The Different Prince

The silence was deafening. Kind of hilarious. The frozen sea of wide eyes and dropped jaws was almost creepy. Was anyone even blinking? Other than those mares who already knew what was happening that is.

"Thank you so much for coming to my birthday celebration," I said with the biggest shit-eating grin physically possible. "My mother has already introduced me, and I hardly think it fair to try and one-up her. Though, maybe next year I'll take care of the guest list."

"Oh no," Twilight said somewhere nearby, "he's going off script."

Rarity shushed her. "It's his party, darling."

"I'm not sure I actually know any of you," I mused as I stepped down off the stage and start walking through them. I looked from face to face. "No... no... no... maybe... Huh. Seems so many of you are so much here for me, as you were to be near my mother. Or, maybe I'm wrong, certainly a few of you came to pet me like a dog and ask mother to stud me to your daughters."

Their wide eyes followed me as I kept walking through their midst. "Ah, still speechless and unable to process what's happening I see."

The I found Mrs. Cake. Just staring as all the others, nothing special. "Ah, here's someone I remember. The matriarch of the Cake clan. Remember, you gave me your son as a gift almost eleven years ago."

She nodded mutely.

"Of course you would remember that," I nodded, still smiling. "I mean, you had him gelded and spruced up just for me." o one batted an eye at that. I hadn't expected them too. "He has been one of my closest companions. A true friend. You must be so proud."

Again she nodded, though there was a hint of emotion in her face. Might she be trying to smile at the praises the prince was piling atop of her?

"It's just a pity you can't seem to recognize him," I sighed, looking away. "I mean, you never even visited him. Not once."

That emotion died away in her eyes. "He... he is just a gelding, y-your majesty."

I nodded. "Indeed he is just that. Your colt who you thought was a little aggressive, or perhaps just too much energy. I guess it wouldn't matter. I mean, neutering him like a common dog and giving him away is so much easier than training him, right? Mother even gave you a nice some of gold for him."

Speaking of mother, I looked at her, and she seemed just as shocked as everyone else was. Perhaps it was time to cut things short. With a flap of my wings I was back up on the stage. I bowed. "Thank you so much for attending. Please enjoy yourselves."

With that, I took off and flew away to the other end of the castle. I would leave the clean up of that mess to everyone else.

* * *

How long had it been? I didn't care much. I stared at the pond, at my reflection, wondering... just what had I done? Had my emotions gotten the better of me? Was that the stupidest thing I could have done? My thoughts were interrupted when a pair of white arms hugged my neck.

"Oh Gold, what am I to do with you?" mother asked. Was that, perhaps, a chuckle in her voice.

"You're not mad?" I asked, looking at her.

She thought a moment. "Well, leaving me alone with a room full of bewildered nobles was not the most thrilling thing, my son."

"Sorry," I apologized half-heartedly.

"It's okay," she said, stroking my mane. "Though... those were some strange things to talk about."

I looked back at the water. "Mother... have you ever gelded colts of yours before?"

She seemed taken aback. "Well, you might be hard-pressed to find a mare who has not whethered one or two of her colts. I am no different."

"So, had I not been born an alicorn, and instead weak, you would have done the same?" I kept looking a the water, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

"Well... yes," she told me, confused as to why I was asking such questions. "You would have a better life that way, without the need to compete for mares' affections against stronger stallions."

I was quiet a moment. "Would you have sold me off?"

"I'd have found you a good home to serve in."

"And you believe that's right?" I asked, turning to face her.

She was really confused. "Gold. What's with these questions? It's science. If we don't remove weak or unsavory males, then we might doom then the next generation won't be as strong as we are now. Gelding is the kindest way, rather than the brutal competition of nature."

"What if I told you I believe that's wrong?"

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what you may believe. It's a fact. The science is settled on this for the past... forever. Before I was born." She laid a hand on my wing. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head. "No."

She didn't understand, obviously, so I quieted. There was no talking sense with an ages old being set in her ways. What could I do? I still just a stud really. I don't doubt she loved me. But, it really felt like she loved what she could get from me more. In this world... what did I have to do to change that? To make them look at things another way.

Perhaps I just needed someone else to talk to. Someone who would listen and not just dismiss my words. Wasn't really many choices in this world. But, I had power, if not over mother, than someone else, someone who would listen to another powerful magic being.

My thoughts were interrupted when I suddenly felt three sharp pains in my back. I collapsed with a cry. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was mother screaming.