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// Chapter 9: Cry of the People 
// Story: I Don't Remember 
// by nitelight 
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The next few days had mostly consisted of getting to know the layout of the castle better, without needing her escorts. Both Datura and Nightingale still followed her around almost everywhere, but they seemed more lenient as the days went on. Luna had done her best to converse with them and not be a total stranger, but they stayed strictly professional unless it had been an exceptionally taxing day and were tired. The same, however, could not be said for Nathie. He was elusive, only making himself seen when he wanted; that usually meant the times she went out on her balcony to watch the moon rise. 
Unlike her escorts, he was more open to talk freely to the princess. In the past days that they spent together, she felt as if they were becoming friends. How did friendships work in this time, though? Were they different? Or was she missing something else? He hadn't seemed to be pushing for anything more than getting her annoyed with his jokes. It wasn't as if she could flat out say that she thought him suspicious because she did not understand social cues. That was something he had picked up on early in their meetings, and much to her surprise, helped her in modernizing her speech patterns. It was still very much a conscious thing, and she often slipped back into her old ways. 
Despite his teasing, Luna was glad she found someone so easy to converse with. As close as she was with Celestia, talking with her was still not the most comfortable. Around her, Luna felt as if she had to be perfect. She was the people's goddess, after all. 
Speaking of the people, the news of her return was still a major theme of much of the city's gossip, though it had died down to a point they were no longer constantly swarming the front gates of the palace. There had been many times in which a dignitary from another city had come to the palace, claiming official business, in hopes of catching a glance at her. It was almost scary, all of these people arriving from around the entire country coming to see her. The mysterious return of a forgotten princess. Celestia had assured her, and tried to do so with the citizens as well, that it was Luna's choice when she wanted to officially reveal herself to the public. It was not as if her appearance was entirely unknown, though, as she had clearly been visible during the celebration near the Everfree. The pictures had escalated many theories of her, all of those which she heard more absurd than the last. 
Unfortunately for them, her appearance had already started to change from what she looked like from just returning. It had been gradual, but enough to stand out.
From her time that she had been spending in the sun, or perhaps just because her health was increasing, her skin had become less pale. Not quite dark, but she did not look as ghostly as her sister. That same effect had also gone to her hair; darker, and slightly longer than it had been. They were consistent changes, something new catching her eye every time the princess stopped to look in a mirror. 
It was not as if Luna had something to base her appearance off of, however. She looked similar to her sister in some regards, but not enough to make any real assumptions. The only clue she had was the depictions of the defeat of Nightmare Moon in the stained glass windows by the main chamber of the castle. The two of them. Deep down feelings of embarrassment, guilt, and anger planted in her mind every time she saw them. She only remembered bits of what had happened, but if she, in all that power, had been defeated like that...she couldn't possibly be strong in her form now. Monsters in this world were defeated in the name of justice and harmony. She had once been a part of that Harmony.
As angry as she felt with the memories, however, she never allowed them to fester. She had seen what happened to her last time. That dream of what she assumed was the night she was banished replayed in her head over and over every time she slept. The pain of that beam Celestia had sent her way had torn her out of her sleep for the past few nights. It was almost easier to sleep during the day. The nightmares lingered, yes, but they were never as awful when the sun was out. The feeling was similar to when her sister had covered her body with her much larger wings. Warm. 
Leaving the safety of her chambers became increasingly rarer, with the amount of foot traffic the city had been getting lately. It was nearly impossible to avoid running into someone that would start questioning her. Many of which, the princess was not sure if she could even answer properly. What lies had the public been fed? What rumors had they been spreading that she did not know of? They were important things to know before getting herself stuck in a situation. 
It was late afternoon when Luna decided to leave again. She had originally wanted to dine with her sister, but she had been caught up in a meeting. Apparently things had been getting heated with a particular house of nobility. She only knew the basics of the matter, finances. Though studying the law was on her to-do list, she was not quite there yet for dealing with those types of disputes. Besides, her sister had promised to find her as soon as she was done. Eating on her own was somehow more comfortable anyway. Everything she ate had started to taste bland. There was flavor, yes, but nothing stood out. While her portions slowly grew in size, nothing was more enjoyable than the last. She was only thankful that it did not make her sick. 
