Dreams of a Princess

by Feenkatze

Chapter 6: A Simple Maid's Dream

“I hereby pronounce you mare and wife,” Celestia announced. Under storming applause, Peachy Sweet leaned forwards and united with her bride in a kiss. Her nostrils flared.

Celestia tried her best to hide her exhaustion behind a smile, patiently waiting for the noise to abate and for the two mares to separate. The massive gears of the old quartz mill turned slowly but steadily above their heads. Celestia had witnessed its commissioning nine hundred years ago, when Canterlot had been a small settlement of miners and workers, using the mill to grind down rocks. But that had been long ago.

She was glad that she had made it in time for the wedding. Court had occupied most of her day so far, and then there had been more confusion about the griffin ambassador’s visit. She remembered hurrying up the stairs of the mill, everypony already waiting for her. Now all she wanted was the ceremony to be over so that she could get to the buffet to make up for her missed lunch break.

Peachy Sweet and Golden Banner only hesitantly broke the kiss, their tongues still clinging to each other as their mouths parted. Hardly what most ponies would consider appropriate for a wedding kiss, Celestia thought, but she knew that Golden was a passionate mare in all things she did, if her accomplishments at the Guard were anything to go by. As for Peachy, well, she seemed simply too happy to care.

The newly-wed couple glanced at her gratefully, and Celestia’s smile broadened. Marrying ponies was one of the more pleasant duties and privileges that came with her position.

“I don’t want to bore you with a long and heavy-hoofed speech,” Peachy addressed the crowd, a little overwhelmed. “I just … I just wanted to say that it means so much to me that you could be here. You all have been like a family to me ever since I started out in the castle. Thank you. I might be just a simple maid, but I am able to do what I always wanted to do, and I can’t say how grateful I am.”

A snicker went through the crowd when Peachy, caught up in her habit, curtsied before them.

“Me too,” Golden said. “Only one thing I have to add. There’s a pony who had certain things to say to me.” She pointed at a middle-aged mare who sat in the back of the circular room, about to get up and now freezing in place. “You can stick it, Mom! Yeah, that’s right. I married a mare and I don’t give a stinking bit about what you think!”

The crowd went dead silent, the only noise remaining the constant creaking of the mill’s gears. After a second of shock, the mare in question got up and fled, storming out the door.

Golden looked after her, then she turned her attention back to the other ponies in the room, her features softening. “Oh, and Dad, I love you.”

A stallion in the front row saluted, tears in his eyes, and his daughter saluted back. A chorus of awws arose. But the crowd immediately turned their attention back to Peachy as she turned them her back, holding on to her bouquet.

A sudden rustle arose as young mares and stallions alike got up from their seats. Celestia saw Peachy squeezing her eyes shut in concentration and then, with a large sweeping motion, throwing the bouquet wide over her shoulder.

A little too wide, it turned out. While the mill was rather spacious, built to process large volumes of sediment rock every day, its stone chamber was still not a gym, and so the projectile went into the ceiling and bounced off one of the supporting beams. In a blur of green, white, and orange, it dropped right onto Celestia.

She instinctively raised her hooves to protect her head and squinted her eyes shut. As she opened them again, she found in her outstretched hoof a bundle of white daisies and orange daylilies, arranged with wheatgrass in accordance to earth pony tradition. A bouquet as beautiful as it was delicious.

Every eye in the hall stared at her. It took the crowd a second to react, but then they started to cheer, almost as loud as they had for the pair of brides themselves. Even Peachy, who had spun around in confusion, now congratulated her. Hastily, Celestia threw the bouquet away into the crowd, where a pegasus caught it out of the air with a gleeful grin, but the damage was already done.

Of course, catching the bride’s bouquet was a silly old tradition, a fun part of the ceremony but almost bare any meaning. Nopony expected her to fulfill the promise it brought and be the next pony to get married. Still, she stood in shock, unable to do or say anything.

Golden finally woke her from her stasis by clearing her throat and announcing that the buffet was now open. Celestia managed an awkward shrug, before turning to leave the stage and follow the other guests downstairs.

The windmill was a popular wedding location these days, and thus well-prepared for such occasions. The old storage room had been turned into a dining hall, which was now swarmed by the chattering guests, settling around the small, round tables.

Celestia relaxed a little, even if her face still felt hot. Quickly her stomach won over, and she made her way through the small clusters of guests towards the long white tables that were set up on one side of the room.

The cooks had spared neither trouble nor expense – Celestia knew, for she was paying the bill. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables from all over the world had been arranged to playful shapes and patterns, which reminded more of Chineighse mandala than of salads. The scents of the warm meals teased Celestia’s nose: stewed carrots in wine sauce, hay crackling, stuffed paprika, baked potatoes with pumpkin spice …

In the end, Celestia had to take two plates at once, balancing them in the aura of her magic, to sample all of her favorites on the first go. It earned her a few looks, but they were amused rather than disapproving, which reminded her of why she was glad that none of the Canterlot nobles was invited. There was just castle staff and a few of Golden’s relatives – she was among family, as Peachy had put it.

Celestia searched herself a quiet spot on one of the unoccupied tables in the corner. It had been a while since she had last been speechless, she thought to herself while biting into an absolutely tender slice of medium rare zucchini. This was not like her. In her millennia, she had certainly done more embarrassing things than catching a bride’s bouquet.

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Its owner was a stallion with a thin mustache who stood before her, hinting a bow. “My Princess, you won’t mind if I join you.”

Almost choking on the carrot she had been chewing on, Celestia pressed out an “of course.”

She didn’t want him to sit with her, but she wouldn’t refuse, either, instead falling back behind the mask of politeness she had built up over the centuries. She was Princess Celestia of Equestria. Her discipline was as unshakable as the cycle of day and night.

“My name is …” he began, and Celestia stopped listening. He had to be part of Golden’s family, she thought. Maybe an uncle. She grabbed a potato and took a polite bit which pressed softly against her tongue, warming it and filling her mouth with the rich, sweet taste. She was almost done with her two plates.

“I believe it is not necessary I introduced myself,” she said when his word flow came to a pause, and he chuckled. This was not a joke, she thought as she smiled. You better believe that I will send you to the Moon if you do not shut up.

As she finished the potato, he went on about how glad he was that his niece had made it to such a prestigious position, and how he had always known that she would make it when everyone else had doubted her.

“And you will excuse my sister,” he added. “You understand that she is just worried about her daughter.”

“I understand,” Celestia said. She did understand that the sister in question had to be Golden’s mother, the same mare who had run away earlier. Now that she thought about it, she remembered Golden’s struggle in the first few months of her training. She would often appear with puffy eyes that betrayed her having cried, and when Celestia asked her if there was anything bothering her, she reluctantly told her that her mother didn’t want her to join the Guard, and in fact didn’t believe that she could make it. Only over time, as she worked her way up to the top of her regiment, had Golden learned to ignore her mother’s nagging.

“But,” the uncle said, finishing some anecdote that Celestia must have missed, “you never know about these things nowadays.”

Finding her plate empty she got up, glad that she had a reason to leave. “Quite. If you would please excuse me.”

As she went across the room, she realized how tired her body was from being held up to all these ponies. Her eyes wanted to fall shut, and her mouth twinged slightly, demanding a break from the smiles and pleasantries. Celestia went to search for the mares of the evening and congratulate them, as well as politely bid her farewell. She was certain that nopony would mind if she grabbed herself a slice of wedding cake on the go.

Reality, however, seemed to have different plans, because the brides were still busy accepting gifts and posing for photos, and Celestia did not have the heart to interrupt them on their special day. So she waited, trying her best not to gather the attention of the surrounding guests, which proved difficult given the fact that she was two heads taller than them, had an ethereally floating, polychromatic mane, and wore her precious golden regalia.

“Your Highness,” said a mare who was waiting for her turn to present her gift to the couple. Again, it was one of Golden’s relatives. Of course it was, Celestia thought. The staff knew better than to annoy her like this.

“Your Highness,” she said again, not really seeming to know what she wanted to convey. “It is such an honor to know that Miss Banner is allowed to work for you.”

“Aha?”

A slight rustle went through the mare’s nose. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason why the lucky mares were not allowed to hold their ceremony in Canterlot Castle?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “They would have been welcome to. Serving my sister and me with such dedication more than earned them the special honor.”

“Really? Why are we here, then?”

“They just liked it better,” Celestia said. “Which I can completely understand. The castle is their workplace, you should not forget. I would not want it to be the venue for my wedding either.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, you’re right. I didn’t think about it this way.”

Deciding that she wasn’t as bad as the uncle, Celestia decided to give the mare a genuine smile. “If I were to get married, I would choose a place far distant, somewhere away from all the public attention. The top of a mountain, a shady grove, or some place else like that.”

Before her appeared the vision of the oasis from her dreams. Wind shook the heads of the palm trees that grew over the white walls, and its whistling mixed with the bubbling of water.

“Nice and private,” she whispered. She wished she were there, in her secret little paradise. Just her and Luna and a lazy afternoon.

“That sounds, um, nice?” the mare offered, jerking Celestia back into reality. “I would prefer a more glamorous setting personally but, you know what they say, to each their own.”

