After seeing Twilight safely back to her room and helping her unload the small carryall stuffed with the books that Twilight had found at the library, Princess Celestia took a quick lunch, then settled herself on her throne in the Audience Chamber to keep an eye on the proceedings.
After several hundred years, with constant re-juggling of roles and responsibilities, it all ran... well... like clockwork. She only rarely had to intervene or express an opinion, since her staff knew her mind so well. The Council of Mares and Stallions deliberated on political issues, and presented options for her to decide amongst. The Chamberlain and her staff fielded paperwork and petitioners, referring the important cases to the Princess -- though always in her presence, so she could ask the party in question to step forward if she felt their case wasn't being given proper attention.
It all worked so well that she could easily have absented herself from the Chamber for an hour, a day, a week or more without serious harm. Yet she felt it important to be visible, to demonstrate her attention and concern for her subjects. It did sometimes mean a lengthy and tedious audience session, with only the occasional letter to be read or dictated. When she felt herself seriously nodding off, she would sometimes ask one of the clerks standing near the throne to read quietly to her from a book hidden amongst the scrolls on her work desk.
This afternoon there was some minor amusement: a trade delegation from the Griffons, very proud and stuffy, stalking about the floor with grand gestures of their pinions. They were quite confident she would see fit to accept their new tariff on feathers and silk, and it was entertaining seeing how long she could keep their hopes up before dashing them -- regretfully, of course, yet with a suggestion that their respective negotiators work together on a plan for increased trade.
Yet all the afternoon she found herself thinking back to the training session that morning, to the gentle touch of Twilight's nose pressed against her own, and Twilight's willing acceptance of her help. And the sheer power Celestia had felt being channeled through the tiny filly, as she learned to steady herself and keep it from overwhelming her. Only once before had Celestia experienced that level of power. It was exhilarating, and also frankly intimidating, because it was a reminder of how little time was left.
She wanted to return to Twilight, move right on to the next lesson, given how rapidly they'd progressed. Yet it wasn't fair to Twilight establishing that kind of precedent. Sooner or later, they would hit a wall and then it would be better for Twilight to feel comfortable taking a break rather than pushing ahead. And Celestia knew she also had to allow Cadance time to establish her own relationship with Twilight; that would be equally important. So she sat, and watched her dominion tick along its merry way... like a clock approaching midnight.
Finally, the Chamberlain announced the session's end. With relief Celestia allowed herself to be escorted to the upper balcony from which she performed first the Lowering of the Sun Ceremony, and then the Raising of the Moon. Even after all this time the latter was still a challenge, like trying to roller-skate backwards on a cliff edge. But eventually the Moon was hanging in a star-filled sky. Celestia did her best with the constellations and nebulae but always felt that even on her best evenings it was a rough-edged patchwork.
After a long inspection of the sky to make sure nothing was out of place, she permitted her private staff to take her in hoof, escorting her to the bedchamber, divesting her of the sculptured golden shoes, necklace, and crown, serving her evening cup of tea, and getting her settled for the night under a silken coverlet, since it was scheduled to be a slightly cooler evening for a change.
Yet once the candles had been extinguished and the serving ponies had crept quietly from the room, Celestia simply lay in the darkness for a long while, unable to relax enough to drop off to sleep.
Eventually, she shrugged her way out from under the cover and got up. Crossing to the bedchamber's balcony, she pushed open the doors and sat on the balcony looking up at the sky, at the Moon with its Mare shadow. With a practiced eye she located the four small Shepherd Stars, arranged in a tetrahedron around the Moon. With a light spark from her horn, she reached out to them, heard their muted replies. She could feel them weakening, failing, going over to her. Sooner or later they would succumb, and then she would escape.
And because everything has a balance, the prison would then be reversed, and Celestia would find herself imprisoned in the Sun, unable to defend Equestria and its many inhabitants from her wrath. That is, if Celestia was not simply incinerated on the spot in the Sun's flames.
"Even a thousand years is not forever," she whispered, shivering a little in the chill air. "Luna, my dear Luna, will you be merciful to them?"
"Auntie?" called a soft voice behind her. Celestia started, then controlled herself. She had left orders not to be disturbed, but she had also allowed that one Princess in particular might overrule that order.
Cadance stepped out on the balcony and sat down next to her, leaning close.
"Bad dreams?"
"Not yet. But only because I haven't slept. It's difficult falling asleep. I keep encountering her." She glanced at Cadance. "Twilight?"
"Tucked up and dozing. I just went in and pulled the book out from under the covers, so I'm pretty sure she's down for the night. That nice Lieutenant is on station outside her door if she needs anything. Now, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Well, I can't do anything about the nightmares," Cadance said. "Yet I can make it easier for you to get to sleep. And that may help you avoid them."
Celestia frowned. "I worry I may become dependent on that."
"C'mon, Auntie, you need to get to bed."
"I am not a foal, niece!"
"No," Cadance replied unrepentantly, "you're the unchallenged ruler of all Equestria, who needs her beauty sleep so that she doesn't wake up one morning in a mood to lop somepony's head off."
Celestia looked askance at her. "I would never do anything like that."
"Try telling that to your subjects."
Sighing, Celestia gave in. Returning to bed, she let Cadance pull the covers over her again and then closed her eyes. She felt Cadance's magic settle on her, just a light spell, but filling her with warmth and comfort. She finally felt herself relaxing.
"I still say you would have made an excellent ruler," she said sleepily. "Selfless compassion such as yours is uncommon, and it is not a weakness."
"Yes, Auntie, we've been through all that. My magic isn't nearly powerful enough. I'm the Princess of Love, not the Princess of the Sun and the Moon, and I'm okay with that!" She gently rested a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "For what it's worth, Auntie, I wish it had worked out that way. You'd have had so much more time to prepare!"
"And Twilight..." Celestia murmured. She finally dropped off, wheezing gently.
Cadance lingered to make sure Celestia was finally resting, then crossed to the balcony doors and shut them tight, with a glance at the Moon herself as she did so.
Then she trotted off to check on Twilight before turning in.