Author's Note: This story is set after the events of my story Twilight Then, Twilight now.

Chapter one- Arrival:

"Okay Rosaline... keep your cool. Everything is going to be...fine!"

As the Royal Sky chariot carried her and her brother across the breadth of Equestria, Princess Rosaline couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This was, after all, the day she had been preparing for her entire life. All of those long years of studying politics, economics, and all other forms of statecraft... were finally going to pay off. The pink unicorn with purple hair had long awaited her chance to shine... and this was finally going to be it!

It was then she noticed the chariot was passing over Ponyville... and heading deep into the Everfree forest. As they passed overhead, Rosaline said a silent goodbye to the kingdom of Equestria... the only home she had ever known.

"Do we have to be up here?" Her brother whined. "This crate is going to fast... tell the Pegasus pulling it to slow down!"

Rosaline rolled her eyes in disgust. Prince Blueblood, her crybaby of a brother. This spoiled playboy of a pony had spent his time growing up going to parties and living it up... all the while she had been studying hard, to make something of herself. His whiny nature disgusted her... didn't the fool have any pride in his heritage as a descendant of Princess Platinum, of the ancient royal line of the unicorns?

"Would you please stop your complaining?" Rosaline grumbled. "We'll be back on the ground soon... we're nearly there!"

"Why do we have to come out and live in this nasty place anyway?" Blueblood whined again. "All because you wanted your own stupid kingdom to rule!"

The Princess simply snorted at him. She would have loved to have left his spoiled flank behind in Canterlot, but Princess Celestia, the royal house of Majesty's adopted 'aunt', had insisted she take him with her to live in her new home.

"If you don't stop whining, I'll leave you sleep outside." She warned him. "I've heard there is some very nasty creatures who live in this forest who very much love the taste of pony!"

Blueblood fell silent at that, a sound which was music to his sister's ears. At the moment, her mind was on their destination, the very reason they had come to this bleak corner of the world... her new kingdom of Dream Valley.

It had seemed almost like a miracle, when 'Aunt' Luna had offered her her own dominions to rule. Finally, the royal house of Majesty would once again rule it's own lands! She was less enthused when she learned that her new kingdom was to be a refuge filled with exiles and political dissidents... but she was determined to make this new situation work!

As the chariot passed over the endless sea of trees, Rosaline saw that there were few signs of Pony habitation out here. No Pegasus taming the skies, to earth ponies cultivating the soil... this really was a barren wilderness, just waiting to be shaped by her royal will! Her heart leaped at the thought of being a pioneer queen, boldly bringing the benefits of pony civilization to this uncharted wilderness! This truly was her time to shine!

It was then, that the chariot came to a stop over an exceptionally large clearing in the forest. Looking down, the princess saw a medium sized pink castle, sitting right next to a river. Dream Castle... the ancient sight of the unicorn royal family's castle, then later the site of the palace of the two sisters. The current castle was built only recently, as a part of Aunt Luna's 'Dream Valley' project. With all sorts of enchantments and technology built right into the walls, Rosaline's new home harbored many, many secrets she currently knew very little about.

As she and her brother stepped out of the chariot, it immediately took off into the sky, heading back towards Equestria. It was then the two royals noticed four ponies standing there in a row, waiting to greet them.

"Greetings, your highness." A blue unicorn, with a white mane and a compass cutie mark, stepped forward. "I am North Pole, former courtier at princess Celestia's court." He bowed politely, kissing her hoof.

"As yes, I remember you. You were at the Grand Galloping gala three years ago." Rosaline noted. "The unicorn bureaucrat who was shunned from court, for your treatise on the superiority of communal herd living."

North Pole scowled. "And as I recall, your highness, that was also the Gala where harmony bearer Pinkie Pie shoved your flank, while she was trying to dance."

"Your Frankness and political savvy, tells me you might make a fine addition to my court." The Princess blushed at the memory of that embarrassment, before turning to the second unicorn present. "And who might you be?" She asked her curiously.

"Minuette Coldgate, your highness. Formerly of Ponyville." The white and blue mare told her. "And I was exiled due to my loyalty to your royal bloodline, over loyalty to the false Princesses in Canterlot."

"Coldgate... the house descended from Clover the Clever. So the tales of your family's loyalty ring true." Rosaline mused. "And it is a loyalty I shall reward, let me assure you!"

She then moved on to the grayish olive colored earth mare standing there. "And who might you be?"

"Golden Harvest, your majesty. Also of Ponyville." The slightly temperamental mare snorted. "I was a gardener there, until I got involved in a political movement to lower Equestrian agricultural taxes."

"But how did you get exiled for that?" A bewildered Rosaline asked.

"The organization I was involved in was considered subversive, so now I'm here." The orange-maned mare replied simply.

The Princess shook her head... Celestia's bureaucrats were becoming more and more opposed to political dissent... now almost to the point of oppression. "Well, I think we can use your special talent for getting the Valley's agricultural programs started."

"Hey, don't ferget me!" A red- maned pony with a Cherry cutie mark called out. "Ah can plant an take care of cherry trees fer the valley!"

"Your Cherry Jubilee, of Dodge Junction." Rosaline responded, knowing this earth pony. "You run Cherry Hill farm, one of the finest Cherry Orchards in Equestria! What are you doing here?"

"After a certain orange harmony bearer an her friends messed up mah factory equipment, ah had ta take some... unsavory loans ta get everythin fixed." The earth pony scowled. "I got mixed up in some bad stuff, so it was either here, or the hooscow."

The princess smiled at the four of them... obviously, these four were the exiles with the most initiative- that is why they were out here to greet her before anypony else. It would then be in Rosaline's best interest to make these four the first four members of her court.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all." Rosaline told them. "Now, could we please go inside?"

