Twilight Sparkle hesitantly knocked on the door that the servant had showed her to. “Princess?” she asked cautiously through the door.
The door opened revealing Princess Celestia in her full glory. Behind her was a tea room, with comfortable overstuffed couches and a coffee table artfully arranged around a fireplace. “Ah, Twilight, I’m glad you came so quickly.” She stepped aside so that Twilight could enter the room. And as soon as Twilight did, she noticed the presence of Princess Luna.
“Your Highesses,” Twilight bowed to them.
But Celestia just chuckled slightly, “No need for-”
But before she can finish her sister cuts her off, loudly. “YOU NEEDST NOT BOW LADY SPARKLE. YOU HAVE DONE US A GREAT SERVICE AND WE ARE IN YOUR DEBT.”
Celestia’s smile slipped slightly while Twilight tried to recover her hearing. “Now, sister, you do not need to use the Royal Voice while we are in private with my student. Indeed, this is a private conversation, so we need not let the servants hear our every word. And it is most rude to poor Twilight here.”
“WE UND-“ Luna starts, before cutting herself off and then continuing in a quieter voice, “I understand, dear sister. I apologize for the inconvenience Lady Sparkle.”
“Uh…No problem?” Twilight replied uncertainly. This was not quite what she was expecting when she received a letter from her teacher asking her to come to Canterlot. “And-Um. I’m just Twilight, I’m not a lady or anything.”
Luna starts at that, “Verily? What has’t mine sister elevated you to the peerage? Such services you rendered in defeating mine alter ego deservth nothing less.”
Celestia just smiled serenely. “Now sister, I already have plans for young Twilight here. She shall most definitely receive the reward she deserves.”
“I will?” Twilight questioned, not understanding what she meant.
“Oh, no worries dear,” Celestia assured her, “It’s something I’m sure you’ll enjoy, and in fact related to what I wanted to see you about.” She lies down on one of the couches, and motions for Twilight to do the same.
Twilight sits down, but is still insanely interested in what the Princess meant. “If you don’t mind my asking; what is this meeting about?”
“Ah,” Celestia sipped some tea, “Well, you see, my sister is a bit behind the times.” Princess Luna looked down, and did not try to correct her sister. “This is completely understandable given her absence, and for the past year I’ve had the best tutors in Equestria trying to aid her in acclimating. But her reeducation has reached a point where she can progress no further from her current tutors.”
And Twilight suddenly knew what this meeting was about. “And you want me to pick up where they left off right? I’m so honored, Princess! Of course I’ll help. Oh, there just so much I can teach Princess Luna! Just to think, she’s missed out on all the magic advances of the past thousand years and we have so much to catch up on! I’ve got to get a list together and-and-and…” She trails off as she notices both princesses staring at her, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence.
Celestia’s cough interrupts the silence. “Well, yes, that would be an excellent idea Twilight, but I’m afraid I’ve already chosen her next tutor, myself.”
Twilight shrank in on herself in embarrassment.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about taking my place for a month while I focus entirely on teaching my sister.”
“WHAT!” Twilight panicked, “You’re the Princess! I can’t replace you! I could never even come close! I can’t rule Equestria, everybody will hate me and-“
“-And I’m sure you’ll be able to do a wonderful job” Celestia interrupted smoothly, “I would trust the job to no one else.”
“But- I can’t!” Twilight wailed, “I’m sure to mess up and everypony will blame me, and you’ll get mad, and I’ll go back to magic kindergarten! Surely there must be someone else who can do it!”
“You would not be doing it all alone,” Celestia reassured her student, “I will still be raising the sun, and Luna the moon, and you’ll have a bevy of advisors who can help you pick the best course of action in any situation.”
“Well, why not hire one of them!”
“This is not a position I can just advertise like any other job.” Celestia stated evenly, “I need a pony of impeccable moral character, familiar with law and able bodied.”
Twilight however continued panicking. “I’ll mess up! You can’t let me do it-“ And then the first part of Celestia’s statement sank in, and Twilight’s mind latched onto it like a life-preserver. “Why can’t we advertise it like any other job?”
“Being ruler of a country, even one like Equestria is difficult, I would not entrust it to just anypony.” Celestia protested.
But her sister interrupts her before she can continue, “Hold sister, I do believe that young Twilight has had a most ingenious idea.”
“What?” Celestia questioned flatly.
“While I am certain that young Twilight here,” Luna nodded to Twilight, “Is most qualified for the position, wouldn’st it be also advantageous to us to know of other ponies who may meet the needs of the throne?”
“But-“
Celestia couldn’t get a word in, as Luna fully turns to Twilight. “Tell me, Twilight; how does a pony ‘advertise’ a job in this era?”
“Uhh.” Twilight was stunned by the turn of events, “You place an ad in the newspaper listing the qualifications, then ponies who meet the qualifications submit an application. If an employer likes the application, then they’ll arrange an interview, and if they like the pony based on the interview, they’ll hire them.”
Luna nods at the explanation, “That soundth most sensible. We shall place an ad in the newspaper post haste.” With that, Luna got up and left the room.
“But-“ Celestia protested, too late.
“Don’t worry, Princess,” Twilight assured her, “I’m sure that we’ll find plenty of qualified ponies who can hold the throne for a month. Nothing will go wrong!”