//------------------------------//
// Our Place In The Game Board (RB And BS ) 
// Story: The Humble Prince 
// by Lighting Ace 
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Soon after joining Blueblood's lesson in etiquette, Nefertiti took an unusual amount of initiative with each assignment that Flicker imparted to the Prince, at first offering examples or experiences where she had to exercise the practices of nobility. She quickly went so far as to offer herself up to be used to practice hand gestures, greetings, and even proper placement in case of required dances. The latter earned an internal groan from the Prince, who still couldn't believe there were more than fifteen different types of slow dances he needed to learn. And that was just for pegasus dignitaries, and he now realized there is even more for other races. 

That sentiment appeared to be shared by the princess, who took advantage of Flicker getting distracted for a moment to speak to Blueblood in his ear. "Talk about tedious, am I right?"  

With wide eyes, the Prince looked at Nefertiti in surprise as she merely winked before going back to her charade. 

"……aaaaaaand done, separated," Flicker called out, approaching the two with a ruler and measuring the distance between them with a critical eye. "Hmm, five inches more than necessary, your highness. It is a good thing; this is a practice dance. Otherwise, Princess Nefertiti would have had the right to be severely offended." 

"Please tell me that you're joking," the Prince looked at his instructor, getting more tired and slightly irked on how many ridiculous rules kept popping up, each one more demanding and dictating then the previously one, how he walked, stand, and even look when doing anything.

"Proper decorum is by no means a laughing manner, your highness! High society has one of the most critical eyes. Every action performed needs absolute devotion and grace," he states earnestly before addressing the princess. "I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for your help, Princess Nefertiti, Prince Blueblood may have become more decent and kind in recent months, but his manners on nobility are still a work in progress." 

"As true as that might be, my recent condition plus no recollection of a great portion of rules on ethics explains why there will be slow progress in this lesson, Profesor," the Prince defended, occasionally stopping to try and think the right and proper way to phrase his complaints. 

"Much work to do indeed," Flicker confirmed in disappointment and with a shake of his head. 

"Please, Mr. Flicker, there is no need for such harsh words to the prince," Nefertiti commented as she and the guards approached Blueblood. "It true that mistakes were made and practice can erase errors, but like a diamond in the rough, there is potential in you, your highness. Please don't be wary of having offended me, since you didn't, and I will gladly assist you with your practice some more if you so desire in the future," she ended by giving him a courtesy. The Prince’s heart fluttered yet again, and it seemed to force him to take a step back in discomfort once more.

There is that sensation again; why does this keep happening? Human ladies! You like human ladies! 

The sound of Flicker clearing his throat brought the Prince back to reality. "And I will keep such offer in mind, thank you for your help, fair maiden," the Prince returned the gesture, making Flicker nod in approval. 

"Very well, I believe with this; we can conclude our lesson for the day. Princess Nefertiti, would you like for me to escort you to the dining hall? We can prepare a dish for your enjoyment while you wait for an audience with the…" 

The princess stopped him by lifting her paw "…that will not be necessary Mr. Flicker, as much as it would honor me to speak with the princesses, the reason of my visit is to speak with Prince Blueblood. With our respective guards as the only ones present if that would be acceptable," she told the butler, her nearly unnoticeable passive-aggressive tone was caught by Blueblood and put him on alert with a general feeling of unease as Flicker nodded. Garra and Daga took glances at one another from those actions and slowly drew closer to Blueblood in a protective manner as they subtly checked their weapons. 

"Very well, your highnesses. If you require anything else, feel free to address any maid or butler on duty, and they will assist you to post-haste," Flicker informed them, respectfully bowing to both before taking his leave. Once out of earshot, Nefertiti let go of a particularly big sigh and relaxed her posture slightly before looking at Blueblood. "Aaaaaaand scene," she closed her eyes and joined her fingers together as if she was finishing her performance of an act. Surprising both Blueblood and the twins.  

"Once more, another flawless performance of a dignitary, elegant, and proven by your heated checks, gorgeous exotic princess of a faraway land," she proclaimed with a great deal of pride before smirking and chuckling as she looked at the rest. "Ah, are you confused? Didn't you expect such a twist from an otherwise shy and collected Princess?" she asked, putting her hand on her chest as she struck a pose. "Such is the power of acting!" she virtually yelled the last sentence while raising her paw into the air.  

Holy broadway musical, I think I just found the missing cast member of 'cats' The Prince thought, as he recovered from the initial shock and cleared his throat before speaking again. "Well, as great as that performance was…?" 

"Oh, please hold your applause," she faked modesty while holding her checks. 

"Riiight, as much as how good that acting was milady. I find myself forced to ask why make such a performance, rather than speak freely?" 

"For the same reason why you are still doing it," she answered honestly, relaxing her posture. "You can drop the act too; by the way, there is no one else looking," she encouraged him.  

