Chapter 26
Aloe and Lotus
Onyx and Blueblood watched as Celestia and Luna left for their vacation early in the morning, leaving the two cousins to care for the kingdom. Blueblood was wearing a huge cape of red fur, a cane made of sapphire, and probably the biggest crown Onyx had ever seen. To his side, Onyx wore his usual clothes since his rule would begin later that night.
“Well cousin, you should go sleep if you don’t want to fall asleep during the night court … it would be a shame if Auntie heard that you cared for your kingdom, sleeping on a desk.”
“If you wish, cousin. Good luck with your shift ... and you know what they say about a stallion with a big crown...” Onyx said, heading towards his bedroom and gesturing mockingly with his pinkie finger at Blueblood, who only ignored him and went to the throne room.
Onyx walked to his bedchamber with every guard saluting and each maid bowing along the way, so he informing them that they didn’t need to do so in his presence. When he finally reach his room, Onyx realized that he forget to feed Philomena and clean her cage, and so he turned in the direction of his mother’s room.
When Onyx passed in front of the throne room, he heard his cousin yelling and somepony crying. He slipped into the throne room to see what was happening.
Blueblood was yelling at two young mares, probably twins; one was blue with a pink mane, the other was pink with a blue mane. From what Onyx could hear, Blueblood was yelling at them because they too rough on his back or something like that. Onyx didn’t really care; he just wanted to help the two mares.
“How dare you call yourselves masseuses, I’ve never felt something so unprofessional. l wish I could have you arrested for hurting your prince. Oh wait a minute, I can. Guards! Take these two peasants to jail immediately!” yelled Blueblood at the pair of guards behind him.
The two guards grabbed the twins, who were desperately trying to beg Blueblood for their freedom. Onyx stopped the guards before they could take the masseuses any further.
“If you two do not wish to be fired tonight, you will leave these mares where they are. Understand?” The guards nodded before backing away slowly from Onyx.
“Onyx? B-but what are you doing here? A-aren’t you supposed to be in your room?” said Blueblood in a shaky voice.
“Celestia and Luna are gone for only fifteen minutes and already you’re abusing your power. How do you think Celestia would react if she knew what just happened?”
“Y-you won’t tell her, right?”
“Maybe … maybe not. It all depends on you, dear cousin.” Onyx walked over to the two mares, whom were shaking on the ground as they awaited their judgement.
“You may rise; I will not bite,” Onyx said in a somewhat-joking voice. “Could you tell me your names please?”
The blue mare with a pink mane was the first to answer, perhaps the braver of the two.
“My name is Lotus, and this is my sister, Aloe.”
“Good, that’s a start. And could you please tell me why you’re here?” asked Onyx in a friendly tone.
“We … we were providing massages to anypony in the castle that wanted to pay for one. We’re trying to earn enough money to open our own spa in Ponyville.”
“Good. Well, if Blueblood doesn’t mind, I’m sure we could help finance that little project, right Blueblood?” Blueblood, who was silent since Onyx interjected, reached behind the throne and rapidly threw a purse to Onyx.
“Good. Well this is easily six hundred bits; do you think it will be enough?” Onyx asked as he smiled at the two mares. Aloe was in tears at the sight of all the bits and Lotus took the bag of coins with a shaking hoof.
“Th-Thank you Prince Onyx … you don’t know how much this means to us. If you ever visit our spa you can be sure to have all that you want for free. Thank you, Prince Onyx!”
“It’s the least I could do. I’m not really the type of stallion to go to a spa, but if you’d like to thank me, I have a little request for you. Come to my room in an hour; I’ll be waiting for you there.” The twins nodded before leaving the throne room.
“Now Blueblood, you will listen to me closely, if you don’t want me to send a little report to Celestia, you will act like a gentlestallion and rule this country as Celestia would. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in my room,” said Onyx, leaving Blueblood alone in the throne room.
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Onyx sat on his bed, finishing his gift for Twilight Sparkle; the book was wrapped, the only thing missing was a letter. Onyx took out an ink bottle and a feather from Philomena and began to write.
Dear Twilight,
I received your letter and I’m profoundly sorry that I didn’t answer you sooner, but the castle was really busy with preparations for Celestia and Luna’s vacation. Mother gave me the night court and Blueblood the day court. I don’t even know why mother would have left him either court, I mean he is not ready for this. Just this morning, I had to stop him from arresting two masseuses...
I hope that you’re happy in Ponyville with all your new friends and books in your library. Speaking of books, I remembered that you always wanted the book have make me remember that you alway wanted the “”Dictionary of Every Magic Seal”? You’ll find it in the package with this letter.
When Mother comes back, I promise I’ll come see you in Ponyville … you could introduce me to all your new friends. Oh, and please don’t make it a royal welcome or anything like that, you know how I’ve always hated that sort of thing.
Your friend,
Onyx.
P.S. I kinda broke up with Trixie. If you see her could you please tell her that I’m sorry for what I did, but I can’t see her any more.
With the letter finished, Onyx packed it with the gift and waited for the twin mares to show up. Unlike an hour before, the two arrived smiling and wearing strange pink and white outfit looking like a saddle but more....stylish?
“We’re here, Prince Onyx,” said the pink-maned blue mare. Onyx couldn’t really remember which was which, and decided to play the safe card.
“Hi um … misses. I hope you don’t have too many hard feelings for my cousin over this morning; would either of you care for a glass of wine?” Onyx casually asked, pouring himself a glass of and taking a small sip.
Aloe gladly accepted the wine with a shaking hoof.
“Are you okay, miss? You seem stressed.” Lotus quickly took to the defense of her sister.
“I’m sorry my prince, but she’s a bit new at doing this … so she’s a little nervous.”
“A bit new at this? ...A bit new at what?” asked Onyx, but when Lotus climbed on the bed and bent over in front of him like a mare in heat, he choked on his wine before spitting is back in his glass.
“W-WHOA! WAIT, WAIT! I DIDN’T HAVE YOU COME UP HERE FOR THAT!” exclaimed Onyx.
“But my prince, who in the hay would give six hundred bits to mares he met the first time, and then asked them to come to his room if wasn’t for that type of thing?” responded Lotus.
“Well, ME. Listen, I’m sorry, but I wasn’t thinking of sharing my bed with you when I asked you to come here … I just wanted to ask if you would take something with you on your way to Ponyville.” Aloe and Lotus were both relieved that the prince hadn’t paid them for what they had thought; never would they have thought that a member of the royal family would be so kind to them.
“We really are sorry, Prince Onyx … it’s just that usually the only member of the royal family we meet is Blueblood … so we kinda’ thought that you’d be like him. Please forgive us, Prince Onyx,” the twins said simultaneously.
“Okay first, please don’t call me Prince Onyx, just Onyx is enough. Second, you are forgiven. I will have an escort take you to Ponyville, and would really appreciate it if you could bring this package with you and give it to the owner of the Ponyville library?” The two mares accepted the task before leaving Onyx’s room, followed by two pegasus guards that would take them safely to Ponyville.
“Okay, now that that’s done, I should get some sleep before my shift start.” Onyx said to himself before lying in bed.
“I wonder if I should’ve accept the two mares’ proposition … they were kinda’ hot. Oh, what am I saying; I’m not that type of stallion … er, thing.”