As soon as Hitch was in his four-bed hotel room, he raced to his bed and jumped onto it. Zoom let herself in to check that nopony else was watching them from the window. When she concluded that the coast was clear, she closed the curtains and asked Hitch who he was sharing the room with so the hotel staff could ensure only his friends could come in. Finally, Zoom ordered Hitch to stay indoors and away from social media, which Hitch robotically agreed to as he got under the covers and dozed off to sleep.
Several hours later, Hitch woke up to somepony jumping on his bed. He groaned and rotated his body until he was lying on his back to find Izzy bouncing with a wide
grin.
"Hitch! Hitch, wake up! Tell us about last night!" Izzy shouted.
"Izzy, keep it down. My head is killing me," Hitch heard Periwinkle groan.
"Izzy, get off the bed and give Hitch some air," Sunny said.
Izzy stopped jumping and whined before she got off. Hitch got up in a sitting position, rubbed his eyes before opening them, and found Sunny and Izzy standing next to his bed. He looked to the bed opposite his to find Periwinkle in bed, lying on her back and holding an ice pack on her forehead.
"What's wrong with Periwinkle?" Hitch asked as he got out of bed.
"Oh, she just had a few of those funny-tasting smoothies at the bar during the party and was acting all goofy," Izzy said. "She was a riot on the dance floor."
"Wait, they had hard smoothies there?" Hitch asked.
"Yeah, after Periwinkle's first two smoothies, I made sure that I and especially Izzy had regular smoothies," Sunny said. "But enough about that. What are you doing back here, Hitch?"
"Yeah, shouldn't you be in the castle with your wife?" Izzy asked with a playful smirk. "You weren't too shy to share the same bed. Were ya?"
Hitch's cheeks heated up, and he cleared his throat while looking away from the mares to hide his blush.
"N-no, that's not it at all. The queen ordered that I be taken back to the hotel after the guards took the princess to her room," Hitch said.
"Aw, I was so sure you were too shy," Izzy said.
"Well, what do you expect? What mother would let a guy spend the night with her daughter when they just met him?" Hitch asked.
"Gee, I don't know, Hitch. How about the daughter's husband?" Sunny said matter-of-factly.
"Who married her because he was pressured to do it in front of everypony," Hitch said.
"I don't know, Hitch. You didn't look like you were pressured to do anything when you kissed your bride," Izzy said teasingly.
"I second that," Sunny said.
"Third," Periwinkle said, raising her hoof while still lying down, holding the ice pack with her eyes closed.
"Uh, well, the princess kissed me 'cause we were told to," Hitch said.
"You still kissed her back, and frankly, you two kissed longer than you needed to," Sunny said. "Face it, Hitch. You and Princess Pipp are already enjoying each other's company, and there's a good chance you guys could be happy together as husband and wife."
"How? How can I live a happy married life with the princess?" Hitch challenged. "You weren't there when they escorted us out of the ballroom, Sunny. As soon as we were out, she went back to being brokenhearted. Everything, even how she acted around me, was all an act to hide her grief. She was in love with Presto. I doubt Princess Pipp would ever want to see me again."
"Oh, come on, Hitch. Don't sell yourself short," Sunny said. "All teasing aside, I truly think Princess Pipp liked being with you even if she was publicly pretending to be happy."
"I agree," Periwinkle said, sitting up while still holding the ice pack on her head. "I meant what I said last night. You are an honest stallion, and I think the princess knows that already. The way she was resting her head on your shoulder when you two danced? That tells me she was pretty comfortable around you."
"Yeah, betcha Her Royal Highness already likes you so much that she wants to keep you as her husband," Izzy chirped.
Hitch felt goosebumps all over his body. His mind went to when he and Pipp kissed and danced and how Pipp was into both moments. Hitch couldn't deny that Pipp was bashful when they both realized they kissed for too long, and it was unusual for anypony to rest their head on a stranger's shoulder when they danced. Hitch subconsciously lifted his hoof toward the wedding ring still hanging on his neck, then his common sense returned, and he shook his head.
"Look, ladies, I appreciate the votes of confidence, but the cold hard truth is I only married the princess because I was forced into the stage and because I wanted to help a pony who was in trouble," he said.
"But that's the thing, Hitch: you married her. Married her," Sunny said. "Marriage is not a job meant to help everypony that you keep or quit from, like being a sheriff. It's a commitment to be bound to one special pony forever, for better or worse."
