Prince Blueblood calling for a bottle of Sabot Noir wasn't, in Tidy Trim's experience, unusual. Him doing so in the middle of the night, however, could be cause for concern. Yet again, years spent in service to the Prince had taught Tidy not to question his master's moods.
Tidy used his magic to straighten his bowtie before knocking on Blueblood's study door. "Enter," the prince called from the other side.
Tidy did as much and closed the door behind him. "The bottle you ordered, Your Highness," he said as he stepped forward.
Blueblood's desk was a mess, with a collection of tomes laying open. Tidy caught one of the titles: Lineages of Unicornia. As for the prince himself, he sat facing the large window at the back of his study and stared at the thunderstorm covering the city of Canterlot. "Pour me a glass and leave the bottle on my desk," he ordered, still looking out the window.
"Of course," Tidy said as he poured a glass halfway with the rich red vintage, just the way Blueblood liked it. His eye caught a map of Equestria next to the books on the desk.
Tidy shook his head and brought the glass to the prince. Whatever Blueblood was up to, it wasn't a servant's place ask questions or start rumors. But still, something was going on. Ponies all over the castle talked about Celestia isolating herself, refusing to see visitors. The time she spent holding court was shorter and shorter. On a few occasions, she'd even been replaced by Princess Luna, which offended many a noblepony.
"Thank you, Tidy," Blueblood said with a nod as he accepted the glass. He took a sip and closed his eyes, which seemed red and swollen. Had the prince been crying? Blueblood wasn't known for such fits in public, of course, but Tidy had known him long enough to see the pony behind the title — a stallion just as vulnerable as any other. He would never bring it up with the prince, of course.
Tidy stood at attention at a respectful distance. "Will you be requiring anything else, Your Highness?"
"No, you may go," Blueblood said as he waved Tidy away. "Hold on," he added seconds later. "Come here a moment."
Tidy stepped forward. "Your Highness?"
"How long have you been in my service, Tidy Trim?"
"Nearly twenty years," Tidy said.
"Twenty years," Blueblood repeated. "In this time, have you ever known my aunt to stop holding court?"
"Only during emergencies."
Blueblood sighed. "I suppose you must have heard the rumors by now. Speak your mind honestly." He stared at Tidy.
Tidy gulped. "Of course, Your Highness. I heard ponies say that Celestia is ill. Servants and nobles alike whisper that she might not be long for this world. Some say that the task of raising both the sun and moon for a thousand years took its toll, and that she might now pay the price with her life."
Blueblood nodded. "And what do you believe?"
"That it's not my place to judge, Your Highness. My job is to serve as your personal butler, not to engage in court gossip."
"Princess Celestia's health is hardly gossip," Blueblood said with a frown. "However, in this case, the rumors are true. My aunt has been ill for months, and Doctor Shimmerheart doesn't know what to do. I'm sure you can imagine why we chose not to inform the court."
Tidy eyed the desk once more. "I see," he said, hesitant to question the prince on the matter.
Blueblood took another sip of wine. "Tell me, what do you know of Princess Luna?"
"Not much. I haven't interacted with her directly, only through servants. Her Highness is very private, as is her prerogative. In fact, I doubt many ponies in Canterlot can say they know Princess Luna. Some say that she visits dreams and takes away nightmares, but I never put much stock in such rumors."
"I see," Blueblood said. He stared outside for a moment as the rain doubled in intensity. "Princess Luna may well be our ruler soon."
"If the laws of succession dictate it," Tidy said, noting the hesitation in his own voice.
"Of course, if the laws of succession dictate it, do you take me for a fool?" Blueblood spat. He shook his head and returned his attention to the window. "You will find a letter with a blank seal in the right drawer on my desk. Deliver it with haste to Captain Silvermane. Once this is done, leave me alone for the rest of the night."
"As you wish," Tidy said with a bow. He moved to the desk and found a nondescript white envelope in the drawer, as indicated. He carefully placed it in his jacket before leaving the office as fast as he could.
He closed the door and made his way toward the Night Tower, where Princess Luna resided. Captain Silvermane had taken it upon herself to guarantee the princess's safety. While it wasn't common for the captain of the guards to assume such duties, it had happened in the past. Shining Armor had acted as Princess Celestia's personal bodyguard when he was captain, mostly during times of crisis. For Silvermane to stay close to Princess Luna in such a matter, however, was cause for a lot of questions. Tidy had to admit to a certain level of curiosity.
He went up the stairs toward Luna's study, finding its heavy mahogany doors closed shut. Tidy heard voices from the other side. He thought about knocking, but opted to wait outside. Curiosity got the better of him and he moved forward, perking his ear up. There was no harm in learning a thing or two, as long as he kept what he'd learn to himself.
