Artemis had always been interested in attending the games as a spectator. That wasn't an easy prospect, even for somepony posted in Canterlot. Like the Gala, the Games were an event for the nobility, except this time, instead of the unicorns, it was the pegasi who ran the show. And also unlike the Gala, the whole Canterlot Palace wasn't available for participants; just the modest spectator stands at the Royal Artillery Barracks' proving field just outside the city proper, at the foot of Canterlot Mountain. Priority for tickets was given to staff officers, noble and wealthy benefactors of the Royal Guard, and participants' comrades, commanders, and family, with half of the rest allocated to serving or retired guardsponies by lottery and the other half allocated to the general public using a similar scheme. The odds of getting a ticket through either lottery weren't outrageous, but they weren't great. More than half of would-be purchasers went away empty-hoofed.