by Drakkanien
edited by a friend

Prince Blueblood struggled to contain a yawn.

It has been many days since Princes Celestia’s monthly court session started, numerous ponies and non-ponies came and went, bothering the Solar Diarch with their meaningless petitions, most of which, Prince thought, could be resolved on their own with a bit of resolve and elbow grease. These nobleponies, and to Blueblod’s displeasure (he shuddered involuntarily at the idea), commoners, flocked the pristine halls meant only for the heroes and best of the best of Equestrian society, trampling expensive carpets with their dirty hooves, showing no reverence towards their liege! Such lack of respect, such… familiarity was enough to make him scowl, causing some of the nearby petitioners to jump back in fright at the intensity of his glare.

Casting one last, dismissive look at the gathered crowd piling up in heaps at the foot of the throne’s stairs, Blueblood thought to himself: ‘What hour is it…?’ Then lifted himself off the sturdy chair he rested upon, to look at a sundial in the middle of the throne room, conveniently bathed in a shimmering ray of sunlight seeping through one of the myriad stained glass windows. One could even see lazily floating particles in this column of light, a sight both mesmerising as condemning the maids and cleaners of a poorly done job. ‘Quarter past noon...’ To Blueblood’s horror, the meeting did not take several days, it barely started! Feeling like a foal during a boring, soul-sucking lecture, he let out a low groan, audible only to those around it, (namely Raven Inkwell, auntie’s favoured chronicler). Prince lowered his head against the desk he was sitting at, making a low ‘thump!’ sound as his skull and horn hit the hard wooden surface.

“Your highness…” A hiss and a nudge against his side, surprisingly strong. “It doesn’t befit for you to lie atop the table in such… indecent manner.” Another poke, this time a sharp one as a tip of a writing quill jabbed him under the ribs! It certainly left a splotch of ink on his fur… though at the very moment, Prince could not care about it.

“It is not like anything interesting ever happens here.” Blueblood replied, his tone low, barely above a whisper. If anypony other than Ms. Inkwell dared to lie a hoof on him in such improper a manner, they would be dragged away by guards by now! Raven Inkwell however… Raven was privileged to do so, within reason.

“You could at least pretend you are listening.” The older mare chidded, her voice raising a bit. “Besides… ponies are watching.”

That last part caused Blueblood to stir and flutter his weary eyes open. Indeed - dozen or so nearby equines were aiming their colourful heads right at him, not even pretending to look elsewhere. Some were plainly gawking, their muzzles wide open, some pointing their hooves. Everypony was talking, exchanging gossip and adding to an unpleasant murmur and noise prevailed in the throne room. Noise which made Blueblood’s ears ring. With another groan, he lifted himself up, flaring his horn with a dull blue of his magic, straightening his impeccable mane and any and all ruffles on his cheeks that might appear due to his little ‘nap’.

“Fine…” He grumbled, blinking once… twice… three times, composing himself again. “I fail to understand how auntie manages to sit through all of it and keep her nerves. I do not speak only about petitioners mind you! Just sitting so long on one’s flank can’t be pleasant.” As he said it, Prince raised his hoof, to which a diligent servant reacted, approaching their table and filling Prince's glass with fresh and tasty mint & lime water. If Blueblood had his way, it would be some fine vintage of his choice - alas, drinking so early was discouraged at Celestia’s court.

“Years of practice?” Ms. Inkwell offered, quirking her eyebrows, her attention quicking shifting from Prince beside her to the court floor where another pony, a stallion in the colour of mud and ash, was grovelling at the foot of the throne. Ms. Inkwell’s held a plain quill in the muzzle, dipping it in an inkpot, scribbling everything what was said and done (officially, between liege and subject) along with necessary dates, timestamps, names… anything that could be useful to a vast machine of Caterlotian bureaucracy!

“Or a very good cushion…” He proposed, fighting off yet another yawn.

Blueblood’s ice-blue eyes scanned manged individual now putting his request before Princess Celestia… How could anypony dare to stand in front of Her in patched clothes, unkempt mane and dirty hooves, leaving grimey stains on the red carpet and bits of dirt all over the floors? It was unthinkable, disrespectful and demanded punishment, or at least a proper scolding! Alas - to Prince’s dismay, it looked like he was the only pony caring about proper etiquette when approaching one’s ruler.
Tilting his ear towards the stallion, he listened to his plea. Of course, this uncouth pony was begging to get relief from a debt.

“... swarms ate our entire granary! Not even a single nail grain was left.” Commoner gasped, his accent thick, holding a straw hat against his chest, which as Blueblood noted, had a sizable bite mark on its wide brim.

‘These bite-marks…’ Prince mused, chewing inside of his cheek, feeling a headache quickly approaching. Aunt’s pupil miscast many spells over the years, some of which cause harm and terrorise ponies to this very day.

“That’s horrible! What a horror!” Some of the ponies from the crowd called, breaking above the usual murmur, covering their mouths with hooves, pinning back their ears and offering words and gestures of sympathy towards the unfortunate farmer who lost all of his livelihood and means to support himself and his family. The crowd became rowdy, too rowdy for Prince’s tastes, still - he understood them. Stallion’s story tugged at heartstrings of lesser ponies.

“Another freeloader…” He grumbled almost out of reflex, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a hoof, lifting a cooled glass of mint & lime water to his lips. Though before the first sip of delicious liquid touched his lips and tongue, he quickly corrected himself. “Justice where it is due - if he lost everything, including his fields, he can’t work.”

Ms. Inkwell paused with a gasp. “Oh! Has Prince’s ice-cold heart thawed a little?” She spoke teasingly, taking a tiny break to fix thick-rimmed glasses resting on the tip of her muzzle, sliding them back up!

