//------------------------------// // The Princess and the Pauper - The Time of Her Life // Story: Dumb Luck // by Wild_Heart //------------------------------// Work began as soon as Celestia and Fluttershy entered Carousel Boutique. They both studied the order carefully, then Celestia watched Fluttershy's movements and began to learn while she moved the necessary materials into place. Eventually, the disguised alicorn felt confident about applying her own work, yet she couldn't match the skill of the pegasus. That was simply a minor setback for Celestia, however, and every mistake taught her what she was doing wrong. She could never hope to match Rarity's skill, however, and that fact fascinated her. There was little one could not master, given enough time, and she had nothing if not time. Celestia smiles softly, the thought of her talented little ponies surpassing her was a joyous one to her indeed. She only stopped when she felt Fluttershy's eyes on her. "Hmm? What is it, dear?" "You seem..." Fluttershy tried to find the right words, but could only come up with, "... Happy." "Rarity" chuckled and turned back to her work. "Why, of course I am, dear. You know how I love my work!" She tried very hard to ignore Opalescent, whom was staring at her with fury in her eyes. Well, there's one animal that dislikes me. I wonder why? "No, I mean..." The pegasus furrowed her brow, somewhat frustrated with her lack of communication skills. Celestia resisted the sudden urge to hug her. "Happier than normal? You have a dreamy smile, like you have a crush..." She gasped softly, realizing the significance of what she'd just said. "Oh, do you have a stallion? Who is it?" Her eagerness in pursuing that brought Celestia pause more than the statement itself. Perhaps she's simply more confident around Rarity? The two of them are likely used to telling each other everything, after all, Celestia reasoned. She pondered while Fluttershy waited, and it was only a few seconds later that she realized how suspicious that silence must have been. "Oh no, dear, there is nopony I have my eyes on right now! I was simply lost in thought." "Rarity" smiled brightly, and while Fluttershy didn't seem convinced, she at least nodded and turned from that line of questioning. Hmm. Do I? Celestia's thoughts once again turned inward, examining herself mentally for signs of what the pegasus had guessed. Rarity is a lovely mare, but I'm not sure that I have a crush, persay. Celestia didn't notice her hoof getting dangerously close to the sewing machine's needle, as lost in thought as she was. The thought is not unwelcome, but- "Aaggh!" She jerked her hoof back from the needle, and a small prick of blood appeared where the offending machine had run her through. Another hoof immediately came to Celestia's mouth as she realized that yelp was in her voice, not Rarity's, but thankfully Fluttershy was so startled she didn't seem to notice. The pegasus rushed over, already with disinfectant and a bandage in one of her wings. Opal seemed to smirk at Celestia's discomfort. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Fluttershy fussed over the hoof, and Celestia had to hold back a laugh at the motherly manner in which the normally demure pony now carried herself. "No, dear, I am fine," "Rarity" claimed with corrected voice. "But thank you." She held out her hoof to the pegasus, who immediately patched the small wound up, even though it had already stopped bleeding. In the ruckus, neither pony noticed Angel slipping in through a window, and waving Opal out. --- With court closed, Rarity could finally relax. Or so she thought. It was then that Luna brought her a stack of papers that seemed to the disguised unicorn would have cost an entire forest to create. She groaned, and leaned back in her chair. "Must I perform such tedious duties, your highness?" At that, Luna scowled. "No, we expected thee to nap whilst we completed the real work ourselves." She sat at a desk close by to Rarity's, and placed a pair of reading glasses upon her nose. Rarity did a double take, before leaning forward to examine the stack. The first paper was boring trade agreements, and struck Rarity as something that couldn't possibly be important. Nevertheless, she resisted the temptation to just ignore it and started reading. "I didn't know that you are farsighted, princess," the unicorn brought up as casually as possible, before finally signing for the document, and putting it to one side. She couldn't help but notice with a frustrated frown that Luna had already gotten through ten such papers. She decided that it wouldn't hurt to simply sign the next paper without really looking; it had gotten through the court's scrutiny, and that was good enough for Rarity. "Doth it bother thee?" Luna asked