Chapter 3
A Royal Audience
It soon became apparent that Discord could not continue being a secret friend. He became so fully integral to Celestia’s life that she found it difficult not to mention his name in every conversation. Luna, the only other pony who knew about Discord and his connection with Celestia, bore the bull brunt of this problem and was the first to openly present it.
“Celestia, if you don’t start to monitor what you say you’re going to slip up and mention Discord in front of Father.”
“What do you mean, little sister?”
Luna rolled her eyes. “I mean that everything you say these days is ‘Discord said this’ or ‘Discord said that’ or ‘Discord told me…’ or ‘According the Discord…’ You are fully obsessed, sister dear.”
Celestia scowled. “I am not obsessed. He is simply a very close friend.”
She began to think on the last couple of weeks. It had been three months since Discord had saved her and Luna in the forest. In those three months she had grown closer to the young spirit that she could have possibly imagined. In fact, she was only closer to her sister, which was why, though she scoffed at it, Celestia really was listening to what she sister was saying. Luna was right. Even if Celestia didn’t think of herself as being obsessed she had to admit how much she thought and talked about Discord. There had been numerous occasions when she’d almost said his name in front of their father.
“Luna… Why are we keeping him a secret again?”
Luna opened her mouth to answer, then closed it again, looking perplexed. “Well… I… don’t… I honestly don’t know… Because he’s not a pony and Father would want to know where we met him.”
“We didn’t do anything wrong when we met him. He came into our courtyard.”
“I do not imagine Father would be very happy knowing that somepony could just sneak into the palace with no problem,” Luna said wryly. “He might lash out at Discord.”
“I doubt it,” Celestia disagreed. “He may not trust Discord, but Father is not a violent pony by nature. He’s docile, even if he does come across as a little… intimidating… That settles it. I’m telling Father about Discord tonight. I can’t keep living a lie.”
Luna actually looked relieved. “I was hoping you’d say that… I was dreading the moment when Father would figure something out and ask me about it. You know I cannot tell a lie.”
“Well, from this moment you will not have to, little sister. I’m bringing Discord fully into the family folds and placing the protection of the crown upon him. Or, at least, you know… Father’s going to know about him.”
Luna laughed. “Oh, Celestia… Always one for the dramatics.”
Celestia smiled and struck up pose for effect. Both princesses burst out into very un-ladylike laughter that would have caused some of the women in their father’s court to look on in scandalized shock, but they didn’t care. At their young ages of six and eleven they were much more concerned with fun and laughter than the inner works of the Equestrian court and respectable behavior. Celestia knew that she would soon reach an age where she would have to start behavior appropriately. In five years at the age of sixteen her father would bequeath the task of raising the sun each day to her. She was already doing it once a month for practice, but on her sixteenth birthday and until her death it would be her duty and her duty alone. The same would happen to Luna when she turned sixteen, though her duty would be to raise the moon. But Celestia still had a good five years left before she had to shoulder that responsibility, so she figured that that meant she still had three years to behave like a child and she fully intended to take advantage of them.
That’s the spirit, Celestia. Childhood is such a terrible thing to waste. Why shoulder responsibility when you can have fun? Celestia frowned. She really spending too much time with Discord. She was beginning to hear him speak in her mind.
Miles away in his home in the Everfree Forest Discord lay back with his eyes closed, his power carrying his mind and vision far away to the palace in Canterlot, smiling as he watched his princess. She was truly a funny thing. There was so much about her that he hadn’t expected. He’d known from watching her that she was a free spirit, but he could have never predicted how sharp she would be, or how open to his way of life she was. It made every thing so much easier when he didn’t have to hide his reality from his best friend.
It was Luna that made things more difficult. She was cautious and weary of his chaos. Her caution slowed him and Celestia down, but for the life of him be couldn’t convince Celestia to ditch her little sister for a day, nor could he convince Luna not to tag along. Luna was determined to stand by her big sister at all times and sometimes that meant she would loyally tag along to watch their backs and force them to turn back whenever things became too hairy for her. Furthermore, Celestia loved her little sister dearly and wanted her to share the grand experiences. It was all so frustrating. If only he could come up with a way to drive a wedge through their relationship… but no… no… that’s wouldn’t due. He couldn’t give in to those impulses, no matter how natural they were to him. If he could change the natural behavior of other creatures he could change his own natural behavior. He might want to cause chaos in their relationship, but he wouldn’t because he cared far too deeply about Celestia to hurt her.
Now his ability to impress would be put to the test. Celestia did not know that he already knew, but he had listened in on her conversation with her sister. He would be meeting the King of all of Equestria. The idea filled him not with anxiety, but with a burning hunger that he could not quite define. He wanted something desperately and meeting the King was the first step. But what? What was it that he so desperately desired?
The day to meet Celestia’s Father came quicker than he expected. Before he knew it he was sitting in Celestia’s room being coached on the proper way to address the King of Ponies.
“Bow when you see him, Discord. You may be our friend, but he doesn’t know you, so you have to behave with the proper respect.”
“So much formality,” Discord complained. “Are all ponies so uptight and boring?”
Celestia smirked. “Well… no… but when you put them all together and make them think something is formal they can be. And then they come to expect it. Anything out of the normal is scandalous. Which is why you have to bow. That’s just the way it is so suck it up and deal with it.”
“Alright, alright,” Discord mumbled. He still didn’t like it. What was the point of being what he was if he was forced to conform.
“Remember to address him as your majesty.”
“Of course,” he replied, yawning with boredom.
“Don’t act bored, you dope, this is important stuff,” Celestia snapped, kicking him over with her back hooves. “Luna, come here, I want to go over the game plan.”