"But even if that's true, how am I supposed to be bound to the princess forever?" Hitch asked. "Even if Princess Pipp teases the idea, I doubt the queen would want me to be anywhere near her daughter again."
No sooner did Hitch finish saying that than there was a knock on the door. Periwinkle groaned and laid on her bed again, wanting her ice pack to numb the pain completely. Izzy took a step to answer, but Hitch put her hoof in front of her, suspicious that it was journalists or Pippsqueaks wanting pictures or asking questions about the wedding.
"Open up in the name of Queen Haven and Princess Zipp!" Thunder shouted from the other side of the door.
Hitch, Sunny, and Izzy's eyes widened. Periwinkle put on her glasses and got out of bed. Izzy rushed to the door, knocking Hitch's hoof back, and opened the door. Zoom and Thunder stood in front of the door with Haven and Zipp behind them. The queen wore a knapsack made of gold leather on her back. Izzy noticed Zipp, and her face brightened as she waved her hoof.
"Hi, Your Royal Majesticness," she chirped.
"Izzy, I told you already on the phone to just call me Zipp," Zipp said. "Do you mind if we come in?"
Izzy nodded vigorously before stepping back. Zoom and Thunder stepped away to allow Haven to come in, followed by Zipp. The former had a stern, professional look that made Hitch uneasy. Haven and Zipp stopped a few feet away from Sunny, Periwinkle, and Hitch, and Haven looked away from Hitch to notice Sunny.
“Sunny Starscout. Good to see you again”, Haven said.
“Good to see you too, Your Majesty,” Sunny said with a friendly smile.
The edge of Haven's mouth curled in appreciation before her head turned to Hitch. Hitch grew nervous as Haven cleared her throat.
“Mr. Trailblazer, I see no point beating around the bush. I'm sure you know why we are are here?” The queen asked.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Hitch replied. He cleared his throat and lifted his head to force a professional look to match the queen’s. “I think we can all agree that last night didn't go according to plan for anypony.”
“There is an understatement if I've ever heard one,” Zipp said.
“Yes, well, what's done is done. You and my daughter are married, and as such, we have a possible solution to this little mishap. One that might work out for both parties.”
“I'm glad to hear it, Your Highness,” Hitch said. “Quite frankly, I also would want to arrange a divorce right away if some pony I didn't know sporadically married my daughter.”
“Actually, Mr. Trailblazer, that's not what we have in mind,” Haven said.
Hitch, Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked at the queen, confused. Haven took out a set of papers from her saddlebag and held it up to Hitch. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle walked behind Hitch and looked over his shoulders. When they looked at the papers, Sunny gasped and smiled brightly, Periwinkle looked up at Hitch with a small smile, and Izzy giggled. Hitch, on the other hand, stared at the papers, baffled. His cheeks tinted pink as he saw the words “marriage,” “united,” “husband,” and “wife” appear multiple times in the first paper.
“I don't understand,” he said.
“I think it's pretty simple, dude,” Zipp said. “We want you to stay married to Pipp.”
Izzy cackled even louder, and Sunny and Periwinkle grinned in excitement.
“What?! But-but-but we don't even know each other. You guys don't know anything about me,” Hitch said.
“Actually, I looked you up this morning. We know that you are the sheriff of Maretime Bay, and you are beloved by your citizens,” Zipp said. “Pipp is also beloved by our citizens even before she took Zephyr Heights by storm with her music career.”
"Precisely. And with both of you beloved by your respective citizens, you and Pipp may be a perfect match," Haven said.
"But wasn't Presto also loved by everypony before last night?" Hitch asked. "How is anypony going to believe your daughter went from a pop star to the sheriff of the small town of Maretime Bay?"
"Well, for one thing, Pipp did go from Presto to you," Zipp said, earning smirks from Sunny and Periwinkle. "For another, we're not asking you to pretend you’re in love. We're just asking that you sign these papers to legalize the marriage and then get to know Pipp."
"But doesn't your sister get a say in this?" Hitch asked.
"Actually, this was her idea," Haven answered. "You'll find she's done her required signatures in all the paperwork."
Hitch's eyes widened, and he took the paperwork from Haven. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked over Hitch's shoulders again as Hitch looked through the papers, finding Pipp's name signed on half the blank lines on each sheet. The last sheet of paper was none other than a marriage certificate with Pipp's signature on the bottom right side. Sunny's face lit up like a massive flame, Izzy let out a joyous laugh, and Periwinkle looked at Hitch with a warm smile and nudged his side.
