Shifting on her throne ever so slightly, Celestia glances between the two stallions standing in front of her, "Then you both find that solution to be acceptable?"

Fancy Pants dips his head, "I do, your highness. Thank you for taking this time out of your busy schedule to provide your wisdom and insight on our disagreement."

Prince Blueblood sends Fancy Pants a sour look, but nods nevertheless, "I have no further objections."

"In that case, since there are no other petitioners and it is nearly noon, I declare today's Day Court to be complete," Celestia says, striking her throne with a forehoof, the sharp sound of her golden shoe on the stone of the throne reverberating throughout the room as if her shoe were instead a tuning fork.

Both stallions bow deeply, Blueblood the first to rise – in one smooth motion raising his head, turning on his hoof, and walking away towards the throne room's pair of open doors. Fancy Pants meanwhile finishes his bow before turning, allowing himself a small, satisfied smile as he sedately makes his way to the exit, trailing behind Blueblood. Neither pay any attention to the sole other pony remaining in the room with Princess Celestia during their stately departure, the doors to the throne room closing after them with a low, ominous boom, like a distant roll of thunder.

As soon as the larger, main doors close, a smaller, hidden one opens in the left corner of the room behind the throne, an earth pony maid walking to Celestia's side carrying a cup of tea on her back. Celestia lifts the cup with her magic, giving the tea deliverer a smile and nod of thanks. The maid replies with a curtsy, retreating from the throne to leave via the same door through which she had entered.

Once the door clicks shuts behind the maid, Celestia closes her eyes, indulging in a long sip from the freshly brewed cup. Letting out a contented sigh, she forces her eyelids to rise, simultaneously allowing the cup to descend to the throne beside her with a muted clink. The corners of her lips almost immediately sag into a frown however, her gaze falling onto the only other pony still in the room with her, "Lieutenant Double Time, step forward."

Double Time shivers beneath the unfamiliar weight of the command, but obeys, the words of his princess echoing in the otherwise empty, silent room.

"I suppose I should apologize," Celestia says after a moment's pause, "for having you wait through the entirety of Day Court. I know you had a long flight yesterday, and I hope that then being here so early was not too tiring or boring for you."

Double Time's ears flick and he shakes his head, his eyes lowering to the floor, "I am fine, your highness. It is your right as Princess to order me to be here, if and when you wish it."

"Yes," Celestia states coldly. "It is."

Double Time looks up, his throat dry, however Celestia says no more for nearly a minute – instead holding his gaze with a piercing stare of her own, as if attempting to see into the innermost reaches of his soul.

Eventually though, she looks away, levitating her cup to take a small sip before speaking, "My sister has already informed me of what has happened in Ponyville, largely as a result of your own actions, whether directly or indirectly. I trust her word, as I trust I do not need to explain to you why you have been called here, and as such I have no interest in getting bogged down by inane details and nitpicking over exact specifics." She places her cup beside her on the throne, "What I want to know, is why?"

Double Time straightens, taking a deep breath, "Because the changelings are known enemies of Equestria, having already attempted an outright invasion once, and according to recent statements have infiltrated Equestria en masse. The threat they pose to Equestria cannot be understated, and by allowing them to continue to freely roam Ponyville, Princess Luna was ignoring that threat, rather than addressing it."

Celestia watches him for a few seconds more, "Go on."

Double Time blinks, "I… don't have anything else to add, your highness."

Celestia sighs, "Lieutenant, you have been in the Royal Guard for 38 years, I believe?"

"I have, your highness," Double Time answers, dipping his head. "I joined as soon as I was allowed to."

Celestia nods, "And in all that time, through everything that's happened, every threat or problem, whether it affected all of Equestria or just a particular street of Canterlot, you have done an exemplary job. You were even one of only a few ponies that Prince Shining Armor recommended to me as a potential replacement for himself as Captain of the Royal Guard. For you to now, in this instance, act in this way – persecution of another pony tribe, against the explicit wishes of both my sister and Princess Twilight, and therefore simultaneously insubordination – is so unlike you that one of my first thoughts was to consider whether or not you yourself had been replaced by a changeling of a hive wishing to intentionally sabotage the situation."

"Princess Celestia, I-"

"Suffice it to say," Celestia continues, speaking over him, "I do not believe for a single moment that the sole reason you decided to completely and utterly not just ignore, but actively go against, royal authority in this case and in such a manner was because you saw a problem that you believed wasn't being properly addressed." She leans forward, the weight of her attention falling on Double Time's shoulders, "Perhaps you do not believe my sister is as worthy of your loyalty and respect as I am? Perhaps you think Princess Twilight is too young a princess to be worth listening to on such matters, or even that I erred in assisting and guiding her ascension to become an alicorn and princess entirely? Or perhaps it is simply that I so completely misjudged you, that I did not foresee the possibility of you using this mission as an opportunity to enact some form of cheap revenge for what happened during the invasion of Canterlot?"

"N-No, princess," Double Time stammers, "I don't – none of that-"

"Then I ask you again," Celestia says, towering over him from her seat on the throne. "Why? I cannot believe that you, of all ponies, would have acted in this way, and would have expected this to end in any other way, were your judgment not somehow clouded."

Double Time licks his dried lips and takes a shaky breath, "Princess, it's nothing like any of that. Despite how this may look, I do respect you, and Princess Luna and Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence. That said, if I were to have the opportunity to do it all over again, while I would make a few adjustments, I still would not choose to follow Princess Luna's orders on this. Not when it is my belief that doing so would only increase the risk Equestria faces from the Changelings. I know of more than one of my fellow guards who's marefriend or coltfriend turned out to be one of the invaders, and helped to subdue their supposed 'special somepony' during the attack before being blown away by the love blast. I'd met some of them before all that happened, in fact – they had seemed like nice ponies at the time. As such, I am at a loss as to what possible benefits their continued presence in Equestria could bring, that would rise above the natural ability of their entire race to be manipulative and deceptive. And especially given your treatment at the hooves of the queen who attacked you after impersonating Princess Cadence and mind controlling Prince Shining Armor, I myself cannot understand how you do not feel the same way."

"I see," Celestia replies, leaning back and letting out a deep sigh. "That is disappointing, in large part because the answer is so simple. Lieutenant, we cannot know what benefits the Changelings could provide, or have already provided during their long history of living among us, if we now blindly push them away. Likewise, although it is all but certain that the hives have acted in ways which were detrimental to Equestria in order to benefit themselves, making enemies of them will neither allow us to learn of those past instances nor enable us to find mutually beneficial solutions in the future. Regardless, it would appear there is little point in talking about this any further. Despite your intention to aid in Equestria's protection, you have created what will undoubtedly become an immense diplomatic headache for myself and the other princesses, been insubordinate against Equestria's highest authority, and failed to uphold the ideals you have sworn to protect. That can't be left unanswered for."

Double Time lowers his head, his breath catching in his throat.

"All those whom my sister sent back with you will be stripped of their rank, any medals they have been awarded, as well as any commendations or other forms of recognition they have been given," Celestia pronounces. "They will then be sent back to basic training, to start their career in the Royal Guard anew, with a clean slate. You, out of respect for your years of service, will receive the same punishment. Should you refuse to accept this punishment, you will be dishonorably discharged from the Royal Guard."

Double Time bows, "I… understand, your highness."

"Good," Celestia says with a nod. "Then you are dismissed."

Double Time stands, raising his eyes to Celestia only for an instance before taking his leave. Celestia watches him, her eyes lowering to stare pensively at her empty cup once he is out of sight. After a few minutes, she looks up at one of the several floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows lining the room's walls, the colored shards of glass combining to depict Cadence and Shining Armor's victory over Queen Chrysalis and her hive – the latter only present as few particularly small pieces of black glass near the window's stone frame.

"Such a waste."