Twilight Gets a Puppy
By TDR
Dog eat Dog.
Part 4
[Celestial theater. 2 years remaining until the thousandth year.]
The ride was rather pleasant, a bit of small talk with Prince. Nothing complex just chance to talk about random things and relax slightly.
Twilight barely managed to relax at all, she felt wound up like a watch spring, but the discussion was interesting and took her mind off it a little. Prince had asked about her brothers and how everything was going with them. Given that Spike and Rahs were one of her favorite subjects simply due to the fact that no pony knew much of anything about them she eagerly spoke of them. Rahs was a near complete unknown, and Dragon's had never been studied this close before.
By the end of the ride Twilight was highly embarrassed that she had been talking about her brothers the whole trip barely letting him get a word in edge wise. Prince didn't seem bothered by it, he had actually been asking questions here and there about the pair of them, mostly Rahs, but he seemed genuinely interested how she had grown up with Spike as well. It didn't take long for them to arrive.
“Oh dear.” Prince stated with a sigh looking out of the carriage window as they pulled up to the theater.
“What is it?” Twilight asked curiously as Prince scowled.
“The press...... Seems word got out about my coming here tonight.” Prince sighed.
“Is there a problem with them?” Twilight questioned looking out at the throngs of ponies gathered around the entrance to the Celestial theater.
“With the normal ones no, there are a number of polite and cooperative reporters who are actually pleasant with their interviews. “Prince sighed. “Given my standing however encounters with them are few and far between and mostly I deal with the poniratzi. Sharks have better manners than that lot. And it seems they have the place surrounded, we have to go through them to get into the theater.”
“Oh ummmm.” Twilight frowned.
“We can skip the show if you do not wish to deal with them. We can go some where else if you like. If they make you too uncomfortable we can always postpone the date as well. “ Prince smiled. “A rain check for later due to a flood of idiots.”
“They can't be that bad.” Twilight stated causing Prince to blink.
“Surely as Princess Celestia's student you have dealt with them before and know how they work?” Prince asked.
“I can't say I have. I think I met the press once with Princess Celestia. I think I was spooked by the yelling of questions and then the Princess said something and all of them went silent rather quickly. I never even saw a reporter in the palace again after that. At least I don't think I have. The only ponies I ever saw at the palace who didn't work there were ones the Guards were escorting out. I think they were playing with Rahs because they often had chew marks on them.”
Prince blinked again in confusion though he smiled as well.” You are indeed a lucky mare then. Still it would only be a moment of unpleasantness before we are inside the theater. If you are certain, I will advise to try and ignore them and do not answer any questions they may have. These ponies could spin your words into something you did not actually say to fit what ever gossip story they want to add you too.”
“I'll keep that in mind, thank you.” Twilight returned the smile.
“Not how I wished this all to start, but I suppose if you are alright with it, perhaps pretending they do not exist would be best.” Prince sighed opening the door and stepped out as the camera's started flashing around him, lighting up the sunset touched square in front of the theater, as if a weather Pegasus had lost control of a thunderhead.
Twilight winced as she stepped out of the carriage following beside Prince as she walked along trying not to be blinded by the popping of flashbulbs from the throng of ponies milling around them. She took note of the golden glow of Prince's horn as he formed a wedge shield before them, forcing the reporters that had rushed at him to the side as he walked past. It wasn't a very strong bit of magic, but it seemed necessary to navigate the crowd to even get to the front door where a porter let them inside with a bow, shutting the door on the reporters.
Twilight let out a sigh of relief at the escape though she was wishing she wore something a little more covering than her sundress. All those photos made her feel exposed, perhaps that was why nobles always wore something.
“Well, that was unpleasant.” Prince sighed looking back at the doors as they closed behind him. A number of other ponies milled about in the lobby, but most of them seemed more interested in the posters of upcoming plays or the snack bar than the pair who just made it in. Twilight recognized a number of socialites and a few other famous ponies milling about.
“It was alright. Though I didn't expect this many upper class ponies here.” Twilight commented.
