The festivities were coming to a close, the fireworks would mark its end, and it would be just another Saturday. I thanked General Hearth, Argo Fleece, Burning Sand, and Wingston for joining me at the King's Table for the hour or so that was required for any and all ponies who wanted to bring their well wishes or gifts. It came as a surprise to me when each of them wanted to express their own thoughts on my Coronation.
"Lord Smolder, on behalf the Council we would like to present you with a small token of our esteemed gratitude for your services rendered thus far." Burning Sand announced signaling Argo who stepped forward.
"Your father and grandfather continued the tradition of have a metal seal of their cutie mark made to stamp royal decrees. We took the liberty of casting one for you, including taking a few creative liberties as well." Argo informed me, handing it to me.
It was a bit larger than normal coins. The sigil bore a phoenix at the top; the center depicted a raging fire, while the bottom carried my cutie mark. There were two identical colts rearing upright, opposite one another at the left and right side of the coin.
"We thought it appropriate to incorporate the past as well as the future, that through the ashes we will rise again. Never forgetting the where we have come from, or those we have lost along the way." General Hearth explained the significance of the picture.
"Thank you." I said graciously, admiring the seal; moved by their consideration.
General Hearth, Burning Sand, and Argo stepped off the platform of the King's Table pausing for a moment to speak with one another. Argo turned to Burning Sand, looking very guilty and somber.
"I know you have every right to be angry with me, Burnie. There is nothing I can say to change what I've done but I am asking that you join me for a drink; to talk things over." Argo offered him.
"I guess that depends on the drink." Burning Sand replied.
"Twenty year old cherry cider." Argo answered quickly.
"I suppose I can do some forgiving over a few glasses of that." Burning sand said tapping his chin in thought.
"Although I would ask you not to shove me again, I'm not getting around as easily as I used to." Argo added.
"Look who you're talking to." Burning Sand replied with a laugh.
"Would you join us for a drink, Hearth?" Argo offered him.
General Hearth thought about it for a moment, weighing his options. Feeling that the night had gone by with little incident, he nodded in agreement.
"Wingston should be joining us as well; Lord Smolder has requested that he have an escort during this business with the Orc." General Hearth mentioned.
"I've already invited him, no better place for the old bat to be then with those his own age." Argo said agreeing to the idea.
Wingston stayed behind to speak with me in private, I placed the coin within the inside coat pocket; once more reminding myself to thank Rarity and her students for the incredible cloak. I turned to him, doing my best to look proper and confident but his face seemed to be more relaxed and at ease.
"Smolder," Wingston began, strumming his fingers on his staff.
I felt that words wouldn't quite express my appreciation for all that Wingston had done for me, so I opted to hug and embraced him. Unable to fathom what sort of pony I would have turned out to be without Wingston guiding me, raising me, and having him support through all of my choices.
"Thank you, Wingston." I said quietly to him.
"Don't ever change, Smolder." Wingston said, patting me on the shoulder.
Wingston pulled away from me, nudging me aside with his staff. I stepped aside looking puzzled as he limped towards the end of the platform.
"If you'll excuse me I have a very important meeting to attend to." Wingston called back to me.
I watched as Wingston climbed a top General Hearth's back. The four of them threw me a quick salute before making their way through the courtyard back to the castle's Main Hall. Leaving me to fend for myself against the fancy ponies once more, needless to say I was rather envious of the four of them, having such a deep rooted friendship from so many years past, but I felt that I would eventually have something similar when I got to be their age.
Rarity and Spike stood off to the side of the courtyard, while Crow and Rose sat at a table together speaking among each other; seemingly having a wonderful time all around. Stitch was in much better spirits as she found her cloak to be a much useful tool in carrying more sweets then her arms could ever hope to carry.
"Isn't it wonderful, Spike? Two young ponies in blissful romance, not a care in the world?" Rarity asked with a longing sigh.
"Did I miss the part where they confessed to one another?" Spike asked curiously trying to get a better look.
"It wouldn't seem so, but fret not. The night is young and I will be damned if I don't make this happen." Rarity said almost aggressively, pulling on her cloak.
"Doesn't love normally, you know, work itself out on its own?" Spike asked, scratching his head.