a bit testily, leading Rarity to shake her head quickly. "Not at all," said the unicorn as she rejected a particular request. Free ice cream of a random flavor on Fridays? Really? "I think the look very much suits you, your highness." Reviewing the next bill, Rarity marveled at the amount of this particular shipment, it being quite a few barrels of tar with nowhere to go. Leaving permission for it to be stored in a particular royally owned warehouse on a renting basis, she decided it would be best to explain,"I tend to wear non-medicated glasses myself when working. I like the distinguished, yet coy impression it presents." Luna actually smiled at that, one of the first genuine smiles Rarity had seen from the alicorn since the unicorn had taken Celestia's place. It made her smile herself, a nice boost that was sorely needed to get through this daunting task before her. However, Luna's stack was steadily disappearing into another stack that she could only assume was the documents already reviewed by the moon princess, and Rarity sighed in defeat. Luna glanced to her, a brow raised, and asked, "Doth this task truly seem insurmountable to thee?" "Does it seem insurmountable to you," Rarity corrected, trying to keep her composure. It was a losing battle, and with a melodramatic groan, she nodded in affirmation of Luna's query. "YES! So much to do, and I have not even begun to work," Rarity fussed. "Try as I might, I have never done such a thing in my life, and yet here I find it -- it being this responsibility -- thrown before me, with naught an idea or starting point of my predecessor's position or wisdom concerning these important matters of government!" The moon princess couldn't help but take amusement from Rarity's over-reactions, and watched her with unconcealed mirth as she continued to ramble on on the subject of her woes and how unfair it all was, until the alicorn finally decided to interrupt her by clearing her throat. "Rarity. You are half-way done." The unicorn fell silent, and looked down at her stack of papers, which indeed had become roughly equal to the out-going pile. "... Perhaps I should complain more often," Rarity sheepishly offered in response, which was met by a grin from Luna. "Indeed, as it appears to have a pronounced effect on thine productivity," Luna replied. "Your, princess. Not thine." "A pox onto thy modern Equestrian," Luna scoffed, though with a much more good-natured tone than she had used before when addressing Rarity. Work continued in silence for a moment before Luna spoke again, "It is unfortunate. We had hoped to spare thee the follies of this evening." "Oh?" Rarity's ears perked. That sounds like gossip! "Please, do tell!" Her confidence was restored in her ability to do this, and she reasoned with herself that any mistake she made would likely be caught by Luna before any real damage could be done. With a heavy sigh, Luna rolled her eyes and lifted the glasses from her eyes, wiping them clean idly with a dark cloth. "There is a social gathering that we are expected to attend," The alicorn replied weightily. "Such things are always a dreary affair, and we are never content at these so-called 'parties'." As she spoke, Rarity's eyes lit up, and the disguised mare sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, but I love those occasions! Don't you remember when I was staying with your sister, and got to know the nobility so much better? I have seldom enjoyed myself more, in fact!" Luna gave Rarity an incredulous look, but stayed silent on the matter. Rarity's attention turned to her papers once more, happily burning through them. Not literally, of course. "After all, I do hate to brag, but I am very skilled at saying just the right things and making just the right decisions in high society. I dare say my performance in pretending to be your sister shall not at all be disappointing!" Luna gave a bit of a shrug, and tapped the completed paperwork on the desk to make sure it was all level, before she finally spoke. "Thy word shall be enough for us. Despite that, we must insist that you rely on our advice for this event. We may provide insight on the intricate -- and selfish -- workings of our and thine guests." Rarity was hardly listening, and as she pored through her own pile, exciting visions of the intrigue and pomp of high society filled her head. Oh, how wonderful a chance to experience once more being among royalty and nobility, to have ponies hanging on my every word! I wonder what dresses Princess Celestia has... --- Meanwhile, Celestia had gotten into the full swing of things, and the end of this order seemed to be in sight. She had enjoyed many a pleasant chat with Fluttershy, and the princess found that this own brand of gossip was far more enjoyable than the nasty