Appearances
It was important to maintain appearances.
Prince Blueblood kept up his regal, stony facade as he led the dark gray guard ponies through the hallways of Canterlot Castle. He kept himself a half-stride ahead of them for the sake of appearances: it wouldn't do to be lead around like some criminal. Though the curt wording of his Aunt Celestia's letter had certainly implied this meeting may end with him being labeled one.
Prince Blueblood of Canterlot:
I require your presence in my study no later than midnight tomorrow evening.
We must discuss your behavior at the Gala.
-H.R.H. Princess Celestia of Equestria
The Gala, of course. It had only been yesterday that the mares from Ponyville had completely destroyed the grand event. The royal guard ponies leading-- following him were stern faced and silent as always. Not that the common rabble of Canterlot ever had much to say to him. When they did it was largely empty braying of compliments or endless fawning and bowing and scraping. That, or mares trying to talk their way into his estate by way of his bed. The guards weren't much for the former and, Blueblood shuddered, would not be terribly successful in the latter.
Not that any actual mares had been either. The estate part, anyway.
Of course Blueblood had a fair inkling of what this was about. At the least he had a few ideas of what it could be. The Gala had been a complete disaster, and she may blame him somewhat for that due to his presence in the ballroom at the apex of the chaos. There was also the small matter of his having inadvertently insulted a number of the chefs in the royal kitchens over their choices for catering the affair, though that had been before the start of the Gala proper. Also, of course, there was that mare--
He noticed that both of the guards stopped following him a few paces away from the masterfully engraved, gilded doors to Princess Celestia's private study. They both wore poorly-hidden smug looks on their ashen, nightguard faces. He tried not to react.
Prince Blueblood sighed as he raised a hoof to knock at the door. The sound reverberated through the stone hallway. A moment passed before a carefully guarded, slightly-too-maternal voice called from within. "Come in."
He hesitated, but then simply pushed the door open with his hoof, not bothering with magic for the moment. Celestia's carefully maintained 'princess smile' only twitched momentarily as she saw him enter, and was fully back to its normal blithe meaninglessness as he closed the door behind him.
Prince Blueblood had been Princess Celestia's 'nephew' for nearly the entirety of his life. He knew her in a way that fairly few other ponies did. Perhaps her protege... Sparkle, was it? Perhaps Princess Luna. Nopony else knew how to really read Princess Celestia. But the point here was that nopony else would see anything but the Princess calmly resting on her plush velvet couch, sipping at a cup of very fragrant tea.
What Prince Blueblood saw was exactly that, of course, but he also saw the slight glimmering along the edges of her mane. He saw the slight over-brightness of the room. He could feel her body radiating heat as though it were midday instead of rather late in the evening. He could see that slight tension in her jaw, behind her pleasant, maternal smile. None of these were good signs.
"Hello, my dear nephew Blueblood."
"Good evening, Auntie."
Blueblood crossed the tufted carpet of the private study carefully, stopping to stand perhaps two ponylengths from the princess. He bowed respectfully, or respectfully enough if one considered his title. Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, did not deign to reply to his bow, and so he spoke again to fill the silence. "You wanted to speak with me about the Grand Galloping Gala, Princess?"
The use of her title, rather than the markedly less formal 'auntie', did not go unnoticed, he saw. Prince Blueblood was afforded a great deal of leniency due to his noble status, but even he knew it was a bad idea to go blatantly provoking royalty. He felt that adding her proper title might help ease the tension he was feeling from her. It didn't seem to work quite as well as he'd hoped.
"I trust you've kept up with the news today, nephew?" Celestia's voice was warm and motherly, with only the slightest icy undertone that chilled him completely.
He thought a moment. Oh yes, that. "Your private donut party with the... what are they being called? The Elements of Harmony?"
Celestia's response was only a silent nod. She was plainly waiting for him to go on.
"... Two of which I met at the Gala. I expect the white mare--"
"Her name is Rarity."
None of the normal, placid, endlessly patient Princess voice was in that statement. Prince Blueblood took a step backwards without really thinking. "... Yes, Rarity. I suppose she spoke of our time together at the Gala."
The temperature of the room raised a degree or two. Celestia's mane positively shone with light. "She did."
She only waited for him to continue. Prince Blueblood bit back the initial defiant reaction. Obviously treating an angry princess like he would an impudent commoner would not bring good results. Trivializing the unicorn mare's wishes wasn't really what was needed here either, nor was trivializing the mare herself. Celestia was feeling indignant, self-righteous, and hurt on the part of her friend. As grating and irritatingly humbling as it was, biding for time was all he could think to do.
