The Princess of Night in the City of Light

The Art Institute of Aquila was recently built, and surprisingly modest, given its grand government grants. Ponies and griffons of high society from across the kingdom had arrived, some Luna recognized from the party but many more new faces to try and keep track of. As she and Vivienne walked up the steps her ears swiveled this way and that at the gossiping.

“Didn’t she wear that at the party?”

“You’d think the queen would have supplied her with any number of dresses!”

“Wearing the same dress twice, must be an Equestrian thing!”

There was a nudge and a soft whisper. “The night sky is constant, they would never deny its beauty. What a waste it would be for you to not wear this dress as often as you would like.”

She turned her head slightly and smiled. Rather than a dress, Vivienne wore a suit jacket with trousers, styled similarly to her uniform but different enough to be for non-military formal occasions.

“And you look dashing. More of a tom than a hen, but given you are queen, rags could be all you wear and they would not say a thing about it.”

Vivienne trilled out a laugh as they continued up to the top of the steps. Duke Michel Discret was already there, chatting animatedly with a small crowd and doing his best not to let anyone else say a word as he prattled on.

“Almost all of the statues I’ve personally donated, they’re all from my private collection you see and- Oh, Vivi, Princess Luna! How delightful that you’ve both arrived!”

As he detached from the crowd toward them Luna could already feel a small swell of pressure begin to form in her temples. Her fake smile strained as Michel stopped and looked her over.

“You already wore that dress, didn’t you? Hmm. Well, it is a nice dress I suppose.” He brought his talons together in a clap. “So much art from all around Griffonia is on display, and all about our wonderful family! Shall we start in the statue gardens? I’ve brought many from Rila!”

Luna’s headache proceeded as a dull throb as she and Vivienne walked through a garden of statues that were just Michel or Aquileian soldiers in similar poses over and over as he pointed out which ones were made when and on what date he had acquired them. As he droned on and on she shifted her gaze to Vivienne who presented a cigarette to her.

“Ah, Your Highness, there is no smoking allowed in the museum.”

Vivienne nearly lept out of her skin as the head curator had seemingly appeared from behind one of the statues. Swiftly she regained her composure and stared at the older griffon right in the eyes with a frown.

“Is there a fine for such?” she asked as her unlit cigarette dangled precariously in her beak.

“Yes, it’s-”

Vivienne swiftly lit hers up before moving in to light Luna’s in a faux kiss. “Send the bill to the palace,” she said with a puff of smoke as she and Luna strutted away.

“Vivienne!” Michel called out as he scrambled after them. “That was quite rude-”

They both turned to face him with Vivienne draping a wing over Luna. “Uncle,” she said in a sharp tone. “As queen is it not my prerogative to flaunt my privileges when I please?”

“Well, yes-”

“Then I shall smoke where it is forbidden while the princess and I enjoy our date uninterrupted.”

“Oh yes, of course my niece.” Michel gave a hasty bow before he retreated. Once he had disappeared a plume of smoke filled where his head had been.

Luna gave Vivienne a slight nudge. “You took restraint from just blowing smoke in his face.”

“Oh, I would never do that. Uncle Michel is a boor but he is not completely despicable!”

The pair continued back into the museum proper, more eyes drawn as they brazenly smoked side by side. Luna’s shoes clicked against the marble floor as they started down a hall of artworks depicting the Discret’s military achievements, from the ancient Aquileian kings prior to them joining the folds of the Empire to Vivienne’s recent victories.

Luna’s gaze was drawn to one painting, with three griffon kings. “The Battle of Three Kings” was its title, but two of them were kneeling before Grover I who held the Idol of Boreas over them. The flags of ancient Aquileia and Wingbardy laid at his feet as his Imperial standard flew above. She raised a brow then turned to see Vivienne’s attention to the painting across the hall.

The princess approached and looked over the painting, titled "The Liberation of Pridea", of the infamous port city during Dennis Discret's assault on the republicans. Buildings blasted apart, little soldiers scurrying about haphazardly, with a single ship dominating the foreground with the silhouette of Dennis at the prow.

"Your uncle's retaking of Pridea was not a gentle affair."

"No, it was not. Even now the city bears the scars of his cruelty. You would think it was Grover II that was responsible."

Luna glanced over and saw a bitter smile on Vivienne's face before the queen turned to continue along. She followed after, her head turning this way and that to see more paintings of events across Griffonia, past and present. Stylization of the creation of the griffons with the four gods each giving their gift to their children, Grover the Great using the Idol of Boreas to bring the Herzland to heel, Grover II's death at the hands of a Nimbusian hoplite, and many lesser events as well.

She stopped to look at the painting of Vivienne's coronation, and the queen stopped in her steps to look back. Luna saw just how odd it seemed, as if the event had no planning at all. The painting exuded haste, even Vivienne’s clothing in the painting were something she’d wear on a day out.

"Ah, that day was not very important," Vivienne said dismissively as she sidled up to try and nudge Luna away..

"It was at the palace mere days after your father's death. Many thought you would be in mourning."

"We all had important work to do, and I already told you, there was no love between us."

The queen gently led Luna away to further explore the works held in the museum, coming across another array of statues.

“Ah, uncle Michel must have had them moved here away from his vanity projects. Look at how many there are! A shame they have been pushed into a corner like this and not a main attraction.”

"My sister and I ruled for nigh on a century before the doubts crept in," Luna commented quietly to Vivienne as she looked at a cracked statue of the war god Arcturius, a blacksmith hammer in his grasp. "Was not easy, bringing forth the night only for my subjects to shun it. Back then it made sense, so many monsters in the dark, and yet..."

"Your attempts to garner my sympathy so I open up to you will not work," came a terse reply.

