“You do realize you don’t have to do this,” Blueblood said to himself in the mirror.
He wasn’t talking to anyone in particular, but he felt that something should be said nevertheless. It wasn’t often that he would talk to himself, but it was a nervous habit that he didn’t quite shake off since foalhood. Yes, nervous was the right word in this situation.
In the afternoon light, he looked over at himself once again to make sure that nothing was out of place. He made sure that he was thoroughly bathed; his mane shampooed, dried, and combed. Even his white suit was brand new, along with the royal blue silk bow-tie that he adjusted a little. Given what he was going to say to the group of reporters, and - more importantly - photographers in the press room; he had to make a good impression before announcing the news that would change his life.
He imagined if this is what performers feel before they had to go out on stage to do a difficult act. If anything, it was a gamble considering who he was and how ponies will look at him from now on. It would be like walking on a tight-rope high up with no safety net underneath, and he knew what the penalty for making a mistake would be.
“Your Highness,” blinking, the prince looked over to a hoofcolt that peeked through a curtain next to the mirror. “They’re ready for you.”
Nodding, Blueblood waved a hoof to shoo him away. Though alone for a moment, a voice in his head told him that he didn’t have to go through with it. That there was nothing where he could just call the press conference off. After all, he reasoned, Celestia knows and doesn’t mind so that should be the end of that, right?
Yet, the words from his aunt still echo in his mind. ‘I know how scary it is to put yourself in front of the whole world and take off the mask to reveal who you are. And yes, there will be some, even among the nobles that will look down on you. But as a prince, we owe our subjects a full portrait of who we are and what we stand for. If you want to tell all of Equestria, I will always be there to support you. Show them that you refuse to live in fear and paranoia, and you’ll stand your ground for making the decision that you don’t want to live a lie anymore.’
He sighed. He knew she was right. Up until now, he had been quiet for the sake of reputation and the fear of how the public would react. Once or twice he thought about sending the press away. Yet, what prevented him was the thought that regardless of what happens, Celestia would not abandon him, even if all of Canterlot would treat him differently.
Taking one last look in the mirror at his blue eyes, he parted his golden mane aside. “Come what may,” he muttered to himself as he used his magic to part the curtains and step out.
The press room was set up like an indoor amphitheater where before the podium in the middle, there are rings of seats that a good portion was filled with reporters and photographers. For a split second, Blueblood pictured himself staring the role of an ancient pegasi tragedy where before an audience, he was to end by committing ritual suicide. However, despite that voice in his head that pleaded him to flee, he walked up to the podium with years of grace in every step.
Everything became quiet when he reached the podium. He cleared his throat, “Good afternoon everypony. Before we start, I would like to ask that any comments and questions should be withheld until the end of my announcement. And… my, do I have the announcement that I… needed to make.”
He took in a deep breath as the reporters were leaning towards him in their seats. “It is no secret that the mares who lined up in hopes to earn my hoof in marriage often end up disgruntled by me. There have been times when I didn’t even know that mares were trying to flirt with me. While I shouldn’t make excuses for some who found me appalling, I would at least owe them… and to an extent, all of Equestria some explanation.”
There was a pause as he breathed in deeply, ‘Now to the point of no return…’ he thought.
“Mares and Gentlecolts, I have been hiding a secret. Something that I have kept for a long time but only until recently have I told anyone about. My Aunt Celestia knows the reason behind why I have no interest in one group of ponies and others I… fell easily for. It’s the reason why to the ladies, I’m considered a fiend while my staff and guards would consider me kind and courteous to. It’s also the reason how I could easily see past the facade of mares who tried to court me but I know they’re really after my money and privileges of the royal family.
“This is a secret that I kept to myself out of fear for the disapproval of the nobility, along with those on an international stage. If anything, I’m taking a gamble just by telling you, members of the press, of that secret that might change my life for better or worse.”
‘This is it,’ He breathed in again, reading himself for the onslaught.
“The truth is, I, Prince Blueblood… am a homosexual.”
The press room erupted in questions and flashing camera lights.
“Café ou thé ce matin, Monsieur? (Coffee or tea this morning, sir?)”
Looking up from a newspaper, the stallion replied, “Le café serait bien ce matin. (Coffee would be nice this morning.)” Then flipping to the next page he added, “Et vous savez qui je l'aime préparé? (And you know how I like it prepared?)”
