//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Renaissance // Story: I Love You, Shining Armor // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// In a long hallway, Shining was scrubbing the marble floor with a toothbrush and a bucket of soapy water. But his punishment also included that for him to complete his task, he would have to do it without using any magic at all. Given what had happened the other day, and had changed his mind about quitting, he wasn’t let off the hook. If anything, Shining had expected something far worse than this laborious task. “So wait, Blueblood kissed you?” Cadence asked. Although she technically wasn’t supposed to help Shining at all, she did use her magic to help scrub the floors when no one was looking. That, and so to free Shining from holding the brush in his teeth. “I know, I know,” Shining said quietly, trying to keep his voice down from anyone else hearing him. “But Cadey, you were right. You were a thousand percent right. Blueblood is in love with me and now I just feel horrible.” Shining caught a glimpse of another guard about to walk by, so he ducked his neck back down and took the brush back in his teeth to continue scrubbing. Cadence shook her head, “I’ll give you that you did stand up to that bully, but I still find it unfair that you’re still being punished anyway.” Looking up, the guard down the hall had passed by, and she lit her horn again to brush the floor again. “What about the other guy? Did your sergeant do anything?” “Of course not.” Shining huffed, “Which is beyond stupid. That it's perfectly okay to call Blueblood a… you know, but it’s not okay to punch the guy that said that? I can’t be the only one that thinks that's a little hypocritical.” “Believe me, Shiny, I completely agree. But back to Blueblood for a second. What happened next?” “Next? Well, he just poured his soul out, cried, and ran back to his home. And I just stood there like an idiot. I wanted to do something, but I had no idea what. It’s not every day that you had a friend kiss you saying they’ve been in love with you this whole time.” Cadence gave him a look, “I know we saw this from the start, but it’s still a surprise that it happened at all.” “True. But what do you suppose you should do now?” “I don’t know…” Shining looked over his shoulder. “Cadey, I totally broke the guy’s heart. I doubt he would even want to see me after something like that. And if he did… I don’t have a clue what to even say. He wants me to be his coltfriend, and meanwhile, I’m already in a relationship with you.” “Why did you think I suggested the open relationship thing.” Shining ran a hoof through his mane. “I just don’t know what to do at this point.” Cadence dipped the brush in the soapy water, “Shining, can I ask you something personal?” “Personal, personal?” She nodded. “That kiss that he gave you, how did it feel?” “What?” “Just think about it for a second, when he kissed you, did you feel anything?” Shining’s cheeks blushed, looking over his shoulder again, he took up the brush in his teeth to scrub the floor some more. There was a long pregnant pause as Cadance waited for an answer and Shining brushed the marble tiles, almost hoping that she would change the subject. Not just because he was uncomfortable with the question (although that too) but because he feared if he answered it honestly.  Cadence placed a hoof on his back, “Shining,” she said in a caring tone. “It’s okay. You can tell me.” Eventually Shining traded the brush over to her. With his cheeks still pink he answered, “Remember when we first kissed at the dance back in High School?” She nodded. “It… It felt something like that. The only difference was that somehow… I could just feel his heart was breaking when he kissed me. But that spark, that euphoria was there, but I was still shocked. It felt like how I kissed you. That it felt… right. Eventhough I can’t explain why.” “Sounds to me that you like him back,” Cadence softly smiled. “... Maybe…” Shining’s blush deepened. “Personally, I feel that even if I wasn’t in a relationship with you, I don’t think I’m worthy of him.” “Really? Why not?” “Like… I feel that if he had come out of his shell a little more, and… maybe know what he was doing, he could probably find somepony better than me. Besides, he told me that he’s never had a coltfriend, despite him coming out. Part of me thinks that he just saw the first good-looking stallion and latched onto me without considering that there might be plenty out there that could be a better fit.” “Firstly, call it bias, but I think that you are good enough to be loved. Secondly, to a degree, I agree that Blueblood might be inexperienced when it comes to things like dating. Still, what do you think you want to do?” “I don’t know…” Shining sighed. Taking the brush back into his teeth. While he scrubbed, the gears turned in Cadance’s head. “Unless…” Shining looked back up, “Huh?” He asked with the toothbrush in his teeth. “Well… hear me out. What if…?” She looked over her shoulder, “What if… You could teach him?” Shining’s eyes widen.  “What I mean is that not only will I allow you to date him, I think I will encourage you to. Because in a way, you are right. We have years of experience in what we like and learning things about communication, love languages, and such. But Blueblood doesn’t likely know that. Even if he did fall out of love with you, you would still pass on some insightful things that could be very helpful for him in the future. Of how to be more confident, what to look out for, and learning about another pony’s boundaries.” Shining placed the toothbrush on the floor. “Okay but… what if he doesn’t move on? What if I end up dating him more than you? I’m all in for teaching, but what would happen if it might develop into something else?” This gave Cadance pause, “I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought of that. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I would do if that happened. Yet, emotionally and logically, I think this would be a step in the right direction. I’d say do what you think is right, and the rest will follow.” “You’re going to take the leap of faith on this?” Cadence kissed him on the lips. “Why not, I’ve done it before.” Before Shining had knocked on the bedroom doors of Blueblood’s bedroom, he had a gut feeling that this was going to be difficult. From the cold stare of the butler to the muffled sobs as he walked down the halls of the prince’s chateau, he had a feeling that this might go messy. If he was honest, it would be shocking if it didn’t, given the state of Blueblood as he imagines.  But for Blueblood, Shining had to try. “Your Highness,” Shining knocked on the doors, “it’s me, Shining Armor.” The sobbing became quiet.  “I guess you probably don’t want to see me right now, but I need to talk to you. Could you please open the door?” No response.  “Look, I’m not angry, okay? I changed my mind about quitting the guard and uh… I figured that I should come clean here. Can I come in?” After a beat, there was a click, and one of the twin doors opened.  Shining braced himself for the worse; a slap, a kick to the groin, anything that he could honestly accept by this point - if not expected. If he was honest, that would be the best-case scenario. At worst, Blueblood wouldn’t listen to reason, perhaps firing him as his bodyguard. Yet stepping into the enormous bedroom that was as big as a house, he found the prince in a sorry state.  On the bed, wrapped in a fuzzy night robe with pillows surrounding him, the prince looked… disheveled. It seemed that depression had hit Blueblood hard from the red, most eyes that had been crying for hours to his mane that was as chaotic as a pile of straw. He looked at Shining like a little colt who had the worst birthday, Hearths Warming, and the first day of school all rolled into one.  “W-” Blueblood croaked before coughing, “What do you want?” Shining took out a white handkerchief from his armor. A humorous if universal sign to defuse conflict. “Wait, before you get angry at me, could I at least give an apology?” “Apology?” Blueblood sniffed, his horn glowed and a box of tissues floated over. “What do you have to apologize for? If anypony should be saying that they’re sorry, it should be me.” He took out a tissue to blow his nose in. “But… you didn’t do anything.” Shining pointed out. “Oh c’mon! Of course, I did! Chances are, you probably don’t want to associate with me ever again after what happened.” Another blow, his nose resembling a sour-note trumpet. “For starters, I kissed you. Not even the most romantic way in the best conditions either, but out of stupid desperation that you wouldn’t… And that’s another thing, I should be apologizing for being so clingy. Look, I know you have a marefriend, and it isn’t fair for me to just take you like that. I shouldn’t even have asked you to be my coltfriend, it was stupid of me! I would ask what I was thinking but I don’t I had. Of course, I would ruin everything at the last minute for me being a dumb fa-” Shining slammed the doors behind him with a loud bang. Blueblood looked at him, wide-eyed. This was the second time he saw Shining get angry, and when those doors slammed, he was looking at him as though he said the most offensive thing he could think of. “Do not, ever, talk yourself like that again,” Shining told him. “Did you think I wanted to do that? Either you have gone completely deaf, or you would realize all that hot, stinking bullshit that just came out of your mouth.” Blueblood was stunned, not just for Shining snapping at him, but it was the first time he used any kind of profanity directed towards