"Told ya," she said.
Hitch stood frozen with his eyes fixed on Pipp's signature. He felt his heart leap and goosebumps appear all over his body again as it hit him that the beautiful princess sincerely wanted to continue being his wife. He blushed again, imagining Pipp still wearing her wedding ring and thinking of spending time with him as a couple, holding hooves, going on picnics, dinner, and a movie, cuddling on the couch, dancing, and above everything else, kissing. Hitch's blush grew with each thought until his cheeks were barn red at the thought of him and Pipp getting lost in their own world while kissing, just like at the wedding. It was too good to be true.
"Okay, but how do you expect me to do this?" Hitch asked. "I have no desire to stop being the sheriff just to move to your castle and be some prince."
"Oh, no. I wouldn't ask you to abandon your duties straight out. I’m well aware of how important you are in Maretime Bay," Haven said. "We're simply suggesting a few months or so of you and Pipp visiting each other and spending some time together. When you two aren't together in person, you can text or video call each other on your phones whenever you want. If things go further between you, we will officially welcome you as part of our family, and then we can look into you and Pipp being a real married couple. If it doesn't work out, we'll arrange for you and Pipp to get a divorce, and we will part ways, no hard feelings."
"That sounds reasonable enough, Your Highness, but I don't feel comfortable leaving Maretime Bay so frequently, and I also don't have a smartphone," Hitch said.
Haven looked at Hitch astounded, as though he were a barbarian for not having a smartphone.
"Well, if protecting your citizens is your concern, I can leave some members of my royal guard," Haven said. "Zoom is one of the most by-the-book members of my guard. I'm sure with a little teaching, she will be a suitable substitute for you."
Hitch turned to Zoom, who gave him a salute of confirmation.
"As for not having a phone, we'll have to fix that," Haven said. "I shall get in contact with the Z-Heights store at Maritime Bay to have a phone ready for you when you return home."
"That's nice of you, Your Highness, but I don't think that would be necessary," Hitch said.
"Nonsense. If we are to do this, it is essential that you have a phone to stay in contact with Pipp,” Haven said. "Besides, all expenses will be paid for your phone. You are, after all, a member of the royal family by marriage."
"Even so, Your Grace, this all seems like a really excessive thing on both sides," Hitch protested. "Are you okay with letting me continue to be your daughter's husband even after we've known each other for less than 12 hours?"
Haven furrowed her brow and took a step toward Hitch, so their faces were only inches away.
"You have every right to be skeptical, Mr. Trailblazer. And to answer your question, no. I'm not entirely comfortable with my daughter putting her faith in you after the stallion she dated for two years deceived her,” Haven said. “That being said, there is logic behind Pipp's idea in ways that I will not discuss with you. I am trusting you from one leader to another that you are smart enough not to pull any funny business as Presto Tetrachord did. I am not saying I would go to war with Maretime Bay or anything like that should you cheat on my daughter, but you are still a pony that your citizens look up to, the same as me. Thus, the consequences of betraying my trust and breaking my daughter's heart will be far more severe for you and your citizens. Maybe all of ponykind.”
"All of ponykind? That's an exaggeration. Don't you think?" Hitch asked.
"One would think so, but while there are some naysayers, there are many ponies who support you and Pipp as a married couple," Zipp said.
Hitch sighed and rubbed his forehead, growing irritated that everypony but him seemed to be behind the idea.
“Look, Your Majesties, I only agreed to marry your daughter partially because I was pressured to and because I wanted to help a pony who was in need. I'm not looking for a real relationship,” he said. “My only true devotion is being loyal to the law in Maretime Bay and upholding it to the best of my ability."
"Then consider this a plea for help from me," Haven said. "My daughter is grieving, and picking you as her husband has given her hope. I need you to keep that hope alive for as long as you can while she's dealing with a broken heart. And if that's not enough, I can tell you from looking online that ponies all over Equestria, including your citizens, are putting their faith in that hope too."
“Wait a minute. Ponies in Maritime Bay are behind the marriage?” Hitch asked.
“Take a look for yourself, Sheriff,” Zipp said as she took out her flypad.
Hitch took the pad and saw countless comments on Zipp's profile page on social media. Sunny gasped in excitement as she, Izzy, and Periwinkle continued to look over Hitch's shoulder. Sunny began scrolling down while Hitch held the phone, looking through the comments from ponies of Maretime Bay.
