Prim Rose's Redemption

by Hope

Chapter 7

The banners on the wall were gold and white, and there were mage-lights set into the wall every pony length, keeping the hallways brightly lit despite the dark sky of stars and moon overhead, through the skylights.

Every door was guarded by the Solar guards, white coated and blue maned with golden armor. They watched Prim walk by with suspicious gazes, and clutched their spears a little closer as she passed.

It was shocking how it felt like a completely different castle. Like a place she was unwelcome, while the Lunar wing at least felt like it was accepting of her presence.

“I hath been requested to meet with Her Royal Highness,” Prim said to the guards that stood at the end of the hall, on either side of the great pale-wood and gold decorated doors that led to Princess Celestia’s private chambers, assuming that this wing of the castle mirrored it’s twin.

The guards looked to eachother, before one of them stepped up closer to Prim. He was a stallion, and nearly scowled as he lifted up her cloak.

“Remove thy bags, we shall watch them.”

Prim narrowed her gaze. She was being treated as a commoner, a possible threat. She knew that. She also knew that this was her new home and that she couldn’t be making more enemies. Especially since a noble was likely to complain that she’d assaulted her.

Prim removed her bags and allowed the guard to take them.

He then set them aside and knocked on the door three times. After a moment, the door opened a little, and Golden Sparkle peered out, smiling as she caught sight of Prim Rose.

“Ah, Ms. Rose, please, join us.”

Prim slipped inside after Sparkle, and bowed to Princess Celestia as Sparkle closed the door behind her. Prim’s eyes briefly darted to the door, very conscious of her status and the plan that apparently Princess Celestia had been privy to, of pushing a spy or alienist into her position to “evaluate” Princess Luna. The door closing was a normal state of affairs for a meeting with royalty, but Prim felt more trapped than she was comfortable with.

“Rise,” Princess Celestia said, allowing Prim to stand from her bow.

Prim stood, and when Sparkle gestured to a cushion that would be to the side of where the castilian sat, and facing Princess Celestia.

The princess was by far the most imposing figure that Prim had ever witnessed. Even sitting on the same level as Prim, she was twice as tall. Her horn was nearly as long as Prim’s leg, and her wings looked like they could likely spread wide enough for four ponies to stand under each of them. In addition, Princess Celestia’s flawless white coat made her seem as though she glowed slightly, and her crown glittered in the light of the crystals set into a chandelier hanging above them. Her expression was careful, and did not betray any emotion. Though she seemed to be amused, it seemed to be a static expression. The slight upturn of her lips, the straightness of her neck, and slight lidding of her eyes combined with her gently flowing mane to make her appear impossibly calm.

“Golden had just been telling us of thy energetic acceptance of thy new post,” Princess Celestia stated.

She shifted slightly, to face Prim a little more. Her horn lit up in a gold that made Prim’s magic look like a muddy yellow, and a teacup rose up for the princess to sip from. It was a clear sign that she was done speaking, and wished for Prim to speak. But Prim did not know what to say.

“I… wish to do this work well,” Prim said cautiously.

Princess Celestia’s smile grew slightly, as though she’d known exactly what Prim would say. She set her cup down and turned her gaze back to Prim.

“There are a myriad ways to serve a post well. In this new position, dost thou seek to assist our sister in her struggles with the nobility?”

Prim’s giggle, that she failed to stifle, got both Sparkle and Princess Celestia to stare at her, confused.

“My apologies, your Royal Highness. But I had just returned from the public baths of the Wilds, wherein a mare named Filigree accosted me. I had responded by forcing her head below the water to wet her carefully curled mane. I do not believe I shall have any great skill in dealings with the nobility. Certainly, I do not presume I wouldst know much more than her Highness.”

Sparkle looked scandalized, but Princess Celestia’s stunned expression slowly relaxed into a bit of a smile.

“Well, we shall see to it that she does not harass thee again, Prim Rose.”

“It is much appreciated, your Highness,” Prim said with a slight nod of her head.

