Celestia sipped her tea with a small thoughtful look before she shook her head, “I don't believe there is any need to panic, Page. Compared to what has been written about me in the past it is fairly tame.”
“The difference Celestia is that you are not a strange meat eating alien from another dimension in pony form. And they got scary close to the truth in some parts” I sighed up at the large alicorn.
She just smiled down at me and I frowned,
“...Right?”
Celestia smiled a bit wider before she laughed softly, “Right” she agreed with a grin, “But I have been lambasted in the papers in the past for things at least as scandalous. One of the dangers of a free press I'm afraid.”
I just looked up at her for a long moment before I couldn't resist anymore, “Like what?”
“Wouldn't you like to know?” She teased before she smiled and sipped the tea, “Let's say I learned a lesson some four hundred years ago. That there are things you should not do in the throne room, even in the middle of the night. No matter how unlikely it is that somepony walks in or how handsome your consort...”
She had been... oh my.
Clearing my throat, I focused on my teacup, taking a sip.
“...and his brother were.”
My tea splashed across Celestia's perfectly timed shield and she looked at me innocently, “Something in your throat, Lord Page?”
I glowered at her. She planned that!
“I'm starting to think your sister has quite a lot of stories to tell about you” I finally said as I put my cup down.
Celestia smiled down at me, “She should. Before her banishment she were there for some of them.”
Gzk.
“...Perhaps we should get back to the point at hoof?” I finally said to get back on topic before my brain short circuited, fighting not to blush. If I didn't get this back on track, she would be teasing me all day. She found it hilarious to lure me into traps of words.
She smiled in victory with a nod, “We should” the Princess agreed, “In the end the solution is fairly simple. Care to make a guess?”
I flicked my ears in thought and slowly rotated my tea cup in my magic field, “...Tell them part of the truth?” I finally guessed.
Celestia nodded, her smile turning almost predatory, “Tell them the truth. You were in a magical accident and when you woke up you had no memory of Equestria or even living as a pony. You went on to work hard, getting a job, writing a book, caught the eye of a Princess and helped broker peace with the Changelings. Worked your way from nothing to the nobility and to be the future consort of Princess Luna. They put your past in question? Make them eat it.”
It was beautiful. Every single word of that was even true.
I slowly smiled, “The best lies are the true ones.”
“Not a single word of that was a lie” Celestia answered with a smile, sipping her tea.
Let's see how you like it?
“So... have you warned Twilight about the entire throne room thing?”
“And deprive her of experiencing it herself? Perish the thought!”
Damn.
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head, “This is Twilight we are talking about. She is the most straight laced pony I know.”
“Is she now? What is that saying about the quiet ones? The quieter, the...” Celestia teased with a grin, nibbling on a cookie, “Bet you Manehattan to donuts.”
Good point.
A thought struck me and I raised a eyebrow, “Fluttershy?”
Celestia almost choked on her cookie.
Score!
She narrowed her eyes at me and the half eaten cookie flew from her magic field to bounce off my forehead, landing on the table.
I just grinned and sipped my tea, enjoying my victory, “So... is there going to be a press announcement or are we simply sending them a letter?”
“About Fluttershy?”
“Oh, fuck no.” I choked out. That would kill the gentle pegasus!
Celestia smiled and then nodded, “I'll have the speech writers put together a suitable letter to the media.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
“You are quite welcome, my little pony.” Celestia said with her normal 'perfect princess' polite smile before it turned more real, “It's the least I can do for the pony that makes my sister so happy.”
I tired not to blush. I failed.
“In more than one way as I understand it” Celestia continued, her smile turning into a grin, “If you want, I could arrange for the throneroom to be 'closed for cleaning' for a couple of hours for you two...”
Gzk!
I shifted on the thick pillow and shot her a flat look, “Somepony is in a good mood today.”
Celestia nodded happily, “I am indeed. Twilight is arriving in a couple of hours, we are going to have a study session and review what she has learned about her new role so far.”
“Is that what they are calling it nowadays? Study session?”
A cookie bounced off my horn.