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The Prince2,047 words
Reparations2,847 words

Reparations

“Just a little to the left, dears... ah, perfect.”

Madam Darjeeling smiled the pleased sort of smile that only a middle-aged governess could manage, as the great bronze statue of Princess Celestia was settled back into its proper place. It was the first and simplest of the repairs that the castle grounds needed, but it made all the difference in the world as far as she was concerned.

“Oh, I’d hardly say ‘perfect.’ Honestly, that old statue is so tacky I’d take the opportunity to replace it.”

The grey-haired mare pressed her eyes closed, braced herself, and forced her smile to return before turning to greet the owner of the unmistakable voice. “Prince Blueblood, how kind of you to grace us with your presence. And what might I do for you, sir?”

“Aside from taking our expert decorating advice, you mean?” Blueblood asked, puffing out his chest and smiling winningly. “You could answer a question. Where might Dear Auntie Celestia be hiding this morning? She isn’t in the solarium or the throne room.”

“She’s in conference with Princess Cadenza in the gardens, sir,” Madam Darjeeling answered politely.

“Princess Cadence?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow pointedly. “And what on earth could they be talking about at this dreadful hour?”

“Wouldn’t know, sir,” the governess answered, glancing disapprovingly at the clock on the wall which had the time at nearly eleven in the morning. “Could be royal business, of course, but I’d wager it’s a private matter, if I might be so bold. If you’d like, sir, I can inform the Princess that you wish to see her as soon as she’s--”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary,” Blueblood interrupted, trotting past her towards the door which led to the gardens, still broken from last night’s outburst by Miss Fluttershy. “I can find her quite well on my own.”

“But sir, I--”

“Bronze is out of fashion, and self-sculptures are just garish. Try something in polished stone--perhaps a family member, if I might be so bold?” Blueblood added, glancing over his shoulder at the governess with a smug smile. “And no, no, there’s no need to thank me; it’s what I do.”

Madam Darjeeling waited until the Prince was out of view, and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why Princess Celestia had taken him under her wing. After a suitably brief moment indulging her irritation, she looked back up at the ponies working to get the ballroom back in its proper state and sighed.

“All right, everypony, back to work, now. Those pillars aren’t going to replace themselves...”

~ ~ ~

The Gardens were much quieter than usual this morning--none too surprising, seeing as how half of the usual residents were still hiding around the castle grounds. The silence, Princess Cadence felt, leant a certain gravity to the talk she was having with her royal Aunt.

Of course, any talk with Princess Celestia carried weight. It was impossible not to feel small next to the great white alicorn whose broad shoulders and mighty wings carried the burden of the sun and moon. She was old and powerful, and even her gentlest words had the force of that power behind them.

Which, of course, made disagreeing with her all the more difficult.

“Forgive me, Princess, but I just don’t understand,” Princess Cadence said, pawing the ground dejectedly. “It’s not like I’m really needed here.”

“My dear little Cadence.” Princess Celestia looked down on the crestfallen alicorn. “You’re family, of course you’re needed.”

“I know that.” Princess Cadence looked up. “And you’ve been good to me, and I appreciate that, but... well, you’re not my only family. Besides, your sister’s been back for months now, and it seems like you hardly ever see her. Maybe you two could be closer if you didn’t have to worry so much about the rest of us.”

“Oh, Cadence.” Princess Celestia set one of her wings around Cadence’s shoulders and gently guided her along the path, the sun beaming warmly down on them from between the branches of the trees. “Your heart is in the right place, but you’re very young, and El Dressage is very far away. There’s still so much for you to learn while you’re here, and I just can’t bring myself to send you away until I’m sure you’re ready.”

Princess Cadence’s ears flattened against her head, and her wings visibly wilted. “If you say so...”

They continued along the path in somber, uncomfortable silence for several paces, until finally Princess Celestia spoke up. “Oh, very well. I was hoping to save this as a surprise, but seeing you so upset just breaks my heart.”

Princess Cadence looked up, her face puzzled, and saw that that Princess Celestia was indulging in one of her peculiar smiles that glowed with motherly mischief. It was the smile she reserved for times of generosity, when she was about to bless one of her loyal subjects with a gift. In Cadence’s experience, whether the recipient would share the Princess’s enthusiasm was rather hit or miss, but she’d never seen anyone truly regret being on the receiving end.

“Yes...?” she asked, with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

Princess Celestia’s smile deepened. “Well, two weeks from now--”

“Ah, there you are!”

The interruption stopped Princess Celestia mid-sentence, and she and Princess Cadence looked back towards the source of the unmistakable voice. In Princess Cadence’s experience, he was one of the very few who were actually capable of stopping Princess Celestia mid-sentence.

