The day ended just like any other, with whining, high-class ponies complaining about her new laws forcing more taxes on them and less on the "commoners." She even had some thrown out of the castle for arguing over property rights.
Still, even with her splitting headache, she trotted to the kitchen with a very happy smile. Cleaning some of the used pots was her favorite chef, Pan Cake.
"Madam Celestia!" he chimed. "Here for anozer dessert?"
Celestia shook her head, giggling at his Prench accent. "Not today, Pan," she smiled. "There's a very important event coming, and I can't be taking so many treats."
Pan chuckled as he set the pan on the dish rack. "Nonsense, Celestia! You are az fit az zat mare I met twenty yearz ago!" he nodded. "Zo what bringz you to my kitchen?"
Celestia walked over to the fruit bowl, sneaking some bananas into her mane. She went to the refridgerator and took a bottle of milk out of the rack. She kept it away from Pan's eyesight as she looked over the large cake on the table.
"Did I forget your birthday again?" Celestia asked, a bit worried. Pan laughed and waved a hoof.
"Oh no! Zat cake iz for my cousin!" he assured her. "You won't mind if I am gone for a day, no?"
"Of course not," Celestia smiled. "Give your cousin my regards."
"Yes, ma'am! Have a wonderful sleep, Celestia!" he called to her as she exited.
Celestia's smile lasted all the way to her chambers, where a confused glance replaced it. The door to her chambers was open, and neither of her usual guards were there. She galloped into her room and looked for the child. He was giggling as usual on her bed, trying to stand up.
"Ma'am." Celestia spun around to see her Captain. "Would you like to explain that?"
Celestia levitated the bottle over to Draco, who grabbed it and stuck the nipple in his mouth. "Captain Silver, would you like to explain why you are in my bedroom?" she countered.
"There was a noise coming from your chambers, and after I followed standard procedure I came in to check," he said calmly. "You kept that thing here?"
"His name is Draco," she said sternly. "And I'd like you to address him as such."
"You're naming it?" Silver asked in disbelief. "It's bad enough you're keeping it as a pet, but what could-"
"Draco, is not my pet," she said above his tone. "As of today… he is my heir."
Silver's eyes widened. "What? Princess, with all due respect, that thing is dangerous!" he protested. "You saw what the other one could do, and it was probably older!"
"She was," Celestia enunciated. "Your Seargant not only attacked her without yours or my permission, but he killed Draco's mother. I promise her I would take care of him."
"A debt? That's why you insist on keeping tha-Draco?" he questioned. Celestia nodded, and Silver shook his head with a sigh. "Why Draco?"
Celestia grinned in victory as she went over to her son. "There is a marking of a dragon on his… strange hoof," Celestia said. "So, I'm certain he must be related to them in some way. Draco was the best suited."
"You mean it came to your mind first," Silver pointed out. "If he's got something to do with dragons, why not let them care for him?"
"I gave my word, Captain," she smiled. "I don't go back on my promises at the flip of my mane."
"What will everypony think about Draco?" he asked. "How do you think they will react?"
Celestia thought it over as Draco grabbed onto her snout again. "Captain, if you're not willing to help me, I suggest you find somepony else to watch him while I do my duties," Celestia told him. "I'll deal with Equestria's reaction in time, but for now I'd like to keep this private. Understood?"
Silver sighed, but saluted as always. "Yes, Princess," he nodded. "I'm sorry."
He left the room, then bucked the wall opposite the door. He hard served for twelve years under her. Followed every order, helped keep the guards operational, and not once did he question her. Now though, she was using her power to keep that… thing a secret. He had seen what the larger one had done, and if it grew older and went berserk, there was no telling what could happen.
But he wasn't some traitorous scum. Celestia told him to find a replacement, so that's what he would do.
Celestia nuzzled Draco, who gurgled and started nibbling on her snout. "Herr… Herr-ah!" he shouted. She picked him up in her hooves and lifted him in the air.
"You're nothing close to dangerous, are you?" she cooed. "Don't worry, Mommy will make him listen. Just you wait."
Draco laughed and reached out to her. Celestia hugged him gently, then chuckled when she heard him burp next to her ear. "Herr-ah," he mumbled into her coat.
"You've worn those clothes for some days now," Celestia muttered to herself. "They don't look very comfortable."