“On the subject of thy post itself,” Princess Celestia continued, her smile fading quickly. “Golden hath informed us that thou wert told of our desire to employ an Alienist as Chamberlain. But no explanation of why such a thing would be done has been offered to thee. Dost thou wish for an explanation?”

Prim contemplated the question, looking to Golden Sparkle, who seemed nervous. She then looked back to Princess Celestia, who met her gaze without hesitation. Prim looked down at the floor so she wouldn’t be forced to match gazes with the Princess. She did not want to become further embroiled in the plot she’d been informed of. She did not appreciate the lies and trickery at play, and was tempted to say no just to firmly excuse herself from the whole mess. But her curiosity won out.

“Yes.”

Princess Celestia shifted slightly, but Prim didn’t look up to see what she was doing.

“Our sister makes no allies among the nobility, but there is no requirement that she do so. However, the nobility hath begun to wage a silent war against her.”

Prim looked up in shock as a scroll was unrolled on the floor in front of her. It began with a list of names. Filigree was in the list, among many others. The list was then followed by a declaration. They were all nobles that paid their taxes to Princess Luna, not Princess Celestia. But the declaration was clear in it’s intent. To neuter the Lunar court by transferring loyalty of many cities and duchies to the Solar court, completely removing their taxes from Princess Luna’s coffers. It would effectively mean a slow death for the Lunar court, and inevitably lead to the transference of Equestria from a Diarchy to a Monarchy.

Prim did not have to guess at any of the potential causes, the intent and goals of the declaration were spelled out in detail, as well as the justification.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, is not of sound mind, and no longer serves to further the prosperity and growth of Equestria. With her unwillingness to meet with nobility, and scorn for the wealthy, she threatens the stability of our great nation, and in effect serves to weaken the bond between the three races. Thus, her prior immunity to prosecution as an alicorn is null and void.”

Prim Rose read it all and then looked up to Princess Celestia, almost wishing the Princess of the sun would tell her it was not true, that such machinations and scheming could not be real. But her somber expression did not change.

The scroll was rolled up, and tucked away.

“They are wrong,” Prim said with a surge of conviction. “We all must seek to prove that they are wrong.”

“Thus we are all in agreement,” Princess Celestia said, her voice more gentle, almost as though she was speaking to a frightened foal. “Proving that our dear sister is still fit for rule, and deserving of her status as an alicorn is not a simple thing. Her mental state must be assessed as being stable enough to lead, she must become willing to hear out the nobility and at times accept their views. Luna must begin acting befitting her station, or we shall be unable to save her from this legal assault.”

Prim hesitated, the tasks laid down before her were vast and complex, and they all stank of deception and forced actions, as though Princess Luna were a filly being led to water and being made to drink.

“Hath she not been informed? Spoken to of this… plot?”

Princess Celestia remained composed, but Golden Sparkle sighed, and shook her head.

“Thee may not have experienced it personally as of yet, Prim, but Princess Luna is well known for her anger, and for her fierce independence. Bringing this to her attention may only serve to further drive her away, and worsen the problem.”

Prim ground her teeth together, looking back at the floor. It all felt wrong, as though she was being cornered, but there was nothing she could do to see a way out of the predicament.

“We only ask for thee to refrain from mentioning this to our sister, and to contemplate assisting us in the future. To do such a thing may yet save her, and bring her back to her rightful position in the eyes of our ponies.”

“I shall keep this secret,” Prim agreed as she stood. “But more… I cannot yet say.”

Princess Celestia nodded to Prim and gestured to Sparkle, who stood and went to the door, opening it for Prim. As Prim approached the door, though, Princess Celestia spoke again.

“We do hope that thou shalt remain in thy post for years to come, Prim Rose.”

Prim turned back and bowed low.

“Thank you, your Highness,” she said, before turning and leaving.

The guards gave her back her bags, and she walked in a daze back to the great hall. Before she entered the vast room though, she heard talking. She stopped just before the exit of the hallway and peered out to observe what was happening.

Princess Luna was sitting on her throne, but she looked different. Her steely gaze had softened, and she was smiling a little. Down on the floor in front of the stairs that led up to her there were two unicorn mares and a young pegasus colt.