"Love can stand to be pushed a little from time to time by an interested third party." Rarity quipped, staring at them intently.
Before Spike could question Rarity's logic, Private Nightshade and Herbal Tea were making their way towards him. Spike quickly sized up Nightshade as a possible threat to his dearest Rarity but saw him with another mare and deemed him harmless.
"Hey little dragon, have you seen Cosmic or Peanut anywhere?" Nightshade asked curiously.
"Who now?" Spike asked looking puzzled.
"Private First Class Cosmic, and Specialist Peanut? Cosmic and I brought you and Ms. Sparkle from Ponyville on a chariot nearly a week ago?" Nightshade asked trying to jog his memory.
"Oh yeah!" Spike said placing his face. "Haven't seen them."
"Rarity, have you seen any Canterlot Guards this evening?" Tea asked curiously.
"Ms. Herbal, you look simply marvelous in that coat." Rarity complimented her, admiring her own handiwork and forgetting the question entirely.
"Well, thank you, it's very comfortable. I love what you done with Smolder's." Tea replied.
"Yes well one of my students did most of the work. I simply lent a hoof here and there. It was necessary to provide Smolder with something elegant and yet formal to impress the fancy ponies and the princess." Rarity remarked, motioning to Rose and Crow at the table over yonder.
"Why would Smolder want to impress Princess Celestia or Princess Luna?" Tea asked curiously.
"Oh no, darling, it's Princess Sapphire, the Ice Pony from the Frozen North." Rarity corrected her.
Tea was suddenly wide eyed, a twitch started to develop in the one of her eyes.
"Princess… Sapphire?" Tea asked slowly.
"Th-Th-There's nothing to concern yourself with, Ms. Herbal, Smolder has been an utmost gentlepony during her stay here. Some pony of Smolder's stature must provide the appropriate courtesy when mingling with other Royal Ponies." Rarity quickly informed her, trying to set the record straight.
"Was that before or after she was found in the King's bedroom?" Stitch asked taking a bite of an apple turnover.
"What!" Tea snapped in shock.
"There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that!" Rarity assured her, trying to calm her down.
"Was Smolder there?" Nightshade asked in disbelief.
"Mr. Nightshade, you are not helping." Rarity hissed, glaring at him.
"Princess Sapphire came here only to find something that was stolen from the Frozen North, she went to Smolder for help." Spike said, hoping to clear things up.
"Quite right Spike, it was purely business between the two of them." Rarity said, encouraging the idea.
"Then why did she kiss him?" Stitch asked curiously.
"When did she kiss him?" Nightshade asked in surprise.
"When she went up to the table not too long ago." Stitch mentioned, pointing towards the King's Table.
"She did not kiss him! She merely… she… well I couldn't quite see what she did but I can assure you that she did not- Ms. Herbal?" Rarity stopped short, Tea was no longer with them.
"Uh oh." Nightshade mumbled looking around the courtyard.
Princess Sapphire stood near the refreshment table, sampling the apple juice and finding it to be quite enjoyable. It was important to appear trim and proper for all the other fancy ponies, but Sapphire could not help herself when it came to apple juice. It was a rare treat to have apple juice in the Frozen North, for obvious reasons, and having it here for all to enjoy made it all the more tempting for her. Being as discreet as possible, Sapphire would use her magic to pour herself more apple juice between sips to ensure that her cup would never run dry while keeping a weather eye out for any pony that may be watching her. Taking a drink, Sapphire lowered her cup to suddenly see a green earth pony standing before her, giving her one hay of a glare.
"You must be Princess Sapphire." Tea said aloud.
Princess Sapphire jumped at the sound of her voice, quickly trying to choke down her drink without having to do a spit take. Tea Herbal stood unmoving. A glare that would send shivers down any pony's spine; Tea waited for a response. Sapphire cleared her throat, setting down her drink and quickly composing herself.
"Most certainly, it's a pleasure to meet you. May I have the pleasure of your-" Princess Sapphire began.
"Tea. Tea Herbal." Tea cut her short, sounding very cross.
"Do you mean Herbal Tea?" Sapphire asked curiously.