“My darling nephew,” Princess Celestia greeted, her smile never faltering.

“Auntie dearest,” Prince Blueblood answered with a deep bow. “And cousin Cadence as well, I see! Not interrupting anything important, I trust.”

“Well, actually...” Cadence looked imploringly up at Princess Celestia.

“Good, good; I won’t keep you long, then,” Blueblood cut in. “Auntie, I just stopped by to inform you that I’ve been feeling a bit of cabin fever as of late, particularly after all the excitement last evening, and I’d very much like to take a few of my friends here in the capital out for a hunt.”

“I see.” Princess Celestia turned to Cadence and leaned down to speak. “My dear Cadence, would you mind giving us a moment alone? I promise, you’ll have some very good news once we’re done.”

Princess Cadence looked rather disappointed at having to wait, but she bowed gracefully to the elder alicorn without objection. “Of course, Princess.”

Princess Celestia watched as she walked down the garden path, until finally she turned a corner and vanished from sight. “Now, then,” she said as she returned her attention to her nephew. “You were saying something about a hunt?”

“Just something to keep my hoof in,” Prince Blueblood answered, nonchalantly polishing his collar. “As I said, a bit of cabin fever from being cooped up in the capital for so long. Thought I’d take a few ponies out for an old Nelsh coursing in the Everfree. I'd wager the menagerie could use some refilling after last night, at any rate.”

Princess Celestia chuckled. “Funny how all my little ponies are trying to leave the capital today. Is cleaning up the castle really so scary that you’d rather spend your time in the Everfree Forest?”

“Auntie, dearest, you know I’m no good with manual labor,” Blueblood answered. “And I dare say my input is too avant garde for any redecorating that Madam Darjeeling might engage in.”

“Well, she does admire her Canterlot traditions,” Princess Celestia answered with a fond, tinkling laugh dancing at the edge of her voice. “As much as you admire your Nelsh traditions, I’d say. Speaking of which, did you have a day in mind?”

“The day after tomorrow,” Prince Blueblood answered. “Should give me enough time to get everypony together and ready. Call it a week before we’re back, give or take.”

Princess Celestia nodded regally, and considered. “Very well, my dear nephew; you can leave the day after tomorrow and take whoever you like.”

Prince Blueblood smiled and bowed. “Auntie dearest, you are too kind. I--”

“On two conditions,” Princess Celestia added with a mischievous grin.

Prince Blueblood looked up, the careful expression of a cornered rabbit spreading across his face. “Two conditions?”

Princess Celestia nodded. “Very grave conditions, nephew. I daresay the future may depend on them.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow, then stood up straight and puffed out his chest. “Well, then, I can hardly think of a better pony for the job.”

“Nor can I,” Princess Celestia answered. “And the first condition is this: I want you to give Princess Cadence some good news.”

Blueblood’s posture deflated slightly. “Is that right.”

“Indeed it is, nephew,” the Princess answered, reaching into her mane and floating a hidden scroll towards him. “I was just about to tell her myself, but I think it would be better if she hears it from you.”

Prince Blueblood took the scroll and quickly scanned its contents, his eyebrows raising in genuine surprise when he reached the salient points. “In two weeks? But I thought... well, after that business in Appaloosa...”

“It was resolved before they arrived,” Princess Celestia answered with a proud smile. “Thanks to my faithful student Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”

Blueblood’s face clouded with doubt at that statement, but he tucked the scroll into his pocket without further remark on the subject. “Very well, Auntie dearest, I’ll pass along the word to cousin Cadence. And what might the other condition be?”

“There’s somepony I’d like you to take along,” Princess Celestia answered.

Blueblood nodded, waiting expectantly for the end of the sentence. It never came. “And might I ask who that somepony might be?”

“You might. But I wouldn’t answer,” Princess Celestia answered with a lighthearted chuckle. “If I can’t surprise our dear Cadence, I can at least surprise you, my little nephew.”

Blueblood sighed exaggeratedly, his posture and expression beleaguered. “As you wish, Auntie. But don’t blame me if they can’t keep up with the rest of us. My hunts stop for nopony.”

“I doubt that will be a problem, my dear nephew,” Princess Celestia answered. “But consider them warned, all the same. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should attend to Madam Darjeeling’s efforts in the ballroom.”

“Best of fortune with that, Auntie dearest.” Blueblood bowed deeply as Princess Celestia took to the sky and departed.

Once she was gone, he cast a furtive spell to see if he was being watched, and found no prying eyes or ears in the garden save for the odd animal or three. He breathed a sigh of relief, allowed his posture to relax, and walked lightly down the path, loose bits of gravel crunching beneath his hooves.

