"I wanted to have a traditional royal wedding," Princess Celestia said, looking over at the pouting Twilight laying only an arm's length from her, "To invite the nobility, hay, the entire kingdom, and show them the mare I love, who is carrying my foals - the second and third naturally-conceived alicorns in recorded history - and who will be helping me rule the land as the newest High Princess. Not to mention to lavish you in every luxury imaginable there, and after."

"And I just wanted a low-key wedding, with only our families and best of friends invited," Twilight said, her frown deepening, "Ponies who will actually appreciate what our wedding means, and be truly happy for us, for what we're doing. To appreciate the bond we're consummating, and not view the event as just a free meal and slice of cake. Or worse, a way to try and gain power or status for themselves somehow."

They'd been discussing this since Celestia had brought up the topic of their marriage over that night's dinner, just Twilight and herself. It had not escalated to an argument, but it was becoming heated.

"My love, just remember that this is the only time we will be married. We're both immortal, meaning that this bond is forever. Do you truly want to remember your marriage, our marriage, as a small event among family and friends, or a huge, nation-wide party held in honor of our love for each other?" Celestia asked, seeing her mate's expression growing more sour.

"I want to remember this as an event where we're surrounded by the ponies we love, and who love us back, not some stuffy socialite elitist ponies with their heads shoved so far up their flanks that they only see the wedding as a free meal that they don't even deserve, or boost of influence for being there. Plus the fact that they couldn't give a flying FEATHER about us, the ponies getting married!" Twilight suddenly exclaimed as she slammed her hoof violently on the bed, surprising Celestia with the venom in her tone, though she was able to sense it wasn't directed at her.

"Twilight, language!" Celestia admonished on reflex, before catching herself and giggling. She'd always gotten onto Twilight about her use of colorful language before, both as a filly and expectantly moreso when she was a younger, teenaged mare as a student in her school, and just now had reacted on a subconscious level to do so again, even with Twilight a mature mare now.

Twilight, shocked out of her sour funk, couldn't help but join in on Celestia's giggles, her mood brightening quickly. She sighed once the giggles subsided a couple minutes later, once more dwelling on the fact Celestia wanted a huge fancy party for a wedding, all with ponies she didn't know, or, worse, those that either of them struggled with in day-court. "I just don't want ponies like Bella Goldhoof at our wedding."

Celestia's nose scrunched at the mention of Bella especially; at the mention of the mare who came to her day-court every time she held it, always touting some new scheme for screwing over the less wealthy ponies to make herself even richer than she already was, with her having come from a very wealthy family with old money already. Celestia and Luna, with well-disguised glee, always shot down her proposals, leading to a thinly-veiled animosity between her and the princesses; animosity and jealousy for the princesses' authority that was shared by a surprising amount of the power-hungry nobility of Canterlot.

Celestia now saw more than just some wisdom behind Twilight's way of thinking. "I...see your point," Celestia said, before sighing, her posture slumping a bit as she looked away, defeated, "I just...I just wanted to show everycreature in Equestria how much I love you, how close we are, and..." Celestia paused, softly pressing her hoof to Twilight's rather large womb, now eight months swollen with their twins. "...and what we've created together."

Twilight felt her heart twinge at that - that Celestia wanted to go through such expense just to show the world how much her and their unborn foals meant to her - but at the same time, knew it was unfortunately misguided. "Celestia, my love, how many of them do you think actually care about me or you being married? Truly care about us, and don't merely view us or our celebration as some stepping stone to gain more power or stature for themselves?" Twilight said with some bitterness, before feeling the gentle caress of Celestia's other forehoof, the one that was not still slowly rubbing on her heavily-pregnant belly, holding her cheek now. "Or our foals, for that matter?"

"Twilight, my beloved, there are good ponies in the nobility, just like in the general public. I know that, for a fact, there are those who use their wealth and influence to help build or support orphanages, or acquire food or shelter for those who need it, or even dedicate their own time to personally help those in need. Those who use their position and Bits for good, not just their own selfish causes...unlike those who seem to be more prominent in day-court," Celestia said, before sighing. "I suppose I will oblige your idea, though. You're right in that most ponies won't appreciate what we have together, and will just take the wedding party I would throw for us and use it for their own advantages, instead of seeing its true purpose. Not to mention the exuberant cost would seriously deplete the royal coffers of funds that could be spent on something more...productive."

Twi's eyes sparkled at Celestia's seeming agreement to her wedding idea. "You mean...?"

"Yes, my cherished love, you're right. Our wedding will only be among those who truly care about us, and who deserve to be a part of such a special occasion and share it with us. The announcement of our elopement shall be told to the greater public after, as well as the news of you carrying our newest alicorn princesses. Our little daughters are quite popular among ponies...even though they've yet to enter the world...and though nopony knows they're alicorns or even definitely twins...nor even of our relationship or engagement."