"No!" Tea snapped flushing slightly.
"I beg your pardon; I didn't mean to offend you." Sapphire replied, hoping to salvage this conversation.
"Let's cut the saddle bag and get right to the point." Tea said stepping closer to Sapphire.
"W-W-What do you mean?" Sapphire asked looking very surprised at Tea's behavior.
"Do you have feelings for Smolder?" Tea asked.
"Feelings for Smolder?" Sapphire asked looking puzzled.
Sapphire thought back to her encounters with Smolder these last few days, concerning her breaking and entering into his bedroom, the fight they had over conflicting information, their conversation concerning the arranged marriage, and most recently her spiritual reading of his cutie mark. It seemed to dawn on Sapphire that she was very much unsure of her own feelings concerning Smolder, her interaction at the beginning was forced, which quickly led to necessary, and then rather intimate.
"Well?" Tea asked impatiently, noticing the hue of purple starting to flush across Sapphire's face.
"Smolder is a very… interesting pony." Sapphire said, pausing to find the right word to describe him. "I suppose you could say that I admire Smolder."
Her word choice did not soothe the feelings of Tea in the slightest. It was plain to see that the green earth pony was not at all happy.
"Just how well do you know Smolder?" Tea asked, although it seemed more like a demand.
"I-I met him only a couple of days ago." Sapphire replied nervously.
"Where?" Tea asked almost immediately, sounding a bit more aggressive.
"I don't really see why that would matter-" Sapphire began feeling her face flush once more.
"It wouldn't possibly have been in his bedroom, was it?" Tea asked, trying to sound incriminating.
"I-I-I-I-" Sapphire stammered nervously, wondering if this was some sort of reporter pony about to take this whole ordeal public.
"And what sort of present is a- is a- is a- is a kiss supposed to be?" Tea asked, looking very flustered.
"Kiss? Present?" Sapphire asked in shock, stepping back.
"You kissed him in front of every pony!" Tea snapped flushing furiously.
"I did not!" Sapphire snapped back flushing furiously herself.
"Then-then-then what was all that… nonsense about?" Tea asked, almost shaking from her frustration.
"I… well I… tapped him on the head… with my horn." Sapphire said slowly, realizing how weird that would sound to a normal pony.
Sapphire could see Tea fuming, her face flushed, her breathing sharp and irregular. Seeing as Tea was too flustered to ask another question, Sapphire decided it was time to ask a few of her own.
"S-S-S-So who are you then, eh? Ms. Herbal?" Sapphire asked accusingly.
"Me?" Tea asked surprised by this question.
"I've been here two days and not seen so much as a hint of green. Are you his keeper or something?" Sapphire asked, taking a rather aggressive yet defensive stance to her.
"I'm… I'm!" Tea began, trying to muster up some courage. "I'm… his… nurse."
"His nurse?" Sapphire asked looking puzzled.
"That's not important!" Tea snapped, flushing a deeper shade of green.
"I think it is considering that my actions towards Smolder wouldn't concern a pony of your profession or relation." Sapphire remarked, turning her head in a huff.
"It does if you're a… a… hussy!" Tea barked, trying to find a rather nasty word.
"I beg your pardon!" Sapphire exclaimed, stepping towards Tea; her mane showering snowflakes.
Tea and Sapphire glared at one another. The tension was having the ponies nearby back away having felt their uneasy vibes.
"Oh, Snowflake!" A voice called out cutting through their tension.
Sapphire shuddered at the name. She looked extremely embarrassed, and quickly turned away from Tea.
"Mother! Hi! What can I do for you?" Sapphire asked, in a prerecorded and formal tone.
"Your father and I are speaking with all the other Princesses; you must come and join us, Snowflake." Lady Frost said in a bubbly voice.
"Of course, mother, just a moment while finish my chat with this… loveable pony." Sapphire said through her clenched teeth.
"Quickly now, sweetheart, we want to discuss the wedding." Lady Frost insisted, heading back towards the table.
Sapphire waited until her mother was a good distance away before slumping her shoulders and exhaling loudly. Turning to the stone table, Sapphire let her face drop onto it with a thud and groaned. Tea's mane had been standing on end when the word 'wedding' was spoken, her face a forest green, and her heart shattering in a million pieces. Although seeing Sapphire's reaction to it made Tea rather confused, feeling she was missing something rather important.