“No…” He spoke, setting the glass back on the table, his magic dispersing, even as he rolled tongue, mulling over the taste of this surprisingly refreshing water! “... I am stiffly against handouts, as you know. Bits should be earned, not given.”

“Then what changed your mind?” Ms. Inkwell asked, giving Prince a sidelong glance with her brown eyes.

For the longest time, Blueblood didn’t have an answer for that. Luckily his water proved to be a good enough excuse for his silence. “A hard working pony losing their livelihood because of things outside of their control was simply… unjust.”

Ms. Inkwell did not reply, but a smile on her muzzle grew a little.

Princess Celestia, in all her magnanimous wisdom, spoke, her big, snow- white feathery wings trembling gently on her sides as she regarded this unfortunate soul with her soft, pale magenta eyes. It was clear she was moved by the stallion's words, her kindness being only dwarfed by her compassion. “Your family and your farm fell on hard times, Wheat Whacker.” Celestaia’s voice, as always, was caressing everypony’s ears, sounding both melodious and comforting, putting anypony who heard it at ease. Whether it was a spell or not, it did not matter, as it instantly hushed the crowd, making all ponies aim their hopeful eyes at their liege. “ While it is not a common practice, the Crown will heed your call for help and buy out your debts and help your family get on their hooves.”

It was boring. ‘Little problems of little ponies.’ Blueblood thought as a court erupted in stomping and cheers at Princess decree. However he was amazed at the power and respect his aunt commanded, one single word, a note of her voice was enough to turn a rowdy crowd of ponies towards her, shushing all chatter! He himself could not fathom doing anything of such magnitude, even though the title of Equestrian Prince held a lot of influence.

Shaking his head, dismissing these idle thoughts Prince once more focused on the court floor as another petitioner trotted onward, taking the place of now teary and a very grateful stallion slinking into the crowd, courageously stepping between the two burly guards in gilded, ceremonial armour.

This time the pony before the throne was a mare, barely an adolescent. A noble Unicorn - her fur was short, neatly groomed in colour of a bright blue, same as her, clearly intentionally, bushy mane and tail. It was also a somepony Blueblood saw passing a few times around Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. He couldn't recall her name… not like it mattered - if he did not remember somepony’s name it clearly meant they weren’t worth the bother!

Mare was composing herself for a moment, pulling out a rather lengthy scroll from her green, cloth saddlebags… The scroll in question snared on something inside of them, making her tug and tug with her magic… till she fell over, landing on her flank, causing a few ponies in the vast crowd to chuckle. Even Princess Celestia looked amused at the little, silly display, giggling in an elegant manner into her gilded hoof. Bashful, young mare folded her now tinted red ears back, using her fuchsia coloured magic to pull the entire scroll out, taking in several deep breaths.

Blueblood took this moment of interlude to glance around the throne room. Despite the sheer number of bodies filling the throne room, nopony was acting impatient, shuffling on their hooves or trying to ‘cut’ the line. Nobleponies weren’t arguing with those of common birth over primacy during such events and even rabble themselves weren’t stirring any troubles. Everything was going smoothly and orderly, like in a well oiled clock! While a lesser noblepony could call such setting boring, as Blueblood did, though for completely different reasons, Prince found solace in such calm and orderly behaviour. There was a room for improvement, there always was, though compared to several previous sessions it was almost acceptable. Almost.

The forgotten, blue mare, which Blueblood just now realised had a sun and a raining cloud for her Cutie Mark, started speaking. Words were falling quickly out of her muzzle, though she did not speak nonsense, oh no! As she prattled in a very excited manner to the Princess (and anypony daring enough to try and follow what she was talking about) it quickly became clear what it was all about - weather.

“Your Majesty! Esteemed court!” She bounced in place, standing on the very tips of her hooves. Even in her glee she did not forget proper manners - bowing first to the Princess, a deep and submissive gesture that made her chest barely brush the crimson rugs underneath her, then towards other members of the court at hoof - shallower, yet still respectful motions, showing everypony her pure Canterlotian upbringing. Blueblood thought this was commendable behaviour, himself responding with a subtle nod of his head.

“After years of studying cross-regional weather patterns, I have developed a model that leverages cumulative stratospheric thermocline modulation, combined with targeted nimbus stratification in order to optimise cloud dispersal ratios. By fine-tuning the dew-point threshold across specific isobaric regions, we can ensure a more consistent precipitation yield, particularly in arid zones such as Appleloosa. Early models show a potential increase in crop yield of up to 6.5% through the redirection of cumulonimbus currents via pegasus-guided jetstreams, effectively stabilising the local humidity levels and minimising cold-front collision risks...”

“I do not envy you having to write all of that down, Ms. Inkwell.” Prince Blueblood mused, feeling lost after just a few words. It wasn’t just the deadly pace this filly set with her speech, but the sheer weather technobabble rolling off her tongue, incomprehensible to anypony not trained in the field.

Ms. Inkwell seemed to be almost able to keep up, though she looked extremely focused. A tiny vein pulsated on the side of her temple, her muzzle was scrunched and tongue was out. Thick and oily drops of sweat slowly rolled down her muzzle as she was scribbling, her plain quill furiously stroking the pieces of paper on the table, nearly cutting into it with sharp end, splashing ink from inkwell around with each quick refill. Ms. Inkwell usual sharp jabs and wit were absent, indicating a state of deep concentration. It looked as if she, or at least the vein, were about to burst at any moment!

Luckily that did not happen, the coated blue mare stopped her ramble for a second… two… then three… indicating her impropau lecture on whether patterns and how they affected neighbouring regions indeed it was indeed over and done! She was not merely taking in another gasping breath.

Ms. Inkwell on her part seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, about to collapse atop the table, wiping her face with a colourful, embroidered handkerchief. To Prince’s surprise, she was able to keep up with the crazy weather mare, even if her mouthwriting suffered a little in the process and splotches of dark, oily ink on the table stared back at them like eyes of the abyss.

