“So, they really were in love? Like, really in love?”

The shadows in the library had shifted significantly over the past hour. Twilight and the Sisters had gone from story to story, anecdote to anecdote, covering all the little events in the lives of the Stormblade families over the fifteen years since Hurricane retired. In them, they saw the stories of two wounded leaders healing together over the gift of a foal as she grew into a young mare. There were so many happy moments that Twilight had stopped writing them down; Hurricane’s personal life wasn’t really the focus of her efforts, anyway.

“They were two hurt souls. Both had lost a spouse and a child, in one way or another,” Celestia said. “They had so much in common that they could bond over, and they were naturally drawn to each other. But they wouldn’t have fallen in love if they didn’t have a little… help along the way.”

Twilight tapped her chin. “A little help… what do you mean? You didn’t set up their dates or anything.”

A sudden snort from Luna’s nook drew the attention of the two other mares. Luna’s twinkling teal eyes fell on Twilight with the mirth that usually preceded the younger alicorn’s off-beat sense of humor, and Twilight could already feel herself bracing. “Dearest sister Tia played matchmaker with her own body.”

Twilight made a guttural noise and buried her head in her cushion, covering her ears. “Celestiaaaaaaaaa,” she mewled through the cushion, “Please tell me those novels Rarity reads aren’t true…”

Whatever Celestia’s response was about to be died on her lips. She blinked, blinked again, then remembered she should shut her mouth. It was the sudden outburst of tittering from her sister that finally seemed to shake her out of her daze. “I… well, pulp writers can often become overzealous in their fanciful writing, but no. Those ‘stories’ are not true. Even if yes, in this case, my sister’s accusations have some merit to them.”

“So you actually had a foal just to get Platinum and Hurricane to fall in love?” Twilight cried.

“Twilight, my faithful student,” Celestia began, “I would encourage you not to look at it so plainly. There was attraction between us, yes, but love affairs between mortals and immortals are never simple. And Platinum was languishing just like Hurricane was, so I did what I could to get them together. That is all.” A pause, and then, “Even if I understand now exactly why the false rumors about Hurricane’s promiscuity began to spread.”

Somewhere, a choking cough bounced off the vaulted ceiling of the library.

Luna cringed and stuck her tongue out. Celestia, sensing an opportunity, turned to her sister and smiled. “Why, Luna, whatever are you making that face for?”

“I’ve seen your dreams, Tia,” Luna grimaced. “We did not need the reminder.”

“Please, Luna, I know about your nightly habits,” Celestia said, making Luna’s wings raise in alarm. “Sometimes I think you abuse your dreamwalking powers a little too—”

“THOU SHALT CEASE THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT PRESENTLY.”

Several books tumbled off of their shelves, pelting the three mares below, as Luna’s voice shook the very building. Her flowing blue mane took on a harsher, lighter tone, and for the tiniest of moments, her coat favored a shade of violet so deep it looked remarkably like obsidian.

Then it was gone. Still seething, Luna retreated to the shadows once more, and after few deep breaths, managed to calm herself. She looked at Celestia, who hadn’t moved at all during the outburst. The alicorn of the sun nodded sideways towards Twilight, who was curled up on her cushion. Throat bobbing once, Luna hesitantly reached a hoof towards Twilight. “Ah… We—I apologize for the outburst, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia was merely hitting upon a touchy subject, and I—”

“I don’t ever want to dream again,” Twilight mumbled, rocking back and forth. Luna frowned, opened her mouth, then shut it just as quickly. A blisteringly red heat built under her cheeks, and suddenly she lost all interest in everything around her except for the floor.

Celestia, afraid that the awkward silence growing at an alarmingly fast rate would create some sort of tear in the folds of the universe, loudly cleared her throat and opened the journal up again. “Um… Let’s skip forward to Gale’s Affirmation Ceremony. It’s a neat historical tradition that the Diamond Kingdom had when their heirs turned fifteen. It’s awfully interesting, if I do say so myself.”

“Uhhhhhh… y-yeah, that sounds good,” Twilight said, her lavender face a brilliant scarlet as she tried her hardest to pretend Luna wasn’t there. “Let’s do that… yeah.”

“Ow.”

…

“Ow.”

…

“Ow! Mom!”