The one thing she enjoyed the most was focusing on working on her magic. Along with her physical changes, her metaphysical changes were growing stronger by the day. She was able to use her levitation fairly easily for an extended period of time without getting nauseous or needing to pass out. 
Heading towards the dining room was uneventful, the only sounds being those of her own walking, and of Nightingale behind her. The sun outside was nearing the horizon, casting the sky into a colorful array of reds that reflected off the windows of the castle. Hopefully Celestia would not be held up so long that the moonrise was late. She loved to watch her sister bring in the night. 
That serenity, however, was broken with the shrill voice of a maid echoing through the halls. The princess stopped in her tracks, wings extending in curiosity. It was far from a sound of distress, more of anger or annoyance. She could not hear it clearly enough to know about what exactly. But her curiosity got the better of her, and she steered off her path, feet taking her in the direction without the conscious order from her brain. 
The voice continued on, increasing steadily in its emotion. She seemed as if she was holding back tears from the raw emotion that was leaving her throat. 
Arriving at the scene, Luna knew it best to stay out of the thick of it, cautiously leaning around the bend in the doorframe. The woman in question was being held back by a pair of female guards, though that was not deterring her from trying to struggle out of their grasp, or to even quiet herself to not scream in their ears. As to who it was directed at... That nearly perfect, clean image of blonde hair and freshly groomed skin was easy to recognize, even sopping wet.   
Prince Blueblood. Her nephew. 
And he did not seem in the bit pleased of what had happened to him. It was almost comical. She only knew fragments of his personality, and had no reference to how he treated the castle staff. But by this display, and the words that the maid was throwing at him, it couldn't have been good. Some words she did not recognize, though that was probably for the best. Glancing over towards her own escort in questioning only landed her a shake of the head and a grimace. Curse modern terminology for being so elaborate.
Her presence did not go unnoticed for long, as the prince once again held his head high and motioned over to her. 
"Ah, you again. I see you have a habit of showing up unannounced." He was quick to greet her, if that was what that could be called. "But never mind that— Auntie Luna, if you could please tell this woman to cease in her unbearable screeching, that would be wonderful. And while you're at it, tell these buffoons to take her to the dungeons!" He was quick to shoot a glance at the small group, huffing with his full chest.
By now, the woman had calmed down to mostly grumbling, her words being spat out in utter distaste. She had faced away from the princess, as her anger was not directed at the diarch, but her nephew. 
With a slight hesitation, Luna stepped out from simply peering around the frame, walking a few steps into the room proper. Being this close to Blueblood now, she could see they were nearly the same height, the princess being only a few inches taller. She acknowledged the man's request, but refused to act on it without knowing the full situation. Why had the maid been screaming at him so? And why was he soaking wet? 
"We don't understand. What has happened in h're that this wast the result?" The lunar princess could only guess that something the blonde had said sent her over the edge, throwing water at him that had been in a bucket, which was currently laying on its side near one of the guard's feet. 
"I'll tell you!" The maid yelled out, struggling against the hold of the guards once more. "That unrighteous, self-centered, prick is on my last nerve! I can't stand him anymore! I've been serving him for nearly three years, and I just can't stand it!" 
Before the prince could say anything in return, Luna held up a hand to silence him, turning towards the woman. "If thee promises to not lash out again, the guards shall let thee go."
She took a moment to think about it before letting out a huff, trying her best to hide the fact she was rolling her eyes. With a nod from the princess, the guards slowly loosened their grip, but still stayed close by her sides. They were assigned to Blueblood's protection, no doubt. And even if they did not agree with him, still had their duty. 
"Prithee, would someone tell Us why Our nephew is sopping with water?" 