him. “You listen to me now. I get your upset. I understand why you are upset. But between the two of us who should apologize for screwing up, I clearly have.” Shining exhaled out his nose, getting himself to calm down a little. “For starters, I suspected that you… liked me from the start. As in… more than a friend.” “What!” Blueblood sat up from this bed, causing several pillows to tumble over. “You knew this whole time!?” “Not at first but… eventually I and Cadance caught on.” “Cadance?” Blueblood tilted his head, “As in Princess Cadance? What does she get to with anything?” “For one, she pieced it together a lot quicker than I did. And second… remember when I said I have a marefriend?” Shining gestured a hoof as though presenting, “That’s her.” Blueblood’s jaw hung open in shock. “That… is unbelievable!” “You’re telling me, but it’s the truth. She knew right away but… I had my doubts. For a while, I thought that maybe you just… I don’t know… needed a friend. With everything said about you and how much we’re together, I figured you might be lonely. But over time, it became clear to me that you saw me more than that.” Shining frowned, “In hindsight, I should have at least asked you about it directly instead of waiting around.” “Now you tell me!” Blueblood grabbed a pillow, fell backward into the bed, and screamed into it. “Of all the stallions of all Canterlot of all those in the guard I happened to fall for, it’s the coltfriend of my cousin!”  “To be fair, I didn’t know how to bring it up either besides the I had a marefriend thing.” “Fantastic!” Blueblood flung the pillow off his face, “Now I’m going to have to deal with an irate Princess of Love.” “Uh…” Blueblood sat up, “She is upset with me, is she?” Shining coughed into his hoof awkwardly, “Before I get into that, another thing I should apologize for. I know I said that I didn’t like bullies, and it gets personal with me when someone I know is given something hateful. But that said, I did lose my cool, and maybe I shouldn’t have thrown the first punch, but I shouldn’t have gotten so violent. That and… I should apologize for breaking your heart without… meaning to.” Blinking, Blueblood stared at him. Walking towards him, Shining added. “Yes, the kiss did come out of nowhere, but to be fair with the heat of the moment, I forced it out of you. And when you ran off crying I should have said or done something but I had no idea what to do. Maybe I should have stopped you and said… I don’t know what, but I just to sit down and talk it over. Now, however, while you’re here, I want to make sure of two things.” Sitting back up, the prince sat on the edge of the bed. “And… what would that be?” “For one, to make sure that you’re still okay. You know, being your bodyguard and all. And second,” Shining placed his hooves on his shoulders, “I also want to make absolutely sure of this…” Before Blueblood could ask what he was talking about, Shining instead showed him. Closing his eyes, Shining took a leap of faith and kissed the prince. To Blueblood, this was the very last thing in the world he expected to happen at all. Then again… he wasn’t complaining either. In his most vulnerable state when he felt he was at his lowest, Shining’s lips came like the gentle rays of summer, of the sweetest fruit he ever tasted, and with a level of charity he never expected to receive. Blueblood’s hoof rested on Shining’s neck to draw closer, and another to his face. It was something that he couldn’t easily put into words, nor just past experience. For it was… poetry, in physical form. Neither was sure how long their second kiss was, but when Shining did pull away for breath, they gasped for air. Blueblood looked at him, he could see that his cheeks were as red and hot as his. Stepping away, Shining wiped his lips with a hoof.  “... Uh…” Shining cleared his throat. “Hey uh… Blueblood…?” “Yes?” “... I don’t think I’m entirely straight.” This finally got a laugh out of the prince, “You are now just realizing it?” “Well… yeah.” He nodded, “Still… Just know that with everything, I am sorry for screwing up.” “You’re pardoned… But it is still wrong, isn’t it? I mean, you are Cadance’s coltfriend.” Shining breathed in, “True… but there’s a little more I haven’t said yet.” “What do you mean?” Scratching the back of his mane, Shining hesitated to say it out loud. “She uh… Wants to share me with you.” Out of all the shocking news Blueblood has heard, this bomb makes all the other revelations look like firecrackers. “... Now you’re just pulling my leg.” “No no, I’m serious! But it’s for a good reason. We know that you aren’t exactly… knowledgeable when it comes to romantic relationships or the like. And not to bash you, but you don’t know what you’re doing.” “Gee, thanks.” Blueblood deadpanned. “So,” Shining cleared his throat, his cheeks still radiating