The silence was deafening, I wish I could've done something other than squirm but I was under the vision of both royalty and a chef so overall pretty awkward.

"Or you know, I could just have some pancakes too?"

No response to the clearly stunned princesses, "Or nothing at all?" I sunked even more in my chair. I wanted to keep going as small as I could physically just to get out of the situation.

Tia was the first to move, ever so slowly though, she shook her head and moved one of her hooves to cling onto her forehead. "...No it's, fine, I'm so sorry, again I must remind you that while I have been around my ponies it's been so long since they have spoken so.. forwardly. Having a pony want some hay fries from a rich royal kitchen is quite, the sudden change of pace, no frivolous wants or flaunting. I have no idea if this is due to cultural differences but.. thank you, Eric. I feel I have gained some insight into my ponies and yes hay fries shall be fine, isn't that right Petunia?"

She turned to her main chef and found her just as shocked but recovered as soon as she was addressed.

"Of course Princess!" She began to move quickly to another door that she didn't come through.

Luna got out of her shock to speak her piece as well. "I must say, I am surprised as much as my sister, to hear a pony order something so, common is quite the change from what we usually hear."

"Is that bad?" I lowered my head and pinned my ears to my head.

"No no, far from it," she began to move her hoof to signify it's fine, there was a big pause however and Tia seemed a little tense.

Tia seemed to have a bit of trouble coming into a subject she had in mind. "So, Eric"

"Y-yes?" I was slightly scared mostly for the fact I could be put into the dungeon at any moment or the fact that even one of the princesses was a bit tense over something.

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

"N-not really? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all, my sister actually wanted to apologize for what she did"

"W-what did she do?"

"Well, let's just say she got a tad, presumptuous"

Luna had moved up from her seating and stomped her hooves onto the dining table. "Could you blame me? I was expecting to find an abomination of timber wolves, griffon parts, and a changeling."

"Luna" Tia warned

Luna had given in to the warning. "Yes I know, Eric, I humbly ask for your forgiveness, the spell I used to make sure you don't have a hangover, also mayhaps delay the connection to your memories of that night, meaning it will come to you but that's why there's a lapse in your memory for now. I acted in haste and I know there may be no reconciliation to it but I still will ask for forgiveness and do whatever I can in my power to mend the issue." She moved away from her seat to actually bow to me.

"I uh," I used one of my hooves to rub the back of my head, this was strange all together from being in Creekville drinking to suddenly royalty bowing to me and asking for forgiveness. It felt like everything I was expecting just flipped on its head. "I may not remember it at the moment and while truth be told I am freighted by the whole air of mystery on what happened, I feel it's important I want to respect and forgive your genuineness"

"Truly? Do not feel as though you are forced, Eric"

"I..have made many mistakes myself, many I wish I could be so easily forgiven from. This may be a long shot, I may be jumping the gun to accept so quickly while not remembering it all together but," I shut my eyes to feel the situation out just a bit more, there's a lot of things I wish I could say but I need to keep it consistent and formal. "I feel like at any point that forgiveness is something that should be passed, I'm not internally bleeding nor dying so I can say I'm fine overall. I may not like what you did at the moment or maybe even reconsider my forgiveness but in the end, in the end. I want to make sure it's mended and protected, I want to forgive you no matter what."

A throat was cleared and when I turned it was Tia who had jumped in, "Sorry for the interruption, Eric but that seemed more open-ended"

"Right, sorry, I uh go on tangents like that, what I mean is, whatever you've done doesn't seem to have hurt me really, and while that may not give you enough to clear your name. You stayed, you took me to this palace, made sure I was alive and well with a whole bedroom and guards to keep me safe and even now you offer the hand to keep giving this kindness. Now, this could be customary for people you may do wrongdoing to or even a protocol to keep me here just in case, I'm sure you already know I'm not from here obviously. But... I appreciate it, listen I won't pretend like I know how things go around here, for all I know you could kill me later on with a public execution, but so far? You've made me feel sort of, alive, at home, to hear a sibling squabble, that can't be faked. it makes me feel like I'm not too far from home and I thank you infinitely for that." I moved out of my own chair to bow at her.

"For once, I feel like, I'm not entirely missing out on the world I once was, death may be certain and I don't know what comes next and really uh, I am scared but you two have completely subverted my expectations, feel free to prove me wrong along the road." I raised my head to find Luna smiling as she had undone her own bowing.

"Thank you, Eric," Luna didn't seem so bad now seeing this side of her, I don't think whatever she did was too bad.

"That is, surprisingly very reassuring" I turned my head to find Tia had spoken that.

"So uh, what's next?"

"What's next? Well now we wait for our food. I'm glad we had went over this discussion as soon as possible, Lulu has been something of a lost puppy ever since."

Luna had given Tia a death stare, "I have not!"

Author's Note

Oooo new chapter? Whaaaaat?

Also sorry for such a long wait, I think I may be having writer's block but not completely sure. Anyway I will try to write more for you all!