“Eeeh-up…..no, no wait… Eee-yuup”
Being a Prince had required Blueblood to perfect a vast number of what could have been considered useless skills. Nobility required a certain grasp of the anachronistic and obsolescent, traditions maintained for the sake of being maintained. Still, for all the etiquette lessons that had been instilled in him since foal hood, of all the pointless rituals he had memorised, he had never felt quite as ridiculous as he did in this moment.
“Wait, I can get this, let me try again, ahem”
Something just wasn’t clicking, the Prince forced himself to acknowledge. There was something off, and the pony looking back from the mirror he was using to practice wasn’t exactly helping; something seemed, well, less than authentic that he just couldn’t put his hoof on. To the casual observer however, Prince Blueblood now looked every inch the cowpony. He had somehow managed to procure a rather handsome cowboy hat, suitably enlarged to cover his horn. In place of his usual formal neckwear, he wore a particularly obnoxious bolo tie, of the kind only a frontier earth pony might consider stylish. The outfit was finished off with a fetching moustache provide courtesy of one Twilight Sparkle. Given his impressive size, he perhaps could have passed for a wealth earth pony farmer. In poor light. If he kept his mouth closed.
“No that not right at all. You need to roll the syllables together more. Keep trying”
The very same, purple, frighteningly powerful, annoyingly chipper unicorn was sat just behind him, weighing in with yet another suggestion. The transformation had, for the most part, been her idea; first of all, it would better protect him from the prying eyes of the media whilst he was in Ponyville, though it was her second reason that convinced him. The way Twilight had explained it, Applejack was guaranteed to find his new outfit fetching. Bemoaning his lot in falling for a mare who admired bolo ties, he nonetheless submitted to the transformation, though he still couldn’t affect the peculiar drawl the farming clan spoke in. years of elocution lessons where not easily overcome, apparently.
“ahem.. Eeyup..”
Nailed it.
Before Blueblood could bask in his mastery of the Apple dialect, his little practice session was rudely interrupted.
“TWILIIGHT” somepony shouted from outside, disturbing his moment of success.
He recognised that voice. It could only be…
“Applejack?” Twilight spoke, as much to herself as Blueblood “the girls aren’t supposed to be here until later. I wonder why she’s here” Twilight mused, making her way towards the door.
“Oh, do invite her in” Blueblood suggested, just loud enough for his vouce to carry outside the library “she probably wants to finish me off or something.. Very well. If I must die, let it be at the hands of a beautiful mare WHO CLEARLY CANNOT KEEP HER HOOVES OFF ME”
Appejack’s incredulous snort of a response could clearly be heard from inside the library. Blueblood, considering the situation, thought it wise to take cover behind a conveniently placed wooden carving in the centre of the library.
The door opened.
“You no good, hoity toity…. Wait” Applejacks tirade derailed as she caught sight of the prince. “Twilight… wut you gone done to the Prince”
The unicorn piped, up, sounding unaccountably proud “Oh! It’s a disguise, duh. The prince needs to lay low for a while, and what it this being an earth pony town and all… Why, don't you like it?
”
“He looks ridiculous Twi” Applejacks rage had now faded to confusion, confronted as she was by the altered Blueblood.
“I am stood right here you know…” Blueblood stood up abandoning his defensible position.
“Blueblood, go and wait upstairs me and Applejack need to talk” Twilight looked at the Prince, making clear it wasn’t a suggestion.
Blueblood had been waiting in Twilight’s room for about half an hour when both Mares entered. Applejack came first, with Twilight just behind, hopefully prepared to restrain the farmer. Applejack spoke up, apparently of her own accord.
Look, I feel bad about hittin’ ya yesterday. I aint’ usually like that, its jus’ I dont like ponys who hurt my friends. Though seein’ how Rarity managed to get over it, s’pose I can too. And as for gettin’ Big Mac drunk, well, I think that’s probably more his fault than yours” Applejack paused, letting the words sink in. “what I’m trying to say is, well, how about a fresh start pard’ner?”
Blueblood edged forward, cautious at first, before taking the offered hoof eagerly “Great. You know, Miss Applejack, I really would like to get to know you better. Perhaps over some of those delightful apple fritters of yours?” Blueblood accentuated his proposal with his most charming smile.
Applejack seemed to weigh the merits of what blueblood was asking. She was a fundamentally good pony, and being the element of honesty, could detect something genuine in the Princes proposal. Surely she would just as bad if she rejected the Prince out of hand, as bad as those nobles in Canterlot….. she wasn't going to make it easy though....
“ Youre gonna have to prove yourself before you go cortin me mind, Apple family style. Be at the farm tomorrow, sunrise. Don’t be late.
Blueblood nodded frantically, too overcome for words.
“Oh and one more thing. Keep the hat. ..Kinda suits you- not sure about the moustache though.” with that Applejack walked out of the library, leaving an ecstatic Blueblood in her wake.