When Rainbow Dash descended on the layered heights of the Royal Palace, she realized she had a plethora of places to land. So she didn't. Instead, she lowered herself until she was within spitting range of the polished exterior and she glided across the surface. Gazing left and right, she watched for movement, guards, or any hint of green light altogether. She thanked her lucky stars that there was little to no resistance whatsoever at this height. It occurred to her that the Val Roans simply didn't expect infiltration from the air. But, surely with Queen Chrysalis having infiltrated the interior ministry...
Rainbow shook her head. There was no point putting in too much thought. She had to concentrate on the task at hoof, even if she wasn't entirely sure where her hooves were going to be taking her.
By the third revolution she had made around the uppermost elliptical dome of the palace, she finally decided on the boldest entrance. She landed on the very platform where the Royal Monarchy likely made their public addresses. All four hooves touched down on the cold, polished marble. She trembled slightly, green-dyed tail twitching.
Eyes darted about. The balcony and its adjoining corridors were remarkably dark. A sheen of silver starlight glinted off the polished surfaces, but otherwise everything was dull and dim.
All the better. Rainbow snuck deeper and deeper into the heart of the Palace, darting behind one pillar after another. Despite Rainbow's anxious anticipation, she paced herself, taking her sweet time with each hallway and perpendicular corridor that presented itself.
She didn't hear the first hint of noise until she was about two hallways deep in the upper levels of the Palace. Holding her breath, Rainbow climbed up a pillar and clung to the portion of the ceiling where the column connected. From there she gazed silently and upside down at the source of the noise.
A pair of guards trotted by, their antlers a'glow with innate magic. They tilted their heads left and right in opposite directions, shining their swaths of light across tapestries, portraits, and suits of armor.
Rainbow's ruby eyes narrowed. Nevertheless, she clung to the roof like a fuzzy blue bat, shuffling sideways and around the column just seconds before the antler-light could illuminate her figure.
Once the reindeer had passed, Rainbow breathed easier. She touched down in a nimble crouch, cracked the joints in her neck, then crawled stealthily towards the opposite end of the hallway. There, she approached her first door. She tapped it once... twice... then pushed it gingerly. Peering through, she saw torchlight. Kerosene lamps dotted the interior, illuminating a long and dark corridor flanked by many doors. The air was considerably warmer, although stale. She figured that it led deeper into the heart of the palace.
Undaunted, Rainbow slithered on through and trotted lightly across the velvety carpet. Separated from the desert air, she could hear things with greater clarity. Off in the distance, the muffled voices of servants and guards echoed off the ivory palace walls. She took a moment or two to take a mental measure of the acoustics, and she realized that most of the voices were coming from downstairs, probably wafting up through broad stairwells. When Rainbow drew herself deeper into the palace, she realized her guess was accurate. Vertical chambers led to a large hallway down below. She could even see it from a few open balconies. Judging from the arrangement of tapestries and suits of armor, she guessed that the largest hallway was connecting the heart of the palace to an atrium... or perhaps a Royal Throneroom.
"Seen one kingdom, you've seen them all," she muttered to herself, then continued crawling.
As she came upon a bend in the upper hallways loftily flanking the large corridor, she heard a cluster of shuffling hooves... coming closer.
Gritting her teeth, she darted towards the darkest niche, located behind a pillar furthest from the nearby kerosene lamps. Hiding there, she pressed her back against a column and glanced stealthily around its curved edges as a trio of gabbing servants shuffled by.
"...so faithful to the Prince. You just know he made a promise to the King and Queen, God rest their souls."
"God rest their souls."
"If you ask me, he's the greatest thing that could have happened to the House of Evo. The Prince is wise beyond his years, but without Sharp Quill?"
"You've seen how he fosters the deer. He's like a second father."
"It's his duty."
"Still... doesn't stop it from being downright adorable."
"Heeheehee... if the Prince heard you say that--"
"Oh please. His Majesty isn't King for another three days at least. I can still dote on him."
"I bet if you were beheaded, there'd be a smile on your face."
"But still, where would we all be without Sharp Quill?"
"I don't think I'd notice a difference. The buck never needs his laundry taken care of."
"Such a fastidious elk. I guess it shows in everything he does and sets his mind to."
"Almost makes you wish he could be Steward of Val Roa a little while longer."
"Say nothing of the short! Prince Eine will make a wonderful king!"
"Yes, thanks to Sharp Quill... and his handsome eyes."
"Heeheehee..."
"Have you seen them? The richest purple! So exotic... so mysterious..."
"Oh please, now you're just sounding like a school girl."
"Well, these desert nights are cold..."
"Heehee..."
As they passed by, Rainbow Dash stuck her head out. She squinted across the way at the door where the servant ponies had briefly congregated last. With a smirk, she hoof-stepped across the way and tried pushing the doors open.
They refused to budge.
"Darn it," she murmured to herself. Tapping her chin, she gazed up at the tall, tall doors. To the side was a plaque. She tilted her head, reading it in the dim lantern light.
"Secretary Sharp Quill."
"Well, this is it," she muttered. "I can't very well kick the damn doors down."
Her tail flicked left and right.
Rainbow Dash trotted briskly down the hallway, trying every door she found. At last, a door opened. She carefully peered inside. A lavatory resided, its wash basins illuminated by starlight. A chilly open door loomed just a gallop away.
Rainbow glanced back into the hallway. She counted the number of doors between where she was and Sharp Quill's office. Once she had a mental number, she dashed into the lavatory and leapt out the window. On flapping wings, she traced the balconies back, counting her way back to Sharp Quill's office. Lo and behold, there loomed a spacious balcony in open view.
"Bingo..." Rainbow grinned, then touched down.