“Not that I will get married,” Celestia said quickly. “So in any case it’s not more than a speculative thought.”

The mare giggled. “Are you sure? After all you did catch the bouquet.”

“So I did.” Celestia looked over to the brides, who were taking a group photo with a few of the chamber maids, laughing as they tried to outdo each other with questionable poses. The queue was getting shorter, but there were still three ponies in front of her.

“Princess,” said a voice behind her, and, without looking, Celestia knew that it belonged to the uncle. She sighed quietly before turning around to face him.

“I wanted to be so bold,” he said, “and ask if you will share the first dance with me.”

“Excuse me,” Celestia huffed, “I am talking to this Miss.”

The stallion did not seem intimidated the slightest. “Give me an answer, and I will be on my way.”

The temperature in the room climbed by a few degrees as Celestia replied. “How about instead you leave immediately?”

He was about to say something, but Celestia shot him a glare that made him change his mind. Sparks flew from the corner of her eyes, leaving black spots on the wooden floor.

She tried to get a hold of herself. This was not good. The surrounding ponies stared at her.

“Are you alright?” Peachy asked hesitantly. All color had left her face, and Celestia realized that even her loyal maid, in all the years, had never seen her like this.

Was she alright? That was a good question indeed.

The silence was broken by a distant muttering that came from outside. They turned around, and a second later the door burst open.

In the entrance appeared a griffin, crest feathers angrily protruding from her head. The ones among the guests who were Royal Guards stepped in between her and Celestia in a loose protective formation.

“There you are, Princess,” the griffin bellowed. Golden Banner fondled with the straps of her dress, as it drastically would impair her movement in combat. But Celestia knew the intruder: it was ambassador Perr. What she was upset about, though, she had no idea.

And, whatever it was, why did it have to come up now of all times?

“I’m sick of being treated like this,” the ambassador bellowed. “I’ve been waiting for over an hour!”

Celestia forced herself to keep her voice calm. “What in Equestria are you talking about?”

“Our meeting was scheduled for three o’clock today. But I see that amusing yourself is more important to you than international relations.”

Celestia wondered how many more appointments there were that she didn’t know about. She groaned in agony. Did she have to do everything on her own?

“Can you come back tomorrow?” she asked, no longer able to prevent her voice from slipping. “I am sure that whatever it is you wanted to talk about can wait.”

Perr ruffled her chest, fluffing out her feathers in protest. “If this is how you treat the history of my people, I shall write to the council and see to it that the invitation is canceled.”

With that, the griffin turned around and flew off.

“Rude,” Golden commented. But Celestia didn’t wait to see everypony else’s reactions. She teleported out of the hall, as far as she could reach, and flew back to the castle.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes after she had arrived in her room before a shy knock appeared at her door. Celestia knew who it was. Wordlessly, she reached out with her magic and opened the door to let Peachy Sweet enter, who immediately rushed to Celestia’s side.

“You should get back to your bride,” Celestia said. “I do not wish to ruin this even more for you.”

As if on cue, there was another knock, more demanding this time, and Golden Banner stormed in through the still-open door. “Can you maybe not run off like that?”

“Goldie, please,” Peachy tried to appease her, “now’s not the time.”

Golden huffed, clearly not happy with that answer. “Not the time, huh? Well, excuse me for barging in, just wanted to see what my wife is up to on the day of our wedding.”

Peachy opened her mouth, but didn’t bring out any words.

“Oh yeah, how could I forget,” Golden said. “It’s always about her, isn’t it?”

“Please …”

“You should hear yourself talking sometimes. The Princess this, the Princess that. Are you sure you married the right pony?”

Celestia backed off from them. She could have said something, but with today’s luck she was afraid of making things worse.

“Are you … are you jealous?” Peachy asked.

“No!” Golden turned away, looking at the wall. “I mean, maybe. Do you know how it feels being left behind on your own wedding?”

Peachy leaned forwards to bump her nose. “We talked about this.”

“I know, I know. Anyway, I told Minty and Star to handle the guests for us until we come back, but I suggest we don’t take too long.”

Only now she seemed to remember that Celestia was present, and sighed. “I’m sorry Princess. I didn’t mean to snap like this, and I certainly am not blaming you.”

“You have every right to,” Celestia said. “I can assure you, however, that you need not fear. I have never had an affair with any of my subjects in the millennia that I have lived, and that is certainly not changing now.”

“I didn’t mean to imply –” Golden sunk her head. “It’s just been a pretty exhausting day.”

“For you and me both, Golden Banner, for you and me both.”

