"Wow, Uncle Zephyr really knows how to stick his hoof into his mouth, doesn't he, Mommy?" Screwball inquired.
Fluttershy gave a sigh and said, "That he does, Screwy… Your uncle was never one to learn to keep quiet, but as strange as this sounds; I'm glad your uncle opened his mouth when he did. Though at the time I was very upset with him especially after we went to the castle the next day…
Fluttershy looked up at the tall and majestic castle. She gulped as she, her father, and brother went past the gates as the guards opened the double doors for them and the guard, Sir Flash Sentry greeted them.
"Welcome back, we've been expecting you." he led them on into the castle.
As they drew nearer to the throne room doors, Zephyr noticed his sister was slumming over and harshly whispered to her, "Stand up straight! You want to make a good impression on the king, don't you?"
Fluttershy gulped again and timidly responded, "R-right… of course…"
Flash said to them, "Wait here and I shall announce you in." he went into the throne room, leaving a door open, and declared in a loud voice, "The miller, his son, and his daughter." he bowed as they went in.
Fluttershy glanced up at where the king was sitting who seem to have been lost in a trance. Beside the king were a dragon, a unicorn, and an orange earth stallion with curly brunette hair wearing jester attire as they all gawked at her. This made her blush and made her hide behind her mane, she wasn't used to ponies staring at her.
The unicorn king finally shook out of it and proclaimed in a firm tone, "You lied to me, miller."
Both Mr. Shy and Zephyr gulped with Zephyr stammering, "L-lied to you, Your Majesty?"
The king stood up and made his way to them, "Yes, lied. You told me your sister was a rare beauty, but I what see before me… is a goddess." he smirked.
Spike and Twilight exchanged looks as if saying, Oh brother…
Zephyr gave a sigh of relief and smoothly replied, "Well, sire, I didn't think you would believe me if I did."
The king nodded in agreement, "Perhaps you're right." he addressed the girl, "Tell me, dear, why do you hide yourself from all those who wish to admire you?"
Fluttershy meekly told him, "I-I am unaccustomed of ponies looking at me… Y-your Majesty…" she quivered as she tried to curtsy. She felt her chin being lifted up as she ended up gazing into the king's eyes with his piecing golden irises surrounded by his whites.
He said to her, "You are the loveliest thing I have ever seen in this world. But beauty alone cannot make you my queen, no, it is your talent that I desire as well."
Fluttershy was confused, "Talent, Your Highness?"
The king motioned her to follow, "This way." He led her and her family down the halls and up some stairs that led to a tower room. The room was full of straw with a spinning wheel right in the middle of it.
The king explained, "Your brother tells me you can spin straw into gold."
Fluttershy gasped out, "What?!" and she looked back to her brother and father who had guilt written all over their faces.
The king casually said, "I know, it's not something you go around telling people about, I can tell you're the modest sort. That's why it's a good thing your brother told me."
Fluttershy was shaking all over and weakly asked, "Y-your Highness? What if I can't do it?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. Your brother also told me you need a large amount of straw to make it work, that's why I had my servants bring me all this straw in one room."
"T-that's not what I meant…"
"Ah… well, if that was the case of you not being able to do it, I would have to banish you and your family for lying in the first place. Which would be a shame because you had the perfect image to be my queen."
She gulped, "I-I am very flattered you would say that Your Majesty but surely you wouldn't want to marry me without being in love first, would you?" she hoped that would convince him to let her go without proving she could spin straw into gold.
He furrowed his brow, "Love? Why should that matter?"
Fluttershy gasped, "Why Your Highness, it's just the most important thing you need in a marriage. I am not in love with you, but maybe… if I had a chance to know you better…"
His eyes widen in surprise, "Are you saying… you could love me…?"
"I'm afraid it all depends on how well we get along. My family needs me to marry to you but if we cannot love each other, then I don't want to get married…"
The king was intrigued by her words. Making him think deeply, She is certainly a strange girl… Any other mare would have consented to the marriage but she actually wants to see if we could have something… My original plan was to banish her and her family had the claims about her beauty been false but since they've been nothing but, I want to keep the girl for my own but if she doesn't want to marry me without us getting to know each other then there's no point in keeping her, unless…
With a small smirk on his face he told her, "Shall we make a deal then, my dear?"
Fluttershy tilted her head and questioned, "What kind of deal, Your Highness?"
The king's smile grew as he said, "I shall give you all the time you need to make this room full of straw into gold, as long as you would be so kind as to be my companion for lunch every afternoon and shall come to me whenever I call for you?"
Fluttershy felt unsure about that deal but if it gave her the chance to get to know the king… then she asked, "Would you let me go if I do not love you?"
The king frowned at those words but when she saw the pleading look in her sweet teal eyes he found it within himself that he could not refuse her. So he stated, "Very well. If you cannot find it in your heart to love me then I will let you go…" She released a small smile making him feel slightly weak in the knees. She just looked so radiant when she smiled. Then he reminded himself that he could not get in too deep here. He quickly said, "But for tonight, you will turn some of this straw into gold."