"I implore you, Your Highness," Silvermane's deep, taciturn voice said. "You must call for Twilight Sparkle. You took too much upon yourself, and could use the assistance. And to be blunt, we both know that she's Princess Celestia's chosen heir."
"You should not speak of things you know nothing about," Luna replied. The intensity of her voice made Tidy recoil. "I am more than capable of handling things here, Captain. I will call for Twilight when it is time and not before."
"As you command," Silvermane said. "But would you at least consider assigning somepony else to the griffon negotiations? Prince Blueblood knows Ambassador Antoine quite well, and Councilor Kibitz is also more than capable."
"Enough," Luna said. "My decision is made, and will not be debated. Now, take me to see my sister."
Tidy straightened himself up and took a few steps away from the door. It creaked as it opened, revealing Silvermane wearing her golden orichalchum armor, but with her helmet off, leaving her gray mane visible. She glared at Tidy with burnt orange eyes. "Eavesdropping?" she said. Luna was just behind, also staring down Tidy.
"Not at all," Tidy said with a gulp. "I only just arrived and was told to give you a letter." He levitated the envelope and directed it toward Silvermane.
Silvermane grunted as she grabbed the message with her own magic. Tidy couldn't fail to notice Luna frowning at the exchange. "You may go," Silvermane said.
Tidy bowed. "Your Highness, Captain." He moved away as fast as etiquette would allow, disappearing through one of the many doors reserved for servants. This one in particular would take him to the Celestial Tower, at the base of which the servant's quarters could be found. The hour was late, and hopefully a few hours of sleep would help him forget about the potential ramifications of what his master had told him.
Equestria without Celestia was hard to imagine. For as long as anypony remembered, the princess had sat the throne. Yet, Princess Cadance had ascended to alicornhood a decade prior and been groomed by Celestia. A few years later, Princess Luna returned from her banishment, and then Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's former student, also earned her wings. Could it be that Celestia knew that her time was running short?
Tidy shook his head as he went down a set of stairs. His job was to serve Prince Blueblood, not invent theories about the princess's motives. Many times, he'd warned young, eager servants not to get caught up in rumors and intrigue. It would be foolish for him to now fall in that very same trap.
He arrived in front of the door leading to the Celestial Tower and opened it, almost bumping into a pink-coated earth pony in the process. "My apologies," he said as he stepped backwards. "Doctor Shimmerheart," he completed as he noticed the mare's curly purple mane and stethoscope cutie mark.
"Move," a voice barked from behind the doctor. A unicorn guard stared down Tidy. "Servants aren't allowed in the Celestial Tower tonight. Whatever it is, take care of it tomorrow."
"Of course," Tidy said as he walked back through the same door he'd entered. He sighed once he'd closed the door. Again, it wasn't his place to ask questions. He would just have to take the long way around.
Tidy managed to catch a few hours sleep in the servant's quarters before his stomach woke him up. With his busy schedule, he'd one again forgotten to eat a proper supper. The habit was becoming too common, and he made a mental note to adjust his schedule accordingly.
As expected, the kitchen was empty when Tidy arrived. He fixed himself a quick daffodil sandwich and took it to the servant's dining room, which consisted of two long tables illuminated with torches on every wall. He grabbed an extra candle from a cupboard, lit it, and sat down to eat.
He heard footsteps coming down the stairs as he took a bite out of his sandwich. "Oh, sorry," a female voice said. "I didn't think anypony would be in here. It's still early, the princess just finished raising the sun."
Tidy allowed himself a smile. "It's fine, Featherdust. I was just fixing myself a snack, and could use the company."
"So could I, actually," Featherdust said. She took a seat in front of Tidy and smiled at him. She moved her long, dark red mane away from her gray face and adjusted her wings. "Rough night?"
"You could say that," Tidy said. "The castle seemed to be in uproar when I went to bed."
"No kidding. They completely closed off the Celestial Tower. I mean, what's the point? Everypony knows that the princess is sick."
Tidy frowned. "Not officially, and you shouldn't spread rumors."
"Come on, none of the nobles are around. I'm sure you must have heard interesting gossip, being around Prince Blueblood all the time."
"If I did," Tidy said with a wink, "I wouldn't tell you."
"You're no fun," Featherdust said. "But it doesn't matter. I've been to the princess's quarters and I know that she's sick." She looked down. "Actually, I'm worried. I'm not sure what Equestria would do without Celestia."
"It's not my place to say."
"I suppose Princess Luna would take the throne," Featherdust continued as she tapped her chin. "She scares me though. Did you know that I caught her raising the sun once?"
Tidy's ears perked up of their own accord. "Oh?" he said, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Featherdust grinned. "I knew that would get your attention. She doesn't want anypony to know, but Celestia's just been pretending to raise the sun ever since she got sick. Anyway, I went to clean Luna's quarters, but I guess there was a mix up with the schedule. I've never seen her so angry. I thought she'd throw me off her balcony!"
