Celestia allowed herself a small smile. Everything was going according to plan, fie on Luna’s silly doubts on her ability to match her student up with an appropriate suitor.
Much like Cadence might, she had approached the task with utmost care and deliberation. After all, Twilight deserved the best when it came to her special somepony. Watching her struggle through some half-hearted fling or relationship doomed to fail simply wouldn’t do.
Naturally, it fell to her to cut out the middle-pony, so to speak, and find a fitting candidate.
Not that the task had been particularly difficult. Twilight had never made her tastes much of a secret—at least, she hadn’t done well at making them a secret.
Oh, how adorable she was when she’d chew her lip and look away to hide her blushing, Celestia tittered, nodding to a pair of guards as she passed. She always used to snuggle right up in my wings and drift right off.
A sigh escaped her lips. No small part of her longed for those days, if only she could cherry pick certain moments in time and make them reality. A younger Twilight together with those lovely friends of hers, all bright eyed and innocent; Cadence before she bloomed into a beautiful mare in her own right, somewhere around the time she and Shining Armor only just started formally dating one another; and, of course, Luna after her return.
If there were any way to somehow make it happen, then lock her little “family” in some temporal stasis while they all lived their happy, carefree lives, she might consider it.
Still, that would rob her of seeing them all grow as ponies, friends, and lovers. As Luna so loved to say, she could not have her cake and eat it too.
She could, however, ensure that Twilight Sparkle find a lovely mare to hold close and share her love with. Building a “love potential profile”—Cadence’s name for it, not hers—was all too easy.
Twilight’s tastes trended toward mares; simple enough, already there were plenty of candidates that sprang to mind. However, there was plenty more. She liked ponies who held a bit of authority, talent in their field, and plenty of intelligence, but also had a warmth in them. A leader who could guide her along, then smile and hold her close while they told her how important she was in their life.
In short, Twilight had, perhaps unconsciously, looked at her loved ones at a very young age and decided that her special somepony would have to exhibit all of their best traits.
Which, in turn, left Celestia the task of sorting through her list to find a mare who would treat her with the love and affection she deserved, while also respecting her as a princess and mare.
Captain Spitfire’s name was quick to come to mind. After all, she was a decorated officer with the Wonderbolts, held a rather good record overall in terms of conduct, and her skill in flying was matched only by her own teammates and Rainbow Dash.
Celestia turned the corner, trotting down the hallway toward a group of maids who were huddled off to the side, no doubt sharing some of the ever-infamous castle gossip. Her smile broadened into a grin as she considered what she’d learned yesterday morning.
Her plan, beautifully simplistic in its design, had worked perfectly. By informing Captain Spitfire that she had plenty of latitude to read her interaction with Twilight and utilize it as basis for whether she pursued friendship or romance, she gave tacit permission for the mare to be herself. None of the vacant stares or stiff-lipped ceremony, just one mare chatting with another—albeit, with the expressly stated respect requirement in place.
As if I would allow some bore of a mare to steal Twilight’s heart, she thought, only just withholding a titter. What sort of mother would I be if I let that happen? She paused, giving a tiny frown. Not to steal her from Twilight Velvet, of course. Perhaps ‘surrogate mother’ would be a more apt term. Yes, that will do just nicely.
Her smile returned. Celestia snuck a glance out the stained glass window depicting her student standing alongside her fellow former element bearers, basking in the array of colors the sun cast through the tinted glass.
Sighing happily, she closed her eyes. What a wonderful start to the day. Her little attempt at matchmaking worked like a charm, Twilight should be on a lovely date with Captain Spitfire—out for a late lunch at Don Contorno’s, if memory served.
Celestia would have to send her compliments to the good captain; the methods at the Gala had been a tad more forward than she would’ve preferred, but effective nonetheless. A bit of affectionate nuzzling, a kiss or two here and there was perfectly acceptable.
With some moderation, of course.
Thoughts for another day, old mare. Quietly enjoy a job well done, then wait for Twilight to return and prod her for details. Wrinkling her snout as another thought occurred, she allowed herself a little giggle. Or sit back and enjoy the show as Cadence pounces on her and demands every last detail be shared.
