//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Centrepiece Item // Story: What Society Expects from a Princess // by cursedchords //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The Centrepiece Item The floor of the castle hairdresser's salon was littered with multicoloured strands, a positive rainbow of shimmering leavings as he went about his work. It was rare to have so much of the Royal Family present in any one place, and so all of their various attendants had done their utmost, throughout the day, to get in the way as little as possible. Some of the most important work in the kingdom was done at these summits. Luna and Cadance had each arrived the previous night, in both cases setting hoof on true Equestrian soil for the first time in several months. Neither one of them had any real idea precisely why they were back, but both knew that it must be important to take them away from their crucial work. In Luna's case, this was her position as head of the Equestrian side of the trade negotiations with Griffonia. The talks were being held at a neutral island, remote in the sea that separated the two nations, although it stood likely to become an important nexus of trade if the deal were to be ratified. “And besides that, the two sides are mostly in agreement,” Luna was just explaining, as the hairdresser took care of a few rebellious curls over her left shoulder. “Presuming that we get the approvals from Cloudsdale, we could have a finished agreement in a matter of weeks.” “Run that past me again,” Cadance answered. “They want a piece of our weather control business?” “Well, not exactly. Basically, the griffons want to be able to bid on contracts from Cloudsdale at equal standing with us. Open the weather control business to the free market, really.” “Hmm,” Cadance rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “That's an awful lot of power to give Cloudsdale, don't you think? They would have the right to prioritize service to the highest bidder. Although I suppose that our rates would always be discounted, since Cloudsdale is in Equestria, after all.” “Indeed. I think that what Griffonia really wants is its own independent weather factory, but they're willing to settle for rates determined by the market until they can get there. It would be a boon for the pegasus economy, for sure.” “If they have the capacity.” “How much capacity do they have?” Celestia chipped in. “Their service is optimized for dealing with Equestria.” “Our pegasus envoys have been assuring us that it is in fact possible,” Luna answered, “if a little contentious with the public. The idea of making service in the weather industry mandatory for all pegasi was floated about. Naturally, there will need to be a plebiscite before any commitments can be made on that front.” “How long will that take?” This was from Celestia again. “Well, that's up for Cloudsdale to decide. The whole thing is in their hooves now. The negotiating team really won't have much to do until then, which is fortunate for me, I guess. It means that I probably will be able to make it to the Gala this year after all.” “Yes, most fortunate indeed,” Celestia answered in a quiet voice, lost in thought for a second. Then in an instant her gentle smile returned and she glanced over at Cadance. “Speaking of the Gala, Cadance, I trust that you have shuffled your schedule properly so that you and Shining might join us?” The Chancellor of the Exchequer nodded gently, causing a small amount of consternation for the hairdresser, now working diligently at the last few details of Cadance's mane. “On that subject, have we made any progress on that charity auction?” Cadance asked. “Actually, I was just about to get to that,” Celestia replied. “In reality, it's the reason that I brought both of you back to Canterlot today. I know that neither of you really believed we were just here for a friendly family discussion anyway.” In answer, both of the other Princesses rolled their eyes. Celestia was of course well aware of her reputation for working the strings from the shadows. Naturally Luna and Cadance had both spent the past few months wondering if their seemingly disparate responsibilities were both little pieces of a grander strategy. She snickered inwardly at the thought. They would both be brought on board with the bigger picture once the time was right, but for the time being she very much enjoyed keeping her secrets. And they weren't hurting anypony, anyway. “This afternoon, we shall be unveiling the showcase for the auction, including the centrepiece item itself, which will fetch a stupendous price, I'm sure. But before we get to all of that, there’s somepony that I’d like you both to meet. Shall we go?” She turned around to give a meaningful look at the hairdresser, who retreated off to the side after taking a few final strands off of Cadance’s mane. The three Princesses rose from their seats, giving their manes a short examination in the room’s mirror. “This is a little shorter than I usually have it done,” Luna remarked. “But I actually kind of like it this way. More formal.” “I’m glad you think so,” Celestia said, a small smirk coming to her features. “This way, please.” Approximately twenty minutes later, the three Princesses strolled together around a corner into the western wing of the palace. In the intervening time period, Celestia had filled Luna in on all of the details concerning the upcoming auction, and what effect it was going to have on the Gala. “I suppose it should make for a more interesting affair than usual,” Luna remarked, thoughtfully cradling her chin with one hoof. “Have you settled on a format yet?” The eldest Princess returned a smile. “Not just yet. Though funnily enough it isn’t actually going to be my decision.” This