• Published 11th Sep 2012
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Cry for Eternity - asylum1388



After Celestia's death, Twilight must take on a role she is woefully underprepared for.

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Chapter 26

Author's Note:

I'm proud of this chapter, 'nuff said.

Also: Everfree Northwest has just stopped accepting stories for our pre-con fanfic contest. Keep an eye out for winners in the near future!

Finally: unlike the last one, this chapter contains no commentary on current events. Anything you see is coincidental.


GO HERE!

Pre-readers: PiquoPie, and f0xhole.

Twenty-one years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight sat gazing out of her office window over the sunny gardens of her castle, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Things had been going so well. While many pegasi still felt marginalized, many more were pleased with the progress that had been made so far and the secessionist movement had deflated significantly. The unicorns, on the other hoof, had been pleasantly surprised at how well the new generation of earth ponies had integrated into their workforce; combining a quality education with an earth pony’s stamina, work ethic, and pride in a job well done had proven more than effective. There was still a lot to be done to truly bring unity to Equestria, but it was no longer tearing itself apart.

Unfortunately, like all of her other social engineering projects of the past two decades, her solution to one problem had created and exacerbated another. The money pumped into Equestria’s earth pony communities had given a taste of wealth to a group of citizens who had never had it before, and the results were... less than optimal.

Next to her sat the pile of papers that was causing her distress: a list of grievances against the Duke of Northhold, signed by thousands of Northhold’s residents. Allegations of criminal behavior and gross abuse of his authority.

As his citizens got wealthier, the Duke had demanded larger and larger pieces of the pie, and had begun using harsher and more brutal methods to get it. With Equestria’s central government focused as it was on caring for the pegasi, the quasi-dictatorship had gone unnoticed for a disturbingly long time. Now, he had effectively become a tyrant, ruling his duchy with an iron hoof and treating his subjects like they were his property.

And worst of all: he had done it on Twilight’s watch. Now, things had finally reached the breaking point.

She heard the door open and close behind her and knew immediately who it was. “I’m listening.”

“The rumors are all true,” Sunshower mumbled. She walked up to Twilight and sat down next to her “Duke Stonebreaker tried to force some poor mare who couldn’t pay her taxes to marry him. He even had her real husband jailed and declared their marriage invalid.”

Twilight groaned and hung her head. “What’s happening now?”

“I’ve been told that she escaped and took refuge with Count Balanced Scales. Her husband is still imprisoned though, but my spies tell me he’s being treated well,” Sunshower said, gently laying a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t your fault. You did everything you could short of imprisoning the Duke yourself.”

“It might not be my fault, but it is my responsibility. Come, I’m tired of this twisted game he’s been playing with me,” Twilight grunted. She stood up, shooting one last glare over the gardens and turned around, stomping out into the hallway with Sunshower close behind. She glanced in each direction before calling out, “Helga, are you here?”

A young gryphon poked her head around a nearby corner. “Yes, Princess, I’m here.”

“Oh, good, I was afraid that you might have finished with this hallway already,” Twilight said, softening her expression and approaching the maid. “Listen, can you go get my nephew and ask him to meet me at the pond? Tell him I have something urgent to discuss with him.”

“Yes, Princess. Right away!” the gryphon said with a bow and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Helga?”

She stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. “Yes, Your Highness?

“Relax. You’ve been doing a great job.”

Helga blinked at her with a bewildered stare. “I have? B-but the other maids said-”

“Ignore what the other maids say about you,” Twilight interrupted. “When it comes to your job, there’s only one pony around here whose opinion matters.”

“Yours?”

“Mine. And I say that you’re doing fine,” Twilight said with a wink. Helga nodded happily and jogged off, leaving Twilight and Sunshower heading in the opposite direction.

“So I assume you’d like me to write up an arrest warrant for Stonebreaker?” Sunshower asked.

“Yes, for the attempted kidnapping of that poor mare; we can add on the rest of the charges when we send him to court. That won’t be the only thing I need from you, though,” Twilight muttered.