slander that nobles seemed to enjoy spreading amongst themselves. Still, she felt vaguely guilty that she had little to return in these conversations. Perhaps I should be more involved in the life of my student and her friends? Not only are the Elements' lives very important, but they are the closest things I have to friends these days. She once more found herself lost in thought, and her pegasus companion recognized the signs of introspection -- it being so familiar to her -- and silenced herself. The disguised alicorn did not fail to notice this, however, and perked her head up, glancing to Fluttershy. "Are you alright, darling?" "Um... Yes. But what about you?" The pegasus took a few steps forward, timidly reaching a hoof out to press to "Rarity's" forehead. "You're acting so strangely. So quiet. Are you sick...?" Her tone was so concerned that the princess couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. "Oh, no, Fluttershy. I am perfectly alright!" Celestia inwardly groaned, hoping that Rarity was doing a better job of imitating her than vice versa. The former's introverted tendencies was most definitely getting in the way. "Really, dear, I'm just thinking." Fluttershy seemed as if she had something more to say, but shied back instead, and the princess approached in return. "Come, dear, you needn't be so nervous-" "Y-You're not Rarity, are you?" The question stunned Celestia for a moment. It was far more direct than what she expected from Fluttershy. She bowed her head, then shook it. "Very perceptive, my little pony. I'm proud of you, even if this is a bit of an inconvenience," Celestia replied softly, no longer disguising her voice. Fluttershy gasped softly and immediately bowed low, making the disguised alicorn wince. She leaned down and nuzzled gently at the top of the pegasus's head in an attempt to comfort her. "That's not necessary at all. I am very sorry for deceiving you." The pegasus hesitantly rose up, but still refused to meet the gaze of the pony whom only a few minutes ago, she thought was her friend. When it seemed to Celestia that the poor mare wouldn't recover fully on her own, Celestia drew her into a soft hug, but gave her plenty of room to pull away. Though she tensed at first, Fluttershy slowly relaxed, and the princess smiled. "See? I'm not going to bite." Fluttershy smiled and let out a soft sigh of relief. "But why, p-princess?" Princes Celestia was dreading the response, but she began to explain. "Dear little pony, I have been princess for a very, very long time. I had to banish my own sister, whom I love very, very much. And after that, I had no time to mourn. I had to rebuild pony civilization from the cataclysm that was our battle, and make everything stick together and work even as it was crumbling from the edges. And the center, at that." She let out a soft sigh, keeping her gaze away from Fluttershy's. It made her feel a bit guilty to talk about herself so flagrantly, but at the same time, it felt so good to get it off her chest again. "It was a long and harrowing task, and one that I could have failed miserably at the slightest mistake. I had to constantly keep a veneer of confidence the entire time, so that none of my subjects could see my doubt and terror. And even once that danger was gone, the amount of work that was backlogged -- held back for other, more important things -- was so immense I could not even hope to catch up in a century." Fluttershy frowned, softly, a sad sympathetic frown, but she didn't care move up to the princess or interrupt. The latter continued, "Even now, that work still looms over me. My sister's return was a wonderful thing, indescribable to any creature who doesn't understand what immortality is like. She has brought many more joys than one, not least of which the fact that I have somepony to share that burden with now. But even so," Celestia started, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh before she finished with, "I needed a break, and I intend to enjoy it." "I... Don't really understand," Fluttershy replied after a long silence. "But I don't mind, if that's what you want." That caused the disguised alicorn to smile again. "Thank you, Fluttershy. Now, where were we?" "W-Well..." The pegasus fidgeted as Celestia turned back to her work. The princess felt much better, and was quite eager to get back to the sewing. However, what Fluttershy had to question next brought her pause almost immediately, and almost caused another incident with the no-doubt bloodthirsty machine. "Do you think Rarity is alright...? I mean, sometimes, she doesn't make the best decisions. N-Not to say that she isn't smart!" Fluttershy hastily back-pedaled as Celestia pulled her hoof to safety from the machinations of that wicked device. "But she... She