Letting my chakram drop back onto its holder, I watched Lady Golden Thread leave the training grounds.
This entire court thing went from annoying to slightly less annoying once I stopped trying to copy Celestia's way of running things.
They wanted to ask a favour from the crown? Ask for advice or help? Perfectly fine with me and I would be happy to listen or help, but I’d be damned if I were to sit on a pedestal being displayed to the masses while I did it.
They wanted my ear, then they were free to do so. If they went to where I was at the time.
I needed to remember this one in particular though, somehow she seemed a lot easier to handle and less annoying after seeing me fling my chakram around.
Besides, I needed to keep practising.
“Sir?”
Looking behind me, I saw Skitter and a pair of her changelings approaching.
“Your royal highness,” I countered with a smile and a bow. “What brings you out here?”
She glared slightly at me and then proceeded to ignore the bow, “I’m here for today’s lesson, sir.”
I blinked at her in surprise. “Lesson?”
“My lesson with Princess Celestia,” she confirmed with a smile. “My first one back.”
“...You know that Celestia is away right now, right?”
Skitter nodded with a smile. “She told me before she left. She said you would take over her duties while she was away, sir.”
“She did, did she?” I asked and rubbed my forehead. “I’m sorry Skitter, but I’m not exactly the right pony to show you how to Princess. I’m barely keeping everything from falling apart.”
“From what I hear, you are doing quite well, sir,” Skitter said and moved up to me. “Even if some of the nobility has been making noises during the last week.”
Sitting down, I nodded. “Let them complain, it’s only for another week and a half. Strange that they keep coming, there is always a bunch every time it’s ‘court’ time.”
“Not all of those are complaints,” Skitter said and fluttered her wings. “Some of them think it’s a ‘breath of fresh air’ the way you handle things.”
“Oh Luna, I have a fan club.”
Skitter tilted her head in question. “I thought you already did?”
“...It’s a saying, Skitter,” I said and shook my head. “Okay, fine. Lesson. What shall we do about that?”
“I don’t know.”
Talk about the blind leading the blind.
“You know what?” I asked and looked around. “Let’s get out of here and just take a walk or something. I have an hour until the next thing and that’s paperwork. Grey Velvet will be annoyed at me, but getting out a bit sounds nice to me.”
Skitter hesitated and then nodded. “That does sound nice, sir.”
XXXXXXX
There were paths leading between most of the parks in the castle. Some of them were rather obscure, but I found quite a few of them during the years I lived here.
Honestly, I think the majority of them were only really used by the gardeners which made them quite empty.
It was nice to just take a walk and get away from ponies for a while. Even nicer to see Skitter again.
“So what did you do on your vacation?” I asked as I looked at the large changeling next to me.
She hmmed. “A number of things, sir. I read several books, I travelled a bit and saw Manehattan. I have to admit, I didn’t care for it.”
“It’s quite different from here.”
“Ponies there didn’t taste very good, there was always an undertaste of stress. I don’t understand how some can enjoy that, captured ponies always taste like that. I didn’t like that taste back when Mother was doing that and I didn’t like it any better now.”
I nodded. “Better not feed on me then. I can’t taste very good right now.”
“You almost always taste good, sir,” Skitter admitted. “Even when stressed, you keep it well under control.”
“Really? Because I’m feeling like I have the literal castle on my shoulders right now,” I admitted. “Talk about jumping into the deep end.”
Skitter smiled at me. “Anything I can do to help, sir?”
“Change into me and take over?”
“Anything ‘else’ I can do to help?”
“Yeah, didn’t think so,” I sighed and then shook my head, “No, it’s my mess, I should be the one to clean it up. You have enough things to worry about and Celestia knows that dealing with Chrysalis is a full-time job in of itself.”
Skitter giggled. “We can trade if you wish, sir.”
“Oh hell no.”
The clearing of a throat made me look over to see an annoyed looking Grey Velvet standing there with a clipboard floating in her magic.
“Seems like I should get back to work,” I said to Skitter. “Paperwork doesn’t wait for anypony it seems.”
“Want some help, sir? I can help you keep them organized at least.”
“...Thank you, I would like that.”
The best way to make sure someone has learned a lesson - get them to teach someone else.
Yay! Update!
It has a cover image now!
Another story update!
Now brought to you with
COVER IMAGE!!!!
felt like being silly
Still rooting for Page x everyone!! All the adorable shipping! Cadence level shipping!!
That is all.
Noice cover art!
Great new chapter and I got to say that Cover Art Pic it GREAT, the way that you and Sunset look though makes it look like you two are a couple, but then again ponies have herds so maybe Page could slowly build up a herd with Luna being the Head Mare of it.
Page and Grey Velvet departed that section of the garden with Grey Velvet glued to a tree.
"Now remember, Grey Velvet, we say absolutely nothing about this to either Celestia or Luna," Page instructed.
"Not a word to them or Chrysalis," Grey Velvet replied.
"Precisely," Page agreed. "And speaking of not a word to Luna, I hear there's a place down town where the mares are so...."
"I know just the place!" Grey Velvet said, quickly taking the lead.
And congrats on the new art work! Looks great!
I like the new cover art. Another good chapter, looking forward to more.
a vary good chapter and Skitter makes a appearance just perfect.
Skitter! But where is Fern? He is too little in the story:(
Still a good chappy!
Thanks for the update Hiver. I had a smile throughout this chapter, I very much enjoyed it. Awesome new cover art, your story deserves it.
8676514
Nope
8674917
What a video! Never deny a ship!
Skitter is back!
8672608
The shipping shall not be denied!
8673455
They're colloquially known as Fashists. Not that that means anything in Equestria
What Page has with Luna was legit earned. It was built upon and forged through time and effort. But as much as I don’t care for harem/herd fics...dammit I kinda want him and Sunny together, and by extention Twilight.
Does that make me a bad person?
8676514
No, I was starting to do that without realizing it.
For a moment I misread running as ruining.
8674917
*dies laughing*
8676514
oh, i just remembered a short story where Luna tried to make a harem and asked Macintosh to join, and he turned her down. he then explained why, in surprising detail. i can't remember any of it, but i remember that Luna was so impressed or shocked that she canceled the whole harem thing.
8676514
I want to see page with our best and cute changeling
9820289
She does deserve a little lovin' too
I totaly ship Page & Skitter ♡
"How often do we find the blind leading the not-so-blind? "
8676514
I wouldn't say a bad person it's only natural and there are a ton a stories like that and if your writing a story having a character or your character be a chick magnet is an easy trap to fall in if not watched
11035746
Not as often as we find the dumb leading the dumber.
Hm... Skitter is hard at work for the Swarm, but what is the Swarm doing?
[Insert Chrysalis in a Hive war to keep her potencial rivals low for Skitters sake]
8676514
Personally I hope Skitter and Chrysalis join the herd eventually. Pretty sure a herd is a family, while a harem is just a group for free sex.
So 👍
But Sunset Shimmer has good chemistry apparently.
Skitter is in Page place just like Cadance and Shining Armor, I don't envy them