“Excuse me, excuse—oh, my apologies!” Rarity said, trying to squeeze herself and three suitcases through the crowd of ponies to find her assigned compartment, but having no luck. Spotting a conductor pony, she poked him gently. “Excuse me, sir, but I can’t seem to find my carriage—”

“Coming through!” An orange stallion rudely shoved his heavy rump past them, almost knocking Rarity off her hooves.

“Ugh, watch where you’re going, you ruffian!” Rarity huffed indignantly, but the stallion just dismissively waved his hoof. “Hrmph! Ponies these days. What’s with this train today anyway? It’s much more crowded than usual.”

The conductor pony nodded. “I’m afraid that the train had to be shortened by one carriage due to an unforeseen incident which occurred earlier.”

“Oh... So, some poor ponies will have to stand all the way to Canterlot?” Rarity said as a chill ran up her spine. But before she could ask anything, the conductor reassured her.

“Worry not, ma’am. We had to shorten the first-class section, but fortunately, your seat was unaffected by the incident. Please, follow me; I’ll show you the way.”

With the train filled to the brim, it took Rarity and the conductor a few minutes to push through the horde of ponies. Finally, they reached the tiny first-class section, separated from the rest of the cart by an elegant, red stanchion rope. It was composed of only one compartment instead of several, as was usually the case and a packed crowd was just outside the barrier.

“There it is, ma’am,” the conductor said, unclipping the rope. “Although the compartment may be a bit louder than usual due to all the ponies outside...”

But Rarity just smiled. Not having to stand for the next three hours was ample compensation for any noise. “That’s all right, darling, I understand. Thank you for your help.”

“We aim to please, ma’am! Enjoy your ride.”

Both Rarity and the conductor nodded their farewells and turned their ways. Rarity let out a sigh of relief. That was a close call. Hopefully, there won’t be any more surprises today. She thought, but… her enthusiasm evaporated the moment she entered the cabin and noticed a familiar stallion sitting there…

***

Oh, no. Not him... Rarity stood in the doorway, frozen like a statue, hoping her eyes were playing tricks on her and that it was a bad dream. But no matter how much she blinked, the image stayed the same.

“Hello, Rarity, it’s been a while!” Prince Blueblood was sitting there with a friendly smile that, for Rarity, looked like a very punchable sneer. “Oh, don’t just stand there, my dear! Please, sit down and join me for a cup of tea!”

Coming to her senses, Rarity huffed and shook her head in disgust. “Join you? Ha!” She let out a laugh dripping with venom. “Your majesty, after our last encounter, the only way I’d ever join you is at your funeral!” She set her suitcase down, sat on it, and leaned against the door, her gaze sharp as daggers. “I shall stay right here. Perhaps from this distance, your presence will be… somewhat bearable.”

“I would not recommend that…”

“Oh, he wouldn’t recommend that; how sweet...” Rarity rolled her eyes at his suggestion. “Your concern for my comfort knows no bounds!”

“I’m more concerned about your safety because these doors have a tendency to—”

“Waaaah!” Rarity screamed as her body flew through the door.

“—tendency to open when leaned upon... Oh, my...” Blueblood glanced down. Fortunately, the marshmallow pancake on the floor that was Rarity was groaning and moving. “Are you all right?”

Rarity picked herself up with a very unladylike, angry growl. “Ugh… If you want to gloat and tell me ’I told you so,’ DON’T!” She huffed, shaking off the dust from her coat.” Oh, wonderful… now my mane is a mess!” She groaned in annoyance, but Blueblood stayed silent. “What? No comment on how ’one would hate to get dirty’?!”

But Blueblood just sighed again. " How about instead of a rude comment, I’ll once again offer you a more comfortable and less dirty seat in front of me? Come on, I won’t bite.”

Rarity shot him one more cold, piercing glare, but with the bump on her head throbbing and her back aching from the hard landing, she reluctantly accepted the offer.

“Oh, let me just move that...” Blueblood said, leaning in Rarity’s direction while trying to avoid her gaze. “What? I’m not trying to kiss you; I’m just grabbing my bag from your seat.”

Rarity crossed her hooves and smiled sarcastically. “I’ll try to contain my disappointment...”

Ignoring her remark, Blueblood put his bag beside him and levitated a kettle. “Tea?” He asked politely.

