Blueblood

The Duke snorted.  "Geopolitics..."  He muttered the word like a curse, but at least the rancor wasn't directed at Vesper.  It seemed the changeling's flattery had at least done enough to diffuse any personal animosity.  Still, he didn't seem especially well-disposed to the situation in general as he went for another dip into the punch.  "If that's all, then.  I'm not going to dance with you if you were planning to ask."

~~

In the meantime, the Waltz had come to an end, leaving Star Crusader and Anwir near Midnight and Erzats.  "A lovely time, general.  Are you in the need for some refreshments?  I for one could use a bite and drink."

Not having lived in Las Pegasus as long as Wind Dancer, Sky Sailing didn't know Ice and Raven as well as Windy.  But, from what the Stallion had seen of her during his shows, and the time she'd lent a hoof to the grand opening of the Kandy Korner, the stallion had been assured how good a friend she was to have.  So, when the offer of a double date was made, he was quick to accept, coming into the restaurant just behind his wife, extending a wing to the other couple.

"Good to see you again, Ice.  And... I don't think we've met before, have we?"  He asked Raven.  "I'm Sky Sailing."  The stallion himself made a handsome figure, in a gentle and winsome sort of way.  His expression was soft in his eyes, and he wore a shirt and tie like a colt dressing up for his first date.  He hadn't yet quite gotten used to the idea that one could actually be married to a mare one loved so much, and he hoped he never did!

The Captain escorted Anwir to the Dance floor, just as the band was getting started on the next number.

It wasn't a complicated number; every band that ever wanted to play the gala circuit had a waltz in their repertoire, and the steps were easy enough even for two mares who were none-too-expert at dancing.  Star, for her part, would move like a warship, not without some grace, but with momentum, and woe betide any dancer that got too close, because she wasn't stopping!  More than a few couples had to quicken their pace to double time to get out of the way...

Some space away from the show, the Duke was blinking at Vesper, the meaning of their words filtering down through the ethanol before hitting the relevant neurons.  "Wait, so you're the one that's been wearing my face hearabouts?  I thought that wasn't part of the entertainment, even the Prince isn't that tasteless...."  He gave a harrumph at that, a right proper harrumph that would have done his ancestors proud.  "What was so dire about the situation that you saw fit to stuff me in a pod and take up a duel in my name?  Thank Celestia you didn't refuse it though, I'd have never lived down the dishonor..."

"Dmꜣt!"  The noise from Niil's mouth, Pax was once again playing the 'is this a real word?' game all little foals played at his age, a game Blueblood had determined that his son would not be handicapped in through any baby-talk from his parents.  The syllables rattled in the little colt's skull, before reaching a hoof to where his mother's feathers were brushing him.  "Dmꜣt?"  He asked, looking at the giant face of the sphinx, and on hearing the encouraging "Yes!"  from Niilaavin, he happily giggled, repeating the game with his father's horn and " ꜥB, ḥnwt!"  Laughing happily at two round of the game, he looked over to see ꜥb, ḥnwt his father talk to little Icy, and seeing the Alicorn he called out, "Dmꜣt ꜥb, ḥnwt!"

"That's right son!"  Proud as any father, he gave Pax a magical pat as a reward, before hitching him back more securely, and incidentally more in reach of Dunnie's wings as he returned her nuzzle.  "Alright, I believe you're right dear, it's time to set off!  And if the chocolate on offer is as good as that which we got from Candy's shop, this will be a perfect first Nightmare Night for our Pax!"  And with that he set out, letting Blizzard and Icy take up point on the procession, out to trick-or-treat their first neighborhood.  Pax, for his part, seemed to be paying more attention to the little snow sphinx given to him by Blizzard.  A first for many there, whether foal or adult....

From the courtyard, Star Crusader waved goodbye to her family with a wave of a giant wing, before settling back, nodding at Princess Luna.  "I will take the games if the General prefers candy duty.  I am particularly robust to the rambunctiousness of sugar-filled young ones, and can help them burn off a little energy."  Looking over her shoulder at the preparation, she asked, "Is the pumpkin catapult properly calibrated?  I'm not sure if its been fixed since last year."