"Ahemph!" the twins voice their opinion glaring at the princess. 

"Right, besides your personal nannies," she added.

"Oh no, that would be entirely inappropriate, miss Nefertiti," the Prince countered, taking a step back as the guards slowly extend their wings on alert. 

"Trust me, other than stifling by the book teachers, and the occasional noise noble' nobody cares, especially between us royals," Nefertiti insists with a neutral expression and a roll of her eyes. "Come on; I wish to talk with the real Blueblood, not this mumbo jumbo act of refined prince, which by the way, hard to break it to you honey but…ah no, the theatre is not for you," she confessed, snapping her fingers a couple of times. Her antics had a surprisingly calming effect on the Prince as a nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he started to smirk. 

She is a cat lady, a cat lady! Focus!

"It was that bad, eh?" Blueblood answered, finally giving in and relaxed his posture. Trying his best to ignore an increasingly unsettled sensation he had and decided he was being paranoid, then placing his hoofs on the twins indicating to them that they should relax as well. They looked at him, confused but complied.

"There you go! Now we are getting somewhere," Nefertiti exclaimed in happiness while approaching him. The guards were clearly at a loss, not understanding what was happening or what they should do. "Also, yes, you still need a lot more practice, Bluey, mind if I call you Bluey? Our names are kind of long, so maybe shortening them could help, you can call me Nifi if you wish," 

"S-Sure, and I don't have a problem with Bluey. You are right; my name can be a bit of a mouthful," he agrees with a smile, silently thanking her for a chance to drop the honorific and talk regularly. "And thanks for letting me relax a bit, Nifi, you are right. Keeping up appearances can be particularly tiresome." 

"So true, which is why I wanted to teach you my kind of lesson before that butler gave you a wrong impression about how the world of us princes and princesses operate. After all, bargaining chips need to stick together." 

"Bargaining Chips?" The Prince looks at her, confused with a raised eyebrow. 

"You don't know?" She asked, genuinely surprised before looking at him on pity before sighing with sadness. "Then I suppose this is a good time as any to rip off the band-aid, Bluey, The title of prince, especially the one that is granted because of a blood relation to the real rulers, has a darker and less glamorous side of the job description," she explained, while keeping her head low. "You see as their direct descendants, those that rule a kingdom have involved us in their eternal game of power. That becomes evident each time a favor is needed, or an alliance is offered," she elaborated much to the surprise of Blueblood as he suddenly remembered the words of his aunts in the restaurant, slowly starting to piece together the implications she was saying. 

"The marriage proposal deal,” he says in realization, before getting angry. "My aunts would never do that, they told me themselves! Equestria would freeze before they would hand me over to any ruler!" 

"So they at the very least explained your marriage deals then?" She asked with a calm smile, not fazed by his outburst. 

"The very least?" Blueblood asked, not expecting that response from her. 

"You think a union is the only play on their game?" She asks surprise. "Bluey, like I told you, in the game of power, a direct descendant is the perfect bargaining chip for an alliance; throw out a union. But if the chip shows more potential, then it's worth rises…as well as its demands. Potential like, for example, solving an economic and crime crisis in an unthinkably short amount of time," she casually pointed out. "Yeah, that will do the trick to get the attention of various rulers, and by the way, bravo with that one. You truly turned heads with that performance," she complimented honestly followed with a slow clap 

"Even if true, my aunts will. Not. Allow. It," the Prince pointedly stated.

"That is not going to stop others from trying," Nefertiti quickly responded, "Like my father, for example, who got interested in your exploits in Manehattan." 

"So, that is why you're here then?" The Prince asked with a disappointed tone as she nodded. 

"If so, then why are you telling me all of this…assuming that I believe you. After all, you are one heck of an actress," 

"Awww stop it, Bluey, you are going to make blush," she said suddenly, getting embarrassed and looking away, as Blueblood continued. 

"Which means you are particularly good at lying and faking emotions." 

That stopped Nefertiti as she slowly turns to look at him. "Hurtful…yet not without merit," she admitted with a nod before smiling slightly. "It seems like you have indeed gotten wiser. True, there is no reason for you to believe me, and I, as the great actress that I am, could make a convincing act of being a duck with a dragon tail if I so desired. So I believe that some proof could be in order." 

She then starts to unzip the lower part of her dress, surprising the Prince and guards who quickly covered his eyes with their wings. "Nifi…what are you doing?" The Prince asked, pulling the wings down slowly as he notices how the princess’s dress hid a pair of black shorts as well as jogging shoes. The bit of cloth she removed was repurposed as an improvised cape that she re-zipped over her shoulders. 

"Changing for the occasion; we are going to need a bit of stealth for me to show you exactly what I'm talking about. Now, let's go, by now, the argument over you should be starting knowing my father." 

