“Hello-friend,” the bat pony mare said, slowly enunciating each syllable. “May-I-offer-you-a-cup-of-tea?”

“Hello friend,” Luna repeated carefully. “May… I offer… you a cup of tea?”

“Excellent, Princess. You’re making wonderful progress,” the bat pony mare said.

“Thank you, Sweet Melody,” Luna thanked the bat pony speech therapist sitting across from her.

After breakfast, Luna’s first appointment for the evening was her speech lessons. Sweet Melody had arrived a half hour ago and things seemed to be going smoothly. Sweet was a somewhat pudgy mare with light gray fur, a pink mane with a green stripe, and B-cup breasts. For some reason, Thomas never found her to be attractive enough to be embarrassed by her nudity.

The guards stood facing the door with their backs to the Princess. Attentive Eye sat at her desk between the Princess and the door, scribbling away at various documents of importance. Thomas lay out in his bean bag chair while working through his Daring Do book, which he had previously left on Luna’s desk to save himself the trouble of carrying it around the castle. Occasionally he would peek over the pages to watch Luna chew on each and every syllable her therapist sent her way. She knew lessons well, but still needed the practice in order to get into the habit of ‘speaking with the tongue of a commoner’ by default.

“I-just-got-a-bag-of-bits. Do-you-want-to-go-to-the-arcade?” Sweet Melody said.

“I just got a bag oh bits,” Luna began before catching her slip. “Wait. No. Let me start over.” The alicorn cleared her throat. “I just got a bag OF bits. Does thou… wait…” her eyes darted over her therapist’s shoulder to the lazy human behind her.

“Sound it out,” Thomas whispered encouragingly, only to dive back into the book when Sweet Melody peeked over her shoulder to scowl at him.

“Perhaps this would be easier without any… distractions,” Sweet Melody suggested.

“No. No,” Luna denied. “I… have… this.” She cleared her throat once more. “I just got a bag of bits. Do YOU want to go to the arcade?”

“Much better,” Sweet Melody complimented before moving on to the next line. It went on this way for several more minutes before they moved on to the singing portion. Apparently singing was an excellent tool for learning a new language.

“I like big flanks and I cannot lie, you otha stallions can’t deny.”

Thomas pressed his face into the book as he struggled not to laugh. Based on the way the guards were fidgeting, they were having similar trouble.

The lesson concluded in another half hour before Sweet Melody packed up her materials. “Well done, Princess,” the naked therapist reached out her hand.

“Thank you so very much, Ms. Melody,” Luna reached down and shook the therapist’s hand gratefully.

“Don’t mention it,” Sweet Melody said with a hint of a blush. “Just keep practicing like I told you. Listen to what other ponies say and pay attention to the context. Try to work the words into every day conversations.”

Thomas got up and offered his own hand to the therapist. “I really appreciate you helping Luna with this and I’d love to do my part to…”

“Didn’t do it for you, ape,” Sweet Melody whispered contemptuously before taking Thomas hand to avoid looking suspicious.

Thomas beamed at Sweet melody with a forced smile, trying desperately to pull his hand from her grasp, which suddenly felt like poison. She seemed to be fighting to hold on to just to spite him. He wouldn’t say anything that might upset Luna or compromise her lessons with what Celestia had said was the finest speech therapist in Canterlot. “Maybe I can be her coach while you’re away,” he suggested as he finally pulled his hand free and discreetly wiped it on the back of his loincloth. “I spend a lot more time with Luna than you do,” he jabbed, “so I can help her practice.”

“I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” Sweet Melody said hesitantly, but still keeping up a forced smile. “The Princess is such an important pony and has so many duties to attend to. It would not be appropriate for an amateur… whatever you are to embarrass her in front of other important ponies.”

“I think this is an excellent idea,” Luna chimed in. “Dearest Thomas is correct that he spends far more time with… me than you do.”

“He’s shown due respect of royal protocols,” Attentive Eye said from her desk. “Just keep him away from the liquor and we shouldn’t have to worry about him making a scene.”

