Prince Blueblood: Master Ambassador

by Doug Graves

2 Ballroom

"For your second task, you will need an occupation. You are no longer a colt, or even a student, living off of your dam's earnings. It should be something relatively high ranking, but without a lot of lengthy barriers to get to the top. After all, you will need to ascend the ranks quickly should things work out between the two of you. Unless, of course, you want to continue as ambassador to the Griffons."

"Of course."

"The last is not so much a task as a restriction. You are a virgin, yes?"

"...Yes."

"And you will remain such until Princess Cadance declines to date you further, or when she makes the decision with you. Understood?"

"Yes."

"As well, I will be assigning you one guard to take with you on your travels, to help with paperwork, carrying supplies, the like."

"You mean I cannot take Shining Armor with me?"

"No. And you will be responsible for this guard, and I expect her to be returned in one piece. Along with yourself. Any questions?"

"No, Your Highness. Good day, Auntie."

"Pleasant day, Nephew."

The conversation Prince Blueblood had with Princess Celestia continues to echo in his head, doing its best to displace the minor facts and trivial details he is supposed to be memorizing. And, much to his mirth and chagrin, succeeding. He interrupts Shining Armor, "Okay, okay, I get it, she was married to whats-his-name's uncle." Lunaris pulls his head out of his closet, buttoning up the black suit around his neck.

Shining Armor glances back at the dossier, flipping the page over. "Unfortunately, no, that's not the case." A small pink shield forms, lightly smacking Lunaris over the head. Lunaris winces, rubbing the spot as Shining Armor continues with a sigh and exasperated expression, "Look, I know it's boring, but we need to figure out something that will keep you interested enough in these aristocrats to actually learn something from them. It can't be that hard, right? There's only, what, two pages of information on each."

"Yes," Lunaris groans, his voice starting to whine, "but if I delve any deeper then they'll probably tell me a lot more than one thing. And, worse, they'll expect me to remember all of it the next time we meet. And I'll have to ask some inane question as to how their, I don't care, collection of priceless Ruby Roads memorabilia is progressing, and they'll answer, and then I'll be expected to remember that the next time." Lunaris adjusts his suit again, beaming a smile at himself in the mirror before giving a disgusted look at the necessity.

"But that's the point, right? To find something else that they find interesting. And to get them talking about it without suspecting why you are really there. Why are you really there, by the way?" Armor drops the thick folder down on the dresser, pulling out a blue ribbon from one of the drawers.

Lunaris levitates the ribbon, quickly tying the bow tie around his neck. "Assignment from Princess Celestia," he curtly replies, his tone conveying there would be no more discussion on the details.

"Wow, actually completing a friendship lesson from her?" Shining Armor stares at Lunaris. His guard armor clinks as he starts to walk around the unicorn, inspecting him from every angle. "You feel okay?"

"I'm feeling fine. So, what else can I talk to them about?"

"Well, so, you could ask them about their fillies."

"Ugh," Lunaris moans, his eyes closing and hiding their rolling as his head points at the ceiling. "Then they might think that I'm interested in said filly, especially if she is available. And they'll try to set me up with said hypothetical filly. Nothing against her, but I don't she's the right fit."

"Why not? You've got a lot going on over there, once you get past the steel-clad defense." Lunaris shakes his head, flinching as a bit bounces off of his flank and back into Shining Armor's magical grasp. Lunaris glares back, the blue maned unicorn winking back at him.

"Oh, please, don't tell me you are interested in a date as well." Lunaris shakes his head at Shining Armor's goofy grin, rolling his eyes, "There has got to be something else I can ask them about. Something that isn't interested in me, interesting to them, or interesting at all."

"Okay, okay, you got me. Maybe we can get back to that." Shining Armor adjusts his guard armor, smoothing out the padding underneath, "What about the jobs? I've never heard of you applying to a job before. Are you sure you know how it's done?" Shining Armor motions to his Corporal badge, "I had to apply to get into the Royal Guard, you know. Maybe my application got expedited because of my sister being such a promising candidate to join Celestia's School. Did you hear, by the way? She just passed her application test last week! I'm so excited for her! I'm hoping she takes the opportunity to really branch out, you know, meet a couple of students in her class and learn from them. Not just the books she always has her muzzle stuck in."

"And here I thought we were thinking of how to help me get a job, not the hypothetical dreams your sister might have."

"Okay, fine. Maybe I got into the guard because of my caliber of my shield spells. It's been basically my dream, after all, and I get to live it." Shining Armor moves over, looking Lunaris up and down and flicking a speck of dust off his suit. "What is your dream?"