Princess Celestia took a surprisingly long moment to compose herself and formulate any manner of coherent reply. Her left wing was flared, feathers on its edges unusually ruffled and it was coming around the Alicorn, as if Princess shielded herself with it from the verbal onslaught directed her way. With a chuckle, Blueblood admitted it was… oddly comforting to see his aunt in such a state, with few hairs out of place and pale, magenta eyes widened in surprise. However, Princess Celestia did not allow herself to be phased for long - with a single gentle shake of her head, Alicorn’s ethereal mane regained its lustre and once again started to flow gracefully behind her back, carried by a not tangible breeze.

“Your report...” Alicorn started, tapping hoof against her chest, touching the glowing, purple gem on her golden gorget, which glowed a bit brighter with each gentle rap. The act seemed to comfort her a little. As the Princess spoke, Blueblood couldn’t help but notice that his aunt’s tone was a bit perplexed, but it did not lose any of the subtle power and softness it had. “... was very detailed and thorough, a result of many gruelling years of research.”

“Yes, Princess!” Blue mare eagerly quickly nodded her head a few times, all too happy to hear her beloved Princess notice her efforts. Young mare was now rolling her scroll, securing it neatly in its simple case before stuffing it, almost carelessly, into her capacious cloth saddlebags. “It started ma-a-any years ago as a school project when I was just a little filly. Oh, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I was first looking up, staring with wonder at the clouds for the first time and recording their patterns, how Pegasi operated them, but look!” She pointed at herself. “Here I am now!”

This little, innocent gesture combined with cheery words and a smile so big it threatened to split the mare's face in half, earned her a kind smile from Equestria’s timeless diarch. Blueblood knew well there were few things that could make his aunt happier than her ponies finding joy in embracing their special talents and pursuing their dreams. “I admire your dedication Ms. Spring Rain.” Princess spoke softly, corners of her lips curling upwards.

‘Spring Rain, so is her name.’ Blueblood thought to himself, so quietly his words were inaudible. Yes, he remembered her name, even as it was tossed into a dark and dusty corner of his mind, just for it to resurface today.

Glancing to the side, Prince noted Ms. Inkwell was writing things down at a much more comfortable (for herself) pace. Loose strands of dark hair fell onto her muzzle, her tight bun was in a mild disarray, thick rimmed glasses slipped almost all the way to the very tip of her nose and the elegant collar she wore was slightly crooked… but other than it - Ms. Inkwell fared well.

“And I am happy to hear you have such promising results.” Princess Celestia continued, crossing forelegs in front of herself in a comfortable manner. “While I cannot promise that your research will be used to improve weather right away, I’m certain the fruit of your passion will benefit ponies all over Equestria and beyond. In due time.”

A careful and reserved reply, Blueblood expected nothing else from his aunt.

Spring Rain's ears dropped a little at the remark, she would have to wait to see any results of years of her work, though the barely noticeable frown quickly became a wide, beaming smile. “Yes, Princess! Thank you Princess!”

“I am certain - after I consult your research with the Cloudsdale R&D team and confirm your results, I will be able to extend my patronage over you. Equestria needs fresh, bright minds as yourself.” Celestia mused with a tiny smile and a joyful glimmer in her eyes.

Spring Rain on her part stood there as if rooted in place, her jaws wide open, her legs rigid, unable to move even a single muscle, completely paralyzed from awe, shock and joy!

Seeing her rather… static response, Princess let out yet another tiny giggle, subtly waving her hoof at the nearby servants. These dutiful and almost ‘invisible’ ponies were quick to remove Ms. Rain from the foot of the throne, setting her under the wall to recover, as if she was some strange, blue sculpture. After the filly was out of the way, Princess rose from her seat, looking over the gathered ponies from her elevated spot, announcing in a few brief words: “Court session is suspended! Please, everypony take an hour-long break.”

With her announcement over and without any other ceremony in the way, the Princess descended from her throne amidst more energetic murmurs from the gathered crowd, many ponies took to the exits, looking for drink and snack, eager to go for a walk or chat amongst themselves in a less official setting. Gazing after them, Celestia even spread her wings and stretched on her way down the stairs, if only a little. It would not be proper for her to do so in front of her subjects! As the Alicorn carefully moved to the foot of her throne, her hoofsteps muffled on the red carpet, she gave Ms. Inkwell and Prince Blueblood a subtle, inviting nod of her head.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“Ah~!” Princess Celestia moaned, finally able to move her wings. Those sizable curtains of plumage were stretched out all the way up over the diarch's back, rolled slowly around in small circles, each motion accompanied by a small, but satisfying pop as joints finally got to exercise in a significant manner for the first time in hours.

Finally, she dropped them down her sides, a pleased smile, her pale magenta eyes slightly unfocused. Princess tucked her wings neatly against her barrel, casting a quick glance over her feathers to see if any were crooked or out of place. Luckily none demanded her immediate attention.

The Council of Equestria, gathering of the most important and influential ponies in the nation obliged by bounds of blood, fealty, contracts and simple loyalty, was standing in a back chamber of the throne room, shuffling on their hooves and like their Princess - stretching their stiff limbs. These high and mighty ponies commanded vast resources and had considerable influence, being able to affect lives of thousands on a whim. Yet here in the back, huddled all together around a singular, round coffee table, sipping their choice of beverage and exchanging a common gossip, they looked not unlike any other group of ponies in one of a myriad of cafés in Equestria.

Underneath all these expensive clothes, intricate jewellery and stern masks, they still were her little ponies at their very core.

