Silver rose the next morning to the feeling of warmth and pressure. He was under something larger than himself, and it was breathing. He quickly determined that he was being lightly pressed into the bed by a slumbering Celestia. "Huh... I just thought of something."
Celestia cracked open an eye. "What would that be?" She sat up onto her haunches, letting Silver get himself up.
"While you're here, are you handling the sun still, or is that Luna's job for now?" Silver reached out a hoof, fussing with Celestia's bed mane without much thought in the motion.
Celestia smiled. "A good question, but a complicated one. My sense of time is diluted as we get farther and farther from Canterlot, so Luna lets me know when to move things, but I perform the actual movement. Moving the sun wears Luna out terribly, though she can do it in an emergency. Why, even Twilight managed it once, though she had my power at the time."
Silver realized he wouldn't witness the actions of the rest of the season, and felt a soft pang as he drifted that much further from his old self. Celestia seemed to notice his hurt, and draped a wing over him. "What's bothering you so?"
Silver rubbed a hoof against the bed, pondering how to explain it. "After so long avoiding Twilight, and with her, the show itself, we managed to come together in time for me to basically witness the season, as far as I can guess, but now I won't see the rest, and that upsets me more than I thought it would."
Celestia tilted her head. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean by that, but come here." She pulled him close, wrapping her legs around him and hugging tight. The pain lessened in the powerful embrace, and he surrendered to the warmth of Celestia's presence. She was warm and dry, like the sun on a perfect day. Celestia clearly didn't understand his moment of existential turmoil, but her response felt good, and Silver accepted it with a sigh.
Knock Knock. The door opened a crack and a snout poked in, but no further. It looked like a stallion's snout. "Your majesties, breakfast is prepared, and Ambassador Doublebrush awaits you." The snout withdrew and the door closed.
Silver moved to slip from the bed, but Celestia jumped over him and blocked the way. "I'm getting you in the habit of bathing." She pointed to the bath, as bubbly and inviting as ever.
Silver looked at the tub, then back at Celestia. "Ladies first."
Celestia arched a brow. "If you run, I will catch you." She moved past him and slipped into the water, and Silver followed.
He made no attempt to flee, slipping into the water and going beneath the surface. He nuzzled her from under there, rubbing his snout along her ribs a moment before he came back up for air, soaking wet but smiling.
Celestia returned the bright gesture before her horn lit up and she grabbed some cleaning supplies. She showed no mercy in working the brushes against Silver and herself. "As royalty, especially on this trip, we have a duty to look our best at all times. We are being watched and judged, even on this boat."
Silver tilted his head. "Is it wrong that I'm enjoying the time we get to spend, you know, together?"
Celestia leaned in. "No." She kissed him at the base of his horn before working the brush over it, which paralyzed Silver in a mixture of pleasure and pain as the sensitive organ was abraded to a shine. When she finished, he pulled back with a shudder. "You had months of dirt built up. It normally doesn't hurt as much, I promise."
Silver reached up to gently rub his sore horn. "Fast never told me..."
Celestia rolled a hoof. "Fast is a lovely barbarian. A fine mare, but no noblepony to be sure." She could see fresh discomfort building in Silver. "I'm not speaking poorly of her. She's been an excellent wife, and husband, to you, but she really isn't used to nobility or royalty. That's not an insult, Silver Stars. I wish I could forget about both myself." She surrendered the brush to Silver's magic. "Your turn, have your revenge."
Silver didn't particularly lust for revenge, but cleaning he could do. He raised the brush to her long spire. It was easy to forget about, but Celestia's horn was huge! He worked it slowly across the base scrubbing it to the shine that hid underneath. He got into the motion and rhythm and soon forgot about everything but cleaning the horn, at least until he realized Celestia was looking quite relaxed about the whole thing. When he finished, she pouted a little. "Uh, liked it?"
Celestia took the brush away and set it outside the tub. "It's easy for me to forget sometimes that you have such little grasp on the little things."
"Did... I just propose to you?"
Celestia laughed softly, a hoof covering her mouth. "We're already married, so no fear for that. It is simply a measure of intimacy for unicorns to groom one another's horns, being a vital and delicate organ. It would be... in terms of intimacy, like you allowing someone to wash your stallion-hood."
Silver flushed softly as the situation was made clear to him. "Oh! Well... that makes sense. I'm glad I didn't mess that up then."
"Did I?" asked Celestia with a grin that made it clear she had no particular fear of any lack in her performance. She rose out of the water and grabbed several towels with her magic.
Silver followed her, eyes on her wet form. "Why don't you use magic to dry?"
Celestia perked an ear. "If you want to ruin the fun of it." With a twinkle of her horn, they were both quite dry. "Just because you can do something doesn't mean you have to. Come on then, let's go enjoy breakfast."
