Day court was about to open once again and for the first time, in days, Princess Luna felt a slight tiredness tugging at her focus. While she had spent the rest of the night resting, she had given in to her urge to reward her followers for their hard work.
Once Autumn and Diamond had entered the dreaming world, Luna had subtly influenced their dreams to be pleasant, and finally connected them, so the newly engaged couple could spend some time together in a world without consequence and border. When she had left them they had been dancing through a moonlit field of silver flowers, surrounded by beauty and protected from Nightmares.
Luna was no stranger to influencing her honour guards' dreams, of course. One of the benefits of becoming a personal protector of the Princess of the Night was the certainty that one’s sleep would be peaceful and that nightmares would be teachers, not stalkers.
Linking dreams between lovers, though, was a rare gift, one that the lunar princess reserved for special services and deeds.
True love was a powerful thing; such a bond shared in a land dictated by thoughts and emotions left deep impacts in the waking world.
But Luna was secure in her belief that this gift would only strengthen the bond between Autumn and Diamond and what better way to spend the first night of engagement?
Luna took a final sip from her mug of coffee ("Cutest Sister Imaginable!") and looked over to her secretary. “How tight is the schedule?” she asked curiously. Maybe today, she would get some governing done.
“Not too tight, princess,” Moneypenny answered happily. “After your dialogue with the nobles yesterday, several other ponies with… concerns, have canceled their appointment. Today we could even start a bit late, if you want to.”
“No, we shall give audiences to petitioners, just like yesterday. All of Equestria shall know that Princess Luna is on the job!” Luna declared. She felt a sliver of pride. Her action yesterday had both set an example and given her some room to maneuver. Maybe today would be a good day.
“As you wish, Your Highness!” Moneypenny answered with a nod.
Moments later, the guard, in charge of the door stomped his hoof twice. “Announcing!” he began loud and clearly “Miss Rarity! Fashionista from Ponyville and Element of Generosity!”
A smile crept onto Luna’s face. Rarity was the Element-bearer she had spent the least time with. During her visit to Ponyville, the fashion pony had spent her time perfecting her Nightmare Night costume - A task that had apparently spanned over several Nightmare Nights and had yet to be completed to this day. They had also missed each other during Rarity’s visits to Canterlot. Whatever the request, this would be a great opportunity to socialize with a close friend of Twilight Sparkle, and perhaps find out a bit more about the target of her sister’s love.
The doors opened and in came… The grim reaper?
Luna’s eyebrows rose slowly, as she beheld a pony covered with long, black robes and a hood deeply pulled into her face.
Quietly, the petitioner approached the princess.
“Miss Rarity,” Luna began carefully, “it is always a delight to meet one of the ponies responsible for my freedom. What brings you before the crown?”
“A terrible, terrible thing, Princess!” Rartiy answered grimly.
*Wonderful!* Luna thought. This was going to be another one of THOSE days.
“I, a horrible example of an equine, have come before you to confess!” Rarity continued.
“Confess?” the moon princess asked, bewildered.
“CON-FESS!” Rarity proclaimed, and tore her robes away. Beneath, she was wearing bright, orange, hoof-stitched and elegantly highlighted prison overalls and a chain… a silver chain with a disco ball on the end. “Before you stands a menace to society! A horrible, disgusting and abominable pony! And for my deviancy and gross misdeeds, I deserve nothing less than dungeon! I shall be locked away with other despicable, uncouth deviants and creatures more beast than mare. Ponies who will humiliate and use me…”
Luna was about to ask Moneypenny if Rarity's drama had any hoofing in reality, but she was not given a chance.
“But even dungeons are not enough for a being as terrible as me! You should banish me from Equestria! Far away into the depths of the jungles, the heat of the badlands or the depths of the diamond dog mines! Where savage monsters and beasts will hunt me, feast on me and use me…”
Luna’s urge to interrupt became even more extreme, but one more time, Rarity continued.
“But even this fate is not terrible enough for me! You should do the worst thing imaginable in Equestrian law! I deserve to be turned into a statue, as an example of my wickedness or sent the moon, where my visage will warn others of my horrible transgressions! That fate-“
“I assure you that neither the other statues in our garden nor the moon rocks have any interest in using you, Miss Rarity.” Luna finally interrupted before Rarity could continue her pattern or demand to be executed. The moon princess gave Rarity a bemused look. “I am glad that you apparently saw the error of your ways and are willing to make up for them. As a former fallen Element bearer myself, I am well aware of the temptations of darkness. Please, confess your crimes now and I shall see how much mercy there is to spare.”
