When she felt the gentle warmth of the dawning sun’s rays, Cadence opened her eyes.

She allowed herself just a few seconds of stillness, just a few, and then she sprung from underneath her covers. Cadence stretched, taking the time to extend one wing and give it a flap, then fold it back against her side and repeat the process with the other. With a low giggle she stopped, watching as Shining wrapped himself even tighter in his nest of blankets.

Turning away from the bed, Cadence moved toward her vanity. She sat down, carefully wrapping her tail around herself as her magic briefly sprung to life. The tie holding her ponytail together came undone, and her cascading curls fell all around her face. Smiling, Cadence took a brush in hoof and began to work it through the somewhat tangled strands. Behind her, Shining slowly returned to the waking world.

“Thought we were,” he stifled a yawn, “sleeping in today?”

“Well, we were, but…”

“Buuut…?”

“…Sheen told me a few ponies were looking for my help with a dispute they were having, late last night. I’d feel awful putting them off just so I could sleep a little longer. I gave them this early morning meeting so I could help them as quickly as I could.”

She could see Shining’s incredulous, open-mouthed look in the vanity’s reflection. She laughed, again.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, Shiny.”

“Yeah, you sure seem broken up about it...” He rolled his shoulders before sliding out of bed. He gave another yawn as he went through the motions of his morning stretching routine, reveling in the returning feel of alertness. “How important could it be?”

Cadence turned away from the vanity long enough to level Shining with a look, and he threw up his hooves in concession. “My bad,” he said, giving a tired shake of his head. “Of course it’s important. I’m just a little sour, I guess.”

“No, I should have told you last night but didn’t. We’ll still be able to spend the day together! Just, after this dispute is settled. And who knows how long that could take?”

Shining barked out a laugh, trotting toward the vanity to give Cadence a nuzzle and a quick peck on the cheek. “It’s not going to be that bad. It’s important, but probably not that major a problem.”

“Hadn’t Auntie worked any sort of appreciation for Court into you, Prince Shining Armor?” She whapped him on the shoulder with a wing, lightly chastising. Shining only snorted in response.

“I know Court usually isn’t… much… but that doesn’t mean we should always go in expecting easiness every time! We are royalty, and if ponies are coming to us with their issues they deserve the best we can give them.” Cadence turned back to the mirror with a low huff. “It’s what’s expected of us.”

Shining leaned forward and tossed an arm across her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. She returned it, briefly, before batting him away before he could get a chance to scruff up her mane again. He stuck out his tongue and turned away, moving toward the bathroom. Shining was getting ready for the day, so it was only fair that she continued self-maintenance as well.

Probably not that major a problem.

Gingerly, she smoothed a hoof through her tail, silently watching her reflection. He wasn’t wrong. The Crystal Ponies were lovely, peaceable sorts. Rarely had anything that had been brought to her attention via Court gone beyond making sure it was alright to go through with something that conflicted with one of Sombra’s old, horrific laws. Beyond that, there was little they didn’t choose to simply work out between themselves. Outside of certain, more exacting situations, they hardly ever needed--

Cadence took a deep breath and began to brush her tail.





Auntie had always said there was a certain sort of finesse needed to properly make headway during Court. It is, essentially, the only time when ponies are completely free to trot up to a princess and speak their desires plainly. That entailed, well, a lot. So much that it required an open mind and equally obstinate will. It wasn’t guaranteed that every decision made would be the correct one, but if you were willing to broach an issue from all sides, see it from as many different perspectives as you could…

What you say and do holds much weight. Never let this fact slip your mind.

Without even thinking, Cadence righted her posture. She pressed her wings even tighter against her side, raised her head just a little bit higher. Glistening Sheen, her advisor, looked her over with a vaguely curious stare.

“You look especially prepared for today’s proceedings, Highness.”

Cadence gave a curt nod, just enough of one to set her mane bobbing. Sheen arched a brow, not accustomed to silence as a reply, but said nothing. With a soft ‘ahem' to clear his throat, he stepped forward, letting his voice carry across the throne room:

“Gleaming Ivory, Clear Shine, today’s attendees of Her Majesty’s Mi Amore Cadenza’s royal Court, you may enter!”