red, “Cadance and I talked this over, and we think for the long run, it would be a good idea for… Me to teach you how.” Blueblood blinked… and blinked again, “Come again?” “I get it, it’s a weird idea. But we have experience with this sort of stuff. We know the pitfalls and we know the reality of being in a romantic relationship. Both of us have seen a thing or two that I think would benefit you. Even if this doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you would at least have a good idea of what to look out for in a romantic partner. To help navigate you through even the most trickiest situations. So in a way, Cadence is permitting me to date you. But when we do, it’ll be more teaching than anything else. To help you out so that you would know what you’re doing.” “And… Cadence is okay with this?” “Hey, you could ask her yourself, but I’m telling you the truth.” Shining sat down on the bed next to him. “All things considered, I don’t think you’re a bad pony. Even as a friend you did help a lot, and you’ve taught me a thing or two. So in a way, I want to return the favor and ask you a… well… a really big question.” “What would that be?” Shining looked away, his blush still hadn’t gone away as he meekly asked, “If it’s okay with you… do you want to be more than just friends?” Blueblood, with tears of joy in his eyes, hugged Shining tightly, “I thought you’d never ask.” And kissed him again, but this time, without regret or shame. Shining stood to the side in the throne room of the palace to bear witness to something remarkable. Blueblood stood in front of rows and rows of the entire palace staff. Everypony from butlers to cooks, guards of every rank to even gardeners stood in this mandatory meeting. By the looks on their faces, they didn’t know what was going on or why the prince had summoned all of them in one place. Even Shining, who knew what was going to happen, still can’t believe that Blueblood was even doing this at all. The prince looked out at the entire servant staff like he was facing an army. But instead of cowering, he stood his ground to make a sort of last stand.  “You’re probably wondering why I summoned all of you here in one place.” Blueblood began. “Namely, it’s to deal with an issue that has been brewing for some time. I understand that some of you have a major problem with me. Not for my character, per-se, but for the fact that I am a gay stallion.”  No one dared say a word. “Over the past few days, thanks to a certain… incident at my residence, I saw the true colors of the very ponies that have taken an oath to protect and uphold my honor. I will not name names. You know who you are. And you know the result of it. The only stallion, neigh, the only guard that had come to my defense at all, was punished. While the one who provoked it, but dared to call me a fag, did not. So it has become clear to me, that defending my honor isn’t much of a priority. That apparently, there may be some of you in this room that would rather do the worst things imaginable, than to be around me for five minutes.” There was a long pause among them. No one dared say anything. “Therefore,” Blueblood continued, “I shall offer every one of you one of two choices. Option one: you can hand in your resignation. It will be accepted fully and as an extent of my charity, you will not face any negative consequences. If you have some deep-seated hatred towards me for the high, unspeakable crime of existing, the very least any of you could do, is say it to my face!” He stomped his hoof which echoed in the great hall.  After taking in a deep breath, Blueblood added, “All you need to do, is simply step forward, and we’ll arrange your resignation, here and now.” For a long, tense minute, Blueblood looked out at the army of staff and guards. Scanning over for any movement. Yet, in that stillness… not a single one stepped forward. Not a single one made any remark. If anything, as Shining looked on… there was a look of shame. Even among his superiors, he didn’t look the prince in the eye. “Which leaves with the second option,” Blueblood finally said. “You will all be permitted to stay, but from here on out, I want all of you to make a promise. Now, repeat after me: I will be kind and courteous towards the prince, regardless of sexuality.” Now the entire staff looked at one another, partly in surprise, and partly in disbelief. “Well?” Blueblood called out. “I want to hear it. I will be kind and courteous towards the prince, regardless of sexuality.” In a murmur, they repeated. “I-I will be kind and courteous towards the prince, regardless of sexuality.” “Louder, again,” Blueblood commanded.  “I will be kind and courteous towards the prince, regardless of sexuality.” Satisfied, Blueblood nodded. “I want all of you to remember those words exactly. That is a promise to me. And let it be warned, if I hear any one of you say or do something in disrespect towards me, you will be fired. It won’t matter to me what rank you are, and how long you’ve worked, if you are not kind or courteous towards me because of my sexuality, you will be fired. End of story. And before any of you get ideas to petition my aunt, she already knows this and approves of the addition to the rules. For I might be gay, but do not, for one minute think that you won’t face any consequences. Is that understood?” “Yes, Your Highness.” They said in unison. Nodding, Blueblood looked over them one last time, “You are all dismissed.” The entirety of the palace staff turned and walked out of the throne room. As they were exiting, the prince turned his attention towards Shining.  “As for you, I want to offer up a royal pardon. To have your rank be restored and to write off what you did was the right thing.” “Thank you,” Shining nodded, “No offense to you, but I didn’t think you could be intimidating while in front of everypony.” “It had to be done,” Blueblood huffed. “What happened to you was unjust. Sometimes you need to give them a swift kick to get them to act right. To show that there are consequences from being narrow-minded like that.” “Frankly, I’m shocked you didn’t fire anyone.” “Oh, I could have. But what would be the point? After all, my Auntie would be disappointed in me if I didn’t at least offer them a road to redemption somehow. Or at least, a second chance. Besides, even to those who are homophobic, I had to demonstrate that I will neither tolerate their disrespect nor stoop down to their level.” Moments later, the remaining of the palace staff had left the hall. Leaving the two of them alone.  With them being in the clear, Shining asked with a smirk. “So…?” “Hm?” “I’m just curious is all, when will we be going on our first date?” The prince’s eyes went wide, his cheeks turned pink. “Uh… beg your pardon?” “Well, I’ve never been on a gay date before, but I think that if I’m technically going to be your coltfriend, then I would like to know when we start dating.” “I… My I haven’t even thought of that.” “It’s alright. If you want, you could probably ask Cadance for help planning it out.” “Right…” Blueblood let out a heavy breath, “Oh, this is going to be stranger than I thought.” “It’s okay,” Shining patted him on the back. “I’m as much new to this stuff as you are, so at least there’s that. Just take your time to figure things out and then we’ll carry it from there.” Blueblood softly laughed, “The very notion of it makes me wonder if I’ve gone made.” “Then I’ll be glad to take you on a tour through Wonderland,” Shining smirked, kissing Blueblood. “So, will that be all, Your Majesty?” Blushing, Blueblood grinned. “Yes, that will do for now.” “So… why are you okay with this?”  Cadence looked up from her glass of lemonade. “What?” Blueblood frowned, “You know.” “What?” “The elephant in the room.” Blueblood set his fork aside. Out in the royal gardens underneath a canopy, the two royals were having a rather tense brunch. Tense being that now the secret is out - both of them are seeing the same pony, and yet, the Princess of Love hasn’t mentioned Shining once. Propping his elbows on the table, Blueblood inquired, “You’ve been dating Shining Armor.” She nodded. “Since around High School?” “Uh-huh.” “And you knew that I was falling in love with your coltfriend this entire time?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “How come you never once brought it up? If you knew from the start, why didn’t you say anything to me that I had been infatuated with your coltfriend?” Cadence didn’t answer right away. She used her magic to swirl the ice in the lemonade with a straw. “Truthfully? It’s something that I had been trying to figure out myself. But I could answer part of your question. The reason why Shining and I had been keeping this under wraps is that of timing. If word got out this soon that I’d been dating Shining before I graduated, everyone from the press to the nobility would see it as irresponsible on my part. And before you say anything, this was Celestia’s idea. We were planning on letting the public at large know after I get my degree.” “... I’m not sure if that’s a good reason.” “Whoever said it was? Is it a fair reason? Not really, but it is the reality of the situation. Another part has also to do with Shining.” “How so?” After a sip of lemonade, she told him, “Between you and me, until Shining took up that position of being your bodyguard, I thought that Shining was straight. But as time went on, I had this growing suspicion that maybe he has an attraction to you without realizing it. So there is the idea that I considered before - that he could have feelings for males as well. I didn’t say anything to him either, because I know that figuring