“Fraîchement moulu. Avec une touche de gousse de vanille, quelques cuillerées de sucre et un filet de crème. (Freshly ground. With a touch of vanilla bean, a few spoonfuls of sugar, and a dash of cream.)” The Butler nodded, “Oui, je crois que je sais comment tu aimes prendre ton petit-déjeuner maintenant. (Yes, I do believe I know how you like to have your breakfast by now.)”
Waving the butler away, the stallion continues to read the newspaper at his dining room table. Before him was an article that had caught his eye; underneath a picture of Prince Blueblood who despite trying to appear serene had a look of surprise in his eye was a headline. It read:
Prince Blueblood Comes Out as Gay
Mares Say They’re Not Surprised
To the stallion reading, this may not have interested him. After all, since he and his butler had moved from Prance, he didn’t exactly care for politics that didn’t concern him. He wouldn’t care about reading gossip, even if it was a national headline. However, that subheading did make him curious enough to read about the details of this prince. Especially one where the Prince’s coming out had explained why he was famous for his infamous reputation of a string of bad dates with mares - along with why he’s still a bachelor. He read the article through, taking note of the question that it poses: now that he has come out, will he be dating stallions in the near future?
When the butler returned with a tray of freshly brewed coffee, the stallion spoke up, “Maintenant c'est intéressant. (Now that is interesting.)”
“Quel? (What?)”
“Je pense que j'ai peut-être repéré une grande opportunité. (I think I might have spotted a great opportunity.)” The unicorn held the article up to his butler.
Blinking, the butler looked between him and the picture of the prince. “Excusez-moi, Langue d'Argent, mais tu sais que ce n'est pas une jument. (Excuse me, Langue d’Argent, but you do know that is not a mare.)”
“C'est vrai, je dirais que tu as raison là-dessus. (True, I would say you are correct on that.)” Langue nodded, “Cependant, j'y ai beaucoup réfléchi. Peut-être que ce prince pourrait être l'ouverture à la haute société ici à Equestria. (However, I've been giving this a lot of thought. Perhaps, this prince might be the opening to high society here in Equestria.)”
“C'est pourquoi je suis confus. (That is why I’m confused.)” The butler said, placing the tray down on the table. “Je croyais que tu étais attiré par les juments? (I thought you were attracted to mares?)”
“Je suis. (I am.)”
“Alors pourquoi- (Then why-)”
“Car, Maximilian, (Because, Maximilian,)” Langue folded the newspaper, “Cet article déclare que le prince ne ressent rien envers le beau sexe, mais avec les hommes, cependant, il tombe facilement amoureux. (This article states that the prince feels nothing towards the fair sex, but with males, however, he falls easily in love with.)”
“Avec tout le respect que je vous dois, monsieur, vous ne laissez pas entendre que vous allez le séduire aussi, n'est-ce pas? (With all due respect, sir, you're not suggesting that you're going to seduce him too, are you?)”
“Et pourquoi pas? (And why not?)” Langue asked, lighting up his horn to pick his cup of coffee up, “C'est la raison pour laquelle vous avez un travail, que nous pouvons déménager à Equestria, et que j'ai un titre de seigneur. (It's the reason why you have a job, that we're able to move to Equestria, and that I have a title of Lord.)”
“Seulement parce que tu as trompé... combien de juments pour qu'elles te donnent de la richesse et des titres en couchant avec elles? (Only because you tricked... how many mares into giving you wealth and titles by sleeping with them?)” Maximilian deadpanned.
After taking a sip of his coffee, Langue let out a dismissive huff, “Tu donnes l'impression que je suis un briseur de maison. Ces juments minables ne méritent pas un titre sur la saleté ! Vous savez d'abord à quoi ressemblent ces monstres aristocratiques. (You're making it sound like I'm a homewrecker. Those scummy mares don't deserve a title over dirt! You know first hoof what those aristocratic monsters are like.)”
