An order from the princess?” she asked, not bothering with formalities.

“Indeed, she has decided that we shall have a meal after sunrise. The Children of the Night, their four caretakers, the Princess, and myself. Seventeen in total. Thou hast been informed of the children’s preferences?”

Chef just pointed at a drawer, and one of the cooks pulled a scroll from it, placing it on a hook on the wall so it rolled open, revealing each child’s name, their allergies or preferences, and foods they were not permitted by their caretakers.

“Good,” Prim said, before sighing. “She did not specify what food was to be served, so do whatever is least bothersome to thee and thy staff.”

“It is not everyday that we are given a meal order in the tone of one sentenced to death, wert thou forced into this dinner?” Chef asked as she went back to chopping.

“More or less, it is to celebrate my appointment to Castalian.”

Chef stopped and looked to Prim with a raised brow.

“What a… pity?” she said incredulously.

“I am pleased to have the post, please do not misunderstand, but… celebrations do not thrill me, when there is a chance I will be their focus.”

“Ah, I suppose that is understandable. Well, if thou art ever so miserable that thou art looking for a replacement, I would not turn down that pile of gold,” Chef said with a smirk.

“Dost thou wish to be Chamberlain? The position is available.”

The Chef quickly grimaced and shook her head. “The gold sounds nice, the position, not as much. I would not like a station that would require me to be… personable.”

“Hast thou met Sparkle?” Prim said in retort.

“True enough,” Chef laughed. “It may be that I could be my normal abrasive self and serve just as well, but no. The kitchens are where I belong.”

“Then I will leave thee to the work,” Prim said with a small bow. “My thanks to thee.”

Prim left the kitchens, and stopped again. Dusk court was not for another two hours, and she did not have anything important to do. Princess Luna had told her to get something nice, and if she didn't have something new at the feast, she'd notice. So, with a sigh, she turned and left the castle to go to the shop of Madame Chrysalidae.

As Prim approached, she noticed that the cluttered signs in the window were gone. There was a new pane of glass, and now dresses and displays filled the window. The wooden portions of the building looked to have been repainted recently, and when she opened the front door, a shiny new silver bell rung above it, a light and joyful sound.

“Welcome!” Sali’s voice called cheerfully from the back, as she trotted closer.

When she saw Prim, she hesitated slightly, but still smiled.

“Welcome back, Lady Rose,” she said more softly. “What can I do for you?”

She did approach, not quite as closely as she had the first time Prim had visited her, but still close enough that Prim felt her cheeks start to warm.

“I hath been granted the position of Castalian, and was advised to celebrate. I… know not what to buy myself, besides clothing. Even then, I find myself leery of dresses. It is not an appearance to my liking.”

“Of course not. Thou art a rose of thorns, not some velvety violet,” Sali said coyly, stepping even closer.

“What dost thou mean by a comparison of flowers?” Prim asked, more suspicious than anything else, concerned that the comparison may somehow be insulting.

“Oh dear, thou art unfamiliar with the culture that so clearly fits thy desires, aren't thee?”

“I am… not sure what culture thou speaks of,” Prim said, as Sali started walking back to the counter, Prim following.

“The culture of those mares and stallions known to be of a queer persuasion,” Sali said as she tended a basket of purple violets on her desk. “Followers of the great poet Sapphire from the island of Lesbos. Lovers… of the fellow mare.”

Prim stopped mid step and nearly backed away. “I don’t know why it need be mentioned…”

“For it is more than lust, clearly. Flowers have meaning. The violet… a tenderness, a femininity in grace, and beauty of a classical sense,” she said as she tucked a violet into her own mane. “But the rose…”

She did not have a rose, but looked to Prim, smiling coyly. “Let us only say that thy name is quite apt. Prim, but of a sort tough and sharp. Not meant to be dressed in silks and delicate lace, but meant to be gilded in silver and clean edges. Hard as a blade being drawn, and as subtle as a dagger in the dark.”

When she finished speaking, Sali was nose to nose with Prim, and Prim was stunned to find that she could taste the lingering smell of violets in the air, mingled with Sali’s sweet breath. Prim could not look away, and despite her many racing thoughts, she felt all at once unbound. She took a single step forward, and that was all it took to press their lips together.

It was a wonderous thing, that first sloppy, novice kiss. For Prim had never had another, no matter how poor it may have been for Sali, it was the one brilliant star in Prim’s dark sky in that moment. They lingered there, lips pressed close, Prim’s eyes closed and Sali trying to fight a growing smile, until finally Prim stepped back, and opened her eyes, cheeks red and expression bashful.

“No, no, do not look so crestfallen after thy first kiss,” Sali chuckled. “To be so honest with thyself, it takes time. Do not hasten to throw up stone walls against the feeling when thou hast not even begun to explore it.”

Prim nodded numbly, but her mind was not in the room in that moment. Her mind was with Luna, at Luna’s side and in the sweep of those great wings.

“Do not be ashamed if thy heart belongs to another,” Sali said after a long pause, still smiling.

“Who said--”

“Not a soul, young Prim. But I hath seen thee in court at the side of thy princess, and it is clear to all that know to look… Thou art enraptured by her.”

Prim reluctantly nodded. “Thou shalt not tell?”

“Not a soul,” Sali repeated, sighing. “I do not suppose thou art in need of a repeat? I hath found that fresh mares always kiss the sweetest.”

“N… Not at the moment, if it is alright,” Prim stammered, knowing for certain her cheeks must be crimson. “There… Clothes, were the cause for my visit?”

“Ah yes, Rose clothes for a Rose,” Sali said cheerfully, turning back to her shop and taking it all in.

Sali seemed more energetic, with more bounce in her step as she buzzed around the shop, picking over clothes and picking out the pieces she preferred, holding them up to Prim and then either adding them to the small pile on the counter, or putting them back. Eventually, she settled on a final outfit. The most striking addition was a piece of clothing clearly meant for a stallion. Trousers. They were made of black cloth with grey trim along the edges, and with bright silver buttons above the tail, rather than a bow or ribbons to tie them closed. Paired with a long sleeved jacket, and a rich purple cape with gold trim, and it was the sort of thing that Prim might expect to see worn by a Duke.

“I couldn’t… ‘Tis too much a colt’s attire...” she whispered, in awe of the ensamble as she turned in front of a mirror, admiring herself.

“Why dost thou wear thy mane in a braid?” Sali asked, almost sounding bored.

Prim looked to her, confused, but Sali just smiled. “Indulge me.”

“Because I… Do not enjoy the feeling or appearance of a long mane, touching the side of my neck and looking… looking…”

“Feminine,” Sali finished, still smiling. “Because thou art not one to enjoy that taste of femininity. If thou wert not a public figure, I would demand that thou shalt wear thy mane as a zebra would. Short and straight.”

“I couldn’t,” Prim repeated.

Sali strode up next to Prim and touched a hoof to her chin, turning her head to look into the mirror as she used her magic to place a short brimmed cap with a black feather plume upon her head.

“Does it not feel right? Look like thy heart would ask thee to be, if there were no other demands upon it?”

Prim stared, unable to think of an argument. Sali was right. When she looked in the mirror, she saw herself. Not some mare trying to look like a Castalian and failing, not a young and foolish filly come from Trothnicum with empty pockets to beg. She looked like Prim Rose had always felt, beneath it all.

She looked to Sali, and smiled nervously.

“Perhaps… In a bag, that I may wear it in private?”

“Of course,” Sali said, her smile turning sly again as she bagged it all up, wrapped in thin paper. “That shall total fifty three gold bits. It is some of my finest stock.”

Before Sali even finished her sentence, Prim had placed the pouch of gold on the counter.

“All my thanks to thee, for thy… education,” Prim said timidly, clutching the package close.

“Of thou art ever in need of further education, be sure to return,” Sali said as she stepped closer yet again, smiling.

“Y… yes!” Prim squeaked, before galloping out of the store, only slowing when she was well away from the shop, and she could catch her breath.

Chapter 22

Prim closed her office door, locked it, and rushed into the bedroom before closing and locking that door as well. Only then did she open the bag again. Carefully, as though she was touching holy relics, she removed each article from their paper and laid them out on her bed, heart racing.

They were not just clothes, they were an identity. A portrayal of a self that she’d never acknowledged or had the words to describe before. The word queer. Knowing of Sapphire of Lesbos.

The kiss…

Prim closed her eyes, shaking her head. There was a deep unspoken fear in acknowledging her nature. The very fact that she did not care for stallions, the fact that she admired other mares and could not stop herself from that attraction. The fact that she did not dress or act as other mares do.

That first kiss had been like stepping off a ledge, knowing that you do not have wings. She felt like she was falling, out of control, not knowing if she would survive whatever came next. If she could be pushed to acknowledge the joy she found in that kiss, what else? Could she admit to herself that there was more, that her forbidden thoughts of Princess Luna were not just a deranged musings which demonstrated a sickness within her… But something so like love that it would tear her heart open if she continued to call it evil.

But it was nonetheless an impossible thing to face, a choice between emptiness and yearning for something impossible.

She pulled herself into her bed, atop the fine clothes, and curled tightly into herself as she stifled her sobs to keep them silent. Yet despite it all, she was smiling.

Because it all made sense. Because her desires were shared by others, and because she now knew there was so much more to it. Her preferences, her odd styles of clothing, maybe other things as well fell into this nature of hers, and were not just unknown deficiencies to her behavior and mind.

She picked up the fine, soft shirt that went below the jacket and cape. The buttons looked to be carved of soapstone, and their glossy surface shone in the dim light. The stitching, so fine, could almost be called delicate, but it was firm and strong in all the ways that lace was not.

She put it on, and with just that one piece of clothing, she left her bedroom and stood in front of the mirror in the wardrobe. It looked casual, all unbuttoned and without the jacket, but it almost looked… Beautiful was not the right word. Handsome, maybe. She liked this handsome image of herself. More than she’d liked herself in a very long time.

Quickly, she went back and got the rest of the clothes, taking them to the wardrobe and putting them all back on in a rush of giddy joy. Then she admired herself.

The cape was noble enough, certainly to fit her new position. The jacket could be any fine dress for cold weather, if it was not for the trousers…

It was not a complete unknown, for a mare to wear trousers. Certainly distant cultures did it regularly, and some mares who worked in smithing or other professions wore them. It was not strictly forbidden.

She stood tall and took a deep breath before speaking to her reflection.

"Good morning, your Highness."

She felt a little stiff, stilted, artificial.

"Good morning, Princess. Art thou prepared for the dawn court?"

That felt a little better. A little less grating. But she still felt vulnerable. She'd been able to shrug off pain before, ignore the opinions of others, or at least recover from them. But now she felt as though she was so open and honest with her preferred appearance, that any slight against it could crush her.

Years of being apathetic to the world around her, only caring for her sister and then losing even her, had left Prim raw and vulnerable. She did not know how to be truly strong, she realized. She knew how to be a stone. Still and invulnerable. But now she could no longer deny a vulnerability, and just like that her shell fell away.

Prim strode to the window and looked out on the city, thinking.

She could order the guards and others to treat her with respect. She had power. She had authority, and she could use that to protect herself. But if Princess Luna found fault with her appearance…

“I love her,” Prim whispered, shocked. “I really do love her. What a fool I am, nay, a stargazer. Dreaming of such a thing.”

She huffed and shook her head.

“There lays the source of my fear, truly. Not that she wouldst send me away, but for the injury to mine heart.”

She went back to the mirror and straightened her collar.

“She shall not dismiss me. I know that. All the rest, I shall bear as a price for being honest. I shall survive.”

She gathered her things and left her room, standing tall and brave. But upon putting her hoof to the handle, she hesitated.

“Can I do this?” she asked herself, resting her horn against the door and closing her eyes. “Do I even know what… What ‘This’ is? What I’m doing, anymore?”

The spikes of fear interspersed with joy were taking a toll on Prim, all too much, too quickly. She felt like she needed years to ponder what had just happened in the space of an after-midnight. Yet all at once she wanted to be done with it. She wanted to leap bodily into this new unknown, and lose herself in it. Damn the consequences, damn the fears.

She wanted to kiss Princess Luna on the lips, and tell her that she was more beautiful than any star that had ever fallen to earth, because she never grew fainter. She never lost her enchantment.

Cursing, Prim turned back and paced the length of her office. She was losing control, and it was not acceptable. She was Castalian of the Equestrian Crown Castle. The former Castle of the Two Sisters, the most important structure in all of Equestria, and above that in her own heart she served as temporary Seneschal to Princess Luna. She could not be falling apart. She had to be focused.

Princess Luna had asked her to buy herself something, no limits implied or given. Dress codes for nobility such as herself were lax when they existed at all, and she now had the authority to edit them on occasion. Prim Rose was not making a bold public declaration of her identity. She was going to dinner in nice clothing that she should be proud of, to get to know the Children of the Night better. That was all.

Firm in her stride, and standing tall, Prim emerged from her office and nodded to the guards she’d been assigned. They didn’t visibly react to Prim’s appearance, and fell in step behind her, marching down the hall towards Princess Luna’s chambers. Prim checked the light through one of the windows, seeing the horizon just beginning to glow yellow, and knowing that it was nearly time for the dinner with the children. She stopped at the hall that led to the rooms where the children were staying, and waited for one of the caretakers to become available to speak to her.

The caretaker had a visible reaction, pausing upon seeing Prim and looking her over with surprise before putting it aside and advising Prim that the children would be ready for the dinner within the half hour. Prim thanked her for her time, and resumed her course to the royal chambers.

When Prim approached, Tao and Evenstar opened the doors, nodding to Prim with knowing smiles that made her slightly nervous. But when she was inside and Luna took notice of her, that was when Prim’s anxiety reached its peak.

Luna looked up from her paperwork and looked like she had been about to speak, when she saw Prim standing there, in all her finery.

She closed her mouth, then opened it, then closed it again, before smiling and standing. She strode over to Prim and circled her slowly, letting Prim watch her the whole way. Once she finished a full circle she stopped in front of Prim and nodded.

“We approve. Not what we might have assumed that thou wouldst choose, but a glory of it’s own sort. Very well. Let us be off! We hath not only dinner but children to entertain!”

With that brief comment, Prim was led in a near daze to the banquet hall, following Princess Luna like a toy on a string.

“Ah, mine own children of the night, here, here.”

Princess Luna drew all the children in close, and asked each of them their names, something she reassured them she would remember given a few more repetitions, and embraced each that wanted to be held. Though she remembered and recognized Nova Star.

“We’ve a fine meal for all of thee, but a bit of time afore it arrives. So please, ask questions of us, that we may become better acquainted.”

The burst of noise was shocking, and shook Prim out of her stupor. She stepped up next to Luna and started recording the questions in shorthoof on a scroll.

“Do you really move the moon and sun?”
“Why are you so tall?!”
“Who's that?” (pointing at Prim)
“Are we all Princesses now?!”
“What’s food we’re having?”
“Can I have my own room? Berry Tart kicks in her sleep.”
“Can I have another hug?” (No need to answer, hug was supplied immediately.)
“Why do you say ‘We’ all the time?”

Once they quieted down, Prim floated the list up so Luna could read from it, as she let go of the colt who had asked for another hug.

“Hmmm, let us see… Yes. We are responsible for the raising and lowering of both the sun and the moon. Though if a great many unicorns were united in attempting such, they would be capable of it as well. I am tall because I am an alicorn, dost thou know what an alicorn is?”

There were mixed responses, and Luna just smiled and began an explanation.

“An alicorn is a pony who possesses the heart of an earth pony, the wings of a pegasus, the horn of a unicorn, the keen eyes and ears of a thestral, and the grace and beauty of a crystal pony. They can come about in two ways. One, by an alicorn bearing a child, it may be born as such. This was the case for us. We were alicorns by birth. But there are also alicorns by right. A pony who creates a new sort of magic or performs some great feat that defines the world around us has the chance to become an alicorn.”

She smiled to her children and looked to each one.

“There is the chance that, if one of thee chooses to pursue it, that thee may become an alicorn as well. Now, this is Prim Rose, our Seneschal which is a pony that cares for the schedule and court sessions. She is also Castilian of this castle, meaning that she cares for the castle and all of the things and ponies within. She shall often help us care for thee.”

“She dresses funny,” one Colt said.

“When thou art a very important pony, thee may dress however pleases thee,” Luna said with a smile. “Prim is a very important pony here at the castle. Thou all may think of her as an aunt, or big sister. But she is very much in charge, whenever we are not present.”

Prim felt a stirring of pride in how Luna defended her, or seemed to defend her in her statement. But she didn’t dwell on it, holding up the paper for Luna to read from.

“As to the title, Princess or Prince is a title which denotes one as being fit to take up the throne. Do any of thee believe that thou art capable of doing what we do?”

The children grew still at the serious look Luna gave to all of them, but after a moment, Nova Star stepped forward.

“I could learn!”

Princess Luna chuckled and nodded. “Indeed thou art most keep, perhaps one day thou shalt earn the title of Princess. But for now, thou art all Duchesses. Of course, the colts are Dukes. Next, as to the question of food, it is a surprise! Even we do not know, but it shall be delivered shortly. Sleeping arrangements are handled by your caretakers, and lastly we get to the question of the royal plural,” she said with a chuckle.

“As a princess, I must represent all of my little ponies, and I must also display myself in all ways as the leader of Equestia. One way of doing so is to use the royal plural, or the royal We. If I must meet with some important pony, all of Equestria stands behind me, so it is We, meeting with them. This is true in all the things a princess does, and is a kind of etiquette that must be followed. So, you are all our Children, and it is we that shall dine with thee. It may sound silly, but after many hundreds of years, it is a habit of ours. Even in private when not necessary, we refer to ourself as plural, and until royalty is not required to do so, we shall continue it.”

“But why keep doing it, when… when you could just make a law saying you won’t anymore!”

Princess Luna paused, and seemed struck by the idea, as though she’d never thought of it before.

“Well… It is possible, we could do so, certainly. Perhaps other rulers would find it impertinent, or the ponies of Equestria would find it to be careless, to no longer represent them in our speech, but we shall keep it in mind.”

The cooks chose that moment to bring the food in, and quickly all of the children were seated.

The chefs had prepared a rich creamy pasta with asparagus heads, and caramelized Salsify slivers on the side, for the main course. They were also served onion fried in butter until brown, with thin slices of beet that turned it red for an appetiser, and then some fluffy fried dough balls with a sweet chocolate to dip it into for dessert. Thankfully the children enjoyed almost everything and there was mostly small conversations between the adults during the meal.

“How fare the children in coping with their losses?” Luna asked two of the caretakers quietly.

They hesitated, looking to eachother. After a short pause one of them sighed and spoke.

“We know… It is in poor taste to speak of thy sister, your Highness,” he said delicately.

“Please,” Luna said, leaning in closer. “These are our children, and we shall suffer what we must to care for them and their pains. We are already aware that many of their dreams are haunted by our sister’s visage, her… more blinding form. Is this the concern?”

“Not as much,” he said hesitantly. “Their dreams are their own, but their waking hours… Many of them have made a choice to remain awake only during the night, to keep thy schedule. They are afraid of the daylight, and during those hours remain inside when not sleeping. We hath no fear for this but for their pressuring of others to join them. They wish more time with their new siblings, you see, so all the children hath become nocturnal, as a herd of sorts.”

Luna huffed, trying to hide a smile. “Children of the night indeed,” she said as she thought it over. “Dost thou believe this shall hurt them, given time?”

“Some of them. There is tremendous pressure from the others for all to sleep during the day, even those who would rather not.”

“Then we shall find them new playmates. Discover the children’s old friends, hopefully they reside within Everfree city, and see if we cannot arrange for them to spend time together. Isolation shall serve them poorly if they are meant to carry our banner in life.”

The caretakers nodded in agreement, and the matter was settled. Prim sat to the side, listening and thinking. After a bit longer she spoke her mind.

“Excuse the unsolicited query, but Perhaps this may not be of concern given time? More oft I see that the court hours prompt a more encompassing schedule from our ponies. Even those who sleep during the night now take noon as a time of rest, shops close for several hours, some now sleep both at mid-night and mid-day. It may be that children of all sorts may be discovered to occupy their time, if they were housed outside the castle.”

“Trying to free up some space inside the walls?” Luna asked with a smirk, clearly meant as a joke.

But it didn’t feel like a joke to Prim. After all, she still saw these as her children, no matter how distant.

“No. It would be within the walls but outside the castle, so that there are fewer barriers between their living quarters and potential friends. Great developments in heating and construction have been made since the castle’s construction. I propose a modest home, built in a similar style of shell as the castle, between the Lunar gardens and the front gate, along the inside of the outer wall. Currently, there is only open space and it shall serve easily for a dozen children and their needs, or even more should shelter be required.”