“Your Majesty.” Celestia’s ears perked up and turned to a pony addressing her. Soon her gaze followed after the source of the voice, slightly to the right and down. There, right beside her stood a very light grey mare with a familiar, dark brown mane.

“Ah, Raven.” Princess greeted her favourite scribe, a warm smile spreading on her lips. “I see you are still in one piece, despite Ms. Spring Rain's best efforts to the contrary.” There were tiny sparks of mirth in Alicorn’s eyes, events of the past hour being little more than an amusing memory to her!

“Please, Princess…” Raven felt an urge to rub her face with her hoof, instead she fixed the pencil behind her right ear. She couldn’t hide her frown however. “I know some ponies can get overly excited when meeting you, but every time such… blabbermouth appears I know I am in for a bad time.”

Celestia clouse-mouth giggled at Raven’s obvious displeasure, quickly disarming her with a question: “Have you had any coffee yet?” Solar diarch asked, tilting her head to the side, squinting her eyes. “I’m sure some aromatic mocha with chocolate sprinkles would improve your dour mood~”

“Princess…” Raven found herself rolling her brown eyes, still - a small smile appeared on her muzzle. Being so familiar with Princess Celestia that she knew of her comfort drink was nice. Fixing her fashionable collar and red neck scarf, addressed her liege once more: “I didn’t come here to bother you with minor unpleasantries I face.”

The overtly official and professional tone used by Raven told Celestia something of note transpired. Something demanding her attention. “Oh?” Alicorn shifted on her hooves, facing her loyal secretary, her face serious. “Don’t tell me we ran all out of cream pies. Again?”

Corner of Raven’s eye twitched. “Princess. This is not a joking matter.”

“Well fine~” Celestia relented. “What seems to be the issue?”

Raven flipped through her tiny notepad procured from numerous pockets on her sleeve, dotting a few points, nodding to herself for a few seconds prior to speaking again: “We have… a number of unannounced guests.”

“Guests?” Princess asked, quirking up one of her eyebrows. Now it was her time to be surprised and serious. “You know I’m not restrictive when it comes to hosting ponies in the castle, who are they?”

“That is just the thing Princess.” Raven flipped through her notebook, searching in vain for answers. “We… I do not know!”

“Hm?” Celestia was genuinely surprised. There were very few things that slipped Raven Inkwell’s attention.

“This group, I for certain know they are all together, arrived recently, just two hours ago when we were in the thick of the court session. They were seen carrying a lot, and I really mean a lot, of luggage, and demanded to see you.” Mare explained, loose strains once again poked from her otherwise neat hair bun.

Princess Celestia let out a hum, closing her eyes for a moment, thinking. “What happened afterwards, obviously we didn’t see them at the court session, nay?”

Raven was now feeling nervous, her hooves and ears twitching. “Chamberlain, Mr. Stamp, send them away.” She admitted. “He said you were busy at the court, to which the guests did not react well… leaving most of their things in the middle of the entrance hall.”

“Do we at least know their number? What did they look like?” Another voice, proud and dignified belonging to an older stallion, interjected. Both mares swiftly turned their heads to see just who was speaking.

To nopony’s surprise, it was the esteemed Chancellor Neighsay. His lean and tall figure along with capacious purple cloak covering most of his body and cold, calculated turquoise eyes made him appear dangerous, despite the obvious frailty of his aged body. On his breasts, to the right, was pinned a faded EEA symbol.

Raven shrunk a little under his piercing gaze, nonetheless she was quick to reply flipping through her notes, unwilling to defy Chancellor’s demands. “They were ponies!” Mare squawked, before catching herself - coughing once into her hoof composing herself. “Strange ones, sadly I didn’t get any good description from both Chamberlain and guards who reported this incident to me.”

“Where are they right now?” Neighsay demanded, tapping the point of his right hoof against the marble floor in an impatient gesture. While his tone was harsh, it was completely justified given the circumstances.

“Well…” Raven mused, scrunching her nose, flipping her notes closed. “I do not know.”

“That is against any and all protocol for some… strange creatures to roam freely, unsupervised, in the halls and corridors of Canterlot castle.” The Chancellor spat, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a hoof.

“Please, Chancellor.” Celestia spoke up, a kind smile once more appeared on her serene features, warming the cool atmosphere of this conversation and putting everypony, almost everypony, at ease. “I am certain there is nothing to worry about.”

“How can you say it, Princess?” While respectful, Chancellor clearly took advantage of his position to address his liege in a familiar manner, speaking in a heated voice, his greying, dark tail swishing behind him in an agitated manner. “These ponies might be thieves pilfering the castle as we speak, or agents of Chaos seeking to bring ruin to our nation!”

His rather violent outburst earned him a few chuckles from both Celestia, Raven and nearby members of the court who couldn’t help but listen in.

Folding his ears back, Neighsay grumbled, his voice low, bashful: “It might be extreme, yet allowing unknown ponies to walk around the castle is simply…”

“Improper?” Another voice quipped in as a sound of measured, light hooves reached everypony’s ears. There was no need to guess to who it belonged to as an absolutely dashing stallion approached this little conversation circle. His recently groomed coat and perfumed mane told those gathered he barely managed to get away from skilled hooves of valet de chambre.

“Prince!” Celestia chirped, her expression softening at the sight of her nephew. Her pale, magenta eye scanned his impeccable appearance, no single hair was out of place, no bit of coat was ruffled. “I see you slipped to get a through groom.”

“It was very relaxing.” Blueblood admitted, offering a single nod to Chancellor Neighsay, which was quickly returned.

“I hope you managed to get a bite to eat, I would hate to hear you skip another meal because of your grooming or work~” Despite the teasing undertone in Celestia’s voice, there was some genuine concern for the well-being of her nephew.