“You know that I am doing what is in my power to serve and protect you.” Golden looked at Peachy for support, who took her hoof. “We’ll always be here for you, both of us. Even today, if there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“There is one thing,” Celestia said. “Could you have somepony bring me a slice of the cake? I’m afraid that, in all the hurry, I wasn’t able to taste it.”

The mares laughed, and it was good to hear. “Of course, Princess.”

“Now go and enjoy your day,” Celestia concluded. “And your night.”

Golden walked away, dragging a blushing Peachy with her. “Sure will.”

Celestia looked after them, letting her head sink back onto her forelegs. She should probably be flattered that such a young mare was getting territorial because of her. But instead she just felt tired, and lost.

It was true, she could never be in a relationship with a pony whose lifespan was like that of a fly compared to hers. How could she? They would always be like children in her eyes. Nopony had gone through the same that she had.

Nopony, except one. And that was bad enough. Luna could never be to her what Peachy was to Golden. Celestia couldn’t ask her to.

She really needed that cake.

On the night from Thursday to Friday, Celestia dreamed about cake, taxes, and impertinent uncles, but not about Luna. It was the same the next night and the night after that. Each morning she woke up a little more disappointed.

Her days were not any better. She invested a lot of resources into apologizing to ambassador Perr and trying to resolve the mess she had made, as well as catching up with the everyday madness that was leading a country. The worst was that she didn’t get to see Luna. It was a silly notion, because her sister was right there, but every time she looked at her Celestia’s chest tightened, and a physical ache spread from her heart all over her body. So she made excuses to avoid her.

She missed the Luna of her dreams. She missed the Luna who would hold her when she was scared and kiss her when she was lonely, because she was both.

Sunday morning was no different. Celestia had spent the past evening hunched over her desk until late in the night, trying get some of the work done that was left over from the past week. The view outside did not do much to ease her mood, as the sky was muddied with a layer of altostratus.

She had just finished raising the Sun when somepony knocked on her door. Who could that be, this early in the morning? Celestia blinked a few times, trying to get her eyes to cooperate. “Yes?”

“Sister? Are you available for a minute?”

Upon hearing Luna’s voice Celestia frowned, but still she opened the door.

“I was about to …” she began, but the determined look on Luna’s face made her stop. “How can I help you?”

Her sister entered the room, stopping in front of the door. Celestia could see that she was gathering all her courage to speak up to her. “You did not show up to breakfast for half of the week, you rarely talk to me, and your lights are on long past midnight.”

When Celestia didn’t answer, gentle hoofsteps clacked on the floor.

“Please, tell me what is wrong.”

“It’s just one of those weeks,” Celestia insisted, backing away. “Nothing is wrong.”

“I can tell there is.” Luna kept closing in, careful, as if approaching a wounded animal. “Did we not make a promise, when I returned from my exile, to stop withholding things like these from each other?”

“You don’t understand.”

“I think I do,” Luna said with sadness in her voice. “I have been through this. The feeling of being alone. Of nopony understanding.”

Somewhere in the back of her head, Celestia wondered whether this was what had happened to Luna a thousand years ago.

“But you showed me that it was not true,” Luna said. “The Elements might have destroyed my nightmare form, but it was your kindness and understanding that allowed me to heal, to become myself again.” She stopped in front of her. “So please let me help you now.”

Celestia shivered. Luna’s presence was like a tidal force, pulling her forwards into her hooves. But no matter how easy it would be, she couldn’t give in to it. If she allowed her feelings to take over now, she feared, she would never be free of them.

“You can help me by going away,” Celestia said. She didn’t see Luna’s disbelieving stare, but felt it all too well, burning on her forehead.

She snapped. “Just leave me alone!”

She did not mean to, but the words jumped right out of her mouth. The tears crawling out of her eyes vaporized into steam.

Luna backed away, and Celestia could not tell whether it was in compliance or fear.

“If you need me, you know where to find me,” Luna said quietly. “I love you, sister. No matter what happens. I hope that you know that.”

And then she left. Celestia sunk onto the floor, disappointed that Luna had not stayed and fought her. Fought like they had a thousand years ago. It would be easier than seeing her walk off with droopy ears and pretend that it did not cut her heart right open.

She noticed the prints of her own hooves burning themselves into the floor and wondered whether the cleaning staff would be able to get them off somehow. She should go after Luna and apologize, a remaining rational part of her brain thought. But at the same time she could not think of anything worse.

That night, Celestia cried herself to sleep. “Luna,” she whispered, pleaded.

Unbeknownst to her, she was heard.

Comments

[Feenkatze]

7679795 Well, it appears she is not

7687719 That's okay.

7687748 So was Celestia

[mrvash]

Are the dreams memories or just dreams?