Prim realized that her tone had become heated, and she sat back in her chair, looking away. She wanted to demand her own plans be taken into account, she wanted these children to look up to her, not as an older sister or an aunt, but a mother, and damn it all she wanted Luna to be the other parent. It was all an impossible thing that was driving her, and she realized again that she would have to wrest control away from her emotions, and take the role she was given, gratefully and gracefully.

“It is a fine suggestion,” Princess Luna said in a kind tone after a moment of silence. “One which we shall explore. All our thanks to thee, Prim.”

“Thou art most welcome, your Highness,” Prim replied on reflex, before focusing on her meal.

The buzz of conversation carried on around her, and she floated through it, burying her focus in the soft and deceptively light balls of dough, which easily squished when a bit too much pressure was applied with a hoof on picking it up, but when squished became the perfect carrier for ever greater amounts of the sweet chocolate, which she pondered must certainly cost a fortune to import, just so such a dessert could be served.

“Prim?”

Prim looked up, smiling a little at the thought of the poor merchant who had to traverse mountains with loads of delicious powder on his back without eating any of it, to see Luna standing. Seeing that no others were standing, Prim was a bit confused. The meal was clearly not over.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Nova Star wishes to learn how to dance, so that upon her coronation, she may be able to pick out any fine colt and dance with him without stumbling. So, we’d thought to give a demonstration. Thou art the only attendee in fine attire matching a crown, so wouldst thou join us in a dance to serve example to the children?”

There was mirth in Luna’s eyes as she looked to Prim and spoke, whether because she knew more of Prim’s feelings or the far more probable answer that she was amused by Nova’s determination to be crowned, Prim could not tell.

“Of course, your Highness,” Prim replied as she cleaned her hooves and stood, striding out in Princess Luna’s wake.

“We shall lead,” Luna said firmly, projecting her voice to fill the room as many of the children turned to watch. “In a formal dance, if thou art to dance with a colt, the colt shall follow. If dancing with a mare, then the taller of the two shall lead,” she said before pausing and looking back to the children with a wink. “It seems that we may be a tad bit taller than our Lady Rose.”

There were childish giggles and Luna turned and stood, legs close together and tall, while Prim stood in front of her, taking the same pose. She didn’t know what would happen, as she barely knew how to dance at all.

“In time with music, a dance shall proceed only when all instruments are playing together, but before that a beat shall be set.”

She gestured to one of the guards, and the guard began tapping the butt of his spear against the floor twice a second, making a fairly slow rhythm.

“The dance begins with a bow. No matter the status, for the length of the dance, both participants are respecting eachother, thus…”

Luna bowed to Prim and for the briefest of moments Prim wanted to stay standing and soak in that unusual sight, but she bowed as well, before they both came back to standing. Prim didn’t so much regret not staying standing, as she realized that she was now dancing with Princess Luna. That joy drowned out a lot of the nervousness and disappointment in not being able to soak in the experience at her own pace.

“The dance we shall display is known as the Moon County circle dance, which was created two hundred years ago during a competition held in our honor. It begins with a crossing of the paths. First we each turn to the left, perform a hop to our cross hooves, then turn to the right and repeat.”

From there, Luna stopped narrating the dance. Quickly, Prim came to realize that the dance was designed to allow both participants to watch each other throughout. At no point did they lose eye contact. They pranced in place before striding in a quick circle around each other, and then closing in until they were nearly nose to nose.

Even if Luna had been giving directions, Prim would not have heard them, her heart was racing so quickly. Prim was so focused on mirroring Luna’s actions, that she was barely able to think, though one thought did enter her mind and stay there. She was dancing with Luna in front of children. Somehow it felt like she was doing something wrong, and would be punished. But she could feel Luna’s breath on her chin, and see those large teal eyes taking her in, completely focused on Prim and her movements.

They then turned about the point between their noses, each neck to the side, so that they were pacing like circling wolves until they completed a full rotation and stopped. Luna then reared up and Prim copied her, until they fell chest to chest, leaning on each other for support, Luna’s right hoof holding Prim’s left down and out away from their bodies, while Luna’s left hoof held Prim’s side to keep her from falling. Prim could feel Luna’s slow certain heartbeat, while her own raced. Luna’s body was so warm, so strong, it was almost unbelievable that Prim was offering her any support at all. Like a blade of grass holding up a tree.

“Step front one two three four, turn left one two three four, step back one two three four, turn left one two three four,” Luna called out as they made a rough circle by tracing an octagon on the floor, trading who was leading the line with each rotation.

When they reached the starting point, Luna spread her wings and spun Prim out away from her until they were resting on their meeting outstretched hooves, their free hooves wide away from each other. Prim had stopped paying attention to the children, and was wholly focused on Luna. She could only imagine that she would never see anything more beautiful than Princess Luna, standing upon her hind legs, wings wide open, and her dark blue mane glittering full of stars.

“That…” Princess Luna said with a confident smile and a slight shortness of breath, “Is the Moon Country Circle dance. From there, we would switch partners with a neighboring pair and begin again.”

The children clapped while Luna beat her wings so she could gently lower Prim to her normal stance, and as they turned to return to her seat, she leaned in close to Prim to whisper to her.

“Our thanks to thee for the wondrous dance, Prim Rose.”

Prim couldn’t even reply, she was so dizzy with joy.

Chapter 23

Prim was dizzy. Then a cool blue light swept over her, and a pain she’d not even noticed faded away, and the dizziness vanished abruptly.

She opened her eyes, and she could see Luna leaning over her bed, smiling. She looked a little sad though. Prim smiled as well and reached up to touch Luna’s cheek with her hoof.

“Did I dream… You sang…”

“T’was not a dream,” Luna said, her voice soft and low, as she leaned in and kissed Prim so gently on the lips, that it could have been a feather brushing her skin.

“Kissing an old mare, what wouldst thy children think?” Prim chuckled.

“They would be most pleased that I have finally come to my senses,” Luna said as she used her magic to pick up Prim and carefully set her right side up on the floor. “How wouldst thou enjoy a walk through the gardens?”

Prim braced for the pain she’d become accustomed to when standing, but it didn’t come.

“Stars above, have I been cured?” she asked hopefully.

But Luna’s face fell and she pulled Prim into an embrace.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered.

“Do not do this, Luna. Do not blame thyself,” Prim said firmly. “Simply… How much time remains for me?”

“Days at most,” Luna said as she tucked a bit of Prim’s mane behind her ear and kissed her on the cheek. “Hours, if we are unlucky.”

“Then we shall plan for days,” Prim said firmly. “For I have ever been the luckiest mare there has ever been, certainly, to catch thy eye.”

“So… A walk through the garden?” Luna proposed again.

Prim nodded, and began walking, waiting to ensure that Luna would be at her side the whole way. They passed through the halls, ignoring the guards, and even ignoring Princess Spring, who watched them pass with a smile.

They exited the castle, into the evening light, and then turned to the right. Prim looked to the Home of the Night, the building of stone that now looked so natural, like it was supposed to be there all along. Prim then turned her attention to the iron gates being opened to the gardens.

They had once been only a hundred paces across, but now the Lunar gardens had expanded to cover half of the unoccupied grounds around the castle. But Prim took notice of the first arrangement of flowers just within the gates. They were primroses. Red and purple, with a few white ones. She gently lifted one of the flowers to smell it, noting how thick the stems were, and how many leaves were decaying on the ground. Clearly the flowers had been there for quite some time.

“These… didst thou plant them in honor of me?”

“Something to remind us of thy guidance, Prim. Something to calm us when thou art unavailable,” Luna said quietly.

Prim sighed and smelled the flowers again. “They are beautiful, and I am honored, but stay in this moment, my sweet star. Do not drift into a sad time that will come later.”

Luna smiled a little at being called a sweet star, and followed as Prim made her way through the gardens, touching the stone bench she’d once fallen asleep on as she passed, and tossing a pebble into the fountain which poured a thin sheet of water into the pool below.

Eventually they arrived in a grassy clearing surrounded by hedges. She looked around at the private space before going to Luna’s side and nuzzling her neck.

“I don’t know what to do,” she sighed. “Without a schedule. A list.”

“Well that is because thou art not at work,” Luna said, returning the nuzzle. “Thou art, for once, without duty.”

“Then what am I, if not Castalian?” Prim asked, exasperated.

“Thou art my love,” Luna replied quickly.

"Then what do two lovers even do?" Prim asked with a laugh as she leaned on Luna. "I'm too old to play at being a sexy mare. Too realistic to think I could attend court by your side, wrapped around your arm, displaying my adoration. What is left for an old mare and the whole night sky worth of beauty?"

Luna blushed at the compliment, and lifted Prim up as she rolled on her back, laying Prim on her stomach so that the old mare could relax, while looking Luna in the eyes. With her legs outstretched, she could barely touch Luna's cheeks, while her hind hooves hung near Luna's cutie mark.

"They stay close. They talk freely. They care for each other, and sometimes I've even heard that they kiss," Luna listed casually.

Prim scooted forward a little bit, and she kissed Luna. This time it was a bit more forceful, an it lasted a long time, resting there, exploring what kissing could be like, and what got a reaction out of Luna. It was simple, and quiet, but by the end they were both smiling and blushing and a little out of breath.

Luna wrapped herself around Prim, holding her.

“Sometimes?” Prim chuckled.

“Sometimes,” Luna replied with all the seriousness she could manage.

“I love thee,” Prim repeated. “I truly do, Luna. I… I am so sorry I did not say it sooner.”

“It may not have been any better if thou had been more prompt,” Luna sighed, putting her cheek to Prim’s as she held her. “Ruling Equestria, being so blind to my own feelings, the pressure of the public… There were many obstacles we faced. Many difficulties we addressed by simply ignoring our own pains.”

“But we could have had more,” Prim whispered, her tears wetting Luna’s cheek.

“Just as thou art keen in reminding me not to dwell on a painful future, do not dwell on what could have been, Prim,” Luna urged her as she rolled to the side to let Prim curl up on top of her wing, warm and safe. “We may have been capable of having more, we may not have been, but we have this. We have eachother now, and we have our love without the concerns of the public, without political complications, and without our own hidden feelings.”

Prim closed her eyes and pressed herself into a tight little ball pressed against Luna’s chest and stomach, and for a little bit they were quiet.

“Prim?” Luna asked after a few minutes, tone worried.

“Hmm?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought…”

“I’m not gone yet,” Prim said as she kissed Luna’s neck. “Just enjoying… I never got to be this close to you, before. Well… Except for when we danced.”

Luna smiled as she remembered the dance, and she began humming a song that got Prim to open her eyes and smile.

“That’s so… So familiar,” she said with fascination. “Where have I heard it before?”

“The dance,” Luna said with a raised brow. “That was the song being played.”

“I only remember the dance for the children. There was no music, but the tapping of a guard’s spear,” Prim admitted. “I wish I remembered… We danced again?”

“It was more formal,” Luna nodded. “I’d nearly forgotten the dance for the children, myself. But We danced again at a royal gala. We were not so pressed together as the dance for the children, but… It felt close. In my heart.”

“If only I were not so frail, we could dance again,” Prim sighed.

“Perhaps in thy dreams tonight,” Luna said as she kissed Prim’s forehead. “We may have a chance to dance again.”

Prim grinned and looked up at Luna before kissing her on the lips, a more reckless and passionate thing than the exploratory kiss before. “Truly? I’d near forgotten that thou art capable of such a thing.”

“Your memory has been fading,” Luna said as she prushed Prim’s mane back with a hoof. “Do not worry of which things you may remember. It is alright, I will take care of you.”

Prim began to cry, and Luna had a moment of panic, wondering if she was hurt or if Luna had somehow failed to keep the painkiller spells active, until she realized Prim was smiling.

“What… Why? Art thou alright?” Luna asked as she adjusted to hold Prim even more gently.

“Oh Luna… Oh little moon of course I’m alright,” Prim said as tears streamed down her cheek and wet Luna’s wing.

Prim scooted up until she was curled against the bend of Luna’s neck. “All my life I took care of others. IT was what I was good at. It was my job. It was… It was everything. Caring for other ponies came first, myself second. Thy care was shown, and was evident, do not misunderstand me, but nonetheless I cared for even thee, and now… Now there is an utter safety. A complete envelopment, and I can… I can let go of all that. There are no more schedules, no more complicated matters to attend to. For thou art caring for me. It is… An incredible act of love, to care for one so completely.”

Luna smiled at that and leaned in close so her head was against the back of Prim’s neck, curled around her as she was.

“Then thou hast shown me incredible love for thy whole life here,” Luna pointed out.

“Thou art sure to make me cry again,” Prim said as she made little kisses along Luna’s neck, ignoring the tear-soaked dampness of the coat on her cheek and neck.

“These are happy tears, so I shall not regret causing them,” Luna said cheerfully.

Again they laid there for some time, until Prim shivered and Luna pet her mane back out of her eyes.

“It will not do for thee to become sick.”

“More sick,” Prim corrected as she stood with Luna’s assistance.

Before Luna could focus too much on what Prim had said, she started off on a quick trot towards the guard barracks.

“What dost thou seek, my Rose?” Luna asked curiously, noticing the determined path.

“Well, I ought to see if Tao and Evenstar are about!”

Luna slowed, and used her magic to gently turn Prim to a nearby door into the castle instead.

“Prim… They are not… Tao and Evenstar passed away,” Luna said gently as she opened the door.

“Ah.”

They went inside and Prim was suddenly grateful for the warmth of the castle walls. She hadn’t noticed how very cold she’d become outside. Yet she found an unusual energy in her, pressing her on.

“Well, it cannot be helped,” Prim said as she started down the hall. “Ah! My old office, I suppose…”

She paused, frowning as she looked to Luna. “Who…”

“Silver Decanter,” Luna said with a fond smile, imagining Prim so many years ago, standing in front of the same door.

“Ah, the… The stallion,” Prim said, suddenly wary of the door.

“So casual, thy sexism, Prim. Dost thou find it comforting after so many years of fighting it?” Luna asked Prim, leaning in close to kiss Prim’s cheek.

Prim did notice that this was the first time Luna had kissed her in front of the guards, and took a special thrill in that, which outweighed the frustration with what Luna had said.

“Perhaps it is comforting!” Prim huffed, though she couldn’t muster true anger. “Let me meet him then! Though… I trained him, did I not?”

“True, for he, this shall be a re-meeting of sorts,” Luna nodded as she knocked on the door.

The click of the bolt being withdrawn from the frame coincided with a sound like rushing air in Prim's ears. Her vision sharpened to a degree so vast that it was as though she could simultaneously see every speck of dust in the air and not discern where her hooves ended and the floor began. There were no edges, no boundaries.

The world bled through Itself as she opened her mouth to speak, to try and explain what was happening to her, but it was interrupted by the door beginning to swing open. It revealed herself, but as a colt, in silver molten light, surrounded by beams of moonlight that disintegrated the last of Prim’s consciousness. She fell to her side as she felt her whole mind being drawn out through her horn, like a thread made of her thoughts.

Then there was darkness, and somewhere far away there was a gasp, and warmth.

Chapter 24

“Good evening, Lady Rose,” Tao said as Prim exited her chambers, stretching.

“Tao, ah, yes, guard rotations,” She remembered. “Art thou prepared for a great deal of walking?”

“I had my boots cushioned just for the great exertion,” Tao joked as Evenstar took up Prim's other side and they started off towards the solar wing.

“Excellent. There is much to be done. Firstly it is of paramount importance that we insure that the second throne’s chambers are proceeding as planned, then we shall have breakfast. Hast thou eaten yet?”

“Eat? Thestrals do not eat,” Tao said sarcastically.

“Yes, apparently we steal and consume the souls of those who are disloyal to her Majesty,” Evenstar said with a roll of her eyes.

Prim slowed her stride, glancing to the guards incredulously.

“A new rumor? Where, pray tell, did such a gem of distilled ignorance appear?”

“Not in the castle, thankfully,” Evenstar sighed. “But it was an old solar noble in the new Cork and Cask winery.”

Prim resumed her pace, shaking her head. “I shall have to find them and shove their head in some water. It seems to work on that type.”

They shared a laugh, as they passed a pair of guards and a hanging curtain to enter the portion of the castle under repair.

It looked less like a crater now, and more like a nearly finished portion of the castle. After more than a year of work, the room was complete, the walls were in place, and the roof was being redone after the prior version had collapsed due to a miscalculation with the weight of the gold-glazed tiles being used to finish it. Once the roof was finished, the windows and other fittings would be put into place, and the castle would be whole again.

Workers moved stone blocks and heavy wood beams in teams, and rearranged scaffolding to support each section of the roof as it was put in, forming a half-dome visible through the balcony that revealed the second floor, and opened up the side of the room facing the windows to form a grand open space.

“Well on it’s way, where’s the foremare?” Prim asked a passing worker.

The worker gestured to a unicorn mare standing by the glassless windows, watching the work proceed. As a gentle breeze rolled through the room, causing her mane to take flight briefly before she brought it back into line with her magic. Prim thought briefly that the mare looked uniquely confident. Not just in charge, but as though she was a stone, immobile in the face of the world around her. There was a very brief flash of jealousy in her, but she buried it and walked up to the foremare.

“Greetings, we’ve come to assess the progress of the repairs, and I’d appreciate a report on the rise in costs due to the previous roof’s failures. I’d not wish to underpay thee or thy crew.”

The foremare nodded, turning her head slightly to focus first on Tao and Evenstar, before looking to Prim. She smiled a little, amused by Prim’s appearance or perhaps her presence.

“Prim Rose. The new Castalian, correct?”

Prim hesitated, wondering if this mare had known Golden.

“Yes,” Prim nodded. “And who art thou?”

“White Diamond,” the mare said as she turned to face Prim. “I hath brought a message for thee, from the Sol Faithful.”

Before Prim could fully understand what the mare had said, Evenstar leapt in between Diamond and Prim, swinging her spear down to block a long thin dagger that had appeared, diving towards Prim.

But as Prim stepped back and Tao called out for other guards, a second dagger materialized and plunged into Evenstar’s neck, sending her to the ground gasping for air.

Prim’s steps became more unsteady and frantic as she backpedaled. Tao, however, did not falter.

With a roar of fury, the thestral spun and brought the tip of her spear into a deadly path, headed right for White Diamond’s heart. But White was more willing to sacrifice herself than Tao had predicted, and she lunged forward instead of recoiling, allowing the spear to impale her midsection but to avoid the vital organs that may have stopped her in her tracks. Though her hind legs buckled, showing that the spear may have glanced off the inside of her spine.

White replied with a roar of her own as her twin blades darted out at Tao, ripping holes in her wings and bloodying her coat, but failing to stop her as the guard spun and jumped to get ever closer to White.

In a final moment of frantic movement, Tao tackled White to the tile floor, the heavy thud reverberating through the wood underneath like a drumbeat, and causing a cry of fear to ring out from the few workers who hadn’t started running. The two guards from the hallway were entering the room, but they were still a hundred hooves away, and couldn’t intervene as the two daggers plunged down into Tao again and again, while Tao beat White with her hooves, screaming like a rabid animal.

Prim watched as the light pouring from White’s horn became brighter and brighter, every ounce of her energy being poured into harder and harder thrusts with the twin blades.

Finally the two daggers fell to the floor with a clatter as Tao broke the unicorn’s horn off with a particularly vicious blow, knocking White unconscious, and likely killing her.

In the shocked silence, the two other guards rushed forward, while a third only reached the entryway to the vast room before Prim took notice and turned to them.

“Healers! Immediately! Fetch her Highness as well!”

The guards rushed off, while the other two tried to slow the bleeding that had turned Tao’s armor blood red, and was dripping on the tile to leave a smeared puddle.

“Prim!”

Tao’s breathy gasp got Prim’s attention, and she rushed closer.

“Yes, Tao? What… What dost thou need?”

Tao shook her head and looked Prim in the eyes, reaching out to touch her cheek to make sure she was looking her straight in the eye.

“I go to rest with Evenstar now. I go… I did what I must, and thou shalt not regret this, hear me?”

Prim nodded numbly and Tao smiled bitterly as her legs gave way and she rested on her stomach.

“Joked I’d be killed by one of Celestia’s minions. Thought I… Didn’t think…”

As Prim watched, she faded away mid sentence.

“Healer…” Prim whispered, unable to take her eyes from Tao, who was so eerily still.

The floor shook and stardust scattered across the floor as Luna appeared in an abrupt flash of light. Quickly striding to Prim’s side.

“Art thou injured, Lady Rose?” she asked.

Prim looked up to Luna and numbly noted that Luna was dressed now in armor and had a scythe floating next to her. She looked cold and dangerous, and filled with fury.

