The boat drew gently into the dock and let down its anchor, but the sound of that falling metal was missed with the blast of trumpets. Despite common Earth thought, they managed to toss the red carpet across the divide, making a posh bridge with the boat. Several well-dressed ponies used it with measured steps and bright smiles. "Welcome!" called the female in the front. "Welcome to Saddle Arabia, and our humble dock city of Jeddah."
She bowed before Celestia and Silver with her forehooves pressed together in an impressive display of balance before righting herself. "I confess, I had dismissed rumors of you taking a suitor, Celestia, as the fanciful musings of overpaid clerks, but here he is."
Celestia smiled her usual serene smile. "Oh, he's no suitor of mine." The mare looked confused. "We're wed. He is my stallion, and stallion for all princesses of Equestria."
The mare's eyes went wide. "I see..." she said in a tone that implied she didn't see at all. "Please, be at home. We will see to your ship's care while you tour our city and enjoy the hospitality of our country." Her eyes turned to Silver. "By what address should I call you, your majesty?"
Silver nodded his head lightly. "I am Prince Silver Stars. A pleasure. Already you've shown great enthusiasm and warmth, and I'm looking forward to this visit."
The mare looked past Silver to his servants, curious, but not rude enough to pry into them. She nodded to the two royals. "I will delay you no further. If you plan to journey to the capital, we'll keep your ship safe while you are away. Should you require anything, inform one of the dock workers and we'll make it so, if it is at all feasible." She turned away after one more bow, and led her procession clear of the boat, introductions complete.
Celestia smiled at Silver. "And that is how friends should greet one another. I would expect my ponies to perform much the same if a foreign leader arrived at one of our cities."
Silver perked an ear. "It was like night and day. I hope Amenti gets things in order, so we can visit more peacefully sometime in the future."
Silver felt the faintest tug at his hidden jewelry. "Don't be in such a rush to visit her. I think her mark on you will last a little longer."
With a soft snort, Silver approached the edge of the ship. "Any reason not to see the sights a little?"
Celestia shook her head. "We won't be leaving straight away, enjoy yourself." She extended a wing over Silver's back as she stood beside him. "Do be careful. I know trouble seeks you out."
Shei stepped forward with a smile. "If it pleases you, I know a few places worth seeing."
Bright nipped at Shei's ear. "We have other business. Me other crew needs a new captain that won't sail them right off the edge of the world. Come on, mare." Despite Shei's complaints, they were soon off together.
That left Bottom, who looked around nervously. "I'll keep an eye on him, ma'am."
Celestia raised a brow at the frightened stallion. "I should think you'll fall into the same pit he does, but do your best." She turned her attention to Silver. "A moment of your time, if you please."
Silver moved with her, and they retreated to a relatively isolated part of the ship. Celestia directed a hoof at him. "I believe I have come to a greater understanding of you."
"What do you mean by that?"
Celestia smiled gently. "I am aware of your past, with one Rough Tumble. You did not react well to his advances, but you've done very little but welcome Bottom Rung, though they both share a pitiable past. I do not think it is a matter of stallion or mare."
Silver shuffled on his hooves, not liking the sudden turn of the conversation. "What do you think it is?"
Celestia pointed to where Bottom waited. "I think he doesn't intimidate you. He feels weak and powerless, even when he's pressing you into situations you wouldn't normally approve of. Your instinct is to protect and nurture, not recoil and flee, so you accept him and his advances."
Silver flushed gently as he considered it. "I... guess that makes sense. Is that bad?"
Celestia shook her head. "No. Bottom is very happy with you as his master, and I think you might bring out some of the original pony he's hiding under that frightened shell. When you aren't looking, he gazes at you like you are a dream come to life. It's very charming. I just want you to be aware of it."
Silver leaned in and kissed Celestia on each cheek. "Thanks, for being honest. I don't... You might be right. He doesn't scare me like Rough does. I'm more worried for him than by him." He twitched an ear as he grimaced. "He's also perfectly happy to..." He trailed off as he realized something. "Huh... I never did ask Rough Tumble what he wanted to do, besides be with me."
Celestia nodded lightly. "Perhaps some good will come of this for you as well. Go, enjoy the city. I'll be awaiting word back, which will likely take a few days, so you have time."
Silver returned to their shared room and collected a bag of bits.
"Going out, sir?" Bottom was behind Silver, quietly following as he tended to do.