Sounds good, be glad to have a couple more pons over there!

The Duke turned to face the approaching changeling.  The punch was apparently spiked, as his deep draughts of it had left him swaying on his hooves a bit; whether that would put him in a better or worse mood remained to be seen.  "Er, yes?"  He blinked, his eyes slowly coming into focus, though he had to blink a few times before they uncrossed.  "Damn bit of playacting you lot did there, made quite the show of it, what?"  

~~~

Star Crusader nodded.  "The change in curricula was implemented shortly after Twilight's initial ascension, though most of the materials in use now were developed in the School of Friendship."  She paused, taking some time to worth through her next statement.  "There were many that mocked the idea of a whole school teaching ponies and other creatures how to be friends, but I believe recent events have shown how little that knowledge is actually spread, and how badly it is needed.  I am glad you managed to learn, even without the help that came after you."  It was an accomplishment she took quite seriously, even more perhaps than any promotion or rank he had achieved.  After all, a cold and lonely heart remains the same, no matter how many ribbons or medals are pinned atop it.

With that, she took the hoof of the other bruised but tender heart, assuring Anwir, "I am not much of a dancer either; I am built more for strength than dexterity.  But... I still love to do it."  She nodded over towards Blueblood.  "He always loves to see me dance.  There were few who saw me as a mare, as a lady, back in the day.  More like a brickhouse in armor.  But he always seemed to, all the way back to when I extracted him from the antlers of the Caribou King."

Star Crusader's shoulder pauldrons shifted in a shrug.  "I was born and raised up in the northern march of Fet Loch; my mother is the Duchess there, but ponies here always took our titles more seriously, even though it wasn't our seat of power."  Considering the roles set out for ponies in Canterlot, she tapped her foot for a bit, then answered.  "That's four out of seven.  You're forgetting the civilian side of government service, and those of artistic accomplishment, and the social butterfies."  She gave Blizzard a look up and down, then nodded.  "Altogether, though, you were probably right to take that vacation.  I don't see you fitting in to any of those last three."

Turning back to Anwir, she asked her, "Do you still wish to dance?  I ask because, seeing as my husband has had a turn with you, it's only fair that I should ask."

If Vesper wished to apologize to the Duke, the best time would be right now, as he was partaking of the punchbowl quite liberally to rehydrate.

Because the sphinx was closely associated with him, Blueblood thought Niil's display was absolutely magnificent.  He'd have felt quite differently if the big guy was showing him up at a party, of course, but that was just the ego that came with Royalty.  He was sure the sphinx would understand that.

"Wing!  Wing!"  Pax called out from atop Bluey's back.  Their precocious little colt had just begun to learn his first words.  And thanks to Niilaavin's active interest and aid in raising the little tyke, some of those words were in sphinx!  Blueblood appreciated this commitment to bilingualism; it would make it that much easier to restore sphinxes as a species and culture if their native tongue could be used and understood by others.

Chuckling as he nuzzled Dunnie, the prince whispered in her ear, "Just wait until we get to the first house!"  Chocolates would no doubt be given in quantity as tribute!

In the meantime, though, there was the other members of their party to greet.  Including the newly minted alicorn... "Well, I suppose its good to have my opinions validated.  I should have you know, that this wasn't a decision that Twilight took lightly..."  Indeed, given the argument he had with Twilight over whether Ice Storm had earned the, in his mind, lesser reward of an official hereditary noble house title, he had to imagine some more recent accomplishments and changes had been behind this decision.  And inwardly... well, he was jealous.  The green streak of wing envy in him still sent a stab of pain, even after all these years of character work and therapy.

Tamping down on such feelings as inappropriate to the holiday, he nodded towards Blizzard and Candy.  "Your welcome is most appreciated."  He replied, returning to his in-character tone for a moment, though he couldn't resist cracking, "And I do have to say, Your Majesty, you look almost as good in a dress as I do."

Meanwhile, Captain Star Crusader, sparing a moment to spot the rest of her family going off to meet with the other trick or treaters, nodded towards Anwir.  "He is good-looking, yes."  Even though it was Blueblood's other wife that was the foal's dam, she still felt maternally towards all the foals in her herd.  There'd be another coming soon, once Pax was old enough to understand and appreciate being a big brother.

