Princess Celestia let out a small sigh as she made her way through the halls of the castle, heading toward her private quarters. It had been a fairly standard day for her. Day court had gone well, with none of the petitioners being too outrageous or rude. Not much in the way of her school's paperwork had arrived yet, but what little there had been more than met the approval of The Equestrian Education Association, as well as her own standards as Princess and Principal. Which reminded her that she still needed to to prepare her own lesson plans for the fall semester and submit them for approval as well. Additionally, all of the prior instructors were returning, and none had retired, so there was no need to try and find a new teacher to take over. Supper had been a little lonely since her sister had left to visit the Pie family's rock farm and meet the bat pony that Maud had mentioned, but it was still a lovely meal, and Princess Celestia had dined alone quite a few times over the millennium plus that she had ruled.
One of the unusual things that had happened, was the arrival of a package from Ponyville, sent to her by Rainbow Burst. It had arrived while Celestia was in court, along with a letter from her student as well. Had she been able, she would have read the letter and investigated the package almost immediately. Unfortunately, she still had other matters to tend to, and thus, was forced to wait.
Such was not entirely a bad thing, however. Now that she was done for the day, she could take the time to enjoy the letter her student had sent her in peace and quiet. Just take her time to read it, and maybe write a response. Then she could find out what had been sent to her, and figure out what to do with it.
As she approached the door to her quarters, she noticed the familiar form of a blond unicorn stallion waiting nearby. With a smile, the stallion gave a slight bow.
"Good evening, Auntie," he stated. "I hope you are doing well."
Celestia gave a smile as she approached. She knew her nephew well enough to suspect that his visit was more than simply social, but he could be very sweet and charming when he tried. Although, truth be told, there were times when she wished he would try a little more. She saw great potential in him, but he would have to get over his elitism, class discrimination, and sense of entitlement to live up to it.
"Good even to you as well, Blueblood," she replied. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Curiosity," he answered. "I happen to notice a large package arriving for you, and from what I could tell, it seemed to be some sort of collection of plants. If somepony had felt they could send them to you, they must believe it was something you did not see before. I was hoping to see them as well."
Celestia's smile grew a little larger and more genuine. It had slipped her mind that Blueblood had a strong interest in gardening and plants. It was one of the things that his mother had shared with him and instilled a passion for before her passing.
The letter could wait a little longer. This was an opportunity to share a moment with her nephew, bonding over something that they both had an interest in. Plus, it may also give her a way to improve the relationship between him and Rainbow, having it be less minor antagonism and more genuine civility, which could then be worked up toward a proper friendship.
Or more, but that was not really her purview.
"Certainly," Celestia stated as she opened the door. "Please come in. I would love to discover what plants have been sent with you."
The two made their way into Celestia's private quarters, walking toward the box that had arrived. A clear window had been placed on the top, to let light in, but it was not clear to begin with, and there was condensation on the inside, obscuring the contents further. All that could be made out through the lid was hints of blue.
Opening the box, the two of them looked at the flowers inside. There were nine of the plants in total, each one planted in a little plot of soil. They were a soft, light blue color, with the bloom set in two parts like a daffodil. One part was the outer portion, composed of five petals that splayed out and even twisted a little backwards at the edges. The other was a cup created by three or four more petals, encircling the stamens at the core.
"Quite fascinating," Blueblood said, looking at them. "I don't think I've seen such a flower before. Have you?"
Princess Celestia's brow furrowed as she looked a the flowers.
"I... think so?" she answered, staring at them. "They look familiar to me, but I can't place from where."
"Perhaps from back during the colonization of the kingdom?" Blueblood suggested. "A flower that had been brought from one of the outlying regions?"
"Perhaps," Celestia answered. She continued to stare at the flower, her mind racking as she tried to recall where she had seen it from before. With more than a thousand years of life behind her, it could be difficult to remember some things at times. More so when it was minor and from the further end of her experiences. Even matters which were of great importance become vague.
As Celestia tried to recall, Blueblood leaned forward, pressing his nose against one of the new flowers and giving it a scent.
"Oh, quite lovely. A bit subtle, but with the hint of spice to it. Something between jasmine and cinnamon."
A thought suddenly occurred to Princess Celestia and she smiled.
"Would you like to take one?"
The question caught Blueblood by surprise. He moved back from the flowers, looking up at the Princess with surprise.
"Would such a thing be alright? I mean, these were sent to you."
"And I shall have eight others which I can tend to," Princess Celestia replied. "Besides, I know you will take excellent care of it."
Plus, once he had started to do so, she could point out that it was Rainbow Burst who had sent the flowers to her, and suggest that maybe he should write her a thank you letter. It was unlikely he would do so, but if he did, it would be a step to amending things between them.
Blueblood gave a nod, and turned to the flowers again. He licked his lips and lit his horn with magic. The dirt around one of the flowers began to glow, gently being lifted from the container.
"Well, if you don't mind." He smiled as he looked at it. "It would look rather lovely in the window box. And perhaps I can cultivate enough to plant a few at the country estate."
He turned to look at Celestia.
"Thank you, Auntie. It is quite lovely."
He gave her a kiss on the cheek before making his way for the door.
"I must plant this immediately."
Princess Celestia smiled, watching her nephew leave. It was nice to see him showing a genuine interest in something and being compassionate, even if it was only to a plant. The smile faltered a little as she looked at the plants again. She still could not place where she had seen them before, and it was eating at her. It felt like it was important for some reason she could not place a hoof on.
Perhaps reading Rainbow's letter would help jog her memory.
Horn lighting up, she picked up the letter her student had sent with the flowers. Princess Celestia made her way to the pillow by the fireplace, her favorite place to read such as relax. Undoing the ribbon, she unfurled the scroll and began to read.
As she read, she came across the name of the flowers. Celestia's eyes went wide as it suddenly sank in.
"Oh my."