Remembering past hospitality (Patreon)

Having made our grand entrance to Royal Banquet in my Equestria dreamscape, Petina, Carousel and I began mingling amongst the crowd gathered in great ballroom adjoining the royal dining room. A modest orchestra performed waltzes for ponies that wished to spend the evening dancing.

Dinner would not be for another couple hours but there were plenty refreshments to satisfy a pony’s hunger or thirst. Unicorn waiters patrolled the floor with silver trays of hors d’oeuvres and glasses of sparkling wine and other beverages and drinks to enjoy. After a bit of grazing we began to mingle. Carousel stayed with me but Petina headed off to gossip and network with the Canterlot elite.

The Apple Family along with the rest of the Mane Six was already present. Twilight and her family having grown up in Canterlot and their daughter having attended Celestia’s academy had been several Royal Banquets in the past, and while not possessing the refinement of Rarity the violet mare could hold her own in the crowd. Also being one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony granted her a certain celebrity status.

Rarity was having no problems discussing fashion and high society with the Canterlot elite, and apparently took several orders for gowns that evening. Rainbow Dash at first cautiously orbited the ballroom until she finally linked up with a group of pegasi officers from the Royal Weather Service and proceeded to talk shop with them. Much to Dash’s disappoint none of the Wonderbolts were present in the ballroom.

Applejack and Applebloom had the high honor of being part of Celestia and Luna’s mares-in-waiting for the evening. This was done deliberately to make certain that that the two sisters did not find themselves overwhelmed by nosey Canterlot ponies and the few reporters that were officially allowed into the banquet. Safe in protective presence of the Two Sisters they were free of unwanted questions or accusations. AJ looked very out of her element but politely made small talk with ponies. Applebloom her part simply stared in wide-eye wonder at the spectacle in front of her, and tried to remember all the proper protocols and rituals of the evening.

Fluttershy and Big Mac initially traversed the floor as an impromptu couple until Fluttershy found herself drawn into a conversation being held by a couple members of Royal Ornithological Society. As if sensing an opening Big Mac found himself suddenly corralled by several young unicorn mares from the Canterlot Gardening Club who decided to discuss orchids with the large, young, strong, and obviously unclaimed stallion. Surrounded on all sides he just stood there and nodded his head a lot.

Granny Smith had drifted off and was slowly navigating her way around the room on her own. This was obviously not her kind of venue. Eventually she found herself silently nibbling on some snacks and watching the spectacle flow past her.

A blazing red young unicorn stallion with a fiery orange mane in an immaculate black suit and cravat stopped as he was passing by Granny and gave her a quizzical look. He had two giggling, vapid, young mares in tow. Slowly he turned and bowed to the Matriarch of the Apple Family.

“Good evening ma’am. I was late in arriving so I missed your arrival. I do not believe we’ve been introduced? I am Grand Inferno of the House of Flame. Who may I ask are you and what house do you herald from?”

“Evening to ya to!” Said Granny Smith with a big grin and a slight curtsey. “I’m Granny Smith of the Apple Family from Ponyville! Pleased as punch to meetcha!”

Grand Inferno blanched at Granny’s heavy, rustic accent. Hearing it only and not what she said a look of disdain grew on his face.

“Really? Ponyville? I know this is Service to the Crown Day, and this is a holiday for the ‘Working’ ponies of Equestria but I did not know they were going to give invitations to members of the palace cleaning staff to attend tonight. I do say, I believe Celestia is determined to dilute this grand event down to nothing more than a hoedown for commoners!” The two mares behind Grand giggled at his little verbal jab.

“What do ya mean by that sonny?” Granny’s grin had vanished in an instant; she was now eyeing the young stallion suspiciously. “Me and my immediate kin are here by invite of the Royal Sisters themselves.”

Still not hearing a word Granny was saying Grand Inferno chuckled. “Yes, yes of course I am certain that the Princesses are very happy with everything you have done for them! Now and keep up the good work and maybe they’ll give you a new broom or something!”

Granny bristled at the pompous stallions words, but before she could reply another voice sharply spoke up.

“I send you to the finest schools in Canterlot and spend twenty years of my life raising you and this is how you treat your elders when I turn my back on you!”

Strolling up to the young stallion was a much older, portly rust-red stallion with a graying mane and tail. Head held high he gazed through gold-framed glasses. Stopping just inches from the younger stallion he glared at him. He was also impeccably dressed.