Prim shook her head and looked back to Tao as Luna inspected her two fallen guards.

“Secure the grounds, close the gates. Distribute spears, and secure all workers in the dungeons,” she said, sending several guards flying away to distribute the commands.

The workers protested, but they were quickly rounded up, even the ones that had tried to run when the attack began. All were detained as Luna gathered her two fallen guards and cleaned them with wet rags meant for washing the stone tile. Prim didn’t move, she just watched while the pile of white rags became a pile of red ones, and then grew. Until finally Luna laid the two guards down looking as though they were sleeping, but clean. She then looked to the guards who were standing at the ready.

“We hath been informed of the assailant's name and association. These Sol Faithful clearly mean to darken our sister’s name and sign. They hath committed a crime most grave this eve, one which resulted in the loss of two of our most faithful members.”

She stood and turned toward the guards, and they all stood a little straighter.

“Our punishment shall be swift, but fair. We shall begin location and infiltration of this organization this night, with the sole goal of executing all of those who express a sympathy for this evil act, or a willingness to replicate it. The workers held below shall be held for only this one night, monitored, and released. Upon release we shall trace their paths and be sure of their allegiances. Those whom we find worthy shall return to work at double pay, and be embraced as staff. Those in question shall be released from their contract. From this night on, all guards shall be armed, and none in patrols of less than three. This shall not be allowed to happen again.”

The guards saluted, and Luna looked back towards the two fallen bodies, before closing her eyes.

“Evenstar and Tao shalt know the same tomb, as they served at each other's side, and shall each be granted the rank of captain. If there was more to be done for them, it would be done. But the reaper does not heed our demands.”

She seemed to look at the space over the bodies for a moment, looking into the distance, as though at something no one else could see. Then she looked back to the body of the killer, shattered and bloody.

“Hang the murderer’s body from our tower, so all may see her fate.”

Then Luna turned and began marching for the throne room, accompanied by about half of the guard. She stopped though, when she realized Prim was not following.

“Prim?”

She looked to Luna when she heard her name, and for a moment seemed confused before looking back to Tao. Slowly, she stood. She hung her head to hide her eyes as tears began to well up. She then followed Luna as the whole group marched to the throne room. As they did, lights were being lit all around the castle to offer better visibility, and she wondered who would be tending to Tao and Evenstar. They were likely cold, or was it true that the dead couldn’t feel anything, and they were just armored corpses, nothing more?

She took her position next to Luna on the throne, and just listened as Prince Spring entered the room and took his place at the neighboring throne.

“Dost thou have a moment to inform… us of what has happened before court?” Spring asked haltingly, while clearly trying to maintain the proper patterns of speech.

“It is quite simple,” Luna said cooly.

By the lack of noise, Prim knew Luna had not turned to look at Spring. Her mane made a soft brushing sound when she turned her head while in her throne, as the stars ran over the velvet like water. But there was none of that, which meant that Luna was staring ahead still.

“An assassin attempted to kill Prim Rose, and in stopping the assailant, our finest two guards were lost. The assassin claimed that she brought a message from the Sol Faithful. This organization being unheard of, we shall have to pursue them as a threat to the security of Equestria,” Luna continued.

There was a pause, and Prim dried her eyes on her sleeves, still unwilling to look up.

“Thus the armor?” Spring said nervously.

“And weapon,” Luna agreed. “In this court session, as we are invulnerable to such threats ourself, our goal shall be to prevent any further injury to our little ponies. Each petitioner shall be brought directly to us, without being allowed any period to sneak away into the castle, and we shall address their concerns before seeking to assess any threat they may pose.”

“Princess…”

There was another long pause before Spring spoke again.

“Luna, while this action certainly shall protect our ponies, it may serve to project an appearance of aggression, when in fact we are the victims, and must be seen as such.”

Prim stepped back behind the thrones, but did not make it to the hidden door that would allow her to hide. One of the guards that Prim did not recognize caught her before she hit the floor, and held her far more gently than she would have expected from a guard, while she cried silently into their pauldrons, making the black metal and the coat of their shoulder gleam slightly with tears.

She couldn’t hear Luna and Spring, but she could hear the guards and maids-ini-waiting who surrounded her in the hidden dark space behind the throne.

“She’s been through much, what can we do? She cannot leave her post this moment,” one nervous voice said quickly.

“Calm, Ananas. Fetch mint tea, hot and cold water soaked towels, and… There surely are apples in the kitchen, say it is for her Highness.”

“Yes, Lady Silver.”

A set of hooves quickly left, and Prim could feel Lady Silver taking her mane out of her braid and brushing it out, trying to assist in calming the distraught mare, while the guard held Prim gently. It was a true thestral, she could tell, by the thickness of the coat and the way their leathery wing felt against her back. She cried herself out into the thestral’s arms, not even knowing their name.

“Five minutes until court begins,” Ananas said as she came back into the dark nook, passing things to Lady Silver.

Prim was pushed to sit up, and she kept her eyes closed as her face was gently cleaned with a warm towel, then a cold one was pressed to her eyes and nose to reduce swelling and make it look less like she’d been crying.

“Drink, eat, Lady Rose,” Silver said quietly as she put a hoof to Prim’s shoulder to steady her as she offered the cup of tea.

Prim sipped slowly, staring into the liquid and smelling the mint as she watched the dim light of the great hall shimmer off the surface. She’d never seen a death before, and nothing even close to as brutal. Even Compass Rose, her beloved sister, had passed away in her sleep without Prim’s presence. No matter how much Prim regretted it, that was the fact of things. She’d been witness to the first deaths in her memory this night, and they were of a caliber that most soldiers would not even know.

She felt an icy certainty creeping in her heart, that this pain would not fade. That this hurt would not be set aside, and nonetheless that she would go on. That her job would be done, and she would tend to her Princess’s needs. It felt somewhat like dying, she mused. To give up on the optimism and innocence so many ponies took for granted.

“It will be alright,” Silver said, running her hoof down her back.

“No,” Prim replied quickly, causing those present to freeze while she sipped from the tea. “It will not be alright, but I shall continue on nonetheless.”

The mares in waiting and guards looked between eachother as Prim finished and set the tea aside.

“My thanks to thee all, but I must attend to my post now,” Prim said simply, before moving back out from the shadows and taking her side next to Princess Luna.

Luna had taken her armor off and set it aside with her weapon, in plain view but stowed.

Luna looked to Prim for a moment before reaching out to pull her a little closer with her wing. It wasn’t quite a hug, but close to it.

“We shall keep thee safe, Prim,” Luna said quietly, likely too quietly for Spring to hear.

“I know,” Prim replied simply, before standing and walking down the stairs to the door. There were more guards than normal, but she ignored them as she did her job. She pulled open the doors, and found on the other side that the line of petitioners was guarded by two dozen guards, making the scene outside tense.

“The Dusk court of the two thrones is now open, Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna presiding.”

She then gestured for the first group to enter. It was a noble and a servant, both mares. They were dressed in fine cloaks to keep them warm in the snow outside, and as they drew their hood back and bowed, Prim recognized the noble.

“Presenting, Fine Filigree, to the court,” Prim said with a slight tone of disappointment and amusement.

Filigree flinched at the introduction, looking briefly to Prim before looking back to Princess Luna, high above her.

“Your highness… I come to thee this night to admit that I know the mare which hangs from the tower,” she said quietly.

Swords and spears were drawn, and the suddenly tiny seeming mare hunched in on herself.

“Art thou a member of the Sol Faithful?” Luna asked calmly as she gestured for the guards to stand down.

“No. Despite my status and court, it seemed too much a guild of hate for my conscious. But when I saw White Diamond upon the wall, I knew… She came to me requesting to be employed as a foremare, and I allowed it. If I’d known her intentions, I would never have allowed it. But I surrender myself now at the court’s mercy, for I know my negligence has caused Equestria pain.”

Princess Luna stood and slowly walked down to Filigree, who shrunk in on herself until she was cowering, while the servant hesitantly stepped away from her mistress. Luna arrived in front of Filigree and put her hoof to the mare’s chin, raising it so that Luna could look her in the eyes, as tears began falling from the noble’s cheeks to the floor.

“Dost thou give thy title of Solar Duchess?”

“I do,” Filigree said quietly, but without hesitation.

“Dost thou give to us thy holdings, thy wealth, and thy life to do with as we please?”

“I do.”

Luna nodded and stood tall, before removing the gold and silver sun-themed cloak the mare wore. She then gestured to Prim, who stepped up next to Luna.

“Thou art in need of a Chamberlain, art thou not, Lady Rose?” she asked casually.

“I am. The position must be filled by one familiar with the finery within.”

“Then Fine Filigree shall serve the post. Keep half of all thy wealth, by value, and the rest shall be given to the Children of the Night,” Luna instructed Filigree. “Then report to Prim Rose for thy post and instruction. Oh…”

She took the cloak off Prim’s back, hesitating until Prim nodded her assent, and fastened the black, blue, and silver moon themed cloak to the former noble.

“We do not let our subjects freeze in the cold,” Luna said simply. “But we shall not suffer one of our servants to wear the sigil of Sol any longer.”

“Of course, your Highness,” Filigree said as she bowed low and backed away.

Prim returned with Luna to the throne, as Filigree left, with her servant at her side.

“A fair retribution for her crime, Spring?” Luna asked as she settled in.

“Fair enough,” Spring sighed. “For her actions did assist the enemy, but she did surrender upon that realization. But is the body hanging from the towetower truly necessary?”

“Yes,” Luna said simply. “It is our way of displaying all of our enemies. This is simply the first such display in thy lifetime.”

Spring seemed to conclude that pressing the point would be unwise, and turned to face the other petitioners, while Prim pondered whether she could sneak away to see that body. Maybe it would serve to ease her aching heart and mind if she saw again the mare was still. No longer a threat.

But, as the next petitioner walked into the hall, Prim realized that she wished the assailant wasn't dead. She wished that she could beat the life out of White Diamond herself.

Chapter 25

"Again.”

Prim’s heartbeat run in her ears, and she blinked her eyes a few times to clear the glittering spots from in front of them. Her legs ached, and her horn felt like an ice rod sticking from her head, numb from the unusual exertion, and cool in her mind, stifling her thought. But two bodies in her memory laying on cold stone tile drove her to breathe again and step back into the circle outlined on the stone ground.

She spread her legs to take a strong stance. She then channeled magical energy into her horn. But rather than targeting it at an object to lift it, or turning it into light or heat, she began going through the poem she’d been taught, in her head.

“A shield in phase is twin arcs turns cross ways. Spin and force, deflect upon new course. Focus on heart, to ground in bone, the shield that has grown.”

The magic that bloomed from her horn formed a flower at first, an aspect of her personal magic that Glass Belle reassured her was perfectly natural for a beginner. The petals then spilled outward to form the spherical shield around her, slowly solidifying into a solid surface without any petals or lines, made of yellow magic. She knew not to smile, or lose her concentration, as she grounded the shield in her body and turned to face Glass.

Glass Belle was a pure white unicorn with a pale blue mane and silvery eyes. She had a look of darkness in her eyes that never seemed to fade, no matter what she was doing, as though she was constantly agitated by her surroundings. She was also the only unicorn trained in advanced combat that could be found to teach Prim in the week since the murders. Quite possibly she was the most dangerous individual in the castle except Luna, at the moment.

The unicorn examined the shield before giving a nod and bringing a spear down to hit it, hard.

There was a shower of sparks and a sharp pain in Prim’s side, as the force of the blow was distributed throughout her body, but the spear was deflected to the side before the shield dissipated. Her stomach hit the floor as the spear bounced and rattled away, her sides heaving to pull in more air.

“This is an improvement. Thou art making good progress for one so young and inexperienced,” Glass said as she sat in front of Prim, not bothering to pick up the spear. “Do not think that just because I demand more, I do not notice that. If the griffins do attack, at the least thou shalt be able to negate the advantages their arrows give them. Though I would recommend to avoid any direct combat. A half pound arrow and a three hundred pound griffin have vastly different force vectors.”

Prim nodded, slowly standing, but stumbling as she realized just how weak she was, and settling in to sit instead.

“I want to be capable of defending myself, and another,” Prim insisted. “So I shall improve still further.”

Glass raised an eyebrow before shaking her head.

“There becomes a point where a unicorn has reached their limits. There are few ways to circumvent this, but if thou art certain to improve in some way, it is my belief that thou art capable of greater flexibility. Return tomorrow, and we shall continue thy training. Begone.”

Despite Prim being in sole control of the whole castle and everyone inside of it besides Luna, Prim struggled to her hooves and bowed before following Glass’s command. There was a certain respect granted to a skilled warrior, regardless of title. She then limped from the courtyard back into the castle, resting for a moment once she was inside, leaning against the wall. She had to fight against the urge to fall asleep while standing.

“Lady Rose.”

Prim opened her eyes, groaning a little at the realization that her fight had failed, and she’d passed out while leaning on the wall. She wobbled back to a less comfortable stance and looked to the guard who had spoken. He looked nervous, his spear resting against his shoulder, and standing a few paces away.

“Yes, sir…”

“Lavender,” he said quietly. “Dark Lavender. M’lady, General Fury wishes to speak with thee. If thou shalt be retiring, I may advise her that thou art unavailable…”

Prim shook her head, walking carefully up to him.

“Lead me,” she instructed him, realizing that every bone in her body ached, and she really would have to find a way to heal her body to keep up with her training.

But for the time being, she had to focus on walking. It was silly how difficult such a simple act became when tired and hurting. She had to focus on her hoofsteps, right fore, left rear, left fore,
right rear, and so on in an endless cycle. One benefit of it all was that she didn’t see those two bodies. She just saw stone tile.

“General Fury, Lady Rose is here to see thee.”

“Please, Prim. Come sit.”

Prim noted she was in the new guard building they’d rapidly built in the last month, and was still half done. She walked into the room and took a seat on the cushion provided, before offering a weak smile to Fury.

“What may I do for thee, General Fury?”

Fury took a large amber bottle from beneath her desk, and then two small glasses, pouring some gold liquid from it into the glasses.

“Please, Prim. I am Night, to thee. These days have passed too quickly, and… there is a ritual we must perform.”

“A… ritual?” Prim asked, her mind spinning to try and catch up.

“Yes. A rite we Thestral perform, when a loved one falls in battle.”

Prim sat up a bit straighter, confused and frowning as she shook her head.

“I don’t understand, I had no relation--”

Night gestured for Prim to stop, and she did.

“There are some terms from my homeland, and the lands to which I’ve traveled, which do not translate well… Prijátel. To me, ‘friend’ does not fill it, there is more to it than that. So I say loved ones. We loved Tao and Evenstar. More than fellow guards or servants of the crown. More than friends we may have had. These two lost souls…”

She slid one glass to Prim and took her own as she lit a candle on the table using a lamp’s flame. It was a short stubby candle, but made with valuable black wax. Prim felt some greater pain in her heart as she contemplated the gesture of value. The black candle, the alcoholic drink that clearly was meaningful and rare. The time taken away from their schedules, it all added to the weight on her back she’d been bearing.

“We mourn them, so that they know how we cared for them. We mourn so that our hearts may let go of them, so they may become stars in the sky, not bound to us.”

She raised her glass and after a pause, Prim lifted her own and tapped it against the glass surface, before drinking it all in a smooth motion. She shouldn’t have, she coughed and spluttered, and her eyes watered, but Night nodded, smiling a little.

“Not a drinker.”

“No,” Prim admitted, her eyes still watery as she contemplated her second glass. “I am only twenty.”

Night laughed a little, shaking her head.

“In my village growing up, the water was unsafe, unless we made alcohol with it or boiled it, and it still tasted terrible.So I have been drinking all my life. Not like many in Equestria, certainly.”

“Thou didst not grow up in Equestria?” Prim asked, surprised, as she sipped her glass.

“No, no… Tao came from the same place as I,” Night said reverently. “Evenstar though, she came from a small place North of Canterlot.”

Prim couldn’t help but frown. She had been told the goal of all this, but it hurt so horribly. She didn’t want to speak of Tao and Evenstar. She wanted to learn about Night, as though somehow that wouldn’t come back to the two guards who had been so close to her.

“They spoke of thee, when thou first came to the castle,” Night said with a bit of a smile, looking into her glass like a tiny mirror back in time.

“Spoiled unicorn given a post she did not deserve?” Prim guessed, getting a laugh out of the General.

“At first, perhaps, but not for long. They spoke of this brave little filly who struck out into this strange world and seemed to dare any to step in her way. Amusing at first, but something worth protecting, they said. Something precious.”

The first unexpected sob shook Prim’s body so violently that she nearly dropped her glass, catching it in her magic and roughly dropping it onto the desk as she shook her head, curling up a bit.

Night put her things down and flew over the desk, landing next to Prim and holding her. In that moment, Prim realized that Night had been the one to comfort her behind the throne so many nights before. No wonder, she’d been close to her princess in case military action was needed.

Prim tried to push Night away, but Night just held her tighter as the crying shook her body.

“I can not do this!” Prim wailed, too weak to really fight back, too distraught to truly reject the care.

“Thou art stronger than thou may believe,” Night said calmly. “This, this is a part of life. One of the worst parts of it, behind the act of killing itself, but a part. We cannot avoid it forever, we cannot flee without doing grave damage to our own hearts.”

Again, Prim hit Night’s leg, but her energy was waning and she fell mostly still as she cried. After several minutes of watching the candle flame burn, she spoke, her voice raspy.

“I was not worthy of their praise,” Prim concluded in a whisper.

“Are any of us ever truly worthy? Or do we grow to deserve the praise given?”

Prim didn’t have an answer, and again fell quiet until she thought of another subject.

“Did they love eachother?”

“Yes,” Night said, without hesitation. “We of the night do not recoil from such things. Those of us close to them knew.”

There was another period of quietness, until again Prim found words she had to say, having lost all her inhibition and reluctance to speak, while Night held her.

“Why did she wish me dead? How could I matter enough for an assassin to seek me out?”

“Thou art the closest pony to Princess Luna’s side, her closest confidant, and according to the worshippers of Daybreaker, the cause of her fall. Clearly they wished to inflict a blow upon Princess Luna’s heart, and achieve a moral victory. Something which our guards and soldiers train to prevent at all costs. They gave their lives to prevent harm to Her Majesty, and any of my soldiers would do the same.”

Prim whimpered, she didn’t want to be valuable, she didn’t want to matter. She just wanted to do her job and be allowed to love Princess Luna. She might as well wish to rule the world, as it seemed just as impossible.

“They did not deserve that,” Prim finally growled, trying to stand and managing to get to her hooves with Night’s help.

“In that, we agree,” Night replied with a firm nod before pressing the glass into Prim’s hooves.

“I should not,” Prim sighed, shaking her head. “So much to do…”

“No,” Night said as she gestured to the candle. “We have much time, and much to speak on. We must come to peace with Tao and Evenstar, to complete this time of mourning.”

“I knew them only briefly!” Prim cried out, waving her hooves at the castle walls around her. “This place, only briefly! How may I be anything but an acquaintance to them?!”

“Because of thy spirit. Thy willingness to interact with them, a rare thing for us. Thou wert willing to treat them as equals, they had told me.”

Prim sipped her drink, noting that the burning in her throat wasn’t as intense, and she was wearily accepting of her role in this ritual.

“The first I met them, Tao bullied me, playing at denying me an audience with Princess Luna, while Evenstar laughed. But… after that point they began to treat me fairly. Once I’d proved I belonged. They saluted, which baffled me…”

“But any guard could salute thee,” Night said as she leaned heavily on her desk. “What made them unique?”

“They didn’t have to,” Prim said quickly. “They… they meant it. They respected this little filly from a far away town, in a post too big for her hooves, and once they knew I belonged, they never hesitated again to show me respect.”

Night nodded and poured a little bit of the alcohol from her glass on the candle, watching it flare up before she blew it out.

“Respect. They were respectful and they paid close care to the chain of command, when they served under me. Never did I have a complaint, or any sign that they wished to go against my commands. They trusted me to command them, and that is a certain sort of respect that is too rare.”

They sat for a little bit, watching the flame flicker.

“Thoughtfulness,” Night added. “They took care to care for not only each other but for all of us. To understand how each guard preferred to act, and to reply in kind. Humor, or upright professionalism… They knew that I preferred to be briefed on any small details, it helps me feel in control of the guard.”

Prim nodded in agreement.

“They knew my schedule, and they knew it was best to wake me early, so I would not be flustered. Yes, respect and thoughtfulness.”

She lifted her glass in her magic to pour a bit on the flame, but hesitated, unsure if she was doing it properly. Night showed her how to touch the edge of the glass to the wax and let a little drip down the side of the candle, catching both the candle and the glass, before both were gently blown out, leaving the wick still burning.