Rarity raised the back of her hoof to her forehead. “Do not waste your mercy on me, Princess. My crimes are too sick, too twisted!” she looked away “For I am guilty of…” she took a deep breath “Pedofoalia!”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop about seventy degrees.
“Pedo-what?” Luna proclaimed loudly.
Moneypenny moved closer and whispered in her ear.
“What? It’s called Pollophilia! Pollo means foal and Philia means attraction!” the moon princess interrupted at some point. Finally she shook her head. “Weird phonetic changes…” she muttered loudly. "Anyways, Miss Rarity, this is a severe crime!” The dark princess sighed bitterly, “before you are arrested, please, name the foal you shared intimacy with, so my guards can find the poor soul and attempt to help them.”
“Erm…” Rarity admitted “We have not really shared intimacy yet, Princess. We just had two dates and I kissed the little darling a few times on the cheek.” Suddenly she shook her head dramatically, “But alas, the flame of love has been set ablaze in my heart. And as such a deviant abomination, I deserve to be treated like the dirt that I am! I beg you, Princess, set upon me with the full power of the law!”
Luna was about to explain that so far, Rarity had not really committed any crimes and should rather seek help than punishment. But her mind had already put two and two together.
“You are talking about Spike?” she asked with a sigh.
“Indeed!” Rarity wailed “The poor little angel thinks he has finally caught my heart! But he has quested for the heart of a monster, not a mare! Please, Princess! Arrest me, before-“
“Miss Rarity!” Luna interrupted loudly “Would you answer me a few questions?”
The shackled pony looked up in surprise. “Oh? Of course, princess!”
“What is the age of consent in Equestria?” She asked carefully.
“Erm… I think 16 or so…” Rarity admitted.
“It’s 14 between minors, 16 with the consent of the parents and 18 without restrictions. And I think you to be an adult, though, according to Twilight Sparkle, you make sure your exact age is a mystery to ponies and dragons alike.” Luna explained dryly. “This leads me to my next question: How old is Twilight Sparkle?”
“Oh, she turned 23 not too long ago!” Rarity answered quickly.
“Very well, now tell me at what age foals may apply for the School for Gifted Unicorns.” Luna closed.
“Oh! I recently saw a flyer my parents had for Sweetie Belle! Foals may apply once they reach the age of six,” the prisoner-in-waiting answered.
“Very well!” Luna nodded “Now let us finish with a math question! If Spike was born on the day, Twilight Sparkle applied for the school for gifted unicorns, then how old is he?”
For a moment, one could almost see the gears spin in Rarity’s head. Suddenly her eyes went wide, her pupils went small and her mouth hung agape. “He…he…he is…” she stammered helplessly.
“17 years old!” Luna finished firmly “While he may be a baby dragon, he is a teenager in pony age and experience. And from what Celestia and I have seen of him, his mental age is around that.”
“But… I saw teenaged dragons!” Rarity stressed “They were bigger and stronger than him.
“Dragons count their adolescence in decades, just as they are considered infants until they reach a hundred years,” the moon princess explained calmly. “For all intents and purposes, the law treats Spike like a 17 year old pony.”
“And… and Twilight agreed!” Rarity almost screamed, her voice becoming raspy “We can be together!”
Luna’s demeanor changed in an instant, becoming grim and almost sinister. “Guards!” she ordered firmly “Leave us be and close the doors! Nopony may enter! You leave as well, Miss Moneypenny!”
Worry invaded the fashionista’s features as the orders were followed quietly by all ponies. Within moments, she was alone with the princess and the doors were sealed. A small knot formed in her throat. Had Luna’s hair just turned darker and stormier?
“You were wrong in one regard, Miss Rarity!” the moon princess said coldly, and stepped down from her throne. “It is not up to Twilight Sparkle to give her consent; it is up to Spike’s mother, my dear sister, Princess Celestia. And while I am sure that Celestia, knowing you quite well, will make a good judgment, there is one more party in the equation that has to be… satisfied.”
Luna came closer and Rarity felt herself shrink with every step. Were the princess’s eyes glowing? And why was the room getting darker by the second?
“For you see, I am not just the Princess of the Night, the Ferrymare of the Sleeping Lands and the former Nightmare Moon. There is one more title that should send even more terror into your heart than all of them combined: For right now, I am Auntie Luna!” Thunder clapped and shadows reigned the courtroom “And what makes you think you can just start dating my nephew without asking me?”
