"So, you're the captain of the Royal Guard?"
"Yes... your highness," Shining stated, glancing at Cadance who had taken on a bemused look as Sapphire stared at him. It was shortly after breakfast, where Sapphire shared a meal with the Elements before bidding them farewell since they had to return to their lives in Ponyville. Before this, Celestia gave Cadance the task of introducing Sapphire to the captain of the Royal Guard at the castle's training fields.
"Alright... so what's with the funny helmet?" Sapphire asked as she looked at the purple helmet that had a feather plume on it.
Frowning, Shining answered, "This helmet is the mark of the Captain of the Royal Guard, hence it allows my troops to notice my presence with more ease."
"Oh... but wouldn't that make you an easier target to pick out?" Sapphire noted, causing Shining to blink in surprise.
Giggling at Shining's response, Cadance stated, "You know, she has a point there dear," causing Sapphire to turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Noticing the look, Cadance added, "Shining Armor here is my fiance, and... wait, do you know what a fiance is?" As Sapphire shook her head in response, Cadance sighed as she said, "Let's just say... that we have a special relationship. Oh! Please don't tell Twilight about this, we want to surprise her at just the right moment."
"Okay... though I don't mind holding that bit back. I’ve already dealt with enough surprises to last a lifetime now," Sapphire replied with a huff. "So, is this why we're here? So you can introduce me to your 'fiance'?"
"Oh no, it's nothing like that. Though that is a happy addition to all of this," Cadance answered as she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. "We're actually here so you can see how the Royal Guard operates, as well as the fact that like my Aunts, you may eventually need your own private guard."
"Wait, why would I ne—this is one of Celestia's things about royal duties, isn't it?!" Sapphire replied with a deadpan stare.
"I... umm..." Cadance started to say before letting out a sigh. "Yes Sapphire, this is something Celestia believes that you should at least know about now rather than later. However, unlike the other stuff, this is solely for your protection, do you understand?"
Before Sapphire could give a comment, Shining joined in as he added, "Cadance is right your majesty. From what I’ve heard, you might want a guard sooner than later. They would be able to keep mobs of ponies from getting to you, allowing you to have some level of privacy whenever you desire it."
"...Okay, that is something that I can actually see as being useful for me. Though I wish I was told that from the beginning," Sapphire stated with a frown.
"Well, since you've been so apprehensive every time we bring up something that involved royal duties, it might have been best to try another way so you wouldn't focus on that aspect and instead be observing what we have to say," Cadance replied in turn. "But... there's a bright side to all of this. Celestia wanted this to be the last thing for you to observe before taking a break from all these princess lessons for at least the rest of the day. After this, you can do anything you want, within reason of course, and I'll be there to make sure that it happens!"
Eyeing Cadance for a moment, Sapphire let out her own sigh as she said, "Alright... so what's next on the list then?"
Coughing to draw Sapphire's attention, Shining said, "The next thing is for you to watch some of the troops in some military exercises. It can be an informative experience to view, as well as possibly be entertainment since some ponies seem to find amusement from things like this. So just sit back and enjoy the show, your majesty," before he went off among his troops, barking out orders. Sapphire just watched with an expression that was a mix of amusement and confusion, before feeling like somepony was tugging at her wings.
Looking to her side, Sapphire saw Cadance was the one tugging at them with her magic as she said, "Sapphire, how about we get to a better vantage point? Like say, over there?" as she pointed a hoof, which Sapphire followed to see that she was pointing at a balcony. However, before Sapphire could get a word out, Cadance took off into the air, flying over to the balcony where she made a graceful landing. Frowning, Sapphire looked to her wings, which she normally kept closed ever since she got them besides a few emotional moments.
"Well... might as well use them for once..." Sapphire muttered to herself as she opened up her wings, giving them a few experimental flaps, only to create a minor breeze around her. As Sapphire glared at her wings, she blinked as the world started to slow down around her. The voice of Shining Armor slowed down to a crawl, making every word he said take an eternity to say as Sapphire started to hear something in her mind.
"Alright dear, just remember to focus on your magic so that it will flow through your wings."
"Okay, mommy."
"Now, when you flap your wings, don't flap too hard, but not too soft. Do what I do, and let your magic out of your wings from their underside. Remember, you might have to try the first few times, but it will become natural for you. Now, flap!"
"Flap! Wow, mommy mommy, I'm flying!"