When Prim set her glass down, she laughed softly, shaking her head as she smiled. She looked up towards the ceiling as though it could keep her eyes from tearing up.

“They were brave. Before that killer could strike me down, they were already upon her, and without a moment of hesitation.”

Night nodded quickly, stomping one hoof on the ground in a sort of applause.

“Yes, yes. They had the same training as any other guard, and yet they were always swift to volunteer for the more dangerous duties, to put themselves in harm's way to protect others. Ever brave, ever strong,” she agreed as she performed the pouring again.

Prim could tell, through the thin haze of tears, that each time they poured the liquor out it caused the wax of the candle to spread slightly into an ever growing pool on the desk’s surface, shortening the burn of the candle slightly.

“What happens when the candle has burned through?” Prim asked before going back to her drink.

“Tis a balance of sorts,” Night explained, passing a hoof over the flame and watching a few short hairs curl from the heat. “When the candle gutters, the spirits pass onward. For each pour, we show an appreciation, instead of pain. It is easier to go. A less painful passing. If there is only sorrow and no joy in it, then we would sit here in silence for the whole hour, and in that time learn to care more for those we care for, while they live.”

“I wish they were here,” Prim said as she rubbed an ache in her side, head hung low.

“Why?” Night pressed, leaving her own focus on her glass.

“They… I had felt safe,” Prim admitted, licking her dry lips before drinking again. “Now, I train, I burn myself to forge a stronger pony, and yet still I feel… There are not enough guards in the whole of Equestria, now that they have gone.”

Night pondered the declaration for some time before lifting her glass.

“They brought us joy in their dedication. They lifted our spirits, in the knowledge we were secure,” Night proposed.

To that, Prim nodded and toasted her glass, before pouring it and hushing the flame back into it’s wick yet again. Night nodded in approval, and they both turned back to their glasses.

“Respect… Thoughtfullness… Bravery… Joy… Only an aspect of honesty needs be present, and the Elemental forces would all be aligned,” Prim sighed.

But whereas Prim seemed dejected, Night lept to her hooves and began pacing.

“Yes, yes! That is why they were such fine friends, and so precious! Is it not clear to thee?! Thestrals! One from a far away land and the other raised here but still apart from it by birth, and they embody thy elements so perfectly, do they not?”

“I…” Prim smiled as she thought it over, again sipping before holding her glass up. “To Tao and Evenstar… Friends. Friends to us all, and the finest Equestrians we shall ever know.”

Night took her own glass and held it against Prim’s as she added a line.

“May Equestria ever be exemplified by those who chose to come to it’s shores, and embrace its values, while keeping precious their unique and wondrous cultures.”

Together, they poured another layer of flame out across the black wax, and as the sun began to rise higher in the sky outside of Night’s window, and Prim approached her time of sleep, they spent a few precious hours remembering those they had lost, and rejoicing in the privilege of having known them in life.

Chapter 26

“With this new council established, we shall appoint advisors to serve for the length of their employ in the court, as mediators to call upon in times of need or when the path ahead may be uncertain,” Luna explained, pacing the length of the royal dining room, while Prim sat near the door and listened patiently. “It would even have the authority to, if required, act as the governing body of Equestria, should both we and Spring fall.”

Prim nodded, holding her ledger to her chest and sipping a glass of water that floated in her magic. She’d been instructed by Glass to drink far more water than she was used to, to compensate for her rigorous training, so she now brought a glass wherever she went.

“So what dost thou needst from me, your Majesty?” Prim asked casually.

Luna, however, stopped and stared.

“Majesty? Thou hast never…”

“In honor of Tao and Evenstar, Princess. I hath spent much time in the company of Night and the others of late, so it has become something of a habit.”

Luna hesitated for a moment longer before shaking her head to jolt herself back to her prior frame of mind.

“Well… We had hoped that thou wouldst become a member of this council.”

Prim looked up quickly, surprised by the offer.

“An advisor? I wouldst become an advisor to thee? I am but Castalian, not a politician,” Prim said quickly, nervously imagining the complexities of the politics Luna was forced to deal with each day.

But Luna stepped up closer, sweeping a wing around Prim’s back and making the unicorn shiver slightly at the long craved sensation suddenly granted to her. She did her best not to make it too easy for Luna to tell how much her touch affected her, quickly drinking her water and focusing on the cool sensation instead.

“Prim, there shall be few members of this council that we trust, and fewer we know as well as thee. It would serve to offer us some comfort in knowing that thou wert there, seeking to protect Equestria, and ourself.”

“Of course,” Prim whispered, nodding and trying to resist the urge to lean into the embrace, and put her head to Luna’s chest, to breathe in the soft scent of her fur.

“So thou shalt take the position?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Prim said in a daze, feeling a sharp pang of frustration as Luna drew away and clapped her hooves in joy.

“Most excellent! Then thou art our new advisor! Of course, by technicality an advisor to Prince Spring as well. Now, as our advisor, we must disclose to thee a frightening fact. The Griffins have landed forces upon the Eastern shore.”

The news shocked Prim out of her preoccupation with the lost touch she’d been mourning, and she looked to Luna incredulously.

“Already? There had been naught but vague threats by messenger until now. What prompted this sudden aggression?”

Luna sighed, looking out of the window and clearly weighing how much to tell Prim.

“King Grover has been sending us missives for some time now by a private method, demanding reparations for our strong reaction to his warning regarding our sister, a year past.”

“Reperations?” Prim asked reluctantly. “Of what sort?”

“Land. The southern deserts, even farmlands of late. Naturally we declined,” Luna said, turning back to Prim and looking annoyed. “He persisted, and recently the Griffin army began movements of aggression along the coast. Clearly the reluctance to publicly display their aggression was a ploy to catch us unprepared.”

“So… if they hath landed upon our shores, what shall we do?” Prim asked as she began to pace, using the motion to stir the aching longing out of her bones, and force her mind into motion.

“It is a debatable course,” Luna sighed. “For there are many courses open to us. The council's first issue of discussion shall be whether this action warrants a military movement or some other approach.”

“What wouldst thou prefer?” Prim asked Luna, looking back at her with concern and hoping for an easy answer.

“We do not know,” Luna replied after a short pause.

In that moment, Prim found that Luna looked so small and lost. It was new to her eyes, that Luna would be so uncertain and weary. For a bit, Prim didn’t know what to do, but then she realized that this was why Luna had wanted her to be part of the council. So she could advise her, and so that she wouldn’t make all of these decisions alone.

“It seems that a meeting of the council is in order, then,” Prim said calmly as she walked up to Luna and put a hoof on her foreleg. “We shall discuss the issue, and find a path to take. There is no need for thee to worry any longer, your Majesty.”

“My thanks to thee,” Luna said as she embraced Prim briefly. “There are times that we are forced to acknowledge how much we have yet to learn. Our sister had always been the Princess of diplomacy, with our own skill laying in the military actions when needed.”

“Then we shall see if such action is needed. I shall arrange for a meeting of the council this night, and ensure that a decision is reached before the next,” Prim reassured Luna as she let her head rest on Luna’s chest.

“Art thou so weary, Prim?” Luna asked as she lifted Prim’s chin to look in her eyes, concerned.

“Not overmuch,” Prim said as she pulled gently away, to force her mind away from the thought of leaning into a stolen kiss, and destroying the country’s stability and her friendship in the process. “But this all must be set to motion, if thou art comfortable with an absence, I shall see it all done swiftly.”

“Of course, “ Luna nodded with a fond smile. “We shall see thee again at Dawn court, if not sooner.”

“As thee wish, your Majesty.”

Prim bowed low and left the room, sipping her glass of water and barely noting the guards she passed as she entered the halls of the castle. She knew their names, she was certain, but they escaped her in the moment.

She strode to her own chambers and gathered a few supplies in her bags before moving on to the smaller room adapted for the Chamberlain. After three quick knocks, the door opened, and Filigree bowed slightly to Prim. As always, the former noble seemed muted and unhappy.

“The council shall need to be called to meet. ‘Tis at short notice but I trust the chamber is prepared?”

Filigree nodded again, before stepping out of her room and leading Prim to the chamber. Though Prim had her own key, she let Filigree open the door herself before walking in and examining it.

“Good, it looks excellent,” Prim said as she strode around the circumference and checked each surface. “Thou art truly discovering a talent for this, Fine.”

“I thank thee,” Filigree said softly as she checked the wine cabinet for anything that may have been left behind.

“A shade, I think… For future improvements. Dost thou agree?”

“Hmm?” Filigree turned to Prim, who was gesturing at the skylight, holding up a piece of parchment in her magic to shade it slightly.

“This chamber shall not be static forever,” Prim pointed out. “It shall grow, as we shall grow. A shade may allow for meetings during the day while allowing those of us who are nocturnal to attend meetings during the day.”

Filigree sighed as she looked up at the skylight, the bags under her eyes and the grey pallor to her coat becoming clear in the bright light. She looked drained of all spirit.

“I shall have a shade installed.”

But before she could leave the room, Prim stopped her with a hoof.

“Art thou so miserable here, Filigree? Or is this due to some other grief?”

Filigree carefully took Prim’s hoof in her magic and moved it aside so she could access the door. But before she left she turned back to Prim.

“I was ready to be executed. To be a martyr. I wasn’t ready to be forced to wear the colors of the moon, and pretend like my prior wealth and power were somehow invalidated by Princess Celestia’s foolish actions. Let me suffer, go about thy own work, and eventually I shall find some comfort in shades and wood varnish.”

Filigree then left the room and let the door swing closed behind her, leaving Prim to ponder what she’d said. Prim stepped out of the room and proceeded to Night Fury’s office, while thinking about whether Filigree’s attitude would become a problem. But before she could come to a conclusion, she arrived at the General’s office, and began gathering the council members.

“Thus the first meeting of the Ruling Council of Equestria is called to order,” Prince Spring said as he took a seat at the head of the table. “We shall represent the solar court until a representative to our interests is found to take our place. For the purposes of this council, we possess no additional powers or influence. Representing the Lunar court is Castalian of the Equestrian Castle, Lady Prim Rose. The noble interests and desires of the West are represented by Mint Mortar. Canterlot and the Central plains are represented by Countess Stratus. The Eastern shores are represented by Duchess Sandy Shores. Lastly, to represent the interest of the common pony, mister Fleet Hoof.”

Prim’s head snapped up at the last name, so she could spot the former spa assistant. He hadn't changed much, though he seemed much more confident and he had cut his mane short. Small changes, but they made him look serious, and made it hard for Prim to imagine the path that had taken the stallion from his prior position to this one.

He locked eyes with her and smiled a little, inclining his head in a small nod which she reciprocated.

“Firstly, we shall state the purpose of this council. Due to the rigors of operating a country as vast and complex as Equestria, and the most recent example of that toll creating a disaster, we hath created this Ruling Council to operate Equestria when the crown is not necessary, or when the action needs further deliberation than a royal decree. This must be said to be clear, none of thee are granted the power to perform changes alone. Only as a council shall thee decree even a single change. The purpose of this council is to improve and uphold Equestria and Equestria alone. If any of thee are discovered to be bending this council to thy profit or benefit, then we shall expel thee and determine an appropriate punishment. Now…”

Prince Spring took a deep breath and sighed before taking off his crown and setting it aside.

“This I tell thee now shall not leave this room. It is a sensitive topic and may be shocking… Griffonstone has landed troops upon our Eastern shore, and they have already taken control of one small town.”

There were several gasps around the table, but they remained mostly quiet. Prim noted that she was the only member who seemed unsurprised.

“This meeting’s purpose is to determine the actions that Equestria shall take. At this time the Solar court’s interests are in the halting of the progress that the Griffons have made, deploying our military to the coast. Thus we shall allow Prim Rose to speak on the Lunar court’s interests.”

Prim sat straighter and looked around the table.

“There is no set desire of the Lunar court, but to determine the most effective action there are some things the Lunar court would like to know,” she began before taking a scroll out of her bags and unrolling it to read off from it.

“We must know the number of Griffons on our shore, their position, and weapons. We must also be informed on the number of troops we have at our disposal, and where they are at this time. Lastly, where else could the griffons come from, were they to seek an additional ingress into our territory?”

The military portion of the discussion was really just a long period of scribes listing off information so that all present would be informed on the situation. They even laid out a large paper map of Equestria that showed the coastline, and marked where Griffin forces had been sighted.

“Alright, so we could meet them here,” Prim said as she tapped her hoof on a small farming town that the griffins seemed to be headed for. “But then a large portion of our forces shall be reserved for that encounter, and if an additional Griffin force were to land to the north, more vital cities would be in threat. May we instead channel them?”

“Channel?” Fleet Hoof spoke up.

“They seem to be set on approaching Everfree City, which though undesirable would leave them overextended and facing Princess Luna herself in battle, a threat more potent than any other we could offer. We could place our troops here and here…”

She put the troops in important cities, meaning that the griffins would be pushed towards their goal but denied resources.

“Forming a channel for their travel, to bring them here and allowing us to remove their means of escape upon their arrival, and deny them reinforcements.”

“I am willing to lose those towns in the path,” Stratus sighed. “For it shall spare a long battle requiring the formation of militias.”

“I would also endorse this plan,” Sandy nodded. “That one region being lost is a shame, but we must leave the coastal guard in place, to keep the shores safe.”

“And Lady Mortar?” Prim asked as she looked to the mint color pony who had refrained from speaking so far.

“Why not give the griffins what they want?” Mint said quietly, staying still in her chair while all the others had stood to see the maps better.

“Land,” Prim clarified. “They wish to be given Equestrian land, and you would have it given to them?”

Mint smirked, and Prim became certain in that moment that Mint was only there to make Prince Spring and Prim’s lives difficult.

“At least to give them some of the southwestern desert would surely prevent their aggression from continuing,” Mint said with a shrug.

“Those are Buffalo lands,” Fleet Foot said quickly, turning to face Mint with a scowl. “It is not ours to give, and surely we hath taken enough from the Buffalo in the last decade.”

“Oh, so the representative from the common pony is more willing to send an army of his country-mares to die than anger some sub-equines that Equestria already conquered? I would say I am shocked, but really I’m not. Stallions can be so emotional.”

Prim was surprised that Fleet didn’t lunge across the table at Mint. She knew that she would not have been so composed if Mint had said something so aggressive to her.

“We have three treaties with the Buffalo, just from what I may recall at the moment,” Prim said cooly. “I shall not allow Equestria’s word to become worthless through recanting our actions. Secondly, if another emotional assault upon Stallions is carried out by any member of this council, I shall seek to have them removed, am I clear?” Prim said as she watched Mint’s scowl become a grimace of restrained fury.

Without anypony replying to Prim’s declaration, she folded up her papers and cleared her throat.

“I motion that a channel solution shall be passed along to the general, and we shall begin preparations for the Griffon advancement towards Everfree City. Provided they continue their current path, they should arrive in full force within the month. Motion seconded?”

“Seconded,” Prince Spring said as he stood.

“All in favor?”

Every pony but Mint raised a hoof.

“All opposed?”

Mint was the only opposition, and Prim smiled cruelly as she wrote a brief note on her papers.

“Opposition noted. Prince Spring?”

“This concludes the first meeting of the Ruling Council, to reconvene when matters arise requiring our attention,” Spring said, before standing and walking out.

Prim could tell that the meeting had shaken up the prince, likely as well as Fleet, but while Fleet Hoof had left quickly, she still had a chance to speak with the prince.

Rushing after him, she caught up quickly, but realized she didn’t quite know what to say. Luckily, he spoke first.

“Thee have our thanks, for the response to Mint’s behavior. If we had responded as such, then there would have been claims that we favored the issues of stallions over that of mares.”

“Ah. I had wondered why thy Highness had remained silent,” she agreed. “A sensible withholding, but one I wish was not necessary. None accuse Princess Luna of favoring the interests of Mares,” she pointed out.

“No, but they do whisper of her favoring those of mares who love mares,” he said quietly.

Prim stopped dead in her tracks, feeling the sudden change of topic like a blow to the back.

“I didn’t…” she started hesitantly.

“Nothing was meant by it, Lady Rose,” Prince Spring said as he turned and looked to her sympathetically. “I simply… feel you should know.”

Then he walked away, leaving Prim to stand there, wondering what those whispers meant for her.

Chapter 27

“Drop the Portculli!”

Prim Rose’s cry, magically amplified from the top of the tallest tower in the Everfree Castle, was triggered by the sight of nearly a hundred griffons taking flight from the edge of the forest. Clearly, they had decided to avoid the trapped and obstructed road that had led to the city.

Three heavy clangs of metal settling into stone rang out, followed by the battle cries of the Guards, as those that could fly took to the sky, rising into the air to perch on the thick cloud layer that had been erected over the castle.

“Secure the vaults!”

Deep in the castle, the citizens who had not been able to flee were taken into the catacombs and vaults and sealed in with plenty of food and water to survive a potential siege.

“Prepare arms!”

As the griffons began their flight towards the castle, some carrying siege engine parts in nets slung between many of them, the Equestrian guards lowered their spears and halberds to point towards the enemy, bracing for a frontal assault. Some soldiers raised banners with the flag of Equestria on it, and Princess Luna stepped out of the keep and into the courtyard before taking to the air.

Prim and Night Fury both smiled at the sight, their princess in glistening silver armor, wielding a black scythe in her magic, and spiked boots on her hooves. It was impressive to see her so confident, in her element and ready to defend her ponies with her life.

“King Grover! Come forth to defend this cowardly action!” Luna cried out as she took wing and rose to hover above the walls of the castle, flanked by her best guards.

The griffons slowed their approach, and fell into a wide arc around the front of the castle. While they faced the armed ponies, a lone banner bearer came forward, heavily armored and with his feathers painted a bright red. He hovered forward until he was immediately in front of Princess Luna.

“King Grover chose not to lead the conquering party himself. Surrender now, and thou shalt be treated fairly, and allowed to retain a portion of thy land!”

Princess Luna’s laugh was low, confident, and accompanied by several of her soldiers.

“Equestria shall never surrender to any foreign nation, and any aggression shall be met with overwhelming force. Thus far the damage done by thy forces number in a claw-full of small towns. Now thy wings darken the skies of Everfree City itself, and it shall be the last time an enemy force ever does so. Leave now, and we shall refrain from any aggression in response.”

The Griffon boldly tore off the banner from the staff it was mounted to, revealing a black jewel mounted to it like a spear.

“The Equestrian country shall be added to the wealth and glory of the Griffon empire, with the aid of the Midnight Blade! Legendary weapon of lore, capable of slaying even an alicorn!”

There was a moment of shock and quiet before Princess Luna resumed her laugh, shaking her head.

“We had never thought… ‘twas a rumor made in jest, thee surely can see that we are a thousand years of strife aged, if this mythical weapon was truly real, we would have been killed by it a dozen times by now!”

There was a moment of hesitation, before the griffon decided what to do, and with a cry of “She lies!” he lunged forward with the gemstone blade, trying to plunge it into Luna’s neck, where her armor was thinnest.

Princess Luna did not even move as the spear hit her neck, and like the thin onyx gemstone it was, it broke. Her magically augmented skin easily deflecting the sharp edges. Her horn lit up in blue and the griffon’s wings were seized in the same glow. In one sharp cry, the wings were removed, and the griffon fell to his death on the stone wall below.

But the demonstration of force was not enough to stop the griffons from initiating their charge. In many places the commanders forced their soldiers to advance, while retreating once the charge had begun. In others, some soldiers tried to turn and flee, only to be forced to fight by the soldiers behind them.

Despite the chaotic nature of the advance, the army still clashed with the waiting ponies, and from Prim’s vantage point in the tower it quickly became an indecipherable and chaotic scene. General Fury seemed able to tell what was happening, based on how she directed her troops and reassured Prim that they would be okay, but nonetheless every time Prim saw a pegasus fall from the sky, whether gliding or dead, she felt terror grip her heart. She felt her hatred for the distant king and the griffons becoming more passionate. Despite all of her reasons to hate them, though, she could see the griffons trying to flee, and being cut down by their own kind. She could see scared and panicked faces, closing their eyes as they lashed out with a blade, not even wanting to see what horrible acts they were committing.

The fighting died down quickly, but the griffons regrouped in a camp just on the other side of the moat, setting up weapons to sling giant arrows into the castle grounds. The sun set during a brief lull in the fighting, and despite herself, Prim could think of nothing else but making sure her princess was uninjured and sound of heart. So she made sure Fury could care for both posts, and descended into the castle to look for Luna.

It took some time, as she was taken aside to help with the injured, then asked about the food stores, and she was briefly needed to address some questions about the catacombs below, and which sections the citizens could occupy.