Not that he could think of anything to say to do so. The silence stretched on for a moment, and then became unpleasantly awkward. As each interminable moment stretched on and on, Blueblood's ability to think only waned. Finally, he managed to compose himself just well enough to deliver a line with only a slightly coltish squeak. "What did she say?"
Princess Celestia stood up from her couch and walked slowly around the study, her hooffalls on the tufted carpet somehow sharp and loud despite the material. Prince Blueblood didn't turn to continue facing her as she circled around him. Standing stock-still was just about all he could manage, and the growing frustration in his chest wasn't helping matters. "After I convinced her to be honest, she told me of 'the most uncharming prince she has ever met'. I know you were raised to treat ponies better than that, nephew. I am very disappointed in you."
That last remark cut more deeply than he had expected. It was something all ponies felt, from the lowest rock farmer to the most important ponies in Canterlot, even Prince Blueblood himself. Something about the royal Princesses made all ponies want little more than their approval and respect. Hearing disappointment in Celestia's voice would cut anypony to the core. Blueblood forced himself to stay adamant and upright. "What should I have done, Princess?"
He immediately regretted the derisive inflection on her title. The icy undertone in her voice dropped a few degrees, while the anger-induced heat in the room increased a few degrees. There were few things that truly scared Prince Blueblood. Rioting mobs of the underclass, Hindian ink that threatened to stain his pristine coat, the sight of any of the foals in Canterlot that had could be said to have inherited his eyes, and... an angry Auntie Celestia.
"She wanted a date, Prince Blueblood. You could have treated her to one. A pleasant, chaste evening and she would have been satisfied."
'No, she wouldn't have."
The flare of light in the room made Prince Blueblood immediately regret his tone. In a moment, a number of thoughts flashed through his mind. First, he was doomed. One doesn't just directly defy the Princess, even if one is royalty as well. Secondly, he was right. Of course he was right, he was always right. Thirdly, now that he was doomed, he may as well prove that he's right before he's sent into exile anyway.
Prince Blueblood spoke again after a moment of being glared at by the Princess. He only faltered a moment before he managed to get his normal imperious tone. "I've... I've seen that look on other mares before. She wouldn't have been satisfied with a chaste date, or any date at all."
A raised eyebrow was the only response he got from the Princess, and so he continued.
"She wasn't after me just for a pleasant evening, chaste or not. Mares chase me constantly, I expect I've had more unchaste dates that even the Wonderbolts. That mare--"
"Rarity." The Princess' voice was slightly less strict this time, for some reason.
"-- Rarity is lucky it was me she went after. At least I had the presence of mind to scare her off."
Princess Celestia's anger faded, though Blueblood could tell this was only a momentary reprieve at best. He'd piqued her interest. May as well keep going. "Auntie, if I had wanted anything from her, anything, I could have had it without trying. She's a commoner, trying to marry her way into the nobility. A lesser stallion would have used her to his pleasure and discarded her."
Celestia scowled at his wording, but he was far too deep now to bother to stop digging his own grave. When Celestia spoke, however, none of her anger was in her voice. Only a tired resignation. "Gold Slipper. Blue Belle. Fleur Dis Le--"
"YES, Auntie, I know I have had my share of mares. If I could take back some of my actions, I would. I do consider myself not only an exemplar of all things good about unicorns and an absolutely dashingly attractive stallion, but also an excellent judge of character. The nobility would have destroyed that ma-- Rarity."
Princess Celestia stared at Prince Blueblood for a moment. He felt uncomfortable, as if she was staring directly into his soul. Her voice was forceful, but not angry. "She is stronger than you think, nephew."
Blueblood sighed. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this. "My dear Auntie, with all due respect, you have no idea what being a noblepony is like."
To her credit, the Princess did not immediately flare into anger again. She only furrowed her brows to express her displeasure, and waited for him to continue.
He took a deep breath, composing his thoughts for a moment. "You were born into your role, Princess. Look at yourself, you're an alicorn. You stand half again my height and I'm tall for a stallion. You don't have to worry about all the courtly drama and intrigue, all the backstabbing mares, the reporters hounding your every move and publishing whatever they like. You don't worry about your appearance, because it is always perfect on its own. I have six dedicated groomers, Auntie. I must keep my appearances and reputation in mind every moment that I am out in the public. Any mistake you make is either patently ignored or, at worst, whispered about in private."
Celestia frowned at him, but didn't stop his half-addled ranting.
