Of all the things he valued, the simple pleasure of sleeping was, without a doubt, chief amongst them. Before his time in the Guard he would spend many hours a night sleeping blissfully in the comfort of his own bed, warm beneath wool blankets. That had all stopped the moment he joined up, and for the last fifteen years sleep had been a thing that only others experienced with any regularity. They had told him he would get used to it, that his body would adapt to needing less sleep. They had lied.

"Hey. Hey, Tercio. You awake?"

Tercio rolled over on his cot with a grumble.

"Hmm?"

"You've got night shift, remember?"

"Oh, right. Yeah. Night shift."

Sure enough, the sun had already set, and the moon hung low in the sky. It would be a long night. Still half asleep, Tercio mused that, were he married, he would at least be allowed to return to his home when off-duty. At it was, he had to hot-bunk in the barracks, taking someone's place as they left to start their own shift. Maybe one of the mares around town would take pity on him.

Forcing himself awake, and eyeing Rimeberry with envy as the stallion crawled into the spot he'd just left, Tercio went to the chest at the corner of the room and began the long process of putting on his full armor: buckling straps, adjusting fittings, working out the kinks where his shoulder pauldrons chafed against his neck without the proper amount of padding. Even with years of practice it was still a tedious affair. Finally, with his gold-decorated steel armor in place and his purple cloak tied on, he was ready for duty. A final check for his weapons -- a sword in a scabbard at his waist and a tall spear in hand.

Satisfied, he headed down the hallway, out of the Praetorian barracks wing. He passed the royal garden and waved to the grounds keeper, an older mare who took care of the exotic, magical plants that only bloomed at night. A few minutes and two flights of stairs later he was at the side entrance to the private kitchen's delivery hallway. A knock and a muttered password got him through, and from there it was a short walk past the empty throne room to Princess Celestia's personal quarters. Two soldiers stood guard at the short hallway leading to the twin rooms for Celestia and Luna -- the latter now closed off with a "No Entry" sign -- and they greeted Tercio warmly as he relieved them for the night.

"Hell of a party that was," the younger of the two, Frost Wind, said as he took his spear against his side with a sigh of relief. He rubbed a shoulder with a hoof. "Word has it you set the whole thing up or something."

His partner, a tall stallion named Carpisius, grunted in approval. "Yeah, not bad. You see those two pegasuses with the purple coats? I hear they went through half the Praetorian Guard last night."

"If they did, it didn't include me," Frost Wind replied in annoyance.

Tercio chuckled and knocked him on the helm.

"Don't feel too bad, Frost. I wouldn't exactly call my night particularly good, either."

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter, Tercio. We saw those three mares fawning over you like your prick was filled with gold."

"They were good company, nothing more...though at times I wished they would have been more forthcoming with their advances."

"Uh-huh. They were real good company for everyone when they started going down on each other in the bath, let me tell you!"

"Gods honest truth," Carpisius added. "Anyway, I'm tired as a dog. Let's get going."

"Right." Frost Wind tipped his spear. "Have a good one, Tercio. Whatever your part in it, thanks for the party at that mare's place. It was good to forget about guarding doors and hallways for a while. We owe you one."

With the stallions gone, Tercio was left by himself to take over guard duty. There he stood for long hours on end, only occasionally seeing someone pass by at the other end of the hall. He sighed. With the palace considered to be under less threat than it had been a few months prior, Stonewall had seen fit to reduce the night shift from two to one. Tercio wished he had someone to chat with, but instead he was left with only his thoughts to keep him company. Inevitably, they would turn to Sapphire Quill and her unwelcome advances.

No, he thought, "advances" wasn't nearly strong enough of a word to describe waking up from a stupor to find her riding him like a wild beast. What could have possibly possessed her to think such a thing would be appropriate? Did she honestly think that the prospect of a night of sex would be enough to draw him away from everything he'd worked for? No matter how he tried, he couldn't understand it. His knee-jerk reaction was to blame it on the selfishness and arrogance of the upper class, but such a thought was immature at best. After all, Celestia had been nothing but kind to him, and it didn't get much more "upper class" than ruling Equestria as a nigh-immortal being.

It was a shame about Sapphire. For a while she had shown herself to be a pleasant, intelligent conversationalist, and despite her sometimes pushy demeanor she was pleasant to be around, not to mention being quite attractive. All of that had been rendered moot after she'd drugged him and tried to take advantage of his altered mind.