Sunshower stopped and retrieved a clipboard and quill from her saddlebags and took off into the air, hovering next to Twilight as the Princess walked. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“First, write to our Lupine Embassy and tell Luna everything. Tell her that I think this is going to get much worse and ask her to come home. After that, write to the Crystal City and ask my brother to send a company of Crystal Guards to Eastdale. Then write to Balanced Scales; send him the warrant and tell him to gather his men and march on Northhold once the Crystal Guard has arrived to back him up. Once he’s there, he’s to present the Duke with the arrest warrant and demand his surrender. Hopefully, he’ll come peacefully. If not...” Twilight trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I-if not, I’m authorizing the use of force.”

“A full company of C.G.s seems like a little much. Trying to intimidate the Duke into surrendering?” Sunshower asked softly.

“Exactly,” Twilight grunted.

“Luckily the Duke’s castle is far enough away from any towns so we don’t have to worry about civilians being hurt in the siege,” Sunshower murmured.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take hostages,” Twilight retorted. “Tell both the Count and my brother to be discreet until they’re too close for the Duke to react.”

“Got it.”

“After that, draft and fill out the forms necessary for me to appoint a regent in the Duke’s place and have the Prime Minister sign it. I won’t have Stonebreaker appointing his own,” Twilight said, her wings twitching with agitation.

“Next?”

“Next, draft the paperwork needed to revoke the duchy of Northhold and the paperwork I’d need to revoke all of his titles and holdings,” Twilight said as they came to the door leading to the gardens.

“Isn’t that, uhhhh, redundant? Revoking all his titles would take away the duchy too,” Sunshower asked. “And doesn’t he need to go to trial before you can do that?”

“True and true, but I don’t know which one of those I’m going to need, and regardless I’d like to have the forms ready to be stamped by the judge as soon as the trial is over,” Twilight explained. “The sooner we get Northhold into good hooves, the sooner we can start to fix the damage Stonebreaker’s done.”

“Oh, makes sense!” Sunshower smirked, writing down Twilight’s orders. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. If you think of anything I missed, just do it. You don’t need to ask me,” Twilight said with an attempt at a smile.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll have the warrant, the letter to Shining Armor, and the regency papers done in an hour, then I’ll get to work on the rest. We won’t let him get away with all he’s done. One way or another, it’ll be over soon!” Sunshower said with a bravado reminiscent of Rainbow Dash.

“You really can find a bright side to everything, can’t you?” Twilight said, cracking her first real smile in days.

“Yeah! Who knew just how handy a talent like mine would be in this job?” Sunshower asked with a wink. She gave one hard flap of her wings, lifting higher into the air, and took off down the hallway.

Twilight chuckled and continued out into the gardens. She quickly made for the nearest tree to shelter herself from the summer sun. She strolled along the shaded garden paths, enjoying the mild humidity, breathing in deeply. When she finally reached the pond, she trotted over to its edge and flopped down in the grass.

This had become her favorite spot in the castle. The quiet serenity of the gardens seemed to be even more prevalent next to the rocky pool, and she had spent countless hours just sitting and enjoying the silence. Sometimes she’d lay there alone with nothing but the sun or the moon for company, other times Luna would join her and they would snuggle silently on the shore.

She gazed into the water, immediately noticing the bags under her eyes. It had been days since she had properly slept, her nights fraught with worry for the ponies of Northhold. Even her magically-preserved youth wasn’t enough to mask the exhaustion in her face. She slipped one of her golden shoes off and dipped her hoof into the cool water. She dipped her hoof in a few more times, smiling to herself as she watched the ripples roll their way across the water’s surface and bounce off of the rocks on the far side of the pond.

She had just begun swirling the water around with her hoof when she heard soft hoofbeat behind her. She turned around and smiled at the handsome stallion approaching her. “Hello, Dusk.”

“You wanted to see me, Princess Tw-” he stopped speaking as she shot a disapproving glare at him. “Aunt Twilight?”

“That’s better,” she muttered. She patted the grass next to her, so he trotted up and lay down. She gave him a hard stare, trying to find her voice in light of everything that had happened. “Dusk, have you- Did you... What have you heard about recent events in Northhold?”

He blanched, obviously not expecting their conversation to start like that. “Just... rumors. You know I don’t place much stock in them.”

“Which rumors? Be specific,” Twilight instructed.