"And how do I know this is not what you want? " The Prince asks, wary of her. 

To this, she only gestured all around. "In your home? Surrounded by your guards? Without a way for me to escape or hide if I tried something? What could I possibly do?" 

The Prince thought about it but ultimately decided to follow much to the displeasure of his guards. 

"Your highness, are you sure?" Garra asked in concern as he nodded. 

"My guards have lighting speed and quick reactions, Nefertiti, don't forget that either. Try something, and you will be on the ground before knowing what happened; I will be watching you," the Prince warned her as she nodded in understanding. 

"More than fair; I just have one request." 

"Which is?" 

"Please keep your eyes above the neck," she made a joke before winking. "Just kidding, now let's go and see how our parents and relatives are faring," she proclaimed in excitement while heading back into the castle. 

She is a cat lady! This shouldn’t be affecting me. What is going on!?

The Prince only blinked before looking at the guards. "Stay close and keep an eye on her," He instructed before following Nefertiti inside after the twins acknowledged his orders.

A short time later, both royals managed to find the meeting room where his family was talking alongside other rulers and eavesdropped on their conversation. Celestia had wisely had sent request letters asking for a group audience simultaneously. A meeting that Atticus probably had been a part of hadn't he arrived in Canterlot unannounced, and just as Nefertiti, told him the discussion they were having quickly went into a negotiation involving Blueblood. 

"And now that we took care of the returning of stolen goods and the transport of criminals let us pass to the next issue on the agenda," Celestia announced, with the other kings and queens silhouettes showing on different golden caldrons and the royal cats. 

"Ah yes, the subject of your nephew and his recent exploits," Atticus commented with a confident smile. "I believed that from helping so many of us dealing with these particularly dangerous criminals, some form of reward is needed. As an expression of gratitude for his help." 

"Indeed, but before any of that is discussed, I would like to begin this conversation by stopping any and all attempts you may be thinking of for an arranged marriage involving him," Celestia quickly proclaimed with severity, earning a smile from Blueblood as he looked at Nefertiti "See?" 

"Keep listening; this is where the game starts," she whispered back to him as they kept listening to the conversation. 

"A rather bold statement Princess," a minotaur figure responded, "Ignoring the slight insult of you denying us the option of even negotiating on the prospect. Rejecting such offer deprives all of so much we could achieve together, the bonds of friendship we can strengthen, the possibilities of combining our forces, that…" 

"Not. For. Debate," Celestia replied before he could continue. 

"Better let it go, King Bulkups," Another female figure responded, this one appeared to be some horse siren. "Princess Celestia has made up her mind, so we should be respectful of her decision." 

"Thank you, Queen Novo," Celestia responded to her friend with a smile. 

"That being said, Bulkups still raises a point that needs discussion," Atticus the Second voiced his opinion. "Princess Celestia, you can deny us that option, but the truth of the matter is that Equestria has been gathering various sources of particularly powerful magic that comes in various forms. The idea of one country controlling day and night is scary enough, but in the last couple of years, you have managed to retrieve six ancient elements believed to be lost, gained the favor of the literal incarnation of chaos, and claimed control over a lost civilization that has recently developed a new form of magic, all this coupled with the recent creation of a new and skilled princess with a budding potential in both leadership…and possible warfare. It leads to questions." 

"The Crystal Empire is not under princess Celestia’s control! I can assure you; we are an independent nation just like the rest of you." This time Blueblood managed to distinguish and hear the voice of his cousin, Princess Cadence. "Twilight has been raised and trained to be a fair ruler and would never try to conquer other nations, or even attack them unless provoked. The elements protect more than just Equestria and, if needed, will come to your aid, and as for Discord, he is a free spirit that can do what he pleases; he is no way under our jurisdiction," she starts to list. 

"True, but Blueblood is, am I wrong?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. 

"Prince Atticus, is there a point to this?" Celestia asked.

"As Princess Cadence just listed, Discord, the Crystal Empire, and The Elements all of them are independent individuals or kingdoms that already serve the greater good on a global scale, and in the case of the elements simply serve under the rule of Equestria when not on missions of friendship as they have been called, but your nephew on the other paw? He still has binding obligations as a prince of Canterlot, doesn’t he?" 

"Binding obligations?" Blueblood whispered in confusion. 

"Told you, bargaining chips," Nefertiti whispered back while pointing at both her and him. In that instant, the Prince started to remember his meeting with Despero and how so far, he subconsciously been doing the same thing he did while human. But now, to his horror, he was starting to see Celestia doing the same his father did. Treating him like a pet project or in this case, a political advantage/ offer. 

No, NO! S-She is not him; she is not!” The Prince shakes his head before continuing to listen.

"My son raises a good point Princess Celestia, and since tragically, you have closed your heart on the beauty that would have been such spectacular wedding, much to mine and Princess Cadence's clear grief." 