can be a bit... Um... Hasty, sometimes..." The princess chuckled softly, turning her head to smile encouragingly to Fluttershy. "Oh, I know this very well. However, I have left Luna with her, and while Luna can be... Trying, at times, she is very responsible." With her work, Celestia thought to herself. The mental states of the palace staff, not so much. Waving that thought aside, she continued, "Not to mention that I gave Rarity and Luna both explicit instructions to immediately contact me if things should get out of hand." Fluttershy still had her doubts, but she preferred not to voice them. Surely her princess knew what she was doing. But after another moment's silence, she couldn't resist her curiosity on another topic entirely. "Princess?" "Mmm?" The disguised alicorn studied the work of the machine carefully, wary of it's implement of pain. "Were you thinking of Rarity?" Fluttershy sounded slightly excited at the prospect, which caused Celestia even more of a start than warranted from the question itself. The alicorn was only able to question herself for a moment before the pegasus's expectant, hopeful gaze forced an answer from her. "Well, yes. She is a brilliant, talented, and lovely pony," replied the alicorn without the slightest hint of realization for how that must have sounded. "I cherish her as much as I do all of you." A soft, shy smile graced Fluttershy's face, and Celestia's heart seemed to her to stop. She forced herself to not put her hoof over her chest. Dearest sun, this pony is too adorable to bear... "D-Do you think about us very often?" Celestia considered this question a moment, before she had to shake her head. "Perhaps Twilight Sparkle, but no. I am just so busy that I don't have the time to allow my thoughts their wander to other ponies." That wasn't quite the truth, she always had plenty of time as far as she was concerned. But it sounded nicer than simply stating that she didn't think of them. Ponies liked to think that they were important beyond their own perceptions, after all. "But you were thinking about Rarity this whole time, weren't you?" Fluttershy insisted gently. "Do you... Do you like her?" Celestia's stoic composure came completely crashing down for a moment, her eyes widening and jaw dropping as she stared at Fluttershy. That made the pegasus squeak and back up, then hide behind her mane with lowered head. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to...! Oh, Fluttershy, you're such a loudmouth..." The alicorn certainly would have comforted the smaller pony had she possessed the presence of mind to do so. As it was, Celestia could only stare as her mind raced for the first time in a millennium. What? No, that's impossible. Rarity is beautiful, graceful, full of conviction, hard-working, full of life, not afraid to show her emotions... Celestia forced herself to stop there. She shook her head quickly, scaring poor Fluttershy -- whom believed she had broken the princess -- more in the doing. But that doesn't mean I love her! I just have a deep respect for her, and perhaps a bit envious in how free she is with her feelings. That's all. The alicorn finally let out a sigh of relief, and smiled. Rationality had won out once more. Fluttershy only now dared to whisper, "P-Princess? A-Are you... Alright...?" The disguised princess slowly nodded. "Yes, I am fine. Why don't we take a small break from this work? I think it may do us some good." Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, before Celestia suggested, "We could visit that spa Rarity likes so much?" The pegasus smiled and nodded quickly, eager to put that strange experience behind her, and the two left the shop, allowing it to lay as it was. Neither noticed the rabbit and cat following them. --- The party was everything Rarity had hoped, and perhaps more. It was put outside in the garden at evening, and though lovely, the soft light of dusk was lost under the hanging lanterns that served to illuminate the gathering. There were several seats and tables laid out with many a treat and delight of both food and drink, though most of the guests chose to stand, as it was easier to mingle that way. Nearby, the royal symphony created a tune that matched perfectly the atmosphere of refinement and nobility. She couldn't fathom why Luna was so wary of this event. What was there not to love? Well, that wasn't quite true; she suspected Luna had no patience for "The Game". Rarity had practiced for "The Game" almost her entire life, and had gotten plenty of hooves on experience that fateful visit to Canterlot which had given her such a taste of the fun. "The Game" was not a simple one, to be sure. It was never-ending and all encompassing for the elite of Canterlot- No, every noble in each city. There was no escape from the