If smiles had to be forced with violence, Rarity was currently using a bazooka to keep hers in her face. “Er… you see… erm…,” she stammered weakly. She had expected banishment, imprisonment… manageable things. Not having to face her soon-to-be-drakefriend*s close family.
“Let me make this clear, Miss Rarity.” Luna began firmly “I love Spike. Ever since Celestia, Spike and I spent some time together, I felt like part of a family again. His kindness, honesty-“
“Slightly cheeky but always well-meaning and deeply selfless way.” Rarity interrupted softly.
For a second, Luna’s expression softened. But she regained her momentum quickly. “Apparently we talk about the same dragon.” The taller mare stated, looking down at the smaller pony. “Now, Miss Rarity, I want to make this clear: I am not a crazy monster anymore. I will not forbid Spike from having a relationship and I will certainly not forbid him from making mistakes! Should your relationship end in tears, I would share his sadness and yours, but you would have nothing to fear from me. Life is discovery and sometimes, discovery hurts. But should I find out that you abuse him, use his status as Celestia’s adopted son for your gain or make him suffer in any way that is unhealthy for him, I will visit your dreams… night after night after night… until you will have suffered just as much as you made him suffer!”
Rarity was still smiling. In the same way a skull was frozen in an unending smile. Her teeth would have clattered, if she wasn’t too scared to move in her own world of pure terror. She didn’t even feel the need to question if Luna could or would visit her nightmares; at this point, Luna would already be taking a starring role in those nightmares, whether or not the real Luna did anything further to influence them.
“Believe it or not, there is a reason for my harshness.” Luna continued, slightly less threatening. “This will give you a little insight into the depth of his affection, as well as why I deem him so worthy of protection. Recently, I became aware of a strange dream in the sleeping world. It was a world made completely out of sweets, ice cream and waffles. And somewhere in the middle, a certain little dragon was building a house of ice cream and sweets. Chocolate roofs, gingerbread doors, a delicious path of almond halves. It was a delight to see him work so hard to create his own little house.”
Inside, Rarity had to admit, that was both adorable and delectable. She may have been a lady, but that did not mean that she was resistant to the allure of sweets, especially if they were combined with such a spark of creativity.
“But this was not the end of the dream Miss Rarity, for as soon as it stood in all its succulent glory, Spike instantly left to fetch a very certain pony to share the house with. Because even in the depths of his dreams, there is one thing that makes him happier than living in a house of sweet wonders: Sharing his happiness with you.”
Rarity felt her eyes burn all of a sudden. Her little Spikey Wikey…
Suddenly Luna’s demeanor became soft. “Please, Rarity…” she said gently “I am a being of Nightmares no longer. If you love him, be happy with him, and if that love fades, let each other go… that is all right. But be honest with yourself and with him. Understood?”
Rarity simply nodded.
“I have spoken my part. Now please get out of this silly prison garb and be on your way.”
The alabaster mare nodded quickly. “Yes, Princess!” she said quickly and with a flicker of magic, her clothes were in her saddlebags.
She was about to kneel, when Luna raised a hoof. “No kneeling before potential family members, Rarity. And please call me Luna from now on. I hope we can get to know each other in the future.”
Rarity simply nodded and turned to go—a bit faster than average, still bearing a forced smile and a slight shiver. Nightmare Moon had been a lot less frightening than Auntie Luna.
Once the mare had left, Luna let out a deep sigh. “That was WAY too much!” she groaned with annoyance. Nightmare Moon had been less scary than that! Apparently her tiredness made her grumpy. Especially when her beloved family was included. And Celestia had mentioned how Rarity had once pursued Blueblood, so the poor mare probably had gotten some of the ire she felt for the foolish prince.
“I better get back to work…” she mused and returned to her throne. On the way, she came across the schedule Moneypenny had made. Apparently she had been a bit conservative with the idea of starting a bit later. There was literally no petitioner until the first break.
The moon princess sighed. “I might as well use the time…” she pondered and nodded. “I haven’t held a wedding in centuries… maybe I should rehearse a little.” A flicker of her horn darkened the room once again. One by one, Luna created three dimensional shadows and set them up in the throne room.
Soon a sizable wedding procedure filled the room.
“Hmm… one half guards and the other one followers…” Luna decided and the shadows "grew" robes and armors. She didn't know how much family would be at the wedding after all. “It will make things more natural for the beginning. Oh! And I better suit up!” An armour of shadows manifested around the alicorn, replacing crown and regalia. “Later, I have to see if my old armor still fits me.” The moon princess paused for a moment. “Well… only if powdering me with the rust counts as fitting. Now, where was I? Oh right!