news caused both Luna and Cadance to start momentarily. “You mean, you’re not handling this personally?” Cadance managed to say. “For something this important, I would have thought-” Celestia stopped a few paces ahead of them. “Calm down. Naturally I keep up to date on it. And I would have done it all myself if I had to. But as you are both well aware, it is a busy time right now, and I have enough to take care of with the rest of the Gala to prepare for. I was lucky enough to have a volunteer come forward.” Celestia turned around and stepped forward a few more paces until she came to an office door that was standing ajar. She motioned to her two fellow Princesses to join her. When she gently pushed open the door, she revealed a relatively standard Canterlot office: large mahogany desk off to the right, blazing fireplace in the far corner, and a striking view out over the city. Seated at the desk was Octavia, a few strands having sprung loose from her usually picture-perfect mane. The pencil gripped tightly between her teeth feverishly worked its way across dozens of parchments which lay sprawled across the desk. She was so focused upon her work that she did not even notice her three guests, until Luna cleared her throat. Glancing up, Octavia’s eyes immediately went wide. She got down off of the chair and bowed low to the royal entourage. “My sincerest apologies, Your Royal Highnesses,” she said. “I was so wrapped up in my work that I did not notice your entrance.” Celestia walked forward and hooked one hoof underneath Octavia’s chin, gently raising her up. “Don’t worry, Octavia. We all know what it’s like. And we very much appreciate your dedication. Seeing how you’ve handled things so far, I wouldn’t trust such an important event to anypony else.” Octavia’s eyes stole back to her work. “I suppose you’ll want a progress report.” Celestia just nodded. She didn’t actually need any updates, as she made sure to keep up to date on every little detail, but Luna and Cadance would benefit from the report, and it would certainly convince them that this earth pony was up to the task. For her part, Octavia took a few moments to gather her thoughts and her parchments before starting to speak again. She took a deep breath, and it was rather remarkable how much composure she managed to obtain from it. When she began her update, her voice was clear and professional. “The second round of notifications to the Gala attendees has been completed and is currently awaiting delivery. The palace mail room is unfortunately swamped at the moment, as it is was still dealing with the influx of RSVPs from the initial invitations. So it may be a couple of days until every attendee is notified, but we will make sure to get all of them out before the night of the auction.” Octavia waited patiently for any objections. With none forthcoming, she continued. “Secondly, the showcase has been finalized, and all of the articles are present for their unveiling this afternoon. All, that is, except for the centerpiece, which Her Majesty Princess Celestia has been handling personally.” “It is being prepared as we speak,” Celestia replied to the group. “And it will without a doubt grab the attention of the guests. It is an incredibly unique item.” “I can’t wait to see it,” Octavia said, and the curiosity lit up her eyes. Celestia did her best to hide her own excitement at the prospect. The centerpiece had been inspired in about equal part by her interactions with Octavia as by her meeting with Cadance and Shining several days ago, and it was something that she was sure would dazzle the grey pony, along with every other musical collector in Equestria. “Thank you for all of your hard work, Octavia,” Celestia said. “You’ve turned this little idea into a proper addition to the Grand Galloping Gala.” Octavia broke into a small grin at the compliment. “Thank you for offering it to me, Princess. My only regret is that it’s taken me away from home for so long. But that is a small price to pay for the chance to work on such an amazing project.” “You’re not from Canterlot?” Cadance asked, a look of surprise on her face. The earth pony smiled. “Unfortunately not, but don’t worry. I get asked that a lot whenever I venture out here. And Canterlot really is a beautiful city. There’s something about it that just seems to sing to me, a music in the reverberations of its flagstones and the tinkles of its rivers. I wrote my first piece of music here in fact, several years ago now.” Octavia moved away from the Princesses, and gazed wistfully out of the room’s wide window into the late morning light. Cadance came forward to stand beside her, leaving the other two Princesses to look over the papers at the desk. She tenderly placed a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder. “I’m sorry that we’ve taken you away from home then, Octavia. If you don’t mind my asking, why is this venture so important to you?” “The arts have always been in my blood, Your Highness,” Octavia replied after a moment. “I first started playing the cello when I was but a filly, after I was inspired by the Royal Canterlot Symphony Orchestra during a trip that my family took here. It’s had an incredible influence on my life, and I couldn’t bear the thought of such an honoured institution losing its funding.” Octavia seemed to catch herself on that last sentence, and then looked away, embarrassed to realize that she was speaking to the pony that had made the decision to cut that funding. Princess Cadance took one step toward her, so that her hoof that had been on Octavia’s shoulder could now reach across the earth pony’s back, and the princess could hold her in a comforting half-embrace. “I understand, Octavia,” she said warmly. “Music speaks in its own way to all of