“Property confiscations, unreasonably harsh sentences for minor crimes, cripplingly high taxes... corporal punishments; that type of thing,” he said softly.

“It’s true. All of it. Lately, however, Stonebreaker’s gotten more brazen. His most recent crime was trying to force a young mare into marrying him,” Twilight muttered. She caught the horrified expression on his face out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “Don’t worry, she escaped. As we speak, Sunshower is drafting an arrest warrant for the Duke. He’ll be stripped of his titles and made to answer for his crimes.”

“Good,” Dusk said shortly. “If all that really is true, then his actions were... vile.”

“We are agreed. Personally I think I should’ve addressed this as soon as it came to light instead of hoping that sanctions would turn his behavior around, but that is neither here nor there. What’s truly important is repairing the damage done to Northhold and its ponies,” Twilight said. She turned to her nephew to look him in the eyes. “To that end, I’m landing you.”

Dusk gave her a stunned stare. “W-wait, me? You want me to... No way! I am not ready for that.”

“Dusk, the ponies of Northhold are hurting and probably think that Canterlot has abandoned them. I need somepony who has enough charisma to inspire them to follow him, yet is humble enough to ask for help as soon as he needs it and not wait until things have gotten out of control. Out of all the ponies in my court, you fit that description best. You’re the only one I trust to get this right,” Twilight replied pleadingly. “I didn’t think I was ready to become a Princess when Celestia died. Heck, I thought she was crazy for putting me on the throne, but I trusted her and you know what? She was right, I was ready. Now I’m telling you: I know you can do it.”

“Can’t you just make him abdicate?” Dusk squawked. “His son is ten years older than I am, he could probably do it!”

“I’ve met Stonebreaker’s son several times; he’s an arrogant little jerk with an ego as big as his father’s. I can’t put him in charge,” Twilight said.

“B-but I... I’m not...”

She took his hoof in both of hers, squeezing it tight. “I’m not doing this as a favor to you or as a reward. I need your help, Dusk. Please?”

Dusk choked on his words as his rebuttal died in his throat. He tore his gaze away from Twilight’s, staring at the ground. He remained silent for a long time, and Twilight kept quiet, allowing him to be alone with his thoughts. Finally, he lifted his head and heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay.”

“Oh, thank you!” she squealed, hugging him with one hoof. “You won’t be alone in this. I’ll make sure you have all the resources you need to succeed.”

“I know. You always do,” he replied softly. “What happens now?”

“Well, once Sunshower’s finished with the warrant, I’ll send it via courier to Eastdale and a letter to your father asking him to provide the Count with backup. After that their combined forces will march on Northhold castle and hopefully he’ll surrender without a fight,” Twilight said shaking her head skeptically.

“You don’t think he will?” Dusk asked uncertainly.

“I don’t know. That’s what scares me most,” Twilight confessed. “Either way, I’ll be sending you up to Eastdale tomorrow with papers declaring you Northhold’s regent while we put the Duke on trial. You’re to stay there until the Duke has been arrested and order has been restored. After that we’ll find somewhere in Northhold for you to stay and a spot for you to set up a temporary office for the duration of the trial. What happens after that depends on him. If he comes quietly, I’ll charge him with malicious abuse of authority and revoke the Duchy, pass it to you, and the rest of his property will go to his son. If he resists, I’ll add treason as a charge and confiscate his holdings as well. Once the trial’s over, you’ll get the Duchy, and either you or his son will get his castle.”

“Okay. That sounds good.”

“Dusk, listen to me,” Twilight said firmly, turning his head towards her to look him directly in the eyes. “You. Are. To. Stay. In. Eastdale. You’re brave, but you’re not a soldier like your father. You’re a scholar; like me. This is far too important for you to risk getting hurt, or worse, captured by the Duke. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dusk said with a nod.

“Good. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of all this,” Twilight muttered. Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it any nodded. “So... Any questions?”

“Two,” Dusk said after a short, thoughtful pause.

“Okay, shoot.”

“How’s succession going to work? I’m heir to the Crystal City. I know I’m probably not going to outlive mom, but couldn’t that still cause problems?” he asked quietly.