BELOVED SUBJECTS!”
-
Meanwhile, elsewhere else in the castle, an intruder made her penultimate move. She had infiltrated the defenses, albeit not without difficulty. The turmoil of the last few years had reminded the guards that the price of peace was eternal vigilance.
Still, they were guards and a mistress of this craft could even avoid Equestria’s second finest. Slowly, she made her way through the castle, using the ventilation system, chimney shafts, the high rooms or tapestries as cover, should a guard walk by.
She knew in which room her mark was supposed to lounge, and to his misfortune, it had an open chimney. And from the lack of smoke and heat, the inhabitants had not been using it. Carefully, the infiltrator left the tight space of the fireplace and looked around in the dark room. She had left a rope hanging from the top for easier extraction.
She had to kidnap and question the male inhabitant. The procedure would be plain and simple. Sedate them, tie him up, tie him to the rope, pull him up the chimney and interrogate him on the roof. Then she would just leave him there and make her getaway via kite-suit and in a few hours, she would be able to enjoy the rest of the day as a simple tourist to Canterlot.
First things first. Snapping a small, chemical light, she pushed away the darkness, allowing her some visual inspection of the room. Wow, there was a lot of weird crap lying around.
Slowly and silently, she made her way through the surprisingly crammed room. Strange, but none of her concern. Though it would be tough to carry her mark through the mess.
Using her special, flat breathing technique, she crept up on the bed.
In the darkness, she could see the forms of two ponies.
Carefully, the infiltrator took a quick assessment. Her mark was right in front of her. Carefully, she searched for the prepared rag with knock out potion and slowly placed it on the victim’s nose and mouth.
This stuff was strong enough to make a manticore woozy.
So why did the guy's eyelids shoot up when she removed it?
Too late to react, the pony let out a scared yell.
The other form in the bed moved; suddenly, two slitted yellow eyes pierced the darkness, and fangs glistened in the light of the glow stick.
Why was there a dragon in the bed?
-
Luna was ecstatic! The moon princess was almost dancing through the halls, making a few guards and maids turn their heads in surprise. Princess Luna was not known for expressing her joy so openly. But what was there else to do? During her little rehearsal, Twilight and Celestia had visited her and basically told her that her plan had worked for the most part!
And while Twilight had proven to live up to her status and seen through a few flaws in her plan, her part as Cupid was done! Now she just had to keep the pair safe and sound over the duration of the holiday, and she could wake up every day with the knowledge that she had helped the two ponies who had done more for her than anyone else to be truly happy!
She had worried that this would be one of those days, but in retrospect: it had begun with her followers proposing marriage, her nephew’s crush admitting her feelings for him and now, her sister opening her heart to a pony she loved. This was a day of love!
Finally, the alicorn arrived in front of the guest room, where her followers were resting. She had planned to give them some more time, but right now, she wanted to share her happiness with someone! With a flicker of magic, she knocked on the door.
And was answered with a muffled “HEEEEELP!”
Luna’s eyes grew wider. Her magic grabbed the whole door, but it didn’t budge. Locked, of course.
But a scream for help was more important than the effort of calling a carpenter. Luna pulled her head back and the door tore out of it's hinges.
Inside, she beheld a horrible view:
Autumn was prone on the floor, his legs entangled in some sort of cable. The stallion was desperately trying to loosen the bonds.
A masked stranger, clad in a dark bodysuit was standing on the bed, a short blade in her mouth.
The picture would have been grim, had it not been for Diamond Shadow, standing broad legged over her fallen fiancé. She had apparently been caught without her armour and held only her helmet in her hoof, deflecting blow after blow from the attacker.
“WHAT IS GOING ON?” Boomed the royal Canterlot voice through the room.
The stranger looked up for a heartbeat.
Diamond Shadow did not.
A heavy backhoof with the helmet tore the blade from the stranger’s mouth and popped an inflatable diamond somewhere. A loud metallic clang sounded through the room, Diamond Shadow’s helmet added “dented” to its attributes and the attacker collapsed on the spot. One could almost see the stars circling the fallen being’s head.
Luna didn’t waste a second, engulfing the fallen perpetrator in a firm magical grip, pushing her to the ground, while entering the room and opening the window shutters with her magic. Behind her, she wedged the door unceremoniously back into its frame.
While Diamond Shadow freed Autumn from what appeared to be a bola, the moon princess took a good look at the stranger.