Ms. Inkwell, no longer under a crossfire of questions, managed to straighten her legs and back. She took a moment to look over her rather dishevelled appearance, the end result of this quick inspection had her frowning. Compared to Prince, she looked as if something big chewed and spat her out!

“Well…” Blueblood chewed on the inside of his cheek. “... you got me there. But it is not a big deal, auntie.”

Every time Blueblood called Princess Celestia in such a manner, it made her all warm and fuzzy on the inside. How could she not dot all over him after saying that? “In such a case let me treat you with a slice of a pie… we really are not out of it?” The last part was addressed to her lady-in-waiting - Ms. Inkwell.

Raven quickly shook her head in a ‘no’, making Princess Celestia giddy, trotting in place in a barely contained excitement! She was quick off to chase after the nearest servant to make them fetch some more snacks for her and her nephew.

With his aunt distracted for a moment, Prince turned towards the esteemed Chancellor. “Do we know anything about our… mysterious visitors?” He spoke in a lower tone, as if he did not wish Ms. Inkwell to overhear them.

The mare in question excused herself to get some freshly brewed coffee. All that talk earlier made her crave chocolate-sprinkled mocha and she was keen on getting one!

“I didn’t manage to get much from Celestia’s aide. ” Neighsay grumbled, sitting back on his hunches as he folded forelegs over his chest, casting the back of Raven’s head an intense look. Look that made the mare jump almost as if a hot coal touched her flank. She glanced around, confused, before turning again to finish preparing her high-calorie coffee.

“Whoever these ponies are, they did not send any correspondence announcing their arrival.” Neighsay finished with a sharp nod.

“You would know it best - you are the Royal Chancellor.” Blueblood joined Neighsay in a nod. Neighsay might be a difficult character, but he always did things by the book and fulfilled his duties to the best of his ability. There was no reason to question his competence.

“Exactly. All the letters of any importance go through my hooves first, what I fear is - it may be the beginning of a diplomatic incident.” There was a hint of worry in the Chancellor's voice. “One misplaced letter, one wrong gesture and we might be knee deep in…” Neighsay did not finish his sentence. It might be for the best.

“You appear to know more than you let on.” Prince Blueblood noticed, squinting his eyes and clicking his tongue. “Explain.” It was not a request, but a command. Something Prince could aim even at a Chancellor himself given his position and blood relation to the Crown.

“I just might have a vague idea that something would take place.” Neighsay started. “But I would lie if I said exactly what, or if it would happen today or any other date.”

Prince made a ‘go on’ gesture with his hoof, listening.

“Two moons ago we received a letter - a scroll to be exact. It was contained inside a richly decorated casing with so many jewels and with such intricate patterns that the case itself could be treated as a piece of jewellery art.” Neighsay recalled, stroking his short, ashen beard with a hoof. “There was one problem with it - nopony could read the scroll itself!”

This little outburst made Prince jerk back his head in surprise, the commotion also caused Raven to tilt her ear and listen in, even if the mare was still adding more chocolate shearings to her mocha mug.

“It was written in a language so strange, or so obscure that none of the linguistics experts I hired knew how to decipher it.” Neighsay’s voice assumed a more agitated colour, it clearly was a mystery that he was unable to crack and it weighed heavily on him. “I assure you, my Prince, I did not stop merely with languages currently used, but also several rare and even dead tongues, granted experts on them are all historians and archaeologists, along with cipher-breakers on a slim chance the letter itself was one. Alas - all the efforts and bits yielded no results.”

“That is quite perplexing.” Blueblood admitted, using a bit of his concentrated magic to straighten his bowtie, himself trying to come up with a solution. He turned up blank, besides - even if he had an idea, he was certain the Chancellor already thought of it a long time ago. “What was the method of delivery?” He tried to nudge Neighsay a little, spying with the corner of his eye as his aunt turned and started to trot their way, carrying two platters of what looked like a marzipan cake. The top of it was cut and rolled open creating an opening for berries of various kinds to be sprinkled on top. It looked lovely and made Prince realise he didn’t have anything to eat since very early morning!

“It must’ve arrived with other correspondence.” Neighsay was quick to report. “One day after we pick-up our mail it was delivered to my desk, further questioning of our staff brought in no results. Centerlot mailponies and postal sorting workers do not recall it ever being processed by them.” He paused for a moment. “I-I am drawing a blank here, Prince. It’s not as if this scroll just… appeared out of thin air!” It wasn’t often when Chancellor Neighsay allowed himself to admit defeat.

Blueblood did not have time to reply, as Princess Celestia trotted close and sat on her hunches right next to him. A nudge to his side with her big, fuzzy and warm wing turned out to be even more relaxing than his recent groom. Prince fought hard against the urge to just… lean in and rest against Princess, shut his eyes for a moment and take a nap… Just as he was about to flutter his eyes close, she passed him a platter of marzipan delicacy. It smelled delicious. “There! It took a bit longer than I expected, but trust me – it’s worth every minute of the wait~” Celestia spoke in a playful tone, herself levitating her own plate and a cake fork in the golden aura of her magic.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Blueblood did the same - picked up his own fork to cut a tiny piece of cake and float it to his mouth. It was, not surprisingly, very good. Canterlor castle hired only the best of the best of chefs from all over the Equestria (and sometimes beyond), their skill oftentimes rivalling only their ambition and experimental streaks. Still - Prince’s response was as haughty and reserved as always, as if not to stroke egos of their underlings too much. “It is… passable.”

“Have we learned more about our mysterious guests?” Princess asked, folding some of the marzipan on her plate with the use of her fork, before piercing it with her fork and then impaling an especially ripe berry. She looked more excited than concerned about the recent developments!

“Not really.” Blueblood admitted shaking his head and swallowing another bit of his cake. He didn’t even notice when he consumed half of his slice… and it wasn’t as if they were small pieces. “Chancellor Neighsay has a hunch that it might be related to a mysterious letter, well a scroll, Crown received some time ago.”

