//------------------------------// // Visiting Canterlot Castle | Parts 56 - 73A // Story: BuggyCYOA // by Equidaeon //------------------------------// As you walk back towards the main area of the city, you begin to think about your upcoming visit to the Royal Castle. The thought of meeting either of the Princesses again fills you with a subtle nervousness. Even though you have met both Celestia and Luna, and have been in their presence several times now, you have yet to get used to the experience. You distinctly remember the first time you were brought to Canterlot, not long after your arrival in Equestria, where you met Princess Celestia for the first time. It would've been an understatement to say that you were scared stiff... You couldn't help approaching the situation like if you were to meet world rulers back home on Earth, where a misstep or poorly chosen word could get you into big trouble. And yet... She was so gentle and kind to you and her pony subjects. Nothing at all like what you had expected, but a quality you immediately came to respect deeply. Equally surprising to you was encountering a pony that was as tall, if not taller than you are. As you think about your experiences from those early days in this world, however, your thoughts are interrupted by the growling of your stomach. Remembering your light breakfast this morning, you decide to make a stop somewhere for lunch. You walk over into the area of Canterlot where several different restaurants and bakeries are established. After seeing what is currently open, you narrow down a few places that sound good to you at the moment... You decide to visit the Emerald Way Eatery; an establishment that appears to be on the upper end of casual dining. Upon entering the restaurant, you come to a stop in front of a pegasus waitress mare who wears a cute uniform. She looks up at you with a friendly smile. "Welcome to the Emerald Way, sir! A table for one?" She asks you. "Yes." You simply reply. "Right this way, please." The waitress mare says as she leads you to your seat. As you walk through the restaurant, you notice several other customers present who take their time to stare at you, some leaning over to whisper to one another. You ignore them for the most part, as you've grown to expect such things. You do have to give credit to this waitress who didn't skip a beat though. "Here we are." The waitress mare says as she gestures to a small table by a window with one of her wings. You carefully sit down at the pony-sized table while the waitress brings you a menu, which she sets down in front of you. "May I interest you in today's lunch special? Or will you be ordering from the menu?" She asks you. "Tell me about the special." You say to her. "Certainly. Today's special is freshly made squash soup with a side of tomato basil bruschetta topped with olives and parmesan, with your choice of drink." The waitress mare answers. "That sounds good. I'll have the special with..." You pause as you look at the available drinks. "...cider, please." You say to the waitress mare. "Got it. Your lunch will be out shortly." The mare says as she takes your menu and walks away. You take a moment to look around the restaurant, where you find that the other ponies have returned to focusing on their own meals. A few minutes later, the waitress mare returns with a glass of cider on a small tray held in her mouth, which she places onto the table. "Thank you." You say to the mare as she walks away, followed by picking up the glass and sipping on the sweet, delicious cider as you stare out the window and watch the world go by. Not long after, the waitress returns once more with a larger tray with your meal balanced on her wings, which she skillfully slides onto your table. "Enjoy!" She says as she walks back to the entrance of the restaurant to greet a couple that entered only a moment ago. You proceed to take your time and enjoy your delicious lunch. Once finished, you pay for your meal and exit the restaurant. Once back out in the streets, you decide that now is a good time to make your way over to the Royal Canterlot Castle to check in with Twilight. The walk is uneventful, and after only a short while you find yourself at the grand main entrance to the castle. Walking past a series of gates and Royal Guards, followed by a short flight of stairs, you finally walk through the large doors of the castle's main entryway. You admire the beauty and splendor of the castle surrounding you as you wander its halls, vaguely remembering the layout of its public area. Rounding a corner, you see a small line of ponies in the room ahead of you trailing off in the direction you know to be the throne room; evidence that a day court is currently in session today. You stop to take a moment and think about where to go or what to do next, as you know Twilight wouldn't be with the Princess during the day court. You conclude that the natural habitat of bookworms is the library, so that is where you will go. Making your way into the room ahead, you turn the opposite direction from the throne room, towards a hallway that you know leads into the interior parts of the castle. However, a set of five Royal Guards block the way, protecting the interior from any would-be intruders or trespassers. A unicorn stallion