us. Thanks to you, the Orchestra will be able to keep on inspiring young minds for years more.” The two were quiet for a few moments then, merely gazing together out the window at the splendour of the great city, bustling and yet idyllic upon its high mountain perch. There was indeed a sort of music about the place if one listened hard enough, a rhythm in the clip-clop of hooves on its streets, a melody in the shouts of its marketplaces, and a bass thunder in the roar of its waterfalls. For Octavia it brought back memories of the happy days of her youth, and she could have stood there reminiscing in the sound for hours, had Luna not spoken up then. “Did I hear that you were a cellist?” Luna and Celestia had finished going over the paperwork to their satisfaction, and now approached the two standing by the window to rejoin the conversation. “Cellist’s bows are an odd commodity, if I recall. Aren’t they made from--?” “Pony hair, yes,” Octavia answered quickly. She took one glance at each of the Princesses before continuing. “It is something of a sensitive subject, but the industry is very well-regulated, as I’m sure you’re all aware. Of course the greatest cellists always have their bows custom-made from their own manes, and thus every one of them has a distinct sound. I could never afford something like that though.” “Indeed, every bow made is a unique item, owing its look and sound to the life and times of the pony that donated the hair to make it,” Celestia added. “We have several significant ones in the auction catalog, don’t we, Octavia?” “Of course. I’ve picked out a few excellent pieces that the collectors will surely go for. To be honest, I’m a little sorry that I won’t be able to use them to start my own personal collection. Arranging this catalog has given me quite the taste of all the history in the musical tradition of Equestria.” “Well, they’re in your care for now, Octavia, until the night that they will be sold,” Celestia said in her usual calm and peaceful voice. “Well, now that we are all met, how about we take a light lunch before this afternoon’s unveiling?” “Ah, an excellent idea, my sister,” Luna answered. “Our appointment this morning was so early that I didn’t get a chance to have a proper breakfast. Octavia, would you like to join us?” Octavia’s eyes widened. For a moment, the earth pony was silent, as the question filtered its way through her incredulous mind. “For, for lunch?” she finally managed to stammer, before her gaze respectfully found the floor. “I would never assume myself to be worthy of such an honour, Your Highness.” “Come, you have proven yourself worthy,” Luna answered. “You shall dine at our personal table.” As the group made its way out of the room, and Luna began walking off towards the castle’s kitchen, with Octavia following closely behind her, Cadance and Celestia brought up the rear. The younger alicorn turned to her aunt as they also set out. “You know, Celestia, I recall you mentioning something about the centerpiece item when we had our first meeting about this auction. Now that I’ve heard so much about it, I must say that I am more than a little bit curious about what it is that you have in store for us.” The expression on Cadance’s face was curious, as of course she was no stranger to the eldest Princess’s penchant for playful secrets. “Don’t worry at all, Cadance,” Celestia answered confidently. “Trust me, nothing like this has ever been done before. It will be perfect.” And she would say nothing more on the matter. The very air of Canterlot Castle’s Grand Hall had a nearly ethereal look to it. The geometry of the room had been planned precisely, so that the noonday sun would filter through the room’s strikingly tall stained glass windows to reflect and refract in dazzling patterns over the magnificently tiled floor. The effect was amplified a hundredfold today, as each individual beam of light scattered off of the myriad monocles, jewels, and pocket watch chains worn by the assembled multitude of Canterlot’s elite. Upon entering, one beheld a sea of shining points, like stars brought down into this very room from the night sky. Naturally, the lighting complemented Celestia’s mane perfectly, making her head appear as if wreathed in shimmering fire, which was the main reason she chose this room for most of her official engagements. The effect was reduced, though similar, for Luna and Cadance. The three of them walked together through the maze of exhibits set up throughout the room, navigating knots of nobles that converged on the displayed treasures in a manner not unlike animals flocking to a proffered morsel of nourishment. In fairness to them, this really was an exceptional showcase. Octavia had been given carte blanche to open the royal vaults and extract whatever articles would capture the interest of the public, and Celestia had to admit that the earth pony had a fine taste in such matters. Luna’s jaw dropped for the fourth time. “An original score for “The Moon’s Lament”? These were all supposedly destroyed in a fire centuries ago. You’ve had one all this time?” “It was my personal copy,” Celestia answered. “I had the song specially commissioned after I lost you, and I used to listen to it every night. This one I kept for my own practice. Of course, it doesn’t quite have the same sentimental value anymore, so I was happy to part with it.” “Your own practice?” Cadance spoke up thoughtfully. “Celestia, you never told me that you play an instrument.” The eldest Princess coughed once awkwardly. “I... suppose that it’s never really come up. It’s not really an important thing.” “But why not? Surely you should be proud of such an achievement.” Here Luna interjected. “It’s because she doesn’t want anypony to know that she’s actually terrible