“This wouldn’t hurt if you’d just hold still!” Queen Platinum exclaimed, tugging sharply on Gale’s mane with a comb. The blond hairs were tangled and knotted, and Equestria’s queen sundered them with ruthless force. Row by row, inch by inch, Gale’s messy bird nest was straightened into something clean and presentable.

“Do you really have to comb it?” Gale whined, her eyes boring into her mother’s reflection in the mirror in front of her. “It looks stupid when it’s curled. I like it messy.”

Platinum gasped, and Gale’s opinion was punished with the tearing of a rather large knot. “Banish the thought! You’re going to be a princess, and you need to look the part.”

“But I don’t want to be a princess! I want to be a centurion!” Gilded horseshoes clattered on the edge of the table, and Gale frowned into her reflection. “I want to go on adventures and see the world! Then I want to conquer it! Like Dad!”

The comb clattered onto the table alongside many of the other instruments necessary for preparing Gale for the occasion, its bristles tangled with the casualties of her mane. “Honey, your father was never a conqueror. He was a brilliant leader who fought for the defense of his people, and ours. He did not conquer any ponies, griffons, or otherwise.”

Immediately, Platinum realized her mistake when Gale’s eyes lit up at the mention of ‘griffons’. “That’s what I’m going to do!” She exclaimed, excitedly tapping her hooves together. “When I’m queen, I’m going to retake Cirra! It’ll be awesome!”

A carefully-placed slap to Gale’s horn silenced her without disturbing her mane. As she winced and rubbed the protrusion, Platinum set to work. “Cyclone once thought he could do the same thing. His ambition cost him his place in your father’s Legion and killed your grandfather. If anything, you should strive to not be like him. There’s more to the world than fighting, and your father learned that when he was little older than you. If you’re going to be a queen someday, you’ll need to learn that too. Now tilt your head forward so I can pin this bun together.”

“Mmmf,” Gale groaned as she reluctantly complied. She winced as Platinum pulled tight on her mane before wrapping it into a bun that sat prominently between her ears, with two twirling coils falling from it on either side. Once the bun was firmly set, Platinum took a brush and began to remove any lingering particles of dirt that were clinging to the purple coat around Gale’s neck before switching to a fine-toothed comb to straighten the soft hairs into a gentle sheen. The process took several agonizing minutes, and Gale would twitch every time the needle-like bristles of the comb pricked her skin. “Celestia help me.”

The door creaked on its hinges, and graceful hoofsteps entered with a small, motherly laugh. “Why would I? I think you look beautiful.”

“Ugh,” Gale groaned, and she slammed her forehead against the table—almost. Platinum’s magic was ready, and it caught Gale’s head before she could complete the action and ruin her makeup. Flustered, Gale lurched forward a few more times, trying to complete the action, before she turned her head to the side. “Mom!”

“It took the hoofmaidens an hour to do your makeup, Platinum,” the queen retorted, and she pulled Gale back into a sitting position with her telekinesis. “I will not tolerate you messing it up.”

Sighing, Platinum tossed the comb and brush onto the table and took a step back to stand beside Celestia, who was likewise dressed for the occasion. “So? What do you think?”

Celestia looked Gale up and down, wistfully smiling as the unicorn crossed her forelegs and pouted. The young mare wore a brilliantly red taffeta dress and an ivory stomacher, with gold lace and hemming across the breast and down the flanks, where it transitioned into a full length gown that bled to white in diamond patterning. Across her shoulders, an impressive reticella collar woven from gold and silver thread stood erect, the firm and pointed ends almost a full foot away from her neck. Red eyeliner accentuated her eyes and the dress, and the numerous coils and gentle waves of mane falling from her head served to frame a face both pretty and decisive in the blooming flower of youth.

“She looks beautiful,” Celestia said, but not without letting a delicate touch of emotion creep into her voice. “She’s grown up to be such a beautiful young mare.”

“Well, her mother’s awfully proud of her,” Platinum observed, lightly brushing coats with the alicorn. “Hurricane and I have done our best to prepare her for this. It’s kind of hard to see her grow up so fast.”

Gale stuck her tongue out. “You guys…”

Platinum shook her head and straightened a few ruffles in Gale’s dress with her magic. “If you keep doing that, you’re going to lick all the powder off of your muzzle,” she warned. “The taste doesn’t leave your tongue for days.”