“That is entirely between you and your parents, I’m not getting involved. Whatever you want to do it is fine by me,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “If I were you, I’d just make sure to have at least two foals so you could pass your inheritances to the two oldest. But again, not my decision.”

“Why so hooves-off all of a sudden?” Dusk asked with a raised eyebrow

“The nobles get really mad when I get involved in succession. We’ve got enough problems right now without having to worry about them,” Twilight replied quickly. “Next question?”

“Where am I going to live if he comes quietly?” Dusk asked with a mischievous smirk.

Twilight tried to stuffle her laughter, but only ended up snorting and laughing harder as a result. “If that... If that happens, we’ll build you a new castle.”

“Really?” Dusk asked after his own chortles died down.

“Yes, really. You are a Prince, after all. What kind of Prince doesn’t have his own castle?” she snickered, nudging him with an elbow.

“Blueblood. All he has is a gaudy mansion.”

Twilight burst out in giggles once again. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. Just do me one favor before you go.”

“Another one?”

“Go visit your grandmother before you leave. She’s already going to be furious with me for sending you away, it’ll be worse if she doesn’t get to see you before you go,” Twilight snickered.

“Sure,” Dusk nodded. “Anything else?”

“Just one more thing,” Twilight said softly. “Can I have a hug? Just in case I don’t see you again before you leave tomorrow?”


He smirked and wrapped his hooves around her neck, leaning into her embrace. She let out a content sigh. “I love you, Dusk.”

“I love you too, Aunt Twilight,” he murmured.

Twilight gave him one last squeeze and pulled away. “I shouldn’t keep you any longer, you have a lot to do and not much time. Go make me proud.”

He gave her a sheepish grin and nodded enthusiastically before galloping off towards the castle. She watched him go with a smile, only gazing back into the pond when he was completely out of sight. She dipped the tip of her hoof in the water again when a wonderful idea struck her. She shot to her hooves, slipped her shoe back on, and trotted away. She made her way through the winding garden paths until she came to the castle’s gate.

She walked out onto the city street, nodding politely at the citizens she passed. She received few bows along her way; she had wandered the city often enough where the ponies of Canterlot were used to seeing her out and about and instead greeted her with warm smiles and waves. It wasn’t long before she reached her destination: a dingy building tucked against the side of the mountain, belching a stack of black smoke from its chimney.

She pushed the door open and was met with the pungent odors of smoke, sulfur, and sweat. She trotted into the dark room, lit only by the dim red glow of the smithy’s forges. A gasp from the other side of the room drew her attention and she glanced over to see a young pegasus mare gaping at her from her position at the bellows.

“Hello there,” Twilight grinned.

At the sound of Twilight’s voice, the mare seemed to snap out of her trance and bolted to a nearby door, stammering to someone in the next room. “B-boss! Boss, she- The- We have-”

“What are you babbling about girl?” a grizzled earth pony shouted as he barged through the door. “Use your words- Oh, sweet Celestia...” He grimaced at the sight of Twilight and glanced around the disorganized, soot-stained workshop nervously. “Princess Twilight! If I had known you were coming, I’d have cleaned up.”

“It’s quite alright. I did drop by unannounced after all,” Twilight said with a shrug.

“So, uhhh, what can I do for you? I never thought I’d see a pony of your standing around this dump,” the forgemaster said, scratching his head sheepishly.

“I have it on good authority that your resident goldsmith is one of the most skilled in the business. Is that true?” Twilight asked.

“Well, yeah, but he doesn’t like attention so we try to keep that quiet,” he muttered. “How’d you find out, Your Highness?”

“I have my ways,” Twilight replied with a smirk and a wink. “May I speak with him?”

“‘Course,” he said with a bow. He trotted back to the door and stuck his head through. “Hey, boy! You have a visitor. Probably the most important one you’ll ever have.” He turned back to Twilight and gestured through the door. “First room on the right. Watch your step, it’s probably a mess.”

Twilight nodded to him and stepped through, trotting to the doorway he indicated to find a scrawny unicorn huddled over a cluttered desk. He glanced up as she entered and his jaw dropped. “Princess Twilight? What are you doing here?”

