Push stared out the window, clutching her broom in both forelegs. The bride and groom were dancing, surrounded by their friends in something resembling a line dance. She should be out there with those ponies. Celestia had given them the whole city the day off. Why was it she had to be stuck [i]here?[/i]

The answer to that question called to her from near the center of the ruined ballroom. "Stop mopin', kid! You think this place'll clean itself up?"

Heaving the hundredth sigh of the evening, she turned back to the pile of debris she'd been sweeping up. "Yes, Uncle Dry."

"Speak up! Can't hear a word of your whining if you mumble," Dry Broom snapped.

After a long inhale, Push counted to ten. She let the air out in one long gasp. It wasn't enough to keep the venom out of her repeated, louder "Yes, Uncle Dry!"

"That's a good girl." He wiped sweat from his brow and continued working on his own pile of rocks and ruined furniture. As the two of them worked, the older stallion started in on his complaining, as he did with every job. "Back when I was a happy bachelor stud they had proper weddings. Family gets together, play some nice music, share a couple 'I do's'. Now they gotta have massive parties that wreck the reception area! Ponies these days got no respect for marriage. This was supposed to be a royal wedding! What kind of example are they—"

Push tuned him out, focusing instead on the music that barely penetrated the marble walls from the garden area. She wondered if her uncle even noticed the changelings running rampant through the castle a few hours ago. Probably not. She wondered what foul deed she'd committed as a foal to deserve being stuck as his apprentice. It had seemed like such a big deal when she'd joined him six months ago. Being a janitor wasn't glamorous, but she was a janitor in [i]Canterlot Castle[/i], which was probably as close to the big time as she'd ever manage.

Her illusions had been shattered quickly. She glared at her uncle, still rambling about 'proper weddings' and new royalty 'ruining the hallowed images of the princesses'. He was always grumpy, and always making sure Push worked when any reasonable pony would be out having fun. "Like at a royal wedding the entire castle staff is invited to," she growled under her breath. Sometimes she wondered if this job was really worth it.

The door leading to the halls opened. Push didn't bother checking to see who it was. "Reception's been moved to the gardens," she growled out.

"My. Our niece really overdid it, it seems."

Push froze. Heavy hoofsteps resounded in her ears as the visitor approached. She heard the sound of her uncle's broom hitting the floor. Slowly, she turned around to find Princess Luna standing before her and surveying the damage. Push's muzzle slammed against the dirt floor. "Princess! F-forgive my rudeness."

"Oh, do rise." Luna's voice kind and dismissive at the same time. "This is supposed to be a celebration. No need for formality, Miss...?"

"P-Push Broom, Your Highness." She rose, noticing her uncle doing the same. He went back to work, casting scathing glances at Push as if to ask why she wasn't doing the same. But her legs were locked, unwilling to obey her as she gaped at the princess.

Princess Luna continued to survey the ballroom, the corner of her lip turned up in a slight smile. "I take it the wedding didn't go as planned."

Swallowing to clear her dry throat, Push replied, "It c-could have gone better."

"And yet you are still here." Luna studied her as if she were a curiosity. Then she smiled and set a silver-clad hoof to Push's shoulder. "Keep up the good work, Miss Broom." And with that, she moved on.

Push touched her shoulder. A tingle ran through her. The royal hoof had graced her person. Six months of thankless labor, but... [i]she'd met Princess Luna![/i]

Dry Broom watched her as she broke into a grin, fiddling with his broom like he'd never held one before in his life. "Y'know... You could go to the reception. If you wanted."

She looked to him, then to Princess Luna just as she existed the room. Grinning, she grabbed her own broom. "Nope, I'm good. Let's get to work!"

Where she not so giddy, she might have noticed the oddity that was his smile.