thenearshore | The Princess and the King

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The Princess and the King

Who: Princess Celestia and Saber
When: Dec. 23
Where: The Near Shore
What: "I can't even truly answer what I would do if left to my own devices because I may well change my mind moments later." "A little spontaneity sounds heavenly."

Their evening wasn't completely unplanned, because of course at some point they had to actually meet to start it. But the more Celestia thought about just running around with somepony interesting and fun without any real forethought put into it, the more excited she got.

The one concession she had to make was in her outfit; since they might get involved in some sort of mischief that a skirt or dress would complicate, she forewent the ones she had tucked away in her wardrobe in favor of different attire. Still, she didn't think she looked all bad...

So at the appointed time, Celestia teleported down to the Near Shore and the fancy Christmas display they'd set as a meeting place, and settled in to admire said display while she waited. If Richard had ever seen her human form, she can't remember -- but she was fairly confident that the multicolored, constantly drifting hair that perfectly corresponded to her mane would prove unmistakeable.

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You strike me as a stallion who exceeds in many things and yet never realizes it for having several friends who each are your superior in only one. I would worry, but you seem to have no real troubles of ego that I've seen.

[Looking up from her phone, she smiles at him, a genuine and warm expression subtly different from her regal expressions.]

Here's one. [She turns the phone to show him the place she'd found, a theme restaurant just as they'd discussed just a few blocks away.]

[He stops in his tracks for a second and stares at her in wonder. Is that really how it is? He can't deny it, to be honest. After all, if it wasn't the case, his abilities as a Servant would be very different.

He's about to expound on the idea at length, but Celestia interrupts just in time and he's forced to shake it off and shift gears.]

Ah...yes, that looks quite interesting!

[Actually, no, he's still pretty distracted.]

Walk and talk.

[She offers him a hand, right along with that lingering smile.]

I seem to have stunned you, and I don't think it was with my smile.

[He pauses a second before taking her hand. It would be rude not to, seeing as it's been offered. Plus, it gives himself something to do while gathering his thoughts.]

I don't believe anyone has said anything like that to me before.

[And if they had, it's likely he doesn't remember because he wasn't listening. He knows fulls full well that that's a bad habit if his.]

Well, perhaps they should have. [Celestia's smile turns briefly sly, before the corners of her mouth even out once more.] I should warn you, I am very old and also a pony, so I am likely to say a few more things in time that stun you. And I might even enjoy it. I hope that will not be a problem?

[They definitely should have. The world as it currently stands might look a great deal different if someone had. Or maybe it wouldn't. It might have ended up getting him killed even sooner.]

Certainly not! I won't be so rude as to ask your age, but mine is either 4 months or 40 years, so I certainly can't claim much by way of wisdom.

[Though he looks as he did barely into his 20s, which suits him. He certainly looks nothing like how movies depict him.]

[Having never seen those movies and knowing little of his historical significance, Celestia has no grounds to criticize in the slightest. She would like to know, honestly!]

Ah, you needn't stand on politeness. I am somewhere around two thousand years old, so I have been around long enough to learn a few things, and also learn how very many things I still have yet to learn!

[And her human shape looks... a very pleasant mid-20's, and he's seen her pony shape looking just as it does.]

Two thousand? Even if I was immortal, I wouldn't reach half that.

[He shakes his head.]

And if there is still much for you to learn, than I believe that makes me a hopeless cause.

[Which is something he's heard from other people countless times by now.]

Have you given up?

[She glances at him sidelong, one eye hidden behind the tumbling waves of self animated hair, the other eye bright. Considering their talk when he'd been playing guitar, she know the answer. Does he?]

Of course not!

[There are certainly aspects of his character that he wrote off as a loss before even before his death, but he's far too stubborn and far too driven by pure caprice to let himself stagnate for long.]

It takes some adjusting, however, when one only expects to live a week or so and instead finds oneself facing the possibility of immortality. The possibility only, of course, as beings such as what we have been summoned to be can die and be replaced and certainly I will find a way to bring that about sooner rather than later. That is, if someone or something doesn't decide to step in to take care of it before my own foolishness can do me in.

