The house was a nice one. Not in the central parts of Canterlot, it was actually rather close to the edge, but the house itself was nice but small with a small garden around it. Of course, right now it was covered with snow, but I could see the outline of a small growing patch for vegetables.
Shaking some snow off my hooves, I walked up the shoveled path as I looked to Iron Shine, “Hopefully we’ll have better luck here.”
She nodded, “Yes, sir.”
She looked completely unbothered by the icy cold. She wasn’t even wearing a cloak. Completely unfair.
I pulled my cloak a bit tighter around myself and raised my hoof to knock on the door.
It only took a few moments before it opened to reveal a blue unicorn with purple and violet mane. She blinked at me in surprise, “Prince Page!”
I smiled and waved at her, “Hi Minuette. Can Swift come out and play?”
She shook her head in amusement and stepped back, opening the door to allow me and Iron Shine inside. Closing the door, she turned to me,
“I have some things to say to you,” She said firmly as she faced me, “Swift got hurt going into that jungle with you.”
I felt my ears droop slightly and I nodded, “I know. I’m sor-”
“I’m not done,” she continued, interrupting me as she raised her hoof, “He went with you as a guard, he got hurt. That happens, I know it’s not a safe profession. But you found him again, you got him home safe to me.”
Minuette stepped forward and kissed my cheek, “Thank you for bringing him back.”
I shifted a bit uncomfortably, “I just found him, it was my guard that brought him back. They deserve most of the credit… actually, it was mostly a unicorn mare, Rising High. She was the one to keep him safe until they could be found. She and her brother.”
Minuetta smiled at me, “Oh, I know, but I have already thanked her.”
I nodded, “So… Swift around?”
She nodded, “He had a night shift, he’ll be waking up in a couple of minutes,” she said and moved towards the kitchen, “I was about to make some waffles for lunch and breakfast, can I get you some, Prince Page?”
“Just Page, we have known each other forever,” I said and followed, “And I don’t think either of us would mind a couple of waffles if it’s no trouble?”
“No trouble at all,” she said and started to get things ready, “Just have a seat. How many would you like Miss…
“Iron Shine,” my guard supplied, “...Two please?”
“I’m not going to ask his royal highness how many, like all stallions he’s a walking stomach,” Minuetta said with a grin as she started to mix things with her magic as the waffle iron heated up.
I mean, she wasn’t technically wrong.
There was a slight creak in the stairs and the sound of hooves against wood by the time we had waffles on our plates and a sleepy looking Swift Spear entered the kitchen.
I waved at him, “Good Morning.”
He stared at me for a moment before looking at Minuette, “Am I still asleep or do we have an overgrown bat eating waffles in our kitchen?”
She grinned and kissed him, “Behave.”
He kissed back before he grinned and turned to raise a hoof, “Good to see you, mate. When did you get back to Canterlot?”
I tapped my hoof against his, “Yesterday, going to stick around for a week or so, thought I should check up on my friends.”
“And steal my marefriends cooking.”
“Well, it seemed worth the trip on it’s own, so…”
He grinned and settled down by the table as Minuette put a plate of waffles before him along with a cup of coffee, “Thanks love,” he told her before he looked back to me, “We should do something while you’re in town.”
“Was my thinking too,” I agreed, “I stopped by Cloud’s place on the way here, but nopony was home. Did he move?”
Swift shook his head with a small laugh, “No, the dumbass is in the hospital!”
“What!?” I exclaimed, “What happened!?”
Swift snorted and sipped his coffee, “He was showing off to his marefriend and clipped a streetlight with his wing. Broke it in two places. They’re keeping him overnight to make sure he didn’t hit his head when he crashed.”
“Unbelievable.”
“I know, right?” Swift said, “I didn’t believe it when I heard it either. Who would have thought he would ever find a marefriend?”
Minuette smacked his side with her hoof as she put another plate on the table, “Be nice.”
Swift grinned at her, “Oh come on, you said the same before.”
Minuette rolled her eyes and moved to the door of the kitchen, “Hey! It’s noon! Get your lazy tail down here! Breakfast is done!” she called out before returning to making waffles.
There was a sound upstairs of hooves hitting the floor and then heading down the stairs. I blinked in surprise and then looked at Swift.
Somepony else was here too?
Soon a grey coated unicorn mare entered the kitchen, she had a very light blue mane still mussed up from sleep and a flying balloon cutiemark.
I knew her.
“Good Morni-” Rising High started to say before she blinked as she spotted us, her eyes going wide before she bowed, “P-Prince Page!”
“Good morning,” I said with a smile, “And if I’m in your kitchen eating waffles, just Page is more than enough.”
I glanced at Minuette. Thanked her, indeed.
Rising High hesitated but nodded, “Yes, sir,” and headed over to the table to sit down by her plate.
“Anyway, we should do something,” Swift said after leaning in to kiss her cheek, turning back to me, “After he gets out of the hospital today, we should do something fun.”
“Yeah, if nothing else he’ll need some cheering up, we should-”
“Absolutely not,” Minuette interjected, “If he’s just out of the hospital, you three are not getting sloshed at the Pathfinder!”
Swift flicked one ear and looked at her, “I was-”
“You’re going to invite him and his new marefriend here for dinner tomorrow like a civilized pony” Minuette told him firmly as she sat down on his other side with a plate of her own, “You and yours are invited as well, Page,” she told me.
I nodded, “Yes, ma’am, Thank you,” I agreed and looked at Swift. He shrugged slightly.
I guess our plans were decided then.
Rising High stared at Minuette with wide eyes.