Celestia walked into her room with a sigh, glad that the day was finally over, because she could finally relax and allow her sister to take over. There hadn’t been many problems as of late, and the only real thing to note was the fact that one of her Royal Guards had gone missing. Well, not really missing, as they knew where he had gone to. More accurately, he had left a note saying he was leaving for another country, as some problems had popped up in his life, and had stated that he was resigning in the letter. Highly unusual, yes, but the Princess had seen it happen before and just shrugged it off.
Other than that, the only other things to note were that the diplomatic negotiations with Gryphus, a country ruled by the Gryphon, had gone south. They claimed that Equestria was placing unfair taxes on the goods they transported here. Celestia, on the other hoof, knew that was a load of horseapples. They just wanted to get more money out of her little ponies. She hated diplomatic work and was glad to hand the awful task of negotiation over to her sister for the night, and just leave it at that.
After spending a few seconds relaxing, she happened to notice a note sitting on the table next to her bed. She wasn’t expecting a letter from Twilight. Even if she was, it would have appeared in a puff of green smoke right in front of her. Curious, she walked over to the table to examine it further. It only took her about two seconds of scanning to realize that it was a love letter. True, she was sent a couple of love letters every now and then by stallions, and even once or twice by mares, but they always arrived along with the rest of the mail. How did this get here without anyone informing her? Deciding that the most likely way to find out was to read it in depth, she proceeded to read the letter thoroughly.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Princess, there is something I have been meaning to say to you for a long time, and since I can’t seem to work up the courage to say it in pony, then I have decided that I shall do so in letter. I know this is probably wrong and outright crazy to say, but I love you. Now, I know you probably think I am crazy, that I have problems, or maybe you even outright despise me for writing this, but please know that I am being perfectly honest with you, so allow me to explain myself.
Now, you have probably never even noticed me, as I have never been of great importance, but I have noticed you moving around the castle grounds. To me it seems that you move with a certain grace that defines you in every sense. Your casual trot radiates a sense of power, while your head, held so high, lets those around you know that you are capable of using it to your full advantage. Yet, despite your obvious power, your eyes seem to convey a feeling of compassion and understanding born of many years helping others. Your smile is a thing of beauty, born of genuine joy and love for those around you.
I love the fact that even though you have a nation to rule, you always make time for your individual subjects. You never fail to help them with said problems, and even when you yourself can’t you point them in the right direction for solving the problem themselves. The very idea that you are willing to just spend time helping the common ponies is a testament to your glory. What other leader would make such sacrifices? You can’t, and that just makes my love for you grow stronger.
Is it wrong for me to feel this way? Probably, but that doesn’t make them any less true. Princess, you have inspired me to try and show the same qualities you display to others. I have attempted to be kind and help others, even when it was an inconvenience to me. I have made amends with those for whom I would usually hold grudges against. And best of all, I have become an all-around gentler and more sensitive pony. My love for you, even if you never found out, was the best thing that could ever happen to me. You have made me into a better pony and what more could I ask of you than that?
Recently, you have inspired me to take on my biggest challenge yet. I fell out with my family quite a few years ago, because they never wanted me to move to Equestria and find a job. In the end, we had a huge fight and I stormed off saying I hated them and never wanted to see them again. I greatly regret never making amends for what I said and I wish to right that wrong.
I am fairly confident my feelings are unwanted, so I have decided to hit two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. I am going to leave Equestria and speak once again with my family. Maybe I will be able to come back some day, but I doubt it. Since I am leaving Equestria anyway, I decided the least I could do is at least admit my feelings for you and what they have accomplished in my life. I feel like you deserve to know. I will end this letter on that note, knowing that you will probably never hear from me again, which is probably for the best. I slipped this letter into your room right before leaving behind a note of my resignation from the Royal Guard. I hope you won’t mind. And, if you could, thank Luna for me.
A Lonely Guard
Celestia reread the letter a few times, before finally setting it down. She didn’t know what to make of what she had just read, but she could say that she had learned something, which was a rarity for her. Slowly, she walked out of the room, taking the letter with her. Soon, she was walking along the halls of the palace, heading for the Great Hall, where she and Luna conducted business. When she arrived, she found Luna waiting for her, with an expectant look on her face.
“So, you found the letter?” She asked innocently.
“I-yeah, I did. How did you know? And why does it ask me to thank you?”
Luna chuckled, a merry sound filled with the joy of night. “Because he wouldn’t have gotten it into your room without my help. I found the poor guard trying unsuccessfully to get past the enchantment that blocks your room. He nearly had a heart attack when I found him, though he immediately explained himself. I was glad to help, after reading it myself.” She laughed yet again.
“So you knew about this?” Celestia asked, still trying to process that her personal privacy had been so easily invaded, and also the letter itself.
“Yes, I did. I thought you could learn a thing or two from it.”
“Well, you were right, I did learn a something.”
“Don’t keep it to yourself, enlighten me.”
“Now, I realize that I will never truly understand love, and you know what? I’m perfectly fine with that, as long as good things keep happening because of it.” She said with a smile.