The towering doors to the throne room rumbled as they were pushed open by the guards. Two mares strode in, not even trying to hide the distaste that radiated between the two of them. The pair bowed low once they reached the rising steps of Cadence’s throne, and when they rose Cadence acknowledged them with a graceful dip of her head.

The off-white mare, Gleaming Ivory, assumedly, rose first. Clear Shine followed quickly after, giving an annoyed flick of her tail as she tossed another look in Ivory’s direction.

“Hello, my fair ladies. I hear there’s something of an ongoing dispute between the two of you?” When both mares nod, she closed her eyes and gave herself a moment to think. Ivory seemed the less heated of the two, so maybe it’d be wiser to begin with her? Cadence opened her eyes and focused her attention on Ivory.

“Gleaming Ivory, I’m sure? Could you tell me what exactly is going on?”

Ivory stepped forward, taking a moment to brush her mane out of her eyes before speaking.

“I create and sell statuettes. Creating them requires the use of various tools, one of the said tools being a blowtorch. Clear Shine,” Ivory tossed out an arm and motioned behind her, “used my blowtorch and subsequently broke it.”

Cadence didn’t let her posture slacken. She inhaled, shifted on her seat, and looked to Clear Shine as she tried to burn holes into Ivory with her eyes. “I see. Clear Shine? Could you tell me your part of the story?”

“I didn’t break it, for one!” Clear blurted out. “It just… stopped working after I brought it back!”

“Because you broke it!”

“I did not! It isn’t my fault your tools can’t actually handle being used!”

The two mares growled and snarled, squishing their muzzles together as they both tried their hardest to shove the other away. Cadence saw her guards begin to move toward the angry pair and raised a hoof to stop them. Cadence cleared her throat.

Ivory and Clear froze. Slowly, awkwardly, they untangled from each other. Clear fell to her haunches while Ivory began to subtly move her bangs back in front of her eyes.

“I’m very sorry to hear about your blowtorch, Ivory. I’m just a little unsure what exactly you need my help with? I could maybe direct you to the police if she stole it, but considering she gave it back and you didn’t imply she took it without your consent…”

“No, Princess, she hadn’t stolen it. I did let her borrow it, but I obviously was wrong in thinking she could handle using it! I was hoping you could get through her thick skull and make her admit that she—”

“You dragged the Princess into this just because you wanted me to say sorry!?”

“Just admit that you broke it! Instead of making it seem like I don’t take care of my things—”

“You’re so ridiculous—”

“Ladies, please!”

Again, the squabbling mares froze. Embarrassment radiated off them in waves, with Ivory suddenly becoming very interested in the carpet beneath her. Clear hung her head and breathed out a long-suffering sigh.

“I think,” Cadence began slowly, “that you do need to apologize, Clear Shine. You may not have meant to do it, but I do think that you may have worn out the… blowtorch… when you finished using it. Things happen.”

“I…” Clear’s ears fell flat, her tail gently swishing behind her. She eventually hazarded a look in Ivory’s direction, who stared back with a tiny frown. They stared at one another for a while before Clear finally groaned.

“I’m… sorry. It was acting kind of funky as I was getting close to finishing things up, but I just figured it was low on gas, or whatever. Something that you could fix! I didn’t think I did anything that bad with it, but the next day you’re all up in the air over it! I just—got mad and defensive even if, yeah, it probably was my fault.”

Ivory held her look of scrutiny for a moment. With a roll of her eyes, she relaxed and let the heat leave her expression.

"Apology accepted. And... I'm sorry for jumping down your throat. I should've heard you out but lashed out instead. Besides," Ivory coughed into her hoof, letting her voice sink a little lower, "it, ah, probably could've used a little maintenance anyway."

Clear stared at Ivory with her mouth agape, only to burst into a fit of laughter. Ivory snickered along.

When the giggling died down, both mares looked to Cadence. Ivory moved forward, expression returned to her vaguely stern usual. “We’re super sorry for having wasted your time, Princess Cadence. We really could’ve, really should’ve done this without you.”