“Oui, mais- (Yes, but-)”
“En ce qui me concerne, j'ai fait ce que j'ai fait parce qu'il y avait une opportunité pour moi. Ils voulaient un étalon qui les traiterait comme des rois et tout ce que je leur demandais était de m'aider un peu. (As far as I'm concerned, I did what I did because there was an opportunity for me. They wanted a stud that would treat them like royalty and all I asked from them was to help me out a little.)” He sipped his coffee, “D'ailleurs, je vous parierais qu'il en est exactement de même avec ce Prince. Juste un gamin indigne qui cherche tellement à aimer quelqu'un qu'il n'oserait pas refuser un Seigneur qui cherche aussi un peu de gentillesse. (Besides, I would bet you that it is exactly the same with this Prince. Just an unworthy brat who is so desperate for someone to love that he wouldn't dare refuse a Lord who also seeks a little kindness.)”
Maximilian groaned, “Tout d'abord, ce n'est pas une vieille duchesse avec de l'argent dans ses poches. (First off, this isn't some old duchess with money in her pockets.)” He trotted around the table to pick up the newspaper, “Deuxièmement, je ne suis peut-être pas un expert pour sortir avec des étalons, mais je suis sûr que ce n'est pas la même chose que de balayer les juments de leurs sabots. (Secondly, I may not be an expert on dating stallions, but I'm sure it's not the same as sweeping mares off their hooves.)” He then pointed at the picture, “Et troisièmement, qu'espérez-vous gagner en escroquant un membre de la famille royale? (And third, what in the world do you expect to gain from conning a member of the royal family?)”
Langue shrugged, “Oh, à quel point cela peut-il être difficile? Séduire un étalon ne pouvait pas être si difficile. Pas avec un visage comme ça. (Oh, how hard can it be? Seducing a stallion couldn't be that difficult. Not with a face like this.)” He said, looking at his reflection on the table. Since the wood has been polished to the mirror shine, he was able to look at himself. The unicorn took note of his rose-red mane that was pulled back, his honey-yellow eyes, and the freshly cream-white coat that covered his face. Tilting his face to the side, he figured that he could shave a little around his squarish jawline. But outside of that, he didn’t see anything flawed. “Vous savez, j'ai été complimenté par des juments disant que j'avais le visage d'un ancien dieu Pegasi. Je ne peux qu'imaginer comment un étalon gay réagirait envers moi. (You know, I have been complimented by mares saying that I have the face of an ancient Pegasi god. I can only imagine how a gay stallion would react towards me.)”
“Mais vous n'avez pas répondu à ma question, monsieur. (But you haven't answered my question, sir.)” Maxamilian pointed out, “Si nous sommes aussi bien lotis que vous le dites, alors pourquoi poursuivre cela? Vous avez déjà acquis une réputation en Prance. (If we're as well off as you say we are, then why pursue this? You’ve already gained a reputation in Prance.)”
“En Prance, oui. Mais ici à Equestria, je suis inconnu. Ce qui devrait me donner un avantage. Bien sûr, j'ai pu gravir les échelons par séduction, mais imaginez toutes les avenues qui pourraient être ouvertes avec quelqu'un qui a autant de relations qu'un prince. (In Prance, yes. But here in Equestria, I'm unknown. Which should give me an advantage. Sure I was able to climb up the ranks by seduction, but just imagine all the avenues that could be open with someone that has as many connections as a prince.)” Langue took a moment to drink more of his coffee. “Naturellement, il faudrait que je travaille mon numéro. Pour autant que je sache, prétendre être un étalon gay convaincant a besoin de travail. Mais si je joue bien mes cartes... eh bien... Je m'attends à ce que votre salaire augmente. (Naturally, I would have to work on my act. For all I know, pretending to be a convincing gay stallion needs work. But if I play my cards right... well... I expect your paycheck to go up.)”
Maximilian sighed, “Si vous savez ce que vous faites, monsieur. (If you know what you’re doing, sir.)” After taking a moment to adjust his tie he asked, “Et je suppose, monsieur, que vous pouvez aussi parler la langue du prince? (And I suppose, sir, that you can speak the Prince's language as well?)”
Langue smirked, “I’m sure Blueblood will understand me pretty well. I didn’t spend all those years on Equestrian classes for nothing.”
Although his butler didn’t understand what he was saying, he simply inquired, “Y aura-t-il autre chose dont vous aurez besoin? (Will there be anything you require?)”
Thinking for a moment, Langue instructed: “Pourrais-tu sortir mes plus beaux vêtements et les mettre sur le lit? Avant de chercher un public, je dois être à mon meilleur pour faire cette bonne première impression. (Could you pull out my finest clothes and put them on the bed? Before I seek an audience, I do need to be at my best so to make that good first impression.)”
