“One week? That’s all they gave us until issuing a challenge?!” Celestia hissed, the exhausted alicorn reading over the obnoxiously-neat parchment. “And three hours? That’s all the time we have to prepare?”
Nacreous nodded, sitting next to his love and spreading a wing over her shoulders as they sat in the throne room at the base of the stairs.
“But we know the law at least.”
“What?”
The hippogriff blinked, gesturing to the scroll.
“I gave you a report a week ago on some information I received…”
Celestia’s wings drooped, the alicorn letting out an exasperated sigh.
“I must not have read it, or it’s still on my desk to be read.”
“It’s the ancient law from Saddle-Arabia, the one where a group can challenge a noble or royal pairing. Completely out of context, but Silver Ledger is obviously going for letter rather than spirit of the law,” Nacreous explained. “I have a plan neatly drawn up for this, but I’ll need to review it.”
“You do? But…”
The hippogriff looked over to Celestia, his eyes widening on seeing her genuinely frightened.
“Nacreous, that law is iron-clad, I wrote it, and there’s no way the noble class will approve of things, not without forcing concessions of some sort.”
“And?”
Celestia blinked, Nacreous scooting to sit in front of her.
“What do you mean, ‘and’? I can’t break the law…”
Frowning, Nacreous gestured to the parchment, a bit of turmoil shining behind his ocean blue eyes. He seemed to sense that something was ‘off.’
“Celly, I think you’re forgetting a few things.”
I’m not above the law, Shining Armor, that’s what you have to understand.
“I may be exhausted, Nacreous, but I know that I can’t just break the law willy-nilly.”
Confusion twisted at the Paladin’s face, the hippogriff looking at Celestia with a bit of worry.
“Are you feeling ok, Celestia?”
Another creature who doesn’t understand the intricacies of it all.
“I’m fine, Nacreous. I just have to deal with some upstart nobles who very well might have found the one law that could force us apart!” Celestia hissed, Nacreous now starting to look a bit worried at her snappy tone.
“We have to deal with it, and I just said I can handle it. I’ve been preparing for it for a week.”
“Does it involve breaking the law?” she asked.
“What? No! Not technically- what is this sudden obsession with the law? Ruler or not, you-”
Twilight, even as Princesses we cannot act so impulsively. If we don’t follow the laws, provide an example, who will?
“Obsession? I can’t. break. The. Law. Nacreous!” she saw his gaze drift to the recently-repaired wall, evidence of her previous explosive (and very hazardous) exit from the throne room. “Oh, that’s different! It sets a precedent!”
“Celestia, you’re leaving out the major factor of all this; they’re mortal.”
That stopped Celestia cold, the alicorn facing Nacreous with a shocked expression.
“What?”
“We have a very unique perspective on things, Celestia. We are going to be around long after they are gone. We-”
“So, what, we can act with impunity?!”
“What?! No, you didn’t-”
“Are you saying the laws aren’t as applicable to us because they’re made by lesser mortals?”
Nacreous stared at the Princess in shock, seeing the emotional waterfall in her face and eyes, carried along by a month of little sleep and constant stress. Reasoning with her was not going to be easy, if even possible …
“What? No! What has gotten into you, I didn’t-”
“Are you saying they’re less than us? Mortals, their views, their laws, that we are above such things? Are we better than them?”
“I never said-”
“Of course I know they’ll all pass…and I don’t even know if t-twilight….” Celestia’s voice trailed off before she focused on Nacreous again. “Wait. Do you even care about them? How they view us? Me? How do you think that makes me feel?!”
“Of course! I-”
“So, because they’re mortals, you’d have me just toss the entire rulebook out of the castle? Do laws means nothing to you?”
“You mean everything to me!”
