The carriage moved on the forest path with ease, not disturbing the three ponies inside with the steady motion. The driver of the carriage, a simple earth pony by the name of Darvon Driver, leads the carriage to its intended destination. Driver was careful not to annoy the guards that surrounded the carriage, who were exhausted from the long travel, and also to tell the ponies inside what was happening on the outside.
"We have a few more minutes your majesty, until we reach Ponyvile. Thank you for being patient." Driver spoke, turning his head so the passengers could hear him.
A firm and happy voice comes from the carriage "Of course dear Driver, let us know when were there."
Driver smiles, happy to know his passengers were fine. He did wonder though why royalty would want to ride his carriage to Ponyvile, even though their intended destination was actually Canterlot. To ride the train to Canterlot, he presumed, which was much more cost effective.
Even though Driver happily moved the carriage, he felt a strong feeling of misgivings soon to come; which he mused, could just be a bad hay sandwich he had for lunch.
Inside the carriage, two of three ponies spoke happily about how nice the weather was and how the travel was almost finished while the smaller pony simply stared out the window, bored to tears. The smallest pony didn't want to leave on the trip but his mother and father brought him regardless. He didn't like being so far from home; it hurt too much to bear.
"Darling, please try to look like your enjoying yourself." His mother Petal nudging the smaller pony affectionately, smiling softly. "I know you'd rather stay in the castle but this party may be good for you." His mother was a rather lovely pink and purple mixed earth pony who always cared for the smaller pony too much.
"Sure it will." the smaller earth pony replied dully. He'd rather jump off a cliff than be at a party with snooty rich ponies. His short light red and purple mane blowing dully in the breeze; he really could care less about having fun listening to other ponies talk about how nice their lives are compared to his meager existence.
"Honestly Junior! You need to straighten up! Look like your somewhat alive today!" His father shook his head in annoyance. His father was never truly proud of his son, his deep red mane in a perfect curl. As far as Rose Junior cared, his father just wanted to throw him at a crazy mare, force his son to marry and wave goodbye just so he can have less problems to deal with. Junior was Rose's child name which he hated with all of his heart.
"Oh dear, Rose, give you son a bit of time to rest before the greeting." Petal spoke to his father, rubbing Little Rose's mane.
It was pretty funny; Rose Junior's father was also named Rose by his father, which lead to him, Rose the III. His father was titled King Rose the II, Bringer of Plants. His grandfather was Rose the first, Leader of the Food Rebellion. Rose the third's title, made by his father was "Prince" Rose the Coward. The Rose family was never born into royalty. The Rose's earn it by stopping the dictator Julius who starved most of the ponies in the Land of Small Beauty which Luna herself visited and named. Ever since the overthrow, the Rose's have struggled to keep their land thriving.
Rose the third continued to look out the window while his family bickered over him. He didn't like what "royalty" did to their family, before it, Rose was happy. Only now the Rose's held an entire kingdom on their shoulders. Doctor ponies believed that he was depressed and needed more love, which only made the arguments thrive between his mother and father, which lead to him being more depressed. He wished somepony could just make things easier for him but no one ever did.
Rose's thought's were disturbed when he heard a loud crowd of ponies cheer up ahead of the path to welcome them to Ponyvile. Rose closed the window and sighed.
"Wonderful," Rose the III shook his head drearily. "They have a crowd waiting for us."
"Chin up, Jr. I'm sure we'll find you some mare for your side. That'll make you feel better." Rose's father added, making sure he and his wife were presentable.
Rose hung his head and looked at the ground. "I bet you will." he added quietly
*****
Meanwhile, outside the Canterlot train station, Luna stood by her sister Celestia and her protégé. Luna also looked around at the crowd forming up to welcome the Rose family and was rather surprised that such a large crowd remembered the Rose's after such a long period of time. Despite that, she smiled at the joy of the young fillies and colts as they wait.
"It is always good to see the ponies happy." Celestia jokes. "For once sister, we are not at their full attention." Luna laughs and shake with mirth, it was so normal for the ponies to treat them as rulers that it was actually pleasant to have a moment to themselves.
"Forgive me, princesses." Twilight interrupts politely. "But I don't understand."
Celestia looks towards Twilight, happy to help her. "With what, Twilight?"
Twilight looks back at the crowd. "Why have so many ponies gather for the Rose's? I spent all of yesterday looking for a book about them but I never saw a single one."
Celestia chuckles. "That is a good question, the answer is quite simple. Do you remember your lesson with King Sombra?
Twilight shudders at the memory of the Crystal kingdom and Sombra, she nods.
