//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Why not? Sure. I'll Marry You. 
// by HAKDurbin 
//------------------------------//

It was the morning after the wedding and things were quiet in Zephyr Heights castle. The royal guards and staff were in low spirits, for they were nothing short of sympathetic for Pipp. They tried to hide it whenever Haven and Zipp passed by, but deep down their queen and oldest princess knew what was on their minds. It didn't help that Pipp hadn't left her room since the night before. 
Haven was in the throne room going through towers of paperwork. Cloudpuff napped next to her, cuddled up in a ball while Zoom stood in front of the throne, organizing the queen's schedule on her phone. The staff was taking down decorations as their queen worked. Haven hoped focusing on her duties would keep her mind off of the wedding, but her heart still ached for her beloved daughter. 
Suddenly, Zoom's phone rang, and she answered. She listened to the other pony on the phone and grew uneasy before turning to Haven. 
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but the guards stationed at the elevator to the castle grounds have just informed me that Presto Tetrachord is there," Zoom said. 
Haven froze in the middle of signing a form, and she clenched her teeth, looking daggers at the paper as if it was Presto himself. Zoom cleared her throat and continued. 
"They said he's crying and begging the guards to let him in. He claims he just needs five minutes to talk to Princess Pipp."
"Oh, he does. Does he?" Haven snarled. Her eyes were still on the paper. "Well then, tell the guards he has five seconds to leave the premises and continue gathering his things before I have him dragged out of my kingdom in chains with all of his things left behind."
"With pleasure, Your Highness," Zoom said, smirking.
The guard went back to her phone and relayed the order below hanging up. Haven lifted her hoof to continue signing paperwork but sighed and hung her head, for Presto wanting to see Pipp made the queen think of holding Pipp when she broke down. Haven pinched the bridge of her nose and put the paper she was working on back on top of its pile. Going to see Pipp would put Haven drastically behind schedule, but she'd rather deal with that than not going to check on her daughter. She poked Cloudpuff's side, waking him up, and the little dog yawned before looking up at his owner. 
"Come, Sweetie. Let's go see Pipp," Haven said.
Cloudpuff sprung to his feet and barked happily. With that, Haven and Cloudpuff exited the throne room, leaving Zoom to look after the paperwork until the queen returned. They took an elevator to the floor to Pipp's room and walked to the front door just in time to see Zipp walking over from the other side. Haven and Zipp smiled for having the same idea before Zipp put her hoof on the datapad, and the doors opened. 
When they went in, the room was still a mess. Pipp's breakfast that Haven had sent to her was untouched, and Pipp herself was out of her wedding dress and sitting in front of her keyboard. She rested the side of her head against the top of the keyboard, staring at the figurines of her and Presto as she played a glum tune with one hoof. Cloudpuff barked as he jumped onto Pipp's chair and then onto the keyboard to stand between Pipp and the figurines. Pipp raised her head and the edge of her lips curled slightly as she petted the dog.
"Hi, Fluffy Pie," Pipp said softly. 
Cloudpuff wagged his tail and proceeded to lick Pipp's face. Pipp giggled and picked Cloudpuff up before noticing that Haven and Zipp were in her room. 
"Oh, hey, Mom, Zipp," Pipp said. 
"Hi, darling. How are you feeling?" Haven asked. 
Pipp's glum demeanor returned and she looked away while still petting Cloudpuff. 
"Not great," she answered. 
Haven frowned and walked over to rub Pipp's back. Zipp hesitated before she stepped forward with a small smile. 
"So…is that a new song for that album you promised, Sis?" She asked. 
Pipp briefly smiled again and said, "Might as well, right? It's not like I have a honeymoon to go to anymore even if I did get married."
"Yeah, I actually came to talk to you about that," Zipp said. "See, I did a little digging online, and it turns out that out of all the stallions in the crowd, you picked a guy who doesn't have a girlfriend, no accounts on social media, is the sheriff of Maretime Bay, everypony in town loves him, and, get this, he was Sunny Starscout's plus one. Who'd have thunk it, huh?"
Pipp lightly chuckled at the coincidence and went back to being glum until she heard Haven let out a long gasp. Pipp and Zipp turned to their mother to see her smiling with eyes wide open.
"That's fantastic news, Zipp," she said.
"It is?" Zipp asked with her head tilted. 
"Yes. It means Hitch Trailblazer won't be a problem," Haven explained. "If he has no presence on the Canternet, then he can't do anything there that will fan the flames of our situation, and being the well-respected ruler of Maretime Bay implies he has more decency than he-who-must-not-be-named."
"I don’t think ‘ruler’ is the right word to describe a sheriff, Mom," Zipp said.
"Whatever. The point is he is a pony who devotes his life to keeping his citizens safe like us," Haven said. "So, we should get him to sign an NDA, annul the marriage, and wait for the publicity to blow over. How does that sound, Pipp?"
Pipp smiled and nodded. Haven smiled back and hugged her daughter before heading to the doors to carry out her plan. But as her mother was leaving, Pipp's smile disappeared and she stared at the wall in thought. Zipp looked at Pipp curiously as Pipp tilted her head and she put Cloudpuff down without looking at him. The youngest princess rubbed her chin until she nodded to herself.
"Hey, Mom, I think I have a better idea," Pipp said. 
Haven stopped and turned around just as she was about to leave the room. Pipp blushed and rubbed her leg as she mustered the courage to pitch her idea, not looking at her mother. 
"As reasonable as your idea is, it might not be too crazy if… I stay married to Hitch."