Silver moved to the large closet they had and pulled out a suit for himself, slipping into it, then getting his saddlebag into place. He helped Celestia get her golden jewelry into place and soon they were ready to go, crowns worn and clothing immaculate.
Celestia nodded at Silver. "One thing I feel I should make clear. There is a reason my ponies are called ponies. We are, as a whole, smaller than most other races. Diamond dogs, minotaurs, dragons, and even most of Doublebrush's people outsize the average pony. Our size, which makes us rulers among our own people, barely qualifies us as adequate in these lands. So don't be too surprised."
Silver flashed a bright smile. "I've spent most of my time in Equestria being the smallest thing in the room. The recent upgrade in that department is still something I'm getting used to, though I'm enjoying it. I'll be OK."
They navigated the halls of the ship and arrived at the stately dining hall, where one Ambassador Doublebrush sat at an otherwise abandoned table. She smiled as they entered. "I feared you wouldn't be joining me. Did I wake you?"
Celestia settled across from Doublebrush and patted the chair beside her, which Silver soon filled. "Silver Stars kept me up late last night."
Doublebrush narrowed her eyes as a chuckle escaped her. "Did he now? A good male is hard to find. One who knows how to keep his mouth shut is rarer still. Keep him close."
Silver tried to ignore the implications of both of their words, instead looking around for food, which was curiously absent. That problem solved itself. With all the guests assembled, ponies began to emerge with trays of food balanced on backs or held in wings, filling the table with an assortment of breakfast delicacies. He reached for what appeared to be french toast before he withdrew his hoof as he remembered his horn was a superior option and floated a slice over to his plate. He saw Celestia took a slice of cake to begin, and Doublebrush went for a pitcher of cream and some fruit, to dip the latter into the former. "He has the look of inexperience about him, to say nothing of the rumors."
Celestia tilted her head faintly. "I thought you were experienced enough to know rumors are often poor information sources."
Doublebrush chuckled a little. "Sometimes, but I think not, in this case." She looked directly at Silver. "I don't bite, unless you like that. Speak up a little."
Silver cleared his throat before he dared to speak. "This is my first time in Anugypt."
Doublebrush rolled a paw. "Then let me welcome you, though we haven't arrived just yet. We have many more days at sea before we see those golden sands. What have you heard about my people?"
Silver glanced sideways at Celestia, who was enjoying her tea and cake quietly. "I confess, not much. What are your people called?"
She rolled a paw lightly. "We have several names, but then, so do yours. Earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and other tribes beside. You all agree to be ponies, at least. Most of us will react if you call us simply cats. I am a nekomata." She raised her two tails, waving them like curious snakes. "We are easy to identify. If you see a grown cat with one tail, they are baastian. A young cat is a kitten, regardless of which tribe it may eventually become. Single tails are better suited to physical arts, and twin tails are called to matters of spirit and mind. Together we are powerful, but often one side or the other will gain dominance and claim it is best for all cats."
Silver nodded lightly, trying to devote these facts to memories. Fortunately, this was the sort of trivia he could consume easily. "Are there only two tribes of cat?"
"Oh, certainly not, simply the two most common." She extended a claw and stuck it into a grilled fish before lifting it to her mouth, enjoying several small bites. "You would not fault any pony teacher for not explaining bat ponies or crystal ponies to someone seeking basics."
Silver felt his ire rise a moment. "Lunar ponies."
"Or lunar ponies." She tilted her head. "What ponies are those? I'm afraid you caught me unaware."
Silver wobbled a hoof. "Bat ponies prefer to be called lunar ponies, in deference to Luna, their progenitor."
"Hmm, curious." She half lidded her eyes at Silver. "You look more like their progenitor, and you are of royal blood. How old are you, precisely?"
Celestia broke her silence. "Old enough."
Doublebrush snorted softly. "Keep your secrets. My fast is broken for now. I will see you for dinner." She rose to her paws and walked from the room silently. Watching a cat walk was an oddly sobering experience with its absence of clip-clops.
Celestia extended a wing, brushing Silver's back. "You handled yourself well enough. Now relax, and eat. It's just the two of us."
The food was delicious, and Celestia felt... better than she had in the past. He felt warmed, instead of her focused ire. He still wasn't certain what had brought out this friendlier Celestia, but he liked her new self, and savored it. He said as much. "You've been very kind so far on this trip. I'm enjoying our time together."
Celestia raised her ears. "We will have enemies enough externally. Let us be good to each other at the least." She brought her teacup to Silver's snout, blocking his food until he took a sip. "My own personal stock." It tasted of a fine green tea, and Silver smiled with appreciation.
They ate breakfast in good spirits, then went to see the day go by. There was time yet to reach Anugypt.