eternal dance for prestige and favor, but most would have it no other way. To Rarity, and ponies like her, there was no greater thrill than the posturing and thinly veiled insults and sneers of their opponents, and saying just the right thing to put them in their place. Of course, Rarity didn't mean any of it as genuinely cruel or malignant. To her, it was just the game. It was just how it was played, nothing more. Of course, as Celestia, she already had a distinct advantage. And as Luna had warned her that the princess of the sun did not particularly like these parties, she was content to be a mere observer, and stayed near the moon goddess. She was rather pleasant company by herself. "And those two arguing there, who are they?" She whispered to Luna. Luna sipped some of the punch she had -- which she had earlier dubbed the party's only saving grace -- before responding with, "Ash, the Canterlot Fire Marshal, and Marble, Canterlot's Chief Architect. The two of them are little more than squabbling children. Fie, we say, Fie to them." Rarity took more amusement in that than she likely should have, but managed to hide it well behind a small slice of cake. "And why is that?" "Marble constructed a number of structures in the past that had not met the standards necessary for 'fire safety'." Luna gave an emphatic shrug at that. "According to our sister, 'twas a legitimate concern - 20 years past at this date. Their ridiculous feud serves only to amuse us at best, annoy mine efforts at promoting synergy at worst." Before Rarity could ask what "synergy" even meant, a stallion stepped up with a tray on his back. The disguised unicorn smirked down at Prince Blueblood -- whom had been relegated to the position of a mere servant at her command -- and spoke. "Nephew, are you enjoying the party?" The unicorn groaned, his expression equal parts bemused and annoyed. "Aunt Celestia, is this really necessary? I don't even know what I did to deserve this!" Luna kept her expression as blank as possible, a trait Rarity was pleased to note usually meant that the princess was trying very hard not to laugh. Rarity lifted one of the martini bearing glasses from said tray, and tut-tutted. "Really, nephew, if you do not know, I won't be telling you." She sipped from the glass, giving him a sly grin. "Now, don't neglect the other guests." Blueblood let out a heavy sigh, and retreated to the crowd, defeated but no less confused. Luna let out an explosive sigh, relieved that the prince had left her view before she lost control. "Celestia. While we appreciate the ironic humor of having royalty serve the other nobility, we must question thy motives and wisdom in choosing this course of action." Rarity smiled a bit thinly and held up a hoof. "Dear sister, please. Isn't it the duty of royalty to serve Equestria? For some of us, it is just more literal than usual tonight." Before Luna could respond, however, a cry of despair rose from the crowd, and Rarity drew herself up straight in alarm, ready to leap into action. When she saw the source, however, she relaxed. A mare who was primly dressed was beside herself, seeming as though she could cry. Luna rolled her eyes, but the frown on Rarity's face made her stop, if only out of curiosity. The larger "princess" rose from her seat, and trotted forward. "What is the matter?" "Oh, princess! I have just received word that I may be ruined! An extremely important shipment from my business is waylaid at customs, because a warehouse of mine has been destroyed!" The white earth pony's lips quivered, and Rarity feared the mare might dive forward and bury her head into the disguised unicorn's chest. She didn't, however, and Rarity awkwardly laid a foreleg over the noble's back to comfort her. "What happened to that warehouse? Is it salvagable?" Rarity had not the slightest clue of how these things worked, but she could at least try to be a proper princess. "No, it simply... Collapsed! The whole building fell, and the basement was completely flooded!" Rarity's fears were realized when the mare buried her face against that offer foreleg, thoroughly embarrassing herself and the "princess" in the process. With it made quite clear in her tone how uncomfortable she was with this, the disguised unicorn asked, "I am sorry to hear that. Were your products all destroyed?" The mare nodded enthusiastically, which caused the larger pony to question whether she was sad or happy about this disaster. "Yes, and I have no other place to store my goods! If I cannot move them quickly, my business shall be ruined!" Rarity was a kind soul, to be sure, and she certainly didn't want to see this poor pony lose what she had -- whatever she had -- so she smiled warmly, in that way she loved so much when she saw Celestia do it, and shushed