"Do we really have to do this, Twilight?"
The Princess of Equestria sighed. "I'm not looking forward to it either, Spike. But he is a member of the elite of Canterlot, so we were going to have to meet with him sooner or later."
Spike grumbled as he folded his arms. "Later would've been better."
Twilight sympathised, but there were some things her position simply forced her to have to deal with on occasion, however unpleasant. But, let it never be said that she wasn't willing to put on a show when those times came, so she forced a smile and stood just in front of her throne, looking ever the royal as she looked to Flash, who stood beside the great door of her throne room. "You may give him entry now."
Flash saluted, turning around to open the door in question. Once open, he turned again to face Twilight. "Announcing the arrival of Prince Blueblood!"
The aforementioned Prince walked right into the room, with that usual swagger that gave the distinct impression that he felt like he owned the place. But, before he approached Twilight proper, he halted, giving some side-eye to Flash. "A good enough announcement for one of my station, I suppose."
Flash held back his frown until the aristocrat was looking away from him, and Twilight had to silently admit that she shared her guard's sentiment on the matter. But she held her tongue for now, watching as her predecessor's nephew finally reached the throne, giving a quick bow to her, which she responded to with a small bow of her head. "Prince Blueblood. Welcome to the palace."
The white stallion smirked as he rose back up again. "Oh, I assure you, Miss twilight. I am far more familiar with this place than you. No need for official welcomes."
Spike stepped forward, pointing to him. "That's Princess Twilight to you!"
Blueblood rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, my apologies," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "I suppose, when one spends as many years as they have addressing certain other mares with that title, it can be easy to forget that there was more than one."
Spike's frown deepened, though Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder to calm him down, before speaking up herself. "I understand you wished to speak to me?"
Blueblood swept aside some of his blonde mane, looking to her with as much respect as he was able to muster, which admittedly wasn't much. "Indeed. Though I must confess I am somewhat irked that you've waited until now before allowing me an audience."
Twilight looked away briefly. "Well, I've had a number of others I needed to speak to during that time. It's only now that I've had some available space in my schedule."
Blueblood seemed unconvinced. "Oh? And what matters could possibly have required your attention more?"
Spike, as if waiting for that very question, started counting off his claws. "National leaders, the various ponies she needs to speak to for enacting reforms in Equestria, the new trainer for the Royal Guard..."
"Oh, them," Blueblood remarked nonchalantly. But then he shook his head. "Regardless, I have matters of the uttermost importance to discuss with you."
Though Twilight secretly doubted just how important said matters were, she nevertheless gave him her attention. "Proceed."
Blueblood nodded. "The first matter is, of course, my request to resume my prior residence here at the palace."
Twilight blinked to him a few times before speaking up again. "I...was not aware you were living here at all."
Blueblood arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I was here for many years. Kin to Princess Celestia would naturally live in the royal palace after all."
A slow nod from Twilight. "Yes, I suppose so."
"Anyway," Blueblood continued. "When my dear Auntie decided to retire, she said it was time I too left the palace, since it was unlikely that the new Princess would wish for me to live in what is essentially her home now."
Spike thought on that, then gestured to the Prince. "Wait...don't you, like, own some really fancy mansion in the city's most prestigious district or something? A mansion you owned but never actually lived in, even in all the years you were here?"
But Blueblood waved him off. "Yes, yes, that is the case, but we're talking about a mere hundred-million-bit property here. Far from the grand splendour of the palace that I've grown so accustomed to." He smirked to Equestria's monarch. "I'm sure you understand, Princess. A stallion of my statue and breeding requires a dwelling far more notable than a mere mansion at the other end of the city."
Twilight and Spike looked to one another, both clearly expecting this to be some sort of joke on the Prince's part. Alas, it became depressingly clear that this was not to be, and so Twilight looked back to her guest with totally unrestrained incredulity in her expression. "Pardon me for saying so, Prince Blueblood, but I do not believe that personal preference on your part is a substantive reason for you to take up residence here again."
To his credit, Blueblood didn't kick up a fuss about that point, though he continued to look unsatisfied with the situation. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle for the home I have then."
"Oh, how terrible for you," Spike muttered with obvious sarcasm.
Blueblood, having apparently not heard him, took a single step closer to the Princess. "In any event, the second point I wish to bring up with you is my apparent removal from the city's main charity board?"
Here, Twilight knew what he was talking about. "Yes. As Princess, it's my responsibility to choose those best able to serve as the heads of Canterlot's largest charity organisations. I like to think those I've picked will serve ably in their new positions."
Blueblood frowned. "That may be, but it doesn't explain why I've been asked to step down from that position."
Spike snickered to that. "Would you like the list?"
Luckily, Blueblood had once more failed to hear the small dragon's remarks, but Twilight, by contrast, was sure to make her voice heard. "Part of my responsibilities on this particular issue is to conduct a thorough review of the activities of the committee. What they do, how well they do it and so on. When it came time to look over your involvement..." Her expression became more serious. "It looked as though your work with the charity was, to put it mildly, minimal."
Blueblood looked downright insulted by the words. "I'll have you know that I was absolutely devoted to that charity! I gave a great deal of my time and effort to it!"
Twilight nodded to Spike, and he, in turn, offered her some parchment, which she levitated in front of herself to read off. "According to the official minutes from your ten years on the committee, you hardly ever spoke to anypony else during their regular talks. In fact, your one time of speaking up was motivated solely by your need to complain about the fact that your yearly stipend had arrived a day later than usual."
Blueblood paused, then resorted to speaking as entitled as he usually did. "Well, I'd say irregular deliveries are a fine reason to complain, wouldn't you?"
Spike gave himself a facepalm, but Twilight maintained her composure. "Prince Blueblood, you must realise that a charity requires devotion, a willingness to give up one's time to a greater cause." Her eyes narrowed. "Not simply sitting around for a few hours every week waiting to go home and count of the days before you get paid for being there."
Blueblood, naturally, didn't look or sound like he was in any way feeling like the wrongful party here. "Well, if I am not to be part of that organisation, then what, pray tell, would you suggest a notable stallion such as I should do with his time?"
Here, Twilight smiled. "Oh, I assure you, there is a very important role that I've saved, just for you."
Both Blueblood and Spike looked to her with surprise. "You have?" Blueblood asked.
"You have?" Spike echoed.
"I have," Twilight answered with a nod, then looked down to Spike. "Take note of this, would you?" She waited for her advisor to get his quill and parchment before speaking up. "Prince Blueblood, by the power vested in me as ruler of Equestria, I hereby appoint you to be the official ambassador to the nation of Breezies."
Blueblood's face lit up. "An...an ambassador?! Oh my! Such a respected position! One worthy of my station! I'll...I'll go and pack my things straight away! Thank you, Princess! You won't regret this!"
Twilight and Spike watched as the now-eager noble rushed out of the throne room, almost knocking down Flash as the latter stood aside to give him his path out. When the doors finally closed, and all were sure he was out of earshot, Spike looked to Twilight with a smirk. "Does he, by any chance, know that the Breezies are secluded behind a magical portal that only opens on one rare occasion per year? Thus making it virtually impossible to actually talk to any of them most of the time? Or that the one time they come to Equestria they'll be too busy carrying pollen to actually do any talking to him?"
Twilight tapped her chin, then looked to her advisor with a coy smile. "Hmmm, you know, I don't think he does."