//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Trading Riches for Rags // by RarestRarity1779 //------------------------------// Around six weeks had passed since Fleur had introduced Hayseed to her parents. They seemed to have taken a liking to him and were rather taken with his charm and they way he treated their daughter, though, as he always had, her father insisted on bombarding him with questions, some of which he was too unintelligent to answer. But even throughout those weeks, Fleur just couldn’t bring herself to ask him to marry her. She was afraid. Every time she tried, those memories of her bad marriage with Fancy returned to haunt her. He had treated her right too, but when they married it was nothing but a downhill run full of pain and misery. What if this marriage with Hayseed isn’t any different? She just couldn’t bear the pain again. She stopped and clenched her teeth. She had to lean against a wall, it hurt so bad. She had been having these cramps, coupled with headaches and a loss of energy for the past week or two. She had even turned down three modeling jobs a few days ago simply because she didn’t feel like going to them. She woke up this morning and decided that she had had enough. She was going to see her doctor and get to the bottom of it all. She could barely even take a few steps before she started to hurt again. After some minutes of slow walking, she eventually found herself at the office. “Fleur, darling, you don’t look so good,” the familiar receptionist said to her, “Just sign this and I’ll get you right through to the doctor.” “Thank you,” Fleur simply said and used her magic to jot down her name on the form. She had been coming to this doctor ever since birth, and they had never asked her to sign her name before. Why did she have to sign her name now? It rather annoyed her, but as she sat in the waiting room, her temperament changed. Fleur waited for a few moments and was eventually allowed back to the doctor. The kindly old mare greeted her and asked what the problem was. Fleur described her symptoms to the doctor. The old mare cupped her muzzle and thought for a moment, “Hm,” she said, “I know!” she shouted. Fleur jumped from the sudden outburst. “Fleur de Lis, you lucky mare. I’m so happy for you! Why I thought I’d never see the day. Oh, but I can’t be too sure without running some tests! Come, come now,” she ushered Fleur into a back testing room. And after what seemed like hours of tests, the old family doctor delivered some very unexpected news to Fleur. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hayseed waited for Fleur in his tiny little apartment and stared at the ring. He chuckled as he reflected on how his friends and family had reacted. They didn’t believe him at first, but when he showed them the ring, that changed everything. “Ah’m a happy fer ya partner!” he remembered one of his friends had shouted as he boarded the train all those weeks ago, “Don’t ya’ll forget to invite us to that weddin’ now, ya know how ma loves a good un’,” his brother had called to him after spitting on the ground. That was just it though, he wasn’t sure if there was going to be a wedding. As the weeks passed on, Hayseed just couldn’t bring himself to ask her, though he had every chance to available to him in the book. He would go on a date with her, would have the perfect chance, would go to present the ring to her, but right before he could take it out of his pocket, fear would strike him and that old familiar question of, “What if she says no?” would ring out so clear he could practically hear himself saying it. But he truly loved her. He didn’t want to lose her. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. If he didn’t make a move on her, would she get bored with him and leave him? That was what he feared most. She was an amazing mare, and he just knew that she could do so much better than him. He knew he couldn’t put off the proposal for any longer. If he truly did love her, then he would ask her tonight. “I ain’t nothing but a coward if I don’t,” he thought to himself as he looked at a picture of her that she had given him. “She’s so beautiful,” he whispered aloud and gently touched the photo with his hoof. That photo was all he needed. All of a sudden, he knew she would say yes. He looked into her beautiful eyes and knew that she had given that photo to him, and him only, and that she had a heart for him, and only him. He looked at the clock, she would there soon. Soon, he would be the fiancè to his beautiful and wonderful marefriend, soon, she would be more than just a marefriend. He was in his tenth round of practice when a knock sounded at the door. He shot up and dashed for the door. When he opened it, Fleur jumped at him and wrapped her hooves around him tightly. “Oh Hayseed!” she said in tears of happiness, “I have great news!” “So do I,” he said, the nervousness starting to pour over him. Fleur backed off of him and used her magic to close the door. “Do tell me first,” she said, still with an excited tone. “I... I was kinda hoping you’d tell me first,” he said. “Very well,” she said, “Hayseed, I’m pregnant!” “What?!” he asked impatiently, wanting to know more. “Yes!” she said, “That’s where all of these cramps and headaches were coming from! Oh isn’t it wonderful Hayseed?!” she jumped onto him once more. Hayseed was dumbstruck by the news. Fleur backed away from him, and he dropped to his knees in reply. He pulled the ring out and asked, “Will you be my mare?” He flipped the lid open to reveal the most beautiful ring Fleur had ever seen. This ring was no piece of jewelry, it meant something to her. She gasped, her tears of joy became more rapid, “Yes! Yes!” she exclaimed. Hayseed stood and placed the ring on her horn. She hugged him tightly once more. “I’ve always been your mare,” she whispered into his ear, “I always will be. I love you so much.” “I love you too,” he said. He stared at her abdomen for a moment, but then she felt him slide his head down to her abdomen, “and I love you too,” she heard him whisper to the unborn creature inside of her. All of a sudden, Hayseed started to cry as well. “What’s the matter?” she asked him gently. They were still locked in an embrace. “These here are tears of joy,” he said, still looking at her stomach, “I ain’t never been a father or a husband before. And... and I can barely wait to start.” And as the sun disappeared, and the moon rose high in the night sky, Hayseed, Fleur, and their unborn colt laid in the bed and cuddled with each other, a family at last.