Gerald opened his mouth as if he was going to say something. But nothing came out. Luna was in love with him? Luna loved him?
"Y-y-you love me, your highness?" Gerald finally managed to babble something out.
"We... did not mean to say that aloud." Luna hung her head, ashamed of the emotions she had allowed herself to express.
"Your highness... I am glad you shared your feelings with me."
"We were afraid that you had begun to fear us like all the others."
Gerald shook his head. "I do not fear you, your highness, I respect you, but I do not fear you."
"That is nice to know." Luna managed a weak smile.
Gerald smiled back. "It is unfortunate that others fear you, your highness. They simply do not see the kindness that exists within you."
How could this being be evil? Celestia had said that Gerald may have malevolent goals, yet Luna could see no evidence of this. Gerald seemed to be a very kind, understanding human. Luna's mind trailed back to Celestia's warning: 'What lies in the core of somepony's soul can be hidden, for good or for bad.' Luna was ashamed to do this, but she felt that she must use the trust Gerald had placed in her to discover what was truly in the core of his soul.
"Gerald, there is something that I must ask you."
"Very well your highness." Gerald cringed, fearing she was about to ask if he loved her as well, which he did not.
"Gerald, you must tell me the truth, what was your goal in taking control of the Dark Army?"
Gerald was silent for a moment, he walked over to a map of Equestria that he had pinned to one of the desks in the study. "I was enamoured by the feeling of importance, of power. I never intended to really do anything with the army... I just enjoyed feeling important."
Luna felt sorry for Gerald. She knew that feeling, the desire to feel important, to be recognized, to be loved. "Gerald you do not require an army to be important or significant!"
"It seems as if I do! Your sister thought it acceptable that I simply stay in Ponyville for the next five years on a bloody farm!" Gerald pounded his fist upon the desk before him. "When I tried to help her, she treated me with suspicion! Do not think I am naive to the reason I was brought to this palace! Celestia wished to judge me, to see if I was fit to live among her peoples, or ponies, or whatever else she bloody well rules over!"
Luna recognized this jealousy and rage. This was what she felt like just before she had become Nightmare Moon. She felt as if Celestia outshone her, was suspicious of her whenever she tried to gain any type of importance. "Gerald... sometimes we must accept the fact that others are more significant than us."
"I do not desire to be more significant than anybod- anypony else. I just want to be able to do something that I am good at. Those things happen to involve military and political matters. If one of your subjects had a cutie mark that said that they should be, for example, the Imperator of this nation, would you deny them their destiny?"
"I would certainly not... nor would Celestia." Luna stood. "Gerald, I thank you for being honest with me. Also please do not mention my... admission to anypony else."
Gerald took a step toward Luna, who offered her hoof for him to shake. Gerald ignored her hoof and gave Luna a gentle hug.
"Thank you Gerald." Luna smiled, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
"Thank you, your highness."
Luna decided to face her sister immediately. Celestia was unfairly judging Gerald based on his interests and talents! Gerald certainly had overstepped his boundaries several times, but no more than Luna herself once had. The Dark Army in itself was not an evil thing... it was how and why that it had been created that was evil. Celestia failed to understand that the army would do nothing without a word of command from its master. So unless Gerald had ordered them to hurt somepony, they wouldn't have. Luna opened the door to Celestia's quarters.
Celestia's room was immaculate as usual, not even a candlestick was an inch out of place. Celestia sat in the centre of the room with light streaming in from the room's huge collection of beautiful windows. Luna had to shield her eyes from the brightness as she entered the room.
"Luna, I am glad you have come. There is something that you must see."
Luna saw that Celestia was using a large magnifying glass to look over the documents Gerald had given to them. "What do you suspect Gerald of now, sister?"
"I do not know." Celestia motioned toward the glass that she had been looking to. Within it was the words, carefully written in very small letters Ex Voluntate Imperatoris.
Luna closely examined the words. They seemed to be complete nonsense... except for one of them, Imperatoris, was quite close to the title that Gerald had requested bestowed upon himself.
"Ex Voluntate Imperatoris. Why would Gerald put this nonsense on a royal decree?" Luna looked to Celestia, expecting she had already come to some sort of conclusion.
"It seems that Gerald is speaking in another language. This phrase also appears, in the same manner, within his proposal to be the 'Imperator' of Equestria."
Luna straightened. "Let us go ask Gerald what this means."
Celestia nodded. "I agree, let us go."
The two Princesses walked quickly toward Gerald's quarters with the documents in hoof, startling some guards whom barely had time to snap to attention as their monarchs walked past. Celestia and Luna walked directly into Gerald's study, where Gerald was deeply immersed in a book.
Gerald stumbled up from his chair, startled by this sudden intrusion. "Your royal highnesses!" He offered a clumsy bow. "How may I assist?"
"Gerald, can you please tell us the meaning of 'Ex Voluntate Imperatoris?'" Celestia asked, placing the documents on the desk in front of Gerald.
"Ah, that means 'approved by the Imperator', your highness. Simply an act of formality." Gerald whisked his hand aside, as to demonstrate the triviality of the matter. "I am glad you have taken the time to read my proposals over so closely!"
Gerald smiled as he looked over the documents. "Ah, I also see that you have already signed my legal proposal! Splendid! I am honoured to have been of assistance to the great monarchs of Equestria." Gerald offered a more graceful bow.
"Thank you Gerald," The Princesses replied in unison. It was quite difficult to dislike Gerald, Celestia thought to herself. He was polite, kind, and had excellent diction. But something about this elegant human struck her as odd, although she could not quite determine what. Could it be that Luna was correct? Had she been judging Gerald too harshly?
"Forgive me for being so suspicious of you Gerald, I am only making certain my little ponies are safe."
"I would do the same in your position your highness."
"Very well. I must be returning to my duties Gerald, have a good day."
"You see my sister? Gerald is not at all as malevolent as you accuse him to be!" Luna exclaimed as soon as the two princesses had left Gerald's quarters.
Celestia sighed. "I know that Gerald seems to be a very kind and considerate human, yet I see something within him... he knows something more than us."
Luna stopped and turned to her sister. "What do you mean by that? If you do think you see something foul about Gerald please share it with me, otherwise I would appreciate if you would stop being so distrustful of him!"
"Luna, I know it is difficult to see any suspicion in the things Gerald has done, especially now that you care for him so."
Luna stamped her forehoof against the floor. "Sister, what makes you think I care for Gerald anymore than anypony in this kingdom?"
"Sister, it has not passed my notice that you have shown an interest in him. He has shown you a kindness that nopony else ever has..."
"I do NOT care for Gerald!"
"Luna, I just wanted to inform you that your feelings for Gerald are entirely acceptable. It is just that your judgement may now be biased."
Luna stepped toward her sister, her muzzle almost touching Celestia's. "If anypony is biased it is you Celestia! You have no reason to treat Gerald in this manner!"
Celestia closed her eyes, taking a moment to compose herself. "Luna, please understand, I would never do anything to harm Gerald. I will return him to Ponyville as soon as I know that I can trust him."
"What makes you think that Gerald cannot be trusted? Why not give him a chance to earn your trust?"
Celestia paused for a moment, thinking. "Luna... I may just do that. Let us give Gerald a chance to earn our trust."