The infiltrator was equine in form and size, with dark tight-fitting clothes, a face-covering mask and a belt with several pouches. Her tail and mane were cropped and bound, so they wouldn't get in the way. Fixated to her belt was a scabbard for the short blade she had used. Luna focused her magic a little and pulled off the stranger's mask, revealing light brown fur, a broad snout, and a sandy blonde mane.
“A Mule-Ninja.” Diamond Shadow said after freeing her fiancé’s bindings and having a look at the infiltrator. “Masters of stealth and infiltration. Mercenaries. We only allow them in Equestria because sometimes even the crown has a mission for them and they usually adhere to the law. Apparently, somepony had a lot of spare bits to afford one.”
Luna nodded. “Indeed…” she said calmly “But why would anyone go after you two?” she wondered. “And this was certainly not a mistake. There aren't any obvious high-profile targets in the castle for her to be going after.”
“I did make a few enemies in my time…” Diamond admitted grimly “But nopony with the resources or the prestige to afford one of them.”
“They still only work for honorable employers?” Luna both asked rhetorically.
Autumn scratched his head. This was a bit too much action for him. “I need a drink…” the stallion muttered and grabbed a bottle of cider from his suitcase.
At this moment, the ninja stirred. Her head felt four sizes too big, her teeth hurt terribly and it was much too bright. What were the last things that happened? She had jumped backwards after the stallion had screamed and pulled her sword and bolas. She had hit him with the latter, as he tried to run and then the other one… Slowly she opened her eyes.
And instantly missed the gentle nothing of unconsciousness.
Three beings were standing above her:
One was a weird, thin stallion with a disgusting thing growing out of his neck. In the light, he looked a bit like one of those movie vampires, with his dark mane. His eyes were shining red and full of determination, while he held a bottle full of a vile smelling liquid that sent tears to the ninja’s eyes.
The other one was some horrible hybrid between a dragon and a pony. The ninja had seen the reptilian eyes and the glistening fangs in the dark, but the light revealed more horrors: Her wings were leathery, tipped with small claws. One half of her face almost appeared to be missing and had been replaced with disgusting, pink scar tissue and patchy dark blue fur.
Between them stood one big alicorn with a starry mane and tail and tiara on her head. The princess of the night herself. And she was clearly not amused!
“What is the meaning of this?” Luna demanded.
-I am not talking!- the Ninja answered in her native tongue –And you would not understand me, if I did!-
-We do!- Luna answered in the same language.
-And you will!- Diamond Shadow added threateningly.
-Tofu with bamboo and mushroom, menu 4, and spicy!- Autumn offered.
“Darling, we are trying to be threatening here…” Diamond sighed.
“Sorry, I just wanted to belong.” Autumn admitted.
“Focus, followers!” Luna demanded “This criminal has broken into the castle and attacked a guard and a guest of the crown. Call a maid and have the rack oiled and prepared.”
“What?” the ninja screamed. This was NOT part of her contract. “You can’t put me on the rack!”
“And take the word of a serf untortured?” Luna gasped in shock. Suddenly a smile crept onto her lips. “Especially from one who lies about her language skills?”
“Darn…” the mule whispered.
“Wait, princess!” Diamond Shadow raised her hoof. “We cannot torture her! But an attack on the crown is a matter of national security! That gives us infinite time to detain and question her. Too bad I am entangled and can't do the interrogating myself. But my fellow guards will get results.”
“No! We don't have time for that!” Autumn interfered “Just give me half an hour and I can mix up a dose of Firemane’s Revealer. That stuff melts anyone’s will in seconds and she will happily tell us anything we want to know. And with Equestrian medicine being what it is, she may even be able to formulate a coherent sentences and walk in a few years, should the side effects set in.”
“WHAT THE HAY IS WRONG WITH YOU PONIES?” the ninja suddenly yelled “This is Equestria! A nation of harmony and kindness, ruled by two caring sisters! You don’t do stuff like that!”
“I am the sister who tried to kill the other and turn this into a nation of darkness.”
“I formed a cult who worshipped her and prepared for said nation of darkness.”
“And I infiltrated said cult and lived as one ofthem for years, all while reporting to their worst enemies.”
The mule mare looked at her captors. Those ponies were crazy! This was so not worth it! “Ok!” she quickly said “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Some noble contacted us and asked for a simple information extraction. I was tasked to capture and interrogate this guy. "She nodded towards Autumn "Then report to the noble.”
