Tia's Gala had apparently started, but you wouldn't know it by how the guests acted. Did they start dancing? Did they sit down for dinner? Was there suddenly music?

No.

They kept to their clumps of Ponies and continued to talk amongst each other.

What was the point of attending one of these events if all you were going to do was what you did the rest of the time?

The absurdity of these Ponies was baffling to say the least.

What had Tia been thinking?

But then again, was that not the very reason I had yielded to her authority on the matter? Because I simply couldn't fathom what these Ponies wanted?

I tried to think of the situation like a battlefield, only instead of fighting with swords and units, Tia was fighting with honied words and charisma.

Of course the metaphor wasn't perfect, but it held well enough.

"General?" asked a voice off to my side.

I turned to see a butler with a plate balanced on a hoof, the plate was filled with a strange sort of glass cup that was held up by a single glass stalk and base. Each of them was filled with a dark maroon liquid.

"Would you care for a glass of wine?" the stallion asked.

Really? They had absurdly shaped cups for alcohol too?!

"No thank you. I don't drink." I responded.

"As you wish." The butler bowed slightly and continued on, asking other Ponies if they too wanted wine.

As much as I frowned on drinking it, at least ale being in a horn or stein made sense.

One of the Captains standing near me accepted a glass, nodding and thanking the butler.

He saw me looking at him.

"What? How often do you ever get the chance to taste the Noble's wine?" he asked, taking a sip.

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

It was about then that I heard the soft thrum of some sort of stringed instrument over the murmur of the crowd.

Finally! Something resembling a proper festival!

I strained to hear the music, eager to at least listen. But what I had thought was the minstrel's warming up, turned out to be the actual start of their song.

What little I could hear over the crowd was admittingly beautiful, but it wasn't... Lively.

The music was slow, and ponderous, yet elegant. And while I myself didn't care to dance, I wondered how anypony could dance to it.

And then I realized it wasn't meant to be danced to.

Nopony was moving to make a space for anypony to dance.

I don't know... I wasn't that much of a Pony to enjoy themselves at a party, but this 'party' just seemed lacking to me. It felt to me like the crowd was pressing in on me, even though nopony was moving.

I- I had to move.

"I'll- I'll be right back." I offered lamely to the Captains at my side, before turning and trotting in a random direction.

I needed to move! The crowd was being overbearing and I needed to move!

The crowd didn't split like it had only a few minutes before, but they had still left room for servants and the like to walk between them.

But it was chaotic and random, to such a point I felt like I was a bee walking amongst random honey comb in a hive, or a fish amongst the various rocks and flora on the bottom of a river.

As I walked, I brushed past a few Ponies who seemed to enjoy standing in just the right places to make absurdly tight spaces to squeeze through. I spotted the minstrels. They were sat on one of the dais' leading up to the throne, where Tia sat, but tucked away off to the side. They were well dressed, like that of the servants, and a look of serenity on their faces as they played their instruments.

They also looked to be supremely bored.

I found myself drawn towards the band, finding myself sitting on my haunches in front of them and listening to the song.

It was nice. And I found myself actually liking it. But it was still too slow for any sort of party.

But I knew not what to do about it.

It didn't take long to feel like I had stayed here too long, openly watching the band play as Ponies milled about around me.

Stars above... Was this what the Noble Houses considered to be entertainment? At least a celebration in the streets looked like it was fun.

I glanced around, wondering where else I could go. While I didn't want to continuously patrol the ballroom, I wasn't above doing it if nothing presented itself.

My eyes landed on Tia, sitting on the throne.

A line of Nobility had formed, looking to speak with the newly crowned Queen... But nopony was at Tia's side.

If there was a place where I could wait this farce out, it had to be next to Tia.

I got to my hooves and ascended the steps, boldly walking past the Nobility, who were giving me looks of disapproval for cutting in line.

Tia wouldn't like me saying this... But what could they do to stop me? The only thing that had stopped me from officially sacking their city and mansions was Tia herself suddenly growing wings.

Tia had sent the Noble who she was addressing away, their conversation naturally over as I climbed the final step.

I nodded to my sister, but didn't say anything, sitting on my haunches to her left, as if I were on guard.

Tia didn't say anything, but let me sit when I made it plain I wasn't here to disrupt her machinations.

She turned back to the next Noblepony who wanted to speak with her and started chatting with the stallion.

I didn't bother to even start paying attention to what they were saying.

While it was mildly annoying, at least I didn't feel like I had to move from here.

Outside, the Sun set.

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