"Wait, that I'm what now?" Cadence look at Atticus, confused, but he merely continued unfazed.  

"I propose one, although not as beautiful alternative," he dramatically exclaims much to the confusion of Blueblood as he slowly turns to Nefertiti, who shakes her head. 

"Don't ask," She quickly answers.

"To ease any tensions his actions might have caused, and as a symbol of friendship between nations, I propose that Blueblood becomes an economic adviser for all of us," Atticus offered much to the horror of Blueblood.

I rather die before going diving into that world! He resolved in both anger and disgust. 

"Imagine my fellow rulers, the wisdom that this pony has demonstrated quite easily surpassed any expectations we might have had. It took him one month to save a series of dying franchises and made them bloom into economic powerhouses without any effort. What do you think he could achieve with a whole functional kingdom? With his advice, it is quite possible that not only we, but all of our subjects could eat and prosper like kings for years to come!" 

"No..." the Prince whispered as he slowly started to back away from the door. 

"Atticus raises a good option," Bulkups pointed out. "And he knows how to fight too, I would love to have him as a guest!" he finishes in excitement.

"Any family member of Celestia's family is welcome here too," Novo adds as well. 

"So, we are on an agreement here then?" Atticus asked the princess with a smirk who looked at the gathered rulers and sighed. 

"Very well," the voice of Princess Celestia shook the Prince to the core as she spoke, while in his eyes, the silhouette of his father formed beside her. "We'll begin the discussion of his services." 

"No. " the Prince shook his head and turned around, escaping the room, not believing his ears. 

"H-hey! wait up!" Nefertiti gave chase, confused about what happened to him, but both were too far gone to hear the rest of the meeting. 

"I will open the idea of my nephew visiting your lands as a show of good faith, as a TEMPORARY arrangement, with the function of a minor advisor, but the decision of consulting or not will fall ultimately with him," she said with all due seriousness. "And we will respect his wishes regardless of the answer, are we clear?" 

"But of course, Princess, and as rulers, you have our word that we will be the best of hosts while on his visit," Atticus says solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. 

While all of that happened, Nefertiti managed to finally catch up to the guards who were restraining Blueblood while he continued to shake like a leaf. "I'm not going back to that world; I will not! There is only greed and traitors in there," the Prince exclaimed, not talking to anyone in particular. 

"Your highness, control yourself, relax!" Garra tried her best, but the Prince still didn’t respond as he kept shaking his head as if trying to wake up from a bad dream. 

"Oh boy, I didn't imagine it will hit him, this hard. It’s ok, though. I know what to do." Nefertiti said quietly to the guards as she approached, only to Daga to stop and raise her wings in front of her. "I think you've done enough already! 'Your highness-'" 

"You want me to turn tail and leave him like this?" She replied indignantly, pointing to Blueblood. 

"You mean the condition YOU put him into in the first place?" 

"Look! He is hyperventilating, and if I don't know this…oh boy, I don't have time for this, guards! Open the way!" she yells at the air, and seconds later, two cats dressed as ninjas fell on top of the twins and after a brief scuffle, moved them out of the way so the princess could reach the Prince. 

"Get away from him you little…!" Daga tried to throw one of her knives. Still, the ninjas blocked their way. The two guards watched to see how she only grabbed the Prince by the head and, to the surprise of everyone, pressed his face against her chest hard, pulling him into a tight embrace where he almost immediately yelled as hard and loud as he could. 

They were shocked by the action, and even more so by how it seemed to have worked as moments later, the Prince started to calm down enough to breath and let go of Nefertiti while holding his chest. 

"Feeling better?" 

"Yeah…yeah, I think so…how…how did you know that would work?" Blueblood asked, genuinely surprised and confused by her actions. 

"I told you, we bargaining chips need to stick together," she informs him with a sad smile. "I have been in your shoes before, so I know when somepony needs to scream. Usually, a pillow would work, but this seemed like an emergency, so like any good actress, I improvised a little."

"Thanks," Blueblood commented, keeping his head down as Nefertiti ninjas released his own so all four could approach. "You were right Nifi, we are pieces to them, even my aunts will use me in some capacity to avoid tensions with other rulers," he said while keeping his head as low as possible, his heart felt like it was in complete tatters, flooded with sadness and anger, he was no longer sure about what to believe or if he could genuinely trust his aunt after that. 

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean we can't turn the situation around in our favor," Nefertiti suggests, slowly lifting his head. 

"Turning it around? Is there a way to do that?" the Prince asked, surprised by her offer as she smiles and nods. 

"Would you like to learn how?" she asks him with a playful smirk. 

The Prince took one glance toward the door where the meeting was still taking place before hardening his gaze, then looking back at Nefertiti before nodding once.