Everything ends eventually, even the lives of alicorns and summoned beings. So what you do with your time is what matters most. So long as you never give up, you never truly fail, and you're not hopeless in the least.

[She gives his hand a little squeeze, offering reassurance physically as well.]

Though I do understand wanting to be honest about your mistakes. I have made so many in my time that a list could fill the Canterlot library. Learning from them is more important than reliving them.

Canterlot? Your kingdom is called Canterlot?

[Well, this was a heavy conversation...]

[This isn't an abnormal reaction for most humans, let alone one who had openly warned he had a short attention span. Celestia merely smiles as they turn the corner.]

My kingdom is Equestria. Canterlot is its capital, where my palace is now located.

That's wonderful! Is it meant to be a play on words? Or was it perhaps named that entirely on its own with no knowledge of Arthurian legend? Or...is it actually the pony Camelot?

[He knows what alternate realities are! Sort of! He's watched enough sci-fi movies since ending up here that he's got a functional understanding of the concept. Actually, he's fairly certain he heard about them from the Count of Saint Germain first, but he never understood even half of what that man said.]

As I've never seen any connection to any other world like this before, I am going to have to say it is complete coincidence. But perhaps if you tell me about this legend and 'Camelot', I'd be able to ask better.

[Camelot is, of course, like Canterlot but with camels, isn't it?]

[Well, whatever the case, Saber's thoughts seem back on the upswing, which is good!]

One outing wouldn't be nearly enough time!

[He's definitely regained all his enthusiasm, plus extra.]

There's so much to tell and I suppose I could attempt to limit myself to just what one would need to know to understand how Camelot itself came to be, but...

[He's talking even faster than usual and barely even keeping up with himself.]

Oh goodness, the date has barely even started and you're asking me on another one? [She winks to him, mischievous, and motions for him to go on. Not only is she curious, but this is clearly something that he delights in, and that makes it all the more worthwhile a topic.]

If you're willing to listen to me talk, I would be a fool to ignore such a lovely and agreeable audience!

[Of course, he hasn't even gotten rolling yet, so it remains to be seen whether or not she'll run screaming once he does.]

Explained most simply, Camelot is where the great King Arthur held court, though to understand the great importance of that, one must first know the legend of the King of Knights.

[Which he's going to try to tell from the beginning and will continue with until stopped.]

[She's interested.]

[She's legitimately interested! The story is very interesting, and Saber is so animated in telling it that it must be important to him, which gives her all the more reason to pay attention. So she does, letting him talk as they walk down the street, as they enter the restaurant all pleasantly done in reds and with a medieval-Japan air about it, and as they take a seat in a booth. It's only when their waiter approaches that she reaches out to pat his hand and bring him back to the present.]

[It takes a second of blank staring before he can switch his brain out of fanboy mode and focus on the menu in front of him. While he can understand any language he needs to, his knowledge of this era is limited to what he might possibly need to know in the time and place he was summoned and what he's managed to pick up since. And since Japanese food isn't exactly a high priority of is, he basically has no idea what anything on the menu even is.]

Perhaps I should just pick something at random...

We have a moment. Let's start with drinks, at least. [She'll put it over to him, and never mind that doing so might be a mistake! But she doesn't know how fancy he wants to get, and she's confident in her own ability to adapt to anything.]

[Tea seems to be the main draw here, to judge from the list on the back, but is he a tea drinker at all? She'd guess not, but she'd also guess that she just can't guess about him, and that it could change in a moment based on his whim.]

I don't suppose they have beer or wine...

[There are a lot of words that might be one or the other of those things, but he can't be certain.]

They certainly do! A fair variety, it seems. [Celestia isn't the biggest alcohol drinker, but isn't this a special occasion if any is?] What do you favor? I'm willing to try anything... or we can just admit we have no idea and pick blindly.

I think a little excitement might be called for!

[That's how he operates in general, so why not now?]

After all, the wine I would truly want to order would be far, far too expensive, I think.

There is that. I am sometimes amazed the gods are not rich somehow, but here we are. Excitement it is! Will you do the honors?

[If he's to be the one driving the whimsy of the night, she is happy to extend that honor to him! Besides, she picked the restaurant.]

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