2. Without You (cover) - Erika David
“So … you’re going on another tour?”
Cadence nodded. “I have to. It’s … kind of expected.” She had never really minded going before. Touring the countries Equestria as a royal ambassador. She had learned all about hwo to be a proper princess from her experiences abroad. She hadn’t believed Celestia when she first told her that would happen but, as with everything else, it seemed, Celestia had been right.
Except that this time cadence really didn’t want to go.
Really, really didn’t want to go.
She shifted her hooves. Her shoes felt tight and restrictive. They were new and didn’t fit quite right. She dreaded the day she had to move over to the metal shoes Celestia wore. All princesses of the realm were expected to wear them. Some of the officials she interacted with wondered why she didn’t already wear them.
She wondered what they would say about Shining Armour.
Princesses don’t go out with guards, not even Royal Guards. Not even stallions tipped to be the next Captain of the Guard.
Princesses had royal suitors and were courted by nobility. The prince of Gryphona had asked her to dance at the last Griffin Gathering, their equivalent of the Grand Galloping Gala. He wasn’t horrendous, as griffins went. Actually he was quite nice; softly spoken and gentle in a way she hadn’t expected. Yet her hoof hadn’t tingled when he took it and her heart hadn’t soared when she walked with him in the gardens of Stalwart Castle. Not the way it had sitting in diguise, giggling, at a table in a doughnut café with a stallion who looked at her like she was the only mare in the room.
“I’ll write to you,” she said lamely. “Every day.”
Her handler poked his head through the door. “Princess Cadence? Your carriage is waiting, ma’am.”
“All right.” Sighing, she went to leave.
“Cadence?” Shining said suddenly.
She looked over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“I’ll be waiting for you.” He said it like it was some tremendous oath and they were both characters from the epic storybooks she used to read Twilight before bedtime.
Cadence smiled and left with a lighter heart.