Pipp's bedroom was silent with Haven, Zipp, and Cloudpuff staring at her. Then, Haven snorted before she burst out laughing. Pipp squirmed and turned to Zipp with a look for help. Zipp bit her lip as she realized her sister wasn't joking and turned to Haven. 
"Mom, she was being serious," she said. 
Haven stopped laughing and turned to Pipp, who gave her a sheepish smile. Haven stared at Pipp flabbergasted before she frowned and stormed back to her.
"Pippistasia, staying married to him is out of the question," Haven said. "Not only have you never met him before last night, but we haven't filed any papers to make your marriage legal." 
"Then we file the papers with Hitch. It shouldn't be hard. We're the royal family," Pipp said. "Besides, legal or not, I started something last night, and if I don't finish it I'll look crazy."
"Pipp, I'm saying this with love, but I'm pretty sure not looking crazy went out the window when you said you'll marry a total stranger," Zipp said. "I doubt every pony in Equestria is as behind your marriage as our guests were."
"So? That means some ponies are behind it," Pipp said. "And why wouldn't they? My fiancée cheated on me, so I married a pony that his citizens love and are friends with the pony that brought all three ponykinds together. It makes Hitch come off as a massive improvement from Presto, ergo, some ponies want Hitch and me to stay married."
"Sweetie, how do you intend to live a married life with somepony who lives on the complete opposite side of Equestria?" Haven asked. "Are you suggesting that he lives here, or you move to Maretime Bay?"
"No. I mean, I don't have to be married to him forever. It'll just be a few months or so of us communicating from our respective homes and visiting each other on occasion," Pipp said. "Think of it less like we're married and more like we're in an arranged, long-distance relationship. Practically boyfriend and girlfriend rather than husband and wife. If things between me and Hitch blossom, then we'll live an official married life, but if it doesn't, we'll get divorced."
"But you don't know things can go that simply," Zipp said. "Presto tricked everypony into thinking he's this perfect stallion who would be loyal to you to the end. What makes you so sure Hitch will be faithful?"
"Well, for one thing, Hitch witnessed Mom banishing Presto for all of Equestria to see in person and online," Pipp said. "He might not be one of our citizens, but after last night I bet he's smart enough to know things can get pretty ugly for him if he crosses our family. Plus, he'd lose all the love and respect he has in Maretime Bay if he cheats on me. But honestly, after the way he acted toward me last night, I believe Hitch has a kind and caring heart. If that doesn't make him somepony worth pursuing to find out if he's the one to spend the rest of my life with, then I don't know what does."
"Pipp, this idea could go extremely bad not just for you but all three of us as the royal family," Haven said.
"That's a chance we have to take, Mom," Pipp said. "In fact, you especially would be taking a massive risk if you don't support this idea. After all, you, the queen, married Hitch and me.”
“That’s not fair. You put me on the spot,” Haven said.
“And you still united us in holy matrimony, publicly making Hitch your son-in-law,” Pipp said. “Like it or not, Mom, our citizens will look to you to carry this out too, and it can look bad for you if you don’t. Not to mention, Presto, one of our citizens, tricked you as well. You even let him visit me in the castle whenever he wanted."
Haven stared at Pipp, astounded that her favorite daughter would speak to her that way. She turned to Zipp, who pursed her lips, before giving Haven a look that said, "She's got a point." 
"Alright, granted, but even if the sheriff agrees what are we supposed to tell our citizens?" Haven asked. "You don't want to be a joke?"
"I don't want to be the punchline," Pipp said. "We need to live in this moment of my life after a long time of deception and heartbreak to face not just our citizens or the Pippsqueaks, but everypony in Equestria and say, 'Presto Tetrachord didn't work out. Maybe Hitch Trailblazer will.'"
Haven grew unsettled after Pipp said her peace. She turned to Zipp again with a look for help, and Zipp hesitated before she gave her mother a shrug. Haven then felt Cloudpuff's paw on her leg, and she looked down to see the puppy give her an encouraging smile. Haven squirmed as she tried to think of another argument until she sighed and hung her head in defeat. 
"Alright, Pipp. We'll try it your way," Haven said before lifting her head and giving Pipp a worried look. "I just hope you are prepared for the consequences if this doesn't work."
Pipp gave her mother a small smile and walked over to hug her. Haven stroked Pipp's mane as she hugged her back. When they parted, Haven turned to Zipp and gestured to her to follow her. Zipp quietly followed her mother with Cloudpuff walking next to his owner. As they exited the room, Pipp went back to her keyboard and began playing her song again with enthusiasm. Haven closed the doors behind her, Zipp, and Cloudpuff, and took a deep breath with her eyes closed before turning to Zipp with a professional expression.
"Come, Zephyrina, we have work to do," Haven said. 
"What? Why am I helping out?" Zipp asked. 
"Because you have a duty to help your younger sister as well as a duty to do this with me as the future queen," Haven said. "Like it or not, we all have to play a part in this frivolous plan as a family. First, we're going to the registration center for new papers. Then, when Pipp's done with her signatures, we're gonna have Zoom and Thunder take us to where Hitch Trailblazer is staying."
Zipp frowned childishly at her mother, then huffed, reluctantly accepting Haven's logic. She began following Haven back to the elevator with Cloudpuff walking beside her with a bright smile, hoping to see Hitch again very soon. As Haven pressed the button to the elevator, Zipp looked back in the direction of Pipp's room, and she furrowed her brow in unease. She mentally prayed to whatever force in the universe out there that Pipp's risky plan may lead to her ultimately finding happiness.