//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Responsibilities // by Hiver //------------------------------// 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.”