The Lavender Letter
Epilogue: A Quiet Morning in the Gardens
It was a lovely september day, the strong solar warmth still yet keeping at bay the chill typical to autumnal Canterlot. Choruses of birds chirped as they began preparations for the coming migration, flowers hesitantly revealed the petal blossoms hidden and closed away from the past night's frost, and the tall trees were a rich canvas of gold, scarlet, and auburn.
All of these things surrounded Twilight Sparkle as she cantered her way through the winding paths of the west gardens. Striking as they were, however, it was another beauty she sought; and since it was a weekend morning, she knew precisely where to find her.
A few more minutes walk among the grassy hedges and her ears perked up, catching an ethereal melody in the lingering breeze, and she had her quarry.
She rarely picked the same place twice, Twilight had noted over the previous few years, and after a few cases of conflicting schedules, a game had been made of it. She would play, and Twilight would follow the music.
That following led the lavender mare to a small plaza, ornamented with a pair of weathered stone benches framing a central fountain pond, which itself served to backdrop Princess Celestia as she effortlessly danced her hooves and wingtips across the strings of her golden harp in a cheerful duet.
Twilight smiled softly at the sight, and the not-unfamiliar temptation to just sit and listen for, oh, ever.
But not today, unfortunately. Today had appointments, which left only so much time for wandering the gardens and chasing down a mischievous harpist.
Celestia kept playing, her eyes closed as she was seized in the moment of musical bliss—
"Hey, nag!"
Twang.
Twilight chuckled to herself. Works every time.
"Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia exclaimed, shocked from her trance. "How dare you address me with such vulgarity!"
"Sorry," Twilight said cheekily, trotting up and nudging Celestia with a playful hoof. "But you're a few years late to be pulling out that card, Sunshine."
"...Well," Celestia said, rather more calmly as she inspected her harp. "You can't blame me for trying. You nearly made me break a string."
"As much as I like just sitting and listening—and I do, you know that," Twilight said warmly, "I'm unfortunately on call today, so I'm pressed for time. Now, Celestia: you do recall what today is?"
"Of course," the princess replied, settling down into a comfortable laying posture. "It's our anniversary, Sparky. You didn't think I forgot?"
Ugh, 'Sparky', Twilight thought, rolling her eyes, to which Celestia snickered.
"...No, I didn't think you forgot," the unicorn eventually said, "but there's something else. You're aware of which anniversary this is?"
Celestia smiled.
"Naturally. It's our ei—"
Celestia stopped smiling.
"...Our eighth anniversary."
"Yes, Celestia," Twilight said quietly. "It's been eight years. Eight years of political plots, of castle intrigues, manipulative scheming nobles—eight years in the heart of Canterlot, of Equestria. And now, Celestia...there's something I need to tell you."
Twilight could see the light die out of the other mare's eyes. Celestia wilted; her smile fled, her ears fell, her flowing ethereal mane slowed to a languid crawl...her pearly white coat turned an ashen grey.
"...I love you, Celestia. I love you so very dearly," Twilight said, almost in a whisper, as she stepped close to nuzzle the princess gently. "And after eight years at court...I'm not going anywhere."
Celestia blinked a few times, the beginnings of tears suddenly halting. "You're...you're not?"
"Nope. I'm staying right here, with you," Twilight answered resolutely, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia's neck in a tight hug. "Really, if anything," she mused, smiling at the flurry of insistent cuddles, "I'm disappointed in the lack of quality drama. I really expected ponies to try far harder to drive me away."
"You couldn't have just said that, instead of nearly crushing my dreams?" the princess asked, quietly laughing.
"Oh, I could have," Twilight noted, drawing slowly out of the embrace to look into trembling lilac eyes. "But I seem to recall being left to think the absolute worst for two days, and then a certain letter that played right into those fears until the very end...so maybe I felt like teasing. Just a little."
She then cut short Celestia's intended reply with a peace offering, one that was warm, and soft, and left a familiar, lingering taste of lavender and honeysuckle.
Works every time, she thought, as the kiss returned the brightness to her love's eyes.
"...Well, I'm still mad," Celestia said, with a bit of a forced pout. "That wasn't very nice of you. I dare say you'll need some kind of small miracle to make up for this one."
"Oh, really? Well, as it happens, " Twilight said cheerfully, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I may not be going anywhere, Celestia, but..."
Just as soon as it had arrived, however, her smiling bravado abandoned her, and Twilight was quickly overcome by a nervous blush. Almost as though the previous eight years hadn't even happened...but there was a reason for that.
Thankfully, well-practiced habits weren't so affected by her nerves, and so when she reached her magic out to a well-remembered hiding place in the castle, she had no trouble pulling that reason through the ether to appear in the air before her with a quiet pop.
Twilight resolved herself.
"There, uh, was somewhere I was hoping you would go...with me?" she timidly stammered, and the princess eyed her curiously...until she nudged the little wooden box open with her magic.
Celestia gasped audibly, her eyes gone wide.
"...So," Twilight said tentatively, "there are four words I'm hoping for, here."
"...That just might do it," the princess remarked absently.
"Uh...that's five," Twilight countered.
"Oh. Sorry, right. I'm just—you've gone and caught me unprepared again," Celestia said warmly, smiling as she looked at the pair of amethyst-encrusted golden rings sitting on a silk pillow in the little wooden box. "But I don't need two days to decide this time. Four words, then?"
Celestia resolved herself.
"Yes, Twilight, I will."