Although she would never admit to it aloud, Raven Inkwell was the most informed pony in Canterlot Castle. As Princess Celestia's Royal and Personal Aide as well as Seneschal of Canterlot Castle, Raven had to know everything about everything.
For Day Court matters, Raven Inkwell was in charge of filtering through requests to ensure that only relevant cases reached Princess Celestia's ears and was expected to be able to advise the Princess on said relevant cases. Raven was also expected to be able to make quick judgements on cases that are taken to Day Court without an official request. Her Royal Aide duties were mostly related to Day Court and politics, both domestic and foreign. As the Princess’ Personal Aide, Raven needed to keep to date on Princess Celestia’s physical and mental health and take steps to ensure that they are always positive. Beyond that, being a Personal Aide meant being a twenty-four hour servant.
The Seneschal of Canterlot Castle kept order in the castle, ensuring that everything was on time and functioning effectively. Raven delegated some of these responsibilities, the Royal Chef organised the kitchen for instance, but she always knew what was happening. Since Prince Shining Armour married Princess Cadance and moved to the Crystal Empire, Raven had to help the Royal Captain Pro Tempore coordinate the Royal Guard until the next Royal Captain was chosen.
Every meal, every movement of the maids, every rotation of the Royal Guards, every case in Day Court, every political move made in the world, Raven Inkwell needed to be able to anticipate it and plan for it.
When Princess Luna came back, and later reopened Night Court, Raven was anticipating the Princess of the Moon to take a Royal Aide of her own fairly quickly, which would have made both of their jobs easier. This was the first of many mistakes that Raven Inkwell made in predicting Princess Luna.
—
It would be the fifth Nightmare Night since Princess Luna's return, and it would be the fourth time that Raven Inkwell was expected to host Night Court in her stead. The first Nightmare Night after the Princess' return Raven had been asked to fill in for her at the last minute, so she had thought that Princess Luna had not been planning on missing Court but did not want to cancel it. When she was asked again the year after, she began to wonder if she had been mistaken. The third year, she knew that had been.
This time, Raven had prepared. She had slept in the afternoon so that she could stay awake all night, and she had gotten Princess Celestia’s Honour Guard Captain to fill in some of her roles for the day and morning after. She had read all Night Court requests so that she would know what to expect for the night, save for the fact that Princess Luna invites walk-in cases, and she had researched Princess Luna’s previous cases to understand her precedent.
Raven was waiting in front of Princess Luna’s chambers, having been called for. Even as the door opened and she was greeted warmly, Raven Inkwell, the mare who needed to know everything about everything, could not begin to anticipate why she had been called or what the Princess of Night would say.
“Welcome, Miss Inkwell. Please sit,” Princess Luna said with a smile, gesturing to the seat cross from her. Princess Luna was seated on a cushion behind a low table, the table was relatively small but would still be able to comfortably sit four.
Raven sat down after greeting the Princess in kind. On the table there was a tea set and beside Princess Luna was a book that Raven did not recognise.
“Miss Inkwell,” Princess Luna began. “We are certain that you are curious as to Our summoning you here, but fear not, We merely wished to assist you in your task to-night.”
Although Princess Luna was getting much better at using modern speech patterns, she rarely referred to herself with singular pronouns in private and still tended to err towards formality. She also tended to slip back when at either extreme of comfort or stress. Her use of you/your in place of thou/thy told Raven that the Princess was taking this seriously, and was not totally relaxed.
“We understand that in previous years, you have felt you were doing little more than advising a mare you never desired to serve. In an effort to alleviate that feeling, We would like to give you this.” Princess Luna held out a small box in her magic.
“Thank you, Princess,” Raven said respectfully as she took the box. She opened it to find the Moon’s Seal, a silver emblem -this particular one in the form of a pin -that carried the authority of the Diarchy. It was enchanted so that its bearer could be identified as Princess Luna’s chosen by pressing their hoof against it.
“We hereby grant you the right to speak in Our place and with Our voice,” Princess Luna said when Raven looked up. “If you feel that something should or should not be granted royal support, you may now make that choice.”
“Princess, with all respect, I cannot take this. I am the Solar Aide, not the Lunar.” Raven set the box down on the table.
Princess Luna’s smile fell, but she did not appear upset. “We know who you are. It is because of that, not in spite of it, that We offer this. We have known you to be a good mare, and believe that you shall not abuse this right. But if you do not wish it, We will not force it upon you.”
“May I speak freely?”
“Please.”
“You give your trust too easily,” Raven said, looking straight in Princess Luna’s eyes as she spoke. “I have served you as any in this castle would have, but I serve your sister first. This should only be given to your most trusted ally; your Lunar Aide.”
There was a moment of silence before Princess Luna spoke. “Over one thousand years ago, We -I had a Lunar Aide. He was my sister’s second choice, so I got him. He resented me, and I resented him. I sent him away within a year of hiring him, and have since not had an aide. My sister will always be the Princess of Equestria, the one everypony loves and everypony wants to serve. I trust you because you have never hidden your intent: to serve Equestria. To you it is not about a princess, it is merely what is best for Equestria.”