guard standing foremost in the center, who wears a slightly different armor, watches as you approach. "How may I help you?" He says as he looks up at you. "Hey there... I'm trying to catch up with my friend Twilight Sparkle. She arrived here before I did. Do you happen to know where she is?" You ask the guard. "Sorry, I don't know where she is. We've been expecting your arrival though. Do you need any direction?" He asks you. "Yes, actually. I wanted to check the library first, could you remind me where that is exactly, please?" You respond. "Better yet, I'll take you there. Follow me, please." The guard says as he turns around and begins walking. You follow the Royal Guard as he takes you through the hallways of the interior portion of the castle. Soon enough, you come to a stop in front of a large, ornate wooden door. "Here we are." The guard says as he turns around to look back up at you. "Please keep a respectful volume inside the library. Additionally, you are free to wander most areas of the castle as you please. Have a wonderful day." The guard concludes as he begins to walk away. "Thank you!" You say to him before turning your attention to the library door. You open the large wooden door and step through into the library, making extra effort to quietly close the door once inside. Immediately the heavy scent of old books fills your nose, providing a feeling of comfort as you begin to walk through the grand library. After a quick search, besides the librarian and yourself, there are only a few other ponies here. However, none of them are Twilight Sparkle. You let out a quiet sigh as you place your hands on your hips. You wonder what to do next as you idly examine the spines of the books on the shelves near where you stand. After spending several minutes aimlessly looking at books, you decide to walk back to the main desk where the librarian currently sits. Once at the desk, the distinguished looking unicorn stallion at the desk looks up at you from a book he was reading. "Yes?" The librarian simply asks in a quiet voice. "Hello, I was just wondering if a certain purple unicorn mare visited here earlier." You respond in an equally hushed tone. "Hmm, Twilight?" The librarian begins with a knowing smile. "Yes, she was here not too long ago." He says. "Do you happen to know where she went?" You ask. "I believe she went to get something to eat approximately..." The librarian pauses as he turns to glance at a clock. "...twenty one minutes ago." He answers. "Knowing that protégé of the Princess, I imagine she will return soon. After all, she entrusted me to make sure that nopony touches these books until she returns." The librarian says as he gestures to a small stack of books next to him. "I see... I'll wait around for her then. Thank you." You say to the librarian, who simply nods in acknowledgement before returning his attention to his book. You decide to pass the time by returning to looking at the many books in the library. Specifically, you attempt to find a book on changelings. Unfortunately, you have no idea how the books are grouped together and arranged here, leading to you aimlessly skimming through books in an effort to find one with a promising title. Eventually, you decide to give up the effort after going down one section of shelves and reaching the other end of the library. Looking around from your current position, you see nobody else, though you occasionally hear the sound of hooves against the floor. Something that does catch your attention, however, is what appears to be a small metal gate at the furthest corner of the library from the entrance. Approaching the gate in order to inspect it, you find it to be of a relatively simple design with a keyhole for a lock. The gate itself blocks a narrow, unlit corridor. Standing close by and looking through it, you can see a plain wooden door at the end in the darkness. Turning your attention to the keyhole, you happen to notice a faint orange glow emanating from it. With nothing else to see, you decide to leave the gate alone and make your way back towards the entrance of the library. Once at the entrance of the library, you walk over to the door and exit back into the castle halls. Leaning against a nearby wall, you wait for Twilight to return. Several minutes later, your thoughts are interrupted by the cheerful call of Twilight. "Anon!" You hear her call out. Looking over, you see the purple unicorn happily trotting down the hallway towards you. "Did you have a good lunch?" You ask Twilight as she draws close to you. "Why yes, I did! ...How did you know I went to eat lunch?" She asks in response as she comes to a stop in front of you. "I asked the librarian in there if he had seen you. You'll be happy to know that he's still dutifully guarding those books for you." You answer her. "Hehe, I'm glad! Were you looking for me? How long have you been here?" Twilight asks. "Yes I was. When I got here I saw the Princess had a day court going, so I figured you'd be elsewhere. I haven't been here for very long; must have just missed you when I arrived." You respond. "And the library was the first place you checked?" Twilight says with a giggle. "Soooo, how did your visit with the armorer go, Anon?" She asks you. "You know what? It went really well, actually. We got everything sorted out, and I'll be having a brand new pair of boots sent to Ponyville soon. I can tell you all about it later, if you're interested." You answer. "That's great, Anon! I would love to hear about it in detail later." Twilight says. "Anyway..." Twilight begins. "Princess Celestia won't be done with her duties for another hour or so. Wanna go see where your room for the night is?" She asks you with a warm smile. "Sure, may as well. Lead the way, since you seem to know your way around here." You answer her. "Okay Anon, just let me go get those books real quick." Twilight says as she makes her way back into the library. You wait around for a minute or two until Twilight returns, her saddlebags now visibly weighed down with books. "Let's go!" Twilight cheerfully announces as you both begin walking down the hallways together. While meandering your way through the castle interior, you decide to strike up some conversation. "So what kind of books did you pick up?" You ask the purple bookworm. "Ohh, mostly books on magic and magic theory. Just some light reading for tonight." Twilight answers. "Just some light reading? Twilight, you had like five or six different books in that pile." You say to her. "Well, yes... That's light reading, isn't it?" Twilight responds in a matter-of-fact way, prompting you to chuckle in disbelief. "If you say so... It's a pretty incredible library in there, isn't it?" You say, changing the subject. "The greatest in all of Equestria! There's so many books contained here in the castle that you cannot find anywhere else." Twilight proclaims. "I bet. But... How do you find anything in there, anyway?" You ask Twilight. "With the card catalog, of course." She answers. "The... The what catalog?" You ask in confusion. "The card catalog." Twilight repeats. "What's a card catalog?" You ask her. You watch in mild embarrassment as Twilight proceeds to stare at you like you're some sort of monster from another world, nearly stumbling over her hooves in the process. ...Which admittedly isn't too far from the truth. "Anon!" She cries out. "You've seen a card catalog before... R-Right...?" She asks you in disbelief. "No, I really haven't." You respond. "I don't believe it..." You hear Twilight mutter as she focuses her attention forward again. "I need to teach you how to use the card catalog before we leave, Anon. This is serious!" Twilight adds. "Well, I would appreciate that. I really don't know how to find anything in a library like the one here." You say in response. An awkward silence falls between you after that point. Glancing over at Twilight, you can tell that the gears are turning in her mind. Probably in disgust, you think to yourself. Soon enough, you arrive at a section of the castle familiar to you: The guest rooms. Meant primarily for visiting dignitaries and other guests of honor, you spent several days in one of these rooms not long after your arrival in Equestria. "Here we are." Twilight says as she comes to a stop. You watch her horn glow with magic as she removes an ornate golden key from her saddlebags, before passing it over to you. Grabbing hold of it, you examine it to see an elegant number five formed within the bow of the key, signifying your room number. "Number five, huh? Which one did you get?" You ask Twilight. "Room six. We get to be next door neighbors." She responds with a silly smile. "Meet me back here in about an hour? We can go see the Princess then." Twilight asks. "Sure thing." You answer. "Okay Anon, I'll see you then." Twilight says as she walks over, unlocking the door to her own room before entering and closing the door behind her. You do the same as you walk up to the door to your own room, inserting the golden key into the keyhole, followed by a satisfyingly loud click as you turn the key. Opening the door, you step inside and close it behind you. The sight that greets you inside is almost nostalgic. Your assigned room is one of the smaller ones meant for one person, or perhaps a married couple. The room is laid out in a very similar way to hotels from your old world. There is one large, luxurious bed, comparable to what you would call a king size mattress. It's far larger than what any pony besides the Princesses would need, but you know that these rooms are meant to accommodate many of the different races. Beyond that, the room is simply furnished in addition to a few paintings hanging on the wall. There is a decent sized bathroom, along with a large window overlooking the Royal Garden and surrounding scenery, along with another door leading out to a balcony. You remove your backpack and set it down on the floor, followed by walking over to the foot of the bed and sitting on it before leaning backwards and laying down. Breathing in deeply followed by slowly exhaling, you stare up at the ceiling as you enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. You decide it would be best to take a moment and freshen yourself up before appearing in front of the Princess. Rising from the foot of the bed after removing your boots, you lock the main door before walking into the opulent bathroom. Once there, you undress and step into a large shower where you enjoy the luxurious soap and shampoo available. After finishing up and drying off, you put your clothes