“A mysterious letter? Hm, plot thickens!” Princess mused happily, already done with her slice… her pale magenta eyes looked with longing towards the snack table where the rest of the delicious cake, along with other tasty bits, remained… still - she restrained herself. For now she just transported her plate and fork there for staff to collect and clean. “What about it?”

Neighsay was quick to perk up, his ears cutting the air as he coughed into his hoof and set down a cup of tea he was sipping from. “Ahm, that is correct, my Princess. I did not bother you with the scroll because as I said to Prince here - nopony was able to decipher it thus far. The words are either nonsense or it is a language so old, so obscure, I wasn’t able to find any experts to finally read it.”

“Hm, that is mysterious~” Celestia admitted, her eyes sparkling with hardly contained glee. “We will have to solve it somehow - but we will converse about our mysterious correspondence later. The break is coming to a close and I would hate to occupy the last precious minutes of your rest with more worries and work.” Princess said poignantly, aiming her eyes at her Chancellor. “That includes you as well, Raven.”

Ms. Inkwell, being called out like that, sputtered, spitting out her pencil, which clattered to the floor, somehow managing to fall right at the crack between rugs, making a lot of noise. Embarrassed mare could only stammer: “Sorry.” Before she hid her notes and put this unruly writing accessory where it belonged - behind her ear.

Satisfied with results of her ‘scolding’ that sent her servants away to finally tend to their own needs, Celestia turned her towards Prince Blueblood, extending her mighty wing over his withers in a light, warm and fuzzy hug. A hug which, despite being seen by other members of royal council, Prince returned, leaning heavily against Celestia’s side. Alas - the gesture did not last and soon they parted, even if both now shared a genuine smile.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“... slander and disgrace, I won’t stand by it!” A very purple, round low-born Earth Pony stallion with a greying, dark green mane shouted, his voice a bit too high-pitched to take his words seriously. He threw a handkerchief on the ground, exhaling heavily through his nostrils, hard enough for clouds of steam to appear.

In Blueblood’s opinion he looked like a plum.

The varying party he petitioned against also showed up at the court, it was in the form of elderly Unicorn mare, so frail and thin that it looked as if a faintest breeze could topple her over. Her coat was greyish-white, faded. Perhaps one hundred years ago when she was young and spry it was in some vibrant hue, today however, with all the powder added on top of her fur, she looked as pale and transparent as a ghost.

Despite the weakness of her body this ancient mare managed to keep her head high and spoke in a voice betraying the strength of her mind. “Do not dare to insinuate that I am at fault here.” She barked, words sharp. “I had an agreement with your father, one that you will keep, despite you trying to wiggle out of it like a worm you are.”

“Nopony knew you would live for so long, you hag.” The ‘plum’ burst, stomping his hoof angrily, his face became very red from frustration. “You outlived him! Everypony that was a ‘witness’ to whatever deal you two shook hooves to.” He called, his voice just an octave below shout.

“Isn't the word of a noblemare worth anything these days?” The ‘ghost’ replied sharply, huffing as she attempted to look as dignified as possible, which, miraculously, worked.

Blueblood noted that even though stallion’s arguments were valid - there were no documents, notarial or otherwise, concerning any manner of deal binding affected parties obliging them to do (or not do) certain things. However it didn’t exactly rule anything out just yet. Verbal contracts were very common in Equestria, both in times of old and today. He turned to Ms. Inkwell, trying to spy on her notes to see if he missed any details. Prince paid no further mind to these two bickering, they were going in circles for the last quarter of an hour and it didn’t seem like it could change anytime soon, despite Princess’ best attempts for both parties to remain civil and see the reason.

Seeing nothing that would grant him immediate insight, Prince stood up, looking towards his aunt seated atop her throne. To any onlooker, Princess Celestia might appear as pristine and magnificent as ever, but Blueblood’s acute eyes picked subtle hints of hear wearines: tremble of her slightly folded ears, misplaced feathers and barely noticeable shadows under her tired eyes. It was the moment where their gazes connected, Celestia gave her nephew the subtlest of nods as if urging him to step in.

So the Prince of Equestra stepped in.

“I do agree with Sir here.” Blueblood started, his tone haught, collected and low, yet it worked like a charm. Both parties quickly ceased their argument, turning their heads in surprise. Rapping his hooves over the surface of the table, before pushing himself off of it and trotting over, he continued: “Deals of such magnitude…” Here he whisked Ms. Inkwell notes, earning him a muffled ‘Hey!’ and a huff from the scribe-mare, he went to the first page. “... ‘transfer of land in exchange for care and maintaining of favourable living conditions, along with attaching the family to the noble title of the affected party.’ require a written contract.”

Ms. Inkwell notes were something one always could rely on. Blueblood needs to ‘borrow’ her for his own future court rulings.

“That is correct.” Elderly mare quipped, now looking older than ever, her shoulders sagging and eyes dropping.

Prince raised a hoof, before floating notes back to fuming Raven, who still sent annoyed looks his way. “Tsk! No interruptions.” He hissed. “The only evidence of anything of such nature happening is a single notary record, granting lands of Mrs…” Blueblood forgot her name, not like it mattered now. “... as the last of her house with no relatives that would be able to argue over inheritance, to Mr.”

‘Plum’ stallion nodded sharply, his anger subduing as he heard Prince listing out all the evidence in the matter. A grin started to spread across his round features.

“The notarial record doesn’t specify for what reason or why the land transfer took place, just that it took place. It appears to be a donation.” Blueblood noted, using his magic to correct his bowtie, a tick of his.

