By the time Celestia entered the main hall it was already full of ponies chatting and complaining loudly about their misplaced luggage. The hall was an opulent chamber, its several-metre tall hardwood walls and chequered marble floor would have made anypony forget they weren’t hosted in a palace on the ground, if not for the great windows peering into the rapidly shrinking landscape below.
Ready and waiting for her at the end of the chamber was a small elevated podium. She made her way through the crowd, nodding politely towards all of the praise, greetings, and quiet grumbling she received from both sides of herself. As she reached the top of the structure, a pregnant silence filled the room. The crowd settled and she finally took a good look at them. Horned and hornless heads peered back at her with not a wing in sight. This was by design. Until now, an unsaid yet obvious advantage of the Griffon Kingdom was that only a third of Equestria could be effectively mobilised in direct one-to-one combat against them if push came to shove. Now, however, with only a few machines like the Lux Aeterna the combined Royal Guard could march upon Griffonstone. Or at the very least, that was the idea Celestia wished to insinuate.
Her horn shone briefly as she cleared her throat, allowing her magic to amplify her voice loud enough so that even the end of the great chamber could comfortably listen.
“Esteemed Fillies and Gentlecolts, I greet you on this voyage towards our neighbours, the Griffon Kingdom, and thank you for taking the time to grace me with your presence. It brings me great joy and honour to be here with you...” Celestia wasn’t listening to her own speech, as she spoke. It was unbecoming of her to care about the drivel. No, she was instead combing through the crowd, trying to make eye contact with the ponies actually important to the mission. Her gaze also crossed with the Blueblood family. The count still seemed slighted, whilst his son, the little lord-that-would-be-prince, waved towards her with a bright smile on his face. She almost waved back, only to realise she was still in the middle of the same boring speech. With a heavy mental sigh, her gaze continued to scan the crowd. “...with this in mind, I thank you all for your kind cooperation in these troubling times. You, and you alone, are saving Equestria, the fate of the nation is in your hooves. Now please, enjoy the trip. We shall arrive in Griffonstone in a little more than a day from now. The crew will cater to each and every one of your needs to the best of their abilities. Thank you.”
With her part of the charade done, she stepped down amidst the deafening thuds of almost a thousand hooves rhythmically stomping against the floor. Their carriage-related annoyances forgotten, glasses were raised towards her. “To Her Majesty’s good health, to Equestria, and to avoid that one in a million chance!” somepony shouted, the cheer followed by loud laughter and even more stomping.
On the way out she once again excused herself from a hundred invitations to sit with noble families trying to elevate their standings, hoping the dinner served right after the speech would take attention away from her. Exuberant chatter filled the room behind her, but all she cared about was leaving as soon as it wasn’t too impolite to do so.
As soon as the door was closed behind her, she exhaled a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. She closed her eyes and inhaled, letting her shoulders drop and wings relax.
“Tough crowd, Highness?” a familiar voice called out to her. She opened her eyes to see Blue Sky standing in front of her with a knowing, fatherly smile on his face. “I was just about to head off to sleep, however, it’s not often you see the Princess of Equestria so much more tired than you are.”
“On the contrary, Captain,” she replied with a soft sigh. “The problem is that you can say anything to them as long as it’s flattering enough.”
“Heavy is an honest heart, that’s what my wife always says.” Sky nodded along in sympathy. “You know I really wish she could have accompanied us, it’s not every day you pilot a machine like this,” he continued on with a wide smile as he looked around. “You almost forget you’re sitting on a hundred tons of metal.”
“Indeed,” Celestia said flatly, her mind elsewhere.
“Is there an issue, Highness?” Sky asked immediately.
“No, no.” She held up a hoof. “It’s just that I’m not entirely sure if I’m doing the right thing.”
Blue Sky remained silent for a few seconds, listening to the cheerful laughter and banter inside the hall. “By the sounds of it, I think you’ve done a plenty good job, Highness. They’re practically cheering your name.” He coughed awkwardly. “That said, and please forgive me the prodding, how come you’re outside? Is there nopony inside worth talking to that you’re rather wasting your time talking to a simple airpony?”
“Come now, Sky, I appreciate each and every one of my ponies equally. You’re not any less important than the rest,” Celestia said with an admonishing smile. “Not to mention, I have said what I had to say to them. As much as etiquette demands otherwise, matters now urgently call me to my room.”
Perhaps it was her intonation or her pleading eyes, but the Captain immediately understood the meaning of her words. “I see! Well then, Highness, there is still plenty of fuel in this old tank, so please, allow me to entertain the crowd while you attend to your business.”
With a grateful nod, she stepped away from the door and began to make her way towards her quarters. On the way as she passed Sky, she briefly laid her wing on his back. “You’re a great captain, Sky, and an even better pony. I shall not forget you this kindness.” She then continued like nothing had happened, unaware of Sky’s blue cheeks suddenly flushing a deep red.