The sound of metallic hoofsteps on the polished floor snapped him out of his day dreaming, and he quickly assumed a military bearing. Princess Celestia appeared around the corner a moment later, her head drooped in a clear sign of exhaustion.

"Princess," Tercio said, saluting with a fist over his chest. Despite her mood Celestia offered a smile in return.

"As you were, Tercio." He went back to a resting position, leaning his spear against the wall.

"How fares your night?"

"Busy," Celestia answered with a tired laugh. "A representative from Saddle Arabia insisted on bringing twenty of his closest servants -- sorry, "assistants" -- with him everywhere he went. He also speaks little to no Equestrian, and my Saddle Arabian is less than ideal. That was always Luna's duty."

"So communicating was a bit hard, I take it."

"You would not believe me if I told you. Did you know Saddle Arabian translators have their own caste system now? Of the twenty of his servants, six were translators, belonging to three different castes. So I would speak to one of them, and that translator would tell the next translator, and he would tell the next, before the final translator finally told the Saddle Arabian representative."

Tercio was still trying to work out the logistics of it.

"I...don't see how that's particularly useful. Or sane."

"That makes two of us," Celestia said. "This process was repeated when the representative tried to speak to me in return. A simple conversation about continued trade took three hours." She sighed loudly. "Whatever happened to clarity in simplicity?"

"I couldn't begin to say, Princess."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to dump my problems on you. I'm sure you'd rather not listen to me prattle on about dignitaries and self-important ponies."

"All part of the job description," he joked. He was pleased to get a small laugh in return.

"So it would seem. I should probably retire for the night, lest my thoughts turn to flight from my duties. Cave living would likely not be an improvement. Actually, before I go, may I be a bother and ask for a cup of tea?"

"Spoon of honey and a bit of lemon? Of course."

Celestia floated her crown from her head and smiled warmly.

"Am I really that predictable?"

"You have asked for the same thing from the night shift for the last two months, Your Highness. We know your needs practically before you speak them."

Celestia trotted down the hall, pushing open the doors to her room with a flash of magic.

"See? I knew there was a reason I kept all of you around."

"Damnation! It had to have been here! I know it!"

Victus kicked the dirt at his hooves, fuming at the loss of the pendant he'd worked so hard to get a hold of.

"We've been here since early morning, Equestrian, and still we have nothing to show for it," Gilias fired back.

"Then we will keep looking!"

Nearly an entire day had been spent deep in the forest where the Nightmare Moon cult's camp used to be, back before Victus and his small band of Legionaries had stolen their way in thanks to some theatrics by the group's now-permanent griffon addition. Though the mission had ultimately not resulted in any Legion deaths, they had come back with little in the way of new information about the cult's inner workings. After a hard-fought battle Victus had collapsed in the mud, and had to be carried back to the medicae tents by the others. Somewhere along the way, or perhaps during the fight, he had lost the medallion that had seemed to be the only thing of import in the entire camp.

Spending two weeks recovering from his wounds had not helped matters, and most of the Legion camp had moved on to support the southern tip of the push into Whitetail, leaving only a hoof-full of soldiers and a single apothecary behind.

"All of that blood shed for nothing!" He swore and stomped a hoof in frustration. "Perhaps I should have joined Tercio and fought with the Praetorians instead. At least then I wouldn't be searching through two weeks of muck and dead leaves."

"Now what?" Rockfall, the squad's sole archer, asked after several seconds of silence.

"I don't know. Perhaps...perhaps we should head back after all."

Gilias spread her wings out and flapped into the air.

"First rational thing I've heard you say all day. Don't get your balls in a wad, there are always more of those darkness-worshiping lunatics to stab in the face later. We'll get another one of your little pendants soon."

What had been so damned important about it? he wondered. There were far more valuable things lying around the camp's shrine -- gold, jewels, silver finery -- but only the carved ivory in the shape of a heavenly constellation had its own place above the others. Whatever it was, he was going to find it again. Cults be damned.

Tercio yawned and stretched his arms out wide, scratching his side where his tunic had developed an annoying, persistent itch. He wished he had a bed. A bed and a hot bath. Maybe at the same time. A cold breeze would occasionally blow in from the moonlight window down the hall; he cursed the cold, wishing he had a fire nearby to keep him warm, or at least a long winter wrap, but he was thankful that it helped keep him awake.

