Whirl grunted as he tried to drag his cousin Apple Jewel away from the pedestal, "Come on, Jewel! We have to get to Maretonia by tomorrow! Cotton is expecting us!"
"No! No, I won't go! My egg needs me!"
Dignity pointed out, "But it's not going to hatch for another month!"
"But I am still its mother and it feels like I am abandoning it!"
"You're not abandoning it!" declared Gemstone, who was visiting from Manehattan, "Your husband is staying here with it since Maretonia is uncertain about dragons in their kingdom. After all, after a war, you can see why having a large fire-breathing dragon could cause…" She cleared her throat, "unpleasantries…"
Screw Ball rolled her eyes and used her magic to levitate Jewel to her. "The point is your egg will be safe while we go visit Cotton's new castle. She and Cannon Fire had formally invited us so his parents could meet their son's in-laws."
Star mentioned, "And to see how great our political alliance has brought between our kingdoms."
Pinkie then bounced in, followed by her smiling husband and nervous-looking sister Twilight. The pink mare inquired, "Are we ready to go?"
Whirl stated, "All except for Apple Jewel."
"Aunt Pinkie, I want to see Cotton of course, but I feel I shouldn't be leaving at a crucial moment in my egg's life."
"What crucial moment?! It's just sitting there!" Whirl pointed.
Jewel went into his face and slit her eyes, "Say that again and I'll knock your block off!"
Twilight then used her magic to separate them. "All right, let's all calm down. Jewel, everything will be fine with your egg and Whirl, you should know better. That is your cousin's future child in that egg. Just because there's nothing going on now doesn't make it any less important."
He gave a guilty look and muttered an apology. Jewel accepted it.
Twilight faced her sister and brother-in-law, "Now remember, you must follow Maretonia custom to a T. We are now allied to them through marriage and we must not upset them."
Pinkie waved it off, "Oh, Twilight, stop being such a worrywart. Cheesy and I managed to help ties between us and the Yakyakastanis after the sleeping curse, remember?"
"Yes, but Maretonia is a bit more on the proper side while the yaks just wanted perfection and cultural understanding. Plus, they were the ones visiting. In this case, you'll be the ones visiting Maretonia and they expect their guests to be well-behaved and to follow their customs."
"And we will, Twilight. If our little Cotton can do it, so can we.
Cotton Candy sucked in her breath as the maids dressed her in a blue tight formal dress. She could feel the tight corset underneath. She knew it was Maretonia tradition for the princess to be properly dressed everyday, but it was days like this that she wished that such a tradition didn't exist. When she first came to the castle with her new husband, she was greeted by his parents with mixed results…
Cannon Fire went up to his parents with a determined look and gestured toward his wife, "Mother, Father, I would like to present my bride, the Princess Cotton Candy of the royal family of Canterlot."
His parents gave surprised glances and were hesitant at first, but eventually, they gave into the match since Cotton was of royal blood and Canterlot was allied to many great kingdoms despite the marriage catching the rulers of Maretonia off guard.
The queen came in then and inspected her daughter-in-law's attire.
"My dear, you look positively lovely."
Cotton thought, I would feel more lovely if I could actually breathe!
"I will admit, Princess Cotton Candy, that you took us all by surprise when my son presented you as his wife, but for the past few weeks since you've been here, you have proven yourself to be a perfect choice for my son."
"All I want is his happiness…" she gasped out.
"It's more than that… I know Maretonia is strict when it comes to marriage, but it's because of these marriages that we have been strong enough to overcome obstacles such as the war that happened to us. If it weren't for the connections I had given into my marriage, we would have surely lost."
"But the war is over now. Maybe now we can make things less firm."
"My child, tradition is what makes Maretonia significant. To give it up would be the result of ruin. Now come. We must meet our husbands and head for the dining hall to prepare for the arrival of our Canterlot relations."
Cotton rigidly moved down the stairs as her husband waited at the bottom of the steps. He looked up and gave a sympathetic smile. Once she reached him, he kissed her hoof.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of you for how well you're handling this."
"It hasn't been easy, but you did promise me it would be once your parents retire, right?"
"That's right, but for now, we follow my parents' rules until we take over as king and queen. But I am hoping that by inviting your family over, we can get my parents to loosen up and they'll realize in order to keep strong ties to Canterlot, they would be willing to let some of our more rigorous traditions die."
"One can certainly hope so, honeykins."
Meanwhile outside, the royal carriage from Canterlot stopped in front of Maretonia's grand and sculpted castle.
"Well, this is it." said Gemstone as she got out first, followed by her cousins and aunt and uncle.
As they got to the front doors, the door colts opened them for the royals and bowed deeply. Once they were in the foyer, the group marveled at their surroundings.