It was as if all energy and will left the ‘ghost’ mare's form, it was clear that coming to Canterlot all the way from the middle of nowhere where she lived at took a lot out of her, both physically and mentally. Here she waited, anticipating a final blow. Opposite to her the ‘plum’ stallion appeared to be positively glowing, a grin on his face almost threatened to split his face, as he was about to get rid of a decades old obligation.

“However…” Blueblood’s words rang like a bell, making everypony hold in their breath, focusing on their Prince, the atmosphere tense with a nervous anticipation. “... while the exact details of the ‘deal’ in question are unclear, as neither parties can recall it in full, I am willing to give Mrs. benefit of doubt and on the fact that she is of noble birth - her words, just as mine, are binding.”

Murmurs started amongst the gathered in the throne room with dozens of ponies wondering just what that could’ve meant for the final verdict. His words caused quite the shift in both ‘ghost’ and ‘plum’, mixed feelings and emotions crossed their muzzles, one of hope, one of displeasure, though neither dared to speak just yet.

Prince allowed the gathered ponies to whisper and chatter for a moment longer, as they began to understand just what was about to happen. As their eyes turned towards him, full of wonder and perhaps even expectations, Prince could not help but feel empowered by the crowd's approval. He loved attention and reverence, though he did not let it appear obvious, maintaining stern expression and air of authority around himself. A quirk of his brow, a sharp angle telling everypony he was not pleased with ‘plum’ stallion conduit.

“It is clear you are eager to see your obligations lifted Mister, but this court does not operate on the principle of convenience. It operates on the principle of justice.” He said the last word with palpable sharpness, making nearest ponies, including both varying parties, recoil ever so slightly. “The nobility of Equestria, such as myself, have their words bound by oath, tradition and law. Lady’s claim, though lacking any written document to back them, remains valid on such merit.”

The ‘plum’ stallion’s smile faltered, he stood taller on tips of his hooves, puffing out his chest about to object, but Blueblood cut him off with a single gesture.

“Verbal agreements are not without weight.” Prince allowed the words to linger. “Words of a noble stand as a substitute to written contract.”

The elderly mare blinked in shock, as if not believing her very own ears. Slowly, her frail form seemed to straighten as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She opened her mouth, but no words came out, only a look of relief.

The 'plum' stallion, on the other hoof, turned a shade darker. “This is outrageous! You can’t just…”

“I can, and I have,” Blueblood interrupted once more, his voice stern, echoing through the surprisingly quiet and still chamber. No other voice but his could be heard, all gossip, all murmurs, all whispers ceased. “The notarial record may be vague, on purpose perhaps, but it does not negate the fact that you are benefiting from land once owned by her family. Until there is clear evidence to counter her claim, I expect you to honour your father's agreement, as imprecise as it may be.”

The stallion’s face twisted in anger. “This is favouritism! You’re only siding with her because she’s a noble!”

Prince Blueblood meets the stallion’s outburst with a cold, steady gaze. “I am siding with the law. And the law applies equally to all, noble or common birth.” He let his words linger and sink in. “If the case was reversed, if somepony’s legitimate claim was being dismissed on a technicality, my ruling would be the same - and I would stand by it with the same vigour. Right now I see a stallion wishing to get rid of his obligation placed upon his family. This is not justice.”

The still silence of the throne room prevailed, nopony dared to make even a squeak. Air here was thick with tension. Prince took a moment for his verdict to settle, before he turned to the elderly noblemare. “You have my word and assurances that the matter will be enforced, starting today. Agreements you made won’t be ignored as long as Miste. maintains access to your family’s land.”

Finally, he turned back towards the arguing stallion, who, despite his anger, managed to contain it, unwilling to defy Prince’s verdict. “Your father’s promise binds you, regardless of your discomfort. To negotiate terms is one thing, to void them without compensation is another.” Standing taller, above everypony in the throne room, save for Princess Celestia herself, Prince Blueblood announced: “Dispute is concluded.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

It took roughly eight minutes for the next petitioner to muster enough courage to step forward after ‘ghost’ mare and her ‘plum’ stallion opposition departed from the foot of the celestial throne. Ponies, ever timid creatures, were unnerved by such a harsh display of justice, which inspired some and frightened others. However there was one mare, a Pegasi no less, who decided to cut the line, taking advantage of reluctance of other supplicants. Just as her brazen hooves started to clop against the crimson rug rolled before the throne, several of the ponies in the very back of the chamber let out startled gasps. At first this bold, winged mare paid them no heed, stomping forward, heavy hooves bruising the floors, yet with every step she took, her resolve diminished and the gasps and cries from the back increased both in volume and urgency.

Finally, a little annoyed, she stopped, turning around to see what this ruckus was all about, only to gasp herself, feathery wings flaring instinctively as she stumbled back, her earlier boldness crumbling as the eerie fog rolled closer.

Thick, swirling blue clouds of smoke poured through the cracks of the thick, decorated doors warding entrance to the castle’s throne room. The doors themselves were thick, made of dark, oiled and polished mahogany wood with brass finishes and bolts, simple but effective in design; yet they did not stop the smoke from coming through the tiny space at the bottom, nor where the doors joined together.

Panicked, colourful equines tried to back away from the low-hanging fumes, falling onto another, merging into one, single herd. Despite their fear, those who were squished by outburst of panic, fallen and tripped, were quickly pulled back on their hooves by others to safety. Equestrian spirit was strong in all of their hearts - helping others was in the pony's nature.

Well-trained, if few in number, a throng of Canterlotian Royal Guard rushed forward to either aid the frightened or to separate them from the creeping fog, their gilded armour shining in sunlight pouring through the stained glass windows, pictures of heroes. If it came to it, every single one of these mares and stallions would live up to these champions, both new and old, willing to give their lives for their fellow equine and their Princess.