No armed enemy would best him, but if that enemy showed up with a sleeping roll he might just let the whole damn palace fall if it meant a good night's rest. So long as they kept it down, they could pillage all they pleased.

A short distance away, Celestia's door opened. Tercio craned his neck and saw a candle in a silver sconce float out in a cloud of yellow magic, followed by the Princess herself. She lacked her usual crown and breast collar, and her flowing mane drooped against her neck and across her back. A silken chiton crossed both of her shoulders and trailed on the floor to either side of her, its loose, pearl-colored fabric connected to a golden ring around the base of her neck.

"Princess?" he asked cautiously. "Is there something you need?"

Clearly not fully awake, Celestia took a few steps toward him.

"Did your replacement not show up?" she asked.

He glanced at the moon, only halfway through its arc in the sky.

"It is still the middle of the night. I have several more hours."

"Hmm?" She looked for herself, squinting against the full moon. "Right. My mistake." She turned back to Tercio. "My apologies, it has been somewhat of a restless night."

"Your sister?" he asked, still not sure if Celestia was familiar enough with him to allow such a question.

"Yes," she said simply.

"I'm sorry. Would you like me to fetch you another tea, or...?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, thank you. I was hoping you would join me in taking a walk around the palace grounds. Some fresh air would do me well, I think."

"Oh," he said, surprised. "If you would like. I am yours to command, after all."

Celestia let out a dramatic, exasperated sigh.

"Tercio, I appreciate formality as much as the next princess, but I am not asking you as my guard. I am asking you as my friend. I could use someone to talk to."

Tercio picked up his spear and returned a light smile.

"In that case, I would be happy to."

He waited for Celestia to reach his side, then grabbed a quietly burning torch from its holster near the throne room doors. They took the short route to the outside, bypassing the extravagant hallway full of stained glass images in favor of a staff walkway that led to the delivery and storage areas. From there they curved around the great stone walls of the palace's outer defenses and arrived at the grand garden. Not a soul was in sight. Celestia had remained quiet for most of the trip, but the smell of evergreen pine seemed to reinvigorate her. It was cold out, but not unbearable.

"Have you ever been to the garden at night?" she asked Tercio, who was still at her side. A sharp, orange glow lit the area around them as he held the torch close for warmth.

"I can't say I have. At least, not this late. Even Moonglade appears to be gone for the night. I saw her earlier, before my shift."

"I like to come out here sometimes when I can't sleep. Lately it's been more and more frequent..."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what it must be like to have such a burden on your shoulders. An entire nation to watch over, an unwanted war to manage -- and Princess Luna."

He looked up at the full moon, the visage of the fallen Princess of the Night forever burned into its very being.

"I still see her sometimes, you know" she admitted. "I have not told anyone else. I fear what they would think of me."

"Yet you don't fear what I would think?"

She smiled. "No. You have a good heart and a sharp mind. Whatever you may think of yourself, you are not judgmental." Her expression turned serious once more. "She often comes to me in my dreams, a writhing mass of acrid smoke and incorporeal darkness. At times, I even see her in my waking hours, as if she never left. Sometimes she appears as I knew her, beautiful and elegant, but always she speaks as Nightmare Moon. It is my burden to carry, but I wish it were not so."

"You can always speak with me about it," Tercio said, stepping around a row of short bushes that glittered in the torch light. "I can't say I have shared any experience even remotely as terrible as what you have gone through, but I can at least offer my support."

"I know. That's why I asked you to come with me tonight. I truly appreciate it." Rather than dwell on it further, Celestia sought to change the subject. "How was the party last night, for the Praetorians? Or I suppose it would be two nights ago now, wouldn't it?"

"That it would. It was..." He struggled to find the right word. "Interesting, we'll say."

"Oh?"

"My battle brothers were quite overjoyed to attend, and be attended to. Even Imperator Stonewall was there, with his wife. They were negotiating supply deals while everyone else was drinking and fu--uh, carousing. Yes."

"Always the pragmatist," Celestia laughed.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen so much wine in one place in my entire life. Miss Sapphire was very generous in that regard."

And other regards, I'd bet, Celestia thought with a tinge of annoyance. Goodness only knew what Sapphire would do to get her way. She put on a smile anyway.

"That sounds like a lovely time. So you enjoyed your stay, then?"

Tercio cleared his throat.