Thomas blushed at the secretary’s words. Did Luna tell her about yesterday, or did she find out on her own?

Luna nodded in affirmation. “We trust he will be most cordial and wait for the right opportunities to correct… my errors. After all, it was by his advice that… I began these lessons in the first place.”

Sweet Melody looked up at the Princess, smiling much more sincerely. She looked like she wanted to argue, but the speech therapist was ironically unable to find the words. “As you say, Princess.” Then the therapist collected everything in her bags and left.

Stupid bitch of a bat horse. Thomas thought angrily. What the hell was her problem?

“Are you… alright?” Luna asked as she walked up to Thomas side.

“It’s nothing,” Thomas denied. “Just happy to have you back to myself.”

Luna raised an eyebrow skeptically, but then leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Verily, er, very well. Then we shall away to Canterlot. Wait… I shall away to Canterlot.”

“No. It was fine the first time,” Thomas corrected. “You were saying ‘we’ in the plural sense, like how all of us are going with you.”

“Ah,” Luna nodded. “You are taking to… your new duties most diligently. Then let us away,” she proclaimed and lead the way out of the room while the guards followed close behind.

“Don’t pay her much mind,” Attentive Eye said quietly as Thomas walked past her.

“Pardon?”

“Some ponies can be most unpleasant for no good reason,” Attentive Eye explained as she kept her focus on the stack of papers. “I suspect Ms. Melody has an attraction to the Princess and is jealous that her affections are being given away to a foreign stallion.”

“You think that’s what’s going on?” Thomas asked.

“Bat ponies in particular have a history of being protective of the Princess. They all but went into self-imposed exile at her banishment and it took Celestia three centuries to repair relations.”

Thomas stared at the mare, shamed by his ignorance of such a deep history. “I didn’t know.”

“The sooner you help the Princess with her speech practice, the sooner you won’t have to worry about it,” Attentive Eye advised as she moved to the next section of papers.

“Thanks,” Thomas nodded, but when the secretary gave no response, he jogged out of the room to catch up with the Princess’ entourage.

**********

Thomas sat beside the Princess in her royal carriage. The vehicle was adorned with Luna’s colors and cutie mark and spackled with amethysts and sapphires. The inside was completely coated in red velvet. Luna wore a lovely sparkling gown while Thomas wore one of the fancier pairs of shorts he’d bought, thankfully with the hole in the back sewed up, but not a shirt at Luna’s request. Moonlight Shield and Swift Scabbard sitting across from their VIPs. Two more guards, unarmored so as to be able to move about without drawing attention to themselves, followed in a civilian carriage. No pony expected anything to really happen, so four guards was an acceptably light force for such an outing.

“Moonlight Shield,” Luna greeted to the mare sitting across from her.

To her credit, the guard didn’t flinch. “Yes, your Highness.”

“You were hoof chosen by Captain Armor and Lady Attentive for the task of guarding our dearest little human,” Luna reached down and took Thomas hand in her own. “How are… you taking to your assignment?”

“I am proud to have been assigned a duty of such importance, your Highness.”

“Really?” Luna asked curiously. “But he is merely our Senior Concubine. Did you know that not even our sister’s…” a light tap against her thigh gave the Princess pause. “That not even MY sister’s Senior Concubine has her own personal guard at all times?”

“I was informed about it last night, your Highness,” Moonlight answered.

“Then tell me, why art thou,” tap, “are you proud of such a task?”

Moonlight took a moment to answer. “Because the order was at your request, your Highness. I am proud to carry out a task that is of personal importance to you.”

Thomas looked up to see Luna smile at that answer. It was heartwarming to see how elated the Princess looked at receiving the love she’d felt was denied her a millennium ago. Virtually everyone who’d spent even a few minutes in Luna’s presence gave her the same reverence as her sister. She was an alicorn who stood above all those around her. It was only when she and Celestia stood side by side when Luna ever looked small.

