“So, Rarity, when do the rest of us get dresses like that?”
“Tell you what, Rainbow. The day you get a horn and a crown, you come see me and I’ll make you your own special dress too.”
Spike and the girls giggled at the exchanged barbs. The carriage had only grown more crowded with the addition of Rarity as well as Twilight’s new outfit. Starlight and Spike offered to sit on the floor between the two seats, leaving everyone packed tightly together.
“How am I supposed to get a horn?” Rainbow pouted.
“Since when do you care about fancy dresses and looking spiffy?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.
Rainbow coughed. “Sometimes, I like to look nice, okay? Don’t look at me like that.”
Another round of chuckles lasted until the carriage lurched to a stop.
“Looks like we’re here,” Starlight announced, ducking to spy out the window.
The group spilled out onto the crowded sidewalk. As Twilight exited, a hush fell over the crowd, followed closely by excited exclamations and cheering. A small group of ponies were waiting outside the tall brick building, huddled beneath a massive neon sign in the shape of a generic crown. The restaurant’s name sat beneath it, scribbled in neat cursive.
Spike elbowed Twilight.
“Seems like they’re happy to see you.”
Rarity offered the driver a bag of bits, but he only accepted half payment with the explanation: “No princess that rides in my carriage pays full price.” He bowed low before taking off back onto the crowded Canterlot streets, leaving the girls on the sidewalk.
“Princess Twilight?” A stallion approached, dressed in exceptionally fine waiter’s attire. “Will you be needing the Royal Dining Room tonight?”
“We will. Thank you.”
The waiter nodded. “It will only take a moment for us to set everything up. You can head inside whenever you’re ready.”
The group filed past, each with their own variation of thanks to the host and friendly waves to the gathered citizens each vying for their princess’ attention. As she greeted her subjects, Twilight made sure to model her dress the best she could, much to Rarity’s pleasure.
Inside, the air took on a calmer demeanor. While diners glanced up from their parties to gawk at the princess, they neither mobbed nor cheered for her, to her relief. Royalty certainly had its perks, but there were a few downsides that most dreaming fillies never expected.
“If you’ll follow me, I can show you to your private room.” The unicorn hostess gathered a stack of laminated menus before leading the party back through the main dining hall. Twilight tried to return each amazed face with her own cheery greeting. The waitress slipped a key from her pocket, unlocking a set of double glass doors decorated with a mosaic of two royal sisters.
“So, when do you get added to the picture?” Starlight whispered, just loud enough for Twilight to hear.
“Don’t be rude,” Twilight chided her.
“What? It’s true.”
The lock clicked and the doors opened, revealing the sight beyond. A long, engraved table stretched the length of the room. Over a dozen hardwood chairs lined up on either side, each sporting their own red padding that mimicked the appearance of an old-fashioned throne.
Several silver candelabras were spread across the lengthy table, but most of the illumination came from the golden vine-like lights that snaked along the ceiling. Windows lined the right wall. Normally, they offered a view of Canterlot Castle in the distance. As it happened now, the castle’s silhouette had only blended deeper into the hazy snowstorm.
“Here you are. A few members of our staff should be along soon to wait on you.” The hostess distributed the menus to each seat along with a neatly folded napkin and pure silver utensils.
“Thank you.”
“Enjoy your evening, Your Majesty.”
She closed the doors behind her as she left.
“Fancy digs.” Applejack bobbed her head slowly, taking in the view.
“I’ll say. This place might be nicer than Canterlot Castle,” Rainbow gloated.
“Don’t let the Castle kitchen staff hear you say that,” Twilight warned. “They’ll already be upset when they find out that I chose a restaurant over them.”
“It’s a special occasion, Darling. Surely they’ll understand.”
The princess and her seven guests each claimed their seats. Together, they took up less than half of the table. They kept the balance uneven, piling on at the far end of the long dining set.
“So, Dash, what are you thinking of getting,” Pinkie asked.
“I’m not sure. I can’t even pronounce half of these dishes.”
Applejack tilted her head. “I don’t suppose they’d just be willing to rustle up some hayburgers or something simple like that?”
Rarity scoffed. “Applejack, if you dare order a hayburger at an establishment of this caliber, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you.”
“Well, what are you getting then?” Fluttershy interjected.
Rarity unfolded her menu, humming quietly as she browsed through the list.
“Do you think they’ll let me order a dessert for dinner? Wait, what if I order a dessert for dinner, then a dessert for dessert, too?” Pinkie gasped.
“Don’t you ever eat actual food?” Starlight wondered aloud.
“Sometimes. I usually prefer dessert, though. I’ll have to make sure their desserts are up to the job. I can be a very difficult customer to please,” Pinkie explained in a mocking display of poise and maturity.
“Didn’t you eat a batch of burnt cupcakes once?” Rainbow squinted.
“Well yeah, but they were good burnt cupcakes.”
“Have any of you actually eaten here before?” Twilight questioned, watching the group over the top of her menu.
An enthusiastic round of shaking heads responded.
“Have you?” Fluttershy inquired.
“No,” Twilight admitted flatly.
While they perused their choices, a small army of servers entered, carrying with them sparkling wine glasses and other miscellaneous empty dishes for their meal. Taking advantage of Rarity’s expertise, Twilight ordered a bottle of red wine to share. An enthusiastic waiter brought it out within the minute, uncorking the wine and setting it in front of the princess before leaving.
“I’ve never had wine before. I’m not sure I’ll like it.” Fluttershy watched the red liquid swirl as though it were an alien.
“Would you like to try it? After we let it breathe for a while, that is. This is a fine vintage. I think you’ll like it.” Rarity clarified.
Twilight smiled as she studied each option available for her dinner. Still, as she read each word, as she finally settled into to enjoy her night, the whispering returned. She glanced around the table through a thin misty filter.
“Twilight, is everything alright?” Rarity asked.
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Twilight smirked.
“Darling . . . you’re crying.”