“No, thank you,” Rarity declined, much less politely. “Whatever you are trying to pull, my dear Prince, stop it. I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m not trying to pull anything…” Blueblood put the kettle down as his smile flattened in defeat. “We’re still hours away from Canterlot. I hoped we could chat a bit. But… if that’s your attitude, I’ll return to reading my book.”

“Thank you, kindly, your Majesty. Some peace and quiet will do us both some good.”

Rarity pulled her saddlebag off her back and began searching for something to read. But just as she was about to pull out a magazine, her eyes widened in disbelief. In his hooves, Blueblood held a copy of, ’Shadow Spade and the Murgese Falcon.’ A moment ago, she wouldn’t believe if anypony said the idiot could read at all, let alone that he reads one of her favorite books.

“The Adventures of Shadow Spade...” Rarity mumbled involuntarily, getting Blueblood’s attention.

“Um... yes? Great book if you ask me.”

“You read ‘Shadow Spade’...” Rarity repeated, more to herself than him. “Odd…”

Blueblood cocked his head in confusion. “Odd... that an idiot like me would read such a book, huh?” His remark caught Rarity off guard, making her blush. “Darn... I knew I made an impression that night, but I never thought it would last for this long! Remind me to ask Celestia for a raise.” He said with a chuckle.

But Rarity was not amused. Her blush quickly turned into a wrathful glare, which she directed at him. “You made a laughing stock out of me on one of the most important days of my life, crushed my dreams of marrying a prince, never apologized, and you think this is funny?!” With a loud hiss, she stood up and grabbed her suitcases. “Goodbye, your Majesty. I would rather spend three hours as a part of the sweaty crowd outside than a minute in here with a boor like you!”

But just as Rarity turned towards the door, she felt a magical grip pulling her back.

“Hold on! I... I didn’t mean it like that!” Blueblood said, no longer smiling, his expression filled with regret. “Please… stay! Stay and let me make it up for you. Please?”

Turn around and bash the teapot over his empty skull as a goodbye. Rarity had the urge to do just that, but the remorseful expression on Blueblood’s face took her by surprise. For the first time since she met him, she believed he was genuine. Going against her better judgment, she decided to trust her gut and sat down.

Smiling gently at Rarity’s decision, Blueblood levitated the decorative teapot and began pouring the golden liquid into a cup. “You’re correct, Rarity. That night, I acted... inappropriately… ’Like a douche!’ one could say.”

“And one would be right,” Rarity added with a sly, sarcastic grin.

“One certainly would,” Blueblood confirmed with an ironic smile, pushing the filled teacup toward Rarity. “So, yes, you have every right to feel angry with me. Thus, I would like permission to explain a thing or two. I believe it’s time.”

But Rarity crossed her hooves again. “Oh, let me guess... it wasn’t you; it was a changeling!” She rolled her eyes, levitating her cup. “Here’s a tip, darling. Don’t try to explain to a lady why you acted like a total buffoon, just apologize. Whatever lie or pathetic excuse you come up with, we simply don’t care.” She sipped, humming in delight. “Mmm, but I must say, the tea is lovely!”

“I’m glad you like it...” Blueblood levitated a spoon of sugar to his cup and stirred it. “So, whatever I say, it won’t matter?” Rarity confirmed with a silent nod. “Even if I tell you I was asked to be a ’douche’ that night?”

Rarity arched her eyebrow in confusion. She had prepared a mental list of cheap excuses Blueblood would aim for, but being asked to act like an idiot wasn’t on it. But before she could say anything, Blueblood’s words snapped her back to reality.

“You’re absolutely correct, Rarity! That’s some good tea.”

Rarity smiled bitterly. “I’m glad, but... what did you mean ’you were asked to act like an idiot’ a moment ago? Asked by whom?”

“Oh, one shall not dwell on such... minutia.”

But Rarity shot him a glare. “I think, in this case, one should dwell, darling. And one would really appreciate an answer.”

“Oh, but that would be nothing but lies and pathetic excuses, so… what’s the point?”

Rarity tried to open her mouth to say something, but her lips were sewn tight. She had played herself, and she knew it—the fiery blush spreading across her cheeks was proof of that. After a moment of silence, she let out an exhale of defeat.