Spanner Spanks: Oh my stars! Hitch and Pipp look so cute together!
Silver Shoals: Did you see how those two kissed? Love at first sight!
Cookie Crumble: I'm so happy for Pipp!
Toots: It should have been Hitch that Pipp was engaged to that whole time!
Bubblegum McGinty: Those two look like they are so meant to be!
Kickflip: Prepp < Pitch
"What do the words 'prep' and 'pitch' have to do with Princess Pipp and me? And 'prep' isn't spelled with two p's."
"No, dude. Those are the names ponies made by combining your names," Zipp explained. "Prepp is a combination of Presto and Pipp, and Pitch is a combination of Pipp and Hitch. That pony is saying they prefer you over Presto as Pipp's husband."
"Oh, well, I guess that makes more sense," Hitch said. "Still, I can't believe ponies in Maretime Bay support this."
"Believe it, Hitch. Ramble about how crazy this whole affair is, but no matter how you look at it, you've made ponies happy by marrying Pipp," Periwinkle said. "And to tell you the truth, I think this is the right thing to do not just for everypony's happiness, but yours too."
"Mine? How do you expect to find my happiness through all of this?" Hitch asked.
"Remember what Dahlia said when she and Mayflower invited you to watch the wedding with our group? She said it wouldn't hurt to spend time with the ponies that adore you rather than putting your badge first above everything else," Periwinkle said. "I won't speak for my friends, but if there's even a smidge of a chance that you'll find love by being married to Pipp, then as one of the citizens who looks up to you, I'd want nothing more than for you to take that chance."
"Me too," Sunny said. "I think this will be a great experience for you, Hitch. You've already moved out of your comfort zone by going to the wedding and marrying Princess Pipp, and now you have an opportunity to be more than just a sheriff. As your childhood friend, it would mean a lot to me if you try. You work so hard to make everypony happy. Don't you think you deserve happiness too?"
Hitch opened his mouth, but then he stopped to think about the question. He couldn't deny that he had devoted himself to justice and peace for his fellow ponies all his life. It was all he had lived for, and he treasured the results of serving the ponies of Maretime Bay more than anything. And now, for the first time in his life, Hitch questioned the extent of his dedication. It would be hard to hold back on being a sheriff as regularly as he did, especially with needing to keep Sprout in check. And yet, Hitch's friends, the queen, and the oldest princess painted a pretty picture suggesting he and Pipp start a relationship. It was still a long shot in Hitch's eyes, but deep down, he knew a part of him wanted to see Pipp again.
"Well, Sheriff, what say you?" Haven asked.
Hitch bit his lip, feeling pressured. He looked down as logic and feelings fought each other in his mind until Hitch released a heavy sigh and surrendered.
"All right. I'll do it. I'll stay married to the princess," he said.
"Yippee!" Izzy shouted.
"All right!" Periwinkle shouted.
Sunny beamed and pulled Hitch into a one-legged hug. Hitch chuckled before turning to Haven and Zipp. The queen was sighing through her nose while Zipp gave a small smile.
"Very well then," Haven said as she took a pen from her saddle bag. "Can I have your signatures, please?"
Hitch hesitated before he took the pen and used a bed desk to begin signing the papers. When he got to the marriage certificate, he paused and took a moment to let what he was doing sink in before he signed his name on the dotted line on the lower left side of the certificate. He turned to Haven and handed the papers to her before he took the pen and held it out to Haven. Then just as Haven was about to take the pen, it slipped out of Hitch's hoof and fell onto the floor. Periwinkle and Thunder stepped forward to pick up the pen, and then their hooves touched just as Periwinkle grabbed the pen. Periwinkle and Thunder looked at each other and moved back, with Thunder taking the pen and handing it to Haven.
"Alright. I shall have these submitted at the registration office on the way back to the castle, then you and Pipp will be officially, legally married," Haven said.
"Great," Hitch said with a weak smile. "So, how should I address you two now that we're in-laws?”
Haven furrowed her brow and said, "You will continue to address me as Your Highness or Your Majesty for now. Just because you are married to Pipp doesn't mean I consider you my son-in-law. That aside, you may address my daughters however they prefer."
"That's reasonable," Hitch said.
"Good. Until then, safe travels back to Maretime Bay," Haven said. "We will be in touch as soon as you collect your phone."
"Understood. Until then, Your Highness," Hitch said.
