It was approaching the time for dinner to be served at Canterlot Castle, and cooks of all varieties of skills and specialties bustled this way and that through the large kitchen area in the sublevels of Canterlot Castle. The staff had just prepared and sent up the main course of the evening to the Royal family in the Grand Dining Hall, and dessert was presently being prepared for them.
Many centuries ago, before the rise of Nightmare Moon, there had been a Royal family of unicorns that had enjoyed the benefits of a prestigious lifestyle, while being in regular company to the Princesses. This had been the line of Diamond I, who was famous for siring the beautiful Princess Platinum of ancient legend. The line of unicorn royalty had been forcibly terminated by Nightmare Moon, however, when she had tried to shroud the world in everlasting darkness. Princess Celestia, having no subordinates to handle matters of state, took on all their duties for a total of three hundred years, and had declared herself an Empress for a short time. After Starswirl the Bearded, an eccentric but very wise wizard, had taught her the virtues of the Elements of Harmony, Celestia returned to being a Princess once again, and began to relegate the powers of state that she had seized to a newly created parliament, and to her own students, who she also taught the virtues of Harmony. These students, if they had chosen a royal commission in some office or another, were given an honorary royal title of Prince or Princess. As the years went by, the number of honorary royalty increased, until there was no less than sixty Prince and Princesses at any given time in the court of Canterlot.
Some of the royalty, in relation to their duties, were very widely known. Princess Cadence was the center of great affection of the ponies across Equestria; she was their quintessential Princess. While the populace looked to Princesses Celestia with a maternal sense of love, the average Equestrian looked at Princess Cadence with the sweet endearment of a favorite cousin. Prince Blueblood, the Minister of Entertainment, was widely known for the extravagant events he typically helped to oversee, and for his handsome appearance. Fancy Pants, who had been Princess Celestia’s protégé before the current rising star, Twilight Sparkle, generally left off his royal title, except in the signing of official documents. The vast majority of the posh Canterlot upper class had taken to following and mimicking his every action, in the hopes of having some favor offered to them by the Princess via his proxy. Fancy Pants had of course known the intentions of his sycophantic following, and sometimes for his own amusement would do unusual things, in order to watch his herd of self-serving but obedient sheep follow his lead, and he would chuckle to himself all the while. Another Prince and student to Princess Celestia had been Bunsen Burner, who had overseen the Royal Science Division, the secret innovators and protectors of Equestrian society. Seven months before the events of our story, Bunsen Burner had been mysteriously banished from Canterlot and striped of his titles. He did not participate in the court very often, so for the most part his presence was not missed in any way. His position of Head Officer to the RSD had been bequeathed to a grey wall-eyed pegasus named Ditzy Doo, a civilian resident to a small town in the boondocks named Ponyville.
Cooks continued to frantically rush about as they prepared éclairs, strawberry tarts, and tapioca pudding for the Royal Family up above. One cook, however, had been designated to stay off to the side, so that she could deliver Princess Celestia’s customary slice of cake for her evening dessert. Nopony was quite sure of what her name was since her accent was so thick, but since she was new, the staff had decided that she might as well handle the Princess’ cake, so that she could get the ‘shock and awe’ of meeting the Princess in person for the first time out of the way. After having acquiring her precious sugary cargo, the lone cook climbed the many staircases and traversed the many halls to the Sun Princess’ private quarters. On her way up, the cook stopped and slid into a side passage where she waited patiently. In no time at all, Princess Cadence passed the hiding place of the nameless cook. The pink Princess held a vial full of dark green sludge like substance in her telekinectic grasp. She quietly gave it to the cook, who received it with a bow.
“You know what to do with it,” the Princess said in an uncharacteristically husky but deep, authoritative voice.
“Yes, my Queen,” said the disguised Changeling name Larva.
The fake Princess then briskly began to trot down the hall away from the ersatz cook. Opening up the vial with her teeth, Larva began to drip the contents of the vial onto the slice of cake. The insidious liquid sank into the cake’s delicious surface, leaving no trace that it had ever been applied. Larva continued her journey, which wasn’t all that much longer now. She finally reached a set of double doors that were branded with the Princess’ Cutie Mark; a bright golden orange sun, split down the middle by the crack between the two doors. She politely knocked and waited. From beyond the chamber doors, she heard a soft ‘Enter’.
Larva slowly pushed the door open to Princess Celestia’s chambers and closed it behind herself. She bowed, with much internal protestation, and sweetly declared in her acquired accent, “Your Highness. I’ve brought you your dessert.”
The Princess was seated on an ornate sitting pillow before a cozy, warm fire. She looked up from a scroll that she had received a few minutes ago from one of Twilight Sparkle’s friends, Fluttershy, which related to her what she had learned about being a little confident in one’s self, and how that had helped her to participate in the seasonal rain redistribution for Cloudsdale.
She smiled to the cook who had just entered, and she got up from her seat, “Oh thank you very much! My, that does look most excellent!” She accepted the cake from the cook, and conjured up a fork to eat it with. She singled out a small slice of the delicious marble cake, and daintily placed it in her mouth. As she began to chew and swallow the bite, her eyes became slightly unfocused and glazed over, “Mmmm. This cake is absolutely exquisite!” She looked back to the cook, “I don’t believe we’ve met before. Are you new here to the castle?”
“Da, your Highness. I come from Stalliongrad.”
“What is your name?” the Princess asked.
“Edna, your Highness.”
The Princess took a second bite of the cake, chewed it, and swallowed, “Thank you very much for the cake Edna. It is to die for!”
The cook bowed once again, “You are most welcome, your Highness. I will take me leave now.”
Larva exited the Princess’ chambers and made her way back to the kitchens.
To die for, hm? The Changeling thought to herself, It may take a while for you to arrive, but oh, Irony! There is none like you.