"Something like a battle-mage, then?"  Star Crusader's normally impassive and stoic voice now displaying a bit of curiosity, which for those who knew the mare would indicate a great deal of it was beneath the surface.  In coloration, build, and personality, she was much like an iceberg.  Which might explain her notable success in previous northern deployments.  "I know Twilight was reviving the practice and corps; it's something that the Prince advocated for a while, along with my mother."

Turning once more to the general, she nodded.  "It is good to meet you too; I suppose we were on deployments and leave at such times as to make meeting difficult."  The talk of the lunar spellbook seemed to distress Anwir, so she shifted the subject to a mood she hoped would be lighter.  "Indeed, magic is always less predictable than scholars would wish it to be; there are any number of ill-timed coincidences that can make for unusual effects.  For example, a sneeze in the middle of a bodily restoration spell can create a curse to turn a stallion into a mare.  That actually happened to Blueblood, you know; when he asked Twilight to help him get over a bad case of influenza."

Also being taken for his first ever trick or treating was... well, another royal foal!  Pax may not have had wings or a horn, but he was an adorable little colt all the same, babbling happily as he rode upon his father's back, dressed up in small golden facsimiles of the headdress and bangles of the ancient Pharoah Trottenkhamen.  Not that he knew that he was so illustriously garbed, the little earth pony was still too young to see today as anything but a fun time with his family.

No, like many such an event ostensibly held for foals, this night was as much about his parents as anything else.  While this was far from Prince Blueblood's first Nightmare Night, it was his first time trick-or-treating, his own upbringing being a little too... snooty for such lower class activities (although there still existed in public circulation a photograph of him as a young colt dressed up as a pirate...)  As a newly-minted father, he had determined that he was not going to subject his own foals to missing such wonderful memories.  Plus, he always did like to get dressed up himself...

Using some guidance from a living expert, he'd commissioned a costume wearing the mythogically accurate garb of Anubis, the ancient Neighgyptian god of judgment, complete with a jackal-headdress.  Dunnie, his wife, would have a similar getup as Pasht, she of the feline-headed goddess.  His other wife, Star Crusader, would be with Luna preparing festivities at the Castle, dressed as the lioness-headed Sehkmet.  The whole ensemble, of course, was finalized and made perfect by the living expert himself, Niilaavin the Sphinx!

Altogether, the four of them made a magnificent procession down the main avenue of Canterlot, passing in front of the palace in their quest for candy.  Seeing a party of fellow festival-goers emerge from the palace grounds, Blueblood launched into a regal greeting in-character of his garb.  "Ra in his absence grant his blessings oh- Hold on-!"  He stopped right in the middle as his brain flashed him a sudden recognition of the little filly in the snowpony costume.  "Icy?  Surely not..."

Blueblood will be taking little Pax for his first trick or treat!

Blueblood nodded at his Auntie Luna, and went off to the first of the guests.  "Ah, the good duke!  Sorry about the roughhousing old chap, and for the repair work you'll have to do for your reputation.  The one who wore your face wasn't exactly the best behaved while doing so..."

Meanwhile, Star Crusader's hidden amusement was still sparkling, even as her voice was even.  "Well, its only fair.  After all, he's quite lively while under me."  Unlike with Blueblood's remark to Erzats, there was no doubt about this remark being a double entendre; the eyes gave it away.  She seemed, in her own way, trying to get Anwir's mind off of whatever was causing that sadness behind her eyes.  

She would nod in reception to Blizzard's greetings.  "Indeed.  It seems odd that we should have missed each other, given how close we must have been stationed while His Highness was serving his term as Archancellor of the School of Friendship."  The Prince had temporarily taken over as Headmaster from Twilight while she was still dealing with the first year of proper princessing, thankfully now that a balance of power had been worked out between all the alicorns, the duties of rule were split more reasonably.  

Characters go in the general feed until approved; the mods put them in the proper subforums after that.  I'll take a look at him!

"You're quite welcome."  Blueblood made a mental note to thank his lucky stars that things had gone so well, considering the circumstances.  Luna had pointed which ones were his one night, when he was feeling particularly down... about something he couldn't recall right now.  Greater trials and joys alike had drowned that mood, but the memories remained...  