back on again, taking a moment in front of the mirror to tidy up your hair with a comb. Stepping out of the bathroom, you put your boots back on and exit your room into the castle halls. Wanting to try and familiarize yourself with the castle layout better, you begin to go for a short walk, starting with retracing your steps to the library and back. After that doing that, you decide to fork off in a new direction and see where you end up. Along the way, you pass by Royal Guards, servants, maids and other castle staff, who pay little attention to you as you walk by, for the most part. You soon come to a stop at a four-way cross section where multiple hallways meet. Looking down each one, you cannot determine where exactly they lead to. Continuing on straight ahead, you see nothing else of interest until you reach a corner. At that corner, the hallway transitions from straight into one that is slightly curved, making it so that you cannot see where it leads. Curious, you begin walking down the curved hallway, where you are immediately caught off guard by what you see. Lining the full length of the outer curve are windows of alternating clear and stained glass in beautiful designs, framed by equally beautiful masonry. You've seen how the Royal Castle has plenty of opulent beauty and ornate details, but this particular sight strikes you as exceptional. Slowing your pace, you take the time to stop at one of the clear windows to look out from it, finding that it presents a fine view of the Royal Garden and surrounding mountainside. You then take your time to stop and observe each stained glass window, with each one being a unique piece of art. Before long, you notice the end of the hallway come into view, which you resume walking at normal speed towards. You find yourself looking at another impressive sight before you; a floor to ceiling relief carved into the pristine white stone of the walls. The relief depicts a large, detailed pair of splayed wings with a large horn placed between them. Depicted above the wings and to the one side of the horn, is a large sun with its rays shining out. On the other side is a crescent moon with many stars surrounding it. Finally, at each corner of the wall sits a large, ornate metal brazier, both of which are currently unlit. Walking closer to the relief, you then notice two large doors on each side of the hallway. One has ornate designs inlaid in gold, prominently featuring the sun. The other is equally as ornate but inlaid with silver, prominently featuring the moon. On closer inspection of the doors, you notice that they appear to have no lock, only a simple ring for a handle made from each doors respective metal. Above all, you notice that it's very quiet here. There is nobody here but yourself. You may be curious where these doors lead to, but you don't want to be intrusive, as you suspect that these rooms belong to the Princesses, judging from the designs. In the end, you turn around and walk back the way you came from, while taking the time to enjoy the other stained glass windows that you didn't look at. As you round the corner back into the main castle hallways, you notice a couple Royal Guards on patrol glancing at you. While walking past them towards the four-way cross section, however, they say or do nothing. Coming to a stop at the hallway intersection, you take another look down the other two halls that you haven't explored. In your mind, you reckon that you have enough time left to check out one more area of the castle before you should meet up with Twilight again. At the same time, you feel a worry in the back of your mind over accidentally getting lost, or losing track of the time. You decide to turn to the left this time, or rather what was once to your right when you first passed through this location. Passing by several doors and a few ponies, you meander down the hallway until you arrive at a corner. Rounding the corner, you find that the hallway transitions into two large doors that are currently open to the outdoors, or rather, the Royal Garden. Walking outside into the Royal Garden, you are struck by how idyllic the scenery here appears; the picturesque landscaping of a beautiful park. You've only seen a portion of this place before from the balcony of the guest rooms. If even that relatively small portion was deeply impressive to you, seeing the rest of it fills you with a sense of awe. Walking onto a small stone bridge over a water feature, you come to a stop as you lean on the railing to observe the things around you. You can tell there are more things to see here than you have time for at the moment... From your point of view, you can see what looks like a hedge maze, a statue garden of sorts, a few outbuildings, and other decorative features. You also see a few ponies tending to the garden and other duties, along with Royal Guards on patrol. Looking down into the calm water below you, you take a moment to stare at your reflection and the reflection of the clouds in the sky. Above all, you wish that you can see this garden someday during the middle of summer, when all the flowers would be in full bloom. Having spent an enjoyable peaceful moment on the small stone bridge, you decide to head back into the castle, especially after seeing there is more to the Royal