Nacreous’s voice rumbled off the walls, his steely gaze fixed on the Princess in front of him. While only slightly raised in volume, the King’s voice pierced the emotional veil encasing her thoughts like a sword. So wrapped up in her emotional rant that she had completely ignored the armor slowly encasing his body and now the crown that now sat on his head. It was only now, as he stared at her that Celestia’s logic returned to be in check with her emotions, exhaustion being readily replaced by shame.
Her guilt was only magnified on seeing past the frustration in Nacreous’s eyes and glimpsing an ocean of genuine pain.
“Nacreous…I…”
He held up a set of claws, prompting the Princess to immediately fall silent.
“I am only going to say this once, and then I’m going to leave to look over my defense for this afternoon,” Nacreous said calmly, yet his voice was as sharp and pointed as ever.
“There are very few things that actually make me angry, Celestia, and you found them,” he paused, taking a shaking breath. It was only then that Celestia saw he was near tears, and it took all her willpower to stay silent and not let out a horrified gasp. “You may have spent the past thousand years ruling ponies, but I spent a hundred of them doing the same, and the other nine hundred saving them. Don’t ever say that I don’t care, not about them, and certainly not about how you feel! I know you are exhausted, but that is no excuse to what you said.”
“I…”
Nacreous shook his head, looking to his claws briefly before then back to Celestia.
“Celly, I love you so very much and that’s why your words hurt all the more. I don’t trust myself to explain what I originally meant just yet. Just…please don’t ever talk to me like that again, like I’m some ordinary creature who has no clue about such things. I think you forgot that.”
Celestia swallowed as the armored hippogriff tapped a few runes into the ground and opened a portal, the King carefully retrieving a large stack of books from a different storage site.
“I’ll be in the park above our usual meeting place. Please give me an hour or so.”
The Princess nodded once, her hippogriff trotting through the portal and leaving her alone in the throne room.
I never want this to happen again; is this what it’s like to hurt someone you love?
I can’t bear….
I hurt him.
Celestia spent the next hour in her room fiddling with a small creation she hoped would break the icy wall she had slammed into place between herself and Nacreous, even as her magical grip shuddered with each set of tears that traced their way down her cheeks in utter self-loathing.
I did forget. I forgot you know about royalty, laws, losing creatures, I missed it all.
I forgot that I wasn’t alone anymore. I guess a thousand years makes some habits hard to break…even around the one I love more than anything.
How could I forget?
I’m not alone anymore.
Nacreous let out a deep breath as he scanned over the bullet points on his parchment a fiftieth time. It was a simple defense, backed by numerous laws, ideas, and a decent amount of flair. It would actually be fun…
At least, once I figure out what happened back there. She’s clearly exhausted, but…
At no more than an hour and ten minutes, Celestia appeared a short distance away, sitting at his side. A few tears immediately welled up in her eyes, the alicorn taking a few deep breaths.
“Can I first say that I’m sorry, Nacreous? I don’t know why I…” her wings drooped, the alicorn shaking her head. “No. I know why.” She saw his ears perk up, the Paladin looking over at her. “For the first time in my life, I’ve been able to be with someone who does understand. And back there, I forgot that. I didn’t trust you because I was carried back to the times I’ve talked to ponies I’m close with, Twilight specifically, who asked me about laws and similar matters,” she then paused, now sniffling slightly, the barest hint of a tender smile now on her face.
“But that’s just it. You’re not like any of them, and I’m so glad you aren’t. I’m not alone anymore, and I forgot that. Not having slept much isn’t an excuse for what I said, especially to you. Back in that throne room I felt so alone; I was so focused on being scared of losing you, of forgetting you’re not like every other creature, I didn’t realize you were right there wanting to help. And instead I hurt you. I’m so sorry, I hope you can forgive me for such a stupid outburst.”
She managed to keep the smile as she levitated a small object over to Nacreous. The neatly-constructed Pego cake was turned over in the hippogriff’s claws in surprise.
The Princess then hung her head shamefully, tears tracing their way down the Princess’s cheeks.