Nodding, Maximilian left the room, leaving Langue with his cup of coffee and the newspaper. He turned back to the article, to look at the picture of Blueblood. After a sip, he remarked to himself, “Attendez, je jouerai cet aristocrate comme un violon. (Just wait, I will be playing this aristocrat like a violin.)”
For Blueblood, it was all a matter of time. Not that his announcement had gotten Canterlot gossiping - he expected that. After all, he heard the rumors and theories of why every mare couldn’t stand five minutes around him. He imagined that his coming out just tossed a Molotov cocktail on top of the already raging fire in the gossip columns.
It wasn’t that he was waiting for backlash either. Besides the hoofful of letters from a few nobles that politely told him to never darken their doorway again, the rest expressed congratulations for his bravery. (Although, he questioned the legitimacy of these. Wondering if they wrote them because he was so close to his aunts, or they’re concealing their prejudice behind a wall of flattery.) On an international level, it was all silent. So far he didn’t get a word of response for his coming out but did worry if what he did might harm international relationships.
But that wasn’t what Blueblood was waiting on either.
No. The moment he told the press his secret, he knew there would be one member of the family that would see that headline and would rush to Canterlot.
Then he was made aware that Cadance and her husband were almost to the castle to visit him.
It was a visit that he wasn’t looking forward to.
At the foot of the staircase in the grand foyer, he waited. He stood in the center of a compass rose - the only defining feature of the red carpet that stretched and wound around the halls of the castle-like blood veins. Before him through an arch and a small hallway, it looked out towards the courtyard where visitors and other dignitaries entered. Since the royal couple from the Crystal Empire was coming, a good chunk of the Solar Guard lined up at attention, waiting for them.
Before he saw the crystalline carriage rolling over the draw bridge and into the courtyard, Blueblood envisioned one scenario after another. Knowing his cousin, he was trying to narrow down what he might suspect. He could almost see her waltz in, greeted him, congratulated him on coming out before she starts to play matchmaker. At best, he can see her drawing up charts of every stallion that is single she could try setting updates with without him making any objections. At worst, maybe she could volunteer her husband into something that neither of them wants to do.
Either way, he can see Cadance trying to pry into his personal life.
Finally, he heard the carriage draw up before he saw it. Though it was made out of blue crystal, it wasn’t the kind where it was see-through. The carriage looked as if it was carved from a giant block of ice, given wheels, and was pulled by half-a-dozen crystal ponies. On any other occasion, Blueblood would have appreciated the aesthetic of it all from the mirror-like doors that had a snowflake (the emblem of the Crystal Empire) to the elegant fractals of the spokes of the wheels that spun. However, just looking at it only made him groan because of what was about to happen next. The carriage stopped, a small set of stairs was placed, and the doors opened to his cousin getting out.
‘Here we go…’ Blueblood thought.
Despite knowing that his neon pink alicorn cousin was a full-grown mare, there have been parts of Cadance that remained stubbornly immature. Instead of having the grace of simply walking up with her head held high in a dignified, quiet manner, she bolted out of the carriage like an excitable puppy meeting someone new. She nearly tackled him in the same way, the Prince almost lost his balance from the impact.
“Bluey!” Cadence greeted him.
Blueblood frowned and came close to letting out a groan from the searing cringe that was wrapped around him. It wasn’t that he hated his cousin; to say so would be both insulting and inaccurate. After all, they did grow up together in the palace since Celestia decided to adopt her. But at the same time, Blueblood would say that he wasn’t close to her like a sibling would. Yes, she was technically family, but she was someone who despite all those years of learning about court etiquette, she wasn’t trying to hide her free-spirited roots. It irked him at public gatherings when she would spontaneously do something… uncouth. He felt embarrassed whenever Cadance does something like running up to him at full speed to constrict him in an unwanted hug in front of everyone.
So as politely as he could give regarding the circumstances, he replied with, “Hello cousin.”
“Bluey, aren’t you going to hug me back?”
He looked around with the guards giving him weird looks. “Must you always do this?”
“C’mon, you know me. I won’t let go unless you hug me back.”