When she finally arrived in the royal chambers, she witnessed Princess Luna taking off her helmet and setting it aside, as her mares in waiting cleaned her scythe and cloak.

“Your Majesty,” Prim said quietly from the door, bowing until she heard Luna's voice.

“Prim. It is a fine thing to see thee uninjured. All we shall need to raze Griffonstone to the ground is to see thy blood spilled,” She said bitterly as one of her wings, plated on the leading edge in thin steel, wrapped protectively around Prim.

“There shall be no need for such a gesture, your Majesty,” Prim replied with a grateful smile, which faded quickly. “Pardon the forewardness, but were some cutting down their own?”

Luna sighed, grimacing while she nodded.

“We hath seen such before. When an army is comprised of unwilling subjects forced into battle against their will, desertion becomes a crime punished by death. It is the barbarian’s sort of tactic, and we are not surprised that Grover would resort to such to save the cost of true soldiers. Contemptible, forcing us to slay the innocent,” She said as her voice got quieter and more full of bitter grief.

“It is not to thy heart that the blame shall fall,” Prim said as bravely as she could.

“Certainly our heart shall bear enough grief for it,” Luna replied.

But before she could continue her thoughts, the windows of her chambers were blown inward by a burst of light and sound, a brilliant flash of white light flinging shards of glass inward.

On sheer reflex, Prim created a shield around Luna and herself, too late to stop the glass from glancing off Luna's wing and side, but just in time to stop a griffon clad in pure black from driving a sickly green dagger into the princess’s neck.

While she'd seemed amused and incredulous when confronted with the so-called midnight blade, the look of fear on her face made even Prim pause.

When the blade struck the shield, Prim briefly felt as though she had died. Her heart stopped, everything seemed to move so slowly, and there was no sensation besides pain, radiating from her horn throughout her whole body.

After what seemed to be an eternity of pain, it abruptly ended with the loud snap of steel. She became aware of her surroundings again as she watched Luna drop the shattered pieces of the blade on the ground, five assassins lying in blood around her, her maids in waiting huddled against the far door, and Luna's personal guards ensuring the assassins did not get back up.

“Thou art aware once more?” Luna asked Prim gently as she picked up the mare in her magic and laid her down on her own royal bed.

“I am, your Majesty… I'm so sorry that I failed…”

“‘Twas no failure,” Luna said as she helped Prim to drink some water, and brushed her mane out of her eyes. “Thy magic took the void of the Subtle Blade and gave us a moment to act. If thou had not done so there is every chance that they would have used the other weapons they'd had to kill us.”

“And to speak of death...”

Night Fury had entered the room, and she looked worried, her helmet held under a wing so her face was visible.

“To this day, it has been considered treason to ask an alicorn what would kill her. There are no records, no evaluations of a healer, only the myth of immortality. But it is just that, is it not? A myth and nothing more? To protect thee, your Majesty, we must know what threats to guard against.”

Princess Luna closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm herself as her hoof rested on Prim’s neck. After a moment of quiet, Luna nodded.

“Very well. What we tell thee shall not be recorded in any way, dost thou understand?”

Once Night Fury nodded, and the room was cleared of all other ponies, Luna sealed the shattered windows with a pair of dressers crudely shoved half through them, and she re-lit the fire in the fireplace.

“We are immortal in the sense that we shall not die from age, poison, starvation, lack of air, or any of the things from which a pony would perish naturally. But we may be killed.”

The acknowledgement made Night look queasy, looking away as though Luna had done something indecent and Night should avert her eyes.

“These daggers,” Luna said as she used her magic to pick up the broken pieces of steel that still glimmered with a sickly green color. “These are coated in a material that drains magic. It could not kill us alone, but they were in possession of five of them. Were Lady Rose not there to shield us from the first blow, all five may have been used upon us, and enough magic could be drained from us to render us vulnerable to a death by loss of blood.”

“So one of these could cut thy skin?” Night asked, gesturing to the broken pieces of blade.

Wordlessly, Princess Luna picked up a piece in one hoof and pressed it against her other foreleg. Night brought her hoof to cover her mouth in horror as the point pierced Luna’s skin with a sizzling pop, and a dot of red began welling up, while Luna removed the shard and dropped it on the ground.

“It seems so,” she said wearily, looking down at the shard. “The assassination may have been successful. Now, regarding other weaknesses… Were the moon to somehow be destroyed, we would lose all of our power immediately. In theory, at least. If all ponies were driven to abandon us, our power may also fade. There are some weapons which may injure us, such as this Lamentine material, legendary weapons which were forged by ourself or our sister, or by Discord, Sombra, and Tirek. Though there are few of those and it is our belief we managed to destroy most if not all of these weapons. There is a sole poison made from a specific poisoned acorn tree that can strike us ill, but even that shall not kill us.”

“Couldst thou be slain by a typical blade, if wielded with enough force?” Night Fury asked, grimacing at even her own words.

“No. Even were it to pierce us fully, we would not perish. It would simply incapacitate us for a time. Our power would restore our body given time. Lamentine is such a threat as it prevents our magic from functioning.”

Princess Luna wiped her cut clean and revealed it to Night, showing that it was still there, like any mortal pony’s cut that would take time to heal.

“Given a night it shall heal, and this material is so rare that we are certain these blades constitute the majority if not the whole of their supply. If there had been more, we would have likely seen it in the battle this evening.”

Night Fury nodded and relaxed a bit, before looking to Prim and smiling.

“Our brave Lady Rose… Shall she recover swiftly?”

Prim smiled, though it was unsteady until Luna’s hoof found her cheek, and the smile became easier to hold.

“‘Tis a terrible thing, to be so drained, but thy magic shall return, Prim. Given only hours, thy body will regain its strength, and then thy magic. But rest. Rest while we tend to the matters of war.”

“Stay with me,” Prim whispered, pleading.

Night stepped away nervously, clearly feeling that she shouldn’t be there, as Luna hesitated. Slowly, Luna brushed Prim’s mane back and drew the blanket up to cover Prim up to her neck.

“We shall, Prim… We shall,” Luna said softly, before looking to Night. “Bring the Prince, the captain, Svelte, and the others here. We shall not leave her alone after she has saved our life.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Night said before bowing and exiting, leaving Prim and Luna alone with the guards and the mares in waiting, who had begun to clean up the shattered glass.

“Prim… Thou shalt not perish… All shall be well…”

Prim felt strange, afraid and small, and without asking permission she put her forelegs around Luna’s hoof and held it close, hugging it.

Luna went stiff, but slowly she relaxed and moved so that her hoof laid on Prim’s chest where it would be easier to embrace. Prim closed her eyes and sniffled, but didn’t speak. For a bit of time, they just remained still, while Prim rested in the comfort of her princess.

“I am so sorry,” Prim finally whispered, but she didn’t let go.

“There is no need to apologize, little Rose,” Luna replied as she used her other hoof to turn Prim’s face to look at her, and then clear the tears from her cheeks. “Thou art injured, and in need of care. Care we shall provide.”

Prim wanted to explain why she was sorry, but she felt like if she did, the moment of peace and calm would stop. She would do anything to let it last a little longer. But as the chamber doors opened, Luna carefully extracted her hoof and pet Prim’s head before turning to face the group of ponies that had entered. While they spoke, Prim’s mind wandered, the fatigue making it hard for her to focus, but not granting her the release of sleep.

She watched these ponies planning a fight. Planning to kill and sacrifice lives to keep their nation, to keep their ideals intact. Prim knew Equestria would win. The Griffons had reached too far, let their confidence and greed pave a path they could not successfully travel. They had brought weapons to bear to kill Princess Luna, and been unsuccessful. They were forcing their soldiers to fight a war they did not want to fight.

Prim knew that Equestria would prevail, but she wondered if it would be the same Equestria she’d come to love. Would it remain so open and caring? Would it still be a place other races could live without fear?

Her gaze turned to Svelte, who looked so somber, so tired. Prim had to wonder if the Zebra was having the same thoughts. If she was wondering if Griffons would be treated cruelly due to the actions of their rulers. It all felt hopeless, weary and frightening. But they were in a position of authority which required their persistence. They could not back away from it all, and could not take moral objection to the actions that had to be taken.

“Could we give them a chance to surrender?”

The conversation stopped as everyone present turned to look at Prim.

“We saw how they treated detractors, we must consider other factors,” Svelte said, her voide heavy with sympathy. “Those that may surrender could be slain by their superiors.”

“We are going to defeat them,” Prim said, frustrated and tired. “No matter their tactics. So we give a command. We shall treat any who kill their own as criminals of war, but allow those who surrender to leave peacefully.”

“To intercede in another nation’s matters of war, is it proper?” Prince Spring asked incredulously.

Princess Luna thought on it, quiet for a bit as the others waited nervously.

“There is precedent,” she said as she began to pace her room. “For objection and crimes of war against those who mistreat their soldiers. Sombra and the Crystal ponies were opposed on that ground alone. Equinitarian crisis I believe was cited as our reason for seizing the land.”

“Sombra?” Night Fury asked, never having heard the name before.

“There was once an empire to the north, where ponies made of crystal had lived,” Princess Luna explained. “We and our sister discovered that they had been overcome by a cruel dictator, a stallion who colored himself King of the Crystal Empire. He forced them to fight by magic and mind control. When we discovered his methods, we began preparations for war, and flew there ourselves to stop him. This could be precedent to the current situation, and justify a demand of morality upon King Grover’s soldiers.”

Princess Luna opened and then resettled her wings before smiling down at Prim.

“This may set us upon the proper side of history, a plea to the mercy of this foreign power, justifying our actions henceforth. A fine idea, Prim.”

Prim couldn’t help but blush as she looked up at her princess, smiling in return.

“Anything for thee, your Majesty…”

Prim trailed off as the release of sleep finally found her, and she was able to drift away while the war council resumed their discussions.

Chapter 28

The foggy expanse around Prim cleared, the moonlight above slowly creating a crisp and bright image, the blue light invigorating Prim's heart. The tall grass waved in the breeze, like rippling water in the sea. But the one thing that broke that sea of grass was a form standing nearby, starry clouds swirling around it in slow motion.

Prim gasped, taken to awe by the sight, and as she raised her hoof she saw her own foreleg. Smooth, strong, and young.

"I... Princess? How..." she whispered as Princess Luna moved closer, circling slowly and smiling as she reached out with her magic to make Prim float in the air, weightless, among her starry mane and tail.

For an amazing moment, Prim was drifting in space, serene. Then she was on Luna's back as the princess walked through the grass.

"'Tis a dream, little lovely Rose," Luna said, her voice taking on an ethereal quality while she looked back at Prim and grinned. "A place of possibility, a place of solace, when our bodies are not the safe havens they are meant to be."

Prim let herself relax onto Luna, and ran one of her hooves back and forth on her side, just in front of her wing.

“So I am still old… Still dying,” Prim said as she watched the grass pass by.

“In this moment, this quiet moment here, we have time. My little rose, of all our enemies that we have struggled against, time is the one we seem to forever be struggling against. Al least, in a dream, we may have a little more time. More time to embrace our love for eachother.”

Prim looked to Luna’s sympathetic but hopeful smile, and she let herself relax.

“Thou art ever the romantic,” Prim sighed, nuzzling the back of Luna’s neck.

“Indeed, the originator of all romantics,” Luna said proudly as her hoofsteps rose from the grass and into the air, her wings spreading in an effortless glide. “From whence dost thou believe a moonlit serenade was sourced?” she asked, amused.

“Oh? Didst one of thy lovers receive such a sweet gift?”

Luna dove, letting Prim float up off her back before turning over to face her, but they were not getting closer to the ground, instead they were in an endless sky, and Prim could see the moon silhouetting her love.

“Once upon a time, a song was the most heartfelt thing we could offer another pony. But for years now I hath thought of nothing but dancing with thee. So now…”

Princess Luna reached out a hoof and Prim met it with her own, as they floated there in space, illuminated by the moon.

Slowly they spun, and a low tune began playing. It sounded familiar to Prim, but new all at once. It was the music to the Lunar dance, which she’d never actually heard. The rhythm was familiar to her, as was the motion that Luna took, to press herself against Prim and begin to replicate that first dance they’d enjoyed. They went slowly, this time. Their bodies close and each one’s eyes staying on the other’s.

“Why do you love me?” Prim asked, her voice carrying effortlessly as they turned.

“Oh Rose, is it so hard to believe?” Luna said as she leaned in closer, her lips brushing Prim’s ear, making it flick back before returning to capture every whisper. “I found you, my little rose, among the plain and in a time of need. Alone and full of pain, I found a pony that would not just accept my words when I told them to leave or be quiet. A pony that saw the self beneath the mask of royal duty.”

She took her hoof and they drifted apart, held together only by their hooves locked together, Luna’s wings closed to let them spiral through the stars.

“A pony which did not just see me, but took me in, and refused to give up when I struck out, oh Prim… Oh Rose… Oh beauty and power beyond an alicorn’s own, how wonderful you are, and yet you do not know…”

“Ooooh my love! I’ve never known another who would treat me like a sweet dove! When I ripped and tore like a raven. I’ve never known a lover which saw my bleeding heart when I insisted that I was too strong to hurt. Every night, you saw my light, and followed so close. Every day you treated me with a gentle touch.”

She spun Prim around again before drawing her close and wrapping her up in her wings, so there was nothing in the whole world but their eyes, in the black, and the warmth.

“Why didst thou not speak of it sooner?” Luna asked, her voice breaking, wavering weak in the moment of doubt.

“Because I love thee,” Prim replied, voice reedy with fear and grief. “Because thy need was for somepony to hold thy hoof, not to ask for it. Thou had a need for somepony to guard thee, not ask to share thy bed. Thou wert needed to lead a country, not to worry on some mare’s affections for thee, and all along… All along I was not certain that thou wouldst love me in return. For thou art the most wondrous thing I have ever known, and one does not look upon the glory of the moon and dream it shall come down to grace them with such a fine embrace. As great this pain is upon our hearts now, I would not unravel it all by breaking the silence sooner. For truly thy life must go on!”

Her voice gaining in strength, Prim pulled away, so they drifted through the stars facing each other, only a breath away but not touching.

“Thy life must flourish, and mine shall end, ma belle Luna! Thy heart may not find protection within this chest of mine, for its foundations are shaking, even now, and shall soon fall. Dear love, find a strength in our love now, so that thou shalt live on in renewed strength, and not fall, alone, and lonely.”

Both of their tears became a mist around them, cold and bitter in the air as they gently came to rest upon a field of grass, speckled with primroses and made bright with the moon’s light. But Luna could see a distant fog coming in from an unseen sea, creating a boundary around them as they stood on their hind legs, embracing each other once again.

“But I need thy love!” Luna cried, pulling her still closer, as though by finding some greater grip she could secure her love against the coming pain.

“Then have it!” Prim replied passionately, looking up at her with all the love she could show. “Have my heart, whole and desperate, and then go. Then go, on for all eternity, with it held safe as a royal jewel. For thy life is a great path, and one which must be tended by those of us who may not travel. So this… This small step, my love. This small step I shall take with thee, and together…”

Mid word, Prim seemed to flicker, a candle caught in the breeze, and lose some of her strength. She fell, and Luna caught her, lowering her to the grass oh so carefully as her tears wet Prim’s neck and cheeks, mixing with the smaller pony’s own wet cheeks.

“Something… Something is changing,” Prim whimpered, looking around for something that wasn’t there.

“We take this step together,” Luna whispered frantically, as she moved to look into Prim’s eyes and regain her focus. “We… We take… This step together, and onto eternity by my side, thou shalt stride. I love thee, my Prim Rose. Now and forever.”

Prim’s confusion faded and she took in the sight of Luna, standing over her, and smiled. As she leaned up to kiss Luna, the dream faded, and Luna woke from her trance with a gasp, falling against a wall before looking to the doctors standing next to Prim’s bed, their horns lit as they administered care, their faces set in grim determination.

“What has happened?” Luna rasped as she rushed forward.

“Blood within the cranium,” one of the doctors said quickly, her horn flickering as she performed many rapid scans with her magic, trying to let the other doctor detect the source of the bleeding by “viewing” the image picked up by her own horn.

It was a crude process and Luna’s breathing became frantic as she lit her horn and picked Prim up bodily. Her head began to glow and soon was transparent. Luna’s magic warped reality, allowing the doctors to view the brain directly, and then look through the layers until they found the portion of the brain which was bleeding, and dying from loss of blood.

A small hole was drilled, and a bit of wire inserted and then shaped with their magic to form a coil that would keep some blood going through, even if it was a paltry amount. The operation took more than an hour, and by the end of it Luna let herself collapse next to the bed, laying on a clean pillow brought in by some of her guards, to prevent her from laying in the dirt and scattered droplets of blood. She was laying there, staring at the wall when Silver Decanter came into the room.

“Your Highness,” he started gently, waiting for her ear to turn towards him before speaking further. “The doctors have spoken to me of what has happened. Wouldst thou prefer an open schedule for another night?”

Luna nodded mutely, her eyes not leaving the wall. For a bit, Silver paused before stepping closer and sitting next to her.

“She shall be awake again soon enough. Rest for now. I shall bring more cushions to thee, and another pillow,” he offered.

When Luna did not object, he gently put a hoof to her back, left it there for a moment, and then drew it away and left to gather the things he’d spoken of, leaving Luna again alone but for her guards and Prim.

For a bit, there was nothing but the weak breathing of the pony on the bed, and silence. But Luna could not leave it as it were. She turned so her head laid against the side of the bed and sighed, closing her eyes.

“Thou hast told us to gracefully continue with our life. As though we had some great foundation to it all, upon which to rest. As though we could execute such a plan simply. There is no comparison, dost thou not see? There was none other before thee… Trysts of a sort, surely had graced mine bed, but whether stallion or mare, none enraptured our head, quite… quite like thee. Oh Prim. Oh little rose, we wasted years and now… now we wouldst pillage the treasury for another moment. But it never ends, you see.”

She stood and looked down at Prim on the bed, Luna’s brow creased in a sickening whirlwind of grief and fear and anger.

“No matter the time we are given, ever we shall want for more.”

Luna waited, maybe waiting for Prim to reply, or waiting for the pain to fade. Slowly it became clear to her that nothing was changing, and she had an additional struggle to face. To leave, to let her Prim continue this slow march towards death alone, or to stay here, and leave her country untended for the rest of the night.

She moved in to stand over Prim and leaned in close to kiss her on the cheek.

When she pulled away, she had to wonder if she was just imagining the slight smile the pony wore, to make herself feel better.

But she could not just ignore what Prim had told her, and her duty to Equestria. So she used her magic to pull the blanket up to Prim’s chin, and she left the room, sweeping out into the hall.

Her royal guards followed her, while two remained in place to watch over Prim. Once Luna had gotten to the throne room, Princess Spring nodded to her. Luna took her throne and waited for all her attendant ponies to take their places before looking to Spring.

“She is fading,” Luna murmured.

“But still she lives, do not give up yet,” Spring replied, reaching out to rest a hoof on the side of Luna’s throne.

“We shall not,” Luna agreed. “But nonetheless, in our shared dream she instructed us to move onward, to go past the pain of this. But it cannot be done.”

“Oh Auntie... “

Luna looked to Spring with a raised brow. She hadn’t called her Auntie since she’d taken the crown.

“Don’t look to me in that way,” Spring said as she rolled her eyes. “I may still call thee auntie until I am the elder.”

“A clever loophole indeed,” Luna said dryly.

“Regardless,” Princess Spring continued. “To survive is not an action to be taken, but a path to take. She would not wish thy heart to be broken and then to step off into the future as though it had not happened. Only for the possibility of joy in thy future to still remain, not to harden and become cold from the pain. We all wish thy heart to find joy again, but it may take some time.”

“So the pain of now…” Luna whispered.

“Naught may be done to ease the pain so soon, and thy ponies shall understand thy pain, if only they know it’s source.”

Luna shook her head, looking away.

“That, we cannot do.”

“Simply tell them the truth,” Spring prodded. “Thy Castalian and dear friend is passing, such a thing is certain to wound any great leader.”

“But ‘tis not the truth,” Luna said, turning to look at the suddenly uncertain princess next to her. “‘Tis a lie which we hath allowed to propogate, but now… Now it shall fade.”

“What is the truth?” Princess Spring asked.

Princess Luna looked around at the guards, the scribes, the attendants of all sort that waited to serve her whim and desire, and then looked back to princess Spring.

“We loved her as a mate, and were robbed the chance to embrace that love, by the scorn of our ponies.”

There was silence, and nopony moved.

Luna waited, watching Princess Spring as she worked her way through confusion, incredulity, dawning realization, and acceptance in her mind. Eventually, Spring cleared her throat and nodded slightly.