"You're a pegasus," Tidy said. "You could have just flown away had she done that."
"It's just how scary she sounded," Featherdust continued. "It made my skin crawl. She's not kind or caring like Celestia."
"In her defense," Tidy said. "You caught her doing something nopony should see."
"I guess. I'm just afraid of what she'll do once she takes the throne."
Tidy sighed as he took another bite from his sandwich. It wasn't the first time that Featherdust exaggerated rumors and got too involved in gossip. The better course was to wait, and keep doing his job. The nobility would tend to their own problems, as they always did.
Featherdust opened her mouth, no doubt to talk about another rumor, when an earth pony maid almost fell down the stairs. "Quick!" she said. "You must come. Princess Celestia is dead!" Her white face was ruined by tears as she panted heavily. Tidy and Featherdust stood up at once.
"Where?" Tidy asked.
"Her quarters," the maid said. "Everypony is there. Doctor Shimmerheart just confirmed it."
Part of Tidy wanted to repeat his familiar speech and warn his fellow servants to stay away, but this was big. Even if Blueblood had warned him, his heart raced. "Let's go," he said as he went up the stairs in a full gallop, rushing toward the royal quarters.
He passed countless nobles, servants, and dignitaries on the way. Guards didn't even attempt to stop him as he went up the stairs to the Celestial Tower, forgetting all sense of decorum. A large crowd had gathered in the princess's chamber. "Please, everypony," Councilor Kibitz's voice called. "Remain calm and let the royal council handle these delicate matters."
Tidy managed to squeeze himself inside the room and caught a glimpse of Princess Celestia's body laying on her bed, her mane now motionless. Doctor Shimmerheart stood next to her, alongside Kibitz, Blueblood, and Silvermane. Guards surrounded the group, glaring at anypony in the crowd moving too close.
"Return to your quarters," Blueblood ordered. "I will make an announcement within the next hour."
Tidy was about to turn back and obey his master's command when a booming voice made his entire body freeze stiff. "What is the meaning of this?" Luna demanded, her voice loud and dripping with anger. "Why was I not informed at once?" The princess of the night flew over the group and landed in the middle, next to Princess Celestia's body. Tidy gulped.
Blueblood stepped forward and took a deep breath as he met Luna's gaze. "We had to discuss first, about matters of succession."
Wheels turned in Tidy's head. The books about unicornian succession, Blueblood's mysterious letter, even the conversation he had with Tidy, it all started to make sense.
Luna gasped. "There is nothing to discuss. I understand my duty. None of you may keep me from grieving for my sister or assuming my duties. I will take up the throne, with Twilight Sparkle by my side."
Blueblood took a firm step toward Luna. "Princess Twilight may rule, Your Highness, but you will not. You see, we kept an eye on you. You've been keeping to yourself, refusing to acquaint yourself with this century. The ponies of Equestria do not love you; they fear you. We've also heard troubling rumors about you entering ponies' dreams, to control them perhaps? Then there is all the time you spent in here, alone with Princess Celestia."
Luna breathed in and out. Tidy's knees shook as he took a step backwards, like most ponies in the crowd. "What are you implying, Blueblood? You would dare accuse me of a crime as heinous as controlling ponies' dreams? I help ponies overcome their nightmares, you ignorant mule." She turned toward the crowd. "As for all of you, how dare you follow him? This is obviously a plot."
Silence fell in the room. No doubt none of the nobles wanted to test the princess's wrath. Tidy nervously looked around, but he was now surrounded by terrified ponies with no way out.
Captain Silvermane stepped forward. "Evidence has been brought forward, Your Highness. The royal guards stand with Prince Blueblood."
"Evidence?" Luna spat. "What kind of evidence?"
Blueblood took a deep breath. "It will be brought to your attention before your trial. You will have a chance to review it and defend yourself, but you will not take the throne. We have not forgotten how you tried to take over Equestria twice already as Nightmare Moon. My dear aunt showed you nothing but compassion, and now you murder her?" Tears fell down Blueblood's cheeks. "This is how you repay her?"
"Murder?" Luna said, her voice filled with shock. "You would dare make such an accusation?"
"Princess Luna," Blueblood continued, staring at Luna. "In the name of Equestria, I hereby place you under arrest for the murder of Princess Celestia. Captain Silvermane, take her to the dungeon."
Tidy stared at the scene with his mouth agape. Before he could begin to comprehend what was unfolding, Luna lowered her body in a fighting stance and her horn started glowing, blinding him and no doubt everypony else. Tidy shielded his eyes as he felt a wave of heat coming from the center of the room.