"Yeah...did you hear the one about us having the whole Royal Guard as our brothel and stud farm, and me getting pregnant by one or two of them at some huge orgy?" Twilight asked, causing Celestia to bust up laughing, Twilight joining in.

"Oh, what my little ponies come up with sometimes..." Celestia said after the laughter deescalated, now simply holding a big smile, "...but I would never allow another pony to have you like that. No way in Equestria."

"Aaaw, so no chance of making that rumor a reality?" Twilight teased, the huge mischievous grin telling Celestia just how serious she wasn't.

"Nope, no big, studly guardspony cock for you tonight, or ever," Celestia teased back, "The only one you get is mine, and you'll just have to deal with that."

"Aw, fine, I guess it'll have to do."

"Keep up that attitude and you won't get to see it for a week."

"That's OK, I'll just go see Blazing Spear and..."

"Oh don't you even pretend..."

After some more teasing back and forth about Twilight sleeping with many of the guards by name, devolving to another fit of laughter, Celestia felt Twilight's forehooves and wings wrapping around her, her pregnant womb pressed to her own belly, and couldn't help but smile. Soon enough, she felt Twilight's lips meeting her own in a chaste but loving kiss, pressing back into it only too happily.

"I love you so much, Cellie..." Twilight purred after the kiss, nuzzling into Celestia's neck, with the elder mare reciprocating by nuzzling behind her ear.

"And I love you too, Twily. So very much."

The date for their marriage was set for two months later, and by the time the date of their marriage came, Twilight's belly was absolutely huge now as she was ten months pregnant, though she knew she still had a month or two more to carry the twins until it was finally time to meet them. In the meantime, however, she had a mare to marry.

As Twilight had wanted, only their closest friends and family were invited - Twilight's parents, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and of course Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and last but certainly not least, Rainbow Dash. Princess Luna was also asked to attend, and to serve as the officiate of their marriage, bringing her own thestral guard stallionfriend too. Twilight also asked for her friends' help at the reception: Fluttershy had also been asked to attend to the music, Applejack and Pinkie to help with the food, Rarity for their dresses, and Pinkie Pie and Rainbow were asked to attend to entertainment and games. Pinkie had insisted on helping with both the food and fun, and did a great job with both tasks as well.

When the big day finally came, on a cool spring afternoon, Twilight was squirming in excitement and nervousness in a room at Canterlot Castle, being prepped for the ceremony soon to come. Squirming so much so, that Rarity was having trouble re-hemming her dress around the lower barrel. "I swear, these little ones are growing so fast! We just hemmed this dress again a week ago, and already it fits too tight!" Rarity said, removing the measuring tape. "You've grown another nine centimetres already. They are going to be two very big fillies."

"Well, yeah, they're going to be born alicorns, remember? Remember how big Flurry Heart was when she was born, and how large her wings were?" Twilight asked, getting a nod from Rarity, "Well, I'm pretty sure these two will be about that size too, though maybe not their wings. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I still can't believe you're having twins, darling, and alicorn twins at that!" Rarity said, summoning her scissors, hemming needles, and thread with her magic, then snipping and removing the old hem and weaving the needle through the fabric to make a new one, "Why, I nearly hit the floor when you told us that once you'd hit the six month mark!"

"Yeah...I think all that cake from the foal shower party Pinkie hosted for me definitely helped add some weight to them...and me..." Twilight said, blushing a bit as she remembered how much she'd gorged on that cake, her pregnancy craving for more of it kicking in hard several times over the next weeks, "...and the three others I had her make me certainly didn't help in that respect."

Rarity gave a polite laugh, softly patting her friend's back. "Oh, it's fine dear. You look beautiful." she said as she finished hemming the belly area, and moved on to measure her rump, which had also grown over the week, getting to work on re-hemming that too.

The time had finally come for the ceremony to start, with Twilight standing outside the doors of the main hall of Canterlot Castle, waiting for the attending guards to open it for her when it was time. Her father, Night Light, stood beside her, having one of the most proud smiles she'd ever seen on him as he did, and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were there too, a basket full of rose petals in each of their muzzles. "I'm so proud of you, Twilight," he whispered to her, giving her a quick hug, "My little filly, all grown up and starting a family! My little princess is getting married, and to a High Princess of all things!"

"Thanks Dad," Twilight said, reciprocating the hug, unable to prevent a beaming smile from crossing her face. She felt so elated when the guards finally opened the door, revealing the decorated throne room to her for the first time. The room was decorated with white streamers crossing from pillar to pillar, the benches decorated with flowers. In front of the thrones, there was an altar large enough for two ponies to stand on and a pulpit was set up, a large wedding arch set up above it also quite beautiful, with red, white, and pink roses decorating it.

Finally, at the altar, Celestia stood waiting. She was wearing a wedding dress of her own, a beautiful royal-purple gown with golden hemming and accents. In place of her royal crown, she instead wore a crown of red roses, her chestpiece also left off. She looked down the aisle at Twilight with both eagerness and adoration, watching each measured step her pregnant mare took, and cherishing the fact that each one brought her closer to her; that each step was bringing her closer to the start of their new life together.