"We were pleased to be off duty, certainly. The Praetorians, that is. They seem to be under the impression that such an event was my doing, when really all I did was agree to meet with Miss Sapphire at no cost to myself. I could hardly turn down a night of relaxation for the very stallions I fight beside."

Celestia eyed him with an amused look.

"I did not ask about the others, Tercio, I asked about you."

"I...I enjoyed myself. Mostly. Sharing stories with the others was something I'll never forget. At least, those stories I was sober enough to remember."

"I see. And how did your evening event with Sapphire go?" Celestia asked with a mix of genuine curiosity and mild annoyance. Sapphire was still young, and Celestia knew she shouldn't begrudge her for anything that might result from it, but such a thing was easier said than done sometimes.

"Well, uh, Miss Sapphire was polite and conversational. She is certainly one who deserves her title as the premier playwright of our generation."

That was a guarded response if I've ever heard one, Celestia thought.

"She is quite talented, yes," she agreed. "You were her guest for the evening, after all, and one would not expect a host to be rude or anything less than talkative."

"Without a doubt."

"Good, good. I'm glad to hear it." They passed rows of brightly-colored flowers that glowed pink and blue and white, and vines that shrank and grew as they reached out for the light of the torch. "The event's announcement was quite sudden, as I'm sure you're aware. Sapphire Quill has only been a guest of the palace for a short time, and the others sometimes look down on her eagerness. Perhaps we've forgotten what it was to be that young."

Tercio thought on his answer. "I believe Miss Sapphire is used to getting what she wants. Her life is very different from mine, and certainly different from yours."

"Did she mention to you why she wanted to host the event in the first place?"

He laughed. "I am embarrassed to say so, but I believe she thought my occasional glances at the royal platform to be a sign of affection, or longing. How she thought so much from so little, I could not say."

So, Sapphire was wrong after all. The young mare had been fooling herself.

"Why were you so interested in our viewing platform, anyway?" Celestia asked, prying just a bit. "It is not as if you haven't seen it many dozens of times before."

"Well, to be completely forthcoming, I sometimes feel...demoralized, I suppose you could say. The hours are long and the work is hard for ones such as ourselves. Seeing you up there, even for a brief moment, helps remind me of what I am training so hard for."

Celestia was thankful he couldn't see her blushing. She gave a genuine smile all the same.

"That's very kind of you. That's exactly why I have watched over my Praetorians for all of these years. Many have said something similar." Absently, she felt her mane and tail billowing just a little bit more than they had been. "But yes, as I said, the event was unplanned to the best of my knowledge. As long as you and your fellow soldiers had a good time, I cannot ask for more."

"They had a good time of it, yes. I've no doubt they will remember it fondly."

Celestia came to a stop, with Tercio in front of her.

"You're sure that's all there is to say about the event?"

"That would be it. I do not lead a particularly interesting life at the best of times."

He hid it well, but it was there -- something beneath the surface. Had she been any other mare, Celestia likely would not have noticed it. But hundreds of years dealing with the disingenuous, overly polite attitudes of countless diplomats, heads of state, and citizens looking for a leg up had made her very good at picking out falsehoods.

"Very well. Just remember: I am here if you ever have a concern or need to speak at length, no matter how hard it may seem to discuss something."

A simple reassurance was sometimes all that was needed. She watched him carefully, saw as he averted his eyes for the briefest of moments. It was entirely possible nothing more would come from it if he was set in his ways...but there was always the chance.

"Thank you," he said in response, "I shall keep that in mind."

With that, Celestia led the way back to the palace. Tercio said hardly a word.

"Night shift again, eh? You poor bastard."

Thunderburst laughed and trotted off, leaving Tercio behind to stare at the duty roster. Twice in a row? It was beginning to feel less like a posting and more like a punishment. Another long night, another span of endless hours with only his thoughts to keep him occupied.

Still, there was no use in complaining. He had a job to do, no matter how tedious it was. He squeezed in a quick meal before catching a precious few hours of dreamless sleep, and before long he was standing guard near Celestia's quarters once more. It was, mercifully, not nearly as cold as the previous night.

Once again he waited for the Princess to return from her royal duties, and they greeted each other with the usual pleasantries and small talk before she took her leave for the night. The doors to her room shut and latched, and silence filled the halls.