“It is quite brave of you both to come to us. That bravery shall serve thee well in a world as tumultuous as ours,” Princess Luna was saying as one of her scribes was writing on a scroll next to her.

“Thank you, your Highness… We did not know whether… Whether thou wouldst approve,” one of the mares said nervously.

“Family is incredibly important to us,” Princess Luna said somberly. “Equestria was founded upon the grounds of friendship and love for our fellow ponies. Family is one form of it, and though the nobility is reluctant to embrace relationships they do not recognize, we shall not fall to the same hubris. The love between mares is familiar to us, and we shall only seek to encourage the growth of thy family to include young Pine Needle. Truly, if a child is in need of a home and a home has a door open to them, what ruler wouldst prevent such a family from coming together?”

Princess Luna seemed pleased with her speech and turned to her scribe, who had finished writing whatever he’d been working on. A little pounce was brushed across the scroll and then Princess Luna took the scroll up in her magic, examining it.

“This is sufficient. We are here this night, by the power of the throne of the Lunar court of Equestria, to fully recognize the emotional and legal bond of love between Windy Pine and Bright Lantern. From hereon, they shalt be recognized as a wed couple under the laws of our land. In this act, we welcome the recognition of Bright Lantern as mother to Pine Needle, in joint custody with Windy Pine. So it is written, so I declare.”

Princess Luna signed the bottom of the paper, not with a pen but with raw magic. A glowing crescent moon embossed itself upon the scroll, and it remained shimmering once she was done. She then passed it back to her scribe.

“Two copies shall be provided to thee so none may question our ruling on this night.”

Princess Luna then stood and walked down the flight of stairs, to embrace the small family in the sweep of her wings.

“Fare thee well, mine little ponies. May thy dreams be ever full of wonder,” Princess Luna said as she released them.

The adults bowed low, and seemed unable to stop smiling as they led their son out of the great hall and into the night.

The princess was quiet for a moment, watching them leave as her mane wafted in the invisible wind created by magic itself. Her mane was full of stars, and was much like a night sky, just before the sun would rise. A deep blue with constellations adrift within. For that moment, Prim just gazed into that section of the night sky brought to act as a mane.

“Come to our side, Prim Rose.”

Prim stepped out of the hallway and up next to her princess, sitting with her and looking out the huge open doors into the courtyard, with the night sky above.

“Was thy meeting with our sister enlightening?”

Prim nodded and looked up to her Princess. Luna slouched slightly, and seemed less tall despite being the same height and build as her sister. She showed her sorrow and frustration on her face without any attempt to mask it. She met Prim’s gaze with curiosity.

“Wouldst the topic of said meeting happen to be ourself?”

Again, Prim nodded.

“Our sister did not swear you to silence, did she? Twould be a most inconvenient thing,” Princess Luna said with a faint smile as she looked back out to the courtyard. “It is much preferred to have a chamberlain who can speak, though we would gladly accommodate such an inability.”

“She… did not,” Prim said as she resumed copying Luna’s stance. “It was a matter of procedure.”

Princess Luna rolled her eyes and stood, walking back up to her throne. Prim hesitated at the base of the stairs, but Luna tapped the floor next to her, prompting her to ascend and sit just beside Princess Luna, and slightly back from her throne.

“Let us hazard a guess. Our sister does not approve of the way that we handle the nobility and the spoiled fools that hoard gold like dying dragons? She has reservations about our schedule perhaps? Or she wishes for us to avail ourselves the services of an alienist?”

“I d-don’t really think that… I suppose that--”

Princess Luna turned her gaze upon Prim, and the unicorn shrunk back from the fury that had appeared in such a brief moment.

“Do not lie to us. If thou shalt be unable to answer a question, state thy inability. We shall suffer no trickery or gentle dissuasion.”

“I swore not to speak of the details,” Prim whispered, her head hung low.