“We can see how thou hast been reluctant to reveal such a thing.”

“Oh so formal now, neice?” Luna said as she looked back towards the great doors opposite her, sitting closed.

“We had… I did not…”

“Thy disgust is clear. Taught by thy father surely. When he discovered our little secret he chose to organize a council to make certain that we would not be allowed to change our laws or doctrine to match our own supposedly perverse pleasures,” Luna ranted, though before she could continue, Princess Spring held up a hoof to stop her.

“That I do not understand is clear enough, Luna. That I am even confused by it, or averse to discussing it is a fair accusation. But disgust? No. Perhaps now I understand thy reluctance… Yes. I see now the purpose behind rumors and sharp words at thy heart, but I harbor no ill will towards thee for thy… preferences. I shall even begin to undo some of the pains my father has brought on thee, but I agree with thy assessment… Telling the public of this may cause more pain in a time when thou art besieged already. So I shall vouch for thy absence at court, and give thee reason to be by thy… Thy love’s side. But when she is gone, I would ask of thee a favor.”

“A favor of silence?” Luna asked darkly.

“A favor of prudence,” Spring corrected. “Strike Prim from the records, to save her in thy memory alone. Thus, thy love may be untarnished by the future looking back upon it.”

Princess Luna’s horn shimmered with restrained energy, and she forced herself to appear calm, burying the fury that sprung up at how Princess Spring sounded like she was being so kind, so reasonable. She stood, and nodded to her counterpart.

“For thee, we shall do this. But as thou hast suggested, we may now take our leave to spend a few more moments by her side, while… while she still exists in the eyes of Equestria.”

She strode out of the hall, signaling her guards to stay behind while she returned to Prim’s room. As soon as the door was closed, her horn lit and a glass decanter of water exploded, instantly boiling the water away and reducing the glass to a spread of glittering sand.

Luna’s own head Mare in Waiting flinched, but did not leave her position by Prim’s bedside, where she was supposed to stay in case Prim woke. After flinching, she schooled her expression, so that when Luna looked to her, she almost seemed unbothered. But Luna could read every twitch of her lips, and trace of her eyes, and she could tell she’d scared the mare.

“That was improper of us,” Luna whispered as her magic gathered the glass powder and disposed of it in a trash bin. “Please accept our apologies.”

“I know you would never hurt me, your highness,” the mare replied as she stepped closer, curtseying slightly.

“Perhaps not physically, but certainly our perversion shall spread to those who keep our company,” Luna muttered as she stepped toward the bed, standing over Prim.

“Perversion, you highness?”

“Our love for this mare. Perversion is what it is called, is it not?”

“Just a thing’s name does not always reflect it’s truth, your highness,” the mare replied calmly.

Luna stopped, turning her head to look at her with a critical eye.

“What is the meaning of that? Like poetry, almost.”

“My apologies,” she said as she curtseyed again. “I meant to say that just because a thing is called a perversion does not make it so.”

Luna watched her, trying to puzzle out the mare’s goal in the comforting words, until she finally decided it must be due to some fear.

“We shall not punish thee for agreeing with the others.”

“While I am grateful for that, I do not agree,” the mare insisted. “For I am the same as Prim was. In fact, I knew her well.”

Luna turned to look at her, noticing that this was a new head mare, and not one she was familiar with.

“What is thy name?”

“Madame Chrysalidae, your highness.”

Author's Note

There are chapters which are painful to write. Chapters that feel unfair or too painful to be right, but this is not the end. It is just a passing place from one story to another.

Chapter 29

The war did not end at the Everfree Castle.

Nor did it end when the Griffin army was driven back and decimated, turned into a frantic retreat back to the sea and their waiting ships.

More ships came, and with them came more soldiers. Armor and swords soon littered the shore and fields like cast off stones, while Everfree City became more a castle and less a city with each passing month. As the risk of soldiers clashing in the streets became ever present, businesses moved West. Mint Mortar profited greatly from the flow, but as the conflict risked spilling into even her domain, she became less prone to opposing Prim and Luna.

Meanwhile, Prim found herself with more free time than ever before. While war was stressful and dangerous, she set the schedules and attended war meetings, but besides training new assistants and continuing to monitor a dour Filigree, she was granted the freedom to do whatever she wanted.

But besides spending every moment following Luna around her duties, which was quickly becoming an incredible heartache, she had no clues as to what she should do.

Every night spent tending to Luna's pain and the struggles of leading a nation in war was a night of caring for the mare she loved, but never being able to express how she felt. A sort of lie in her mind.

So she began wandering the city, or what remained of it. The reinforced areas hidden behind the castle, formerly the bricks and wilds. All the things required to sustain a castle and the governing force of a nation.

The streets were heavily patrolled, old mansions rebuilt after the attack by Daybreaker were communal houses now, seized by or gifted to the crowns. Prince Spring's new consort had a building all to herself, though even that was likely going to change, as every bit of space was needed, and despite tradition they were likely going to be moved into the castle itself.

But the hours of dusk and dawn when Prim wandered, the places that kept lanterns lit were bars, brothels, inns, and private residences.

Growing tired of trying to find some rewarding conversation in the bars and inns, and unwilling to seek her less than conventional desires in a brothel, Prim found herself one night in front of Sali’s shop. Lanterns lit, but sign set to “closed” She was surprised to hear laughter, the ringing of glass on glass, and a number of hooves crossing the wood flooring. It sounded nearly like a party, and in this lonely time surrounded by war, it sounded like paradise behind those doors.

Before she could turn away, the front door opened, and a mare stepped out, stopping when she saw Prim. Behind her, Sali was holding the doorway open, and also stopped.

“Ah, it has been a long time,” Sali chuckled as she nodded to the other mare.

The mare quickly left as Sali held the door open to continue talking to Prim.

“Please, come in. It is an odd time to stop by for clothes,” she said as Prim shook her head.

“Simply passing through, Sali.”

“Please. Thou are not just alone, thou art destitute. Each time I see thee at court, it is as though thou art dying. Please, this is a safe place for mares such as us.”

That caught Prim’s attention as she’d been about to turn away. She knew of only one thing she shared with the fashionista, and it was a painful thing of late.

“Safe?” Prim asked, turning slightly to look inside of the shop, where more muted speech could be heard. Perhaps they feared an unknown pony at the door.

“Safe,” Sali repeated, stepping aside to let Prim see inside more easily.

There were a dozen mares scattered around the shop, the racks of clothes and wardrobes all moved to the windows to block them from view. They all seemed to be in pairs, and Prim noticed instantly a pattern. Each pair consisted of one mare with a long mane and fine dress, and of one with either short or braided mane, and a vest. It hit Prim’s heart like a sledgehammer, as she saw herself and Luna in that pattern, and she drifted into the shop so Sali could close the door behind her.

“A new butcher! A shame, we art in dire need of fresh meat!” a raucous voice called out as the door’s lock found home.

The voice was low enough to almost be a stallion’s but it belonged to a mountain of a mare. Her coat was pitch black but her mane was white striped with brown. She wore a vest rivalling Prim’s own in quality, and had cut her mane and tail so short that it did not even lay over, sticking straight up like a zebra’s.

“Do be kind to the dear,” Sali chuckled amidst laughter, “She is new to our fine community. Introduce thyself, Prim.”

“B… Butcher?” Prim asked, looking around at the amused mares and feeling very out of place.

Sali smiled, her tail swishing past Prim’s nose as she sashayed over to the table full of food, picking up a glass of wine in her magic and sipping it before looking back to her.

“Boucherie douce des femmes, dear. The sweet butcher of women. It has a long history, but it is our term for women like you and Chess here. The more… hardy of our type.”

“Those of us that act like stallions,” Chess laughed. “Sali’s flowery words may yet confuse one of our newcomers into leaving. We are Butchers, they’re all Femmes. Prench for Women. Sali does love her Prench.”

“Ever shall I pine for the land of my birth. Here we use names of our own choosing, destinies of our own choosing. What name shalt thee use?” Sali asked as she circled back to stand before Prim.

“I have no quarrel with the one I was given. Prim Rose.”

“Well met, Prim,” Chess said as she shook her hoof firmly. “And welcome to the den of the Gorgons. Since thou art alone, Sali shall grace thy side, it is our custom.”

Indeed, Sali moved to stand next to Prim, and finished the pattern of pairing a butcher with a femme.

The moment that was done, the jubilant atmosphere returned to the room, sweeping Prim up in the noise.

“Prim, this is Nail, the only actual butcher in the city,” Sali said as she introduced Prim to the green coated and black maned earth pony mare that she had previously known only as Chef.

There was an unspoken agreement it seemed that they would not acknowledge that they knew eachother in the castle, as “Nail” simply shook her hoof and nodded.

“thou art truly lucky to have Sali to thy side,” Nail said with a thin smile. “Not to diminish Jubilee’s beauty.”

The thin yellow mare to Nail’s side chuckled and rolled her eyes, seeming undisturbed by her date’s comment.

“I shall be certain to appreciate the honor,” Prim replied, nodding to Jubilee and getting a curtsey in return.

“Newcomer!”

Prim turned to face the source of the call and found a pair stumbling towards her. She was surprised to also recognize these two.

Bright Lantern and Windy Pine were the two mares that Luna had granted a marriage to back when Prim had first come to the castle. Even back then, though Prim had not recognized it, they had followed the duality of this place. A butcher and a femme. Bright was the butcher of the two, currently dressed in a cheap vest and slacks, likely made by Sali, but far below the quality she had put into Prim's.

“Welcome! This here is my wife, Windy Pine!” Bright said quite loudly and cheerfully, while Windy blushed and tried to keep her from falling over.

Bright was drunk, but Windy was sober, taking care of her spouse as best she could.

“Thou hast forgotten to introduce thyself,” Windy reminded her softly, smiling.

“Ah! Bright. Bright Lantern. A pleasure.”

The first two attempts to meet hooves missed by a wide margin, but with the third they tapped together, and Prim chuckled.

“Celebrating?” She asked while noticing that Sali was watching Chess more than the two in front of them.

It didn't bother Prim, but it was curious. She'd never seen Sali be more than playful, and now she seemed concerned, following the black and white mare as if waiting to leap in if she was hurt or showed some sign of distress.

It was only then that Prim realized that Chess was unaccompanied. A femme would split from her pair to walk alongside Chess for a moment, before another took her place. Like an honor guard. Prim wondered what had happened to Chess’ femme, but answers were not presenting themselves.

“Of course! A celebration of life, of profit! A celebration of war!”

The room grew quiet as though a blanket had been drawn over it, muffling all noise. Sali did not lose control though. As Chess turned to level a gaze that could kill at Bright, Sali stepped up and used her magic to take the glasses of wine away from both of them, and gestured for them to come closer.

Bright hesitated, but Chess was grim and swift, standing before Sali in a second.

“The war is not thy fault,” Sali said to a suddenly miserable looking Bright. “Nor is it worth celebrating, even in bitter jest.”

“I know, I know,” Bright whimpered, her eyes fixed on the floor.

“Chess, thou hast not spoken to Bright in… weeks now, and we all know the cause. We have our professions, as we all need a living. Bright did not do the evil thou art mourning. She only supplies the armor of our soldiers, and has given us all gold when we were destitute. Any supplier could have been the source of the armor thy beloved wore, and any soldier could have worn the faulty piece. If Bright had known that armor was faulty, it never would have been sent.”

Chess’ jaw clenched, looking away but respecting Sali’s authority enough to stay standing there, facing Bright. She tried again and again to say something, but seemed to choke on her buried sorrow each time, until finally she stepped forward and put a hoof on Bright’s shoulder.

“Lace wouldn’t let me be so cold,” she said gruffly. “She’d tell me that… I’ve got to have all of thee now more than ever before.”

“I’m sorry,” Bright said as she stepped closer and hugged Chess.

It was a moment of tenderness and vulnerability that was something Prim had gone without for so long. It was like she’d been locked in an emotionless state for so long, that it hurt deep in her chest, and it was a tempting thought to leave, but Sali returned to her side, leaving the two butchers to reconcile.

“They listen to thy words, even if reluctantly. Thou must have the respect of all these mares,” Prim said quiet enough that she wouldn’t be overheard.

“‘Tis the nature of a femme. Were one of thee given no check, surely thou wouldst work thyself to death. So a femme must find herself a butcher, and give her reins, so that she may be pulled back from that brink and given sense to her emotions. Certainly thy path here was dotted with grief that would have faded, had thy precious princess taken notice,” Sali said with an aggressive gleam in her eye.

“I… suppose that may be so,” Prim said as she began to walk, leading Sali so that she could get herself a glass of wine.

“Oh! These colors, all wrong for thy vest,” Sali said, examining her own dress and eyes in a hoof mirror, while Prim found an untouched glass and sipped from it.

“Please, there is no need to redress on my account,” Prim said, amused, before a green fire began to spread from Sali’s horn, making Prim pull back in shock.

Before she could try and douse it, it worked its way across Sali’s body, revealing new colors. Her eyes were once again crimson to match Prim’s mane, whereas before they had been emerald. Her red and blue dress changed to a dark blue and black that matched Prim’s vest precisely. When it was finished and new golden mane and tail swept down to match the gold of Prim’s eyes, the room was filled with applause, while Prim looked her over in confusion.

“Truly, I am the most premier of illusionists,” Sali chuckled to herself as she spun in place for Prim to admire her. “My one great magic. The rest, skill and sly bravado. Dost thy eyes find a pleasing shape?”

“It would be a lie if I denied it,” Prim said as she looked at Sali, and realized that she only truly found her pleasing because of the things that reminded her of Luna.

Certainly Sali’s body was soft and shapely, and her smile brought a certain joy to Prim, a carnal pleasure that faintly warmed her heart, but when she tried to list the reasons for her desire, they were all tied back to the princess Prim craved.

The way that Sali’s smile had that same royal confidence, the way her height and the sharpness of her horn almost gave the image of an alicorn. The blue in her dress reminded her of Luna’s mane.

As Sali stepped closer to Prim, Prim saw Luna’s smile, and felt Luna’s breath on her cheek. Her heart began to beat more heavily, with a light headed rush of joy. But it was Sali’s voice she heard.

“I know it is not my heart that thou desire. No. I know well of the mare that holds thy heart. I shall not hold it against thee. No, I am well used to not being the object of desire, but a placeholder of sorts. Let the delusion hold, let the desire flow.”

Despite knowing that the mare before her was not Luna, a green haze came over Prim’s eyes and she let it happen, her mind giving in to that hope in something that she couldn’t have. For the rest of the night, she truly believed that Princess Luna stood by her side, laughed, and held her in her bed when all the others had gone for the day.

As the sun began to set, after Prim had slept her fill, a day of dreams with her princess, she awoke and knew that she was not by Luna’s side. She was not in the castle, she was not safe.

She got out of the small bed and stumbled towards the door, picking up her vest and cloak as she went, mind racing only to be interrupted by Sali’s voice.

“Thy love for her is too strong for me to take for my own,” she sighed. “Thou art unable to even enjoy another mare.”

“Had thou not taken on the form of her majesty, never would I have stayed,” Prim replied, not turning around.

“There is no need to be cruel,” Sali hissed, the sounds of movement telling Prim that she was rising from her bed. “Just to say that thou art lovestruck, and cannot find joy in any mare but her. To say I am unworthy is cruel.”

“YOU TRICKED ME!” Prim roared, turning on Sali and coming nose to nose with the green and black mare, “None but her majesty, ever! Till death itself takes mine heart, I shall never touch another mare but she, and thou wert bold enough to imitate her!”

“The disguise does not work if it is unwanted,” Sali said as she stepped forward, forcing Prim back towards the door. “If the craving is not enough to overwhelm, if the mind allows it. Thou wert complicit.”

“Never.”

Prim threw her cloak quickly over her back and head and threw the door open with her magic before marching out and heading towards the castle, while the sun began to hide behind the distant mountains, and a new night began.

So many years later, as Sali stood before Princess Luna, a green fire washed over her, revealing Prim’s form down to the most precise detail. Her every hair, the spiral and curve of her horn, all as though brought back from the past.

“I can bring her back for thee, your Majesty,” Sali said as she stepped closer to Luna, even her movements and the look in her eyes too keen to be told apart from the mare they copied. “I may heal the pain consuming thy heart.”

Princess Luna stepped back, the image before her a thing of dreams but beyond her control, and she nearly gave into the delusion to have her beloved Prim back, except for one thing. An alicorn has heightened senses of all kinds, and this mare before her did not have the scent of Prim Rose. She smelled metallic, like blood and frantic desire, hot with need. But before she broke the spell of desire, Luna felt some essence within her fade, some of her love being pulled away and into the heart of Chrysalidae.

Her blue magic wrapped tight around the imposter, and in a burst of power she was flung against a nearby wall, the disguise shattering as she fell to the floor, revealing the creature beneath.

Half mare and half abomination of magic, the creature had hard shell-like patches of gleaming black chitin along it’s legs and back, and rotted holes throughout it’s legs and horn. Gossamer wings like an insect sprouted from the matted fur on it’s back, and sharp fangs showed as it breathed in a labored gasp of air and struggled to stand.

“Monster,” Luna said as she walked towards it, picking it up in her magic.

“Nay, simply an illusionist who has gone too far with her craft,” Sali gasped around the tight grip. “Release me, and I shall never return.”

“Release you… Tell me, do these wings of thine function?” Luna asked as she pulled them open with her magic, watching the creature wince.

“Indeed.”

“Then fly,” Luna whispered, nose to nose with the creature.

She then threw her with all her magic, shattering a nearby window into a rain of glass shards into the garden below, but still accelerating Sali faster and faster. Finally, as she left the range of Luna’s power, Sali struggled to open her wings against the rush of air, first climbing and then falling through the night sky until she found herself gliding, too late. She hit the tops of the trees and fell into the Everfree forest, vanishing from the sight of ponies for more than a hundred years.

Chapter 30

When Prim entered Griffinstone at Princess luna’s side, the fighting was over. The dark parade of thestral guards and equestrian soldiers marched up the winding main road while the locals looked on.

The griffins of Griffinstone had been forced to suffer for the sake of their king. Their treasures plundered by the crown, their food stores shipped out to feed armies of their drafted children, fighting a war they had no wish to fight. After all, the griffins had no hatred for ponies. Even the king had been driven by greed, not some ideology.

So they watched from their once elegant homes, battered by neglect, with fear and cold acceptance.

The ponies of Equestria’s army tried not to dwell on the cost upon their own citizens, and the appearance of their own shining armor, sharp weapons, and full bellies.

Amongst them all, Princess Luna strode without any of the uncertainty and shame that her ponies felt. A leader could not waver, especially when on the path to victory.

Prim had been by her side across the sea, across battlefields as the war accelerated, and watched Princess Luna’s anger grow. Every step along the way, Luna had found more and more evidence of King Grover’s cowardice. His willingness to sacrifice lives to get a slight advantage, his willingness to let his troops starve, and fight with rusting weapons. She had been a military leader for longer than he had been alive, and she knew honor better than politics. Finally, she was able to come to the source of her anger, the king himself. City besieged, soldiers paid off and bribed with food, the gates had swung open for the Equestrian army without a single drop of blood spilled.

“King Grover!” Princess Luna roared as they all stopped at the steps of the castle.

There was nothing but silence from the castle, and with a sigh, Princess Luna raised a hoof, and waved it forward.

First, a team of ten unicorns stepped forward, and seized the outer portcullis with their magic, heaving the metal grate up just slightly, so a second team could slip a winch below it. Using the winch, and progressively larger bars of iron reinforced wood, they forced the portcullis back into the ceiling of the passageway.

Once the portcullis was secure, six trumpeters stepped out of the ranks and raised their trumpets high, blowing a long simple tune of one low note followed by a higher note, paused and then repeated. Groups of soldiers broke off from the rest, all earth ponies carrying between them massive logs capped with metal ram’s heads. Though the griffins along the roadside could not see it well enough to be sure, griffin feathers ringed the metal cap like a collar, as decoration.

The two groups with the battering rams arranged themselves in front of the great wooden doors, just next to the hinges, and a drumbeat began, sounded out by the hooves of the remaining soldiers surrounding Princess Luna.

In time with the drumbeat, the battering ram teams began to swing and then step back and forth to swing the rams further and further on their ropes, until they finally made contact with a twin report of splintering wood and screeching metal.

But the doors held.

So the teams went through the ritual again, and again. When one pony grew too tired they were replaced, and bit by bit the hinges of the doors were broken free from their moorings, and they had to dive out of the way as the hoof-thick wooden slabs came crashing down, revealing the inner portcullis, and the four bedraggled and terrified royal guards behind it.

They were armed with spears, but with all the confidence of a mare entering a ball to a dance in her own honor, Luna strode up to the gate and smiled.