The immediate feathery embrace that wrapped around her only made Celestia melt further into Nacreous’s hug.
“Didn’t I say I love you? That hasn’t changed in an hour,” Nacreous whispered. “You’re exhausted and clearly this noble issue has you frightened, but for reasons I don’t really understand. I’d say constant nightmares and very little sleep gives you a bit of leeway in that regard, so I knew what you said was a bit clouded.”
Nodding once, Celestia relaxed her shoulders ever so slightly at his words.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m not able to think clearly at times. But that’s still no excuse.”
“No, but it’s a valid reason, and I certainly forgive you. Now then, can I say what I wanted to say back there?”
Celestia nodded with a hiccup, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
“Celly, I was saying that because of our unique perspective, we can afford to remind other ponies of such. I don’t want to break any laws, but unless I’m mistaken, you just annihilated an entire army to save me. Forgive me if the threat of quill and parchment doesn’t seem that daunting.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, now starting to see Nacreous’s very valid point.
“You move the sun and have ruled for a thousand years. My point is not that laws should be broken, but that you should remind certain individuals that you know the laws and obey them because it’s the right thing to do. But if they threaten those you love….”
“I get it, Nacreous, and I feel like a fool.”
“But you’re my fool. My beautiful, foolish Sunspot.”
Letting out another laugh, Celestia relaxed as Nacreous rocked her back and forth.
“You just have a stricter view of it, having been an example, a perfect example for a thousand years. I just have a looser perspective, if that makes sense.”
“It does.”
Nacreous reached down to trace his cheek along Celestia’s, quickly moving to give her a long, deep kiss, a taloned hand reaching around to pull her closer as the Alicorn let out a surprised squeak in surprise, the sound quickly transitioning to a passionate hum.
“Celly,” Nacreous whispered with is forehead resting on hers once they broke apart. “You defended my life, now let me defend you, defend us. You might be stronger than me…”
Celestia shook her head, pressing against Nacreous’s chest with a shiver.
“I’m not, Nacreous. Magic isn’t the only measure of strength. In so many ways, I’m not,” her voice dropped to a whisper. “You know this, and of how much it frightens me to acknowledge it.”
Hugging her close, Nacreous nodded as he traced a talon through her mane.
“Then all the more reason to let me be your shield. Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then know that I can, and will defend you, be it your life or your honor. This noble has challenged both. Your happiness, your freedom of choice, and your honor in picking a partner. Do you really think words, parchment and quill will keep us apart?”
Celestia shook her head, now finally understanding a few of Nacreous’s previous words.
“You weren’t saying you’d break any laws willy-nilly, you were saying…”
Nacreous’s beak trembled, the stoic hippogriff shivering slightly.
“I’m saying, Celly, that I’m willing to fight to the death against an army that would separate us, let alone words and ancient, outdated laws.”
It was his turn to let out a half-squawk in surprise, the Princess giving Nacreous a kiss that made his feathers immediately fluff as she wrapped two hooves around his head to yank him close.
“Then fight for us, Nacreous. Fight for me against these nobles. I’m willing to support you however I can,” she whispered after a few moments.
“Oh, Celly, I think it’s going to be very eye-opening for them. It’s time they’re reminded who exactly they’re trying to break apart.”
“Remind them?”
“With love and harmony of course.”
“…you are a horrible liar.”
“Fine. Aggressive love and harmony.”
“Better, but not quite.”
“I’m going to remind them that not every ruler or creature is as patient and perfect as you are.”
“That’s better.”
“He’s here, you know,” Celestia whispered as Nacreous occupied her gaze, sitting next to her throne as the alicorn shifted nervously. The gesture was a simple one- having somecreature next to the throne implied a great deal of importance indeed.
“I know. But I’m worried about you.”
“Is that why you’ve been trying to distract me for the past thirty minutes?”
“…did it work?”