“ Really?” Prince finally looked around and blinked in surprise before a realization struck him. “ Of course... it's opening night . I should have known they wouldn't have come here just for me. I need to keep my ego in check, heheheh.”
Twilight chuckled along with him a little. “ I haven't been here in a while, the place hasn't changed that much.”
“Oh, what did you see here last?” Prince asked. “ Also, popcorn?”
“Pass, on the popcorn I mean, we have dinner later after all.” Twilight smiled. “My brothers and I usually come here with Princess Celestia for the Hearth's Warming play, though Rahs was in a amateur production of Beauty and the Beast two years ago. He's a bit of a drama fan, I know he's come here more often than I have.”
“Rahs was in a play here? What part did he play?” Prince asked rather curiously as they wait in line to be led to their seats.
“Guess..” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“The candlestick?” Prince smirked as Twilight laughed.
“No, though that would have been amusing. He actually auditioned for the part of Gaston, though given his race he was typecast as the Beast of course. Still he did a fairly good job of it, nothing show stopping, but the play had favorable reviews.”Twilight explained.
“Pity I missed that. I'm sure it would have been riveting.”
“...AND LOVE IS A LIE, SWEARING NO MATTER WHAT IT WON'T DIE.....” The unicorn playing Edmond sang out on stage.
Twilight and Prince sat four rows from the front watching the play with interest.
“DISAPPEARING LIKE A STAR IN THE SKY, IN THE HOT LIGHT OF MORNING....”Edmond sang on.
Twilight seemed enthralled at the portrayal of the novel as a stage play and Prince had to admit this was far better than he had expected it to be. Still he was worried and continued to glance to Twilight to make sure she truly was enjoying herself. Thankfully it seemed he didn't have to worry about whether or not this was appropriate for her.
“BUT WHAT DO I CARE? THERE ARE WOMEN TO BE HAD EVERY WHERE!!!!” Edmond gestured as he was surrounded by mares rushing up from the edges of the stage to fawn over him.
If only the idiots in the back row would simmer down, it half sounded like there was a brawl back there. At least Twilight didn't seem to notice, so he opted to ignore them as well. Although he was curious as to what was happening he had more important things to be focusing on then some squabble.
“FIRST THERE'S RETRIBUTION I MUST PREPARE, MIGHTY VENGEANCE IS MINE!!!!!” the unicorn gestures and the mares all flee the stage.
And he still felt like someone's eyes were boring into the back of his head.
“Well that was certainly an unexpectedly riveting performance.” Prince admitted.
“I rather liked it, though there were a number discrepancies from the novel I'm not sure should have been left out.” Twilight admitted.
“They only have a limited time to perform, certain things will get cut out if they think it might cause a lull or make the play go on to long. A show will never be exactly like the book, no matter how much one would hope.” Prince admitted as Twilight nodded after a few moments thought on the matter.
Prince moved to the front entrance among the others heading out and noticed the front of the theater was empty.
“Hmm it seems that we will not have the same issue we did coming in. The sharks seem to have found something else to chase.” Prince smiled. “So then shall we head to dinner?”
“Yes please.... I should have taken you up on the popcorn.” Twilight joked as they headed to the carriage.
Again Prince paused as he opened the door for her looking around as he felt eyes on him, though none of the others leaving seemed to be paying attention to him and the only others he saw was a family by a bench. A rather burly unicorn mare in a pink dress and a ….. a stallion, maybe? Reading a paper next to her. In their crib was perhaps the strangest purple foal he had ever seen.
He would have stared a bit longer trying to let his brain process the scene, though a question from Twilight brought him back into focus as he climbed into the carriage. The pair of them setting off for their dinner reservation.
Twilight and Prince arrived at the Le Pré Canterlan with time to spare before their reservation. The extra time gave Twilight a chance to look over the menu. She had never been to a high class restaurant before and in truth would have just been happy with a hay burger.
Particularly after she asked about the prices.