Celestia took off the silk-smooth garnments he wore, but she realized why he had them on in the first place. She quickly put them back on him, but it looked like he preferred not to where them. She watched in amusement as he tried pulling the top cloth off, but he wasn't well coordinated yet.
"You have to keep these on, okay, Draco?" she smiled. Draco kept pulling on his shirt, starting to fuss over how tedious it was becoming. "I guess you only need the bottom half anyway."
She teleported his shirt off and stored it one of her cabinets. Draco smiled gleefully, then started to climb onto her once again. Celestia was intrigued how he used his limbs to climb pretty quickly onto her head. He started grinding her ear between his gums, cooing at the tickling feeling of her fur.
Knock-Knock
Celestia raised a brow, wondering who could possibly be knocking. "Wait here, Draco," she told him as her magic set him down on the bed.
She went over to her bedroom door and opened it, surprised to see Corporal Dasher. "I'm sorry to bother ma'am, but Captain Silver said you have a proposition, ma'am," he saluted.
So he did find somepony else. You've disappointed me, Captain Silver
"Yes," Celestia said with a slightly stern face. "I do. Give me one moment."
She closed the door and trotted to her bed, covering Draco in a number of pillows. His muffled giggles could be heard from under the pile, but it kept him hidden for the moment. Celestia opened the door and motioned for Dasher to step inside. He did so, eyeing the suspicious pile of pillows.
"Corporal, do you remember the other day, when that biped broke into the throne room?" Dasher nodded, glancing to the now moving pillows.
"Yes. It was Bush that killed it, Princess, if that's what this is about," he quickly said.
Celestia nodded. "As it turns out, the biped was a mother," she began. "And before she died, she passed something on to me. I promised her I would do everything in my power to keep it safe. And now, I'm asking you to help me."
Draco finally tossed one of the pillows off, still laughing as he tried pushing the others off. Dasher's eyes went wide as he looked to the infant. "You mean, you kept that?" he asked, bewildered.
"Corporal, his name is Draco, and as I've told Silver, he is my son," she told him, ignoring his jaw dropping. "He's refused to help me, and I won't force him to. But you have a foal, yes?"
"Y-Yes, Princess," he nodded. "Just a week old filly."
"Good. Then you must know parenting by now," she smiled. "Since I can't be with Draco all day, I need somepony trustworthy to keep an eye on him."
Dasher put the pieces together in his head. "But, what about my unit?" he asked.
Celestia smiled, sensing he was coming around to it. "I could post them in these halls, until the day ends of course," she smiled. "Consider this, a promotion. A few more bits for keeping him safe."
Dasher leaned to the side and watched Draco toss himself onto the pillows, then roll of laughing. He chuckled softly, remembering his filly doing the same thing in the hospital. Except she was trying to take off.
"Keep the extra bits, ma'am," he smiled. "It'd be my honor to watch your son. But, I still clock out around the same time?"
"9 o' clock, on the dot as always," Celestia smiled just a bit bigger. "Thank you, Seargant Dasher."
Dasher smiled at his early promotion. "Just doing my job, Princess," he nodded.
Dasher left her chambers, and Celestia trotted happily over to her bed. Draco was panting from his playing, but he still kept trying to stand up. She giggled as he finally laid on his back, his chubby belly rising and falling. She brought her wings around to tickle him briefly, then snuggled up to his side.
"Herrrr… Herrrrr," he constantly gurgled.
"Herrrrrr?" Celestia repeated. "What are you saying?"
Draco patted her snout roughly and cooed. "Herrrr-ah!" he laughed. "Herrrr-aj!"
"Heraj?" Celestia questioned, tilting her head slightly. "What does that mean? Hmm?"
He only repeated the word, tapping her snout and grabbing it as usual. Celestia picked him up and held him above her, smiling as she watched him reach out to her.
He really must believe I'm his mother.
She had lived for thousands of years, and by her mother's flank did she have many relationships - with both gender's and several other species. But she never thought she'd actually become a mother. Mostly because she always casted an anti-pregnancy spell with the male ponies. Even so, seeing Draco reach out for her - starting to fuss because he couldn't reach her - brought forth an unfamiliar warmth in her chest.
She lowered him and planted a small kiss on his forehead, then let him lay down on her chest. He kept still for a change and repeated his earlier word as he pulled lightly on her coat. Another hour later, he was snoring softly, his fingers still holding her fur. She set him down beside her gently and covered him with her wing.
"Sweet dreams, my son."