"A year ago I stumbled accidentally at a club opening. I had been awake for thirty hours, attending a string of events that I just couldn't afford to miss. For three weeks following the papers and socialites simply ran rampant with rumors of my having this disease or that one, or possibly my disdain for the club itself, or that I was drunk in public. No amounts of legal threats or offers of bribery could stop any of it. Can you imagine the scandal if I took a wife from Ponyville?"
The Princess took a moment to consider this, before shaking her head. "Nephew, you could have simply rejected her outright instead of treating her so poorly."
Prince Blueblood, despite already doubting that he would be a prince any longer after this meeting, actually scoffed at the princess. "Do you think that would have worked, Auntie? She would have found some other noble stallion who may well have sent her home carrying a foal! I acted worse, more pampered and spoiled than I normally would, so that she would take years before trying this again. For now, she completely hates the idea of dating a noble at all, let alone royalty. Perhaps after a few years of being on the fringes of the nobility, she will be more able to join us properly. She certainly has the beauty for it."
Princess Celestia by now was actually sitting on her haunches, staring at Blueblood in disbelief. Her voice carried none of the scorn or anger she had been showing previously. "Nephew, I... had not thought of that. I may have misjudged you."
He sighed again, shaking his head. "Not really, Auntie. According to all my servants, I am an insufferable lout. I won't be changing that. But I don't seek to simply rut with every mare that throws attention to me, and Rarity has potential beyond that. After the Gala, I am simply seen as chasing another pretty tail, and being stymied by the ruin of the party. She will be practically ignored, instead of being followed constantly and having her life ruined by the attention."
Prince Blueblood's eyes widened as he was suddenly pulled into a hug with Princess Celestia, her forelegs around his shoulders. A subtle, unplaceable, incredibly calming scent filled his nostrils, and her soft and warm body made all of his troubles immediately fade from his mind. How long had it been since she had hugged him like this? He felt like a colt next to this pony. He felt tiny and immature and completely at her mercy; he hated it.
He hugged her back like he could never let go.
After a few moments, Celestia pulled away, and the two ponies took an appropriate short moment to collect themselves. Celestia spoke with a quiet, almost contrite tone. "I must apologize, nephew, I assumed the worst of you without thinking."
Blueblood took a moment to respond, almost instinctively using his magic to fix his slightly ruffled mane. "You can hardly be blamed, Auntie. But the hour is getting late and I've got a milk bath to attend to. For my coat, you understand."
Princess Celestia nodded, a small, but genuine, smile on her face. Prince Blueblood paid her the proper bow of respect and quickly saw himself out of the room. He put on an appropriate look of chastisement for the benefit of his auntie, not wanting the guardsponies outside the door to notice that he had avoided any punishment. Then, he lead the guards back out to the palace gates, half a step ahead of them.
It was, after all, important to maintain appearances.
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I think you'll surprise a lot of people with this one, and I think that's a good thing. Blueblood would be a good redemption project, and I'm already thinking about how interesting it would be to see what road this version of him might walk.
Well, this didn't go as i expected, not like thats a bad thing of course, congrats and all was a decent read
Very nicely done. I love seeing a new take on a character. Giving Blueblood this added depth is quite intriguing. I like it.
not bad
She's upset with Blueblood for mistreating Rarity but has absolutely no problem with her friends mistreating just about every other pony at the party.
Pretty well done, yeah he is a jerk but he still has a heart of gold. I like this Blueblood.
A very interesting story. I like it.
WAIT Blueblood getting off the hook
? WHAT WORLD HAVE I ENTERED IN
?!?!?!
2762422 Really, you can't get any kinder than this when you're talking about nobles, for reasons mentioned by him.
He's also tremendously clever, which apparently he earned himself.
I second Paladin's opinion.
What's with all the Blueblood fics popping up? I thought I had finally cracked an untapped market...
This is quite a good one, and shows a good relationship between him and his aunt. I dislike when Celestia is shown acting like an overbearing mother and furiously scolding him. For one, it's out of character for her to be that harsh with anyone, especially with something so trivial as being rude at a party. Two, it seems somewhat odd that she would be so eager to take Rarity's side, considering she has most likely known Blueblood since the time of his birth, and it's possible she's only personally known Rarity for half a year.
It also does a good job of showing Blueblood and Rarity as both in the wrong. I really disliked that episode, especially the end where Celestia danced dangerously close to Trollestia. For lack of a better term, Rarity was being a gold digger.
Anyway, I like it. Best of lucks with your thumbs ups.
Interesting take.