“We have a game plan?”
“I WANT MY FATHER TO LOVE YOU, DISCORD!”
Discord rolled his eyes. “So we’re mapping out the course of the entire evening? What’s the fun in that.”
“Think of it as plotting.”
“Fine.”
“Alright, here’s the plan. When Luna and I are going to enter the throne room without you. I will announce that I have brought a very dear friend that I would like him to meet…”
“Wait a moment,” Luna interrupted. “Are you meaning to tell me that father is not expecting him????”
“Of course not. That would ruin the surprise.”
“Don’t you think that might bother him a little?”
“Oh, stop being such a cautious loser, Luna. It’ll be fine.”
“I like it this way,” Discord commented.
“See?” Celestia said as if that settled the subject.
Luna did not argue again, but she did not look settled. If anything she looked even more disconcerted before, but fortunately it seemed that she was going to keep her unfounded opinions to herself. For this both Discord and Celestia were immensely grateful. Celestia was concerned that she would lose her resolve if her sister kept arguing with her. Discord just hated to listen to her pointless jabber.
Soon they were all in place. Celestia paced back and forth nervously. Discord was amused by how seriously she was taking this. So what if the King decided he didn’t like him? That wouldn’t stop him from seeing Celestia, even if he had to sneak around to do it. He didn’t need approval from some King who’s laws he did not obey to give him permission. His was a being of the separate world and followed different rules.
Luna stood stoically at her sister’s side. Deep inside she was hoping that her father would reject Discord. When they had first met she had had compassion for him, but it was quickly waning. She was beginning to see how easily he persuaded Celestia to act out and that frightened her. Truly, though her older sister was the more adventurous of the pair, she was very a sensible young pony, but Discord made her throw away sense and behave on rash instinct. Celestia’s entire life revolved around someone who knew so much more about her than she knew about him. If their father rejected him maybe Celestia would be forced to part ways and regain some of her level headedness.
Luna had always preferred propriety to joviality and Discord was the exact opposite of these ideals. There was a proper way to behave when you were of elevated status, and while it was true that it was not always entertaining, it was simply the way things were. Being young allowed them some leeway, but in due that Celestia would have to throw her childish ways aside. Discord’s presence would make that nigh impossible. But Celestia would not be stopped and Luna knew her sister well enough to know this, so when Celestia marched into their father’s presence she followed without further argument.
“Father, I have an announcement I would like to make!” Celestia said without ado. Their father appeared to be quite taken aback by her direct approach, but he recovered quickly.
“Speaketh, dear daughter. What is it that thou wisheth to share with us?”
Luna smiled slightly and took comfort in the warm, royal tones of her father’s voice. She had no memory of him ever speaking to his family without using the proper royal vernacular and she adored it. Her father represented order and tradition in her eyes. His presence brought her comfort in the worst of times. By simply being there he reminded her that even when things started to get out of hand, everything was in control. The sun would rise in the morning, as he commanded it, and the moon would rise at night. Ponykind had everything in their hooves.
Celestia’s voice cut through her comfort. “Father, I have a very close, very dear friend that I would like to introduce you to.”
The King frowned. “Is that so? And if we may inquire as to how it is possible that thou hath made such a friend?”
Celestia lost some of her bravado. “Err… well… this may sound, erm… odd… but he, uh… was in our courtyard. Before you say anything, I know that sounds a tad creepy, but really, he’s very dear to me and I would really love for you to give him a chance!”
The King looked over at his younger daughter. “Why art thou silent, my darling Princess Luna. Hath thou no contribution to thy sister’s request?”
Celestia elbowed her sister and gave her a look. Luna swallowed. “Yes, father, I too believe that you should give Discord a chance,” Celestia was still glaring at her, as if she was daring her to not support the plan, “as he is a very dear friend of mine as well and I believe that we will bear no ill by knowing him.” Celestia smiled, a smile which Luna returned weakly. Her sister could be extremely intimidating when she set her mind to it.
“Very well. We shall accept audience with thy friend.”
Celestia grinned and did something that sort of resembled as jig. “DISCORD! YOU CAN COME IN NOW!” she hollered, causing her proper father and sister to wince. Discord slunk into the room and approach the throne. He stooped into a deep bow.
“You’re Majesty, it is a pleasure,” he said smoothly. “Might I introduce myself? I am Discord, hailing from the Forests of Everfree.
“The Forests of Everfree?”
“Please, you’re majesty, I understand your concern about my origins. Everfree is a danger and unpredictable place, but I assure you, I am not so! I simply wish to keep company with your wonderful daughters! I truly care for them, you see, and I seek to know more about pony kind!”
He had said exactly the right thing. Though he very rarely did so, Celestia, Luna, and Discord could all see the smile creeping under the King’s mustache. “If that is so, then thou shall be granted thy wish. Thou mayst maintain the company of mine daughters. We wish thee the best of happiness and luck in thy endeavors to further educate thyself in the ways of ponies, young Discord.”
Discord offer Celestia a grin, which she returned triumphantly. Everything was going to be alright. They could continue to be friends. It was going to be perfect. She wanted to do a victory dance right there, but didn’t think her father would like that much. But she was dancing inside. She was dancing on the walls, on the ceiling, and on her father’s head. The feeling of joy inside of her was something that she had never matched before and didn’t think she ever would again. She couldn’t bare to ever have to lose Discord and was overjoyed that now she wouldn’t have to.
Celestia leaned into Luna and smirked. “I told you father would like Discord.”
Luna nodded. “Yes… yes, you did.”
She was the only one in the room that was not overjoyed by this proclamation, but nopony noticed. Her feelings disappeared in the night, though she wore them on her face.