In the uncomfortable quiet Tercio could see and hear Sapphire's every action as if it were happening all over again; the conversation in her bedroom, bits and pieces of intimacy that had been forced upon him, the sudden sensation of returning to his senses. Yet again his mind had been violated, by substance rather than the spoken word. He wanted to pretend it had never happened, and yet the more he thought about it the angrier he became. Who was she to push herself on him, to act as if everything was about her wants and needs? Did she honestly believe he would give up everything to be with her, a mare he'd known for scant minutes?

The obvious solution, of course, was to tell Celestia what had happened. She, of all ponies, would understand, and would likely be reviled and disgusted by Sapphire's actions. Yet Sapphire was a guest of the royal court, and it was common knowledge that not just anyone was worthy of taking seat beside the most powerful and influential ruler in the land. The young mare had done something of worth to earn her spot on the observation platform. Maybe she contributed part of her earnings to the war effort, or had a hoof in some venture outside of the stage? He could only guess.

Still...if he knew Celestia as he thought he did, it was unlikely she would keep Sapphire around after hearing about the night of the event. There was always a line of well-to-do ponies looking to join the royal court, wasn't there? Sapphire would be replaced, and it would mean he wouldn't have to see her staring at him during his combat drills again. Most importantly, it would give him some peace of mind. Keeping such a secret would be toxic, and he knew it in the very pit of his soul. Could he trust himself to not let it build until it burst forth in a fit of rage, brought on by any number of things? If he valued his place in the Praetorians, he very much doubted it.

"Gods see me through this," he muttered as he picked up his spear and walked to Celestia's quarters. He stopped before the ornate wooden doors and hesitated, his fist just inches away. There would be no going back once he started.

Three sharp knocks echoed through the hall. For a moment there was no answer; was waking the Princess really wise? He'd heard Stonewall warn against such a thing unless it was a dire emergency. He was about to turn around and leave when he heard the door lock unlatch from the other side.

Celestia peeked her head out. "Tercio? Is there something I can help you with?"

Tercio stumbled over his words until he took a breath to calm himself.

"I hope I am not interrupting you, Princess. I can come back tomorrow if you're preoccupied, or sleeping, or--"

She shook her head. "It's alright, I don't mind. Is something the matter?"

"It's about the other night, at the party Sapphire threw for myself and the others. I...I may not have been entirely truthful when I spoke with you earlier in the garden."

She'd been right: all was not as it had appeared. She pushed the door open and stepped aside.

"Please, come in. Whatever you wish to discuss, I am open to hearing it."

Seated on a pair of cushions, Tercio and Celestia talked for what seemed to be a long time. He told her everything he could remember -- the copious amounts of wine, the nearly nude state of his visit to Sapphire's bedroom, the tea he was convinced was laced with an Equestrian aphrodisiac he couldn't begin to identify. He even told her of how he'd snapped back to his senses to find Sapphire atop him, and the resulting anger he'd felt from being taken advantage of. It was humiliating, and the more he spoke of it the more he felt ashamed for his actions, no matter what had been running through his veins at the time. They were the actions of a fool, he insisted. The actions of a lovestruck teenager, not of a grown man who should have known better.

Through it all Celestia listened intently, her face rarely betraying her true state of mind. To hear such horrible things about Sapphire, the mare she'd previously thought trustworthy, if a bit too ambitious and lustful for her own good, turn out to be nothing but a smokescreen for her true intentions was a shock the likes of which she could have hardly imagined.

"She asked me to give up everything! My career in the Guard, my brothers in arms, my life as I knew it, all so she could make me some sort of performance piece in her 'next great play.'" Tercio laughed bitterly. "Her next great play. A play about my life! In return I would be famous, she said. I would be known throughout Equestria. I would be rich. I would have endless nights of torrid sex. All I would have to do is surrender my soul to a mare I'd known barely an hour." His face turned sour and he scoffed at the idea. "Perhaps if I were a younger man I would have said yes. But I am not the man I was when I signed up. I am thirty-two years old now. I have the responsibility of watching over the lives of those around me. The Praetorians depend on me, and I on them. I will not leave them until the very life has bled from my veins and the air has left my lungs."

"And you're absolutely sure of what you say? Such accusations are not to be taken lightly, as I'm sure you understand."

"I would not have asked to speak with you if I was not, Princess."