Garden than you have time for. Once back in the castle, you walk down the hallway until you yet again reach the four-way cross section. This time, you decide to go ahead and take a look at the final path, since you didn't spend that much time out in the Royal Garden. Walking down this new hallway, you pass by plenty of doors to different rooms, in which you see plenty of castle staff going to and from. You wonder what sort of rooms are behind those doors, but that's a question that you know there isn't the time to find the answer to. Eventually, you end up at two enormous open doors that nearly span the height of the floor to the ceiling. Looking inside, you see a grand dining room, where many ponies appear to be busily making preparations. You don't go inside, as you don't want to potentially get in the way or be somewhere that you're not supposed to be. To your left and to your right, the hallways continue. However, you decide to head back to the guest rooms, as you do not want to be late and stress out Twilight. On your way back to your destination, you feel a pang of guilt shoot through you as your thoughts shift to Notaulix. Part of you wishes that you could have stayed home to look after him, especially as it's only been about two days since you found him. Even though Notaulix was doing much better after those two days, and has everything he could need at your home, you can't help but worry about him. In that time, you've quickly grown to enjoy the changelings company, in his own unusual way. Above all, though, the act of taking that weak, struggling changeling into your care gave your life here in Equestria newfound purpose; Something that you didn't even realize you were lacking. You hope Notaulix isn't upset with you for leaving on a trip so soon. Putting those thoughts aside, you arrive back at the castles guest rooms. You lean on the wall by the door to your own room, wondering what to do since Twilight is not yet present. A twinge of fear crosses your mind as you consider the possibility that you've returned late, since you do not know what time it is. Unlocking the door once more, you briefly enter your guest room, as you recall that there is a clock inside. Checking the clock, you discover that you still have about eight minutes until the appointed hour. With the current time clearly in mind, you lay down on your bed to relax for a few minutes. Afterwards, you stand back up onto your feet and exit the guest room, where you wait for Twilight to join you. Sure enough, the door to Twilight's room opens, followed closely by the purple unicorn mare stepping out, minus her saddlebags. "Hey there Anon. Ready to go?" Twilight asks you in her usual cheery voice. "Of course. Lead the way, Sparkle. You know where we're supposed to be meeting the Princess, not me." You answer her. "Right this way." Twilight says as she begins to walk back down the hallway towards the library, which also connects up to the main hall leading from the public area of the castle. Walking by Twilight's side, the journey is uneventful until you go to change direction at an intersecting point. As the two of you round the corner, you find none other than Princess Celestia in all her radiant glory, along with an entourage of Royal Guards, approaching from no less than 30 feet away. You come to an immediate halt, your mind racing in a panic as you try and determine what the best, most respectful course of action is in this unexpected situation. "Princess Celestia!" Twilight joyfully cries out as she trots over to her mentor. "Ohoho, Twilight!" Celestia giggles. "It is so very nice to see my faithful student today." The Princess says with her warm, soothing voice. You watch as Twilight comes to a stop in front of Celestia, followed by Celestia craning her head down next to Twilight, the two then rubbing the sides of their heads together; a common expression of affection among ponies. Meanwhile, you are still standing awkwardly by yourself, unsure of how to proceed. Twilight may have a special friendship with the Princess, allowing her to safely skip many of the formalities, but that is a privilege that you lack. Time feels like it slows to a crawl, until you finally find an example to follow... You notice that not too far behind the Princess's entourage, a member of the castle staff is respectfully backed up against the wall and gently bowing. Following that example, you do the same as you back up to the wall of the hallway and hold an awkward forty-five degree bow. "I'm so excited to spend some time with you today! It's been almost two months, and there's so much I want to talk with you about!" You hear an enthusiastic Twilight say. You hear Celestia giggle, then speak again. "Indeed, Twilight. Come now, we will have plenty of time to converse at our destination." She says. The sharp sound from the clipping and clopping of metal hoofshoes fills the hallway as the entire group begins moving again. Celestia's legs come into your view as she approaches you, prompting all the other ponies to stop. "Anonymous..." Celestia says to you. "Y-Yes, Princess?" You stutter, betraying your nervousness. "Please, there is no need to be so formal in this situation. You are a special guest here in Canterlot." She warmly says to you. Before you can say