Whirl let out a low whistle.
Pinkie uttered, "Fancy…"
Dignity said with enthusiasm, "This is amazing. Such beautiful castle decorations and art!"
"I'm glad you approve," said a voice and they looked up to see Cannon and Cotton coming from a large hallway with smiles on their faces.
Pinkie wanted to hug her daughter right then and there, but she held herself in. Cheese did the same, even if it was hard for him and his wife and it slightly showed.
Cotton was confused that her parents didn't immediately embrace her upon seeing her and hoped nothing was wrong with them.
Once greetings and formalities were done with, she hugged them and her cousins, even Pen Pusher. He was the only one of the lovers to have come with the cousins. There was also the fact that Maretonia was his home to begin with and he was the ambassador before his and Cannon's marriages to their princesses.
"I am so happy to see you all again!" she exclaimed.
"We're happy to see you too, sweetie!" proclaimed Cheese.
"So…" Whirl said slyly and nudged Cannon, "How's married life going for you guys?"
Cannon smoothed out his ruffled suit, "Well, things have been pretty busy, so we can't spend much time as we like. I must attend meetings with my father and Cotton has to work with my mother on princess and queenly duties."
"What is it you do, Cotton?" Apple Jewel asked.
"Oh, nothing much, except I have to plan the royal banquet as a send-off to when you'll all have to leave by the end of the week."
"Well, that should be easy for you!" Pinkie beamed.
Cotton grimaced, "You would think so…"
The relatives exchanged brief perplexed looks before Cannon motioned, "Let us escort you to the throne room. My parents are looking forward to meeting with Your Highnesses."
"And we're looking forward to meeting them." replied Starling, unaware that her husband was giving her a sad smile.
When they entered the throne room, the King and Queen of Maretonia were dressed elegantly and wore ceremonial headdresses. The Canterlot royals bowed in respect as Cotton gestured.
"Your Majesties, may I present my parents, Princess Pinkamena Diane Pie and Prince Cheese Engelbert Sandwich."
The party couple went up to the regents and there was an awkward pause before Cheese said, "Um, it's easy to see where Cannon gets his good looks from."
Pinkie piped up, "Oh, yes!"
The queen gave a pleasant smile, "Well, thank you, and your Cotton has certainly inherited the best of you both."
Pinkie touched her heart, "Aww, thank you!"
The king spoke, "You must be tired from your long journey. We shall have our servants escort you to your rooms and then come get you when dinner is ready."
Starling bowed before them, "We thank you, Your Highnesses."
"Wow! This place is so stiff!" Screwy exclaimed, "Dad would have a hard time being here. Good thing he didn't come along."
Apple Jewel commented, "Maybe that's why."
Gemstone said, "Mother and Father wanted to come along, but between running the charities of Equestria and attending important social events, they couldn't. My darling Seam was also busy, but I wanted to see Cotton so badly."
"Didn't you write to us about solving a mystery back in Manehattan?" Screwball asked.
"Indeed! Now whenever the police have a tough case to crack, I'll be the first one they tell!"
"Hey, that's great!" Jewel beamed.
"I still can't believe I missed out when you laid your egg, Jewel. I'll have to buy something for when the little darling will hatch!"
Suddenly, Cotton burst into the room, "That reminds me! In case I can't make it in time for the hatching, I want to give you your present right now!" She had a huge gift-wrapped box and gave it to her cousin, who opened it.
"What is it?" Screwy asked.
Jewel said uncertainly, "They're… coupons?"
Cotton grinned proudly, "Sanity savers! So in case you're in need of a babysitter, you can cash it in!"
The girls exchanged bewildered looks until Jewel gave an uneasy smile, "Thanks, Cotton. I'm sure they'll come in handy…"
"No problem! Now I got to go. My little honey muffin is waiting for me!"
She made her way out of the guest room and to her and Cannon's suite. She saw her hubby getting dressed in an evening tux, but he was having trouble with his tie.
"Here, let me." She fixed it up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"You're a lifesaver, dear."
"Thanks."
"Though I can't say much for your parents saving us from some of our traditions. I thought they would be a bit more… wackier…"
"Wackier?" she raised her brow. "Is that how you see me and my family?" She questioned with hurt in her tone, "That we're wacky?"
"What? No! That's not what I mean!"
"Then what do you mean?"
"Honey," he sighed. "You tend to show a crazy side every once in a while. In fact, when we first met, didn't you like to blow up in my face before getting the whole story?"
She went a shade pinker in her coat color and awkwardly moved her hoof in a circle.