‘The future may depend on them,’ indeed, he thought with a shake of his head. Did Twilight and the other Champions really buy into that act of hers?

...Of course, his chiding inner voice reminded him, it’s not really an act, is it?

And that was the most impressive and frightening thing, really. Princess Celestia walked a fine line; she sold her age and her practically alien wisdom in a brilliantly understated way, to the point that she was just strange enough that one was never sure whether she was telling the truth or not. She played just enough of the fool that one could be drawn in by it, only to find that what you’d discounted as strange or wrong turned out to be right all along. And of course, that only made you respect her more--and Blueblood was no exception. She’d had over a thousand years of practice at this game, and she was an expert. If nothing else, he admired that about her.

Of course, the real curve she’d thrown him was one that she didn’t even know would put a kink in his plans. Octavia was an ally, and he was confident that he could gather any number of ponies that they could slip away from easily enough--but this mysterious companion that Auntie Dearest was sending along, on the other hand... Without knowing who it was, he didn’t know how to prepare, and he had barely two days to fix that.

Before he could ruminate further, however, his watch-me-not spell informed him that he was approaching someone, and he adopted his formal, arrogant persona as easily and instinctively as taking a breath.

As he rounded the corner, naturally, he came upon Princess Cadence, kneeling by a pond and watching a colorful collection of fish swim in lazy circles. She heard him approach, and looked up with a half-smile.

“Hello, again.” She looked past him for a moment. “Is the Princess waiting on me?”

“No, she had to return to the castle.” Blueblood walked over to the edge of the pond and sat down beside her, his bearing more relaxed than that of moments before. “Sorry.”

Cadence sighed. “It’s not your fault, I know she’s busy.”

“True, true,” Blueblood answered. “But I meant, I’m sorry for interrupting your talk. I believe it was something important after all.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Cadence answered, crossing her hooves and resting her chin on them.

“Well, that’s why I’m here,” Blueblood said. “Since Auntie Dearest couldn’t tell you herself, she passed the news along to me: in two weeks, Shining Armor is coming back to Canterlot.”

The change in Princess Cadence was immediate and dramatic. She sat straight up, her eyes widened, and a cautious smile spread across her face. “Do you mean it?”

Blueblood took the scroll out of his pocket with a smile. “Dear cousin, I cannot tell a lie. Appaloosa’s already been taken care of, so the guard is coming home early. You can read for yourself, if you like.”

Cadence looked down at the scroll, then back up at him, and her cautious smile turned into a genuinely happy grin as she tackle-hugged him. “Oh, thank you so much, B.B.”

“Don’t shoot the messenger, cousin,” Blueblood answered, gently pushing her away.

“Very funny.” Cadence rubbed at her eyes and sniffed as she pulled away. “But really, thank you. I’ve been missing home so much lately, I just...”

“I know.” Blueblood stood up. “But who needs El Dressage when you have such a dashing stallion right here in Canterlot, is that what you’re thinking?” he added with a wry grin.

“Oh, hush,” Cadence answered as she leaped to her feet with a flap of her wings. “...But yes. If home’s waited this long already, I guess it can wait another two weeks. Two weeks, B.B.! Oh, it’s a month sooner than I was expecting, but now it seems so long! Funny how that works, isn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Blueblood answered with an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

“Well, maybe some day you will,” Princess Cadence answered. “Anyway, I won’t keep you, I know you have a trip to plan. Thanks again, B.B. Later!”

And with that abbreviated farewell, she took to the sky with a leap. Off to make plans for when her One True Love returned to Canterlot, no doubt, Blueblood thought.

He sighed once she was out of sight and he was alone again. ‘Who needs El Dressage,’ he’d said, and she’d agreed with him. But she did need the place, as much as he needed Nails.

He looked deep into the pond, watching the fish swim beneath his pale reflection; not a one of them, he knew, had been born there. Those who frequented the city had a saying: ‘Once you’ve been to Canterlot, nowhere else is really home.’ And by the sounds of it, Princess Cadence was starting to believe it.

Of course, that wasn’t purely Princess Celestia’s doing. Cadence loved her like she was family, but it was Shining Armor that made Canterlot feel like home. Which was yet another reminder that, in the game of freedom, affection was a weakness. If you didn’t keep your head, it could make you lose your way.

But still, he added, as he watched the fading trail of stardust that Cadence had left behind reflected on the surface of the pond. As far as weaknesses go, one could do much, much worse.

As these thoughts drew to a close, a lazy fly dipped just a little too close to the water, and a stark white fish leaped up, swallowing it in one gulp and turning the smooth mirror of the pond into a mess of ripples.

His reverie broken, Prince Blueblood of Nails left the garden behind to gather a few good ponies for a trip through the Everfree Forest...

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