"Bye, Your Majesty,'' Sunny said.
“Farewell, Sunny Starscout," Haven replied.
With that, Haven turned around and exited the room with Zoom following. Thunder hesitated before tipping his helmet like a cowboy hat while giving Periwinkle a soft smile. Periwinkle covered her hoof to hide a giggle as the cadet walked away. Hitch began to ease up with the queen gone until he realized that Zipp was still in the room. The princess looked back to make sure her mother had left before turning back to Hitch.
Before Hitch, Sunny, Izzy, or Periwinkle had a moment to react, Zipp grabbed Hitch by his satchel and pulled him toward her until their noses touched.
"Listen here and listen good, buddy. My mom will see this as unbecoming of the future queen of Zephyr Heights, but as Pipp's sister, I don't care," Zipp snarled. "As far as I am concerned, Presto got off lucky by simply being banished. You, however, are not so fortunate. If you hurt my sister in any way or I hear of you so much as looking sideways at another mare, you will be patrolling Maretime Bay in a wheelchair with a feeding tube attached to your stomach. Do I make myself clear?"
Hitch felt the blood drain from his face and his knees wobble as Zipp threatened him. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked at Zipp, flabbergasted to the extent that she threatened their friend. After a few seconds, Hitch gulped and nodded. Zipp smirked, pleased with her point being made, and let go of Hitch's satchel before she finally left the room. For half a minute, the room was silent before Periwinkle cleared her throat.
"Well, I'd say that was a little extreme, but to be fair, her youngest sister was cheated on," she said.
"Y-y-yeah, no pressure for me,'' Hitch squeaked.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Hitch,'' Sunny said. "You know better than to treat a pony like Presto did with or without a threat like that, so you have nothing to fear.”
"Thank you for another vote of confidence,'' Hitch said. "Still, I hope you're right that this will benefit me somehow, whether it works out between Princess Pipp and me or not."
"Ah, quit calling her that, Hitch. She's one visit from the registration office away from legally being your wife," Izzy said. "What kind of wife wouldn't want her husband to address her by her first name? I mean, it's not like she will always call you Sheriff Hitch."
"Come to think of it, now that you are legally royalty, this does legally make you a prince," Periwinkle said, rubbing her chin. "So, maybe it would be Prince Hitch. Maybe Sheriff Prince Hitch or Prince Sheriff Hitch?"
"If we have to address each other formally despite being married, I'd rather the princess address me as Sheriff Hitch. I'd rather not consider myself a prince even if this whole thing works out," Hitch said.
"Hey, don't be like that, Hitch. It's really cool that you're a prince," Izzy said.
"Yeah, odds are you won't have much choice anyway/ At least not publicly," Periwinkle said. "After all, you are the first earth pony to be a member of the Zephyr Heights royal family. Maybe the first earth pony ever to be a prince."
Sunny's face fell, and she stared at the wall in shock.
"Oh. My. Stars," she said before a big smile stretched to the sides of her face. "You're right, Periwinkle. He is the first earth pony in history to be a prince!"
"Wait a minute, Sunny. Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Hitch asked.
"Hitch, my family has been researching ancient Equestria for ten generations. I know all the contents of my father's journal, forwards and backward. The highest authoritative position an earth pony has ever had is being a mayor or a chancellor, or, of course, a sheriff,'' Sunny said with a big grin. "The pegasi and unicorns are the only ponies who have ever had a monarchy. And now, my childhood friend is the first earth pony to be royalty! This is so cool!"
Sunny began laughing and dancing like a foal high on sugar, and Izzy joined in for fun. Periwinkle moaned and massaged her head with Sunny, and Izzy's laughter reminded her of her hangover. She took her ice pack and exited the room, finding peace and quiet somewhere else.
Hitch huffed and rolled his eyes, knowing it would take a while for Sunny to calm down when matters of Equestrian history and the unification of all three ponykinds were involved. He exited the room and walked down the hall to the elevator, hoping there was time to get breakfast at the hotel's cafeteria. As he waited for the elevator to come, he looked at his ring and eased up. His marriage to Pipp was going to be legally binding, and he would spend more time with her. The fact made him blush as he thought of holding hooves, cuddling, and kissing Pipp. At the same time, however, Hitch felt the pressure of trying to build a relationship to make the ponies of Maretime Bay happy.
"A chance to find happiness, too," Hitch said to himself. "Can I really find that in the midst of all this?"