"I was merrily encouraging this woman to do her job correctly. It is almost as if I wasn't paying her! Peasants should be good at this type of thing!" His displeasure was obvious, glaring down at his suit. "This will have to be burned now because of you! Do you have any idea what you've done to me? You've made me look like a commoner who got stuck out in the rain."
"I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been criticizing my every move and catcalling me all the while! If you want me to clean better, then shut up! I'm not your eye candy!" 
The two continued to yell back and forth at each other for a while, but luckily they did not throw anything at each other, only motioning wilding with their arms to portray their anger. It was getting loud, almost too much to stand without getting a headache. Unfortunately, her voice was not loud enough to carry over their yelling, even if she tried. It quickly became hoarse due to its unuse, and yelling would only injure it. 
Luckily, one of Blueblood's guards, along with Nightingale, took note of her displeasure, and went to either of her sides. Before they would say anything, she took up the nearly empty bucket in her magic and splashed the both of them in their faces, shutting them up. 
It was fairly simple what had happened: Blueblood had annoyed the maid to her breaking point over the past three years, and she had lashed out. It was reasonable, of course, as she had every right to be angry. But she had, legally at least, assaulted a member of the royal family. 
He would likely push for a trial or something of the sort, and blow the story out of proportion. He had already jumped before. 
"If both of thee wouldst please be quiet." The princess sighed. This was not what she wanted to get into. This had been one of the many reasons that she had been avoiding court. Nobles loved to argue. "Now then, Nephew, We are sure that thee were taught manners on how to speak to a woman, even one of a lower birth station. As for thee, miss, while thy reasoning is just, this cannot happen again. Thou shall be restation'd elsewh're." 
The maid visibly deflated with a thankful sigh, mumbling out a thanks. Her sentence was to be fully thought out later by her superiors, of course, but she would not be severely punished. 
"Please escort h'r out." The guard that had walked up to her side earlier nodded in acknowledgement before going to the maid's side and leading her out the door Luna had entered through earlier. 
Thank the stars that it had only been a simple fight and not anything increasingly serious. Curse her curiosity for getting the better of her. 
"I can't believe you would just let her go! After what she said and did to me?" Her nephew came up to face her, hands clenched into fists. "I am a prince, and I should be treated as such!"
"From what I have seen, thou doth not act like one." Despite his attempts at getting her off her guard and getting into her face, her voice was level. She was not going to be intimidated by a man who acted like this. 
The blonde was taken aback by her words, falling onto the flats of his feet in overexaggerated shock. He looked like he wanted to start yelling at her as well before stopping himself. The look her escort was giving him was radiating off her back. Once again, she was glad they were on her side. She had seen that look once before on his face, and being on the receiving end of it was not something she had on her bucket list.
He seemed to struggle to find his footing again, stumbling over his words. "...Fine! But I never want to see her again! I'll see to it that she never finds a job again if she ever comes across me!" He built up an air of confidence around himself, puffing his chest out and signaling for his remaining guard to follow him. "I'm going to get cleaned up. Good day." 
It was a harsh farewell, practically brushing her off as he walked away in the direction she assumed were his private rooms. 
From the only two interactions she had had with her nephew so far, neither had left the best impression on her. He had at least seemed nicer when it was just her and Celestia around. Perhaps he acted a lot more normal when he was neither soaking wet or annoyed at something. She would have to catch him on a good day to get to know him a little better. Only seeing him when he was in a bad mood wouldn't do either of them good. 
But, nothing she could do about it now. 
Turning back out of the room, she continued her trek down to the dining hall of the castle. That short scene had put her there later than she had expected, and she had started to get hungry. 
It seemed like Celestia was still caught up in the meeting, as the room was empty when she arrived. But it wasn't too late that she should worry. Sunset was much later during the summer. 