Celestia giggled, nodding as her special somegriff gave her hoof a squeeze. The formal announcement of Silver Ledger (and his apparently accompanying ‘friends’) barely registered, but Celestia’s ears perked up at the sound.
“Another gesture?” she whispered, the hippogriff smiling in only the confident manner that could put her heart at ease.
“Partially. You’re my focus. Not him. I’d like to make that perfectly clear.”
As Nacreous gave his love a kiss and trotted down to the base of the throne steps he surveyed the challengers. A steaming grey unicorn with a paper-crossed bit as a cutie mark looked at him rather distastefully, his black vest neatly pressed as a golden chain dangled from the pocket. The six other nobles behind him however seemed genuinely surprised.
“Silver Ledger I presume? Here to issue your formal challenge with…guests?” Nacreous ventured, prompting a snooty huff in return.
“Precisely. The message is simple of course and won’t take too long.”
“Oh? Your notice said that you were invoking…what was it, Saddle Arabian law, a few hundred years ago, one with a treaty? Page four of the ‘Combined Equestrian Aid’ pact?”
The stallion smirked, horn lighting as he withdrew some parchment from his vest.
“Page three, actually.”
“Ah, of course.”
Nacreous’s words made Celestia nearly smile but she held her tongue. She had to appear impartial, at least for now. He knew full well what page it was on…
My hippogriff knows how to play this game it would seem. I definitely underestimated him.
My hippogriff. How could I ever doubt what lengths he would go to for me?
“So, what is your message? The challenge is fairly specific from what I understand. You and your cohorts are a jury per say, challenging a noble courtship? If approved, such may continue. If not, it must be canceled altogether, unless the jury is disputed.”
Letting out a grin, the unicorn nodded, levitating over a parchment towards Celestia-but was promptly snagged by Nacreous.
“Ah, forgive me. I will be the one conducting the ‘defense’ as it were, as per Celestia’s allowance.
Allowance? Goodness, you make me sound like I’ve got you on a leash. If anything, you’re the one with my heart captured in your tender grip.
“Very well. Now you see, my message is simple. I’m willing to forgo this process if certain concessions are made; as detailed on page five. Reassurances as it were, that such a…partnership is suitable.”
Looking at the parchment curiously, Nacreous’s eyes widened in surprise. Celestia saw his wings rustle, tail swishing briefly; hints that something was brewing.
“As you can see, they are simple matters. We know you have connections with this new kingdom, so perhaps agreements with them? Various measures that we’ve tried to get passed through the lower courts but have stalled? All reassurances of course.”
“Of course.”
Nacreous’s tone shifted abruptly, looking at the Unicorn without any remnant of the civility from before, yet his tone remained calm and collected.
“And if these measures are refused?”
“Well, the law is rather clear, and I doubt the jury will allow this…relationship to continue.”
When Nacreous’s wings stopped moving, that was when Celestia focused all the harder. This noble was smart, yet so incredibly stupid at the same time. Such laws and the like would have worked in his circle, but he was so far out of his league.
“So, to be clear before I refuse this offer. You are saying the price for Celestia’s happiness is…” Nacreous scanned the parchment once more. “Tax breaks? Trade agreements? Your princess is worth so little to you?”
The unicorn stared, his demeanor quickly returning to the formal buisnesspony however.
“A small portion of such worth of course.”
“Hmmm. My defense is simple, Silver Ledger. I would like to ask you a simple question. By what power would you ‘allow’ me to continue my relationship with the one pony I love more in this world?”
The confidence radiating from the hippogriff clearly had Silver on edge, the pony’s brown eyes flickering to his jury and then back to Nacreous.
“Law, of course. The laws are set, are they not?”
Nacreous chuckled, casually opening a magical portal to withdraw a parchment of his own, then handing it over to the unicorn.
“Ah, law. So, we are clear. You are using this law to the letter, not the spirit of which it was crafted. It was designed to prevent underage marriage to a corrupt class of individuals, yet you are twisting it for your own purposes. The letter, as it were.”