He continued, "Now, I was in Canterlot for a whole month and I saw how your family operated, including your parents. I've seen the parties they put together for the ponies of Equestria and I was quite amazed of how two ponies could have so much energy and fun. Of course, I'm glad you took after them, for without that sense to party around, you never would have taught me how to have fun…" he smiled at her.
She found herself grinning.
"I want that fun displayed right here in Maretonia, but we can't have that if your parents and cousins are just going to act prim and proper."
"But shouldn't they? They are guests within this kingdom and royal protocol demands they follow the customs of the land they are in. Much like how you and Pen Pusher were in Canterlot."
"Touché, my love, but… I say we can bend protocol this one time…" he smirked.
She smirked back.
The family was all seated at the table. Whirl, Screwball, and Apple Jewel were gawking at the dinner setting. There were five sets of silverware next to their silver plates, but they didn't know which silverware to use first for the appetizer. They already had to wash their hooves with what looked like a soup bowl and Whirl almost drank out of it. But once they saw what Star, Gem, and Dignity were using them for, they copied them.
It was quiet as nopony spoke, but Pinkie and Cheese were dying to start a chat with their daughter and son-in-law. However, they kept it in since they weren't sure if they were allowed to speak at the dinner table in Maretonia. Back in Canterlot, the royal family would always have lively conversations.
Cannon decided it was time to break the silence when he nudged his wife underneath the table. She turned to her parents.
"Um, Mom, Dad, why don't you tell Their Highnesses what it is you do for our family and Equestria?"
Pen gave a surprised look and saw his old friend was on the verge of smirking when looking at his parents' bewildered expressions.
What are you up to?
Her parents lit up at the notion and started explaining their royal duties.
Star was confused as well. She thought Cotton would be more respectable toward her husband's culture. Now thanks to Cotton's icebreaker, the others were starting to talk among themselves and she heard Pen whispering to her.
"It shouldn't be like this. Every dinner, the royal family has been silent and peaceful. I admit I find it rather boring compared to the dinners back in Canterlot, but we're here in Maretonia…"
"I agree, dear, but unless the king and queen say otherwise, I won't get in the middle."
"Then perhaps I should…"
"Just what were you trying to pull back there?!" Pen demanded to Cannon when it was the dead of night and they were in a room alone.
"I'm tired of living like this, Pen. You at least got to go live in Canterlot where all the fun and excitement is, but I was forced to come back here where everything is so rigorous and traditional. I want it to stop."
"But… you're talking about years and years of tradition! You can't just let them go like that!"
"I'm not saying I'm getting rid of all the traditions. I'm just making some new ones to replace some of the more unnecessary customs. That's all."
"This is dangerous ground you're treading on, Cannon Fire… If your parents find out…"
"And what if they do? Cotton and I would have eventually taken their place anyway, and the moment we do, we would change the laws in a heartbeat. So you see, Pen? It was bound to happen, anyway. You know, my wife has been a good sport about all of this, but it feels like I am denying her true self. I fell in love with a mare that's different from the world I came from. It was refreshing.
"But then I bring her here and she is forced to ignore all she knows and must behave properly. She hasn't told me she's unhappy, but I can see it in her eyes. Cotton has done a lot for me by agreeing to be my wife and she has given me love and happiness. In return, I only give the love, but not the happiness… Wouldn't you do the same for your wife if our positions were reversed?"
There was a pause before Pen declared, "Yes… I would."
It was the next day as Cotton was with her family and was giving them a tour of the castle. Just then, one of her ladies' maids came up to her holding two white cloths.
"Your Highness, we need a decision of cloth samples for the royal banquet. Eggshell or bone?"
The cousins, Pinkie, and Cheese gave confused expressions on the color scheme.
Cotton eyed them before turning to Screwball with a smirk, "Gosh, I'm not sure. Cuz, what do you think they should use instead?" she winked.
Screwy caught the gist and waved her hoof with a smirk. The cloths turned into zigzag patterns.
The maid gasped, "Your Highness, I'm not sure if this is appropriate for a banquet."
Cotton just smiled, "Trust me, it is. As hostess, it's my job to make sure everything is set right and to choose the best there is, and zigzagged cloths are the best!"
"Very well, Your Majesty. I just hope the king and queen won't be too displeased." She went on with the zigzagged cloths.
Starling voiced in concern, "Cotton, I know you're married to Cannon Fire and that makes you the head princess around here, but surely you know you can't just approve of something if it does not sit well with your in-laws."
Pinkie slowly said, "I have to agree with Star, sweetie. We are, after all, just the guests here, but you have to live with these ponies… So maybe you should change the cloth color…"
"Do you want me to, Mom? Do you personally want me to go back to the old color scheme? Choosing between eggshell and bone?"
"But there wasn't any difference!" exclaim Jewel.
"Yeah!" agreed Whirl.
Gem commented, "Maybe to the untrained eye…"
"Oh, please! Even you couldn't tell the difference…" Dignity contradicted.
"I could so!"
"That's enough!" ordered Starling before turning to Cotton, "The point is, Cotton, yes, we prefer color in our cloths back in Canterlot, but we are in Maretonia at the moment…"
Cheese pointed, "Cotton, we know how good you are when comes to planning events, but are you sure you want to do it like this?"
"If you have suggestions, Daddy, I want to hear them."
"No, that's not what I-"
"Let me stop you there and let me tell you this. Since the time I've been here, I hardly have the time to have fun or to spend moments with my husband. I have to keep up a pretense with my in-laws just so we're one big happy family, but Cannon and I are tired of pretending. He wants this and so do I. Now, who wants to help me plan this banquet the Canterlot way?"
Screwy piped up, "You don't need to tell me twice. I'm in!"
"So am I!" proclaimed Whirl.
"You bet your gems I'm in!" Jewel beamed.
"Us, too!" the brother and sister declared.
They looked over to Pinkie, Cheese, and Star as they waited for their answer.
The party couple slowly started smiling before getting their daughter in a giant hug.
Starling bit her lip and hesitantly said, "As long as we don't do anything too offensive… then I guess I am, too." She did a tiny smile.
Cotton jumped in excitement, "Great! We got a lot of work to do!"
The royal banquet came and Cannon was escorting his parents to the dining hall.
"Cotton has put a lot of hard work in this," he stopped at the doors.
The queen commented, "Well, good. Our daughter-in-law has certainly exceeded our expectations."
"After that little interruption at the first dinner, I was starting to have my doubts…" the king admitted.
Cannon turned back to them, "But I want you to know that this banquet isn't exactly like other banquets…"
"Oh?" the queen questioned.
"It's more of a banquet that's usually done back in Canterlot, so please, I want you to keep an open mind about this, like the way you accepted Cotton as my wife…"
"But that's because she was a princess, son." said the king. "If she had been any other mare that wasn't of nobility, we would have opposed."
"Mother, Father, I am grateful that Cotton was a princess that was able to appease you two, but I am even more grateful that she is a mare I truly and deeply love. I know none of you will know love because you are bound by duty… Your marriage has done great things for this kingdom, but I couldn't help but feel something was missing and that was love. Luckily, I had found it with Cotton and so far, she had to hide a part of herself since you first met her. Tonight, you will get to see the real her."
He swung open the doors and the king and queen were taken aback by the scene. A band was playing in the corner of the room, ponies were dancing on the side, and Pinkie and Cheese were right in the middle of it. Cotton was dancing too before she spotted her husband and in-laws and bounced over to them with a big smile.
"Hiya, honey! Hi, Mom and Dad!" She then bounced away to the buffet table.
The queen felt like fainting and the king caught his wife in time.
Cotton came back and was carrying a silver bowl full of chocolate pudding on her back. "Quick, give this to her. Chocolate always helps with fainting spells!"
The king spoon-fed his wife the chocolate and she got up.
"Oh, my!" she exclaimed, "This is simply delicious! Dear, you must try this!"
The king did and slowly, a smile spread on his face. "Mmm… that is good."
"Thanks! It's my Mom's secret recipe!"
Pinkie suddenly appeared to them acting secretive, "The secret is chocolate… lots of chocolate!" Just like that, she was gone.
It took the king and queen a while to feel settled by the idea, but they eventually got used to the party and were actually having a good time!
Starling worked up the nerve to go talk to them since that was what her mom would have done after Cotton went and did this.
"Your Highnesses, please don't think this of is as intruding on your values, but sharing with you our customs and hopefully showing you that we love Maretonia as it is."
The king spoke, "I will admit we hadn't anything this extravagant within our lives, but that's what happens when duty and war come between us from having a good time. I now see how much my son loves his wife and how she can always bring a smile on his face…"
The queen started shedding a few tears, "I've never seen him this happy in, well, ever! Our dear daughter-in-law truly is the right choice for our son… I thought she was just another princess with the right breeding, but she is much more than that…"
Star smiled, "She is…My cousin was never one who could just stay still for long, but she knows how to make some pony happy. She truly did inherit the best of Aunt Pinkie and Uncle Cheese."
The king stated, "One thing's for sure: when my wife and I retire from royal duties, we will be honored to serve under her and Cannon's reign for the rest of our days." He then raised his glass for all to hear, "A toast! To the future King and Queen of Maretonia, Prince Cannon Fire and Princess Cotton Candy!"
The crowd repeated the toast as Cotton was on the verge of tears while her husband beamed with pride.