Celestia stood up and walked to the open doors of her balcony, letting the cool breeze calm her mind and help her think. The thought of Sapphire going through with such a backstabbing plan chilled her more than any cold night. She'd invited the playwright to join her as a guest because of her charm and her contribution to Equestrian art and society. Apparently, Sapphire's ambitions did not stop there. To attempt something so bold was completely beyond the pale.

"I must admit to being surprised by the idea of Sapphire doing something so brazenly wrong. In the short time that I've known her she's always shown herself to be reliable and trustworthy, if sometimes brutally honest in her opinions. To think she could drug you and take advantage of your baser urges is...apalling, to say the least."

"I know," Tercio said. "It was not an easy decision to come to you with this."

"That said...I like to think I have become quite adept at separating truth from fiction in my long years, and I do not detect any lies or malice in your words. Indeed, there are many who would have kept such an incident hidden out of fear -- either of retribution, or ridicule."

"So you believe me, then?"

Celestia frowned, and in that moment Tercio deeply regretted having to tell her at all.

"I do. I wish I didn't -- I wish Sapphire had not shown herself to be untrustworthy -- but I believe what you've told me. I will have to speak with her in the morning."

"I see..." He hesitated before asking, "and what will become of her?"

"I don't know. Not yet," Celestia answered with a tinge of sadness. "At the very least, she will not be invited back to the palace. Beyond that, we will have to see."

"As you say. I am truly sorry to bring such terrible news, Celestia. I did not wish to ruin your night or your mood."

Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Don't be. You have every right to feel sickened by what happened to you, and you did the right thing in coming to me."

A bitterness welled inside him, burning his chest. "Even as an adult I am a second-class citizen to some. The Praetorian who threatened me at Swiftwing said I was a dangerous monster. Sapphire assumed that I would be more than willing to leave everything behind and join her. Am I not afforded basic decency simply because of my physical appearance?" He caught himself raising his voice and stopped before he lost his temper, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I'm sorry. I know the vast majority of those I meet do not think ill of me, but it's always the select few that linger."

"I understand, more than you can know," Celestia said reassuringly. "Being the long-lived ruler of Equestria does not make me immune to the slings and arrows of those who, for whatever reason, do not care for me. I can remember some of the hurtful things that were yelled at me three hundred years ago just as readily as if they happened yesterday. Human or equine, some things are the same no matter who you are." She placed his hand on her chest and offered a warm smile. "All that matters is what's in your mind and in your heart."

For a long second Tercio met her comforting gaze and felt the warmth of her skin, and in that moment he could not have wished to be anywhere else.

"Thank you," he said as he pulled back from her. "For the kind words, I mean. You have given me much to think on during these long hours."

"You're very welcome. And thank you for being strong enough to speak with me about Sapphire and her actions. I give you my word that she will not seek your presence again."

Tercio stood up from his cushion and placed his helm back on his head, then grabbed his weapons and shield that were lying against the corner.

"I should get back to my duties. Stonewall will have a fit if he catches me away from my post."

Celestia laughed softly. "You were speaking with me on a very important matter, I do not believe he has the authority to object." She opened the twin doors with an aura of magic, floating out a candle for extra light. "Please, do not hesitate to come to me with any other matters of import. I am always available...if I'm not preoccupied with politics, at least."

"I will, thank you."

"Very well. Have a good night, Tercio."

He stopped in the hallway and bowed in respect.

"And you as well, Celestia." The doors had nearly closed when he spoke up once more, facing away as he slid his arm into the backing strap of his tower shield. "It was you, you know." He turned back to face her. "When I came to my senses in Sapphire's quarters. I...I thought of you, and how I couldn't possibly abandon the trust you'd shown in keeping me at your side. I truly enjoy my time with you."

Celestia met his eyes and saw something within him, warm and familiar.

"In a way...I suppose you could say you saved me yet again."

He made as if to continue, but stopped himself.

"Have a good night, Princess."

With that, Tercio returned to his post at the end of the hall. Celestia watched him for a short time, then quietly closed the doors. Alone with her thoughts once more, she sat on the end of her bed, his words playing before her again. Deep down, she already knew what he'd meant without having to consider it. The look in his eyes, the way he'd carried himself as he spoke with her. All those times they'd sat down and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. It was not just admiration, or respect, that had driven him to share so much. It was affection. Love.

She lied down, the realization pulling at her. Sapphire's actions were a lot to consider already, but this...

She closed her eyes and clutched her pillow tight, and as she drifted off to sleep she felt his hand on her chest once more.