Princess Luna opened the door with a neutral look on her face. She wasn't entirely certain what her sister was planning, but Celestia had been very eager for her to meet somepony. Of course she didn't want to oppose her sister, so she quickly agreed, but she still had her reservations about her sister's intentions.
What was waiting for her on the other side of the door was enough to completely stun Luna as her sister smiled and motioned to the pony standing next to her. He looked so out of place next to her sister that Luna, despite her depression, almost laughed when she saw him. With a battered basin on his head and rusted iron armor on his chest, he looked like a character out of a storybook.
Before anypony could say anything the band could be heard striking their tuning chord in the ballroom. Princess Celestia looked down the hall towards the Gala as she heard the trumpets and the music began to play. She was out of time. Looking back to her sister, Celestia began her quick introductions.
“Princess Luna, this is the knight I was hoping you could meet with, Rocinante of La Manecha. Rocinante, this is my sister, Princess Luna. I do wish I could give you both a more appropriate introduction, but it seems the Gala is about to begin.”
Princess Luna nodded without a word and stepped aside, allowing Rocinante into the room. With the exception of Rocinante, everypony had their reservations about this plan, but there was no turning back. As she proceeded down the hall to where the guests would enter the castle, Princess Celestia could hear the band playing music, signifying that the Gala was beginning. Racing towards the entrance, Celestia took only a moment to think to her self.
“I don't know if this will work, but if that knight-errant can make my sister come out of her shell, then this will be... the Best Night Ever.”
Celestia's mind rolled with the music now playing to the point where she could almost hear a tune inside herself.
“At the Gala...”
It was a silly notion, singing along with the song at a moment like this, but it provided some small amount of ease to her nervousness.
“At the Gala,
in the castle,
I'll be stuck there for a while.
All the ponies,
I must greet them at the Gala!”
Taking her place at the top of the staircase, Celestia's mind held to its tune as she forced a smile and greeted the first pony.
“It's so boring,
and depressing,
when I'm needed elsewhere now.
I hope my plans will work here,
Right here at the Gala!”
Having put Rocinante's lance away, Sassaflash began walking back towards the room that Princess Celestia had shown them to, but it was a big castle and before long she wasn't entirely certain where she was. It wasn't difficult to keep calm despite the problem, as she hadn't been exactly eager to rub wings with a Princess.
Following the music towards the grand hall, Sassaflash could see that the Gala was beginning. She was certainly eager to see the events here. The Grand Galloping Gala was the biggest party in all of Equestria. Even with the the anxiety she had over Rocinante's “mission”, she couldn't help but smile as she walked into the hall.
“At the Gala,
so amazing,
I can not believe I'm here.
Rocinante,
Please be careful,
We can't fail our Princess dear.
Now their royal eyes are on us,
here at the Grand Gala!”
As Sassaflash looked around, her eyes fell on the grand staircase where Princess Celestia was already greeting the first ponies as they entered the Gala.
Trapped atop the staircase, Princess Celestia was kept in good spirits by her internal musical musings as she waited for her other specially invited guests to arrive.
“At the Gala,
Twilight Sparkle,
I am counting on your friends.
For there is no night more boring than the Gala!”
Princess Celestia could almost hear the choir backing her up as she shook hooves with one of the more pompous nobles from Manehattan and resumed her song.
“But I know you,
and your brightness,
you can perk up anything.
You can keep these nobles busy,
Tonight at the Gala!”
From inside the parlor, Rocinante could hear the trumpets sounding as the music from downstairs appeared to pick up. Their conversation hadn't really had the chance to begin as the two sat on opposite sides of the small room. Despite the slow start, Rocinante was still quite hopeful for the evening. Musing to himself in his mind, Rocinante accepted the cup of tea that Luna presented him.
“I have waited ,
I have quested ,
To prove my knightly virtue.
A lady's favor I now seek,
if I can get through her mystique,
they will see that I am one,
that they can call champion.
I will restore the Princess right here at the Gala!”
Opposite of him, in her own mind, Princess Luna was less than thrilled at the situation, but not only would it be rude to voice the opinion in her mind, she felt as though she couldn't just ignore what her sister had asked her to do.
“I am here at the Grand Gala,
at the call of my sister,
for I do not like such parties I find these guests sinister.
And who now is this pony that my sister has brought here?
I don't know him,
I don't want him,
With me at the Grand Gala!”
Princess Celestia hoped the best for her plan, but she knew there were more than just a few variables that had to come together. Looking up towards the parlor in between hoofshakes, Princess Celestia wondered again whether or not any of this would work as the band worked up towards the last verse of the song.
“At the Gala,
Rocinante,
Luna needs help tonight.
If you can just talk to her, see the pony that's inside,
you will see that she is special,
and prove your worth as a knight!”
Stopping to shake another hoof, Princess Celestia smiled as she reevaluated her plan.
“This will work. It has to.”