Gale’s pink tongue immediately disappeared back into her muzzle, and she returned to pouting. Chuckling, Celestia trotted forward, and carefully so as not to disturb Gale’s makeup, traced a hoof across the filly’s cheek. “My, how you’ve grown,” Celestia murmured in a soft, almost vulnerable tone. “I remember when I saw you for the first time. So small and fragile, but you were a fighter from the beginning.” Her eyes glistened with growing tears, and she instead stared out the window into some memory long ago. “You were loud and determined. It took a lot of rocking and plenty of lullabies to get you to sleep. And then you were walking before we knew it.”

“C’mon, Auntie Tia, stop,” Gale groaned, leaning away from Celestia’s hoof. “You’re getting all mushy and crap.”

Celestia patted Gale on the shoulder and stepped back. “One day, when you’re older, I think you’ll understand,” she said, softly smiling. Then she craned her long neck back towards Platinum. “Well, I should probably take my place at the dais. The ceremony will be beginning shortly.” She took a few steps towards the door, then stopped and shook her head. “Didn’t we just do this a year ago?”

Platinum hummed. “I’m sure fifteen years doesn’t seem like such a long time when you’ve been alive for thousands,” she said, winking.

“Please, don’t remind me,” Celestia said with a laugh. Then, stepping partway out the door, she turned and bowed. “I’ll see you in a few minutes, your Highness.”

Platinum returned a curtsy, then watched as Celestia walked away and shut the door behind her. She took a slow, drawn out breath, then turned to Gale, who was experimenting with the springiness of the coils in her mane. “Gale, if you touch your mane, I’m going to have to do it all over again, and this time I’ll put wax in it to keep it styled.”

The purple unicorn huffed and dropped her hooves to her sides, and Platinum looked over her at her own reflection in the mirror. Everything was still perfect, thankfully, after the battle she’d waged with her daughter to get her ready for her Affirmation. Letting loose a sigh of relief, Platinum trotted over to Gale and did a few last checkups on her ensemble. “Do you remember what you have to do?”

Gale grunted in response.

“Good.” Smiling, Platinum pressed her hoof under Gale’s chin and lifted it up so they were staring at each other, nose to nose. “Because if you goof off and ruin it, or scandalize any of us in any way, you’ll never leave the castle again. In fact, you’ll be lucky to see the sun ever again, and that’s if we don’t decide to hoof you off to the Daughters of Strigon, where you’ll have to lead a chaste and boring life for the rest of your days.” The smile never left her face, and in fact only intensified with the cheery upturn of her voice. “I’m sure you understand.”

She didn’t give Gale any chance to respond, for she was already marching toward the door. She opened it with a wash of magic, then turned back to her terror-stricken daughter. “Coming?”

A shaky nod, and then gilded horseshoes thudded onto the floor. A few quick steps was all it took to carry Gale across the floor, and then, with her mother at her side, she left the room.

Their brief walk mirrored a similar path walked by parent and child fifteen years prior, past saluting sentries and through decorated halls. The entire walk, Gale remained shaky, quiet, and tense. Platinum seemed comforted by that; at the very least it meant that her daughter wasn’t going to fool around during the ceremony. She could already feel political rivals and pretenders lining up to take shots at any little slip-up in the next few minutes.

Together, mother and daughter lined before the shut doors, where only the muffled sounds of music and ponies managed to pierce through to the other side. Platinum recognized the song immediately; it’d been played when she went through her ceremony years ago, and it sent chills up her spine. She also knew that they’d be expected to enter when this song finished and the next one began to play. They only had a few minutes for any last words before it began.

Platinum seized the opportunity to give her daughter a (careful) little nuzzle. “I’m proud of you, Gale,” she said in a voice just barely loud enough to be heard over the noise coming through the door. “You’ve come so far, and even though I shake my head sometimes… or often…”

“Mom…” Gale groaned.

“Your father and I can never find enough words to tell you how delighted we are.” Smiling, she returned to waiting for the song to end. “Speaking of your father, he mentioned the cooking staff is preparing lots of fish for the banquet. He must’ve put in a word or two to make sure they had your favorite.” She winked at Gale, who managed a small smile and a shake of her head.

“So you had to do this when you were fifteen too, right?” Gale asked.