Silver tensed in surprise, but recovered and turned to face his servant. "Yes, and you can come with me." Bottom smiled joyfully. "Tell me, Bottom, what do you like?"
"You, sir."
Silver flushed lightly. "I mean materially? Do you like a kind of book? Music?"
"I don't know how to read, sir."
Silver sucked through his teeth. He felt like he should have seen that coming. "Do you have any hobbies?"
He tilted his head a little. "Sometimes they would let me play darts, sir. I'm a fair shot."
Silver smiled. "Darts, that works. Let's get a dart board and some darts for the ship. They'll be yours, to take care of, and decide who gets to use them or not, and to keep."
Bottom looked suddenly nervous, glancing left and right. "I don't want to be yelled at, sir. They'll get angry if I tell them they can't use it."
Silver pointed at Bottom. "It'll be your dart board. It's your right to say who can and cannot use it. If they get angry about that, they're being bad ponies, and if they steal it, they're outlaws and will be punished by the law." He brushed past Bottom. "Let's go. It's time to get you your second possession."
"Second, sir?"
Silver looked over his shoulder. "You're wearing the first, don't forget."
Bottom smiled at the remembrance and quickly followed. "Why, sir? Why are you being so nice to me? I'm barely anyone at all. I... I annoy you sir, and I am an inconvenience."
Silver turned to face Bottom, who's ears were hung low and eyes were cast down and to the side. "Bottom, you are being treated nice because you deserve it. You bother me sometimes, sure, but so does Celestia. Everyone takes their turn bothering me, that doesn't make me want to stop being nice to them."
Bottom looked up at Silver only to glance away again. "Do you like me, sir?"
Silver felt a trap yawning before him, and wondered how to accept Bottom as a pony without encouraging deeper romance. Telling him that he was taken wouldn't work. It never worked! "You are a wonderful pony, and I will stand proudly at your side until you have learned that, and be your friend when you find your own stallion, or mare."
Bottom nodded slowly before a smile split his face. "We should go, sir."
Silver wasn't sure his words struck true, but couldn't think of more to say, so he led Bottom back up to the deck and across the red carpet that floated in the air in clear defiance of gravity. The city felt vibrant and alive, and large ponies bustled about with a sense of urgency. He felt like he was in any large city, when he stopped to consider it, and that was good. "Have you been to this city, Bottom?"
Bottom looked around curiously a moment. "I've seen it from the ship, sir, but not this close. There are so many ponies!" He pressed in close to Silver, shivering a little with what seemed to be nervousness and excitement. "Where should we go first?"
Silver led the way through the maze of large bodies. It was a curious sensation, being surrounded by ponies that were so tall. Horses would be a better name, and he decided he'd use that term for them for then on. One horse mare stepped in front of him. "Friend! You look like a stallion with refined tastes. Come, see what I have." She gestured to a stall just beside her. "You won't regret it."
Silver moved over to see what she had, and saw a collection of fine-looking blades, oil lamps that looked straight from Aladdin, some crystal balls, jars of powder, and other things that seemed to have no clear rhyme or reason until it struck him. This was a tourist trap. "Very nice, but do you have a dart board?"
She looked surprised. "The fortunes smile on us both today, friend. I just procured a rare set." She moved behind the counter and pulled out a large box, swinging it open to reveal a board of some deep red wood with lines of silver and gold. A truly royal-looking dart board. She flipped open a bundle of cloth with a flick of a hoof, revealing the bejeweled darts that went with it. "Doesn't it take your breath away, friend?"
Bottom shrank away from it. "It's too much, sir. I don't deserve that."
Silver wasn't sure who deserved that. It was opulence refined into the form of a tavern game. "I don't suppose you have a more... basic set? Our travels take us around the world, it would seem a shame to risk damaging such an exquisite piece. Durability is the primary qualifier, not glitter."
She frowned a little, and tucked the box away. "I'm afraid I don't, but Al'Rasheem does, that rascal. Just two booths down. He specializes in throwing games. Does anything else catch your eye?"
Silver decided to reward her for being honest and helpful, and selected one of the lamps, paying six bits for it and moving on with Bottom. The next booth over, which they intended to pass, had a wizened stallion horse that stared at them, Silver specifically. "Wait." A gnarled hoof reached out and took hold of Silver, pulling him towards the older horse. "Your aura is wrong. All wrong. What manner of creature are you, that wears the form of an Equestrian prince?"