“The letter of the law is clear, yes. The ‘spirit’ of a law isn’t as important.’
Nacreous shrugged his wings, nodding slowly.
“Well, I’m glad we’ve established that we’re focusing on the letter of the law. That makes this much, much easier.”
“Oh?” Silver asked with a familiar, cocky grin.
“Why of course!” Nacreous exclaimed with a sickeningly false sense of exuberance. “You mean to take the Princess captive, to hold her happiness ransom for your own gain. That would make you….oh dear,” Nacreous mumbled, looking up with a rather predatory gaze. “Traitors to the crown.”
“What?” Silver asked with a raised eyebrow, a bit of the parchment highlighting.
“Page eight, subsection two. ‘Traitor to the crown’ is to be defined as willingly going against the wishes of the ruling party with intent of causing personal harm to said party, by which the offender is punished in their own respective land, to their own respective laws. Celly, do you want to end our relationship?”
“Absolutely not,” Celestia stated flatly.
“Doing such would make you unhappy, correct?”
“Obviously, yes.”
Nacreous shrugged his wings.
“Well, there you have it. Letter of the law states that you would be traitors in pursuing this action.”
Silver Ledger continued to grin, casually pointing to another section of the same law.
“And yet a jury of peers can override a royal ruling if enough individuals agree it is for the common good.”
Staring at Silver incredulously, Nacreous gestured to his jury.
“You all seriously think this is for the ‘common’ good? Is that your argument, Mister Ledger?” The hippogriff saw a few ponies nod, the Paladin clearly growing tired of the legal back and forth.
“I wish to return to my point before all of this legal arguing, which I think could take all day. Let’s say I refuse, Silver, and we go about our merry way, regardless of what you say. By what power can you enforce such a ruling? The law, yes…but to what end? Will you order the royal guard after us? Will you follow us to the ends of the earth in protest?”
Silver stared, the simple question apparently not processing. For Celestia though, it made complete sense.
Just as I couldn’t realize operating outside the law in my little rant, these nobles have no idea their artificial wealth and power is just that; fake, real only in their glass houses of Canterlot where their bits can buy everything and where law can be manipulated for their purposes. Remove that…
Letting out a huff, Silver rolled his eyes and waved a hoof at the pair.
“This is ridiculous! Highness, you expect us to tolerate your…companion’s lack of respect for our laws?”
“I wanted the noble class to do nothing, frankly,” Celestia stated flatly, “I expected something like this from you, unfortunately. I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to challenge my pick of a lover, nor hold my emotions hostage with tax breaks.”
On seeing Silver Ledger’s ears flatten, Nacreous couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Silver, you heard about that horrible magical accident in the badlands? I hear an area the size of downtown Manhattan was turned to glass.” As the pony’s eyes turned to look at the hippogriff, Celestia quickly picked up on where Nacreous was going with this.
“Who do you think has the power to do such a thing? To wipe out, hypothetically, a threat to Equestria on a whim? It’s almost as though the sun itself was called down to Equestria.”
Silver shuddered, a warm glow catching his attention. A faint aura shone around the Princess, her solar connection opened ever so slightly as she glared at her subject.
“That’s…no. That’s irrelevant! You have no right to be with her!”
At the exclamation the room fell silent, one of the nobles letting out a choked gasp.
“Excuse me?” Nacreous asked, Celestia now staring in absolute shock. It did, of course, now make sense.
This wasn’t about tax cuts, a higher-class taking issue with our snubbing of them. This was…
“You’re a doctor, a worthy profession but hardly worth that of a Princess’s choice! And a hippogriff at that!” Silver’s voice trailed off, clearly having vocalized a bit too much of his internal monologue.
“I knew there were still individuals like you in Equestria, likely always will be. I’m ashamed by your presence, for you make my love’s light sour,” Nacreous muttered, the poetic reply promptly making Celestia’s heart melt.