at it.” She chuckled, and Celestia’s cheeks took on a tinge of rosy embarrassment. Her inability to master the flute after all these years was something of an annoyance, but privately the princess took it in stride, and it served as a welcome reminder that there would always be things that she could improve on. Still, she was reluctant to let the story find its way out to the general public. “Perhaps we ought to get on with things,” she returned quickly, and turned towards the main stage at the head of the room, where Octavia was already waiting. Behind her, a large grey curtain hid the rest of the stage from view, but of course everypony knew what was behind it. The nobles in the room immediately noticed the Princesses heading for the stage, and it wasn’t very long before the whole of the room was crowded about, eager for the chance to lay their eyes on the headlining item. Such an exceptional showcase would need a true treasure to serve as its centerpiece, and from the looks on the faces of the audience, the hosts could tell that nopony wanted to wait any longer. Still, ceremony dictated that a few words be said first. Putting thoughts of her flute out of her mind, Celestia approached the lectern, and looked out at the crowd with a friendly face. She was back in her element. “Noblemares and stallions of Canterlot and Equestria, thank you for coming,” Celestia began. “It is fitting that we should have such a fine day to gather and admire these priceless treasures, which together make up centuries of our nation’s proud musical tradition.” Polite applause from the audience. “Of course,” the Princess continued, now with a conspiratorial look on her face, “they won’t be remaining priceless for very long.” That got a chuckle or two. “All of them will be on auction ten days from now at the Grand Galloping Gala. All of them, indeed, including the very special item behind me, which I know you are all most eager to see.” Several ponies in the front row leaned forward. The tension in the room was building. “Our centerpiece is an item that I picked out personally, something truly unique, that has never been seen before and never will be seen again.” They were hanging on her every word. “Doing the honour of its reveal shall be our lovely coordinator, Miss Octavia of Ponyville.” Celestia turned aside to indicate the grey pony, who stood to the side of the curtain, clutching at a braided rope. This time there was no applause from the audience. Every eye was fixed on the curtain itself. “When you’re ready, Octavia,” the Princess said quietly to her. Of course, Octavia was just as curious as everypony else in the room to find out what all the buildup was going to lead to, and as she pulled on the rope she almost stumbled in an attempt to see around the curtain as it came apart. She was able to keep her balance, although it was likely that nopony would have even noticed. In silence, the veil was parted, and the centerpiece item was revealed. Luna’s and Cadance’s jaws hit the floor. Normally, this would have been an almost unthinkable embarrassment, but in this case it was all right because their mandibles were joined by those belonging to everypony else in the room. Celestia alone, who of course had known what was coming, was unaffected. Atop three tall pedestals stood three lengthy and ornate cellist’s bows. The wood had been crafted masterfully, and shone with warm brilliance in the light of the room. But it was not the wood that excited the audience so. It was the hair that strung each of them, gleaming with fire in the room’s prismatic ambience. The rightmost bow shone with streaks of pink and purple, a display of hues that could only have come from the mane of the Princess of the Crystal Empire. To its left there stood a bow of deep luminescent darkness, its shimmering strings surely plucked from the mane of the Princess of the Night herself. And of course, foremost in the center, there was a bow that glowed with positively electric energy, its greens and blues seeming to light up the room as though it were burning with magical fire. Without a doubt, it had been made from the mane of Princess Celestia. There was a silence in the room for two whole seconds, and then the sound of clapping erupted from the rear of the crowd. As the applause was taken up by the audience, it eventually jolted every pony in the room from their stunned reverie, and broad smiles broke out across the room. Celestia returned their grins. Clearly, the elite felt that it had been a worthy reveal. After the ovation had subsided, she took to the lectern once more. “Of course, such magnificent items could not have been created without the sincere dedication of several ponies, most importantly of course Princesses Luna and Cadance, who joined me in giving their time and resources to ensure that this auction will be a resounding success. A round of applause for them as well.” Celestia stepped aside to let the other two Princesses receive their ovation, and was pleased to note that both of them had recovered well, though she did detect a hint of rue in Luna’s expression. Doubtlessly, her earlier statement that such an item would never be made again had indeed been true. “And, of course,” Celestia continued once that applause had subsided. “It would be absolutely remiss of me not to once again mention our brilliant coordinator Octavia, who has worked tirelessly to assemble this fabulous showcase in time.” And there was a final round of applause, this time focused on the grey earth pony, who strode forward to the front of the stage to accept it. Once more, Celestia was impressed by this mare’s poise. Despite her unassuming demeanour, she handled the public eye well. In another life, perhaps she could have had a position in government.