Luna grimaced as she turned to look at a different statue. "I am merely-"

"You are merely trying to connect on a level neither of us are comfortable with."

"Then why did you invite me to the opera last week and to here today?"

Their eyes met briefly before Vivienne’s gaze shied away. "We cannot go too deep in things, princess, but the people deserve a show, no?"

"Ah. Letting others think things run deeper than they do, Huntress?"

Vivienne turned and made a dismissive gesture with her talons. "We can be honest with each other, but not to the masses."

Before she continued after her, Luna touched a hoof to her cheek, remembering when those talons had sliced her. Just as she was to follow after the queen her eyes moved to one statue off in a far corner. The familiarity was instant; the statue of Maar Flurry had found in the catacombs. A chill went down her spine and she could not fathom why.

With a shake of her head she trotted after Vivienne to another exhibit, passing by more groups of the wealthy, influential, and noble, more than Luna had seen at the party. Just as they were to pass the threshold to the next exhibit Vivienne promptly turned around and collided with the princess, beak and snout awkwardly bumping into each other. Vivienne nearly fell backwards before she recovered and gave Luna an awkward smile.

"Oh, I forgot to talk to some folk, please, this way," she said as she moved past the alicorn.

Luna looked in confusion as Vivienne walked by before she glanced back to the other exhibit and saw a painting of a familiar hen. She took a moment to examine the painting from a distance then she turned back around to join the queen with the other minglers.

Time seemed to whiz past as she spoke with the others while with Vivienne, learning dozens of new names and hearing three times as many opinions on things. While it was quite familiar, the various movers and shakers of the art world actually asking for, and listening to, her opinions was a joy.

"It feels a little indulgent for an exhibit to be primarily about the Discret family, doesn't it, your highness?" A noblehen asked as she motioned toward the exhibit hall that the queen had avoided.

"Oh it was not my idea! I am merely here to show my support for the new museum, the gallery all about my family was a surprise though many of my little ponies seem to enjoy it," Vivienne smiled as she sipped a glass of wine.

"I only had a glance, but that portrait of Vivienne you can see from the gallery entrance is quite exquisite."

Vivienne stiffened up at Luna's words while the other griffons and ponies in their company chuckled.

"Oh no, that's poor Princess Giselda," an older griffon said as he adjusted his glasses. "She and the queen are spitting images of one another aren't they? The resemblance is uncanny!"

The queen gave a strained smile and nodded. "Like sisters separated by time, no? Ah, but I fear that the princess and I must away. I am tutoring her, you see, and lessons are to begin soon."

After saying their farewells the pair walked out of the museum, down the steps and back to the car to be carried off to the palace. Once they were both situated Vivienne started puffing on a cigarette.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to make things uncomfortable."

Vivienne took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I know you did not, my Lune."

Biting her lip, Luna took a risk. "You are afraid of history repeating. A king, dead. An empire proving it is not weak."

The queen snapped her attention to the alicorn and scowled. "I will not be some prize to be claimed in the ruins of my beautiful country."

"Archon Eros is more likely to have you hanged than betrothed to Grover."

Smoke steadily wafted from the hen's nares as she turned her attention out the window. "If the world were to descend upon us, would you protect me?"

"I..."

"It is okay to say no,” Vivenne weakly whispered. “I would not for you, I do not think."

Luna moved from her seat to sit next to Vivienne, the queen not moving as the alicorn pressed against her side. “I already had to abandon many and it still pains me. Given the choice, I would do my utmost to protect you.” the princess said softly.

Vivienne firmly pushed her back, a tremble in her limbs. “Luna, please. In the public eye such closeness is fine, but not here.”

After she scooted back a bit, Luna observed Vivienne as the queen kept her gaze firmly out the window. “Tell me what you are afraid of.”

A blue eye glanced at Luna before its gaze went back out the window. “Reality came crashing down around me after you helped me with my nightmare. I felt so safe, so secure, like never before, and it was because of the actions of another, the presence of another.”

“And that frightens you, because you have never felt like you could rely on another so intimately before.”

Vivienne made no reply and Luna sidled back up to her, a wing going around the griffon queen. With some shifting she could feel the smaller hen bury her face in against Luna’s neck. Gently Luna tapped on the partition and told the driver not to stop until told to.

The queen looked up to the princess, feathers around her neck puffed out slightly, her blonde wig slightly askew. "And you, Luna, what frightens you?"

"Knowing that if we continue like this that I will someday lose you. I have lost much already, but I still find myself eager to pursue this path. Bravery, after all, is to act in spite of our fear."

“If you keep too close I may be afraid of wanting you to never break away.”

“All things must come to an end, Vivi. But we can, and should, savor the good for as long as possible.”

Luna felt Vivienne’s arms wrap around her barrel. “You need this as much as I,” the griffon whispered as she held the pony close in a shaky grasp.

Those ever sharp talons wound up cutting through the fabric of Luna’s dress and she could feel the prickling against her skin. The sensation made her straighten slightly as she tenderly wrapped her hooves around Vivienne. Warmth filled her, the feeling of hugging the queen so familiar, and yet so different from embraces with her sister and other dear friends. With steady breaths she could feel a tingle to her nose of Vivienne’s perfume, subtle and sweet, so unlike the queen herself. Time stood still for the pair, even as the motor carriage rumbled through the streets of Aquila.

Vivienne’s beak gently preened the soft coat along Luna’s neck, the princess gently tilting her head this way and that until she looked down. Sad, cerulean eyes looked back and she could feel Vivienne’s talons, so wickedly sharp, brush along her withers with a touch as soft as her feathers.

“Hold me, my Lune. Hold me like tomorrow will not come.”