For the first time since that morning in Ùllahdmaiden, when I had tried to leave peacefully to find my way in the world, I awoke slowly and comfortably.

I had forgotten what it was like to wake up without any aches behind my eyes or along my limbs...

The only thing that ruined the feeling of waking up in the exquisite bed, was the sunlight and the bedraggled face of Tia across from me. Her pink mane frazzled and caught in her mouth as she drooled onto the pillow.

She was still peacefully asleep.

I didn't want to be caught staring when she woke up, so I gently lifted the covers and extracted myself from the bed.

The room had changed little since last night. I could see through the open watercloset that somepony had picked up my armor and the wet towels.

I glanced around the room.

If a maid could get in here undetected...

I tiptoed over to the walk in closet and slowly turned the knob with my magic, being carful not to wake Tia up.

I checked inside the closet, using my light horn as a light source to pierce the darkness inside.

Nothing.

The darkness reminded me of the Moon's garden in my dream. Which reminded me of the conversation I had with the Moon.

Or at least... What I thought was the Moon.

I could barely wonder if I was indeed going mad, before my mind's hoof brushed against something that hadn't been there yesterday.

Mad indeed.

Perhaps I was merely hallucinating my discussions with the Moon... I wouldn't be the first Pony to be driven mad. Nor would I be the last. That said however, if the conversation was indeed real, then I had something perhaps nopony had ever had before.

A surefire way to prove that I wasn't mad.

I drew the strange shape in my mind that had been left from the night prior.

A brilliant silver light illuminated the darkened room.

I looked down to see the dagger made of silver light, not enveloped in my magic, but feeling like it was with how it moved where I wanted it to.

I released a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

It was real.

She was real.

Now was perhaps the best place to test it, but I could not let anypony see the Moon's Blessing until it was already too late to stop me from storming Bloodstone, however that may happen.

My mind's hoof sheathed the weapon of silver light where it had found it.

The silver light extinguished.

I turned the door knob and slowly pushed the door closed, relatching the door only when it was fully closed.

My obligations were not yet done, but I couldn't show my hoof about my intentions. At least not yet. I didn't know who or what was watching me.

I glanced around the bedroom. Nothing had moved while I had been busy, so I made my way towards the watercloset.

I had to act as if nothing was wrong.

I pushed the thought of Bloodmoon and his vampiric cohort out of my mind.

I was not forgetting about him, merely setting the thought aside.

Unlike the regular closet, the watercloset was illuminated by sunlight. I peered around and into the tub, the only hiding places in the rather sparse room.

Nothing.

Literally nothing. The bathwater from the day before had even been taken and the tub clean once more.

The maids were good... I had to give them that. I hadn't even stirred when they must've cleaned the room.

Which was somewhat concerning... It would've been foals play to stick a knife between my or Tia's ribs.

Or perhaps I was being overly paranoid.

If Bloodmoon's minions, whoever they might be, were already aware of my intentions then I never stood a chance to begin with. However Bloodmoon wasn't the only threat... If anypony was upset with Tia, perhaps the Noble Unicorn families, it may have been too soon for somepony to react to her sudden status, but then again a really upset Pony wouldn't wait.

It was a toss up that I could see going either way.

I needed more information, on both fronts.

I approached the door that lead into the suite and did the same trick I had done with the walk in closet.

Tia could sleep a little longer.

Several Guard Ponies in Unity style armor stood outside the door.

The looked at me when the door opened, but didn't otherwise react.

"General?" asked one, who I realized I recognized.

"Oh Captain Flash." I replied, stepping out and gently closing the door behind me. "Report."

"Unicornia has completely surrendered. No problems at all from their forces. There's been a few problems with the Noble families, but after we threw the first one into a cell they settled down."

"Oh? What did they do?" I remarked.

"Struck one of our soldiers when he was told he wasn't allowed in the castle after hours."

"Unfortunate but I approve." I nodded.

While I didn't exactly oppose the idea of putting a dissenter in a prison cell, depending on what they did of course. It would only make the Noble families mad in the long run. Especially since to them we were effectively moving in and taking over.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Nope. All is quiet otherwise."

"Excellent." I nodded. "I have several things to bring up then."

"I'm all ears." Flash nodded.

"I want you to get me a list of trustworthy Ponies to act as a permeant Guard for my sister. I can't be her personal Guard at all hours of the day all the time."

"Understood." He nodded.

"Secondly, I'd like to see our prisoners."

"Ma'am?" he asked, confused.

"For one, I'd like to visit the Noble whom was imprisoned. But I also have questions for another."

"Understood." he nodded. "Anything else?"

"Maybe. I'm unsure yet." I admitted.

"Very well. Shall I lead you to the dungeon now?" he asked.

"Can these Ponies-?" I trailed off, not wanting to say what needed to be said in front of the very Ponies I was speaking about.

"Nuttin' will harm 'er Grace." the soldier immediately to my right stated.

I looked over to see I recognized him too. He was that giant stallion with the ginger beard who had once been one of Puddinghead's Ponies. The one that insisted on carrying his shovel everywhere.

I hadn't interacted with him much, but I knew him to be dependable.

"Very good." I nodded. "Then yes, lead me to the dungeons."

"Very well then General." Flash nodded. "This way then."

Flash then led me through the hallways.

Castle life continued unabated around us as we cantered past.

Various servants, maids and butlers, walked calmly as they performed their duties. While soldiers in United armor stood guard at various doors.

It was strange... That merely yesterday those same soldiers were doing their best to break down the very doors they now guarded. And the servants, who might as well have been here all their lives, didn't pay them the least bit of attention to them. What did it really matter I supposed? If the armor the guards wore was gleaming gold or beaten steel?

Perhaps the only thing that had meaningfully changed, was that they no longer served a mere mortal Queen, but a living Alicorn.

I wondered if it was like this all across the city. Was the only reason there wasn't a massive upheaval over the siege was because Tia grew wings?

"Flash..." I spoke up, drawing his attention as we walked. "Where are the Unicornian soldiers currently?" I asked.

"Disarmed and confined to barracks until we find a way to trust and incorporate them." he supplied. "Just because your sister ascended doesn't mean we can immediately trust them."

"No I agree." I absent mindedly replied, watching a maid wander by. She looked to be stoic, but I saw her eyes dart away from my gaze.

Or perhaps the cracks I was expecting were being hidden better than I thought.

"You there, maid." I called out addressing the passing mare.

"Oh!" The mare started, panicking briefly before composing herself. "Ma'am?"

Instead of replying immediately, I studied the mare.

She was somewhat of a lanky thing. Maybe Tia's age. Her eyes darted to the sides, not meeting my gaze.

I glanced sideways to see that she was looking at her fellow servants, as if asking them to 'help'.

Said servants, had stopped what they were doing and were watching, wide eyed and afraid.

Looking back to the initial maid, I realized her knees were shaking.

Yeah... The cracks were well hidden, but still present.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Oh... Um. F-Fawning Lily Ma'am." the mare nervously replied.

"Fawning Lily." I repeated. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see this mare again, but it would be helpful if I did. "May I ask you a question Lily?"

"Oh... Um... I am here to serve Ma'am."

"That doesn't answer my question."

The mare's lips pursed, obviously unsure what to do.

"Uh- Yes. You may ask me a question."

"Are you happy?" I asked.

Silence descended on the hallway. It was like everypony present had stopped breathing. Fawning Lily herself looked frozen, too shocked to even maintain her professional demeanor.

"M-M-M-Ma'am?" she stuttered.

"Yesterday my forces waged war on your employers. Today your employers are no where to be seen, yet you do your job as if nothing has changed. So that begs the question, are you happy with your lot in life?"

The mare took a nervous step back, her eyes darting sideways. Looking for help. But judging by the sheer silence from her fellows, she would not be getting it.

It occurred to me suddenly I was being overbearing.

"Uh- Uh- Uh-" the mare tried to speak.

Damnit. How do I get out of this?

"Uh- Yes? I guess?" she replied.

An opportunity!

"I see." I stated. "Then that will be all thank you."

Fawning Lily looked shaken to her core at my words.

"Uh- Uh- Uh- Uh-" she stuttered as I gestured for Flash to continue. The stallion had politely come to a stop when I addressed the maid.

We left the mare stammering as she tried to come to terms with what just happened.

It was several hallways later, when we were alone that Flash spoke up.

"That was an odd question to ask that poor mare." he commented.

"Yes." I agreed.

"Then why'd you ask it?"

I took a moment to reorganize my thoughts before I answered.

"Don't you think it's strange? Yesterday these servants would've been running in terror from us, because we were - correctly - attacking their city. And yet today, they're continuing with business as normal? That doesn't sound odd to you?"

"Alright;" he nodded his head. "I guess I can see where you're coming from. I just assumed it was because of your sister."

"Do you think that encompasses all of it?" I asked.

Oh wait, everypony else doesn't know that it's the same Tia as before, only with feathers now.

"Is that not enough?" Flash asked quizzically. "The first Alicorn in thousands of years... I can't believe it so much that I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or not. And I'm merely a witness, I can't imagine what it's like to be in your shoes. I don't know what I'd think if one of my sisters became an Alicorn."

"We've... Discussed it." I said vaguely.

Should I tell him? That Tia is still a flawed being? Not even an hour ago and I saw her drool on her pillow and doing her best to inhale her own mane for goodness sake!

But...

That perception that Tia was perfect was a powerful tool. If Flash was correct, it was powerful enough to quell all but the most egregious unrest in the newly conquered Unicornia.

I- I wasn't sure if it was my call to make.

I'd ask Tia what she thought. Ultimately, it was her reputation anyway.

"Here we are." Flash commented, stopping outside a heavily fortified door that had two guards standing outside it. The two soldiers stiffened their posture as they saw me.

"General Luna to see the Prisoners." Flash told them.

"Aye Captain." the one of the right grunted, before turning to me. "Been mostly calm General, but I think the lads inside have been having problems with a particular prisoner, and it ain't the Noble."

I had the feeling I knew who he was talking about.

"Interesting." I commented. "I'll be sure to have a look."

"Aye Ma'am." the left Pony saluted, fitting a key inside the lock with his magic and holding the door open for me.

"Thank you Corporal." I nodded as I passed through the door.

Instead of a room, it was a spiral staircase leading down, deeper into the rock Unicornia was carved into.

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