“I would like to commission a piece, if that is alright,” Twilight replied.

“F-from me? Are you sure? I know some very good jewelers who could probably create something more suitable,” he stammered.

“I am quite sure; the object I want must be durable. I appreciate jewelers and their crafts as much as the next mare, but a precise, delicate hoof isn’t what I need right now. I need a smith. A goldsmith,” Twilight said with a smirk. “So, can you help me?”

He shoved everything off of his desk and retrieved a blank sheet of paper and a quill from a nearby drawer. “Yes, of course! What can I make you?”

“I would like a circlet. A simple one, just a band of gold,” she said, stepping up to the desk. “I’m intending for it to be for everyday wear rather than ceremonial, so it should be comfortable and strong.”

“Depending on the purity that’s easier said than done, but I can definitely do that,” he muttered, jotting down her order. “Let’s see... For specifics, I have the equipment to make its purity up to twenty-two carats, but it would be soft. For what you’re asking, I wouldn’t recommend going any higher than eighteen. Would you prefer a specific shade? I could probably get it to be the same color as your crown.”

“Eighteen it is than, and I’d much prefer it match my crown. If you can do it,” Twilight nodded.

“And what size do you want it?”

Twilight leaned closer, examining the unnerved stallion closely. “Well, your head is about the same size as the pony it’s for, so if it fits you comfortably, it should be fine. I can’t measure him because I want it to be a surprise, so we can just have it readjusted if need be.”

“Okay...” he whispered, writing it down. “What about designs? Have anything in mind?”

“I’ll leave that to your discretion. It’s for somepony very special to me, so make something you’re proud of. Just leave the inside edge clear so I can engrave their name into it,” Twilight said.

“Yes ma’am, simple but elegant. One last question: gems?”


“No thank y- actually, yes! One sapphire, in the very front,” she said giddily.

“Easy enough? Any particular hue? Sapphires come in many different shades and colors,” he asked, with a smile.

“I think I’d like... Hmmm, you know what? I know exactly which one I want. There’s a star sapphire in the castle vault, a nice navy blue one. If I were to send it here, could you use that?”

“Yes, of course!” he replied eagerly.

“I think that’s it. Can I get a quote?” she asked.

“Sure thing,” he murmured. He scratched down a few numbers on the paper and added them all up. “Let’s see material costs, fuel costs... I’ll take off the cost of labor-”

“You most certainly will not! You are doing a service for me and I will compensate you accordingly,” Twilight retorted.

“As you wish...” He finished his calculations and slid the paper towards Twilight. “All together, it will cost a little over two thousand bits. I can’t get an exact figure until I’ve actually drawn up the design though.”

“Twenty-five hundred it is,” Twilight replied with a mischievous smirk.

“T-thank you, Your Highness!”

She lifted her wing and levitated a small bag from under it, pouring out a hoofful of gems onto the desk. “There should be about three hundred bits there. I’ll send along a personal check for another seven hundred tomorrow morning. You’ll get the rest in your choice of gems, a check, coin, or any combination of the three once the final product is delivered,” Twilight said in a business-like tone. “Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, one thousand is more than a sufficient deposit. It should take me...” he paused and glanced down to what he had written. “You wanted something simple, so not long. Two weeks. Three max.”

“Perfect! I’ll be along in a few days to check on your progress,” she replied with a nod. He gave her a bow as she trotted out.


Five weeks later...

Twilight and Luna stepped out into their packed Throne Room, ponies of every shape and size filling it from wall to wall, and were met with a collective bow. As they nodded their heads in unison, the crowd rose for their bows, focusing their attentions on the Princesses.

As they took their places in front of the throne, Sunshower nodded to the assembly. “Thank you. Please be seated.”

Twilight took a deep breath as she shared a glance with Luna before standing tall to address the crowd. “Welcome, everypony, and thank you for coming. As many of you well know, our fair realm has been troubled as of late. One of our landed nobles began exploiting his subjects for his own benefit, abusing his power in ways that make me nauseated. Only recently has the full extent of his depravity been revealed to the wider world, and what we have found is horrifying.”

