Luna sat on her throne, her aura flashing on and off as she idly juggled a set of weighted balls, first with her magic, then switching over to Force telekinesis, then changing back to her magic. She reached out a hoof to turn the page of the latest Power Ponies comic (“The Maneiac’s Revenge! Special Double-sized Issue”) when a quite cough diverted her attention to the older, bolo tie-adorned, slate-grey earth pony stallion who was currently looking at the princess’ choice of reading material with a raised eyebrow and a disapproving frown.
The alicorn rolled her eyes in exasperation, then placed her comic book inside one of the folders used to store official correspondence and reports, “Are thou happy now?”
“Jubilant, your Highness,” replied Winter Shadow, her steward, as the stallion turned back to the small stack of reports, personal letters and Appeals to the Crowns that he was currently sorting.
The muffled ruffling of paper was all that could be heard in the Great Hall for a time, then Luna closed her comic with a contented sigh and slipped it, and the balls, into the saddlebags she kept under her throne, before she glanced resignedly around at the nearly empty Hall, “Winter Shadow, I have been thinking.”
“Huzzah, your Highness, shall I alert the press?”
Luna rolled her eyes again (she found that she did that rather often when dealing with her steward), “I am being serious, Winter Shadow, and I desire thy insights on a matter.”
The stallion put aside his paperwork as he focused on his princess, “What troubles you, your Highness?”
Now that she had Winter’s full attention, Luna found herself somewhat embarrassed by her question, and she shuffled her hooves for a few moments before she continued. “As thou know, Revan Vao will begin instructing her first formal class of trainees soon, and I was … curious how thou believe our little ponies would react if ‘Tia and I, as Revan Vao’s senior pupils, were to attend the training alongside our fellow ponies?”
Winter raised an eyebrow at his diarch and waited for her to elaborate.
“I realize these may be foalish concerns born out of mine own fears,” the alicorn went on, as her cheeks flushed slightly. “But so many of the aristocracy and the common ponies seem to have such high expectations of how mine sister and I are to act, and often react badly when we do not meet their expectations, furthermore, ‘Tia has warned me that some of these ‘reporters’ are always looking for something they can turn into a scandal.” The princess’ eyes hardened, even as her ears dropped unhappily, “I will not bring shame or hurt to mine sister, the Thrones or to Revan Vao … please disregard mine question, Winter Shadow, I realize now what mine choice must be.”
“Perhaps not quite yet, you Highness,” the earth pony demurred, “You have raised valid reasons for why you should continue with your lessons in private, now, if you please, enlighten me as to why you wished to participate in the group classes.”
Luna met Winter’s firm gaze for a moment, then yielded to his request, “I believe that if ‘Tia and I were to study and train alongside others, that it would show our support of Revan Vao and our trust in her, and help set our little ponies’ minds at ease. I hope that by showing that we still have things to learn, it would show them that we are not the all-wise, all-powerful paragons that so many ponies insist on treating us as, and perhaps they would let mine sister and I step down from the pedestal they hold us on. I think that as Revan Vao’s senior pupils, ‘Tia and I have a responsibility to assist those who are just beginning with their training. And finally, I know that this is horribly selfish, but … ‘Tia and I … we never had a chance to attend a school before.”
Winter actually blinked at that last bit of information, “You and Princess Celestia never …”
“Yes,” the lunar diarch admitted, her ears dropping flat as she confessed to an old shame, “‘Tia and I studied everything we could from our advisors and few mentors, but before that, we were mostly self-taught. That is why we pushed for a public education system, so the foals of Equestria could have what we did not.”
“I see … Perhaps you might wish to consider some additional information before you make any decisions, your Highness. Dame Revan’s close relationship with yourself and Princess Celestia, as well as with Baroness Twilight and the other Bearers of Harmony, is well established, and word has spread in some circles of her actions in the Asphodel mines. That particular combination has some ponies very uneasy, Miss Raven and I have already received a few letters from concerned ponies, as well as a number of requests for private audiences with Princess Celestia or yourself in order to ‘discuss’ what steps the Throne plans to take to ‘deal with the dangerous aberration lurking in Ponyville’.”
“‘Aberration’!” lightning flashed outside the Hall’s windows as Luna’s eyes blazed, “They would dare to call mine friend an aberration and try to compel the Throne into treating her like a monster!”
“Yes, they would,” Winter shrugged indifferently, “Granted while some ponies are merely hoping to acquire some political advantage out of this matter, others are legitimately concerned. Necromancy is not well understood outside of academic and medical circles, after all, your Highness, and what little most ponies know involves desecrating the dead, or using such powers with murderous intent. Dame Revan’s little display of weaponized necromancy was all but guaranteed to make somepony see her as a dangerous creature, especially when combined with her apparent self-reanimation.”
“So if thou agree with mine original judgement, than why did thee bring forth these other matters, when they serve no purpose but to dishearten me and to reinforce a choice I had already made?”
“Yes … and no, your Highness,” Winter answered as he idly straightened his tie, “As Steward of the Night Court, I am sworn to the Thrones, and I must urge you, my Princess, to distance yourself from Dame Revan, lest the Thrones be tainted by association with her … questionable actions and history. Between those ponies engaged in political maneuvers and those acting out of well-intentioned, if ill-informed, concern, there is a small, but real, risk that continued involvement with Dame Revan may cause even the less conspiracy-inclined to cast suspicion on the Crowns and their involvement with the Force Academy project, and from there, the misgivings could spread to other Royal ventures.”
Luna leaned back into her throne as she blinked at her steward, “Truly? My little ponies would let fear and mistrust turn them against a being that means them no harm, one that, in truth, is trying to help them?” the alicorn closed her eyes sadly, “Even after so long, has so little changed?”
“As much as it galls me,” the stallion replied, “I must admit that ponies do seem to be rather quick to frighten. Still, as Ponyville and others have shown, ponies are also quick to overcome that fear when suitably prodded or given the proper guidance.”
“So, there you have the advice of the Steward of the Night Court,” Winter leaned forward slightly to lock eyes with his diarch, “Now, here is the advice of Winter Shadow, who swore his loyalty to Luna. You and Princess Celestia should ignore any naysayers or gossipmongers, and study openly alongside your ponies. My liege lady would never allow politics or misguided fear to keep her from supporting a friend. And if anypony has a problem with that, then you should borrow a page from Captain Spitfire’s book and tell them to, ehm, ‘kiss your plot’.”
The Princess of Night blinked at her steward’s unexpected crudeness, then burst into a fit of giggles, “I thank thou for thy kind, if colorful, words, Winter Shadow, and I will try mine best to prove worthy of thy faith in me.”
The stallion gave a shallow bow, “I live to serve, your Highness.”
“So thou say,” Luna smiled as she waved her two guards over and reached beneath her throne to pull a package from her saddlebags, “Does that mean thou will not join us for some of these pastries Pinkie Pie and Ditzy Doo sent me from Ponyville?”
“Perish the thought, your Highness, are there any blueberry muffins?”