“If you need to ask you are clearly unable to afford us.” The Maitre D’ stated, the Griffon sounded snobbish, but he held the same tone no matter what was asked of him or what he said. Still he kept a careful eye on Twilight until he was sure that she was with Prince Blueblood.
Twilight was less than thrilled with the Griffon's attitude though she followed along with him and Blueblood as they were brought to their table.
They were quickly seated and as the Griffon left, Prince let out a small sigh.
“My apologies for that. Griffon's can be a bit abrasive, and given the Maitre D’s job is to be even more abrasive to those under a certain.... economic status the effect is a bit doubled.” Prince explained.
“It's fine, there's no need to worry about it. I suppose I just asked the wrong question.” Twilight sighed. “All Griffon's can't be that bad.”
Prince shrugged a little at that looking at the menu. “I cannot say all of them no, but my trips to Griffonstone have shown that many of them are rather crass. Enough that that may be the normal state of their race.”
“Really? I was under the impression that Griffonstone was a vibrant culture.”Twilight pondered.
“ I wonder why they would be like that?”
“Well it may have been a vibrant culture once, but with the death of their last king it's become something of a mess. Their economy is in shambles and everyone is squabbling over every thing they can get.” Prince explained. “Likely the only reason it has not collapsed into a wasteland already is due to the ones at the top doing all they can to make more bits. They seem to have completely disregarded their own Pinion coins the moment the value dropped to less than half of the Equestrian bit.”
“Really? You've been to Griffonstone?”
“Twice. Though the first time was a class trip and the second time was in a official capacity. “ Prince nodded. “I went as a understudy to the current ambassador of the crown.”
“Oh that's right, I've heard you were studying to join the Royal States Department.”
“Indeed. While not the most glorious of positions, it is a necessary one and I do find myself enjoying the travel despite the study required. I am told I have a head for negotiation, and word play. But I suppose you have me beat by a great deal in the studying department. What career exactly are you trying for?”
“I'm not really. I mean, I wouldn't mind taking over the position of the Royal archivist, but in truth lately I’ve started to get the sense that Princess Celestia is trying to lead me towards something, though I don't know what.” Twilight admitted.
“Yes. I do understand that. My aunt has a habit of playing chess with ponies. Still I wouldn't worry about it. If she has something in mind for you it will likely be for the best in the end.” Prince placated.
About this time a large figure in a suit walked up to the table. Prince looked up a little surprised that the restaurant would hire a Diamond Dog. Still he knew one of the head chefs was a Yak, so perhaps it was not too out of place. Still this one looked familiar. It must have been from a previous visit here as he would have easily recognized that ridiculously oversized mustache had he seen it anywhere else.
“ Le' Bark?” The waiter asked in a slightly Prench sounding accent.
“Oh, I'll have the lentil and pumpkin stew, with the Sous vide vegetable garden salad, and just water to drink.” Twilight responded not looking up from the menu as the waiter wrote it down.
“Le' Arff?” the canine asked Prince who shook his head a moment thinking he misheard the bark if Twilight knew what he said.
“Yes sorry, water as well to drink, I’ll have the charred leeks with white asparagus, hazelnuts and milk skin. Also a side of Bolo do caco, no butter please.” Prince stated watching as the waiter wrote it down, bowed a little, caught his mustache to prevent it from falling off, quickly stuck it back to his face before he retreated to the back with the order.
Prince tried not to be worried about that.
Dinner went quite well, though there was an air of nervousness from Twilight that Prince could easily pick up on. The conversation was pleasant however running over a range of topics, though Prince barely had any input into some of them, even involving the play they had just seen. He was greatly impressed with the amount of knowledge about … well practically everything, that Twilight had. He made a note to recall one or two of the more interesting factoids she spoke of , though unfortunately quite a bit of it reminded him of his last teacher and it took every ounce of will power he had to continue to focus on her.
Likewise he noted that when he went off on a tangent of his interests, she payed attention as well, though she seemed to be struggling when the conversation turned to management and noble pursuits.