“Greetings, good sirs. We do believe that thy king has forsaken thee. Left thee upon a gate that shall fall, no matter thy efforts. Stand aside, and thou shalt be spared.”

The guards, so dull in the eyes and weary that Luna could easily mistake them for being magically controlled, looked between themselves. It was a key sign of weakness and uncertainty, one which no royal guard or soldier who was still devoutly loyal to their ruler would show. Two of them stepped away into the doorways into the guardhouse, and one slowly backed away, suspicious of Princess Luna’s sincerity. But the fourth let loose a reedy and weak battle cry and lunged forward to try and pierce Princess Luna’s heart through the bars.

The spear was seized by Prim’s magic and turned aside before it could reach her princess, and then Luna’s horn lit. The griffin’s throat was caught in the light blue glow, and with a single magical shove, it was tossed nearly twenty pony lengths to crash into a stone wall, and come to rest as a crumpled heap at its base.

Luna then lit her horn again, and formed a blade of pure magic, humming with power and glittering like stardust. She used it to melt through the iron bars and form herself a door before striding through to stand over the fallen guard.

Her own guards, Prim, and a few soldiers filed in after her to fill the hall.

“Where is thy king?” Luna asked simply, leaning in close to the broken creature. “Thou shalt not stop us, so speak.”

His eyes closed, and his head turned away slightly, but he was too weak to do anything but ignore her.

Luna just sighed and pointed to the hallways, as her soldiers rushed past her to fill the castle with the sound of their hooves, and their weapons tapping walls in the tight spaces.

The search of the castle was quick. Injured and weary guards did not put up much of a fight. The Equestrian army soon had searched the whole castle and found no sign of King Grover.

Luna sat upon his throne, and had chairs brought up, as well as a bottle of wine she had brought from home, and they were served in the throne room to mark the ending of the war.

“Thirteen years,” Princess Luna said, sighing as she raised a glass and examined it, the wine inside swirling gently from the motion. “Thirteen years of bloodshed and strife, all for the sake of some greed and desperation for supremacy. Tell us that we are not delusional for thinking that the griffins should not be let free from this horror so easily.”

Prim raised her own glass and gently tapped it against Princess Luna's. She smiled wryly and made a toast.

“To a cessation of hostilities, and a large portion of the worth of Griffonia.”

Luna frowned, but toasted and sipped her own wine before continuing.

“What a farce. ‘Tis not the fault of the citizens. ‘Tis the fault of the king, and the nobility who supported him. We wish for their blood and shame, not gold. Politics… We are more suited for the battlefield than this.”

“It may not be so simple, your Majesty,” Prim said as she picked up a sheaf of papers from the table and spread them wide in her magic.

“Ah. The plot,” Luna muttered angrily. “Truly this is worth our consideration?”

“More than a theory, we hath now proof of the Sol faithful’s influence. The Midnight blade’s make was of a gemstone grown by a small rock farm within Lady Shimmer’s domain. She also has had contact with some of the known conspirators and recently visited the lands of the dragons, returning with many rare metals. It is thought she may have obtained Lamentine at that time.”

Luna’s annoyance faded as she pondered it, her gaze distant.

“So this glaring remnant of our sister’s legacy… they hath become suspect as instigators of the war itself?” she asked, looking out of the window at the sky, just starting to tint with the earliest rays of the sun.

“At the very least, suppliers of the weapons which had emboldened King Grover into believing a war would be anything but a rout,” Prim nodded. “But there are signs they encouraged it as well. It seems there were hopes of thy death allowing the Sol Faithful to then take charge of Equestria in thy place and forge a nation of the sun alone.”

“So we destroy them, these Sol Faithful,” Luna said as she turned back towards the table and looked around at the throne room and the first rays of morning light that cast long shadows across the tile floor. “We destroy their cause, in every way. First by showing Equestria what they hath wrought, and then by executing every one of them that we find.”

Prim paled, looking down at her papers with sudden uncertainty.

“Is execution necessary? Imprisonment, or even exile may serve…”

“Not exile,” Luna scoffed. “we refuse to allow these traitors to form a greater threat in a sympathetic country. No, imprisonment would be the least of it. For those who have blood upon their hooves, death. But by thy generous heart we shall spare the bulk of them.”

“My thanks to thee…” Prim said quietly as she gathered her papers back up and sipped her wine, wondering if she would regret not agreeing with Luna to take a more aggressive approach.

“Now, with this bitter affair finished, on to the mundane matters of state. Do we have any military positions unfilled?”

“No, your Majesty,” Prim said as she checked another batch of papers. “Military posts have been filled, the last of these being the captain of the guard, which General Fury has filled, appointing a young commander, Swift Spear.”

“Swift? A stallion?” Luna asked curiously.

“Indeed, your Majesty.”

“We shall see if the post is too much for him then,” Luna chuckled, while she tried to become more comfortable on a throne that was not designed for her.

Prim had in the past thought of stallions similarly, as being incapable of negotiating the complexities of court and politics, more suited for the mindless military squabbles and to be directed by a mare. But after seeing other mares like her being suppressed by similar judgements, Prim found herself bristling at the attitude.

“Perhaps he shall surprise us,” Prim said bravely, smiling.

Then, she made a snap decision.

“In fact, I believe that some of the non military positions may be soon filled with stallions as well. Many of the smithing work and such that supported the war are now left without it. They need jobs to do and I see a long list of jobs within the castle they may be able to fill.”

Luna looked at Prim dumbly, blinking several times before she processed what Prim had said.

“I… Art thou requesting our approval?” she asked Prim.

“No, ‘tis a simple thing, just informing thee of my intent, your majesty.”

“Well! We suppose it is thy prerogative to make such decisions,” Luna conceded. “Then next… we are to review the…”

“The Lunar royalty’s land debates,” Prim said happily.

“Ah yes, a summary, please,” Luna said.

“Well, the elder royals such as Mint Mortar, Steel Shield, Joint, and the others have formed a sort of agreement among themselves that they shall settle primarily on the borders of the younger royals’ lands, as the youngers are less likely to gather serfs or employ many ponies and thus encroachment shall be permitted. Already some of the children who are more business minded--”

“Nova,” Luna said with a grin, getting a smile and a nod from Prim.

“--Have raised the issue to my attention. As they see it, their auntie Rose may be more capable of dissuading the encroachment than openly hostile tactics such as walls.”

“Well, what solution dost their dear Auntie Rose seek to implement?” Luna asked curiously.

“Well, many displaced citizens are in need of places to live and work to do, I propose that we begin resettling the displaced to those borders on the children’s land, and push to foster friendship between the serfs and these resettled ponies. Thus, natural encroachment shall cease and these resettled ponies may serve as a non serf population of benefit on the land of the children.”

“Certainly an elegant solution, but an expensive one. Resettlement already shall deplete our treasury significantly. How shall the cost be offset?”

“Well, for one I had thought we may split the cost with Prince Spring.”

Luna’s expression darkened as she shook her head.

“Thou art well aware of our feelings regarding taking from our sister’s coffers,” she said as Prim sighed.

“While the Spring family hath not a qualm over it. His newlywed wife gains riches from it, unchecked, while we must balance our own budget oh so gently!”

“A Princess has a right to her wealth,” Luna reminded her. “Forget not thy place, Prim. We have no sway upon the court of day.”

“Then a request. Please, your majesty, allow me to ask them to share in the cost of resettlement.”

“But then what shall be our policy on this?” Luna asked angrily. “To go begging on every cost, ‘Oh dear Prince, wouldst thou be so kind as to spare a pittance for the bereft Lunar court? We are so very poor at caring for our finances.’ No, Prim. We have pride yet, and some methods. We shall make the resettlement an optional affair, and we shall employ an additional tax upon the residents. A tax of five percent to the Lunar treasury atop any taxes implemented by the children upon their land.”

“A heavy burden upon already poor ponies,” Prim cautioned.

“Relocation includes a homestead, seed, a pair of bovine to perform labor and provide milk, and much more. ‘Tis a burden yes, but an investment as well. They shall most certainly benefit from it. Atop it all, ‘tis an optional thing!”

“Very well,” Prim nodded. “I see the reason of it, we shall write up the papers and have it all deployed with haste. The solar court shall not hear from me.”

“Then it is done. Now… For what we shall do with Griffinstone…”

Princess Luna waved to one of the royal guards. Once she was next to her, Luna began to list off orders.

“Bring me the highest ranking griffin still in the city, for… Negotiations. Begin distributing food to the citizens here. Strip their guards of all weap--”

There was a clattering in the halls, and shortly a well dressed but dirty griffin was dragged into the throne room by a trio of soldiers.

“The first has already been taken care of, your Majesty,” the guard said proudly.

Luna used her magic to take the legs of the griffin, stilling him so the soldiers did not have to fight to keep him still.

“Thy name.”

The griffin spat on the floor.

“Give us thy name or we shall raze the castle,” Luna growled, stepping down to get closer.

“Gratin! But I shall not tell thee of our king! Not upon my own life!”

Princess Luna laughed, shaking her head and releasing the magic grip on him.

“We care not for thy king. No, we care for the terms of thy surrender and as thy king is gone, thou shalt act as the representative for Griffinstone.”

“We do not surrender!” He shouted in reply, despite his wavering voice.

“Then we shall raze the castle,” Luna whispered as she stepped even closer, nose to beak. “Burn thy history and pride to rubble. Then, if thou art unwilling to bow before us, thou shalt be executed and the next in line located. The streets of Griffinstone shall run red with the blood of nobleman, and then all of Griffonia shall be annexed. A minor outlying principality of Equestria, ruled over by Prince Spring's firstborn, whenever he has one. We shall ruin thy legacy and laugh the whole way, or a bargain may be struck. Speak, which shall it be?”

The noble griffin stepped back in shock, looking around at the ponies, who betrayed not a hint of surprise or objection at the plan.

“Terms of sur-r-render?” He whimpered.

“Indeed. Here, a point at which to begin. All of thy metal reserves, a portion of thy crops for ten years, twelve buildings in thy land of our choosing, the land they stand upon, the unlimited right to enter and cross thy land, and the right to appoint or remove the monarch as we see fit.”

He spluttered and nervously clawed at the tile before finally coming up with an objection.

“Our metal reserves are relied upon for… construction, tools, plows… perhaps a half of it could be spared?”

“Three quarters, and only iron, copper, and tin shall be left behind,” Luna said quickly, still not backing down from her imposing stance.

“V-v-very well… the castles and forts shall be excluded from the buildings of choice,” he pressed, gaining some boldness.

“Then we shall take twice as many buildings, but none shall be royal or noble built,” Luna nodded. “So that we shall avoid coming to blows over what a Fort truly is.”

At last, Luna returned to her seat, as the griffin felt brave enough to raise another point.

“We would keep our autonomy… thou shalt appoint only griffins, from a pool of candidates proposed by the griffonian nobility, and shall only remove them if the nobility agrees.”

Luna sipped her nearly forgotten wine as she looked him over, then she looked to Prim.

“What dost thou think, Lady Rose? A pool? Agreements to depose? It seems flimsy…”

“Then why have a king?” Prim asked. “They could rule by noble council, and thy domain could be as head of the council, your Majesty.”

Luna smiled wide and nodded as she looked back to the griffin and chuckled.

“Then so shall it be… dost thou agree, Chancellor Gratin?”

“Chancellor?” He asked breathlessly, his eyes wide and gleaming with greed and visions of even more power.

“Indeed. We shall require at least one member of the council to punish if the terms are not held,” Luna smirked. “Is an agreement made, Gratin?” she asked more forcefully, leaning forward. She did not want to delay the process even further.

“Yes, your Highness,” he finally bowed, and the war was officially over.

Chapter 31

The years passed in the relative calm that a great war was often found to leave behind. Weary from strive and bloodshed, mortal ponies were content to find ways to cooperate with their rivals, not vilify them. So Luna, the greatest military commander there ever was, languished in the politics and mundane realities of running Equestria. Despite spending many sorrowful years bemoaning her isolation from the governing of her country, the princess was finally coming to understand the truth of it, and why her sister had hidden the burden from her in the first place.

It was hard, boring, tiring, annoying work.

Nobles had demands, and the political power to exercise against her, as much as a contingent of soldiers on a battlefield, and just as dangerous. The poor and battle-wounded never left the back of her mind, or the dark corners of her streets, and the dreams she explored at night would alternate showing them as the terrifying masses huddled beneath gilded windows, or the truth. Desperate and starving equines shivering in the cold, left behind by their country, princess, and families.

Luna did not forget them. When she could, she would force the issue, helping as many as she could. When she couldn’t, she used her own wealth to rescue some, help along others.

But more than any pony could know, Luna suffered from this growing kindness. To watch a drunk and scared former soldier grow cold in an alleyway, to carry a dirt-stained foal to the doorsteps of a church and leave gold so they wouldn’t be set out again, to hold the shaking hooves of a pony so hungry they cannot keep the food they are given in their bellies, all of these take a toll on those that witness them, and for a pony who would live forever, it was an infinite sorrow.

But through it all, every cold night and blistering day, every time she came to the castle in tears, Prim Rose was there to patch her heart as best she could. She would take Princess Luna in from the landing balcony and softly remind her “Thou hast done all that may be done, your majesty,” before forcing her to care for herself.

Always a bath, during which Luna would rarely look up from the water, and occasionally cry. Then, a time in front of a fireplace, while Prim would don her newly crafted glasses and read off the night’s summary. Sometimes she would prod Luna for answers, other times she would move closer to lend her princess some warmth as the night turned to day, and the world outside began to grow weary, and turn in.

Then, a meal. Prim had learned quickly that Luna did not like the sight of rich and extravagant foods after her journeys among the weak and dying, and she had Chef prepare simpler foods, foods that Luna could tell herself that her ponies would have as well.

Finally, just before sleeping, Princess Luna would visit with her children. Some on their way to bed and others just waking up, the children of the night began to get to know their new mother in the dawn hours. She grew close to them, learning all their names and desires by heart. She took a personal interest in resettling the poor and needy to their lands, so that when her children grew old enough to live on them year round, they would be well financed by the meager taxes paid by those settlers.

She cared for their dreams, their financial futures, and their hearts as well as she could with Prim’s help, and though there were hard moments as in the raising of any children, she gained an appreciation for foals that she’d never had back when she had thought she could only have children by birth, a process she had no interest in.

The one thing that Prim Rose could not help in though, was the nightmares that plagued Luna every day.

After all, only Luna could feel her sister on the sun’s surface, struggling and roaring, desperate to escape and reduce Equestria to a blackened waste.

The nightmares would come without warning, as she attempted to guide the dreams of others. At times she would not even know her sister was intruding until the dream burst into flame, or Daybreaker appeared unprompted.

The first few months after the fight, Luna had supposed it may be her own anxieties causing the nightmares, but they were so far beyond her control that she eventually came to recognize that they came from the sun.

So Luna bore that one burden alone, and in all other things, Prim was her ever vigilant companion. Even when sick or weary, Prim was always there. She devoted her life to her service, and Luna accepted that devotion without question.

So when that service became the topic of a council session, Luna was caught by surprise.

“Pardon our inattention, but… what?”

“A romantic interest in thee, your highness,” Fleet Hoof repeated simply. “Rumors abound, and there is suspicion that she uses her position close to thy side to curry favor and control thy decisions.”

“Prim Rose? She serves us as Castallian, that is all, why is there talk of some romance?” she scoffed.

“There is a clothier who lives in our city who has been found to be harboring meetings of hedonists and gelds. It seems that occasionally thy Castallian attends these meetings. It seems she may…”

Fleet paused, looking around at the concerned and disgusted faces around the table.

“She may see thee in a romantic light. Such an influence over thy time and goals is unacceptable. We must discover whether she is indeed attempting to control thee, or even… court thee,” he said as Mint Mortar shuddered.

But Luna did not shudder. A curious warmth she’d never felt spread through her chest and stomach at the thought, and her mind went back to brief brushes and half spoken words, pondering Prim’s intentions, and her own neivite.

“Then ask her,” Luna said simply, betraying no emotion. “A session of the council shall suffice.”

“A public court next dusk, more so,” Mint insisted. “So that she cannot hold her position as a member of this council as a way to avoid the question.”

The others agreed, and the warmth in Luna’s heart became ice.

“A public shaming? While the influence she may hold over us is in question, we hath been quite clear in our approach to unconventional love. It shall not be held as crime or shame by our courts, is the council opposing this?”

She looked to Prince Spring, somehow hoping that he would step up and take her side, but he looked away, and a fire in Luna’s heart began to burn, as she began to understand how her sister’s fury could have overwhelmed her years and years before.

“I believe it would be prudent to change our course in this moral matter,” Mint finally said.

The last half of her sentence was nearly drowned out by Luna standing, shoving her chair away and walking almost to the door.

“The Griffins, Yaks, and Burro all see these carnal acts as sinful!” Fleet said urgently, trying to justify it to his princess before she could leave.

She stopped and for a moment the council thought they may have swayed her. Then she spoke, and her tone was dark.

“Is that who we shall now serve? Hmm? The griffins?”

She paused, turning back to look at Spring, and then Fleet.

“The Yaks? The Burro? Before thee speak of sin, perhaps think of our own past. There was a time when we alicorns were revered as goddesses upon this earth, but we chose not to hold sin and scripture above our ponies, no. Have thee a court, but the lunar throne shall stand empty for it, in reflection of thy solitary determination in this matter.”

She then turned back to the door and left, going straight to her chambers.

“An eventful council meeting?” Prim asked curiously from Luna’s desk, where she was drafting arrest warrant lists in order to begin the process of rounding up the latest members of the Sol Faithful they’d discovered. “My sincerest apologies for my absence.”

“It seems to have been planned,” Luna said angrily. “Though we would be overstepping to warn thee of the subject, a court shall be held this next dusk, public and with a topic specific to thy influence on us.”

Luna tossed her crown and boots onto her bed before opening her windows and looking out at the busy night streets, scowling. Prim thought over what she’d said, and quietly finished her list. It was passed to a scribe and then Prim stood and moved up next to Luna, looking over the city.

“Then I shall face the court with dignity, and I shall not influence thee in any improper way,” she said simply.

“But ‘tis a farce! Lies and foolish shameful displays of bigotry! Never did doubts come upon our sister’s Castalian, her assistants and others, no! She could employ any that she wished, even those stallions she lusted after, and never was there any concern for undue influence! After all, a royal’s position deserves recognition from their princess!”

Prim put a hoof to Luna’s side, stilling her anger like a cool cloth on a fevered forehead.

“They discovered that I pursue mares. That is the crux of it, is it not?”

Luna nodded, closing her eyes.

“Then I shall reassure them that they need not fear that I shall corrupt thee, your Majesty. That is, truly, all they can ask for.”

Prim excused herself so that she could go back to her room. She expected to cry, to throw herself on the bed in grief and wail, but in possibly the most damning proog of her lack of femininity, she filed her papers. She made an entry in her journal which noted the facts, and she did the nights numbers. The Lunar court was finally seeing profit from the relocated ponies, and the treasury could once again maintain a balance.

She did her job, and then she watched the first rays of light grace the sky. Her fears of the day and it's hot light had come and gone through the years. She held an uneasy peace with the memory of the Daybreaker in her mind. But truly she would never forget the hatred in the alicorn’s eyes, and the shortness of breath.

Closing her eyes, Prim drew the heavy curtains shut, and cracked the window open so that the room would not grow over warm. She then let herself rest.

No dreams, no fear, no thought. She let her mind drift into the comfortable waiting black, until she awoke.

The sun was still up, but not for long, when Prim woke. She judged that she had a few hours before the court session she would undoubtedly be summoned to, so she had time for breaking her day fast, and to prepare for the possibility that she would be without employment if the court decided against her.

Withdrawing her accrued pay was surreal, it drove home that her parents had passed away longer ago than she thought, as the only outgoing pay was now for the caretaker of the home she’d once lived in. She wondered if she might retire there now, if she lost her post. The pay was condensed into a pouch of gemstones she could easily hide or carry rather than two large bags of gold bits.

Then, as the sun began to set and dusk court neared, Prim went to Princess Luna’s chambers.

“Are there any pressing matters, your Majesty?” Prim asked, striding into the room as though it were any other day.

“Not besides the court,” Luna sighed, turning to face her. “How art thou, a mare who learned court in our grace, calmer in the face of this than we are?”

“Thou art afraid of the loss of a faithful Castalian,” Prim said quietly, a smile just barely turning the corners of her lips. “While I am only concerned for the loss of a career. Thy opinion of me shall not change, and I shall survive. They cannot take that away from me.”

“Brave mare, but if thou art removed, a new Castalian shall be needed.”