anything, the Princess steps closer to you, and uses one of her wings to gently push you back into an upright position, where you find yourself looking straight into her beautiful magenta eyes. "There, isn't that better?" Celestia says before catching you completely off guard by stepping forward and embracing you in a hug of sorts. You feel her hook one of her forelegs around your lower back, while resting her head against your own on your shoulder. Your mind draws a complete blank. This has never happened before. In that moment, you decide to roll with the situation and gather up your courage, in order to do what would be unthinkable with the ruling class of your old world. You raise your arms and embrace Celestia, your arms gently wrapping around her neck, with your hands coming to rest on her withers. Celestia responds by ever so slightly increasing her grip on you, along with a gentle hum escaping from her throat. Meanwhile, you find yourself lost in the sudden barrage of sensory information coming over you. The first thing you noticed was how absolutely luxuriously soft and silky the Princess's smooth, warm, pristine white coat is. You've felt the coats of several different ponies before, and they were very soft as well, but they all pale in comparison to what you feel right now. It takes all of your willpower in that moment to not start petting the Princess like some sort of animal, in order to explore this sensation even more. The second thing you noticed was the wonderful, delicate aroma of fragrant flowers emanating from her body. You don't know if it's the shampoo she uses or some sort of light perfume, but it's a very pleasing scent regardless. However, you quickly snap back to reality when you realize that as the seconds tick by, the Princess still holds you in her embrace. You feel your cheeks rapidly flush red in embarrassment, as you know that everyone around must be staring at you. You remove your hands from her withers, thinking that perhaps she was waiting for you to do that. The Princess, however, only responds by slightly tightening her grip on you. "Uhh... P... Princess?" You quietly say to her. The alicorn suddenly snaps to attention as she releases her grip on you. As she moves back away from you onto all four hooves, you happen to notice something strange... For a brief moment as she was releasing you from the hug, she was looking at you with her ears perked up and facing forward. As she looked at you, her eyes appeared to be filled with... Surprise? Whatever that reaction may have been, it quickly disappears as Celestia resumes her normal peaceful expression that you have come to associate with her. This time with a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Everypony deserves to feel a welcoming hug throughout their lives, do they not?" Celestia says with a warm, loving smile. "Come, Anonymous. Let's continue on our way." Celestia says with a giggle as she gently nudges you to get moving with one of her wings. "Right..." You say as the group begins moving as one once again. You walk alongside Celestia to her right, while Twilight walks to her left. "Aww! That was so cute!" Twilight chimes in. You glance over to see her looking up at you with a big smile. "Thank you for you for the kindness, Princess." You say to Celestia. "You are most welcome, Anonymous." The alicorn responds. The brief walk down the halls that follows is uneventful. Soon enough, you arrive at a particular door at the end of the guest room hallway. Celestia's horn glows with magic as it opens the door. You let the Princess enter the room first, followed by Twilight and yourself. Once inside, one of the Royal Guards closes the door behind you, leaving the three of you alone together. Looking around, you find yourself in a medium sized room, a parlor of sorts, beautifully decorated with fine furniture, marble sculptures and artwork. On one side of the room, several windows let plenty of natural light in to illuminate the space, while also providing a view of the Royal Garden. Towards the center of the room, you find a large, pony sized table with different seating options surrounding it. Resting on top of the table, you see a teapot with steam coming out of it, along with a few trays which hold different goodies to eat. "Please, make yourselves comfortable." Celestia says as she steps forward to recline herself on a sofa, which happens to be long enough for her entire body to comfortably lounge on. Twilight eagerly moves forward, choosing to sit on a comfy looking floor cushion right next to her mentor's front half. You pause to look at the remaining seating options around the table as you decide where to sit. After a moment of thought, you walk over to a sofa opposite of Celestia's and sit down on it. Celestia's horn glows with a yellowish white aura as her magic envelops the teapot, which she then uses to fill three teacups sitting on saucers. The Princess then levitates one of the teacups over to you, which you grab hold of, thanking her in the process. "Now then, my dear student..." Celestia begins as she turns her attention to Twilight. "I think anypony can see how eager you are to share something that you're passionate about. Please, do share." She warmly invites the purple unicorn. "Oh yes! So I was reading more into some of Star Swirl the Bearded's manuscripts, when I came across a particular magic theory that..." Twilight begins to say... ...Which is coincidentally about as far as you were able to follow the resulting conversation. Unfortunately for you, the conversation goes into the deep end of magic. While the Princess may be able to keep up and understand the bookworm, you cannot. Instead, you opt to sip your tea, which is admittedly quite nice. Sometime later, after Celestia helps herself to a pastry, you do the same. The minutes drag onward into slightly over an hour as you feel the boredom really begin to set in. While you do find the subject of magic very interesting, as it's something that did not exist in your world, there's only so much discussion of it that your brain can handle at once. Occasionally, Celestia will briefly give you an apologetic look, to which you simply smile and nod your head in response. As Twilight's ceaseless enthusiasm about knowledge and magic continue to spew forth from her little pony mouth, you glance at the clock again to find that you've been here for about an hour and a half now. You begin to wonder just how much time you have left here before the Princess's schedule requires things to move forward. The thought crosses your mind that you may not have the chance to speak with the Princess at all... Though, at the same time, you can't exactly think of what you would talk to her about anyway even if you had the chance. Besides thanking her for the seemingly endless generosity, of course, you think to yourself as you pick up some sort of pastry filled with a lemon cream. Delicious! Eventually, the clock strikes over to a new hour, and not long after that you hear a knock on the door, prompting the conversation between Twilight and Celestia to cease. "You may enter." Celestia calls out. You turn to look at who is entering as the door opens, revealing a member of the castle staff; a unicorn mare. "Please excuse my interruption, your highness." The mare begins as she takes a bow. "It's time for you to attend the meeting regarding the funding distribution." She continues. "I see." Celestia says with a bit of a sigh. "Very well, I will be on my way there shortly. Thank you." The Princess adds. With that, the unicorn mare closes the door and departs. "Oh no!" Twilight cries out as she looks at you with surprise in her eyes. "Anon, I'm so sorry! I... I didn't realize I was talking for that long. You should have said something!" She says as her ears slightly droop to the sides. "Ah, don't feel bad Twilight. It's no problem, really." You say as you wave a hand dismissively. "I found the conversation to be quite... fascinating." You reassure her. Celestia giggles at your response before speaking. "I'm sure Anonymous understands, Twilight. We can plan another time to visit together, a time when Anonymous can do all the talking that he wants." She says to Twilight. "That's a wonderful idea!" Twilight says, now back to her normal cheery self. "Now then, let's leave this room now, shall we?" Celestia says as she stands back up, prompting you and Twilight to do the same. The three of you leave the parlor back out into the guest room hallway, where the group of Royal Guards that follow the Princess around still stand. "I must attend to further duties now. Will both of you be joining me for dinner at the dining hall?" Celestia asks both of you. "Of course!" Twilight answers. "It would be an honor, Princess." You respond. "Excellent! I shall expect to see both of you there in approximately... Ohh, thirty minutes? Feel free to do whatever you wish with your time until then." Celestia concludes. You nod your head before you and Twilight turn to leave and let Celestia get on with her duties. "Twilight? I almost forgot, may I briefly ask you something?" Celestia says to her student. "You may continue on your way, Anonymous." Celestia says to you with a warm smile. "What is it, Princess?" Twilight asks in a curious tone as you continue on your way, with your first stop being your guest room. After all, you have a strong desire to take a leak after all that tea you drank. You hear Twilight and the Princess talking behind you, though you don't pay any particular attention to what they're saying... ...Until you're about halfway to your room, when you can't help but hear your name being mentioned. "...if Anonymous has made any new... friends, lately?" You faintly hear Celestia ask Twilight, causing you to nearly stumble over your own steps as paranoia runs wild through your mind. What would normally be an innocent question, one you've heard the Princess ask about you before, takes on new meaning as you feel the full weight of carrying a secret weigh down upon you. There's no way she could know about Notaulix... Right? You keep on walking towards your guest room until you arrive at the door, which you promptly unlock and enter. Once inside, you immediately head into the bathroom to relieve yourself. Afterwards, you lay down on your bed in order to calm down and think about the situation. As the minutes tick by, you reach the conclusion that it's going to do you no good to stress out over what is almost certainly only a fear in your mind. You'll just have to see how the rest of the day plays out, you reason to yourself.