You raced up the spiral staircase as fast as your legs would Carry you, Desperately searching for a way to slow down the the rapidly approaching Guardsponys. Pulling a small bag of ballbearings from your belt you dump them behind you hoping to at least compromise their footing and make climbing the stairs a little more difficult.

"Thud"

"Thud"

"Thud oohf!"

Judging by the sound of guardponies falling down the stairs that actually worked better than you thought it would.
Panting for breath as you reach the landing at the top of the stairs you swing the heavy oak door closed and jam a long narow table betwean the door and the wall to prevent it from being opened.

You found yourself in a skyway that led in two directions with each of the Princesses personal residences on their respective sides. To the left Princess Lunas tower and to the right Princess Celestia's.

Standing in the junction you almost start down the left hallway without thinking. The feisty lunar alicorn left quite the impact on you in the brief moments that you shared together.

But you came here to find Celestia and find Celestia you shall.

Hurrying down the right hallway your footsteps are silent on the rich purple carpet that covered polished white marble floors, rows of pony shaped plate armour lined both sides of the hallway like guards standing at attention, and old maps were framed and hung on the wall, relics of Equestrias rich and ancient history proudly on display. Reminding you that the Princesses where both ancient and powerfull and they didn't inherit Ruling Equestria they earned it through diplomacy or the tip of a sword if push came to shove.

Time was of the essence, Princess Celestia would be waking up soon to raise the sun, and if you didn't reach her before then tonight's efforts would be in vain.

Before you stood A heavy wooden door emblemized with a golden Sun. You step over the threshold and into the round and spacious room. It's sparse furnishings reflected not a Princesses treasure trove of priceless baubles but simple everyday objects found in the homes of mares across Equestria, needle point, knick nacks, a ceramic vase full of fragrant flowers, a dirty plate littered with cake crumbs and a fork.

Just looking around at Celestia's everyday things you gained a sense that, under her princessly crown she was just an ordinary mare after all.

Stepping over her discarded golden horseshoes and amethyst peytral you make your way up the narrow stair case that lead to Celestia's bed chambers.

Pulling open a curtain and stepping through an archway you finaly gaze upon the sleeping form of the princess.
She was snuggled under a soft comforter with her hooves holding the covers tightly under her chin, Over her eyes she wore a pink sleeping eye mask embroidered with cartoony sleeping eyelashes, and her mane was done up in comically oversized hair rollers.

The sleeping Princess was cute beyond what the scope of words could possibly describe.

But now you were faced with a unique problem, you've been racing across the city and battling tooth and nail with the guards in the castle all night long just to find the sleeping princess and you realize that you never put any thought into what you were going to say ~~if~~ when you finaly got this far.
Should you wake her?
How does one wake a princess?
~~With a kiss like in the fairy tales?~~ Nope that would be freaking creapy.

Despite the fact that the guards might burst though the doors and capture you at any moment you decide its probably best if the Princess wakes up on her own. Waiting patiently, you sit on the floor crosslegged at the foot of the bed. Accidentally smudging some chalk marks drawn on the floor.

Unfortunately inactivity has a way of making time slow to a crawl. Mere seconds seem to pass as slowly as hours as the long night has taken it's toll on your body and you begin to doze off......

Princess Luna watches the guards struggle to open the door at the top of the stairs for a few minutes, Even though she knew It was a pointless effort.
That door was designed as a last defense countermeasure, If the castle were ever overrun by enemies then the Princesses were to barricade themselves inside until the guards could neutralize the threat.
Not that it would ever come to that in this day and age. Equestria has never known a more peaceful time and there were few beings in known existence that could rival the might of the diarchy.

If Luna believed her sister was in any sort of real danger she could easily shatter the door despite it's magical wards, or wrench it from its hinges with her bare hooves, or simply banish the door to Tartarus. It wouldn't be the first time she ever banished a door to Tartarus or an uncomfortable pillow for that matter.

Now that the assassin's deadly steel marbles have been cleared away injured guardponys could be carried away on stretchers, One such guardpony stared blankly at the ceiling as he was carried past the Lunar Princess.

"Thank you for your service my little pony" Luna said to the incapacitated Guardpony as she gently placed a hoof on his barrel.

"Did we get him your majesty?" The mangled guard asked

"Not yet my little pony, But the scoundrel won't last the night." Luna reassured the guard as he was carried away by his comrades.

"Will that guard be alright?" Luna asked a passing medicpony.

"Hmm steel resolve? Yeah he'll be fine just a mild sprain he'll be fit to return to duty by tomorrow."

"Has anypony been seriously injured?" Luna asked.

The medicpony flipped through the pages of his clipboard.
"No serious injuries everypony should make a full recovery" The medicpony replied nodding his head.

Once the guardponies finished carrying away all of the injured. Luna opened a window and flew out, Her strong wings carried her effortlessly on the night breaze. She could just as easily had teleported if she wanted but Luna preferred to fly.
Luna swooped low over the castle gardens, It was late summer so the honeysuckle and lavander was in bloom and Luna enjoyed the scent of the fragrant flowers.
With a few strong wing beats Luna had gained enough altitude to land gently on the balcony of her personal tower. The physical effort of flying always helped Luna to wind down and relax after a long night. But tonight was different, no mater how hard she tried she couldn't stop thinking about the assassin.
Slipping off her silver horseshoes and her peytral Luna stepped into a relaxing hot shower to try and take her mind off the night's event's. Hot water washed over Luna's tired body. She wanted her sister to be happy, But at the same time she couldn't help but be jealous. And more than a little embarrassed after how forward she had been. And she was hurt, hurt that she was passed over for another mare, even if it was her sister. Pain welled up in Luna's chest and she could feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
It just wasn't fair, More than anything Luna wanted to kick down her sisters door and claim the human stallion as her own. Even though in her heart she knew it would be wrong. She would never force sompony to love her.
It was then that Luna realized she knew next to nothing about the mysterious assassin, Having hired him on reputation alone. Until tonight Luna didn't even know he was human. She wasn't so desperate as to throw herself at some random stranger.
There are plenty of seaponies that smelled like fish, Luna thought to herself unsure why that was even a saying but who was she to judge.

Toweling off never realy got ponies completely dry, So Tossing the soggy towel aside Luna used her magic to conjure a warm breaze to chase the residual moisture from her fur, tail and mane.

Stepping onto the balcony, Luna rose up into the air as strange arcane symbols swirled about on the floor as she started the task of lowering the moon, realigning a stray comet and pulling a few asteroids closer just in case she decided to perform a meteor shower any time soon.

Princess Luna flopped unceremoniously into her bed, and covering herself with a light blanket Luna fell into a fitful sleep plagued by unsettling dreams.

Author's Note

Yeah sorry Luna that not exactly how that particular saying goes.