Platinum happily sighed as nostalgia washed over her. “Oh, yes. We still lived in River Rock then, in Castle Burning Hearth. Why, the entire city was shut down just for the occasion, and we all laughed and danced and ate well into the night. It was perhaps the best day of my life.”

Gale’s hooves fidgeted on the flagstones. “Were you… were you nervous?”

“Oh, incredibly so,” Platinum said, smiling softly at her daughter. “I was so afraid I was going to mess something up in front of all those nobles, all those ponies. Your grandfather had to drag me from my room before the ceremony began, I was so nervous.”

“Wow… really?”

Platinum nodded. “Terribly. But I managed to calm myself and pull through. After all, taking charge of the situation and carrying it through…” She gave a little shift of her flank, concealed by the dress she was wearing. “It’s what I was born to do. And judging by your mark, it’s what you were born to do as well.”

Gale instinctively looked back at her flanks, even though they were covered. “But mine has a tiara and a rapier.”

“Yes. Well...” Platinum huffed, rolling her eyes. “Considering who your father is, I think the sword motif was all but a given.”

The music changed, and Platinum’s ears, so tuned to keeping track of a dozen conversations or more at parties, noticed the shift immediately. She took a deep breath to settle herself into position, then motioned for Gale to do the same. “Now, remember what I told you?”

“Hooves aligned, legs straight, chest out, head back,” Gale recited, adjusting her stance with each phrase until she mimicked her mother.

“Good.” Platinum turned her head forward to stare directly at the door. Mechanisms within it began to unlatch, and soon the enormous portal began to open. “Remember, match your canter to ninety beats, andante, and stay exactly by my side.”

She did. As the doors opened, music played, and ponies cheered, Gale was glued to Platinum’s side. Her hoofsteps matched her mother’s, even if she had to stretch her gait a little longer to compensate for her taller mother’s stride. She could feel thousands of eyes digging into her coat from every direction; the Chancellor really had gone all-out in inviting ponies to the ceremony. She only started to relax when she climbed the dais, despite standing directly before the two Sisters. They intimidated her infinitely less than the masses of unfamiliar ponies filling the room.

The two unicorns stood straight for a few moments longer until the music finally ended. There was a brief moment of silence before Platinum spoke. “Mare of the Sun and Mare of the Moon, we summon you here before us to pass your judgment on this, the first of daughters of the nation of Equestria, sprung from my womb. She has spent her life learning the history of the Kings, the Wise Five being forever first and foremost, and has prepared for the mantle of responsibilities that her most legitimate rule will demand of her. For royalty is not a crown nor a sword, but a yoke, forever tying the ruler to the ruled, the queen to her country. It is heavy, and only those who are strong can bear it without breaking. And so, I have deemed this mare worthy of bearing the yoke, and I pass her on to you for judgment.”

They were ancient words, ingrained in the blood of the royalty from the First Kings, yet spoken as if they were vivid and alive today. In a way, Gale supposed they were, as she stood before the masses of Equestria, about to be judged by the goddesses themselves.

Celestia took exactly one stride forward, then spread her wings wide. “Mother of Equestria, who is this that you bring before me?”

Those were new words, some little corner of Gale’s mind realized. No Affirmation Ceremony had actually had the goddesses themselves in the flesh before.

Platinum bowed low and spoke with her muzzle almost against the floor. “Mare of the Sun, I, Queen Platinum, first of her name, offer you my daughter, Princess Platinum, third of her name. She was born out of marriage with the great Hurricane Stormblade, son of Thunder Gale Stormblade. The blood of the Cirran Emperor is strong in her veins.”

Celestia drew a slow, long nod for emphasis, then turned to Gale, even though her words were meant for Platinum. “Is her claim contested?”

“She stands alone.”

“She is supported by the Kings?”

“The sages have said it to be true.”

“Her birth is not illegitimate?”

“Her father received her as I f-foaled her, as is tradition.”

Gale almost missed the tiny slip of Platinum’s tongue. She wouldn’t have heard it if she hadn’t been paying attention, her mind playing out rehearsal after rehearsal in her head and waiting for her turn to speak. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one nervous today.

Celestia continued without breaking rhythm. “And her blood is pure?”

“My blood and the blood of my husband are one within her.”