out one's sexuality is a personal journey that could only be discovered individually. The last thing I want from Shining is to be in denial of himself, to pretend to be someone that he’s not.” Blueblood leaned back in his seat. “Even if that’s true, that still doesn’t answer the question. Why are you okay with him dating me?” Cadance shrugged, “That for me is the most difficult thing to answer. It’s not that I’m conflicted at all. Of course, I am. Is it jarring that Shining would be seeing both me and you? Oh absolutely. But the more I gave this some thought, the more I started to piece together why. If Shining wanted to also date someone who is a stranger to me, that would be one thing. I think I would have a problem with that, especially if he went behind my back about it. However, this is different. For one, Shining and I have pieced together almost from the beginning what was going on. That, and I know you.” Blueblood rubbed the back of his head. “I never thought that this would happen either. Technically speaking, I’m going to date a stallion that is already in a relationship. I want to ask that before anything happens any further, are there any boundaries I should be aware of?” Humming, Cadence tapped her chin. “Good question. If I’m honest, this is new to me as well. Yet, the only thing I can think of is that I don’t want you to mistreat Shining. If I hear you did anything bad to him, I will be ending this. However, you must understand that the idea behind all this is that in a way, I’m lending you Shining to be as a… a practice coltfriend?” “Practice? What does that even mean?” “... Can I ask you a personal question?” Cadence leaned forward, “And be honest with me here, but have you ever gone on a date with anypony?” Blueblood was silent, folded his forelegs, and shook his head. “The point of this is to help you gain experience with dating. Shining and I have learned a great deal in the years we’ve been dating, which I think would benefit you. If anything, we think this would teach you what to look for in a coltfrined, in case for whatever reason it doesn’t work out with Shining. Our end goal is to help you gain confidence and experience so that you would know what to look for.” “So it’s not just me dating him, but he’s going to be teaching me?” Cadence nodded, “That’s the idea.” There was another long pause. Blueblood stirred the ice in his glass of lemonade when a thought came to him, “Suppose… And this is a what if… What if Shining and I do end up with a deep connection like yours? That we both end up falling in love. What happens then?” Now it was Cadance’s turn to be deep in thought. “That is a tough question, but one worth considering. It’s a possibility, and while I can’t predict the future, I think I know one thing. Regardless of how this will go, from now on, that will have to be determined by the three of us. Maybe he would prefer to me, or maybe you, or perhaps both. From now on, all of us will have to work together, to play by ear to see how this would turn out.” “I understand,” Blueblood nodded. “Which leads to the next thing I want to ask.” “Oh?” “... How do I date Shining?” Cadence raised an eyebrow. “I mean, this will be the first time we will be dating, knowing fully that this is a date. My problem is that being outside of our duties, I’m at a loss where to start.” Humming, Cadence tapped her chin, “When Shining and I do it, we take turns of who hosts it. I guess that you’re going first?” Blueblood shrugged, “I assume so.” “Okay. If I were you, I’d start something simple like having dinner somewhere. Don’t worry, Shining will eat anything as long as it’s good.” That gave the prince something to think about. He remembered how Shining took him to the Copper Pot Cafe where despite being humble, the food and coffee they served was quite good. He wondered if he should return the favor and take Shining out to a place that he likes.  A smile crept on Blueblood’s face. Yes, that would do nicely. If Shining was honest, he wasn’t entirely sure what Blueblood had in mind for their first, real date. Knowing royalty, money is no object, and exclusive is laughable. So as the palanquin was sat down on Restaurant Row, it came as no surprise that the prince had started at the most expensive place to eat in Canterlot.  He had heard about this particular restaurant. A place so expensive that either you go for very special occasions, or that you are wealthy. Canterlot is no stranger to Prench restaurants and bakeries, but Trop Cher pour Mager is legendary among foodies and food critics for being the best of the best of the best.  “Not that I’m questioning it,” Shining said after  he and the prince got out of the palanquin, “but I am curious as to why here.” “Outside of the palace or my home, it’s a personal favorite of mine. Not only all the food here is imported from Prance, but they serve it with a flare that most restaurants don’t do. That, and I also love the name too. Trop Cher pour Mager. I wonder what it means.” “Maybe my High School Prench is resty, but doesn’t it literally mean: Too Expensive to Eat?” “Not for me at least.” “Yeah, but that’s because you’re royalty.” Blueblood blinked, “So?” “Never mind,” Shining shook his head but smiled amusingly. “Let’s see how this goes.” Taking them through the doors, the waiter usured them through the restaurant. The first thing that stood out was that the interior was nearly white. From floor to ceiling, window curtains to table cloths, everything about the restaurant was a spotless white. In terms of decoration, it was minimal with a few monochrome pictures in white frames and each table had a single white orchid. The only colors that popped out were the staff, customers, string trio, and the flood. The latter especially as the colors were vibrant, the smells were inviting, and the presentation of each plate served was arranged like a work of art. Their waiter showed them to their table, tucked in a corner of the restaurant that was closest to the kitchen. “Would you gentlestallions care for anything to drink?” their waiter asked. “As a matter of fact,” Blueblood said, “do you have a bottle of Romanée?” “We do indeed.” “Bring us a couple of wine glasses and the Romanée.” After the waiter left, Shining asked, “I don’t think I’ve heard of it.” “It’s the most expensive bottle on the menu,” Blueblood smirked, “And only the best for you.” Shining let out a sigh, “Okay, I think I’m gonna have to stop you right there.” “Huh?” The prince blinked, “What’s wrong?  “So first lesson here, what do you think a date is?” Blueblood blinked again, “I don’t follow?” “I mean, what do you think is the goal of going on a date?” Tilting his head, Blueblood answered, “Isn’t it to… impress the pony you like?” Shining shook his head. “Not really. From my experience, dating is more like an audition. You’re trying to see if the pony you like would be the kind you can see yourself living within the long term.” “... But I thought this is how dating is supposed to go.” “It’s not necessary. You don’t have to impress anyone into a relationship.” Sitting up against the seat, Shining added, “Besides, as someone who has dated, there is an unhelpful idea that I think we should talk about before going any further.” “And what’s that?” “Well, to give up the idea that we’re angels incarnate. We are ponies. Deeply flawed, deeply damaged, and deeply imperfect ponies. I’m not pointing this out to discourage you, but to point out that anypony you think is perfect are those you haven’t gotten to know yet.” “Huh…” Blueblood rubbed the back of his neck, “This is such a bizarre concept.” “But a helpful one. Cadence and I came to this realization when we started dating. Each of us thinks that the other is this flawless being, but the more we go out and get to know each other, the more we realize that despite being imperfect, we still find many lovable things.” Blueblood paused for a moment, “This is… a radically new way of approaching romance that I anticipated. With so many love stories and movies tell about how two ponies are met up by fate, fall in love, and live happily ever after.” “I get it, but it’s not always helpful when it comes to this sort of thing. So, how about we start this over by asking a simple question.” Shining leaned forward, and with a smirk asked, “In what way are you crazy?” “Beg your pardon?” Blueblood laughed. “You think that question is simple?”  “Yet you answered, did you not?” Shining pecked him on the nose. Rubbing his nose, the prince giggled, “You can’t be serious.” “Actually I am. Trust me on this, it’s a lot more relatable when someone tells you their flaws than their accomplishments.” “Like what?” “Well, for example,” Shining cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I might be short-sighted when it comes to social stuff. That it takes me a while to piece together that someone wants to be their friend or…” he waved a hoof, “ya know. Another thing I have is that I hate to raise a complaint, even when it’s justified.” “Really?” Blueblood blinked, “But I saw you do just that a couple of weeks ago.” “That’s another thing too,” Shining looked away, “as paradoxical as it sounds, I’m quick to defend ponies, that they come first before my own needs. It’s not a good habit to have, I know, but I don’t want to personally inconvenience others.” “Huh, here I thought you had the personality of a teddy bear, not a welcome mat.” “Maybe,” Shining shrugged, “But why did you think it took me so long to get above being a private?” Blueblood was about to make a remark but found nothing came out of his mouth. “What about you?” Shining asked, “Is there anything that makes it difficult