Blueblood let out an annoyed snort, but he gave in and hugged Cadance back with everyone watching. He didn’t like doing something so… demeaning; so common. But he knew that it would be either this or having to drag an adult alicorn around the palace until he did give in. Fortunately the hug was short and Cadance let go.
“Hello, Blueblood,” the Prince looked over to see Cadance’s husband walking in. To Blueblood, unlike his cousin, Shining was seemed to have more dignity than his wife. After all, when he was Captain of the Guard, the prince recalled how he strives to be professional in his duties. Someone who seemed to know what he was doing around other ponies. On the one hoof, it was good to see a familiar face. But on the other… just him being here was going to make what was about to happen all the more awkward.
“Prince Shining,” Blueblood bowed his head respectively. “And Princess Cadance, welcome back to Canterlot.”
“Oh cut the formalities, Bluey,” Cadence said with a laugh in her voice, “you don’t have to behave like we’re at the Grand Galloping Galla, it’s just us.”
“Yeah,” Shining nodded, “nothing formal or anything like that. We just want to talk.”
Blueblood breathed deeply, “So… I take it you both heard about-”
“You’re coming out?” Cadence interrupted, “We came down as soon as we heard.”
“I see… shall we retire to a more private room to discuss this?”
“If you don’t mind,” Shining rubbed his belly, “Neither of us had breakfast this morning. Would you mind if we can talk about this over brunch?”
Blueblood said he didn’t mind and gave an order to be passed down to the kitchens to prepare some light snacks to be eaten in the gardens. In particular, have this brunch be set up at the Rose Gazebo where they should have some privacy. The perfect place to rip off the bandage, as it were, without anyone important eavesdropping.
Down a hallway, through a pair of doors, and into the bright green gardens, Blueblood leads the way while Cadance and Shining talked away. The Prince wasn’t paying attention to their conversation, something about an upcoming festival, taxes, or something else. For the moment, the prince followed the smooth people path through the statue garden, around the hedge maze, and towards a reflection pool where on the other side was the gazebo. For most of the year, the gazebo was a whitewashed iron frame that held up a platform that featured an outdoor table with a chair or two. But during the summer months, the rose plants that have been entangling themselves to the structure for years would bloom white roses for shade.
When they arrived, Blueblood noticed that while the chairs were set up with cushions, and a lace tablecloth was already on the table, the food hadn’t arrived. It was a disappointment for him, not because everything wasn’t fully prepared, but because they had no distractions from what was coming. So they took their seats in the shade to wait for their brunch to come by.
“So, Bluey,” Cadence began, “do you… have a secret coltfriend we don’t know about?”
Letting out a frustrated breath, Blueblood replied, “Here we go again.”
“What?”
“That you do… this.” He waved a hoof towards her, “You're playing matchmaker again.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. I just knew from the moment I opened my mouth that you would come down here and try to throw entire herds of ponies at me to see which one would stick.”
“Wait, that’s what you think this is about?” Shining asked, his eyebrow raised.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Blueblood pointed out, “I remembered that ever since she figured out what her special talent was, she had spent our teenage years trying to have me go out with some random mare. Regardless of whether any pairing would work or not.”
“In my defense.” Cadance raised her hooves, “I didn’t consider who you would be attracted to at the time. Honesty, until recently I had no idea that you’re gay.”
Blueblood folded his forelegs, “For a Princess of Love, you make such a lousy detective.”
“Hey, I didn’t know!”
Shining coughed loudly to get their attention, “We didn’t come down from the Empire to argue.” He turned to Blueblood. “Look, I can only assume that it probably wasn’t easy to come out for you. If I were in your horseshoes, I don’t think I would have the guts to do it. Still, we’ve come down here to say that nothing has changed between us. We will help and support you with whatever you want to do with your life. Because at the end of the day, we think that you coming out would make a world of difference for many ponies out there.”
“Prince Shining, why do I get the feeling that you didn’t just come all this way to say that?” Blueblood leaned his back against the chair, “Be honest, how shocked were you two when you heard that I came out as gay?”
They glanced at one another, although it was for a moment, it was the kind of look when asked ‘You wanna go first or should I?’ But after a beat, Shining tilted his head towards the Prince.