Raven thought about Princess Luna’s words, and made a decision. She reached over and took the Seal, pinning it to the left side of her collar. “... For the night, I will wear it. I shall give it back in the morning.”
—
Raven Inkwell sat on Princess Luna’s throne on a raised dais in the Stardust Hall, where Night Court was held. The hall had been an unused section before Princess Luna’s return, and had been redesigned for her use. The walls and ceiling were glass with marble archways spaced throughout, the floor was the same deep blue and purple marble. The hall was lit with blue-flame torches on every other pillar, and the other pillars held a bundle of white lilies. The glass and low light allowed those inside to appreciate the night sky.
Night Court had opened, and Raven had already dealt with the usual tricks meant to make her say yes to something one of the Princesses already refused. The rest of the night would be new business. Raven had seen a trend in Night Court in her previous times hosting: as time went, more and more Night Court became a place for artists to make requests of the crown. Day Court was all political, state affairs, and concerns of nobles. In contrast, Night Court found museums, galleries, and others seeking to expand their collections or host events.
While Raven listened to petitioners' requests, she considered what could have led to the difference in the matters the courts handled. In Day Court the only individuals were nobles seeking Princess Celestia’s favour, but in Night Court Raven was about to rule on a pegasus’ request to host a debut showcase for his paintings and those of others like him.
“It is my belief,” Raven said after Acrylic Ocean finished his presentation for using the Royal Gardens as a venue. “That Princess Luna would support your endeavour. You shall be given the venue for your show, come back in one week for specific arrangements.”
Raven punctuated her statement by signing his official request with her name and then Princess Luna’s cutie mark. Acrylic Ocean thanked her profusely before leaving, leaving Raven alone to wonder if Princess Luna actually would have approved his request.
Before she could be too distracted by doubt, Raven nodded to the guards to let the next pony in. The night had only just begun, she could not afford to second guess herself.
Night Court passed slowly, a few cases were approved, some were denied, but most of them were left for Princess Luna’s review with a verdict suggestion from Raven. Raven used a simple language in both courts to leave advice for the princess: a mark on the upper right corner of the official request. A circle meant that Raven thought it should pass, an ‘X’ meant she thought it should not pass, and a dash meant that she had no advice to offer.
After eight hours of petitioners mixed with paperwork, the clock struck six and Night Court closed. Raven still had to fill out some paperwork, and also ensure that all the documents would reach the correct places and be processed properly. About two hours after Night Court closed, Raven began walking towards her room to go to sleep.
Raven reached her door and began to open it when she heard somepony behind her. She glanced over without much interest, and saw Princess Luna walking towards her. The Princess was still wearing her costume, most likely a vampony, and was not wearing her crown.
“Greetings, Miss Inkwell! We were worried that we would not reach you before the wings of sleep enveloped you.” Occasionally, Raven wondered if Princess Luna actually used to speak in such dramatic turns of phrase, or if she was just enjoying that nopony ever called her out on them in modern times because they believed that she did.
“How can I help you Princess?” Raven asked despite how tired she felt.
“We wished to inform you that We spoke to sister, you need not worry over your duties for the day. They shall be handled by another, you must simply rest.”
Raven had to admit, that was a pleasant surprise. She had been planning on only being able to sleep for a few hours, this would make her schedule much easier.
“Thank you, Princess. Did you enjoy your holiday?” Raven asked, mostly to be polite but also because she was curious.
“T’was a jovial celebration of horror and sweets, most enjoyable.” Princess Luna thought for a moment before speaking again. “Next year, you should join Us.”
In her surprise and lack of sleep, Raven momentarily forgot decorum. “What?”
“Four years now you have worked hard to allow Us a night of freedom, and something tells Us you are the type to never take time off.” Raven could not deny it, she only missed days if she was truly, deeply sick. “You shall be pleased by Ponyville’s Nightmare Night, We think.”
“Princess, with all respect, I do not want to visit Ponyville for Nightmare Night. I enjoy my work and I do care for holidays,” Raven said carefully, not wanting to upset the Princess.
“We shall not press the issue now, but do not think that We have given up. Sweet dreams, Miss Inkwell.”
“Sleep well, Princess.” Raven entered her room as Princess Luna walked away. Princess Luna never said ‘good night’ or ‘sleep well’, instead she always said ‘sweet dreams’. Although Raven had to admit that this was one of the less peculiar facets of the Princess of the Moon.
Raven skipped her normal routine in favour of getting to sleep faster, simply taking her collar, hair tie, and glasses off and putting them on her bedside table before slipping under the covers. It was not until she had just about fallen asleep that she realised she had forgotten to give back the Moon’s Seal pin.
Raven briefly considered getting up to find Princess Luna, but decided that it would be easier to just return it at dinner later that day. Raven had no way of knowing that Princess Luna would not be there, nor that the next time they did speak Princess Luna would try so hard to convince her to join her for Nightmare Night that the pin would be forgotten. Through habit formed in the months that followed, putting the Moon’s Seal onto her collar became a part of Raven’s morning routine.