the mare as a parent would shush a filly. "It's alright. Listen... What is your name?" The mare looked up, hopefully. "Fowl Play, your highness." A slight frown crossed Rarity's muzzle, and she raised a brow. "Foul Play?" "As in birds, Princess." The mare smiled a bit awkwardly, her eyes a bit red from the crying. "Ah, I see." She must deal in exotic birds, to be this upset about the loss of one shipment. The false princess smiled again, reassuringly. "Come see me in the morning for court. I will have your case prioritized, and we shall sort this out as quickly as possible." "Oh, thank you, your highness!" Fowl practically pounced the princess. Not only was that very awkward and humiliating for Rarity, but the guards were taking a marked interest in the situation and were obviously not happy. The unicorn gently pushed the Earth Pony down for her own protection. Of course. The mare didn't seem to mind, and trotted off to make some last minute preparations, while "Celestia" sighed. She was about to return to her seat when a loud crash came through the air, and then everything went to Tartarus. In the time that Rarity was distracted, the argument between Ash and Marble had gotten very heated. Eventually, their emotions, combined with the influence of the wine and martinis, got the better of Marble. He responded to a final insult from Ash by bucking his rival in the chest. With the strength of an Earth Pony behind it, the kick was more than enough to send the unicorn flying back, and he landed on one of the short edges of the rectangular table. The table legs snapped and the force of the impact flipped the table up, sending various food items flying. A plate of barbecued broccoli struck one of the hanging lanterns, and it flipped over, dumping the candle from it onto a streamer. The flammable paper burned almost immediately, leading like a fuse to a rope bearing pennants of Equestria's flag, and the heat caused it to snap and swing down towards Rarity! The false alicorn was totally unaware of her impending doom, but thankfully Ash had gotten enough time to recover, and did the first thing he could think of as a Fire Marshall. He seized a bowl of punch with his telekinesis, and flung the liquids over the burning rope, dousing the flame in the nick of time. He also succeeded in soaking Rarity with the punch, and stained her dress in ways the unicorn was sure would never come out. A deep, awkward silence followed, the quiet of it somehow louder than even the cries of ponies at a fireworks display. Rarity stood stock still, as every noble and royal stared in horror at the "princess". Their gazes slowly turned from her, to Ash, and then to Marble, and slowly back to the princess again. The disguised unicorn could barely comprehend what had just happened, and though she felt like she wanted to cry, she didn't. Instead, she did something that shocked herself. She turned to Ash, and tracked her gaze from him to Marble with a stern frown. Rarity wasn't sure of what she was saying before it had already come out: "I am very disappointed in both of you. I want you to go back to your homes, and think very carefully about what happened tonight, then come see me in Court tomorrow. Do you understand?" Two timid replies of "Yes, princess" rose from them before they quickly scuttled off, giving each other accusing glares. However, Rarity couldn't care less at the moment. The party was destroyed, and the mood was lost entirely, thought the guests attempted their best efforts in reviving it to please their princess. It would have warmed the disguised unicorn's heart to see their surprising amount of devotion to Celestia, had she not already turned away for a distraction she sorely needed. --- "Aunt Celly," greeted a bitter voice as she approached the table which bore most of the alcohol present at this disaster of a party. "You're here early this night. I suppose things aren't going as well as you'd like?" The voice of course belonged to that most hated of stallions, Prince Blueblood. Rarity couldn't help but smirk a bit; she could at least salvage this night by furthering her revenge on him. "Not at all. Things are going very well, and I have another task for you." Blueblood scoffed, downing a shot of very fine whiskey in a manner suited for neither the quality of the drink, nor royalty. When he let out a breath, he smirked in triumph. "I think not. You will have to find another toy." He grinned at the sight of the false-princess's smile slowly becoming outrage. Before she could make any demands, he turned his head to the cup-bearer. "Servant, another shot." As the pony obliged, Blueblood kept smirking, though his eyes were on the glass itself instead of "Celestia." "Aunt Luna told me everything, Madame Rarity." The alicorn took a small step back, surprised, and she couldn't find the words to respond. As the cup-bearer finished refilling Blueblood's best friend, he idly ran a hoof along the edge. "You must think yourself so righteously justified. You make me sick." Rarity's outrage overcame her speechlessness, and she scowled. "Why, of course! How could I not?" Blueblood casually shooed the cup-bearer away, and rolled his eyes as Rarity continued. "Your beastly behaviour that night five years ago? Why, I could not even begin to describe the humiliation and heartbreak you subjected me to, with your unspeakably churlish acts! Even going as far as to insult my friends! Why, I..." Rarity continued to ramble on and on, while the prince casually played with the shot glass. When he'd had enough, he took the shot and then, belying his earlier calm, he slammed the glass down with a resounding clatter. The party paused for only the slightest of moments, and upon seeing the two ponies at the center of the event, decided it was best to go back to their business. "Oh please. Churlish behavior? Selfishness? Tell me something, madame, exactly what was I to you before that night?" Rarity was surprised by the question even more than the sudden violence the prince displayed. "You were my prince in shining armor, my greatest fantasy born to life, my-" "Stop right there," Blueblood demanded as he raised a hoof. "That is exactly what I mean. At what point did you ever consider what I wanted? And when did you even think of me as a pony, rather than just a trophy to place a ring on you?" Rarity's mouth just hung open, again speechless, and Blueblood snorted derisively, pouring himself more whiskey. "Since you don't seem to have your wits about you -- hardly surprising -- I'll wager: Never. Not once." "That... That wasn't the way I meant it!" Rarity was firmly on the defensive now, and her expression was one of horror, that of a mare who had just had a horrible realization. "I didn't see you as just an object, but as a-" "A dream?" The white stallion stared bitterly into his alcohol, and chuckled humorlessly. "Of course." "That didn't give you the right to treat me in that fashion!" Rarity was more confused than angry, despite her choice of words. The prince waved a hoof. "I treated you the same as I have treated every mare that has approached me for the same reason as you. But I had to put quite a lot more effort in scaring YOU away," he added with a mocking, flourishing bow. "You must feel so honored." Rarity hung her head. "I... I have never considered it from that light... But still, your behaviour was contemptuous!" Blueblood gave her an incredulous look, and then laughed. "Contemptuous? Contemptuous? Listen here. I work very hard, harder than you could even imagine. Do you think Equestria runs itself? Or that even the princesses, my aunts, can rule it all by themselves?" The stallion pointed a hoof at Rarity, causing her to step back again. "No. I am one of the cogs in the wheel that make this nation work. A rather large cog, in fact. I have a great many duties and responsibilities that would make your head spin!" Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off by Blueblood. "Let me tell you what is contemptuous, madame: A mare daring to believe she has the station to be mine when she has earned practically nothing for herself yet in life. What is contemptuous is the sheer amount of self-entitlement, believing I would throw myself at your hooves if you simply batted your eyelashes at me in just the right way. What is contemptuous is the fact that you still -- no matter how badly I had treated you -- stuck to me like dirt on a farmer's plow, even allowing me to insult the work and reputation of a pony obviously far more mature and hard-working than you, just so you could try to convince me to court you. But even worse, at least it is to me, is all the mares that only think of me as a ticket to prestige, honor, and perhaps even a larger purse. I am nothing more than a walking bag of bits to you, and every other mare that desires to court me!" He shook in rage, glaring at the disguised mare with a very unsubtle hatred in his eyes. "That is what is contemptuous, you foul nag, so begone, and allow me to drown my woes in contemptuous loneliness. That's a great deal more preferable than being in your company for a moment longer!" He downed this final shot, and proceeded to furiously stare at the table in front of him. Rarity couldn't stop tears from coming to her eyes. For a moment, she forgot her disguise, forgot all her decorum and grace, and ran from this accursed party with hot tears staining both her cheeks and the ground she trotted on. Without a second glance, Blueblood called for the cup-bearer to return and proceeded to continue his search for drunken oblivion.