Cadence’s smile was much warmer in comparison to how she felt.

“Sometimes you just need an outsider’s perspective. I’m happy to have been able to help!”

For the final time, Ivory and Clear bowed. The two rose, turned around and trotted back down the aisle. Only when the throne room doors swing back shut does Cadence let her smile drop.

“Well! That was a rather productive…” Sheen glanced at the ticking clock behind them, “fifteen minutes.”

“Is- is there anypony else scheduled for today?” She already knew the answer, of course. But maybe if she spoke the question aloud, maybe something would change. Somepony would rush in, then, vying for her attention.

Sheen adjusted his glasses and scanned the contents of his clipboard. He looked away from it to give Cadence a pleased look.

“You’re free for the rest of the day, Highness.”

Cadence blinked. Fifteen minutes, that was all that had been required of her. She could go find Shining, now. They could have a lovely day together. The rest of today would be a total dream.

“Fifteen minutes,” Cadence croaked out.

“Indeed. I won’t say I’m unhappy that the matter is resolved, but really, did they need you of all ponies to resolve things?” Sheen chuckled with a quick roll of his eyes. “Such silly mares.”

“I… guess not.” Cadence’s wings twitched at her sides. Her horn felt heavy atop her head. She let her perfectly rigid posture finally slacken and sagged into her throne. Sheen moved in at once, expression alight with worry.

“Are you well, Princess? Should I call Shining Armor? Perhaps the castle nurse?”

Cadence waved a hoof, weakly shooing Sheen away. He took the hint and stepped back, never losing his pensive look. She let the silence hang between them, staring down at her shining, golden shoes.

“Do you consider me a good ruler, Sheen?”

Sheen stared at her, incredulous. His mouth opened and shut uselessly until he finally resolved to respond with a sharp nod.

“Of course I do, your Majesty! You’re kind, reasonable, and even funny when the mood takes you. You’re nothing like him and we Crystal Ponies thrive because of it.”

“I’m better than Sombra,” she breathed out. Wasn’t that a high bar to clear? Cadence swallowed back the creeping dryness in her throat.

Sheen gave another firm nod. “Far and away from him, Highness. Please, never let yourself believe anything less.”

We really could’ve done this without you.

But really, did they need you?

“Thank you, Sheen.”

“Think nothing of it, your Highness.”

Cadence rose and stepped away from her throne. Sheen, still watching her carefully, tagged along behind her soundlessly. It didn’t take them long to return to the kitchens. Shining hovered close to one of the older castle chefs, amid a rather animated conversation. Cadence unhurriedly made her way over to them.

“—yeah, I’d really appreciate that! You make an incredible casserole. I—Cadence!”

Shining wheeled around, ginning from ear to ear. Seeing him so happy sparked something inside her, and Cadence felt the corners of her mouth moving to mirror his.

"You two are back way earlier than I expected. Did they cancel?"

Cadence shook her head. "Everypony came. It was a dispute between friends. Just needed a mediator to help see things clearly."

Shining pulled a face. "They needed a princess to mediate an argument between friends?"

"I guess they thought I held some unique insight."

"Well hey, you're already free, you had to have done something right!" He took a step back and motioned toward the chef he'd been talking to earlier. "Crisp Cake here was just getting ready to try out a new recipe of his. You up for a little taste-testing in celebration?"

Rather than respond, Cadence moved around her husband and headed toward the lengthy dining table. Shining and Sheen shared a glance. Sheen could only give a weak shrug. Shining turned back to follow Cadence and slipped into the free seat beside her, nudging into her neck with his muzzle. She slumped into his touch.

"What happened, Caddy?"

Cadence shifted and pressed closer into his hold. His grip tightened, and warmth radiated between their touching coats.

"I'm... just a little more tired than I thought I was."

Shining carefully worked a hoof through her mane, sighing. "Sheen would've been more than willing to take over Court for you, today. Especially if you weren't feeling well. You really didn't need to go."

"Yes," she said softly, "I suppose I really didn't."