Wilson sprints down the hallway, avoiding maids, butlers, and guards along the way. Sweat pours down his face as he rounds the corner, getting into his eyes and somewhat blocking his view. But that didn’t matter. What matters is getting to his master and giving him the news. Wilson comes to a halt as he approaches the giant oak-finished doors, staring at them with fearful eyes. With a light hoof, he knocks at the door.

“Come in.” Blueblood’s voice sounds blunt, cold even. Wilson pushes the door ajar, slowly popping his head in through the crack. Blueblood sits at his desk, looking at himself in the mirror. His face holds a sour look as his eyes meet Wilson’s through the mirror.

“Good morning, sire,” Wilson whispers, his legs shaking madly. “How are you—”

“Wilson, you have a reason for coming here. What is it?” Wilson swallows his fear and enters the room, closing the door behind him. Blueblood’s eyes remain on Wilson through the mirror, his expression unchanged. Wilson’s eyes dart around the room, not once meeting Blueblood’s gaze.

“I-it seems the s-s-second date went smoothly on the human’s part,” Wilson stutters. Blueblood steps down from his seat and walks over to the window. Down below, he watches as ponies come and go from the castle grounds. He lets out a heavy sigh before turning back to Wilson.

“Wilson, do you know why I am trying so hard to prevent this relationship between my aunt and that hairless monkey?” Wilson looks down at the floor, trying to figure out whether this is a trick or not.

“Because you want the king’s throne?” Blueblood shakes his head slowly, confusing Wilson.

“In a way, yes. But it’s not only for status.” Blueblood turns back to the window, watching two guards deny a pony access into the castle. The pony tries his hardest to convince the guards with no prevail. “I may not show it, but I care for this land, Wilson. Many of these ponies will stop at nothing to be part of royalty. Take that mare from the Gala for example. She not only had an interest in me for my good looks and charm, but because I was a prince.”

Wilson lifts his head and stares at Blueblood. His face is sincere, concerned almost. If Wilson remembered correctly, Blueblood was extra snooty that night, giving the mare the hardest time of her life and making sure she would never come back again.

“What are you trying to say, sire?” Blueblood shakes his head and walks up to Wilson whose gaze returns to the floor.

“I know what that human is up to. He’s using my aunt, just like all the stallions before him. I, for one, do not want that to happen. That’s why I’ve been so concerned with tearing them apart. My aunt is too infatuated with his devilish charm to see through him, so I must stop at nothing to prevent him from becoming king before it’s too late.” Wilson looks up from the floor to see a single tear roll from Blueblood’s eye. This was the first time he has ever seen the prince shed a tear.

“I never knew you were so concerned over this, sire.” Wilson puffs up his tiny chest, sheer determination spread across his face. “I will stop at nothing to ensure that we save Equestria from total damnation!”

Blueblood smiles. Not one of his sinister, menical grins, but a genuine smile as he walks over to Wilson. Placing a hoof on Wilson’s shoulder, Blueblood nods.

“Then I have something you must do.”

“Well, it could have gone worse, I suppose.” Twilight grabs another book from the rack with her magic aura, making sure to neatly place it on the shelf. Taking one for yourself, you look over the cover and place it accordingly. It seems to be another quiet day at the library.

“Yeah, but it felt like another messed up date in my opinion. I wish something would go right for once.” You put on a scowl as you grab the next book and look at the cover. Twilight gives a silent giggle before following your example.

“Anon, as long as Princess Celestia is happy in the end, I don’t think it really matters how the date went. All that matters is that she had a good time in the end.” Her smile disappears as she stares at the cover of a book. “It’d be nice to find a stallion who cared as much as you,” she whispers to herself.

“What was that?” you ask. A blush ravages her face as she throws the book onto a shelf.

“Nothing! Just thinking out loud.” The library breaks into an awkward silence as you both continue your work. Looking around, you notice that it’s unusually empty today. Most of the time, the place has at least one or two ponies studying. Placing the last book on the shelf, you turn to Twilight and shrug.