“What information are we talking about?” Luna demanded to know.
“It was pretty strange.” The ninja admitted “He wanted to know what Princess Luna is truly planning and where Princess Celestia is currently located.”
The moon princess’s features darkened even more. “Blueblood!” she growled “You truly are the heir of Princess Platinum!”
“I don’t know the noble’s name!” the mule defended desperately “Please don’t do the stuff you mentioned.”
Luna let out a laugh. “Ha, this castle doesn't even have a rack! Even a thousand years ago, we were against torture!”
Diamond Shadow grinned impishly “Oh, come on. Autumn holds no official title, so this was attempted kidnapping and assault."
“Firemane’s Revealer is a contrast mixture for CT scans!” Autum finished with a grin. “If I mix truth potions, they don’t have side effects!”
The ninja looked at her three capturers. “You ponies suck!” she grumbled. “So, I guess its prison for me…”
“Actually, we have a use for you…” Luna mused “We shall pardon your transgressions in exchange for a simple service.”
“What?”
“You will finish your mission.” Luna answered smugly “You will listen what we have to say and report accordingly. You will tell your employer that our plans include several small reforms, a commendation for the volunteers of the bazaar two nights ago and a grand ball at the end of the week, to celebrate my sister’s return to office. Princess Celestia is in the castle, currently spending time with her personal student. They are testing several new, high-level spells and therefore spend much time away from the public eye.”
The ninja raised her eyebrows. “That is all?”
“You work for an idiot.” Luna shrugged. “If he wants to spend thousands of bits, just to be told the bloody obvious, so be it. But do not bother my subjects like this again, for next time, you shall find no more mercy here!”
The magical aura around the prisoner faded and she slowly got up. “Can I just ask one question?” she asked meekly.
“What?”
“Why didn’t the knock out drug work on him?” she asked carefully.
“Beats me…” Autumn shrugged and took a swing of his cider. A half-putrid half-medical stench filled the air.
“Autumn comes from a long line of Alchemists,” Luna answered flatly. “They spend so much time dealing with and consuming highly reactive chemicals and poisons, their bodies have to be buried in iron coffins, because if they get cremated, the crematorium might explode in a multicolored bang.”
The mule nodded and knelt down. “Thank you for your mercy, Princess!”
Then she turned and began ascending the chimney.
Autumn looked after her. “She could have used the door…”
Luna sighed and looked at her followers. “Are you both well?” she asked concerned.
“She was good…” Diamond Shadow answered coldly “But I had better. They are infiltrators and spies, not fighters.”
“I am fine, princess.” Autumn answered with a nod. “Just a bit shaky.”
The moon princess nodded and let out a sigh. “I have underestimated Blueblood's foolishness. Even if she delivers her message, he will probably not believe it. It seems like we have a new enemy…” She paused for a moment, looking over her followers. “Blueblood is the worst kind of fool: A fool with money and respect. You saw how far this idiocy of his goes. Autumn, Diamond, I cannot guarantee your safety anymore. If you decide to-“
“We will not abandon you, Princess!” Autumn interrupted firmly “Excuse my hubris, but you will need all the help you can get against Blueblood, his money and his noble fools.”
“Count me in as well, Princess.” Diamond Shadow added calmly “I owe you too much and won’t be able to talk Autumn out of it. If I help you, I can at least make sure he is safe.”
Luna felt a swell of pride in her chest. “Thank you,” she said gladly. “Now rest. I will brief you on the changes and updates in the afternoon. I have to get back to court and your rest has been interrupted most rudely. Blueblood will not make his move until he receives his report. And whatever his move will be, we will be prepared!”
The two followers nodded and knelt down. Luna nodded back at them and left the room.
Then she returned. "And feel free to ask for another guest room until the door is fixed."
After the princess had left, Diamond Shadow suddenly embraced Autumn tightly.
The stallion let himself down on his haunch and softly stroked his fiancé’s hair. “It’s ok, love…” he whispered softly. “I’m fine… you saved me. You always do.”
“Autumn…” the mare whispered after a short while. “Next time somepony attacks you, I want you to do something!”
“Yes?”
“You get down on your knees, surrender and beg for mercy!” Diamond Shadow demanded. “Because I will always come to rescue you! Just stay safe and wait, ok?”
“There goes my dignity…”
“Screw your dignity! You sleep with a plush mushroom! I don’t need you to have dignity! I need you! And I refuse to lose you!”
Autumn let out a small sigh and gave his fiancée a soft kiss. “As you wish, my love.”