He cast a look up a the night, catching a glimpse of said stars through some hanging banners, and smiled.  Looking back when Luna called to him, he nodded, "I've music picked out already for the final dance.  In the meantime- ah, I see Anwir is heading towards the guards."

The guards were just letting some of their adrenaline work off right now, having come down from standing at alert at the first sight of the changelings, then dealing with getting the real guests back on their hooves.  There was a great deal of scuttlebutt going on between the golden and black-armored ponies, but one in particular would have stood out immediately to the General.

She was a pegasus, built like a brick warehouse and standing as tall as an alicorn.  With sky-blue coat and silver armor, she seemed part of a wholly different unit as she stood quietly, a neutral expression beneath her scarlet bangs and braid.  Hearing Anwir approach, she'd turn to face the unicorn, showing the emblazoned compass rose on her armor's chest plate.  Saluting with one wide wing, the mare would intone, "Ah, General Anwir?  I'm Captain Star Crusader, of Blueblood's honor guard.  Among other things."  Her muzzle still bore a stoically neutral expression, but there was a slight twitch and twinkle in her eye, as if she was enjoying a private joke she had just told herself.

Cocking his ear to catch the music, Blueblood remarked as he escorted Erzats to the dance floor.  "Auntie certainly loves her organs."  The Prince immediately felt as if he'd said something unintentionally risque than intended, but calling attention to it would only make things worse.

Out on the lawn, it was clear that the other ballgoers weren't entirely certain what had happened, whether they had been under an abortive attack or else that the whole kidnapping thing was an ill-considered part of the entertainment.  Seeing the two royals and the guest of honor dance with the changelings seemed to incline them towards the latter.  Which was fine by him; better a blot on his reputation as a host to any genuine hostile unpleasantness.

Ignoring any tittering whispers from his peers, he finished the dance with a bow, coming back into a crowd with Luna and Anwir.  "Had you any other plans for the evening?  One the guard shift happens, I think I'm going to be monopolized in my company for the rest of the night."

Blueblood chuckled.  "Not all ponies, only alicorns.  Though there's so few of them about that its hard to tell whether its all alicorns or just my Aunties.  I suppose we'll find out centuries from now how long Princesses Cadence and Twilight Sparkle last..."  The Prince mused that the question was less unreasonable than it seemed; exceptionally long-lived species such as dragons and sphinxes, while rare, were not unknown.  Even Chrysalis herself may well have been around for centuries... or perhaps it only felt that way to those under her rule.

"It is... good to know you, Erzats."  At least in the sense that all knowledge was useful, whether or not the changeling's appearance at this ball was ultimately to the good remained to be seen.  But, they deserved a chance, which Blueblood would give them as he escorted the group back to the dance area.

The distress the whole changelings had caused was real and significant, even though it wasn't upon Blueblood himself that most of it had fallen.  Nonetheless, he wasn't about to gainsay his own words about forgiveness, keeping the hoof of friendship extended.  "Yes, and there's always something that happens at all of them.  Sometimes I think Auntie Celestia prefers it like that these days, but I suppose the same old thing does get dull after a 1,000 years, doesn't it?"

"And you're welcome to stay as well, of course."  He nodded to the other pair of lings, noting their affection with interest but little more.  His own relationship history, and frankly his current one, wasn't the sort to sustain any kind of criticism.  Especially not in this day and age in Equestria.

Blueblood may have been a diplomat, but he was no therapist.  The best he could do was offer what words he could, along with the card of the one he went to when he needed help.  "Legacy is a heavy burden, sometimes the best we can do is be a better ancestor to our descendants than the ones we got."  He was not without experience in his own burdens in that respect, though they were not of the same degree, admittedly.  "But don't let yourself be alone with such things, that's where the voices slip in."  He'd give Anwir the card here, leaving her and Auntie Luna enough time to compose themselves before getting up to go to the door.

"In any case, we do have a ball on, and the next dance is indeed awaiting us."  As Anwir would be dancing with Luna, Blueblood was left to find another partner.  After steeling his nerves for a bit with the champagne on offer, he approached Erzats.  "Best way to smooth things over is to participate along with an apology.  We're a surprisingly forgiving sort, you know.  It is only refusing the offered reconciliation that results in, well..."  The fate he left unspoken, she would know it well enough from the statues.