“There’s a young colt serving as maid, have Filigree train him, and he shall serve,” Prim said with a shrug, setting down her lists and papers and stepping up to Luna. “Then thou shalt be forced to play nice with a colt for once.”

Luna’s attempt at a frown could not stand up to Prim’s self assured grin, and after a moment Luna wrapped her up in a hug, sighing.

“Do not leave, if thou art dismissed, Prim. Stay here for a time.”

“As is thy wish, your Majesty,” Prim agreed, resting her head on Luna’s chest.

Luna let her rest there for a minute, embracing her. But Prim knew she would be summoned soon.

“I shall return, my princess. Wait for me.”

Luna nodded as Prim slipped away and off into the hallways of the castle. But Prim did not know that Luna followed behind her. Taking to the shadows and using her magic to hide her passing, Luna found a perch in a servant's corridor so she could watch the court session.

Prince Spring took his place on the throne, looking almost ill as he watched the rest of the council assemble at the foot of the stairs in front of him.

“Let us be done with this quickly,” Spring said, with a gesture to his Seneschal.

“Presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Verdant Spring, Lord of the land, Duke to the Solar Court, Marquess of the great Plains, rightful heir to the Canterhorn mountains and Hoofnia, accompanied by the Great Ruling Council of Equestria!” she called out.

“We request the attendance of Lady Prim Rose,” the Seneschal then called out, as Prim Rose stepped into the room, having been waiting for the call.

“Presenting Lady Prim Rose, Castalian of the great Equestrian Castle, and Lady of Trothnicum hills, Royal of the Lunar court,” she continued as Prim approached and sat at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Prince Spring and ignoring the other ponies around her.

Prim bowed low, giving the Prince all the respect she would give her own Princess. She tried not to think about how crowded the hall was. Servants, nobles, and even some of the public had been given permission to attend apparently, meaning that a quiet hum made Prim’s ears twitch, trying to stay fully focused on the Prince.

“Lady Rose,” Spring began, speaking quietly. “Certain matters involving thy influence on the lunar throne having been brought to our attention, the ruling council of Equestria hath deemed it necessary to question thee on some matters of thy associations and goals. In this questioning do we have thy guarantee of honesty?”

“For thee, your highness, I make that guarantee,” Prim said, her tone practiced and level, her ears staying forward despite the murmuring behind her.

“Then before we begin, we must state a fact for those in attendance.”

Prince Spring sat up a bit taller, looking around at the gathered ponies.

“We are not a nation of religion. Long ago a path of care was taken, which excludes religious bounds and limits upon what we may do. This path was chosen not just by the alicorns who ruled us, but by the ponies they ruled as well. We shall not allow us to become a nation of fear and suspicion, and for that reason we have designed not to withhold this issue against the will of the council. But we shall not be misunderstood. This is a court to determine possible undue influence, not the fitness of Lady Rose’s character.”

He looked around at the assembled ponies and then looked down to Prim. He couldn’t delay it any longer.

“Lady Rose… There have been claims brought to our attention that thou art… A mare that pursues mares.”

The gasps that rolled through the hall were enough to make Prim flinch, but she didn’t let it show more than that.

“Is there truth to these claims?”

Prim found her mouth suddenly dry, She coughed softly, trying to work past the fear that tightened her throat. But she had to speak.

“There is, your highness,” she said, voice dry and thin.

The uproar from the crowd was more than any pony could talk over, and in the small corridor to the side, hidden safe in the darkness, Luna brought a hoof to cover her mouth, not from shock but to keep the sound of her whimper from carrying. Tears wet her cheeks, and for the first time Luna came to realize that she loved that mare who was nearly cowering before the court. That poor mare who was honest even in the face of the scorn of a hundred ponies, and who seemed to be bracing for the next question even more than the first as her heart raced and shoulders hunched.

“Silence!”

Finally, Spring’s shout carried over the crowd, and the gathered ponies were forced into silence. The expressions on their faces told the story of Equestrias heart on the topic. Some disgusted or enraged, but many just nervous and confused. There were even some who appeared sympathetic. But the council were the ones who Prim took note of.

Mint Mortar was smug with a sneer that she didn't bother to hide. Fleet Hoof seemed disturbed, despite having once considering Prim a friend, and gaining his post by her assistance. Prince Spring looked down at Prim Rose as though she were a lost and feeble beggar whom he pitied.

“Prim Rose… while this is not a crime, it does raise a point of concern for the council. A servant of the crown is expected to act with absolute loyalty to the throne they serve, and to provide that service without ulterior motive. In the interest of the Lunar court’s function, we must know. Dost thou have romantic interests in thy Princess?”

The anticipation for the answer built as Prim hesitated briefly, but she finally looked back up to meet his eye.

“Your Highness, I believe it is still Lady Rose, if you would be so kind. Unless the Lunar court hath stripped me of my title.”

“She would if she was of right mind!” Mint shouted, stepping closer to Prim only to be grabbed in a blue cloud of magic and shoved back into the waiting arms of some guards, who kept her from coming forward.

Though most assumed it had been the guards, Prim knew that magic color better than most. It had been Luna, and knowing that her Princess was watching made it so much harder to finish her answer.

“I do not love Her Royal Majesty, Princess Luna of Equestria. I see her as a perfect being worthy of admiration and the finest service I may offer, but I have never held a romantic interest in her, after all… to imply that a mortal mare could pursue an alicorn would be preposterous,” She said as she met the eyes of Prince Spring, former consort of Celestia.

But while rage filled Prim's long broken heart, Luna's broke for the first time. She knew that Prim must say it to survive, that it may be a lie, but the words cut deeper than any griffin blade or strike of sun fire. She turned and slipped away into the corridors, back to her own chambers.

So Prim, alone, stood before the council and the Prince as they took in her defiant speech.

“Thou art determined in thy denial,” Prince Spring noted. “But it cannot stand alone and unquestioned. Thou hast been seen in the company of others with the same desires, how may we be certain that they have not influenced thee, and thus Princess Luna?”

“I shall no longer associate with those ponies, if it would quell thy fears,” Prim promised, seeming to at least satisfy the Prince, even if the council did not seem so certain.

“Even then, the damage has been done,” Mint began, only to be silenced by Spring’s glare.

“What damage?” he demanded, suddenly turning on the council instead of Prim. “This was a speculative matter from the start, show me proof that some damage has been done.”

The council had no good answer, looking between themselves as if in search of an answer, but in the end Spring just huffed and shook his head.

“This court is finished. We shall address all routine matters upon the dawn court. Thou art dismissed.”

Prim left the throne hall in a daze and went to her room, rather than seeking out her princess. The guards paid her no mind, and she was able to lock the door and be alone. She had thought she would be angry, screaming or crying and tossing books off the shelves, but she felt so drained and exposed that she couldn't find the energy to do it.

She sighed, grimacing at the thought that if she physically hurt herself to force tears she might feel better, but she'd grown past that point. Instead she went to her bed and laid down, staring at the wall. She could tell Luna that the words spoken at court had been a lie, but what good would that do? Make all of the council's fears come true as they tried to forge a relationship? It was tempting to do it just to spite them.

It would just make the pain worse, if she tried to fix it. Prim decided that she would continue living the lie, acting as though she didn't love Luna more than every star in the night sky and every mare below it.

Chapter 32

Prim woke, dizzy and confused. She sat up a little too quickly, nausea bubbling up and competing with a headache. But a steady hoof kept her from falling out of bed. Looking up, she saw stars in a dark blue sky, and blue eyes.

"Compass?" She whispered, trying to place the face, and where she was that she could see stars.

"Luna," the shape corrected. The shape with those beautiful eyes.

"Silly name," Prim mumbled as she struggled to stand on the bed.

"Why would it be a silly name?" The shape asked as Prim was magically lifted and placed carefully on the floor.

"Well, it is simply Prench for moon! If thine name shall be Moon, just call thyself Moon!"

There was a soft chuckle, patient and amused.

"There was a time when Prench, or a language similar, was the one of greater use. It was then that we were named."

"We?" Prim asked as she blinked around at the haze of color, only to abruptly be granted sight as a pair of glasses were put on her nose.

"It was then that I was named," Luna corrected herself, as Prim looked up at her with a bit of awe, and confusion.

"Compass, you look so different," Prim finally said.

Prim felt a pang in her heart as the alicorn lost her smile, but Prim knew not why, so much was a blur.

"I am not Prim, I am Luna," She finally replied after a nervous pause.

"Right, right... if you say so," Prim nodded. "Luna. It may be silly, but it is pretty. Where am I?"

"The castle, the castle of Equestria."

"Oh my, how did I get there, that is such a long ways away."

"You worked here for many years. So now this is your home."

"Many years..."

Prim shifted to look at her hoof. There was something vast she could not recall, like an ocean just vanishing from sight, it left her feeling adrift and uncomfortable. Surely, there was some way for her to understand what had gone, understand those beautiful eyes that her mind told her were Prim's despite looking so different, understand why she felt so scared.

"Prim?"

"Just thinking, your Majesty," Prim replied on reflex, standing and walking to the door.

But the door did not open when she pushed, her horn sputtering yellow sparks that scattered across her nose before winking out. A blue glow grabbed the door and opened it for her.

"Where would you like to go?" Luna asked her as she walked up to stand beside the old mare.

"I don't know," Prim sighed, a frightening admission to herself. "Anywhere but here."

Luna put a wing over Prim's back, and that fear faded just a little. She took a step out into the hallway, and immediately the two royal guards saluted her. Not Luna, who came after, but Prim.

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she smiled, bowing slightly to the guards to acknowledge their respect, before she took another few steps. She did not know where she was going, really, but she knew that she was pointed towards something too bright, too lit up with candles and lanterns. So she turned about and led Luna through the halls to a narrow corridor, all dark and quiet, which she slipped into.

Soft music played in the distance, some party Luna hadn't bothered to go to, but Prim paused and sighed happily.

"Do they play for me?"

"Just for thee," Luna nodded, coming up behind her in the thin hallway.

Prim hummed along to the song as she resumed her walk, moving on until she came to a blind balcony. It was a common place for servants to go to rest, unseen by the courtyards below and by the towers or great hall windows. Two dim candles burned, lighting the warm night with the music drifting up to them above the distant drone of crickets and birdcall from the forest all around the tiny city.

"Come here, Compass. You will have to learn how to dance some day," Prim said with a proud and commanding tone, getting Luna to come over to her, mane billowing in the night air, generating a soft breeze around her. "I learned to dance from... I learned..."

Prim shook her head and smiled sadly. "It escapes me. Now, here, you face me, nose to nose, and... It was..."

Luna took the lead silently, without asking Prim, she walked through the circular stalking motion that she knew had been inspired by the mating rituals of the deer, a noble race nearly wiped out in Equestria by war, but whose culture still remained in subtle ways. Luna's mind went back to the one time she'd met their people, and how she'd interrupted a ritual of grieving for some urgent matter or another, something that now so long after did not even reserve a place in Luna's memory. But she remembered the look of serenity on the face of an elderly doe, and she suddenly desired for Prim to have that same peace in her last nights.

"Like this?" Luna asked Prim as she led her to rear up and rest against eachother.

"Y... Yes," Prim whispered in reply, closing her eyes and taking a moment to collect herself, her heart racing.

They swayed, Luna almost holding Prim up, wings spread so that Prim didn't have to support any weight at all. Prim slowly looked up at her, teary eyed and smiling just a little.

"Thou art not Compass. No matter what my mind tells me, thou art... Thou art somepony I love."

"Thou art most correct, Prim Rose, and somepony that loves thee," Luna replied, wrapping herself gently around Prim and pulling her into the air, cradling her oh so carefully.

Prim's soft gasp, a slow realization of what was happening, offered a thrilling feeling of accomplishment to Luna, as she took the elderly unicorn into the starry sky.

The courtyards and streets below them were cluttered full of ponies going about their night's business, but despite the chance of being seen, they felt private up above them all.

Luna knew that six of her guards were nearby, watching to ensure Luna's safety, but those guards were thestrals. They knew of Prim in a different light than the ponies. They knew of Luna's love for her, and they watched over the last flight of the lovers with respect.

"I've loved thee for so long, Prim," Luna whispered as they turned and kept rising above the castle.

"Tell me thy name again, please, my mind may not hold it but please..."

Luna's magic turned Prim's head up to take in the source of the silvery light that covered all of Equestria, and she sighed, smiling.

"Luna," Prim whispered as her mind felt just a little clearer. "Luna, thou art in love with me."

"And thee, in love with me," Luna nodded, before softly kissing Prim, enjoying the lingering and calm intimacy, the closeness that they had put off sharing for so very long.

Epilogue

"Prim Rose was not an extraordinary pony," Luna said, voice strong to carry over the crowd dressed in black, from her position on a dias with an ornate coffin behind her.

She took a slow breath, staying calm, maintaining the image of a princess, even in grief.

"She took great pains to remind us, when the subject of skill or talent would arise, that she could do no more than any other pony. Her skill with her magic was trained, and simple. Her courtly manners could slip, and she had no knowledge of heraldry besides what she was taught here. She said once that she obtained her position by being in the right place when a kind face was needed."

Luna smiled and shook her head.

"But we would say that she was more. She did not give up, she did not take excuses to do the wrong thing, and she never grew tired of proving her Princess wrong. Whether in matters of politics, or those of society, she was willing to state her beliefs, and fight for them for as long as she believed that it was right.

"Many of our staff were trained by or at least overseen by Prim. She could be a stern mistress, and would not allow for mistakes in our protection. But we have heard my times that those who work with us considered her family. An aunt, a sister, even a mother," She gestured to the children of the night, who were all gathered with their own families, silver stars shining from every cloak and hat.

She could see Nova, one of the eldest, trying to hide her tears from her grandchildren.

"We considered Prim Rose to be the sun to my moon, in our sister's absence," Luna continued, voice rough, trying not to let her scowl show at her own poetic avoidance of the truth. "With Prim Rose passes the anchor that helped us weather the Daybreaker. To withstand the war, and politics which sought to prove that we were somehow unfit. But in her absence she has not left us alone. She has left us with family. With loyal and honest ponies who shall serve us well. Prim would tell us all that there is work to be done, so let that work be done, and her memory be cherished."

Luna turned, and as she raised the sun she lowered Prim into her grave, watching the sunrise light play across the glossy varnish on the wood. She then bowed low and could hear every pony present bowing as well.

Thus, the passing marked, the crowd quickly cleared but for a few who knew to stay.

Nova, without her family. A few thestrals. Silver Decanter. It was a small gathering.

Though Princess Spring tried to approach, some of Luna's guards took her aside, finding contrived reasons to keep her attention away from the true service, which was only for the ears of those who knew the truth of Prim and Luna.

"She was extraordinary," Nova insisted, gathering nods of eager agreement from the others.

"Is a mare extraordinary simply for whom she wouldst love?" Luna asked, head low.

"Yes, if the love changes lives, grows the one it seeks, loving may be an act of rebellion, if one holds true," one of the thestrals said with all the passion of a young lover.

"So she was remarkable," Luna agreed, shaking her head slightly. "Tis no great lie, many more have been spoken by Princesses, a eulogy may as well be the same."

"We do not object because it was a lie, we object because thou ought to be allowed to see her for who she was. A wonderful mare who had a great love for thee," Silver said, his voice soft and full of worry.

Luna let out a strangled sob, quiet and through a grimacing expression, trying to hold it back as tears began to form. Her friends and family stepped closer, pressing in to protect her.

"We should go," Luna mumbled, trying to turn away but feeling Nova next to her, that comforting warmth and closeness of her daughter.

"No, we should not," Silver said sharply, standing proud. "This is thy land, Princess. Thy time. We shall make it that thou shalt have it for as long as needed."

The arguing in the distance was masked by Luna's sobbing as she stepped forward and laid down, her nose nearly to the edge of the grave, but her eyes closed.

"I cannot live without her!" She whimpered as Nova's hoof traveled from the back of her head, down her neck, and back up to try and offer a small bit of comfort. "I shall surely die, for there is nothing to live for now!"

"Prim would never wish for thee to pass," Nova insisted gently. "Thy ponies need thee, and thou shalt love again."

Luna shoved Nova aside, fury burning through her heart.

"I care not for another. Six hundred years without love, to wait for another is an insult! An insult to what I've lost. Didst thou know?! Of dear Spring's demand?! I must forget her! My love for her must become a secret!"

"Just as ours," one of the guards said, stepping up and dragging a more timid thestrals with her. "Yes. A secret, your Majesty. A secret but not dead, for we love! Our love shall never die, even if we do. Thou shalt have a vast life ahead, and in that life, Prim shall live longer than any of us. Should Princess Spring be punished for her cruelty and insolence? I would carry out the order myself, but I shall not stand aside and let thee call it all for naught, just for lack of recognition."

Luna turned away from the guard, struggling to fight her emotions away, and trying to ignore her own muffled sobs. But her anger had no outlet, and she felt as though it might rip her apart.

"I could burn the whole world to ash," Luna mumbled, vision blurry from tears as she watched the ponies tense. "I could become like my sister, destroy everything and start anew, in the way I wish."

"Thou art too kind," Silver said, though he sounded a bit scared. "Too kind to kill the innocent."

"Maybe so, but who is truly innocent?" Luna asked bitterly.

The group stood there, reeling from the loaded question, until the guards stepped closer and embraced Luna. Despite all of Luna's fury, she fell apart in more tears, and she laid there for hours with the only ponies who she considered family, trying to hold onto Prim's smile in that final kiss.

Chapter 5

“I had never had cheese before,” Prim said softly from her bed.

Princess Luna smiled just a little and set the journal down for a moment as she looked up to Prim.

“Wine was new to thee as well, but it seems thee preferred cheese.”

“Oh, I could not be off drinking. I needed to take care of thee!” Prim laughed breathily.

“Not all the time,” Luna protested playfully. “I am quite the responsible mare I think.”

Prim smiled, but she didn’t reply, her gaze distant.

Luna moved a little closer, and touched Prim’s cheek with her hoof. The elderly unicorn refocused her gaze on Luna and sighed.

“I’m so sorry.”

“No time for that,” Princess Luna said as gently as she could, her voice catching in her throat. “No time for regret, little Rose.”

Prim sniffled and closed her eyes as she leaned against Luna’s hoof.

“I should have left. Thou wouldst have been so much happier for it.”

“No, I would have been a lesser mare for it,” Luna said firmly.

They were quiet for a moment, but eventually Prim Rose looked up at Princess Luna, pleading.

“Princess… May thee help me recall? From the beginning?”

Princess Luna smiled and nodded, as she reopened the journal to the page she had stopped on.

“As the sun rose low on the horizon, and my first meeting with HRH Princess Celestia drew near, I approached the Wilds bathhouse in the futile hope that it would afford me some dignity and privacy while accomplishing its purported goals.”

Chapter 9

Princess Luna entered the room, and paused as she observed her loyal Prim in her bed.

The little unicorn was asleep, curled up with her back to the wall and legs all askew, her braided mane greyed and tattered. On the bedside table, a wooden cup held untouched water, and a jar of ointment made by the most skilled herbalists in Equestria. The single jar likely cost as much as Prim Rose had earned in her first month of service.

But it wasn’t enough.

Prim was nearly a hundred and twenty years old. She was long lived for a unicorn, owing possibly to her grandfather being an earth pony. But age was still catching up to her, even though Princess Luna was not ready for her to go.

As always, Luna carried with her the heavy book that held Prim’s life. As she had for the last ten years, she sat next to her loyal servant’s bedside, and touched the unicorn’s cheek.

“Oh, my little rose…” she whispered.

But Prim did not stir. She breathed, her eyes moved behind their lids as she was lost in some dream, and her hooves twitched with half remembered trots through the castle gardens. But she did not wake this evening, as Luna had expected her to.

Luna only paused for a moment, but reminded herself that Prim would wake. Perhaps later in the day and perhaps later in the night but she would wake, at the very least one more time.

She’d promised her Princess that she wouldn’t let go unless she was awake, and holding Luna’s hoof tight.

It was a promise that Luna was unsure could be kept, but she cherished it more than any diamond in her crown, or any knight in her army. So she chose to believe in it.

With one hoof on Prim’s side, she laid the book down and spread the pages open. She looked at the recounting of Prim’s painful dream, and shook her head. It was followed by months of slow progress, gradual learning of the ways of court and the skill of Chamberlain, and though it was all precious it was not the time for precious plainness.

Luna had read through the book so many times, she knew it by heart, but she knew which part she should read to Prim next.

Princess Luna’s darkest moment, and the moment that Prim Rose had made herself a companion beyond reproach, beyond compare, beyond replacement.

It had been the dead middle of summer, the solstice approaching, and tainted by the darkness in the heart of a Princess.