“Do you not trust Celestia’s choice?” Nacreous asked, one of the nobles then piping up with a harsh whisper to the other stallion.
“Silver, what is this? This isn’t part of the plan! Neighsay changed his view, and you said you-”
“Shut it! This is about preserving a proper order to things!” Silver growled, gesturing to the hippogriff and Princess. “Nobles marrying nobles, commoners marrying commoners. That is how it was for hundreds of years! You have no right to her!”
Nacreous stared at the delusional pony, knowing logically that his discriminatory views were a minority, but amazed that such creatures could exist in their deluded little world so happily.
“No right? Is it not enough that I make her happy, and I she? No?” he whispered, claws now scoring the stone.
“And how can we know that for sure? How can everyone know?” Silver asked with a pointed hoof. “For all we know, you could be a changeling, have her under a spell! Or, since you’re a doctor, drugged!”
Nacreous abruptly stood at his full height, towering over the defiant noble with a growl.
“You will be silent! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!”
“Or what?”
Silver’s words hung on the air, and Celestia could see Nacreous’s muscles bunching like a coiled spring. Her subject had pushed her love’s patience far enough.
Magic swirled around Nacreous’s frame, golden metal clamping around his breast and limbs as a staff appear in his claws. Slamming it on the ground with a *CRACK*, the sound made Silver take a step back. A crown spinning into existence around Nacreous’s head, the hippogriff glared at the noble, fire burning behind his usually cheery gaze.
“My name is Nacreous Thunderwing. Paladin of the North and of the Wayward Gods!” Nacreous thundered, his voice nearly deafening everyone present. “You dare challenge my right to Celestia’s hoof? I have every right! I need not a title to make the one I love happy!”
Comparison to the ‘Royal Canterlot Voice’ didn’t do the Paladin justice. Every word carried with it a weight, an emotional toll as the hippogriff glared at the pony in front of him.
Celestia felt a shiver run down her spine, chest blossoming with warmth. Every description in every romance novel of a Knight paled in comparison to her love standing in front of the defiant noble at this time.
But he’s my knight.
“If you had waited but a week, you would not have dared speak those words, and it is for that reason you get to be one of the first ponies to understand the gravity of your error!” Nacreous bellowed, the jury of nobles having stepped back and leaving Silver on his own.
“I am a Paladin, a doctor, a healer. But I have other titles that perhaps you will understand,” the hippogriff continued, “King of Hauyne, Emperor of the Northern Ice Shelves! You dare challenge me?!”
It was only now that Silver began to shake, the pony’s eyes widening in horror.
“Guard! Your spear!”
At a nod from Celestia, one of the royal guards tossed over the weapon. Casually sending it spinning across the floor to the noble, Nacreous trotted over to him and leveled his staff at the pony.
“You all have duels of pastries and sweets here in Equestria. Celestia’s heart is worth my life! Can you say the same for your own devotion? Pick up that spear!”
“I…”
“Pick. It. Up,” Nacreous growled, the unicorn levitating the weapon in a shaky magical grip as he appeared close to wetting himself.
“I am willing to lay down my life for Celestia as well as her honor for which you have insulted. You speak of power, but you know nothing of it.” The staff in Nacreous’s claws shifted to become a familiar sword, pink gem glowing brightly as the weapon pointed at the pony’s head, the noble’s limbs shaking.
“I could kill you, Silver Ledger, and I would be well within the right of a dozen laws in the same time period as the one you dared invoked. Your power is nothing but words. Let me describe to you what I mean.” Nacreous casually plucked the spear from Silver’s grasp, the hippogriff sitting down a short distance away from him.
“You have bits and can buy whatever you desire. That is a form of power. But now you bring that power here to challenge Celestia, to challenge me? That means nothing,” Nacreous continued to stare at the pony, the once-proud noble unable to meet his gaze.