Fluttershy began to quake again and looked to her family. Mr. Shy was looking more guilty then ever while Zephyr had a look of remorse and was about to speak when the king said to them.
"Now I must ask you to leave. The young lady will need to concentrate on her work."
They tried to say something but the king had them go while locking the tower door behind him.
Fluttershy's tears came fast as she landed on top a pile of straw and cried on and on.
Twilight exclaimed in fury, "You didn't even let her say goodbye to her family?! What is the matter with you?!"
The king pointed and said in a low voice, "One, watch your tone… And two, I knew they would tell the truth to stop me from testing her, I had to get them out before they could. As such, the girl and I made a deal and I would like to keep it. Tomorrow, I want you to escort her to her own bedroom and I want you and the others to give her the best treatment possible."
"Of course we will, but… isn't the mare supposed to spin straw into gold to prove herself? But you and I both know it's not possible for her."
He let out a small smirk, "Is it? I wouldn't be so sure…"
Twilight gave a confused glance.
Fluttershy was still crying on her pile of straw as she thought, Oh Zephyr… How could you say such a thing to the king! Spinning straw into gold! It's impossible!
Suddenly she heard tiny squeaks and she looked down to see three white mice coming to her from the straw piles. She sniffled as she greeted them, "H-hello there…"
The mice squeaked back in greeting.
She giggled as she held her hooves out to them and they climbed on. She apologized, "I'm sorry I don't have any cheese to give you… But I'm trapped in here as you are… and…" she trailed off when a mouse pointed to a tray of cheese by the door, she uttered in disbelief, "Where did that come from?" she quickly set the mice by the tray so they could eat.
She was so confused on how the tray got there, there were no holes in the door or walls so the tray couldn't make it's way inside the tower. And she knew for a fact that it wasn't here when she first arrived so there was only one possible explanation.
"It must have been magic that brought the cheese here but how…?"
A voice suddenly spoke, "Why the answer is very clear, my dear, it was I who summon it here."
Fluttershy gasped as she turned around to see a creature of different animal body parts, having yellow and red eyes and bushy white eyebrows and a long white goat-like beard.
She moved back as she inquired with a quiver, "W-who a-are y-you…?"
The creature floated in midair as he said, "Who am I? Who am I? Why I am Discord the spirit of chaos and disharmony." he bowed, "At your service, milady."
Fluttershy seemed to relax at the creature's introduction but she was still hesitant to go near him. She asked, "Why do come to me?"
"Why to help you of course! I know that nasty king has locked you in here so you can spin him some straw into gold! It's absurd really! You, a little pegasus pony have the magical ability to spin straw into gold!"
"You're right…" she sadly replied, "I have no such ability… And because of this… the king will banish me and my family!" she started to cry again.
Discord looked at the weeping mare and felt his ears droop down from seeing her like this and slowly floated toward her and awkwardly began to pat her back, "Um, there… there…? No need to cry, I'm here to make sure that straw will turn into gold!"
Her crying stopped as she looked up at him in wonder, "Really?"
"Yes! And it's such a simple thing to do."
"You can do it?!" her eyes lit up in excitement.
He chuckled, "Oh goodness, no!"
She gave a disappointed look, "Oh…"
He explained, "I alone cannot do it but… with your golden heart I can..."
She exclaimed in shock, "What?!" she placed her hooves to cover her chest, "You want my heart?!"
He waved his hands as he quickly said, "No-no-no! I don't want your actual heart, I want the goodness that comes from your heart!"
She uttered in understanding, "Oh… that's different."
Discord nodded, "There's nothing to it, I just need you to come by the spinning wheel and touch it. Then I will touch it and the straw with turn into gold!"
"Oh, okay…" she went to the wheel and began to spin it. Discord then floated some straw to the wheel and just like that the straw turned into gold! Fluttershy gasped in amazement as she watched the straw transforming into gold.
He told her, "See? What did I tell you?!"
"It's incredible!" she exclaimed.
"And it's all due to that kind heart of yours."
"Can it be true? I turned the straw into gold?"
He corrected her, "We turned the straw into gold. My power was able to use your golden heart to make the straw be gold as well. My heart is made of stone so it wouldn't have worked for me."
She was surprised to hear that, "But you came here to help me, that's kindness in itself."
Discord shook his head, "No, my dear, I have come here for entirely selfish reasons, which shall be revealed in time. Because as you can plainly see I only have part of the room covered in gold. The rest is still straw and as you know the king wanted all of this to be turn into gold."
"Does this mean you'll come back?"
"Of course it does. Tonight was just the beginning, you'll be seeing a lot of me before this room is cover in gold." he bowed again, "Until we meet again, milady." he snapped his fingers and he disappeared.