So Cadance admitted, “To be blunt, I felt like an idiot. For years I couldn’t figure out why you were so difficult to pair up. That no matter how well you were with someone on paper, it just never stuck. It nearly drove me batty as I couldn’t figure out where I went wrong. For a while, I thought you were asexual or something, but looking at it now, it should have been the easiest thing in the world to have figured out.”
“Personally, I kinda suspected it when I was in the guard.” Shining coughed in his hoof. “Only none of us were absolutely sure about it though. If you had any attractions to anyone, none of us were able to pick it up. Seriously, to the guards in Canterlot, your sexuality was one of those mysteries that you couldn’t just go up and ask about.”
Blueblood sighed, running his hooves through his mane. “You were right about one thing, I did try to hide it as best I could. It’s strange in a way how much of a relief it is that you don’t have to keep this basic fact about you a secret all the time. I may not have shown it, but it was emotionally draining to walk constantly on eggshells, unsure who one could trust with something like this.” Scratching the back of his head, he added with an embarrassed blush, “And it doesn’t help at all when I often find myself being infatuation easily.”
“Really?” Cadence blinked. “You fall in love easily?”
“Well, not with every stallion I ran into, of course,” Blueblood quickly added, his blush darkening. “Yet, it’s part of the reason why I chose to come out. When you’re in the closet, you get caught in a cycle of being attracted but you can’t say or do anything. Partly because you have no idea if they’re already taken, or perhaps would find you revolting. Still, it didn’t prevent me from falling in and out of crushes now and then.”
“Oh yeah,” Shining asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk, “like who?”
“It’s… embarrassing to say this.”
“We won’t judge you,” Cadence said with a reassuring tone.
‘Maybe not,’ Blueblood thought, ‘But you’ll certainly use it to match me up with a complete stranger.’ So breathing in deeply, he told them. “For the most part, I had developed crushes on so many different ponies growing up. Not just the occasional noble or guard… (although that too) but it seemed all so random at first. For example, when I was about sixteen or seventeen, I had a crush on a pastry chef. It sounds random, I know. But at the time, he was talented, intelligent, funny, and well… perhaps it was the hormones that were talking but… he had a posterior that would make one turn red just by looking. Then there was the time when the ambassador from Saddle Arabia was visiting Equestria for a diplomatic mission. And I could not look at him in the eye because he had a face and this accent that if he talked me into going to bed with him, I wouldn’t object.”
“What about the guards?” Shining asked, “Did you have a crush on any of us?”
“It was rather hard not to,” Blueblood deadpanned. “I mean, not as often as you may think, but once in a while… it did happen.”
“Now I’m curious,” Cadence smirked, her hooves together touching her lips. “Did you ever have a crush on Shining?”
“Cadance!” both stallions objected.
“I said I was curious.”
Blueblood facehoof and let out a grunt, “I will not confirm nor deny it. However, I will say that there may have been a reason why I often let him off easy when he messed up.”
Shining’s eyes went wide. “Dude, I didn’t know I was that attractive.”
“Wait,” Cadence raised a hoof, “does that explain that one time you avoided me for a week after I said that Shining was my-”
“Can we change the subject please!” Blueblood interrupted. But after taking in a calming breath, he added, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell just… Goddesses this is uncomfortable! I’m not used to even talking about stuff like this.”
“Bluey, it’s okay.” Cadence patted him on the back. “I know this can seem overwhelming, but really, we’re just curious about this side of you that until recently didn’t know existed.”
“Still…” Shining nodded, “With you having a crush easily type of thing… I kinda find that detail a little disturbing.”
“Why?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow.
“Well… In the past, you’ve dodged an entire legion of mares because somehow, you were able to see right through them. You were able to tell almost right away who were golddiggers and social climbers. However, I’m a bit worried if you would have that same standard now that you’ve come out. I mean, how do you know you won’t encounter any stallions that would try to pull what those mares in the past have done? After all, you seemed incorruptible because, in hindsight, you had no attraction to them. But how do you know when some guy comes along that he wouldn’t take advantage of you?”
For once, Blueblood didn’t have an answer for that. Shining was right that because of that lack of attraction to mares, it made it easier to see past the false flatteries, the empty smiles, and the hollowed promises of “I’ll love you forever.” In a way, he came out in hopes that he could put an end to all of that once and for all. But now Shining brought up a point that he never considered before. How would he know if the next suitor would be genuine?