“I deserved that... I should give you a chance to explain yourself before passing judgment,” Rarity’s lips curled into a sheepish, apologetic smile, quickly mirrored by Blueblood. “Now, let’s try that again, shall we? Who on Earth would ask you to act in such a manner?!”

“Let’s just say it was somepony who always smiles, loves cake, and has a plan within a plan within a plan... each starting with ’Let’s send Twilight and her friends!’”

“Celestia?! She asked you to act like a moron that night?!” Rarity cocked her head in disbelief, then shook it. “Hrmph! You’re pulling my hoof again, aren’t you?!”

“If I wanted to ‘pull your hoof,’ I would say something like…” Blueblood cleared his throat and arched his lips into an over-dramatic expression. “It wasn’t me at the Gala; it was a changeling! I was locked, alone in a cave, with NO room service! It was the WORST POSSIBLE THING!”

Rarity angrily pursed her lips. “I believe that one falls more into the ’poking the bear’ category than ’hoof pulling,’ darling.”

“Hmm, maybe a little of both,” Blueblood answered with a smirk and a sip of tea.

Rarity let out a sigh, shaking her head again. She had a gut feeling Blueblood was telling the truth. “So, Celestia was the one who asked you to ruin my night back then… But why? She must have known she was crushing my dreams!”

“More like saving you from making the biggest mistake in your life,” Blueblood said, only fueling Rarity’s confusion. “You see, a week or two before the gala, she told me she had a favor to ask regarding a certain intelligent and generous mare in Ponyville who dreamed of wasting her life by marrying a prince and becoming a part of the royal family.”

“She said that?” Rarity slowly shook her head, even more confused. “I... don’t understand. Did she have the same issue when Shining Armor was planning to marry Cadance? Or... was it me? Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? No! In fact, the opposite is true!” Blueblood smiled reassuringly. “You’re passionate, talented, and hard-working. Celestia thought all this would have been wasted if your wish was fulfilled. She did it to protect you.”

But Rarity angrily squinted her eyes. “Manipulation, even when in good faith, is still manipulation! Besides, she couldn’t have known for sure! It was nothing more than a gut feeling!”

“True, but if you were a thousand-plus-year-old alicorn who has seen it all, wouldn’t you trust your gut feeling?” Judging by Rarity’s lip nibbling, Blueblood’s question hit the spot. He smiled gently and added, “Look, Celestia may be a bit... paternalistic, but as much as it pains me to admit it, she’s usually right.”

Still unconvinced, Rarity let out a grumble and angrily raised her hoof. She held that position for a few seconds, looking ready to chop the train table in half. But then, she closed her eyes, let out a long exhale, and chuckled quietly.

“May I ask, what’s so funny?”

“It’s just... I realized that as a designer, I usually give ponies what I think is the best dress for them instead of what they think they want. Do you know why?”

Blueblood smiled. ”Because ponies usually don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

“Exactly. Most ponies wouldn’t know what they really want, even if it struck them in the muzzle...” Rarity sighed. “I can’t condone what Celestia did, but I think I can understand it. Still...” Her smile turned into a cold glare. “When I see her, I will give her a piece of my mind!”

“Good! Please let me be there to see her reaction!”

“Gladly...” Rarity finished her tea with a final gulp and turned her chilling gaze toward Blueblood. “Now, that leaves one more culprit to deal with...”

“Um... didn’t we just establish that in the end, it was a good thing?” He said with a sheepish smile.

“As I said before, a manipulation is still a manipulation, regardless of how well intended it was! I demand satisfaction!”

“Dare I ask, what exactly would that look like?”

Rarity’s horn flared up, and one of the wine bottles from the compartment’s refreshment cabinet went into the air. A quiet pop followed as she skillfully pulled the cork with her magic.

“Well, your Majesty...” With a smile, Rarity filled two wine glasses and pushed one towards her companion. “Let us start by telling me, who are you, really?”

Blueblood smiled. The trip to the Canterlot wouldn’t be boring after all...

Author's Note

The idea for that one was lurking in my brain for a while...

"What if Blueblood is not really an ass?"
"What if Celestia asked him to act like one on purpose?"

Well, now you know. I hope you enjoyed it (and if you did… please consider leaving a 'like' ).

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