“Then I affirm her claim as legitimate,” Celestia said. Her horn lit with ghostly energy, and she touched it to Gale’s, where the tingling of mana trying to go back down her horn made her want to itch her scalp really bad. “Princess Platinum, third of her name, I bestow my blessings upon you. May your path to the throne be unprotested by those around us, as I abolish any pretense they may make to claim what is rightfully yours. The line of the great kings shall continue to you and you alone.”

Gale felt her throat seize up, and she struggled to get the words out through her dry mouth. “Your blessing will be my guidance, my light in the dark, the sun in my sky.”

Celestia took a step back, then bowed low before her. “Then the sun is with you.”

The white alicorn departed, returning to her station, while Luna advanced. With wings spread, Luna stood directly before Gale, and spoke in a powerful and authoritative voice. “The sun has determined your claim to be legitimate, but the moon is more cautious. For only one who is truly ready and willing to rule shall be given the yoke of the throne, the shackle of authority. Child who calls herself Platinum, third of her name, are you ready to reign?”

Gale swallowed hard. “I am.”

Then her own interrogation began, albeit carefully rehearsed. “Do you recognize the legitimacy of the rule of Platinum, first of her name?”

“I recognize it.”

“You swear never to challenge her for her throne, nor question her right to rule?”

“I swear it.”

“You acknowledge that, should the yoke become vacant, it must never remain so?”

“I acknowledge it.”

“You understand that, as the next link in the chain of succession, it is your duty to furnish your line and the Diamond Throne with an heir worthy of its authority?”

It took all of Gale’s effort to force down a grimace. “I understand it.”

“You admit that your right to rule is guaranteed as divine favor from the sun and the moon, and should you lose this favor, you and your line will abdicate the throne so that somepony worthy may correct your mistakes?”

“I admit it.”

“You believe in your own mortality, and that no actions you take can help you deceive the black hoof of death, delivered by mortal or divine means?”

“I believe it.”

“You allow that, should your deeds drive Equestria to ruin; should your arrogance reverse the fortunes of such a proud nation; should your actions bring war and death to your ponies; should any atrocity occur as a result of your rule, you will surrender your life to the masses as compensation?”

Gale’s breath caught in her throat for just a second. “I allow it.”

“You remember the teachings of the kings of old, especially those of the Wise Five: Amethyst the Light-Bringer and the art of diplomacy; Malachite the Titan and the art of warfare; Electrum the All-Seer and the art of espionage; Tourmaline the Grand Magus and the art of magic; and Hematite the Unyielding and the art of authority?”

“I remember them.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed, and her horn flickered with energy. “Do you accept the burden placed upon your shoulders, from now until the end of your mortal life, however long or however short it may be?”

“I… accept it.”

Luna bowed her horn down to touch Gale’s like Celestia did, and once more, Gale felt the tingle of magical backwash pricking the hairs of her mane and her scalp. Then like Celestia before her, Luna too took a step and bowed low. “Then the moon is with you.”

When the two alicorns returned to standing side by side, Gale and Platinum pivoted to face each other. Platinum rested one hoof on Gale’s shoulder, and Gale placed her hoof in the crook of her mother’s foreleg. “As Queen of Equestria, and with the divine favor of the sun and the moon, I name you my heir, and should I ever be unable to fulfill my duties, as I swore before you, then the yoke shall be passed to you. Until then, I will lead, and you will follow and learn, while you will keep me comfortable and assist as I command. Do you understand this?”

Gale bowed her head. “I do.”

Now Platinum’s horn glistened with energy, and she touched it to Gale’s. “Then I welcome you as my daughter, heir, and future ruler of the Diamond Throne.” She kissed Gale’s horn, then turned so that they both faced the masses of ponies before them. Platinum took a step to the side and gestured in Gale’s direction. “Ponies of Equestria, I present to you Princess Platinum the Third, heir to the throne.”

The crowd cheered and applauded, and Gale remembered to wave to them as her mother instructed. Deep, tolling sounds filled the air as the bells on the church towers rang, and soon all of Everfree was awash in the clanging brass noise welcoming in its future queen.

And finally, now that it was all over, Gale smiled.

Author's Notes:

This is the last of the Interludes! The next update will be an actual chapter update. Time to get the story moving again!