The guards creeped forward, weapons at the ready, eyeing the mysterious fumes they picked up its scent - intense, earthy, warm, and a bit smokey, with a touch of sweetness, scratching at the back of their noses. Many of these ponies were feeling the smell of Myrrh for the first time in their lives, confusing them. If not for the tense atmosphere, such scent alone would put them at ease.

At this very moment doors leading to the throne room burst open, more of the smoke rushing forward, obscuring sight and bathing half of the chamber in its exotic fragrance. A fragrance thick with myrrh and spices, warm and heady, like a desert breeze drifting through an ancient and exotic market. Some of the more meek equines called out in fright as their hooves touched the thick, swirling clouds, scrambling even further back and away from it. Guards were prepared, for the first time lowering their weapons as if expecting those unknown assailants to rush them through the cover of the smoke.

Yet the expected bleakest scenario did not happen, instead music started to play. Tonbak, a wooden hoof drum offering a quick beat, sharp metal strings of santur and setar, almost in argument with one another, their tones similar, but pace and colour of the strings distinct enough even for an untrained ear. As the music filled the ears of the ponies inside of the throne room and incense settled, hovering now just at the hoof level, everypony could be witness to a display of exocity and prowess: duo of ponies, unusual in shape, bare, surprisingly lean and tall, towering a head over Equestrians, stormed forward inside bearing flaming sticks in their muzzles. They performed acrobatic movements seemingly impossible for an equine body, twirling their flaming sticks, creating an illusion of fire rings around their bodies as they danced, for the acrobatics were in sync with each other, with music. As the strange melody swelled, their pace increased, but also precision, they were now moving close to one another, almost at a threat of burning the other with their masterfully wielded flames, causing previously frightened Equestrian to gasp in shock and ever every time a flame passed through mane or grazed coat of the dancer.

As the performance continued, more and more ponies felt at ease, seeing that it was not an attack and not even a fire outbreak, but rather an unexpected show. Members of the Royal Guard were not placated as easily, but even the most paranoid amongst their ranks withdrew their weapons, seeing that this ‘enemy’ did not come at them. When the song reached its ultimate crescendo, ponies, petitioners and otherwise, were almost pushing against the backs of valiant guards who were eager to give their limbs and lives for their safety, curious to see more!

When the music finally went silent, performers stopped in front of the crowd, their rich, amber eyes scanning the overjoyed faces with barely a hint of previous fright. They slowly rolled their flaming sticks in their muzzles, finally grasping them horizontally and extinguishing them with a quick, jerking motion. A deep bow followed, aimed at the gathered crowd, earning a stomping of hooves and numerous cries of approval.

Dancers, never lifting their bowed heads, retreated back towards the doors as more of their brethren stepped in - first came four steel-clad stallions in strange armors composed of tiny, connected metal plates worn on top of richly decorated, shining robes of striking colours - crimson, blue, rose and yellow. No single warrior had the same robe colour and pattern, their long sleeves shimmering with silver and golden threads. The most striking feature of their suit of armour were polished, full face masks, resembling a pony face. Like their clothes poking from under metal plates of their armour, each was distinct, decorated in a subtle, but an intricate manner. All four of these soldiers carried a short bow with a quiver and a wide, curved sword, though neither of them wielded any arms right now, letting them rest on their backs and sides. Their presence clearly upset the Equastrian Royal Guards, clearly threatened by these heavily armed individuals and their, at glance, superior equipment.

Once the steel-clad warriors were certain the room was safe, they gave a signal, few quick spoken words in a language nopony could understand, causing those nearby (including the Equestrian soldiers) to glance over their fellow equines in mild confusion. However, they weren’t given even a minute to process that perhaps foreigners just stormed the Canterlot castle’s throne room, when she walked in.

Each step was measured, unhurried, and taken with great care. The mare's hooves were delicate, trimmed so perfectly that they shone in the sunlight as if they were made of gold. Her fetlocks and ankles had a thin layer of pearl-white fur, though nopony saw mare’s legs, for they disappeared underneath her flowing, sapphire robes. A glance upwards revealed she was a Unicorn, her visage hidden behind a thin vein, yet the pride of any member of her kind protruded proudly above her head, poking from under her sparkling golden mane and spiralling upwards, straight as and elegant, glowing… ablaze with a subtle hint of her magic - pale blue flames enveloped her horn in its entirety. Her eyes, dark as depths of an ocean, aimed straight ahead at a lone figure sitting atop the celestial throne, they betrayed both her awe, reverence and curiosity.

Behind her, a young stallion, barely out of his colt's years, carried a banner, gently swaying with each of his steps - a fiercely orange tapestry with a crimson rosetta circle, in it - black desert dunes alight with white and blue flames with both Sun and Moon visible, circle of the Sun to the left, crescent of the Moon to the right. A coat of arms of an ancient dynasty.

Mare’s slow gait took her through the throne room, ponies, even Equestrian Royal Guard, parted, unable to withstand her commanding aura for more than a single, fleeting moment.

Once at the foot of the throne, she bowed deeply, her forelegs outstretched, her chest against the trampled with hooves of dozens of ponies red carpet, speaking loudly:

“Auramazdā xšāyatīya xšaçā sunauš, anāyakašma paryastiyā avaθā frāya frābaraštā. Adam padāyamiyā hōviyaš xšāyaθiyā kārakaša auramazdā xšaçā. Anāyakašma šāmiyā auramazdā xšāyaθiyā!”

Author's Note

Hello, Drakkanien here!

This story is my first attempt at writing AND publishing on Fimfiction.

This story cooked for lo-o-ong time in the oven, it my own custom take on 'Saddle Arabia' setting and a bit more medieval Equestria, focusing more on magic and chivalrous conduit. I plan on 16 chapters in total, unless, of course, there will be a change of plans, merging or splitting chapters as I go.