to be around?” Humming, Blueblood looked away from Shining to think. This was certainly radical from any expectations he had, yet at the same time… it did make sense. Since Shining had applied to be a bodyguard, he had seen him as this perfect being who didn’t have too many serious problems. And yet, here Shining was, openly talking about those flaws. “I suppose,” the prince said, “That I could be a bit… arrogant.” Shining raised an eyebrow. “Fine, I am arrogant. Yet you must understand that I was brought up to have a high opinion of myself. There is pressure to be the height of Equestrian high culture or else, I would be seen as a laughing stock.” “Huh,” Shining tilted his head, “So most of it is due to keeping up with appearances.” “Very much so. After all, when the eyes of the entire kingdom are on you, ponies aren’t so forgiving if they even suspect that you might be like them. Frown at the wrong moment when a camera snaps your picture, you’re seen as an unsympathetic grump. Say a name wrong, and you are seen as insensitive. Have a disagreement, and half the kingdom will see you as something worse than any demon in Taterus. In a way, it’s where my reputation of being a perfectionist comes from.” “How so?” Blueblood folded his forelegs, “It’s probably no surprise that I had so many ponies that worked for me quit. Yes, I’m very much aware that my expectations are high, very high, but I have them for a good reason. A prince is only as graceful and flawless as those who serve him. I indeed expected everyone who works for me to go the extra mile, but that’s because I don’t tolerate those who don’t take it as seriously as I do.” “All because the whole world is watching, huh?” There was no reply. “I mean, I get it,” Shining said. “When your family has done a great deal, it’s tough to keep up with something like that. I mean, my little sister, Twilight, is way smarter than me and she was able to be Celestia’s student when she was just her cutie mark. She’s been learning to do all sorts of things that I didn’t think a unicorn could do. Meanwhile, I’m just some guy trying to get a good enough standing in the guard, waiting for Cadance to graduate so that what we have won’t be a secret anymore. Some days I wonder if I’m even doing enough.” “But… I thought you already are.” “Huh?” Shining blinked. “Shining, you stood up for me when a guard had said that slur. Not many ponies could do what you did - you stood up for what was right when doing so is the most difficult. You stood up to your principles when most would leave them when it's convenient. If anything…” Blueblood looked over his shoulder and said softly, “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I’ve been talking to my aunt about giving you a knighthood.” Surprise didn’t cover what Shining heard, his mouth hung open, eyes wide, and he wasn’t sure if his ears were working. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, “I think my ears might be clogged, but did you say want to make me a knight?” “Why not? I think you deserved it. Besides, Sir Shining Armor has a nice ring to it.” “Uh… Okay, wow, thanks…” Shining ran a hoof over his mane. “Of all the things out of this date, that I didn’t see coming.” “Don’t thank me yet, I’m waiting on Auntie Celestia’s decision.” “Pardon, gentle stallions,” they turned to the waiter who arrived with the bottle, two wine glasses, and a decanter, “I have your drinks.” “I take it you enjoyed dinner?” Blueblood asked with a bemused smirk. Inside the palanquin, Shining sat across from him. A hoof on his belly and a satisfied look on his face. “I won’t lie,” he told me, “I think I ate well at that place than I probably had in months.” “There’s a reason why it’s one of my favorite places to eat. Although… I confess that I’m not entirely sure what to do next when my turn comes around.” “Maybe nothing like that, but something we can still enjoy.” Shining smiled, “And by the way, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to have another date.” Blueblood’s eyes widened, and his ears perked up, “Really!” An excitable squeak escaped his maw. As soon as he realized this, a hoof to cover his embarrassing squeal, he cleared his throat. “I mean, I would like that.” Shining laughed, “There, that’s what I want to see,” he leaned across over to the prince, “the real you - warts and all.” “And here I didn’t think you would be the kind that would like an ugly ducking.” Reaching a hoof under Blueblood’s chin, Shining drew in for a kiss. Never had the prince ever humiliated himself so much and yet felt so happy that he did. He threw his forehooves around his boyfriend's shoulders to kiss back, enjoying the moment. Shining pulled away and nuzzled their noses, “What you see as ugly, I see as beautiful. You don’t need to put up an act, because the real you is who I want to see.”