Dinner was rather short and uneventful. She had exchanged only what was necessary with the server, and Nightingale stood unwavering at the door. She was sure the food was good, but she tasted no real flavor. Perhaps her doctor had mentioned to the chefs that she was to eat such things. It couldn't possibly just be her taste buds. Either way, she was glad the portions were still small. 
Apparently, her brain was still averse to the idea of eating after not doing so for a thousand years, even if her body needed it. 
It had been less than an hour by the time she finished her meal. It was quiet in the castle, possibly too quiet for the time of day it was. People would be getting off their shifts and be going home around this time, but there was nothing. Usually from this room, the activities of the castle, and even the lower city, could be heard when at their busiest. 
Strange, if not a little concerning. Though, perhaps there was an event going on that directed most of the populace away from their normal routines. Maybe even a holiday that let citizens go home to their families early, or not even go into their place of work all day. It didn't matter, however, as the princess still had a lingering headache from being in the middle of a shouting match earlier. 
Making her way back up to her private study, connected to her room, the halls seemed to be mostly devoid of life. They had been sparse all day, she noted, but only having an occasional guard by the hallway entrances seemed... off. 
Had something happened that she was unaware of? Surely she would have been informed if such a thing had happened. Behind her, Nightingale's uneasiness was faint, but nevertheless present. He must think it strange too. 
Going to a nearby window, Luna looked out to the main entrance of the castle, down by where it should be the most populated at the time. It was practically empty, except for a few stragglers going about some business or another. What did not catch her eye was the movement from within the main throne room, which was crawling with life. Even if it had, it would have been brushed off as the aforementioned meeting simply getting a little out of hand. 
It was best to stay away, like she had planned, but going near the area was unavoidable to go back to the private residential wings of the castle. The kitchens were located in an area close to those open to the public, and those public dining halls located just next to it for easy access during events. The private hall, though more secluded, was not far off. 
The closer she got to that main room, the more life she saw, mostly in the form of guards and maids running around frantically to get what they needed done. Voices became more present, muffled, but loud enough to carry down the halls. Why was everyone screaming at one another today? Or, had she just picked a particularly unlucky time to venture out into the castle halls again? 
The lunar princess did her best to stay clear of that main hall. Who knows who could be walking around, trying to catch a glance at any secrets hidden within the castle. She had seen what the press had done just a few days ago, and even though they had mostly died off, they were still ever present on trying to get information out to their readers. Everyone in Canterlot loved royalty, so not getting information on a new member of the family must be eating away at them. 
Despite her efforts, however, some stragglers had wandered off into deeper parts of the castle, perhaps just trying to get a snippet of anything, or were on break from what they were mainly trying to get. Luna did not notice them at first, as they blended in with the surroundings. And with the setting sun in the background, it was getting dark fairly quickly. The fires had not yet been lit in the hallways to give additional light to the enchanted crystals hanging from the ceiling. 
Most of the staff, she had usually ignored. They were always busy, and she never needed to do much more than acknowledge their presence.
But the distinct sound of a camera shudder and the calling of her title was hard to ignore. 
Had she somehow managed to walk down the wrong path? No. Looking around, she was far within the castle, well within areas that were meant to be excluded to the public. How was the press here? Had they managed to sneak around the guards? 
Never minding the specifics of the situation, it was clear that the attention of the press had been directed towards the princess in full, and was attracting much more attention. The sound of many voices and footsteps coming to their direction was clear as day. 
Nightingale had quickly gone to her side at the sound of the first camera, covering her body as much as he could from the flashing. Where were the guards, anyway? Plenty should be in this area, yet none other than her escort were present. Leading her away from the crowds had to be done delicately, and had become increasingly harder with the sheer number that had appeared. Seriously, where were they coming from? And why had she heard nothing up until they were already in her face? 
Their path was cut off with a door opening on their right to one of the many private meeting rooms in the hall, and arms reaching out to grab the princess and her escort and pull them inside. Who the hands belonged to, she did not know, even when he spoke to the two. Luna could not understand what he had said. Her heart was beating so heavy that her blood pumping was the only thing she could hear.