"Besides being the foremost duelist in Equestria?" Lunaris shakes his head as he examines his rapiers, debating whether or not to take them to the ball. "Nothing comes to mind."

Shining Armor snickers, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you are ever dethroning Princess Celestia for that title."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I think the only reason I won my semifinals the last tournament was because First Step didn't want to be humiliated by her again. She just wanted me to feel what it was like to be completely trounced by Princess Celestia. Especially with Auntie only participating in one bout a year."

"Yeah, the way your eyes just rolled back the first match? I mean, I knew she was strong, but come on, at least give you a sporting chance!"

Lunaris glares, "I thought I said I didn't want to talk about it!" He stamps a hoof on the floor, a loud snort as he slams his closet door shut, the last of his wardrobe tightening around his chest. "Some things never change! Now, back to the job. Or the nobles. Something besides my gracious defeat to the Princess herself."

"You sat there with tears in your eyes." At Lunaris' eye twitch Shining Armor laughs, "Okay, yes, it was because it how beautiful your defeat was." He holds a hoof to his chin, pausing for a second, "Well, what if you asked the nobles about something that doesn't change?"

Lunaris laughs derisively, "Like what?" He chuckles to himself as he rapidly flicks his hooves back and forth in front of his chest, flexing his shoulders, "The size of their, how would you say, huge... tracts of lands?"

"Um, sure." Shining Armor levitates the folder back up, looking at the page, then flipping to another one. "It doesn't look like that's in here."

"Oh, come on, you..." Lunaris trails off, a wide smiling coming to his muzzle. "I know how to solve both problems at the same time."

"Really? How?" Shining Armor fixes Lunaris with a curious expression, the folder falling back to the dresser as he double checks his guard armor.

Lunaris moves to the door, opening it for the two of them. "You know Horizon Orb?"

"The old pony, works for the map office? Why?" Shining Armor knocks a hoof against the crystal set in the center of his chest, the enchantments on the armor activating. His coat shimmers, becoming a slightly duller white. His mane loses the cobalt and cyan highlights, turning to a two-tone medium and light blue all the guards shared while on duty.

Prince Blueblood nods his head, a gleam in his eyes, "Not just old, due to retire soon. And, he doesn't just work in the map office, he's the Chief Cartographer of all of Equestria! I could use this upcoming event as a project to show my interest and aptitude for his position. It'll keep me outdoors, away from these," he nears spits as he sneers, "nobles as much as possible. Plenty of free time to practice."

"Okay, and how does this help with the ball tonight?" Shining Armor levitates his spear over while Lunaris does the same with his rapiers, securing the canvas bag to his flank.

"Don't you see? I ask the nobles about their estates, their holdings, their lands! I'll learn their acreage, how large their homes are. All boring statistics that everypony knows but has no interest in talking about! And, because I need to keep the real reason for collecting this information a secret, getting the job as cartographer gives me the perfect cover." Lunaris grins to himself, "And the job, when I get it, will be perfect! No having to grovel before a committee of nobles, begging for my funding to be increased. I just have to avoid budget cuts and I'll be set!"

Shining Armor nods, "That does sound like a perfect fit, you never having to interact with another pony again."

"Yes, well," Lunaris grunts at Shining Armor, "I need to go talk to Horizon. If I don't see you at the party, thank you for your help, and good night."

"Good night, Lunaris." Shining Armor and Lunaris part ways, Shining Armor to his guard assignment for the night and Lunaris to find Horizon before he shows up more than fashionably late to the party. Good thing the old coot stays up late at the office, and should be easily persuaded.

Comments

[LordBucket]

Why is Celestia suddenly switching gears from asking blueblood to go to the Griffon Empire to now asking him to get a job here in Equestria? Aren't those things incompatible?

It kind of seems like Celestia is trying to groom him in some way, so that instead of rejecting him after the one date, Cadance will want to be with him. "Become the prince" and all. Getting to know the nobility and "make friends" and so forth seems compatible with that. Saving himself sexually for her seems compatible with that. "Get a job" seems like a strange addition. You don't "be a prince" by having a day job. Surely there are more important things he could be doing than waiting tables. And obviously he's not going to be able to both have a job in Equestria and leave for the Griffon Empire at the same time.

[Doug Graves]

9272204
More thinking long term; I liken it to why is Prince Shining Armor still Captain of the Guard instead of 'just' being Prince. Continuing with the 'grooming' , having something to do instead of laying around all day. Or training, or whatever it is Blueblood wants to do. Something in case it doesn't work out with Cadance, kind of like how colleges don't want their athletes to just go to school for sports, they should have some sort of back up plan in case things don't work out.