That was... good.
Well this fic does present things differently, while I don't think it presents Blueblood in a positive light and it doesn't lower my opinion of Rarity, it does make you think. Here Blueblood is presented as a the product of a shallow nobility far more concerned with appearances than anything else, as the saying goes "don't hate the player, hate the game", which is in essence what he's telling his aunt. He may be a pompous lout but the equestrian nobility is essentially comprised of pompous louts and gold digging mares. Really he was doing Rarity a favor by shattering her false vision of the nobility.
Blueblood knows how to play the Game, eh?
Excellent fic. Blueblood gets such a bad rap in the fandom, it's nice to see an alternate take on him.
There's a lot of potential in this that could be used to give some background to his appearances in Sweet & Elite.
Good writing, but the idea of Blueblood rejecting Rarity for her own good isn't new.
As many others have said here, this is a great execution in adding depth to what admittedly was a rather shallow, two-dimensional character. I also like that you were able to make Blueblood a little more three-dimensional without suddenly making him into a saint or some other overly-good rendition. He's a jerk and a lout, and he's overly focused on appearances and keeping himself "above" everypony else, but he's not a complete a$$ and is at least willing to admit to mistakes even if he still thinks he's always in the right. Good job!
This is an interesting take on him. I have always seem him in every fan fic as a complete jerk or completely evil. This is a nice break and I kinda like this version of him just a bit better.
Ha! I had been thinking about that not too long ago. Love this!
Ah, good ol' Bluebutt, everypony's favorite prince.
I'm so glad to see that there's a fair number of people with whom I can form a consensus on the "Gold-digger Rarity" interpretation. I especially love how Blueblood explained his loutishness here; better than in any other fic. And better yet? You redeemed him without having him change for anypony.
That you are Blueblood, but thanks to this i'm liking you a little more
Yes! Yes! All of my 'yes'!
That was the first thing I though when I saw the Gala episode. That Blueblood is not simply a jerk. That he had motives in treating Rarity that way. That he had some depth to his character. That you just cannot turn out to be a jerk, when your Auntie is the freaking most kind and benevolent creature in the kingdom!
Only I thought somewhere along the lines of 'He has enough shallow gold-digging mares constantly chasing him and he puts on a mask of a jerk to scare them off'. But your take on it works even better.
Thanks you, definitely faving this one.
A very interesting look into Blueblood's character. I had not considered this before.
go blueblood!
Alternate character interpretations are fun, aren't they? As much as I like Rarity, I'm more inclined to side with Blueblood that Rarity didn't care a bit about Blueblood, but rather Prince Blueblood and all the benefits that come from said title. He wasn't the love of her life, he was a cheap meal ticket to a glamorous royal lifestyle and I doubt Rarity was the first mare to try this, nor will she be the last.
I like that Blueblood is saying, "yeah, I act like a douche bag for the greater good."
I always figured he hated gold diggers and from the episode "The Ticket Master" Rarity does paint herself in that light.
Anyway good fic.
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The fact that he admitted that he was being a jerk (more than usual) on purpose put him in a positive light in the first place, but the reasons and logic he presented to Celestia puts him in the right more so than Rarity in this fic. As much I would like to argue for Rarity that she does want to get to know him seems pretty weak by now. I can see why this was on the popular fics list now.
2777572
I think a lot comes down to perspective and what you mean by "wrong". Rarity certainly had the wrong idea about what the nobility was really like and in this story Celestia also had the wrong idea. Rarity saw the nobility though the lens of fairy tales and romance novels, Celestia simply assumed they where like, concerned with the greater good and improving Equestria. The nobility is presented as self-centered social climbers who focus on appearances. Blueblood is wrong for being a jerk, but right in pointing out that he's normal for a noble stallion and that Rarity's expectations where ridiculous and she was pretty much certain to be disappointed.
2778071
Actually only a few of those noble ponies actually fits Celestia's ideal, but a few is not enough. Anyway, first impressions are everything for a guy like him due to being courted countless times before meeting Rarity, but knocking her head out of the clouds in the "scare her straight" tactic is too much. It seems like he wants ponies to see the real him but he'll do everything in his power to not give any mare a chance to see that if their heads are in the clouds.
This was quite an interesting take on Prince Blueblood and the way he treated Rarity at the gala. Well written, I really enjoyed it.
2777572 Yeah, even more so, because I honestly never liked Rarity's character (though I love her design and adore her singing voice). Always thought she was a vain shallow greedy gossiping gold-digger, and my opinion hasn't changed neither throughout the three seasons, nor by reading more that a several hundred fanfics.