“I guess that’s it for the day,” you say. Twilight places a hoof on her chin and scans the library once more before smiling.

“Yes, it would seem so. How about we go to lunch early? My treat.” She nudges you in the side with her foreleg and gives you a wink. Lunch sounds good right about now. You couldn’t even eat anything this morning, what with being upset about the night before. With a single nod, you both close up the library and hang the Out to Lunch sign up on front door. The ponies around seem to have calmed down about the whole newspaper article and return to their usual happy demeanor. Even Roseluck, who was usually snooty and stuck-up, is outward and kind today.

“Where do you want to eat, Anon?” Twilight asks, eyeing the nearby restaurants.

“How about Cafe Z?” You normally go there with Celestia for tea and cookies, but they also have some nice lunch entrees. Twilight nods and you both venture to the small building. The place is crowded with ponies like no other. It’s only natural: ever since you came here with Celestia, the popularity of the place skyrocketed. Standing at the doorway, you smile at the hostess.

“Ah, Anon! It’s been a while since you’ve come around here. Do you want your usual seat?” the mare asks, pointing at the table by the window. She looks at Twilight and raises an eyebrow. “Is this your… date?”

“Nonono!” you blurt, shaking your head violently. “She’s just a friend!” The hostess giggles, stepping down from her podium.

“I’m just poking fun, Anon. Don’t take it so seriously.” She grabs two menus and begins heading towards the table. “I’ll take you to your table.” Scratching the back of your head, you force a laugh and follow the mare along with Twilight. The last thing you want is ponies thinking you’re cheating on Celestia with her personal protege. Once you sit down at your table, you open the menu as the hostess places two glasses of water down. Taking a sip of the water, you look up at Twilight who now has a serious look on her face.

“Anon, have you thought about marrying Princess Celestia?” Without hesitation, you spray Twilight with a fair amount of water, covering her entire face. You didn’t mean to do it; the sudden question just surprised you. Grabbing the napkins on the table, you attempt dry her off. Her horn gives off a magenta aura as she grabs the napkins from your grasp. Taking your seat, you catch sight of ponies staring at you, whispering amongst themselves.

“Sorry, about that,” you murmur, covering your face in embarrassment. “Where did that question come from out of the blue like that?” Twilight finishes cleaning herself off as you pull your face from out of your hands.

“Well, I’m just curious is all. She seems pretty serious about this relationship and I was just wondering whether you felt the same.” Now that you think about it, you never considered marriage. To be married to a princess… Definitely not something you would expect back home on Earth. Leaning back in your chair, you look at the ceiling.

“To be honest, I haven’t really considered it.” Thinking about it now, it would be nice. Waking up in the morning in a giant castle next to someone so selfless and caring; the ideal marriage candidate. A stupid grin cracks on your face as you think about waking up and making breakfast with your newly wedded bride, taking a walk through the castle garden, and many other simple activities. You don’t notice the two guards who stand behind you, chuckling at your stupid looking expression. Opening your eyes, you notice the two and jump, slamming your thighs against the table and sending everything on it to the ground.

Everything stops mid-fall, a familiar magenta aura around them. They return to their places on the table as Twilight shoots you a glare, her horn glowing brightly. Cocking a crooked smirk, you mutter, “Sorry,” before turning to the guards. One gives you a scroll marked with a royal seal.

“Princess Celestia sent us to deliver this to you. Have a nice day,” one of the guards states before leaving. Opening the scroll, you read over it’s contents and look up at Twilight.

“Who’s Prince Blueblood?” Twilight’s face scrunches at the mention of the name.

“He’s Princess Celestia’s stuck-up nephew. Why do you ask?”

“Because he’s inviting me and Celestia on a double date.”

Author's Notes:

I'm aware of the incorrect usage on the last line. Remember that it is dialogue.

Also, I've been hooked on Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies, so that may affect my writing for a bit, but not much. I keep looking at the clock when in bed and realizing it's four in the morning. I've lost control of my life