How would he be certain they would tell the truth?
“I’m not saying your wrong,” Blueblood told him. “But what exactly do you want me to do about it? Just doubt everyone that so much as says hello to me?”
“Of course not.” Shining replied, “believe it or not, we didn’t come down from the Crystal Empire to tell you how to run your life.”
“If anything,” Cadence nodded, “this time I’ve decided to do something I never thought I would do.”
Blueblood raised his eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“In the past, I kept butting into your love life, and it just left nothing behind but a trail of misery for both you and whoever I set you up for. So this time, I’m going to adopt a laissez-faire approach.”
Tilting his head, Blueblood inquired, “Maybe it’s because I’ve never taken up Prench, but does that loosely mean ‘hooves off?’”
“More like to let you be.” Cadance clarified. “Shining and I talked this over and decided that from here on out, we won’t try to pair you up with anyone. We won’t set you up on blind dates. You know what, we won’t ever pressure you into a relationship if you don’t want to.”
“So you came down from the frozen north to tell me that you’ll be leaving me alone?”
“Not quite,” Shining answered. “We won’t tell you what to do, for sure. But if you do find someone, you could turn to us for advice and such. Both of us have connections with gay stallions that have gone through several ups and downs in their lives and they know what to look out for. And we could also give in our two bits as well since we have learned a thing or two about relationships and Exes.”
“You can always write to us,” Cadence added, “or if things get really messy, complicated, or downright unpleasant; we will rush over here. So when we say that we want to offer you our support, we mean it.”
“Huh…” Blueblood blinked, “That actually sounds reasonable.”
“Of course,” Cadence leaned back in her seat, “if by chance you want to get in a relationship and have trouble finding one, I could always give some recommendations.”
Blueblood rolled his eyes. Praying for whatever deity that was listening to change the conversation before it got weird. Fortunately, someone was listening because they spotted a servant with a trolley and a silver dome rolling up to them. Yes, brunch. He almost forgot about it, the perfect distraction he was waiting for.
To Langue, he considers the act of lying as an art form in and of itself. Naturally, anyone can simply lie about anything - but it takes one of great skill, conviction, and great improvisation to come off as convincing. If anything, constructing a believable lie is like composing a piece of music. If one wrong note is played, the lie is endangered of being unmasked; yet, if one were to position all the notes at just the right time and the right place, it would be called a masterpiece.
“What is your business at Canterlot Castle?” One of the secretaries, a bored mare who sat behind a desk inquired. The unicorn was mint blue with peach eyes that peered through a pair of glasses who looked down at her desk. To the sides of her were stacks of lists, names, schedules, and a dozen inkwells. Behind her were brass tubes that had a humming sound coming from them that was labeled by rooms such as “Dining room,” “Throne Room,” “Captain of the Guard’s Office,” and so on.
“I’m here to seek an audience with one of the royals,” Langue answered.
The mare looked up, “I haven’t seen your face before.”
“Well, what can I say? I’m new to Canterlot.”
Humming, she levitated over an enormous schedule. “Are you here to see Celestia or Luna?”
“Neither madam.”
“Well… Princess Twilight wouldn’t be here until-”
“I’m not here for her either.” Langue interrupted, “I wish to speak with Prince Blueblood on a certain matter.”
“Blueblood?” The secretary blinked. “Are you sure that’s the pony you want to talk to?”
“Why? Is he busy?”
“Well not exactly,” she flipped through her schedule, “he should be finished eating lunch in a few minutes.”
“But why sound surprised?”
Using her magic, she took off her glasses to fold them. “It’s just that this is the first time anyone has asked to see the prince for an official audience. Usually, for state business, he goes to diplomates and such, but never to him.”
“Is that so?” Langue said intrigued, “C'est intéressant. (That’s interesting.)”
“What?”
“I mean to say, that no one has asked to speak with the Prince directly?”
She shrugged, “Not that I know of. But if you want to see him, well… at least you don’t have to wait very long.” Flipping through the schedule, she started to jot down when she realized, “I realized I didn’t get your name. Who are you?”
“Langue d'Argent, Seigneur de nulle part.” He said, taking off his cap to her.
The secretary blinked, “Maybe my Prench is rusty, but Seigneur means Lord in Equestrian, right?”
“Hm-hm.”
“Okay, Lord… what was it?”