I downright hate Prince Blueblood but this was really good. I was surprised this didn't have the Comedy tag because I was LOLing pretty hard. All in all a good read. Consider it approved for Twilight's Library
You've made Blueblood's character a little more tolerable.
They're going to discuss bananas, and whether Blueblood likes them. :D
*Takei Mode Engaged* OH MY...~! *Takei Mode Disabled*
You dumb fuck. D:
SO LONG, BACON! :D
...
Huh. He made a good point. OK, I'll give him that. Good Story. Good Story. :)
2765061
You lost.
Holy Crap. A good fanfic about a good Blueblood, with realistic motivations and NOT just a device to be mocked?!
GIVE THIS MAN A MEDAL!
Good Show. Jolly good show. You are briliant, my good man. Take a fav and save.
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Not that Game.
THIS Game.
Oh My... a good Blueblood... IN CHARACTER!?!
You won the Internet, sir
Hmm, this was certainly interesting! An alternative take on Prince Blueblood's behavior. While I agree that Rarity's liking to him was mostly a status thing--"If he's a Prince, I can be his Princess!"--and totally superfluous in its own right, I don't think his rejection of her was that well-thought-out in canon. He's comes off more as a narcissist to me. Perhaps he's only wanting to go after noble mares...or isn't into mares at all.
Who knows? Either way, this was an interesting little story, and you get a thumbs-up from me.
Hey. Fuck you. Its against the law to make Blueblood seem nice in anyway. Nobody wants to hear about how he is misjudged. I came to this story expecting it to be nothing but Blueblood being bereated like the spoiled little child he is.
Bad author. Shame on you. No upvote. Well maybe just one. But don't think this means I like the story or anything!
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That. Was. Brilliant.
Good show.
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This is basically what I thought when I first watched the episode. "Jeez Rarity, do you really think you're the first mare to try this? That Blueblood can't recognise such ambitions from a mile off?" She was in love with the idea of being a princess, as opposed to actually having any genuine feelings for the stallion in question. (A lesson she still didn't seem to take to heart three seasons later. I'm lookin' at you, Simple Ways.)
More generally, I liked this characterisation of Blueblood. Closer to three-dimensional, while still feeling entirely in character. I think you also handled his relationship with Celestia very well.
I honestly wonder if Blueblood is actually like this. He hides his real identity because of everyone seeking him just to boost their own personal position or to get close to Celestia.
Kudos, author. I do have a soft-spot for Blueblood's who aren't just incompetent or malicious.
3879131 Hello tsunderae. My name is yanderae. I'm gonna kill you for speaking to Senpai like that.
Very well done.
2772244 If Blueblood has had to endure that kind of gold-digging treatment before, it isn't surprising he'd make an example of somepony sooner or later. Too bad for him it was Rarity. "The Royal Review" offers his take on the matter.
I'm still of the opinion that even if this was his reasoning, it is poorly thought out reasoning; yes Rarity was shallow in this episode, yes she could definitely be considered a golddigger, but the thing is, his behavior was unreasonably rude; even more so if you assume it was intentional rather than casual disrespect; to say he deliberately did this rather than that he was just a clueless jerk makes his actions worse, not better, at least to me.
I just feel like there's a line between dissuading someone and being an asshole. The reasoning that she'd just find another noble is flawed; not just because of the fact that she still seeks out fancy ponies, which he doesn't know, but that she'd probably just be crushed for the rest of the night.
Or he could have been clear and concise about it in the exact way that he was to Celestia; he would not be at fault for her misinterpreting. She is not his responsibility, you know; he doesn't have to think of 'what's best for her in the long run' like he actually knows her; sure, he's met girls like her, but that's not the same.
Essentially, he had no reason to be rude when he's demonstrated in this that he can clearly and concisely describe what could happen to her, and could have attempted to, even if it was for naught, he has no responsibility for what happens after she ignores him, and it's presumptuous to suggest you know her well enough to make those decisions for her by not letting her decide on her own.
This is still well written and it does make sense for him to consider this reasonable, or that could be his excuse, but that I don't feel Celestia would be swayed to do much more than consider his attempt at responsibility for her naive, and his actions in dissuading her excessive. Probably still forgive him, but not to the level of saying 'no, it was fine that you were an asshole, your heart was in the right place', as she seems to do.
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Concuerdo, en el peor de los casos, Blueblood creció descubriendo que todos los "amigos" que tenía, sólo lo usaban para llegar a Celestia.