After the pastry based fun had worn down (and all the ammunition had been consumed) the royal group was properly introduced and a hardy Appaloosan welcome was delivered in the center of town.
No stage meant that not everypony should have been able to see the princess in the center of the crowd, but with buffalo offering their backs to the fillies and foals, and the hay-bale fortifications making fine box seats, every pony had a view of the visiting princess.
"Thanks everypony, and everybuffalo." she nodded to Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves respectively, "I'm thankful for your sincere welcome. I had a lot of fun today. ...Maybe a little too much fun... I apologize to those who I may have gone a little overboard on."
"It's no problem Princess!” A unicorn with a half dozen pie-pans impaled over his horn called out.
Twilight waited for the laughter to die down before continuing, "Anyway, since the reason for my visit is to get to know the citizens of Equestria better, I'll be spending the next few days here getting to know everypony.
I'll be observing everyday Appaloosan life and helping wherever I can, but I'm not going to learn much by just watching, so if there's anything you need help with, or would like me to try, I'd be happy to, just ask!"
The crowd cheered as Twilight made her way out of the limelight.
Sherrif Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves came to the center:
"Thank ya' princess. I'm sure you're tired from your train ride over and our little celebration, so Braeburn here will show y'all to yer accommodations.
I've just got a few words for the town, nothing you need to worry about. You can go get some sleep yer majesty." he bowed towards her and made sure that the Apple was leading the princess away before returning his attention to the crowd, "Now ya'll heard what she said, so remember to be on yer best behavior. There's royalty about and we don't want her to be thinking we can't be civil, especially if... Are they gone?"
Everypony glanced around for any hide, hair, horn, or royal feather of the princess or her group. They were gone.
"Good. Let's get down to business. Now, as you know, we've only got a week for this to work and those guards are an unexpected hindrance. It'll be hard to get them away from the princess long enough to..."
The town was far too distracted with their plans to notice the lone armored unicorn who had come back to sneak one last pie.
"So how have you been?" Braeburn asked Twilight as they walked.
"Meh, fight some dark kings, create some magic, become a princess, you know: the usual."
Braeburn laughed as the group (minus one) walked across town to an unusually large building on the border of civilization and wilderness. “Settle Inn” read the sign above the door.
"Sorry this place is such a dump..." he said as he opened up the door to let the group in, "When we found out we'd be hosting you, your majesty, we thought we'd just have you as a guest on the farm... But when we saw your... er... group here, we thought we'd better find a bigger place for y'all."
The quality of the "dump" in question was overstated, as Twilight noticed quickly. The entryway showed signs of disuse, to be sure, but other than some dust the place was in pristine condition. It was actually rather ritzy for an abandoned hotel on the edge of a settler's town.
As if sensing the question coming, Braeburn headed it off. "This place was originally built by some fancy hotel chain when the town was first starting. They thought they'd make a killing off of the tourism and would eventually sell this place as prime real-estate." he paused, looking around "Needless to say, Appaloosa didn't, and still doesn't, have a tourism industry, and by the time they figured that out they also realized the town had stopped growing and that their land here was as worthless as when they bought it. It was even worse with the taxes considered. Eventually they just cut their losses and gave this place to the city in exchange for a break from their late payments."
The princess seemed fascinated by the building's history but the rest of the group resorted to sagely nodding in order to throw off suspicion that they didn't really care. They had more important things to worry about.
"Where is our room?" Blue Blazer asked.
"Well I uh... thought... Uh... How do many rooms do you need?"
"What?" Blue Blazer asked incredulously.
"I thought... How many rooms do you need? It doesn't matter to me but..."
Strange town, strange stallion... Blue Blazer wasn't about to leave the princess alone if he could help it "One room, we'll all be sleeping toge-"
"Two rooms," Brush said giving a stern look to the Captain, "stallions in one, mares in the other."
"If you think we're leaving the princess without protection in thi-"
Brush cut him off, "Oh, don't worry, we'll stay with her, but you all will not. She's told you all before that she-"
*Ahem* Twilight cleared her throat, reminding them all that she was still there.
"Since you offered, we'll be more comfortable apart, all apart thank you. So nine rooms if possible."
"Oh! That's perfectly fine! That's why I brought you here! The whole place is yours! There are rooms on this floor where the guard can stay, the second floor can be for you ladies," he nodded his head to Brush and her group, "and you, princess, can stay in the penthouse on the third floor."
Before objections from stallions or mares could be voiced, Twilight accepted the arrangement.
Braeburn produced a key ring and divvied up the rooms.
A key was left over. Bastion snatched it before Blue Blazer noticed.
"You can all get cleaned up and settled in but don't get too comfortable, we're having dinner at the farm later."
The stallions and mares went off to their respective rooms, leaving Twilight and Braeburn in the lobby.
"That should be everything then Twili- I mean princess."
"Thank you Braeburn. It was good to see you again." With a wave Twilight started off towards the stairwell after the mares "I'll be seeing you around Braebur-"
"Princess?" Twilight was mildly alarmed by the suddenly very tense sounding stallion "Um... Well..."
She turned back around, "Yes Braeburn?"
Braeburn stood there rubbing one hoof over the other leg, looking away.
"Nevermind... Uh... Can we talk later, like after dinner tonight?"
"Sure, see you later."