Preparations
Luna woke at the sound of her alarm clock, it was only late afternoon, which for Luna was rather early. Usually she wasn't up before dinner, but today was special, today she had a guest, and she had to prepare. So she quickly jumped out of bed landing on all four hoofs.
Prepare?... I struck her like lightning, Luna hadn't had a guest in a thousand years, and she hadn't had a friend in, well.... forever. So she had no idea as to what they should do, what sort of activities did you engage in with your friends? (well Luna hoped she could call Sweetie Belle her friend.)
“What am I to do? You can't just invite guest, and have noting planed.... Can you?” Luna´s face turned thoughtful, as she considered how to solve the issue, and went trough what she had planed already. “Well, there is a tour around the castle, but that will only take an hour or so.” The princess´ expression brightened a little at her next thought. “I shall seek the counsel of those, more experienced in the matter. I am certain that a simple servant, can provide the answers I seek.” The night alicorn´s horn was enveloped in a pale blue light, as she cast a simple spell.
The castle was fitted with a calling system. The princess only needed to cast a simple spell, to activate an enchanted bell in the servants quarters. The ringing of the bell would the call a servant to her cambers. It was simple yet clever system, that had been used for centuries, despite being old, it had always worked, so nopony had seen fit to change it.
A few minutes later, there was somepony knocking on the door from the other side, followed by a voice saying, “your majesty called.”
“Yes, please come inside” Luna answered.
The door opened, and in stepped a brown earth pony mare with a long blonde mane. She bowed deeply, after standing up again, she asked. “ How may I be of service?”
Luna nodded in response to acknowledge the waiter´s bowing. Luna sat down and gave the waitress a genuine smile. This made the tense earth pony loosen up a little. The night princess signalled for the other mare to sit down, facing her. When the brown pony had made herself comfortable on the floor, Luna spoke.
“This may sound strange, but I need your advise on an urgent matter.” The waitress looked surprised at this, never before had she been asked to provide advise to a princess. Luna could see the confused look on the other pony´s face, and hastily continued. “You see. I am having a friend visit me, this weekend. And to be honest, I have not had a personal visit in a thousand years.” Luna took a long breath, before she went on. “So I was hoping you could tell what sort of activities one engages in, with ones friends, in this day and age.” The servants face turned from surprise to thoughtfulness. After thinking for a while, the waitress spoke.
“Princess, if you don´t mind me asking. Can you tell me more of this guest you are having?”
Luna smiled and answered. “No I don´t mind at all. She is a little filly, approximately twelve years of age. I have promised her a tour of the castle, but that will not take more than an hour or so.”
The brown mare was a little surprised at this piece of information, but then she smiled and answered calmly. “Then she the same age as my daughter.” The brow mare seamed generally happy at the thought of her beloved little daughter. “Well you could always start out with a cup of tea, and some pastries, that what I do.” The earth pony paused and thought for a moment. “Little fillies that age, usually like to play different games, like catch or hide and seek. When it is cold or raining outside, they play games or tell stories.... Your majesty must have more than a few stories to tell, from old times.” She said with a smile.
Luna had been sitting still, and listening the entire time. As the earth pony was done talking she just nodded and said. “Thank you for your advise, you have been very helpful.”
The brown mare bowed and said, “a pleasure.” She then turned around and went for the door, but stopped when the lunar princess spoke again.
“Would you see to it that I have a royal guest bed, and tea for two sent to my chambers?”
“Of course your majesty, at once.” The servant said. She bowed again, before leaving.
Luna caught herself smiling after the servant had left. It had actually been nice talking to somepony, Usually Luna just treated servants for what they were... Servants, there to serve, not to make chitchat. Luna didn't even bother to learn their names. But she liked this one, and made mental note to learn the mare´s name.
So the royal preparations ended up being. Setting up tea and cake, and moving in an extra bed. A royal guest bed, was more fancy and luxurious than what most ponies, slept in on a daily basis. Dune and pillow were made of the finest silk, and adorned with little moons and stars, matching Luna´s own bedding.
Luna took a shower, and then lay down on her bed with a good book, not one of those cheesy romance novels her sister so enjoyed; Luna preferred more action packed tales, were at least a few dozen got either, shoot, crushed or blow up once or twice.
The two sisters were as different from each other, as night and day. They always had been. The younger one had always had more direct, hoofs on approach. Whereas the elder one, would aim for a more diplomatic solution. In Luna´s opinion, Celestia was too soft, she loved ‘her little ponies’ too much. Celestia´s entire rule was build on her subjects love for her. A princessdom build on love, is a fragile thing, it only works as long as everypony is satisfied. This everlasting quest to please all the ponies, made the sun princess a weak, and hence unfit leader.
Love is but a waste of time, all you need is a well written law, that separates right from wrong. And then for the ponies, to fear the consequences of breaking said law. If they fear the law, they fear the one who upholds it.
And, as a wise pony once said. “It is far safer to be feared, than to be loved.”
Sweetie Belle had just finished packing, when knocking could be heard at the door at the Carousel Boutique.
The dressmaker who had returned to her current project, went to open the door. Outside stood a huge grey stallion, clad in a light-purple amour; with his bat-like wings folded in along his sides, he looked at her with his yellow draconian eyes. He spoke, his voice deep, jet soft, “we are here to escort a miss Sweetie Belle, for a private visit to her majesty, princess Luna of Equestria.
Rarity had to look up to make eye contact with the giant, standing in her door, he was a full head taller than the fashion designer. “Just a moment, and I will get her for you,” Rarity said.
In her room upstairs, the filly could hear her sister calling from downstairs. “Sweetie Belle! your ride is here!” She gapped her saddlebags with her teeth, and tossed over her back. She had packed light, actually she had only brought the basic toiletries, like toothbrush, toothpaste, a wash cloth and a hairbrush. The whole thing was stuffed in one side, so she would have space for her dress in the other.
“Coming!” The young unicorn yelled in response, as she made a mental checklist, to make sure she had remembered everything. After confirming that everything was in order, Sweetie Belle trotted downstairs. She met her sister, who held her new dress with her magic. The dress was folded neatly, and carefully packed in a plastic bag, as to not damage the delicate design, during transport.
Rarity put the dress in the filly´s saddlebags, and hugged her goodbye, once again Sweetie Belle was reminded, to behave her best.
After the hug and the words of wisdom from her older sister, Sweetie Belle went for the door, to catch her ride to Canterlot. Sweetie Belle stared wide eyed at the guard stallion, as she exited the building. She had never seen a pony this large – except from the princesses of course, - and the yellow dragon-like eyes made him sort of intimidating.
Despite his scary appearance, Sweetie greeted him with a smile, and said “Hello my name is Sweetie Belle, what's your name?” A smile inched itself across the guards usually expressionless face, as he introduced himself in his deep but kind voice. “My name is Strong Wing of her majesty, princess Luna´s royal guard.”
“Nice to meet you.” answered the little white unicorn.
“Shall we be off?” Asked Strong Wing, to which Sweetie Belle nodded, and bounced past him, and jumped into the royal chariot.
Strong Wing hinged himself up next to his slightly smaller colleague, and the chariot took off in the direction of the nations capital, and residence of the two royal sisters.
As the two royal guards, flapped their bat-like wings. Sweetie Belle waved goodbye to Rarity, as Ponyville, was becoming smaller and smaller behind her. In the distance she could see the mighty towers of Canterlot rising. The great white city was a stunning sight, as it was bathed in the low afternoon sun.
Author´s note:
This chapter got a little short, but I just felt like posting something, and I figured this would be a good place for the next chapter to start.