Princess Luna shifted, and when Prim looked up, the alicorn was facing the doors again.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you truly regretted thy actions, thou wouldst not have sworn to them at all. Proceed on from it, we wish to discuss it no longer. What progress hast thou made in acclimating to thy post?”

Prim closed her eyes and tried to slow her pounding heart. She felt as though she had just been dragged across the great hall by her tail, and the shame burned through her. But she gradually recovered to reply.

“The treasurer wishes to hear from thee, your Highness, before dispensing large sums to me, in order to pay thy staff.”

Princess Luna raised a hoof, and a servant stepped closer from the shadows behind the throne.

“Summon the treasurer.”

The servant bowed and slipped away into a hidden passage, and the Princess gestured to Prim to continue.

“I hath noticed no scribes among thy retinue. Though… I see that you have scribes of a sort…”

Prim saw Princess Luna smile a little.

“Oh so subtle. No, we shall not employ scribes that may be required to provide copies of what we say or do to the nobility. Was that the subject of thy secret meeting?”

Prim bristled, and stepped forward to face the Princess, fighting to keep her frown from becoming a scowl.

“No. It was not. I was simply concerned a position was unfilled, your Highness. Despite the meeting with Princess Celestia, I have no intention of deceiving or guiding thee!”

This time, when Princess Luna met Prim’s gaze, she did not flinch away or cower. She recalled the rebellious nature she’d held onto during her first encounter with the Princesses, and she met Princess Luna’s glare with her own. Gradually, Princess Luna seemed to cool, and gestured for Prim to return to her side. Prim did so without hesitation.

“We maintain a private group of scribes which serve us without question. Loyalty is very important to us. No official scribes are necessary.”

Prim nodded and pulled out her scroll, crossing the issue off her list entirely.

“Those were the issues of immediate concern, although…”

Princess Luna did not speak or move, letting Prim stew in her indecision for a moment before she finally continued her sentence.

“I believe that I may have assaulted a member of the nobility.”

Every member of the Lunar retinue seemed to turn to face Prim at once. Princess Luna, two unofficial scribes, four night guards, two mares in waiting, and two servants all looked at Prim in surprise, prompting the unicorn to cower behind her scroll.

“You… believe? Art thou unsure what assault is?” Princess Luna asked incredulously.

“Twas a brief thing… I simply applied a bit of pressure to the back of Filigree’s head while she was sitting in the bath.”

“Thou hast tried to drown her?!” Princess Luna asked, though despite her shocked tone she seemed to be smiling quite a bit more than Prim had expected.

“No! No, not at all, your Highness. I simply… encouraged her to take a brief dip to wet her mane.”

Prim’s cheeks grew redder and redder, making her already rosy coat seem to glow as Princess Luna began to laugh, shaking her head as her retinue struggled not to follow her in mirth.

“Princess Celestia did not seem overtly concerned!” Prim added frantically.

Princess Luna reached out with her magic and pulled Prim closer, before wrapping her in a wing.

“Calm, calm, little Rose. Oh what a wondrous thing to find a chamberlain that shares our distaste for Fine Filigree and her pompous ilk. I believe… we may yet become fast friends with thee.”

Prim, despite her embarrassment and confusion, managed a smile and quiet chuckle at her own expense, as she silently wondered at the sudden comfort of being embraced by her princess, both figuratively and literally.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Why did you delete Redemption in Moonlight?

[Hope]

8386268
I received quite critical comments on the story, very few positive reviews, and the most critical thing was that the critical comments were right. They criticized my characterization and the plot, and after sitting back and examining my work, I realized that they were correct, and the story wasn't heading where I wanted it to, and it wasn't written in the style and quality I enjoy writing. So, a bit emotional over the whole thing, I deleted it instead of just putting it on hiatus and writing this one instead.

This story fits all the things I realized were missing before. It's focused on a character I can write easily, it explores emotional drama without as much grand theater (I don't need to blow up a castle to make an emotionally impactful scene), and I enjoy writing it which means it ends up better. I've already written 18 chapters, I'm just releasing them slowly to give me more time to write the next chapters.

[CommanderApplejack]

that interaction about that noble is amazing.