I waited outside the door as the guard checked before holding it open for me, allowing me inside.
It was dark outside, the room lit by a fireplace and a multitude of candles while the doors opened to the small park outside kept it from getting too hot.
Not that the occupant would have cared about the heat.
Celestia was laying on one of her large pillows, a book resting before her as she read in the light of the fire.
She looked relaxed, her usual regalia missing. Likely getting polished.
She looked up from her book and smiled when she spotted me, “Page,” she said, “Would you like something to drink?”
“That would be nice, thank you,” I admitted and slowly walked over to her.
Celestia ignited her horn and pulled a bottle down from a shelf, followed by a pair of glasses floating along behind it, “I think you may enjoy this.”
“What is it?” I asked a bit hesitantly.
She smiled at me and shifted to the side on the pillow so I moved to lay down next to her. Celestia poured some of the liquor in one of the glasses before floating it to me.
I took it in my magic and gave it a careful sniff. It didn’t smell like anything, not even water. It was almost completely clear, but with a slight hint of amber through it, “What is it?” I asked and took a careful sip.
The drink didn’t hit me. It was a lot more subtle than that. More like it flirted with you, pressed up close, smelling of summer warm apples and flowers and then shanked you in the liver with an icepick.
It was incredibly smooth, but it still burned in a way I had not experienced before. It didn’t go through my throat like liquid fire, it was more like it went from the tips of my ears down.
I coughed slightly, “Bucking hell.”
Celestia smiled playfully, “Like it?”
I looked into my glass, “...What the buck is it?” I asked and then took another careful sip.
“Technically it counts as a potion, but it’s really alicorn strength alcohol,” Celestia explained, “I got into brewing when it started to really be wide spread and then got bored a while back and invented it.”
“...How strong?”
“About as for us as normal alcohol is for normal ponies.”
Oof.
I glanced at the small amount in my glass. This much alone might put anypony but maybe a large earth pony down for the count. Might actually kill them. Or possibly melt them.
“It’s good,” I said and took another careful sip, looking down at the glass.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Celestia prodded after a second.
“Hmmh?” I asked, looking at her.
“You came to talk to me about something,” she said and her wing touched mine, “I can tell.”
I nodded, “We’re leaving tomorrow,” I said, “As soon as the airship is ready. I… did needed to talk to you before we left. About what happened while I was in the other world.”
“Is there anything you haven’t told me already?” she asked and sipped her own drink.
I shifted and then sighed, “Not as much… the events, as how I did what I did. And I feel like I have to tell you, especially as it involves… you. Well, the other you.”
Taking a drink, I waited until she refilled my glass before I started to talk. From the beginning this time, and this time I didn’t skim over anything.
I told her about the way I manipulated her and Luna. How I trapped the changelings instead of going the safe path of just calling in the cavalry.
How I most likely ruined Spice Peppers and Fluttershy's lives, knowing that it would kick over a hornets nest on their heads. Knowing I wouldn’t stay behind to deal with it.
Celestia's warm wing settled across my back, “Page, you did what you had to.”
“No,” I said and sighed, “I did what I thought would be most useful,” I told her, “There is a strong difference. I lied, I twisted, I manipulated and…” and I then sighed, “I’m not a good pony. I’m sorry if I disap-”
“You did exactly what you should have,” Celestia said gently, her nose touching my mane, “Exactly what I taught you to do. You thought like a ruler, like a Prince. You did what you thought would help the most ponies, or changelings in the long run.”
I glanced at her before I sighed and shifted to lean against her warm side, resting my head against her neck, “I feel bad about it.”
“And that’s what makes you a good pony,” Celestia said and rested her head on top of mine, “I know you hate your role, Page,” she said softly before she continued quieter, “But sometimes there are those we need to play, despite our personal feelings. For the good of the ponies around us, for Equestria.”
“And I’m too dumb not to just stand by and do nothing.”
Celestia shifted and smiled softly at me, “Noble, the word you were looking for was noble.”
“Synonyms in my book.”
Celestia laughed and stuck her tongue out at me, “That one was clever.”
“Thank you, Sunshine” I said with a small smile and sipped my drink, “And… Thank you. It’s still not right the way I did it, but it had to be done and I do think it was for the best.”
She refilled our glasses, “Page, she knew what you were doing,” she said with a small teasing smile, “You’re good, but you’re not good enough to fool me. Either version of me.”
I shifted and rolled onto my back, looking up at her with a small smile, stretching out a bit, the drink giving me a slight comfortable buzz, “Is that so, Sunshine?”
Celestia nodded, “I can’t be certain,” she then admitted after a second and looked down at me next to her, “You can be rather sneaky when you wish to. But I do have a bit of experience.”
Smirking, I ran my hoof along her soft feathers, “You do have a lot of experience.”
Celestia smiled playfully and leaned in, I could feel her breath as her eyes met mine, her nose almost touching mine, “More than you know.”
“I can imagine.”
“Do you?” she asked and shifted a bit, resting a forehoof on my chest, her soft and strong wing settling across me.
“Mmm. Often,” I said as I looked up into her beautiful eyes. Her nose almost touched mine and I could feel her hot breath against mine.
Then Celestia sucked in a breath and shifted to the side, looking away, “...Perhaps that’s enough drinks for today,” she said softly, putting the cork back in the bottle.
“Agreed,” I said quietly and rolled over, resting my side against hers, “...Is it safe to drink that stuff this close to an open flame anyway?”
That drew a small smile from her and she glanced at me, “Depends, how fireproof are you?”
“Probably a lot less now,” I admitted and rested my head against her shoulder, “...Sleepy.”
“Still not caught up?” Celestia asked, her wing settling across me again with a small curious frown.
“Midnight said I'll start to synchronize in a couple more nights,” I mumbled against her coat, suppressing a yawn, feeling myself starting to slip off.
Stupid interdimentional jetlag. Though admittedly the drinks had not exactly helped.
“Sleep, Page,” she said quietly and ran her wing along mine, “you don’t need to go anywhere. Stay with me.”
I let my eyes slip closed, “Wish I could,” I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep.