//------------------------------// // Chapter VII: Il Fuoco Della Cucina // Story: For His Majesty // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// “Are you sure that I don’t need to give him anything?” Blueblood asked as he looked over at himself in the mirror for the hundredth time. Once again, he dabbed his forehead with a white cloth, miserably hiding his sign of nervousness that was nearly dripping, which was completely understandable to Princess Cadance since (if they didn’t count the ball that) this was her cousin’s first real date. Even when he wasn’t sweating, she could pick up settle clues such as the new white suit, the pair of diamond cufflinks, a hint of cologne, and the fact that both his mane and tail were combed for the last hour was obvious that he is disparate on making a good impression. “I’ve kept telling you, it’s not needed when you’re so early in such a relationship.” The Princess of Love answered, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Blue, you’ve got to relax. You’re not going to some very important summit; just going out to dinner is all. You go in, order something, and talk. Just be polite and take it from there.” Blueblood snorted, “You make it sound so easy.” “Then how is this different than when you were with him at the ball.” “Besides the fact that I didn’t exactly know who it was,” he deadpanned. “That, and not knowing what he expects out of me doesn’t help at all.” “That’s why dates had been invented, so you can get to know each other about their likes, dislikes and such. Trust me Blueblood; it’s going to be fine. I’m sure that you’re gonna have fun with Fancy.” “But this is a real date, something that I have never done before. I don’t even know what the rules of edict are when it comes to this sort of thing. What if something goes wrong? What if Fancy finds me a bore? What if he has been replaced by a Changeling? What if-” “What if it turns out to be a magical evening?” his cousin interrupted him. He sighed, “I just wanted this to be perfect.” “Blue, you can do this. I know it seems scary at first to go up to somepony like Fancy, but once you get into it, the night will be over before you know it and wish it could go on longer. Believe me, I’ve been there.” Blueblood took in a deep breath and looked once more in the mirror. “I hope you’re right,” turning his attention over towards her he added. “Are you sure that I don’t have to get him anything? Like a jeweled encrusted rose or Zebrican chocolates? O-Or maybe a-” “It’s not Hearts and Hooves day Blue,” she giggled. “I think you just being there will be enough.” _*_ Twenty minutes later, Blueblood looked out the window of his palanquin. Hooves of his guards’ clip-clop on the cobblestones of Canterlot’s streets that mixed in with the onlookers of ponies they pass by. In the warm, late summer air, the Prince nervously glanced at his pocket watch as the minute hoof crept slowly towards six. As much as he tried to present himself as calm and collective, he could still feel every beat of his heart in his chest as they drew near their destination. As much as he knew that he was ready and prepared, there was still something that he felt that he overlooked, except that he didn’t know. “We’re here, Sire,” one of the guard’s voices said as they slowed down. Looking at the window again, the Prince drank in of the building they stopped at. It was made out of striking red brick, a yellow canape stood over the entrance with both of its wood and glass doors were held open. From the windows, he saw ponies chatting away, eating the food or staring back at the unicorn. In the air, there were hints of tomatoes, freshly baked bread and basil. As Blueblood was helped out of the palanquin, he noticed an iron sign on the corner of the building that proudly displayed its name and an image of a stove on fire. ‘Am I the only one that thinks to name a restaurant that translates to ‘The Burning Kitchen,’ as a little off-putting?’ he thought for a moment before his heart nearly stopped when he looked through the windows again and spotted Fancy. He sat there at a table with a mirror overhead with a glass of water in his aura, looking at the menu. Breathing through his nose, the Prince turned to the entrance, ‘Well… here goes something.’ Of course, no sooner had he stepped right in the restaurant that had paintings of the Istallian countryside, oak tables, bright lights that hang over them did everypony in the dining room glanced over to look at him. Most stared in surprise while others in curiosity before they either bowed or raised their glasses to him as he walked towards Fancy’s table. Passing by the rows of wine racks and the speakers that were playing a slow tempo lounge music song, the first thing he said to the older unicorn was, “I hope that I haven’t been keeping you waiting.” “For that, the fault is mine,” he replied, “I arrived early. You on the other hoof are on time. That waitress should be coming around soon so take a seat Bluely.” Blueblood did so, but as soon as he did while picking up the menu, he found himself at a loss at what to say. Fortunately, however, Fancy took the lead. “So how have you been lately?” “Well… my Aunts and cousin have been keeping myself busy. You?” “Just came back from a smashing exhibition. It was mostly statues that were created by a new fellow in the art world that I’m sure will make a name for…” Fancy trailed off as he noticed a trail of sweat going down the side of the Prince’s face. “Are you alright?” Blueblood resisted the urge to rub his hooves together, “Yes, I’m fine.” The blue-maned stallion frowned, “Come on, what’s the matter? You’re not nervous about this, are you?” When the other stallion didn’t respond, Fancy went on. “Before I start assuming, might I hazard a guess that you’ve really never done anything like this before, have you?” His date shook his head. “Look, I can already tell that you’re probably feeling uncertain about this date. Probably hoping that this will go just right for the sake of impressing me, but could you please do me this one favor?” he nodded, “Don’t. I’m not expecting that this will go perfectly the first time around and neither should you. Now, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a nice dinner between the two of us. In fact, let’s make this easier.” The Prince raised an eyebrow, “H-How?” Fancy Pants stood up next to the table and offered him his hoof, “I think it’s best if we start over. Hello, my name is Fancy, and you good sir?” As absurd as it was, it did manage to get out a laugh out of the tensed unicorn as he too stood up to shake his hoof. “Call me Blueblood. Blueblood Everfree.” “Charmed, I’ve heard a great many things about you; would you care to dine with me?” The Prince nodded, “I would like that.” _*_ While the two of them sat back down at their table with the mirror overhead, Princesses Celestia and Luna were watching them from the one-way window. Nor did either unicorn notice the tiny microphone that was on the lampshade that was right over their heads. The secret observation room was dimmed and soundproofed so that the stallions would have given no second thoughts to the fact that they were being spied on. At that same moment, their attention turned to a pair of hoofsteps that parted the black curtains. “So what did I miss?” Princess Cadance asked as she sat between her aunts. “Nothing much is going on,” answered Luna, after setting the bowl of popcorn aside, she folded her forelegs over her withers. “They’ve just started talking, but I suppose that is expected since he just got here.” She looked over to her elder sister, “So what’s your plan here Celestia?” “I think we might start with something simple,” she answered. “With enough patience and sleight of hoof, I think I could be able to get them to kiss.” Cadance snorted, “On the first date? How are you going to get them to do that?” “Can I get your order?” a waitress’s voice through the speaker. All three Princesses turned to the window and spotted the young mare with a notepad and pencil in her hoof. Fancy closed up his menu, “I want to get the Zucchini Linguini with a bottle of Sun Uva di Firenze. You?” “The same,” Blueblood closed his menu, “Along with a salad on the side if you please.” After jotting down their order and taking the menus away, Fancy started up the conversation with, “So do you go out to eat often?” Blueblood shook his head, “Not really, personally I see it unnecessary when you grow up in a place where some of the best chefs in the country cook in the kitchens. Though, there are some rare occasions that I do go out with one of my Aunts here and there for a change in scenery. When it does happen, I’m taken to some adventure places like, for example, that tiny place not too far from here. The… Tasty Treat, I think it’s called.” “Ah yes, I’ve heard good things coming out of that. Planning to go next Saturday myself, given that Hoity loves the curry they make.” The blond unicorn tilted his head, “Hoity?” “He’s a fashion critic and a friend of mine – personality wise, Hoity Toity is my bipolar opposite compared to me. For example, he prefers one night stands from local gay bars while I date the old fashion way, by trying to getting to know them first.” After taking a sip of his water, he added, “But I’m afraid that I’m getting rather off topic. What are meals like for you?” “Usually? I tend to dine alone in my chamber where the chefs serve up a menu that I’ve listed the day before. Say that I wanted a poached egg with a fruit salad for breakfast, a gourmet hayburger with sweet potatoes fries for lunch and a lite daisy salad for dinner with a chocolate mousse on the side tomorrow, I would simply write it down and give it to the head chef so he has an idea what to make at that time. And the following day, they make what I wanted, exactly the way how I like it.” “Do you ever eat with the Princesses?” He shrugged, “Sometimes I do, although I personally prefer to dine with Auntie Luna.” This got several raised eyebrows on both sides of the one-way window, Fancy tilted his head. “Why Luna?” Blueblood looked around in the room, trying to see if anyone was listening. Then leaning forward, he whispered. “Can you keep a secret?” the blue-maned unicorn nodded. “Whenever I’m in the same room with Celestia, and that we’re eating, she will always find some way to tease me. And by that, I mean that she always finds some way to mess with me.” “Well, what’s wrong with that? I thought that every family does that to a degree.” The Prince shook his head, “She makes me the butt of the joke, and I hate it so much – especially after I came out. What’s worse is that she's hardly settle about her jokes. Like a month ago, I’ve ordered some doughnuts for breakfast one morning. Now I don’t know why, but she thought it would be funny to have them arranged in a… particular way. Right in front of her, I was served on a plate, a round doughnut with a long one right next to it that had custard dripping out at one end with two doughnut holes at the other. What do you think it looked like on a plate?” In no time, Fancy blushed, “Oh my…” “That’s not even the worse of it, as soon as that silvery dome was lifted, Auntie Celestia said, ‘Well go on Blue, eat out. The long one is filled with extra custard.’” Blueblood rested his hooves over his eyes. “It was so embarrassing. You know, I’ll give Auntie Luna credit that, yes, she does have a unique sense of humor too, and at least she doesn’t focus all her jokes solely on me.” Even without looking, Celestia knew that her younger sister was giving a relishing look. “Don’t say it,” she said irritated. “I’m the best Aunt,” Luna teased before giggling. Just then, the waitress came back, balancing a tray. The pasta was dished out, the wine poured and the sides were placed between them. “You know what I’ve just realized,” the night alicorn observed, “is that you still haven’t told us your plan on how to get them to kiss.” “Now be patient,” the Sun Princess replied. “We just need a window of opportunity and you’ll see how I’ll win the bet.” “Well that’s rather vague,” Cadance raised an eyebrow. “Still doesn’t explain how you’re going to do it.” As the two stallions started to dig into their pasta and the princesses were trying to interrogate the white alicorn, none of them took notice of a particular mare with a fedora that had a piece of paper saying “Press” stopping at the window. The unnoticed mare took a double take before she lifted up her camera and snapped a flashing picture. Both stallions turned their heads away, thus giving Celestia the opportunity she needed. Her horn glowed, picking up a single strand of pasta from Fancy’s fork into her aura and quickly wrapped it around her nephew’s. “What was that?” Luna asked, “Did something flashed?” Cadance ignored her blue aunt’s question, and looked down from the one-way window unimpressed; “Really?” she deadpanned. “That’s your plan?” “Give it time,” the Sun princess urged as the couple returned to one another. “You did see that flash did you?” the blond unicorn asked. “Maybe it’s nothing,” Fancy shrugged. “But you know, you’re not the only one who has been embarrassed by family either.” He smirked, “In fact, I think I might be able to top it.” Blueblood snorted, “Oh how? The fact that Auntie Celestia implying that I should, in common vulgar terms, ‘get laid’, what can you have that could be more embarrassing than that?” His date laughed, “Well, before I say it, I think you should know something about my parents, in particular with my father. While I do come from a rich family from Trottingham, we were far from what you would call a ‘normal family.’ My mother had married a stallion who was a manic-depressed, schizophrenic that has been in and out of several mental hospitals. So growing up with him was very… interesting to say the least.” Fancy chuckled, “In fact, I remember that during my high school graduation, he showed up wearing fish netting stocking, a saddle, and a Solar Guard’s helmet. So obviously, either something was wrong or he was the commander of the Male Stripper’s Battalion.” The Prince quickly covered his muzzle to prevent him from laughing. “Good heavens! That really happened?” He nodded, “Indeed, as embarrassing as it was, it wasn’t unexpected. He had done several other countless things that had gotten him into asylums. But growing up, I dare say it was rather neat to have a parent that was insane. For example, do you know how little foals draw a picture but you can’t tell what it is? My father had so many Rorschach tests that by the time I was five he knew exactly what I drew every time.” Fancy picked up a napkin in his aura and started pointing his hoof at it and then said in a lower voice. “‘Aw, what do we have here son? Tree, doggy, sun, and oh! There’s the human that implanted the tracking device in my head. You want to feel it?’ If anything,” he added as he put the napkin back. “It was comforting to know that while I was in preschool, busy gluing macaroni to paper plates, father was in therapy was also gluing macaroni to paper plates.” “At least we have something in common there,” Blueblood pointed out after a sip of his wine. “I’m also related to somepony that went insane a long time ago and was locked away for it.” “Ah yes,” Fancy nodded, “Nightmare Moon. Did you ever talk to Princess Luna about the… incident?” The blond unicorn shook his head, “I don’t it would be a good idea. She gets… agitated whenever the topic is brought up.” He shrugged, “Then again, who could blame her? I know it’s something that she isn’t proud of. Even if I did wanted to know about it, I don’t know how to or if I should. Of course, she’s completely different than what she’s been described in the stories as Nightmare, she’s eccentric but she does care about a lot of things and wants to learn about everything. But if I went up to her and said, ‘So auntie Luna, what was it like being on the moon,’ and keep pushing it, I’m afraid that I’ll end up on the moon. I think it’s best not to ask.” In the secret room, two princesses looked over to Luna, “I don’t know if that’s heartwarming or devastating,” she commented. “Ah! Here we go!” Celestia pointed out as both stallions raised their forks into their mouths. A long string of pasta bridged the two of them, and it didn’t take long for both of them to notice. They paused, looking between their date and the line of linguine. “Of course you realized how incredibly clichéd this is,” the blue-maned unicorn said as Blueblood blushed. Just then another flash was seen and the two of them turned their heads just in time to see a reporter with a camera running out. “Uh-oh.” “H-Hey!” Blueblood stood up and quickly went after the mare. “Where are you going with that camera!” As Fancy too got up for the chase, Cadance and Luna glared at the older alicorn, “What?” she inquired, “How was I supposed to know that would happen?” “You know,” Luna folded her forelegs, “our nephew is right on one thing.” “What’s that?” “You’re not good at being subtle.”