Crothor gave Blueblood a lot to take in, even just from the information standpoint.  When combined with the emotional weight that was coming to bear upon both general Anwir and his Auntie... well, he was beginning to feel a little stressed, especially as he'd not considered that he'd be dealing with anything so serious on a ball night.  Thus, he was almost relieved that Erzats gave him an opportunity to vent his spleen a little.  "Even worse decisions have been made in haste.  In situations like this, it is best to give everypony time to calm down, hence the procedures."

Calm, yes, everypony needed to be calm, think, not escalate their emotions... Taking a breath to control his own urge to hyperventilate, he reached out a hoof to keep his auntie from leaving.  "I think... you're not in quite the right mind to properly host right now.  I don't think any of us are.  The party can wait for a bit, Auntie, just..."  Not for the first time, he mourned the lack of wings he could use to hug Luna, settling for a nuzzle as he guided her back to her general's side.  "I think you two need each other right now."  He whispered in a low tone, to the both of them.

Blueblood's examining eye alighted on Erzats while Crothor spoke, for reasons he couldn't quite explain.  Maybe it was the look of disgust he briefly caught, or else she was the only one who seemed angry or hostile.  Their leader, on the other hoof, was practically apologetic, which counted for something, he supposed.

And it was a real and serious matter the changeling had to say, as well as being a delicate one.  "I see..."  Blueblood nodded, slowly, "I see at least why you felt public channels were not the most appropriate to approach us from..."  Seemingly idly, his magic picked up a pen, tapping it on the stack of papers in his inbox.

"However... I'm not sure how serious that really is.  The Nightmare corruption is, to say the least, a known issue with a known correction.  It's even popped up more recently, with an infection of Lady Rarity herself before being once more expunged.  Other than a particular attention paid to the mental and emotional health of the powerful and vulnerable, there's really not much more in the way of caution necessary.  Certainly nothing that would call for emergency measures or..."  He waved a hoof outside, as if to indicate most of the replacement operation of the changelings, "Shall we say, policies of expediency?"

Blueblood let himself be a rock and anchor for Anwir as they led the party into the palace, and up the stairs into the Civil Service wing.  The lavish royal decorations gave way to a more muted decor scheme, vibrant colors changed for various shades of brown, mostly from wood paneling.  The impression was more business-like, especially when compared to the ball outside, but still rich and important.

The epitome of this aesthetic was the desk in the Prince's office, a wide barge of a credenza all in mahogany and oak.  The workponylike impression aided by the residual clutter of his workday, papers left in his inbox and outbox, letters kept under a paperweight, pens of varying ink colors, and a framed picture of the Prince, alongside two other mares.  

With something like haste, he put the desk between the General and the Changelings, taking his own seat and indicating for his changeling guests to do the same.  "The door is shut, and soundproofed; I often hold confidential meetings here, so you may speak what secrets you have now."

You can just pop in.

Blueblood frowned, at hearing the reason that proper channels were not gone through.  "That... almost sounds like political persecution to me.   One which we shall have to have words with the king about.  It's not without precedent for unreformed changelings to be allowed in as... well, refugees or clients of some political figure.  But generally speaking that is the exception rather than the rule, given the only acknowledged leader of them is, well...."  He gestured off in the direction of the statue gardens.

"I think, Auntie, that is is a meeting that might best be held in my office."   He said, after some consideration.  "Best to keep this under foreign relations rather than pleading an exception for the Crown..."  Part of it was the desire to keep the amount of fuss to a minimum, something that Anwir would likely appreciate.  But a suspicion was growing in his mind that what Crothor was about to reveal or propose had implications in the political sphere that would require experienced handling, and, to be frank, Luna's practical experience was a bit lacking in this area.

Alright, I think you're ready to go!

Incidentally, if you want to get started right away, there's an open thread that's pretty appropriate for a changeling to slip in: