Royal Palace
/#\-/#\-/#\ *** ROYAL PALACE *** /#\-/#\-/#\
The Royal Palace is the crown jewel of Canterlot, spiking like a system of stalagmites from the Ponyville side of Canterlot Mountain. The palace is surrounded by a lush botanical and zoological garden and also adjoins a world famous sculture garden and hedge maze. Its exterior is rich and impressive, made of white stone and ivory, mixed with a dazzling array of other colors and patterns. The various turrets and towers are built in peaks, onion domes, gables, and more, and many of them bear balconies, parapets, awnings, flags, or flower ornamentation.
On the inside, the palace is no less astonishing. Its tremendous foyer is crisscrossed with red carpet and hung with tremendous tapestries. Throughout the palace, unbelievably tall stained glass windows provide an air of solemnity and gaeity at once. In the Hall of the Elements, these windows are especially haunting, telling the stories of battles with Discord and Nightmare Moon. The palace has countless rooms, from the guard halls to the guest rooms to the throne room. Finally, Princess Celestia's private suite, done up in swirly purples, is furnished with a hearth, rug and bolster, ornamental window, and miniature trees.
[ Obvious Exits: <B>ack to Canterlot, To <Lu>na's Chambers ]
[ To <C>elestia's Chambers ]
[ Players: Red_Velvet, Solar_Eclipse, Marble_Memory ]
[ Sleepers: Virga, Solar_Solstice, Star_Paige, Marble_Ring ]
Firefly has arrived.
Star_Paige has connected.
Night Court proceeds as usual. It involves absolutely zero petitioners, and Luna flopped over on one side on the throne in boredom, forelegs dangling over the armrest (don't ask why pony chairs have those). To fill these empty hours, Luna has an apple floating in front of her, surrounded by shimmering, interlocking fields of color - most of them variations on blue. As she stares at it mournfully, she asides to Firefly, "We SHALL have thee healed. It is a reserve of earth pony magic, but we have a notion that we can use a living fruit as a vessel."
Firefly is laying on the right side of the throne, a bit off, forelegs crossed and her chin planted on them, wings closed along her sides. She was still a bit down about only just now regaining the air, if only for short glides and sad hovering. She lifts her head, still watching the floating apple. "It it gains me the skies once more I will try most anything." she says. Her muscle tone and strength were well recovered enough, but the nerves in her wings, that took the full magical blast of whatever Scope shot her with, they were the hidden damage, something new and unknown to Firefly.
It is then that the uncommon occurs, the clip clop of hoofsteps as a pony enters the throneroom. The powder blue unicorn seems to pause just inside the door, then she bows elegantly and waits to be recognized. Quite patiently in fact. It seemed there was no other ponies in line to see the Princess of the night. But Red Velvet was sure that she should wait to be recognized by the crown.
Luna lowers her horn a few inches, pointing the tip straight at the apple. Two of the layers of light merge, then sink into the apple itself. "The difficulty is that unicorn magic is very limited at healing. It is too strict and precise and forceful. Earth ponies do better, but they must transfer their living magic through already magical plants with cultivation and careful brewing and ritual. We have no skill with that. However, we speculate there may be a way specific to a princess and her bound servant. We have that earth pony magic inside us, and will use unicorn magic to transfer it, and because of the link between us some tiny shred of our immortality will cross over, and while it lasts the vigor of our immortal body shall heal thee." Only at the end of this lazy speech does she draw herself up, sitting on her haunches on the throne with her forelegs straight and her forehooves planted in front of her to stare down at Red Velvet. "It must wait a few moments, however. We have a supplicant. Come forth, mare. Thy business is our business, and shall be judged accordingly.
Firefly looks over to Velvet and says nothing, but rises to her feet and flares her wings once, then closes them. She recognised her from the night she brought in Sky Blue magically bound for sleep theft. She makes a face. That was also the night she was..'assisted'...off of the grand stairs and dropped like a rock.
One of the clerks in the jurisdiction of the Equestrian government can soon be seen entering the throne room. Generally he usually has no business matters with the princesses. As it happens it is often much more expedient to take paperwork and certain artifacts through the throne room over the source of his job. Marble Madness is a pony who lives by his own rules. And unfortunately those rules involve lots of extra steps in his job.Procedures! Schedules!
Red_Velvet stands again and as she trots closer to the base of the throne dias she nods a silent greeting to the pegasus mare, "Yes your majesty, I've come to ask for a permit to open a new business here in Canterlot, A Salon for the higher class to socialize and rub shoulders with other ponies of like background and social standing." She clears her throat and smiles, "It will be open at all hours and cater to the most exclusive of clientele. I have also come to ask for not just the apporval of the Night Princess, but your endorsement as well. I Was hoping your majesty that you might find it acceptible if we were to include your majesty's cutie mark in our signage."
Star_Paige smiles as she has made it her point to bother marble every now and then with pesky favors such as bringing him tea. Well really now here she walks trying to find marble, so she may give him something warm to drink and perhaps coax him to join her latter for a drink at the pub. She quite enjoys his company, and would rather see if she can not find a way to make him forget about his overcomplicated job and join her for some fun.
The request does not sit well. It's listened to with cold, watchful aquamarine eyes. When it's over, the corners of Luna's mouth tighten and curl in distaste. On the plus side, Velvet is not immediately defenestrated. That happens a lot in Night Court. "Well, thou lack not for audacity, desiring us to not merely approve, but endorse thy little-" At this point she stops herself. Her brows lower, and she stares at Velvet hard. A hoof gives a little beckoning curl. "Wait. We remember thee, mare. THOU brought us Pollyapple in the midst of madness. Why did a pony who wants so to flaunt her class care, with great apparent sincerity, about a filly whose golden heart is contained in a body of pure mud?"
MArble freezes when he overhears the conversation. Working late, as he is wont to do, he's always a bit uneasy when Luna's not in the greatest of moods. One pony out the window, he has to be the one who commissions the glaziers for a new "artifact" window to replace the glass. He gets an extra three hours of hard work. Well, because his superiors delegate to him so well, anyway. He does not notice Star making her way to him, however.
Red_Velvet can see clearly that the Princess is unhappy with her, but she does not step back, being the pony she is she has planned for this and instead smiles as she is beckoned closer to the throne, "Yes Majesty. I am that same mare, Sky is a dear friend to me. And I would do anything in the world for her, And please don't understand me your majesty. I do not hold myself above any other pony. I was not always the unicorn you see before you today. I was of humble birth, I am not one of those snobbish sort like certain ponies I could name."
Star_Paige looks a bit unhappy marble doesn't notice, seriousy she has a new bow in her mane and everything. She smiles as she walks over to him and pokes at his ribs to draw his attention, handing him the warm drink, you can see her eyes getting really big hoping he notices all the work she put into her looks to make him notice her.
Luna scowls further, her mouth pulled in and down so much that she looks troubled rather than angry. "Alright. Thou have our attention." Her horn glows dimly, and a darker blue than Velvet's natural casts over the poor mare's head. 'Poor mare' because that light is the visible sign of something that can only be properly felt, a spectral pressure that grips Red Velvet's muzzle and holds it up and in place so that Luna's bluegreen eyes can stare directly, intently into them. "Tell us, then, and know that by our power thy feelings and honesty will be entirely transparent: If we send Pollyapple pretty dresses and invitations to thy club, as we very likely would, how would that please thee?" The question is almost monotone in its seriousness.
<OOC> You say, "By the way, Luna is lying about magically seeing her feelings."
<OOC> You say, "She's just really closely studying Red Velvet's expression."
<OOC> Red_Velvet says, "Duely noted.
"
Marble_Memory looks like he might be developing a panicked expression just as Star gets his attention. He carefully sets down the papers he was working on so he can talk to the filly. "Oh, th-that's kind o fyou, though I've not really developed a taste for tea. I... I-iI'm sorry. Maybe I should just drink that anyway." He is not used to anyone trying to attract him. Well except the Looking Glass of Infatuation/.
Red_Velvet's eyes widen and she gasps in slight sirprused as the magic takes hold and forces her head up, But while her eyes are wide there is absolute honesty in her words and expression as he brows lower a fraction, "Your majesty, If you didn't supply Sky Blue with those things I most certainly would, and If I did not have the bits to I would have her come anyway, and stand at my side so that I could personally make sure nopony tried to humiliate her. She is one of the few ponies I intend to give access to not just the VIP lounge, but my very offices if she should wish it." Red is intimidated, that much is clear, but she is also completely devoted to her friend, no matter how clumsy Sky Blue might be.
Star_Paige smiles as she says "Ah well I heard you liked tea that is what you ordered when we went to the pub last time but I am sure I can get you something else if you wanted?" The young mare smiles as she giggles and says "You wanna go there tonight I am sure you will enjoy it quite a bit."