"Is… everything alright?" Tea asked slowly.
"No… just… no." Sapphire mumbled in defeat.
"I couldn't help overhearing that you… are getting... married." Tea said with great difficulty.
"To Smolder of all ponies." Sapphire added.
"Oh," Tea managed to gasp, her body seizing up at the news. "Con… Congra…"
"I just want this day to be over." Sapphire mumbled, rubbing her face into the table.
"What?" Tea asked, realizing that Sapphire looked miserable at the idea.
"I'm supposed to marry Smolder…" Sapphire began.
"Yes?" Tea asked leaning in.
Sapphire rolled her head to the side to see Tea staring at her intensely. Raising her head, she looked at Tea with suspicion.
"Who are you? Really?" Sapphire asked, eyeing her.
"Tea Herbal. A nurse pony." Tea replied.
"To Smolder." Sapphire stated, watching her face flush once more.
"I'm… I'm… his…" Tea tried to get the words out.
"Special somepony?" Sapphire asked curiously.
Tea lowered her head slightly, letting her mane cover part of her face.
"I'm not sure, we just sort of… close." Tea mumbled.
"Well that would explain your shrillness." Sapphire remarked massaging her temple. "Smolder mentioned he was interested in some other pony, but I didn't get a name out of him. Probably for the same reason I kept this arranged marriage under wraps."
"It's an arranged marriage?" Tea asked looking very worried.
"It is… but Smolder refused it." Sapphire said reassuringly, resting her hoof on Tea's shoulder.
"He did?" Tea asked, in both surprise in relief.
"I know right? I was quite surprised myself." Sapphire remarked.
"So I'm guessing you haven't told any pony yet." Tea said putting two and two together.
"There are a lot of political and financial prospects in the union of our Kingdoms. My parents were also the ponies to propose this union, and having to let both my kingdom and parents down isn't something I'm looking forward to." Sapphire explained with a sigh.
"Just because you didn't want to marry some pony?" Tea asked.
"Being a Princess comes with a long list of responsibilities, doing what is best for the kingdom trumps any personal feelings I have over the issue. Smolder was kind enough to reject the arranged marriage so the blame would be placed on his unwillingness, and not my own." Sapphire explained further.
"What if Smolder had said yes?" Tea asked curiously.
"I'm sure he would not have, he was very much set on another pony." Sapphire remarked eyeing her.
"If he had, would you have gone through with it or would you have refused?" Tea asked.
Sapphire thought about it for a moment. She opened her mouth and closed it several times. Her spiritual reading with Smolder, however short it may have been, had revealed much of Smolder's inner feelings to her. The act itself is very intimate; it allows the caster to see a pony for which they truly are. For Sapphire, there was a sense of loneliness about Smolder, regret and sadness that seemed to stay buried deep within him.
"I would say that my feelings have not become romantic towards him." Sapphire began. "But there is a part of me that has grown fond of him. Perhaps, I would have gone through with it, if had I had more time to spend with him."
"Well that's too bad, better get going. Your mom's waiting to hear the tragic news of how Smolder dumped you." Tea said, suddenly pushing Sapphire in the direction her mother had left in.
Sapphire stifled a laugh at Tea's pushing. It was very clear that Tea was not one for competition, at least when concerning her love life. Sapphire started to stride away, but not before thinking of one last thing to say.
"You said that you are a nurse pony, Ms. Herbal?" Sapphire called back to her.
"Yes, I'm studying to become a doctor." Tea called back.
"That takes quite a few years to achieve, does it not?" Sapphire asked curiously.
"Four years, I've just started my first." Tea remarked proudly.
"It appears that I will have more time to spend with Smolder then." Sapphire said cheerfully; enjoying the sudden shock of Tea's flabbergasted face.
Sapphire strode away with a satisfied grin on her face. It slowly began to fade the closer she got to the table that sat every Princess and her parents. The mood of the table seemed light and enjoyable, so Sapphire did her best to bring her smile back up. Having gotten closer to the table, her father, Lord Tundra motioned to her to sit between him and her mother.