“I could destroy you, Silver, and I have all the time in the world. I am as Celestia is; ageless,” Nacreous explained as Silver’s eyes widened. “Let us say you succeed? That we abide by ink and parchment that will fade. I can wait. I could wither your house and reputation down to nothing, buying out everything you built. A generation or two, and you’ll be the lowest nobles in Canterlot. Another three generations? You would be known as the best plumbers in all Equestria. Two more, and your name wouldn’t be known to a single ear. Or perhaps I could command my armies to stand against you? A royal decree baring you entrance to my kingdom? I believe that is a much more likely thing.”
“S-sire...”
“I’m not finished,” Nacreous hissed. “I don’t want to see you again, ever. You and your companies, companions, and all relations are barred from dealing with my kingdom until I see fit. And you, Silver Ledger, are going to the dungeons for quite some time. Unfortunately, your little stunt here made your previous crimes all the more apparent. Quite amusing, really. Prison for tax evasion, extorsion, assault by proxy, and a lovely laundry list that tied up the Canterlot Guard for a day trying to sort it out.”
Nacreous stood tall, gesturing with his sword at the noble a final time with a glare. His armor and weapon then spun away, carried off in a magical wind.
“Now, you’re going to go with those guards, and I don’t ever want to see you again.” He then turned to glare at the jury of nobles, many of whom appeared to be near passing out.
“You will tell others what happened here. If you slander me, or Celestia, I will know. If you lie, I will know. I don’t want trouble with anypony, but if anycreature dares challenge my love again, I will remind them the cost of such. Celestia is the most patient and kind creature I’ve ever had the joy to get to know…” his eyes then narrowed, making the nobles shiver as they tried to backpedal towards the door. “But I am not as patient as she!”
The ponies beat a hasty retreat; sans one noble who was whisked away by the guards. As they left, Nacreous sagged at the base of the throne davit, taking a few deep breaths.
“Oh…that went well. Phew…” he huffed. Two alabaster arms wrapped tightly around his torso, pulling the hippogriff close.
“Thank you, Nacreous,” Celestia whispered, “Oh, you were fantastic!” The passionate kiss the alicorn yanked her hippogriff into made Nacreous’s wings flare as he eagerly returned the gesture. Celestia let out a soft grumble as they separated after a moment, for the prospect of such a loving gesture could easily have grown into something more.
“No grumbling, even though it’s adorable,” Nacreous teased, relaxing in Celestia’s arms once again. “We still have some rules to abide by, even if they are personal ones.”
That didn’t help the muttering from Celestia, nor did Nacreous whispering in her ear. “And don’t think you’re the only one thinking such thoughts.”
To forestall any further teasing, Nacreous reached over and rested a few talons on his alicorn’s cheek, leaning forward to give her a much more tender, chaste kiss.
“Feeling better? That was a bit much for me. I haven’t had to be that forceful in a while,” Nacreous admitted.
Celestia could only laugh with a nod.
“Oh, you were amazing, and I certainly feel better! It’s said and done. I have to admit you were a bit scary. I hadn’t thought about…well, how time can be used like that”
Nacreous winced, wings drooping slightly as he leaned against his love.
“I hate threatening individuals, but sometimes power is the only thing creatures understand.”
His downcast gaze was brought up to meet two loving eyes, a tender kiss pushing away the darker thoughts.
“You were amazing, Nacreous, are amazing. Thank you for that,” Celestia whispered.
After a few more moments, Celestia reluctantly got back to the usual meetings, one of which was an extremely smug Fancypants wishing them well. Nacreous trotted to his diplomatic suite, knowing there were some things the Council wanted to discuss with him.
However, as he took a different route through the castle, the King happened to peek into the recreation room, his eyes drawn to a single machine. It was fairly new, some sort of arcade…
As an off-duty guard began to step in time to a song that emanated from the speakers, the hippogriff couldn’t help but grin.
Oh. I’ve got to give that a shot.