The glow, and the grip, disappear. Luna slumps over in her throne again, not as rag doll lolling over the side as she was before, but reclining with her shoulder against the armrest in a thoroughly casual manner. Her eyes drift away from Red Velvet, back to the apple. A crescent moon tattoos itself into one side, and a lightning bolt out of a cloud on the other, and then they fade away. "Thy request is granted," she tells Red Velvet stiffly, "Thou may build thy club, and feature our symbol, particularly wherever Pollyapple might be seen. Do so understanding that it means our eye is upon thee and thy establishment, for we care little for our dignity and everything for our honor. We will not hesitate to close thee down if we feel the latter is besmirched." With the stiffness of a begrudged gesture, Luna extends one of her forelegs, pointing her hoof at Velvet's nose.
Marble doesn't want to offend Star or give her any false impressions... he gently takes the teacup in his mouth and awkwardly attempts to drink it in the middle of the throne room and ends up basically spilling hot tea all over himself. The yelling is loud and pure. Not disrupted! "AI! AIII!"
PUB >> With six months as the lesser sister to go, Luna enjoys holding Night Court. All of Canterlot dreads waking up to see those words written on their wall: 'MENE MENE TEKEL ALICORNI'.
PUB >> Marble_Memory says, "Which is Ancient for "Marble spilled hot tea all over himself." "
Red_Velvet breaths a sigh of releif when the magical grip fades, she graciously bows her head and when the Princess offers her hoof she kissed the gilt horseshoe meekly, "Yes your majesty, of course your majesty."
PUB >> Marble_Memory says, "Oh fine, what does it really mean? D:"
she only lifts her eyes quizzically when the screaming of a stallion shatters the stillness across the room.
PUB >> DJ D0SK says, "Alicorns are telekinetic meany-heads?"
PUB >> With six months as the lesser sister to go, Luna is making a biblical reference. It means 'You have been judged and found wanting by the alicorns.'
PUB >> The Amazing Technicolor Fluttercoat says, "Alicorni and Cheese? o.o"
PUB >> The Amazing Technicolor Fluttercoat says, "(sorry)"
PUB >> DJ D0SK says, "Sounds like the same thing. :-)"
PUB >> Marble_Memory says, "Oh dear. I thought that was just the standard letterhead you put on the memos to my department."
PUB >> Princess Pollyapple says, "Ah want cheese now.
"
PUB >> DJ D0SK is making cheese sandwiches too. Fluttershy has great powers of suggestion. :-)
Star_Paige eeps as she darts to grab something to asorb the spill unfortunately the closes thing is the papers near by and she tries using them to make the hot liquid come off marble as she says "Sorry sorry sorry." She whimpers trying her best to clean him up.
Luna withdraws her hoof once it's kissed, and adds in a very firm tone, "THOU ARE DISMISSED." Rolling up, she steps down off of her throne, ignoring Red Velvet entirely as she walks towards the stairs. Her eyes are instead on the floating apple, but that doesn't occupy her entire attention. Her horn flashes, and a large, thick white knitted sock appears over Marble and falls with a splat onto his head. It splats because it is damp. Unpleasantly cold and wet, in fact. OVer the next few seconds that cold moistness spreads, overriding the spilled tea and spreading out several feet from Marble's body. "Be certain to reset ALL of the seals on the Clammy Adornment when thou are finished with it, cleric," she orders Marble without looking back over her shoulder. That done, she walks up the stairs and out of the great hall, muttering, "This is almost complete. Then we may administer it..."
<OOC> Marble_Memory says, "An artifact wet sock? XDD"
<OOC> You say, "It only LOOKS like a sock. It is a physical intrusion into our world from somewhere more... dank."
<OOC> Marble_Memory says, "... It's Luna's gym laundry isn't it?"
<OOC> Luna is done now! She needs to go to bed.
<OOC> Luna records this, because it was a cool little scene.
<OOC> Luna completely avoids the question about her laundry.
Marble stands there quietly, contemplating his current state of existence. Well, at least it was one of his charges he was resolved with. Though redoing the seals on this artifact will take hours and... lots and lots of mead. "R-right away, your highness!" MArble turns to face Star Paige and calmly, and with some measured attempt at dignity with a clammy artifact sock on his face, says, rather stuffly and formally, "... Paige." He turns and, without much thought given to the paperwork he left on the floor and is now sopping in tea, turns to walk somewhat robotically back to his office. He has lots of work to do.