"Sapphire, come sit with us, we have your favorite." Lord Tundra announced.
"Apple juice, Snowflake!" Lady Frost said, using her magic to reveal a large ice cold pitcher of the drink.
"Yay…" Sapphire said, feeling very embarrassed.
Sapphire took the seat in between her parents as asked. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Shining Armor were also at the table, looking very pleased to see her.
"Hello Sapphire, have you been enjoying this evening?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.
"Yes, Princess Celestia, very much so." Sapphire replied, remembering to smile.
"We saw you preform one of the Spiritual Readings for Smolder earlier." Princess Cadance remarked, looking very interested. "I was wondering if any pony could learn to do it."
"It's actually quite difficult." Sapphire replied. "Only unicorn ponies can perform the act, and it takes many years of meditation and study to us it properly. Without such, you might just swap minds with another pony or something." Sapphire explained.
"I had no idea." Princess Cadance replied looking surprised.
"Sapphire was very skilled at it. Although, her technique began to slip when she started her studies at the Academy, but it is to be expected. She has the mind of an academic, and the heart of a fighter." Lady Frost said lovingly.
"What are you studying at the Northern Academy?" Princess Luna asked.
"My studies were focused on the Void and its effect on Equestria." Sapphire replied.
"I had no idea that the Frozen North had such studies." Princess Celestia remarked.
"It is our smallest area of study, Sapphire believed she could make it into one of our most prominent fields and has made great strides in it." Lord Tundra said proudly.
"I was under the impression the Void was just that, a void." Shining Armor stated.
"That is a widely misunderstood idea." Sapphire replied, there seemed to be excitement in her voice. "The Void, as ponies from Equestria had named it, was actually a separate world that was connected by very old magic. There have been sightings all over Equestria of the Void activity but none as prominent as the ones here in the Ashen Fields."
"So what is it exactly?" Princess Cadance asked.
"I'm going to stop you right there, Snowflake, you know how excited you get when you talk about your work." Lady Frost said, patting her on the shoulder.
"Besides we have more pressing matter to speak of." Lord Tundra chipped in.
"Which is?" Princess Luna asked curiously.
"An arranged marriage between our little Snowflake and Smolder, of course." Lady Frost replied.
Princess Cadance choked on her drink. Shining Armor swallowed half an apple whole, beating on his chest trying to force it down as Sapphire sat flushing furiously in front of every pony.
"An arranged marriage?" Princess Luna asked looking over at Princess Celestia who didn't seem all that surprised.
"Sapphire came to meet with Smolder a few days prior to inquire about a missing artifact and inform him of said union." Lord Tundra explained.
Sapphire could feel her mane showering snowflakes all around her as every pony looked at her in surprise.
"So how did it go dear?" Lady Frost asked excitedly, giving her a little shake.
"He… uh… he…" Sapphire stammered, swallowing hard.
"Yes?" Lord Tundra asked, looking eager to hear her answer as did every other pony.
"He said… no." Sapphire mumbled, feeling her heart beat rapidly.
"No?" Lady Frost asked.
"No." Sapphire replied quietly.
"Yes." Lord Tundra hissed, with an arm pump.
"Charles!" Lady Frost said in shock.
"No colt is good enough for my little Snowflake! Smolder did the right thing saying no, or I would have frozen him solid on the spot." Lord Tundra remarked threateningly.
"You would have done no such thing! It was your family's silly tradition to have this arranged marriage in the first place." Lady Frost insisted.
"Our laws and traditions are sacred to our Kingdom, to simply ignore them goes against everything we stand for." Lord Tundra snapped back.
"Perhaps if you weren't so busy ice sculpting all the time, you could make a few amendments to our laws so something like this doesn't sneak up on us again." Lady Frost said rolling her eyes.
"You always bring up my Ice Sculpting! I have one hobby Martha, one! At the very least you could sit in on one our meetings instead of hiding in the library all day writing your cheesy love novels." Lord Tundra said defensively.
Lady Frost was just about to continue their little spat when she noticed Sapphire staring up at her with wide eyes looking very surprised.