Twilight's own traditional wedding dress was white, as it was her first marriage, with subtle accents of amber and amethysts in the design - something Rarity had called 'complimentary colors to her coat and mane' - and the hemming was also gold trimmed. Her mane was done up the same way it had been when she'd been affected by the Crystal Heart's magic after the Crystal Empire was saved, with her liking the style and wanting a repeat of it for her special day, though, of course, without being crystalline.

As she walked down the aisle, her father beside her and holding her hoof, she looked at the other ponies on her side of the room; her mother, Twilight Velvet, her brother, Shining Armor, and her sister-in-law Cadance all sat there, all looking quite happy and proud. Meanwhile, even if it was a little unorthodox and crowded, she saw that all six of her friends were waiting on her side of the altar as her best mares, with her simply unable to choose just three of them for such an honor. On Celestia's side was Raven, her personal assistant and close friend for many years, and two other ponies whom she worked with every day, and was also close friends with.

As she arrived at the end of the path, Twilight looked up to her mare-to-be as her father let go of her hoof, 'giving her away' to Celestia with a beaming smile. Spike stood to the side too, holding a red pillow on which the two horn-rings rested. Luna looked at Twilight, with her giving a nod, then to Celestia and, upon getting a nod from her too, cleared her throat.

"Stallions and mares, friends and family, We, Princess Luna, art thine officiate for this royal wedding. As such, We shall use the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice for such a momentous occasion as a High Princess's marriage, as is the olden way for the marriage of high nobility to another pony. We art gathered here this day to bring our High Princess of the Sun and Equestria, Princess Celestia Solaris, and Princess of Friendship and Ponyville, Princess Twilight Gleaming Sparkle, together in matrimony. If any attendees are wishing to speaketh counter to this joining of blood, hearts, and families, thou may speaketh now, or never speaketh ill of it again."

After giving a moment, and getting only the expected lack of rebuttal, Luna continued. "Verily. As there art no objections, We shall commence. Spike, please bringeth forth the rings."

Spike did as asked and, kneeling before Princess Luna, Luna took the rings off the pillow, and then looked out to the audience. "These rings art a gift from the Crystal Empire, given freely by the Crystal Heart itself, in the hopes that the love of these two ponies may brighten the lives of ponies far and wide by using the power of this couple’s love to spread it across the nation," She then looked to Twilight and Celestia. "These rings signify the bond thou shalt have to the other; as a ring circles itself, thine love for one another shall be an endless circle too. These vows thou now shalt take shall signify that both of thee shall take care of each other and remain loyal to each other, and remain as one no matter what; in sickness or health, wealth or poverty, fame or obscurity. Nothing shall break thee apart." Luna then nodded to Twilight, who took one of the rings into her own magic, followed by Celestia doing the same.

At long last, the moment that all, though certainly none more than Twilight and Celestia had been waiting for, had arrived. "Twilight Sparkle, doth thou take this mare to be thine, to love and careth for, forevermore into immortality?" Luna asked, then turning to Twilight Sparkle.

"I do!" Twilight Sparkle responded in quite the excited tone, her heart pounding with the joy of the moment; the moment of becoming forever one with her soulmate.

Luna then turned to Celestia. "...and doth thou, Celestia Solaris, take this mare to be thine, to love and careth for, forevermore into immortality?"

"I do." Celestia responded, then looking to Twilight, her soulmate and broodmare – her-very-soon-to-be wife – with pure love.

They then took the rings in their magic, both glowing a bright white and making manifest the powerful love they felt for their mate. Celestia slid hers over Twilight's horn to the base first. "With this ring, I thee wed." Celestia said, smiling brightly.

This was followed moments later by Twilight doing the same, with the other ring sliding over Celestia's horn. "With this ring, I thee wed." Twilight said, her own smile's intensity matching her love's, feeling so delighted that she felt like she may explode. Then explode again.*

"Verily, then by the power vested in Us, We hereby pronounce thee mare and bride, Missus and Missus Celestia Solaris!" Luna announced, to an uproarious cheer from the crowd. "Thou may now kiss thine bride."

Celestia lifted Twilight Sparkle's vail to the stomping applause of the audience, gazing into Twilight's eyes but for a moment before lowering her lips to her muzzle. Their lips met softly, to another round of hooves stomping the floor.

As they broke the chaste kiss moments later, Celestia chose to hold her wife in an embrace, her eyes closed, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she felt Twilight Sparkle's cannon wrap around her own, holding hooves for the first time as mare and wife. Giving a nod and getting one back, Celestia could sense Twilight's nervousness at the next part of an olden-time royal wedding, but they'd discussed this before and she'd agreed. After all, it was tradition.

Author's Note

* - OG pony reference anypony? :D

Also, what's the tradition? Hm...