“Are you sure?” One of the maids’ voices made her ear flick, drawing her out of her reverie.
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“I’m just asking! You’re sure you heard right?”
“I heard it from Tidy with my own two ears, Feather! Read my lips: yellow. Feathers. In. Princess. Twilight’s. Bed. Yellow feathers!” The maid gave a little stomp of her hoof. “And I have it on good authority that Princess Twilight didn’t leave the Gala alone, either! Miss Rainbow Dash was talking with Miss Applejack about how—and I quote—‘totally awesome and amazingly lucky’ Princess Twilight was to catch Spitfire’s eye!”
The other mares gasped. “Captain Spitfire? From the Wonderbolts?”
“The very same!”
Celestia drew in a sharp breath, her ears shot up straight. She turned to approach them, moving with silent steps as she came closer. Her eyes narrowed. Surely this was just a bit of castle gossip, lacking in substance. Just a rumor.
It couldn’t hurt to confirm it, though.
“So Tidy found her feathers in the princess’—oh, by Celestia! I remember when I first started working here, we all thought she didn’t even think about love, let alone the finer things in life!” The mare fluffed her feathers, then leaned in to whisper, “Does she still have them?”
“Of course! You really think she’d get rid of those?”
A third mare chimed in, “Couldn’t that just mean that she let Captain Spitfire sleep in her bed?” The others fixed her with a look, she pinned back her ears and ducked her head. “I was just thinking… Princess Twilight is supposed to be really nice.”
She is! Celestia managed to keep the affirmation to herself. She grit her teeth. And far too innocent for any of this! I’m half a mind to find this ‘Tidy’ and give her a piece of my mind! Spreading rumors of my student as if she were some two-bit hussy on the street corner, who would just lift her tail and spread her legs because a mare said a few nice things!
“Miley, you’re always so stubborn!” the first mare said. “If you want further proof, Tidy said there was also a certain scent about the room.”
Feather gasped. “You’re joking!”
“No!” Miley brought a hoof to her lips.
“Yes!” she replied, with a bit too much glee in her tone for Celestia’s liking.
Nostrils flaring, Celestia stood to her full height, coming to stop just a few steps behind the one called Miley.
The first mare looked up, barely glimpsing Celestia before she looked back to her friends. “The sheets and cover were dampened and smelled of—of—” she trailed off, freezing in place like a startled gazelle. “Pr-Pr-Princess Celestia!” she squeaked and gave a quick bow, a move her friends scrambled to copy.
“Oh, don’t mind me ladies,” she said, feeling just the slightest bit proud of the way they flinched at her tone. “I just happened to overhear your conversation about my former student and fellow princess, and found myself quite enthralled by the tale you were telling, Feather, Miley, and—oh, forgive me! I don’t believe I know your name, dear! You must be new!”
“Y-Yes, Your Highness!” she said, stammering as she bowed again. “M-My name is Br-Bright Shine, this is m-my second week here!”
Celestia smiled. “Well, you’ve come across quite the little piece of gossip in just your second week! I, for one, would be delighted to hear all about it! Perhaps you three would like to join me in my study so you might regale me in private?” She paused as if to consider. “Oh! Better yet, Miley, was it?”
Miley gave a stiff nod and bow. “Yes, Your Highness! At your service!”
“Would you be a dear and fetch Tidy for me? I think it would be prudent to hear the news straight from the source!” She waved a hoof in a shooing motion. “Run along, now.”
“A-At once, Your Highness!” Giving another bow, she scampered off as though Cerberus himself were nipping at her tail.
As she watched the mare near the corridor, Celestia called again, “Oh, Miley? Please inform Tidy that I expect her to bring the feathers she claims she found. I’m very interested in those.”
She barely heard Miley squeak out another “Yes, Your Highness” before she scuttled off, her attention turned to Feather and Bright Shine. “Ladies,” she purred dangerously, “shall we adjourn to my study?”
If not for her growing ire, Celestia might have been a tad amused at the way they pinned their ears back and fell into step with her like they were a pair of naughty fillies about to be scolded by an angry mother.