“Are you deaf? Or have you just taken leave of your senses? Did you not hear what this fine mare said? She’s from the Apple family of Ponyville. Do you know what that means?”

Grand Inferno shrugged nonchalantly. “So she’s from Ponyville. Bravo! Good for her, who cares about that?”

The older stallion roughly poked the younger stallion with a front hoof mussing up his perfect cravat. Fire burned in the old stallions eyes.

“What it means you worthless lump is that you have much to thank from her and her family for! A large number of the bits I have apparently wasted on educating you are the result of this family’s efforts! If they had not made Ponyville so prosperous then the Canterlot Overland would’ve never built its line through their town! And what is one of the most profitable bulk cargoes the CO hauls? Well son can you remember, or is your brain already addled from too much wine? It’s apples hauled from her farm to Canterlot so they can be stuffed into useless mouths like yours! Mouths that have never worked a day in their lives!”

Conversations in the immediate area had stopped and all eyes were now the little spectacle unfolding. Grand Inferno glanced around looking for support but met only indifferent stares. Even his two female escorts had slipped off into the crowd. Ignoring the crowd the old stallion continued his dressing down.

“Now, you will apologize to this fine mare, and then you will go home! I’ll deal with you later! Do you understand?”

The young stallion shriveled under the onslaught. Slowly he turned and bowed his head to Granny Smith who had remained silent through all this.

“Forgive my poor manners and choice of words ma’am” Granny silently nodded her head. Taking this as his cue Grand Inferno turned and slowly walked out of the ballroom.

The older stallion eyes remained affixed on his son until he’d left the room. Then he turned and bowed to Granny.

“Please accept my apologies for my son’s crude behavior. I fear like many of Canterlot’s youth he’s ignorant to what allows him to live his gilded lifestyles. Without the effort of ponies like you and your family Equestria would be a wilderness.”

Granny smirked at the older stallion. “And what all would be yer name be sir?

“Oh forgive me!” Exclaimed the old stallion. “I am Iron Forge, Chair Pony of the Canterlot Overland Railroad and Coach Company. It does not surprise me that you don’t remember me, but many years ago you and your family let me stay at Sweet Apple Acres in a guest room. I was surveyor for the company back then and I was helping in the construction of rail line into Ponyville.”

Granny’s face lit up. “I remember ya now! Yer the young stallion who climbed the steeple of are barn ta git a look at things and fell into the hay cart! How ya been?”

Iron Forge grimaced. “Ah, after all these year and you still remember that afternoon.” The old stallion shook his head. “I have been fine and I am proud to see you’ve raised such wonderful family!”

Iron Forge looked over to where the Royal Sisters were standing with AJ and Applebloom at their sides.

“It puts my heart ease know that their will be fine ponies like these to carry on things when I am gone. Unlike my son.” Old stallions stared up at one of the paintings on the wall for a second. “I fear those who have everything, appreciate nothing.” He said slowly.

For the next half hour the two gray ponies caught on what had happened over the years. All the while the band played. At one point during a short break between their performances Iron Forge excused himself briefly and went over and talked to the conductor. After a minute or so he returned to Granny. He had a smile on his face. He stopped in front of the elder matriarch and bowed deeply.

“Madam, would you be so kind as to accompany me to dance floor for just one dance this evening?”

Granny was bewildered. “But, but I don’t know any of these fancy Canterlot waltzes!” Iron Forge continued to smile.

“Fear not ma’am I am certain you’ll know this one.” Then with Granny Smith at his side he slowly strolled out on to dance floor. Then he turned and faced her as the music began to play. It was not a waltz but a folk dance, a dance performed by earth ponies every fall at the harvest festivals around Ponyville. Granny’s face lit up.

“Remember that evening when your family hosted that party for all of us working on the railroad?” Asked old stallion. “Remember how you us taught this dance? I never forgot that night.” Iron Forge bowed again. “Would you be so kind as to dance it with me one more time?”

Conversations slowed stopped as everypony realized what was happening in front of them. There on the palace floor one of the most influential ponies in Canterlot was whooping it up with an old mare from Ponyville. The two didn’t care what the elite ponies gathered had to say. One had lived long enough to earn the right, and the other was just too powerful to care.

AJ and Applebloom cheered their Granny while Celestia and Luna just smiled and watched approvingly. That alone assured that no pony would dare say a word to stop it.

To be continued.