"Back when Sombra was in power, he had a powerful ally named Julius. This is why we had trouble trying to stop Sombra, Luna and I mostly focused on Sombra but tried occasionally to stop Julius." Celestia frowns. "We did not succeed, both remained in power for years, until the rise of the Food Rebellion."
Luna shifts into the story, remembering it well. "Julius had imposed high taxes the following day and people had to give up eating to barely pay him."
Twilight gasps, drawing the attention of a few colts before they look back. "That's terrible!"
Luna nods. "Indeed, it was in the middle of the day when one stallion refused to pay. The guards beat him but his defiance brought others to riot, causing the greatest overthrow of the Land of Small Beauty. That stallion was named Rose and he became the first official leader for standing against Julius."
Celestia smiles and looks back at the crowd. "Rose had a son, named Rose the II, and that Rose had another son named Rose the III. Two springs ago, the first Rose died of old age, so we now welcome the Rose's to honor their family with the spring equinox dance in the palace."
Twilight looks back at the path, absorbing this new information. "I see." Twilight then spots the royal escorted train making it's way towards the crowd before the crowd roars in a cheer. "This should be good."
Luna nods again and look at the train. "It always is, last year Rose and Petal celebrated their 14 year anniversary with an amazing dance that topped others." Luna looks over at Celestia and smiles. " That family is well renown for their dance."
*****
The crowds at the train station in Ponyvile didn't help Rose the third's mood in the slightest as he waited with his parents for the train door to open up, so his father could bask in the glow and power he held over the crowd. Rose watches as his mother fuss with his hair that was already "perfect" in her eyes so she could feel less nervous. She always made Rose smile but, today, he couldn't make a smile to save his life.
"Presenting all the way from the Land of Small Beauty! Royal Family, Rose!" an announcer sang outside of the train to the crowd as welcoming music is played masterfully.
"Right, chin up, rump up and look the part!" Father yells at his son while he physically moves the young stallion's body into a stance that would make any decent non-royal pony laugh their head off. "A quick walk down the carpet for the crowd to get in the castle and you can go back to skulking like the coward you are when we're done."
Rose Jr shake his head again, always so happy when his father gives him a pep talk and degrades him further. The door opens and a bright light blinds the family for a second before their eyes adjust. Rose looks and see that a massive crowd waited for the family to step out and greet them on their way to the two alicorns on the far side of the station..
If Rose Senior didn't give Rose a kick in the rump to get him out of the train, Rose wouldn't have even looked back as he stayed in the train until it went back home.
But... his father did, propelling the young Rose Jr onto the carpet as his parents walk him to the two princess alicorns. In the eyes of the crowd, everypony wondered why the younger Rose looked so stormy while his parents looked very happy, but most ponies considered it train sickness and left it at that.
"Welcome to Canterlot." Celestia greets the family with open hooves, hugging both Petal and Rose Senior. "It has been too long since your last visit."
"Indeed, it has been a long year." Rose senior nods.
Celestia looks over and sees Rose Junior avoiding her eyes. "And this is Rose the III?" Celestia understood that Rose naturally never met a Alicorn before so she excused his behavior as nerves.
"Yes, forgive him, travel makes him moody." Rose senior jabs Rose in the side, getting him to be respectful.
Rose however didn't care and simply stared at Celestia like she was someone he couldn't care less about.
This made Celestia cough to break the tension. "Ah, shall we?" Celestia points to the carriage that would get them to the palace. "We have a banquet set up, we understand you would be hunger after so long a trip."
"Excellent, we are rather hungry and we will get the same rooms as before?" Rose Senior nods and gets into the carriage with his family.
"About that..." Celestia starts, hoping it wouldn't be too much of a problem. "It seems the room for your son is not fully prepared yet, as such, you son will sleep in a room next to my student, Twilight." Rose looked over and saw the purple unicorn that he did not notice before, seemly to hide herself after Celestia said her name.
"Hmm..." Rose senior mused over what could happen and shrugged. "I suppose that would do no harm, maybe you student and my son could show him around town, get his feet wet, perhaps?"
Rose gave his father a sharp glare, his request was a civil way to try and hook him up with this Twilight mare and Rose wasn't going to let that happen.
However Celestia brightened at the thought and nods. "It seems only fair, his first time here after all. Twilight, would you be a dear and show Rose around the castle and town?"
Twilight felt a bit unnerved by this stormy red prince pony in front of her. His glares at his own father gave her a feeling that he wouldn't be polite company, but she could hardly say no to Celestia in front of others. "I... y-yes. princess, I will."
*****