The meal was a bit off putting as Twilight was not aware what a tiny serving size was provided from the fancy restaurants. Blueblood was more concerned with the waiter. It was not the same individual that had come through before. The Diamond Dog had been tall. This waiter barely could reach up to place the tray on the table Prince was not even sure what race the small waiter was. He wore a large top hat that hid most of his head and a red mustache that was even larger and more ridiculous than the previous waiter as it hid half his face. He delivered the food quickly and properly enough though as he waddled off Prince could have sworn he had a purple tail poking out of the back of his suit.
It also didn't look like Twilight liked the meal as she was carefully picking at it almost seeming tense as she ate.
The meal was eaten in silence and Prince could tell that this likely was not going to work out between them. Thankfully a incident of one of the waiters nearly dropping a tray of food and another upending a soup tureen over the Maitre D’'s head and quitting urged them to quickly finish and head out.
Prince still felt eyes on him, but at least here it could have been the other nobles in the restaurant.
The ride back was fairly quiet a few snippets of conversation here and there though as they pulled up to her home Prince decided it best he address the issue in case she was too nervous to do so.
“Miss Sparkle...” Prince began.
“Twilight..” Twilight corrected.
“Sorry,Twilight, at any rate did you enjoy our date?”
“I...oh yes … it was fun … just...”Twilight muttered.
“You are not sure if you wish to do so again.” Prince continued.
“Yes, I mean no, I mean.... ughh.” Twilight grumbled.
“It is quite alright Twilight. We move in different circles and have completely different interests aside from a scant few that overlap. It seems we are not exactly compatible romantically, though this is fine. It's the point of a date after all to see if anything past initial attraction exists.” Prince confided. “In this case it seems it does not, unfortunately. Better to recognize that now then to keep trying and become miserable.”
“That was rather insightful...” Twilight smiled.
“Cadence is my cousin.. or something, I don't even know, but she made sure to give me a rather long lecture about love and dating before she would let me go out tonight.” Prince admitted.
“Hehe, I suppose I should have just asked her rather than check out everything in the library.”Twilight admitted.
“That was you? “ Prince questioned.” That was the reason I needed to go to her for advice as there were no books left in the library.”
“Oops.” Twilight chuckled sheepishly.
Prince smirked noting the awkwardness was gone for the moment , the tension seemingly released.
“Still I am glad the attempt was made, even if nothing much came of it.” Prince admitted.
“Well we can't say nothing came of it.” Twilight smiled. “I mean we both have a better understanding of each other now. I suppose if we encounter something that's in the others field of expertise we would have a reliable source of help to fall back on...”
“A rather round about way of saying a 'friend'. “ Prince chuckled.
“Well that works too....” Twilight smiled. “ I suppose it would be easy to get in contact with each other as well either through the Princess or Cadence.”
“Indeed. Though I could just give you my address. Still I do hope you enjoyed the evening Twilight. I hope to see you again sometime, perhaps under less stressed circumstances when we are not trying to make a favorable impression on each other and we can simply be who we are?”
“Sounds good. Perhaps you could join Rahs and I for another play sometime.” Twilight added. “ I expect you two might get along.”
“Ahh that sounds lovely. Though you could always come by for my birthday party in a few months. I'm told it is going to be something of an event.” Prince grumbled not having much say in what his parents were doing with it.
Twilight twitched at that. ”Umm I think I will have to pass, sorry but I don't really do Birthday parties...., I'll send you a card though.”
“Ah well, I won't press it then. I do hope you have a lovely night however Twilight.” Prince bowed his head. “I shall hopefully see you again sometime soon.”
“I'm sure you will. Good night Prince.” Twilight smiled opening the door and leaving the carriage.
Prince waited until she made it to her door before urging his chauffeurs to take him home. The mare had given him a lot to think about. It was a pity that there was nothing more to come of this, it was nice to meet a mare who wasn't too focused on his wealth or status. Perhaps he would get lucky a second time, or even try a disguise... something a bit better than the ones her brothers had worn over the course of the night however.