The remainder of the carriage ride was consumed with Moonlight, at Luna’s request, giving a detailed report of what all they discussed the previous night, including Talon’s advice for Thomas to get in shape so he can better meet the Princess’ needs. Luna’s ears perked when Moonlight brought up that she was the daughter of a former concubine, but didn’t find the matter important enough to elaborate and the alicorn, seemingly in disappointment, did not press for details. The Princess even apologized to Thomas for not telling him about herds. “It was our,” tap, “my responsibility to inform you on such matters. After all, in a way, you are a member of my herd.”

“Your what now?”

A sudden jostling from the carriage killed Thomas’ train of thought as they arrived in Canterlot Square. The royal entourage disembarked and was met with a greeter who led them to the museum. It was a large marble building with Roman style columns colored white and violet. The museum was not actually dedicated solely to Luna, but had a newly constructed wing added to a museum dedicated to Princess Celestia. The new title of the facility was ‘The Museum of the Royal Sisters’.

Thomas stood off to the side, partially hidden by Moonlight Shield, as he watched the Princess take her place at the top of the Museum’s steps while an impressively sizable crowd anxiously waited at the bottom. Thomas caught sight of the unarmored guards moving through the mass of bodies, looking for anything suspicious. Luna was fully composed as she smiled, gave a brief speech, and took a pair of comically oversized scissors to cut the ribbon, signaling the opening of the new wing.

Of course it wouldn’t be a celebrity opening without said celebrity being offered a tour. The entourage was led throughout the wing while guards and museum security kept the civilians at a respectful distance. The museum curator, a light yellow unicorn mare in a long black dress, acted as guide and excitedly explained the exhibits.

Thomas was allowed to return to the Princess’ side where he assured himself that all the stares from the surrounding ponies were directed at the Princess and not the half-naked human by her side. However, this did not stop him from catching the eyes of the surrounding ponies before they quickly looked away. He felt them glare, judging him, sizing him up for… something. Thankfully he wasn’t wearing his uniform, suddenly realizing how dangerous it might have been if he’d gone out in it last night without protection. Even with the Princess and guards nearby, Thomas couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

The first exhibit they saw before arriving at the wing was a portrait of Luna and Celestia meeting the newly unified pony tribes and being welcomed as leaders of the newly built nation. The wing of the museum was colored the same as Luna’s wing in the castle. Portraits and sculptures lined the walls with depictions of Luna both before and after her banishment. Unfortunately, most of them depicted Nightmare Moon terrorizing the dreams of little ponies, as imagined by the artists of the time. Even the curator seemed uncomfortable explaining those particular pieces.

Thomas casually bumped the Princess’ side with his shoulder to let her know that he was there for whatever she needed. She casually tapped his shoulder with the back of her hand to let him know that the message was received and appreciated. The gestures were subtle enough that no pony even noticed.

All in all, the tour was fairly uneventful and lasted less than an hour. The only moment of note was when they came upon Luna’s old armor from the brief war with Sombra and the guide explained that the wicked King’s magic banished the Crystal Empire forever. Thomas had given the Princess a sly look which she returned. Other than that, Luna listened quietly with only the occasional comment. When it was over, the curator thanked the Princess for her time and invited her back at a later time when they had more exhibits.

Upon exiting the museum, the Princess blushed as her stomach made an audible grumbling sound. Their next stop was set.

Gee, with all this talk about thestrals, one might get the impression that I planned to do something with them later. Meh. Probably just a coincidence.

Luna talks with Moonlight. I'm certain nothing big will come of that, nor from that little thing Luna mentioned. The museum was pleasant enough, but most importantly of all, Thomas is now on full display for the world to see and by the side of a Princess no less. He may not be wearing his uniform, but still.

Oh, and for all those who have been nitpicking about the lack of naked horse people, here you are! A naked horse person... who I didn't especially enjoy writing and probably won't be returning any time soon... It still counts!