Word Count: 1,131
It was about a week after that wonderful first day that Azrith received a letter from the Queen. Although it was signed 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza', she knew better. Queen Chrysalis was disguised as the Equestrian princess. Azrith opened the letter just as Bon Bon woke up and walked into the room. Though she was still half asleep, she woke up immediately as she saw the royal seal.
"I-is that a letter… from the castle?" she exclaimed, voice rising a pitch. "Why are you getting a letter from one of the princesses?"
Azrith read it over, even though she didn't need to. She knew that this was coming from the folder that had the plan in it. "It says here that I've been invited to be a bridesmaid at the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor," she said, and then she realized she should probably act more excited about it. "Can you believe it? A…a bridesmaid for a royal wedding! And I've been excused from work until the wedding is over. Apparently, this will pay more than I've earned in years." She looked it over, impressed at how detailed the whole plan was.
Bon Bon squealed loudly in a way that made Azrith wince. "Oh sweet Celestia, that is AMAZING!" she shrieked, jumping up and down. "Why you? Do you know the Princess? Who else is going to be a bridesmaid?"
Azrith blinked at the excitement. This pony was… excited about being invited to meet royalty? She wasn't frightened? How strange.
"I have no idea," she said. "I… I did meet the Princess once, before I met you."
"Really?" Bon Bon exclaimed. "That is so cool! What happened?"
"Well, we were on a… school trip, and we just happened upon her," Azrith replied. "She was just in the park that we were at. I said 'hello', and we talked a while. I guess she remembered me."
Bon Bon grinned, slightly calmer from the initial shock. "So when do you have to be there?"
Azrith read over the letter once more. "It says that I have to be in the dressmaker's sleeping quarters today at four," she said. "What time is it now?"
Bon Bon glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's two thirty!" she said in a panicked whisper. "Come on, we have to get to the castle, now!"
Azrith stopped her as she rushed to the door. "It also says that I should come alone," she added. "Sorry."
Bon Bon frowned, obviously disappointed, but nodded in understanding. "Okay, go ahead," she said. "See you later."
Azrith trotted outside, feeling the warm afternoon air on her face and soaking up the midday sun. She quickly made her way to the castle, knowing that she would be punished harshly for being late. When she approached the steps leading up to the castle, she spotted two ponies with emotionless expressions at the top.
"So, I'm assuming you're the other ones?" Azrith asked, not wanting to fully disclose her identity in case they weren't the two other Changelings.
The blue one smirked. "The other what, Lyra?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "Of course we are. Didn't you see our pictures in the file?"
"Oh, o-of course, I did," Azrith stuttered, cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. The whole folder was really thick, and she'd only gotten through about a half of it. "I just wanted to make sure you were paying attention, that's all. Now, what are your names?"
"I'm Colgate," the blue one said. "And this is Twinkleshine. Come on, the Queen is waiting."
"Queen? What queen?" Azrith asked, grinning widely. "Don't you mean Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?"
"Of course, my mistake," 'Colgate' said, sniffing. "Are you coming, or what?"
They walked up into the castle, quickly finding the right room thanks to some helpful guards. Azrith was fascinated about how amazing this place was, and yet the ponies were so thick. They didn't even suspect that they were in disguise.
When they reached the room, they heard a voice speaking. "….was hoping for something with more beading and a longer train," the female voice said. The Queen, Azrith thought to herself as the three masked Changelings silently made their way into the room where a purple unicorn, a white unicorn, and 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza' stood, the Princess observing the dresses.
"Oh, yes, of course!" the white unicorn said in a high pitched voice as the purple one looked on in disdain.
"And those should be a different color," the Queen snapped, causing the purple unicorn to grimace. Azrith wondered what she was so upset about.
"I think they're lovely!" Twinkleshine said, smiling tightly.
"Me too!" Colgate added.
Azrith decided that it would be best to go along with what they were saying, so she put in a weak, "I love them."
"Make them a different color," the Queen said harshly, and Azrith realized the reason of the others' approval of the dresses. They should be nicer to the ponies, in order to gain their trust and friendship. Not that she would ever say anything (for it would likely get her either sent home, arrested, or worst of all, executed), but Azrith highly disapproved of the way Queen Chrysalis had treated the poor dressmaker.
Her superior quickly broke her out of her musings. "You all must leave, now," she said. "You had to make an appearance so that I could show that I was real. I am slightly concerned about the purple one. She says that she has known me her whole life, so she can tell that something is wrong with my personality. I have a backup plan if she decides to voice her concerns to her little friends."
"And what would that be, my Queen?" Colgate asked.
"Now is not the time, my young Changeling," Queen Chrysalis said coolly. "You will know if this happens. I do apologize, but I don't believe that I can stop the story from getting out if even one pony hears of it. Rumors do spread quickly here in Equestria."
They reached the bottom steps. "Now, leave, my children," she said with a dramatic gesture of her hoof. "Go back to your new lives. It will not be much longer now, and we shall feast."
Azrith couldn't help but flee after she heard the Queen speak those last three, eerie words. They sounded so… off. She shook her head as she ran all the way back to the apartment. She had to trust the Queen. She would get aura from these ponies, peacefully, and she would be famed back in the Changeling Kingdom. Everything was going exactly how she'd expected.
But if that was the case, why did she have a strange feeling that everything was going to go completely, dreadfully wrong?