North Pole nodded, and the two pony guards lowered the drawbridge. The princess and the still-pouting Blueblood trotted inside, followed by their four new subjects.

The interior of Dream Castle was far larger and more spacious than the exterior, clearly they were inside a pocket dimension, Rosaline noted. All around her, she could see ponies of all three types moving their belongings and families into the castle's many rooms. She could see the bloodshot looks of weariness coming from these ponies- exiles from Tambelon and it's labs, intellectual dissidents, political prisoners... she had the full gamut of exiles and refugees here.

"So this is why you came all the way out here?" Her brother finally spoke up, trying to contain his laughter. "To rule a kingdom of washouts and rejects?"

"Hey, who you callin' a reject, you reject!" A gaudily dressed earth pony snapped angrily, trotting up top the two of them. "It's not like all of us are exactly thrilled to be here, either!"

Blueblood's jaw nearly hit the floor. That greyish-gold coat, the cobalt blue mane... Blueblood knew right away who this famous pony was.

"S-Sapphire Shores?" The spoiled prince asked in shock. "H-how did you get here?"

"It seems the Pony of pop sang a song that was insulting to lil ol Princess Cadence!" Sapphire Shores growled angrily. "So after that no-no, out of Equestria I go-go!"

“I can’t believe they even exiled you!” Rosaline said with a sigh. “Is there nopony who can escape the bureaucrat’s wrath?”

As they walked though the castle’s grand hallways, the Princess took note of her surroundings- large, whitewashed marble columns, holding up an ornately decorated ceiling. Three floors of walkways ran along both walls, with row after row of doors on each floor. These were the entrances to thousands of apartments that lined the castle… the homes of her current- and future- subjects.

“How many ponies….?” The princess trailed off nervously, unsure of how many refugees and exiles there actually were.

“About four thousand, give or take a hundred. Far below the castle‘s maximum capacity of one million.” A blue Pegasus with a blonde mane flew up. “Oh, forgive me, your highness… my name is Sassaflash, and I too was a Ponyville native.”

“Sassaflash! So they got you too, huh?” Golden Harvest exclaimed. “Is Caramel here, too?”

“I’d hope so, since we’re life bonded.” Sassaflash replied with a laugh. “We got the boot from Equestria because of a jealous noble I rejected, in favor of my Caramel.”

“A pleasure to serve you, your highness.” The yellow earth stallion with a horseshoe cutie mark bowed. “I am a blacksmith, your grace… and my skills are at your- and this new kingdom’s- disposal.

“Then we welcome you and your stallion here.” Rosaline smiled warmly. “Dream Castle shall be the end of all your sorrows!”

Over on the side, Blueblood spoke to North Pole in private.

“I never thought my Aunt Celestia would exile all of these poor ponies here.” The spoiled prince confided. “I mean there have always been rumors swirling around court about banishments to the Everfree forest, but this…”

“It is not Celestia doing this, but those in power beneath her.” Pole snorted back. “The nameless, faceless pencil pushers, who will sweep under the rug anypony who seeks to bring their corruption to light. There were rumors of ponies being banished to the Everfree forest, yes… but never the means to do so… until the construction of this castle.”

The prince waited for North Pole to continue, but the silent stallion would say no more.
…

The throne room was a grand chamber- filled with crystal chandeliers, white washed marble columns, and a large fountain in the center. It was as large as the ballroom as Canterlot Castle- though it had the disadvantage of serving as both ballroom and throne room. As Rosaline trotted into the opulently decorated room, she noticed it was filled to the brim with ponies, whose eyes were all on her. As the princess trotted nervously up the aisle, she tried to keep her composure.

“Okay Rosaline, this is it.” She told herself, as she trotted up to the red velvet throne, with a white lace canopy cover. “You wanted to use everything you’ve learned in your political lessons to help ponkind? We’ll here’s your chance!”

“Princess Rosaline, of the royal house of Majesty.” A pony wearing clerical robes stepped up, and placed the ancestral silver coronation crown of Princess Platinum upon her head. “In the name of the great horsemaster, I hereby crown you Queen Rosaline Majesty I, first sovereign of the kingdom of Dream Valley.”

Cheers broke out in every corner of the room, mostly from the assembled unicorns. The Princess- now queen, waved nervously at her new subjects, uncertain how she was going to help them survive in this wilderness.

In the back of the room, a few ponies watched with mixed reactions.

“Queen Rosaline?” Golden Harvest scoffed. “She dares to take a title higher than Princess Celestia?”

“Well, th’ less like Celestia she is, the better.” Cherry Jubilee added. “The farther our ruler is from bein’ that tyrant, the better ah like it!”

“I don’t know if she can lead us, though.” North Pole added sarcastically. “The royal house of Majesty has lived for far too long under the Alicorn dynasty, as a diminished second royal house. Who knows if they still have the strength of will to rule us as a nation?”

“Well, I’m willing to give her a chance!” Sassaflash snorted angrily, flapping above the others . “Let her actions judge her, I say, instead of our bridle gossip!”

“We shall see how she does, my love.” Caramel snorted, shaking his brown mane. “As a queen of traitors, exiles, and dissidents.”

Their idle chatter was interrupted, as Sapphire Shores broke into a hip pop tune that soon got all of the ponies in the castle- even those not in the ball room, dancing to the beat.

As the ponies inside celebrated their new queen, dark shadows seemed to gather outside the walls of Dream Castle, watching indignantly. There were those both in the forest- and in Canterlot- who wanted this settlement, and all of the ponies in it- wiped from existence. Only time would tell if the exiles were to survive….