“After learning the full truth, Princess Twilight and I decided that we had had enough of his... malevolence, and ordered him arrested,” Luna continued. “Anticipating resistance, we sent Count Balanced Scales to lead a military force against his hold. As luck would have it, the Duke surrendered rather than attempt to fight us and face certain defeat, sparing the ponies of Northhold from further suffering. He has since been put on trial, convicted of heinous crimes, and stripped of his title and his wealth.”

“He will spend the rest of his life in prison where he won’t be able to hurt anypony ever again,” Twilight proclaimed. “His seized fortune has been spent restoring Northhold and its citizens to their original glory; even so there was and still is much to do to heal the suffering he inflicted. To that end, a full-scale recovery operation was started in order to help Northhold back to its hooves.”

Luna bowed her head slowly. “The efforts thus far have been nothing short of miraculous. Donations poured in from all over Equestria and hundreds of ponies volunteered to travel to Northhold to aid the beleaguered. Seldom have I been prouder than I am now to call Equestria my Kingdom. Thank you, all, for your generosity,” she said before pausing and glancing down at the front of the crowd. “But today, we are here to recognize one pony in particular. One who has personally led our efforts to relieve Northhold’s suffering and has spent nearly every waking hour of the past month working towards a brighter future. Prince Dusk Shine, please step forward.”

Dusk approached them slowly with a sheepish grin, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and bowing to them deeply before continuing up and standing before them.

“Prince Dusk Shine, you have been acting as the regent of Northhold since the ex-Duke’s arrest, and under your leadership the duchy’s condition has made remarkable improvements,” Twilight stated pointedly. “You have been an effective ruler thus far and many of the ponies of Northhold have stated that they are pleased with your leadership. For this, Princess Luna and I have elected to pass the province to you and name you Duke of Northhold. Do you accept this responsibility?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then kneel.”

Luna stared down at him emotionlessly. “Speak the Oath of Fealty.”

Dusk glanced up at her and swallowed the lump in his throat before bowing his head again and began to speak. “I, Dusk Shine, do swear to serve and pay homage to the shared Crown of Equestria. I accept thee as my liege and promise to serve thee faithfully. I accept the burdens of governance placed on me and will protect and serve the lands and ponies entrusted to me. To this I pledge my sacred honor.”

Luna nodded regally and returned his charge. “We thus accept your homage and promise to extend our protection to you and the lands and the citizens which you will govern in our stead. In good faith, we shall treat thee fairly and with the same trust you have granted us. To this we pledge our sacred honor.”

“Rise, Dusk Shine,” Twilight said. As he rose to his full height, she glanced back towards the crowd. “Count Balanced Scales, Baroness Tranquil Harmony, come forward.” The two nobles stepped out of the crowd and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “As the legal vassals of the Duke of Northhold, do you accept Dusk Shine as your liege?”

“We do,” they said in unison.

“Please, pay homage to your new lord and speak the oath.”

One at a time, they approached Dusk, knelt before him and recited the same words he spoke to the Princesses, and he returned with the same words the Princesses had spoken to him. When they were finished, Dusk’s new vassals returned to their places in the crowd and he turned back to Luna and Twilight.

Twilight smiled at him for a second then turned to address someone nearby. “Spike, if you would?”

The dragon stepped forward holding aloft a small wooden box. Dusk glanced up at the drake with a bewildered frown as Spike stopped next to Twilight and held it out for her. She gave the young stallion a quick wink as she reached into the box and pulled out the circlet; a thick band of gold with stars and constellations skillfully carved into its face and around its gem.

He stared at it open-mouthed and wide-eyed as Twilight turned back to him and held the piece up for all to see, then gently placed it on his head. “As Princess of Equestria, it is an honor and a privilege to dub you Prince Dusk Shine, Duke of Northhold. Congratulations. Please, present yourself to our court.”

Trembling he turned towards the crowd to be met with thunderous applause and bowed his head humbly. After a few seconds, he turned around again and threw himself at Twilight, unable to hold himself back from hugging her any longer. She returned the hug before releasing him so he could gallop over to Cadance and Shining Armor.

“You made the right choice,” Luna murmured aside to Twilight as they watched the Prince embrace his parents.

“Was there any doubt?”

“No. No, I suppose there wasn’t.”