“Langue d’Argent.”
“Got it.” She scribbled the name down on a piece of paper before she stuffed it in a container to be sucked up a pipe labeled as: “Garden.” Turning around, the secretary said, “If you start heading down that hall on the right,” she pointed out. “And go straight until you reach the door that has a compass rose, that’s where you’ll meet Blueblood.”
“And where am I being sent to?”
“Blueblood’s office.”
Langue raised an eyebrow, “I thought that royalty always has their audiences in the throne room.”
“If you were talking to Celestia or Luna, yes. But Blueblood tends to run things by himself as he usually does international work, and besides, he doesn’t necessarily rank the princesses equally. Although, I don’t entirely see what you expect out of a meeting with him. But all I can say is to wish you luck with… whatever you’re trying to accomplish here.”
“Merci madame.” He tipped his cap to her before he began to head down towards the hallway he was instructed. Walking down the hall, across the checkered pattern floor of black and white marble that reflects like a mirror, going past the towering windows on one side and a series of doors on the other with the occasional oil painting or tapestry, Langue paused for a moment before a mirror to make sure he was presentable.
In his reflection, he adjusted his soft red cap that had a white plumage that stuck out from the side with a piece of sapphire to hold it in place. In his mind, it resembled closely what the old King’s Musketeers had worn centuries ago. While the hat might have been a bit much, he knew that what he had on did play a key role in his great lie. Because he knew that to get someone like the prince hooked - he would have to make a memorable first impression.
Standing back to get a good look at himself, he thought that the outfit was a touch gaudy, but it would give the impression of what he was aiming for. A white-collar shirt that had a peach-colored silk vest, a blue ribbon around his neck that held a gold Fleur de Lis, and a red overcoat on top of it. Although Langue saw all of this as a bit too flamboyant for his tastes, he hoped that it might trick Blueblood.
Continuing on, Langue soon came to the doors that the secretary had described. A large, blue compass rose; that was etched, painted, and gilded over the very wood of the doors. And, as he noticed, it was cracked open. Pushing on the doors to get a better view, he poked his head in to see a room that he had almost expected out of someone like Blueblood to have as an office.
At first glance, the room looked like something one would see from the Palace of Versailles. From the dome capped ceiling with its crystal chandelier that looks as if it was floating to the oval-shaped windows, the rococo gold pegasi that looked down from the sky blue walls; to the elaborate geometric patterns of the wooden floor, the world maps, bookshelves, and gilded desk that was flanked by two pony-size antique globes with a large window that looked out towards an intoxicating garden.
Walking inside, Langue also noticed only four large paintings were hanging up. One that showed a portrayal of Celestia and Luna’s coronation done in the baroque style, complete with clouds of heavenly beings blessing the event. One was an impressionistic painting of the countryside with Cyprus trees being reflected in a pond that looked like it was painted by Moneigh. One that showed a grove of aspen trees in the autumn that was painted in a romantic light. But the fourth, however, caught Langue’s eye.
It was a family portrait showing three ponies. Set in a garden of blooming roses, it showed the prince as a colt, sitting down on a pillow with two other domineering ponies behind him - both having a hoof on his shoulder. By the looks of the painting, it must have been painted around the time the prince had earned his cutie mark due to how young Blueblood looked. He noticed how the colt in the painting had a shorter mane, of how leaner if nearly sickly he looked, and the eyes… There was something off about it. Yes, it did show that pompous expression that he expected from a prince… but at the same time, there was a look of fear that was masked behind it. Perhaps it might have been from the two ponies behind that he assumed were his parents. On the left was a stallion that was in black with many medals on his chest (perhaps he was in the military) that had a strong body and a stern look. On the right was a mare in blue that seemed graceful yet distant. There was something… eerie about this portrait that Langue couldn’t shake off.
“I wasn’t expecting to receive an audience today,” Langue’s ears perked up when he was told that. He turned his head over to see the very prince that he came for. There in the doorway was Blueblood himself.
“Then I beg to be excused from this intrusion,” Langue took off his hat and bowed, “but I do hope that I would ask to lend an ear from His Majesty.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Langue d'Argent, Seigneur de nulle part.” He tilted his head up to look at Blueblood in the eye, “I humbly ask by Your Grace to permit me to hold a position to work on your behalf.”