Blinking at hearing that memory, Sapphire shook her head clear as the world around her turned back to a normal speed. "Weird..." Sapphire said to herself before looking at her wings, narrowing her eyes as she concentrated on her magic. Her magic flowed into her wings before she followed what she assumed to be her mother's instructions, having her wings give out one great flap as they released her magic, sending her into the air.
"Whoa, whoa!" Sapphire said as she found herself hovering twenty feet into the air, her wings flapping at a somewhat haphazard pace, which caused her to rise and fall through the air. After a bit more struggling, Sapphire finally found herself hovering gently in the air, staring at her wings as a small smile came onto her face as she said, "Wow... I'm actually flying on my own."
"Congra—" Cadance suddenly said from right next to Sapphire, causing Sapphire to freak out and almost lose control of her hovering until Cadance grabbed onto her hoof to help steady her. "Umm... sorry about that, just wanted to congratulate you on getting up into the air despite the fact that you were originally a unicorn when we first met. Though, how did you manage to get yourself into the air without any instructors?"
"Well, I just recalled a memory about my mother teaching me how to fly," Sapphire said with a shrug.
"Huh, so that's why Celestia didn't..." Cadance started to say until she noticed Sapphire taking on another deadpanned look. "Umm... let's just say that this was her way of seeing if you can connect with your pegasi side?" Cadance stated with an awkward smile.
Letting out a sigh, Sapphire said, "Let's just get to that balcony... and I just realized that I remembered how to go up, and nothing else," before she placed a hoof on her face, dragging it down as she groaned in frustration.
Letting out a mild chuckle, Cadance lit her horn up as she said, "Let's me take care of moving you towards the balcony for now, and we can get you a flight instructor for later."
"Hello your majesty," said a white unicorn with her brown mane set up in a bun as Sapphire blandly stared at her from her seat in a study. After the combat exercises that the Royal Guard went through, and some lunch, Cadance left Sapphire in the study for a meeting with Celestia's secretary. This caused Sapphire to find out that her life was starting to get a bit predictable in terms of Celestia trying to expose her to so many princess-related things. "I'm Raven Inkwell, one of Celestia's most trusted aides. Are you ready to discuss your royal stipend?"
"Yes, I re—wait, royal stipend?" Sapphire asked, looking a bit confused.
"For each princess, due to their services to Equestria, are given a stipend that is used for any personal expenditure that doesn't involve state functions or the regular castle services. It's not much since we don't want to dip into the royal treasury, and from what I have heard about you not wanting to take on any governmental duties yet beyond the public appearances that would be expected at the very least, I would say that a compensation for your services would be five hundred bits per month," Raven explained, causing Sapphire to blink in confusion still.
"So... wait, all the food that I have been eating at the castle... I don't have to pay for?" Sapphire asked as she tilted her head.
"Of course not. That is funded by the royal treasury, unless you were to request an extravagant meal or for food from one of Canterlot's restaurants," Raven informed Sapphire, who held the urge to snort at the idea of getting food from the restaurants in this city.
"Okay... but what if I don't use all those bits in a month?" Sapphire asked while wondering just how many bits she was saving since she's now getting free food.
"Simple your majesty. You can keep the leftover bits, and perhaps even save them in a bank or invest in whatever you desire at some point in the future. It's not like we demand you to spend five hundred bits each month," Raven explained as she kept her composure, but inwardly wondered just how educated Sapphire was despite the fact that Celestia warned Raven about Sapphire's background.
"Ah... I see..." Sapphire replied with a nod as she wondered on just what she was going to do with what basically amounted to an allowance.
"Yes, now onto the next item on schedule," Raven stated as she levitated a scroll before her, causing Sapphire to rear her head back in surprise. "Before Miss Rarity left, she was kind enough to create some designs for your crown and peytral that you would be wearing after your coronation, along with a promise that she would have the initial designs for your coronation dress within a week. Now, you will need to choose at least three of the designs that would be sent back to Rarity, who would refine them before sending them back for you to choose before they can be forged," Raven continued as she levitated over about forty sheets of paper, causing Sapphire's eyes to widen before she had to repress an urge to groan at all this.
At this rate, I need to find a secret escape tunnel in this castle so I can run away and become a hermit at some lonely island in the middle of the ocean... there better be something rewarding at the end of all this Sapphire thought to herself as she started to look through the designs.