"Sapphire dear, what's wrong?" Lady Frost asked with concern.
"You're not mad?" Sapphire asked.
"With your father?" Lady Frost asked giving him the evil eye.
"With me." Sapphire replied.
"Why would we be mad at you, sweetheart?" Lady Frost asked in surprise.
"I let the whole Kingdom down, all the plans for our Kingdoms becoming one and being the first ever union of ice and fire." Sapphire said looking rather troubled by this.
"Charles! This is what happens when you let Sapphire sit in on your meetings!" Lady Frost snapped at him; watching him recoil from her.
"Sapphire, sweetie, the council needs to make plans for the eventual future. If you had wed Smolder, we would have had everything worked out and planned out for years to come but we also had plans set if the marriage did not take place. There was no need to feel like every pony was counting on you to get married." Lord Tundra explained to her, putting his hoof on her shoulder; leaning in to whisper to her. "Seriously though, I was going to freeze him solid."
"B-B-B-But you two always seemed so excited about the idea." Sapphire stammered looking back and forth at them.
"Your mother told me to." Lord Tundra added quickly.
"Your father and I were against you being arranged to marry any pony, but when we heard about a young Flame Pony Prince who had lost his family, well, it didn't seem like such a bad idea." Lady Frost explained stroking Sapphire's mane. "You're a very loving and caring pony when you want to be Sapphire, strong and independent, at the very least you would have been a pony he could confide in, but you would have also helped him to move on from those he lost."
"But the Kingdom-" Sapphire tried to start but was hushed by her mother.
"The Kingdom is flourishing, dear; you not wedding Smolder will not trouble any of our ponies." Lady Frost said soothingly.
"Except for Penny Pincher, he really wanted to mine these mountains." Lord Tundra added, but got another glare from Lady Frost.
"In fact, since you've done all that has been asked of you by our laws and tradition, you can choose to marry whomever you wish." Lady Frost said.
"Or not." Lord Tundra added again.
"The point is, sweetie, is that you fulfilled your role as Princess to the letter. So now it's time for you to start making your own choices." Lady Frost said warmly.
Sapphire felt a great relief wash over her. She almost felt like laughing. Not realizing that her parents might also be forced to do things they themselves would not be comfortable with.
"Does this mean that Princess Sapphire will not be marrying Smolder?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.
"It would seem so." Lady Frost said with a smile.
Princess Sapphire stared into her apple juice, she could almost see Smolder's face ripple in her cup. He had given her the freedom she wanted, all by declining the arranged marriage, something any other Prince would have most likely accepted in a heartbeat. A part of her wanted to know more about who Smolder really was, to get know him better, and just from those thoughts she found herself smiling over it.
"For now." Sapphire whispered to herself.
Gorun admired the bland color of the castle's interior. It did well to remind him of his dreary underground world. It wasn't long before the corridor ended at another stone door, although this one was more cooperative and slide open without much force.
"Your daughter has grown since the last I saw her." Burning Sand's voice echoed off the walls.
"She was only a filly when you saw her, Burnie." Argo Fleece's voice echoed after.
"Doesn't make my statement any less true." Burning Sand replied with a laugh.
Gorun watched from the end of the corridor, spying three Flame Ponies speaking amongst themselves. Slowly pushing the stone door open, Gorun stepped into the hallway, gripping the fang in his hand.
"Where is Helena? I haven't seen her tonight." General Hearth asked.
"The trip was quite long for her; she's resting in my room." Argo answered, ushering them inside the office.
"I'm sure we'll meet her tomorrow." Burning Sand remarked.
Gorun pushed the stone door open, the metal of his iron armor shifted as he stretched out his limbs.
"So what does everyone think of this?" Wingston asked curiously.
"At least it isn't 'All Ye' Gentle Ponies' repeating for several hours." Argo replied jokingly.
Looking on, Gorun saw the Flame Ponies, and some sort of creature riding atop one of the colts, enter the room closing the stone doors behind them. Gorun set off down the corridor, the music thumping away, Gorun positioned himself in front of the large stone doors where the ponies had entered. Bouncing up and down his toes, psyching himself up, Gorun placed a hard kick between the split of the doors and had them slamming open.