Shining Armor walked down the corridor giving a nod to some of his fellow guards. He couldn't help but grin as he walked to his office, not only had he gotten to live his dream of becoming a guard but he even got promoted to Captain. The fact that his protection spell was second to none certainly didn't hurt his chances.
As he turned the corner, he passed some girls who giggled as he walked by. Girls were always going to giggle about him, it was a fact of life he knew and accepted. The thought of acquiring a very special somepony would on occasion cross his mind, but then he would just tell himself that the Captain of the Guard couldn't afford a love life. He had a duty to think of, a responsibility to uphold, he didn't have time for cuddles and kisses. Besides, even if he did the mare would become a target for Canterlot's enemies, a way to get to him by hurting her.
However, what he failed to notice was that the only mare of the group who wasn't giggling was none other than Princess Mi Amore Cadenza...or as she was known to her friends, Cadance... Cadi to those especially close to her. She couldn't seem to stop herself from staring "Is that...Shining Armor?"
"You know Shining Armor?" one of her friends asked.
"Well, yes, from a long time ago. I used to foal sit for his little sister; but the last time I saw him he was leaving for royal guard training."
"Oh! So you knew him before he was a guard! So what was he like back then?" asked her other friend.
"Well he was a lot skinnier back then, I can tell you that! But why is his armor so different from the others?"
"Didn't you hear? He got promoted to Captain recently."
"Really?" Cadance couldnt' suppress her delight. She knew that becoming a royal guard for Canterlot was always a dream for Shining Armor, so to not only realize said dream but to get promoted from it as well? Things were definitely looking more than a little up for the unicorn.
As Shining Armor finally approached the door to his office he saw Twilight standing there waiting for him. "Twiley!!" he called out. It was always joy to see his little sister, they hardly ever got to see each other after she moved to Ponyville. He ran over and ruffled her hair "How ya doin, Kiddo?"
Twilight laughed before pushing Shining's hoof away from her head. "I'm fine, BBBFF. I'm actually here because there's a book here about rare animals that I don't have back in the Ponyville library. My friend Fluttershy really wants to read it so I'm doing her a favor and checking it out so she can borrow it."
"Well that's awfully nice of you." Shining Armor couldn't help but be proud of his little sister. Going to Ponyville was the best thing that ever happened to her, before she was way too shy and just on the border of being anti-social. And now here she was going to great lengths just to get a book for a friend.
"But then I heard about your big promotion and just had to come congratulate you!" she threw her arms around him wrapping him in a hug which he readily returned.
"I'd love to spend more time with you Twiley, but I got some paper work I really need to get a head start on or else otherwise it will never get done."
They broke the hug off and Shining Armor was expecting his sister to get upset with probably saying that time together was more important than dumb old paper work, but instead she nodded in understanding.
"That's okay, I need to get back to Ponyville anyways. Don't forget to write okay?"
"Sure thing, Kiddo!" He ruffled her hair one last time before entering his office. His office had a strict military feel to it, a pen in it's holster on the desk, a suit of armor on the opposing walls for decoration, and a plush office chair behind the desk. However, what Shining Armor really admired in his office was the gold name plate on his desk. The light seemed to reflect of it as if it were some holy relic, reading the words 'Captain Shining Armor'.
Inside he sat in his office chair and immediately started on the first sheet of his paper work. Not even half way in to it and received a knock on his door.
"It's open." he called.
The door opened a crack and Princess Cadance poked her head through. "Shiny?"
"Cadi?"
It had been years since the two had seen each other and yet the old nicknames Twilight had given them still seemed to stuck. There was always a certain amount of...'electricity' between them but they had never really acted upon them.
"Wow." she said coming all the way in. "The royal guard training has made you...bigger."
He blushed at the fact that she had noticed his increased muscle mass. Royal guard training was at the very least to say, very rough; he had no doubt in his mind he was nowhere near the string bean he was before he enlisted. "Yes...well, ahem, thank you."
"You're very welcome. It has been a long time since we've seen each other," she leaned forward on his desk, her hooves resting her head as she fluttered her eyes at him. "We should take some time and catch up with each other."
Shining Armor leaned back in his chair, swallowing the large lump in his throat didn't seem to dwell his blushing. "R-Right..." he tried to think of more to say but with Cadance right there in front of him his mind was becoming a complete blank.
"So I was thinking, maybe the two of us could go out on a date sometime."
Shining Armor suddenly straightened up, the blush gone from his face and replaced with that of a serious expression.
"Absolutely not."
"WHAT?!" Cadance's shout literally blew the top off the building.
Shining Armor flinched at the volume of her voice. She still seemed upset but her breathing was steadying out. "Shining Armor, you and I both know that there is something..." she struggled for a moment, trying to find the right word. "SPECIAL...between us!!"
"I..."
"There's not another mare is there?!" she snapped. Cadance seemed almost...frightening, when she considered the possibility that she might have a love rival. "Because if there is, I promise you that there is no possible way she could make you as happy as I could!!"
Shining Armor sighed but outside of that hadn't moved an inch at the Princess's outburst. "There's no other mare." he stated calmly.
"Then what is the problem?!"
"I'm sorry your Majesty, but I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard and you're a legitimate princess. It is my duty to protect Canterlot, and all who reside in it, which just so happens to include the Royal Family. Such a relationship would be viewed as inappropriate."
"That's 'Cadance' to you!" she pointed her hoof almost dangerously at him. "And I don't care about what others think of me and I know you don't either! I know you like me back Shining Armor! I'm the Princess of Love for crying out loud, but what I want to know is what could you possibly care about enough to think we shouldn't be together?!"
"What I care about..." he took a moment to remember Cadance's demand to be called by her name. "'Princess' Cadance, is both mine and YOUR reputation! You are a princess, you can not afford to be seen fraternizing with the Captain of the Guards, especially if there are important dignitaries about! This is the world we live in, it may not be as pretty we'd like it to be but we still have to live in it just the same. This is how it has to be, not because the feelings are un-reciprocated but because this is how the world works."
"But..." she said weakly.
"I'm sorry your Highness," he did seem sincerely sorry. "but I've made my mind up on this."
This couldn't be happening! Cadance knew deep down in her heart that she and Shining Armor were meant to live happily ever after together, but he was ready turn his back on both of their feelings just so neither of them would look bad! Cadance bit her lip as her mind scrambled to find anything for a source of hope. She found it. "But what if...what if I could change your mind?"
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at her. "I beg your pardon?"
"I know you like me back Shining Armor, and what's more is..." she leaned forward with a cocky smirk. "I can prove it!"
Shining Armor's blush seemed to return as he looked her up and down. "And h-h-how exactly would you go about 'proving' that?" Cadance choked back a giggle as Shining Armor's voice cracked on the word 'proving'.
"The Grand Galloping Gala is in three weeks, if I can get you to admit that you like me back then you have to become my very special somepony so we can one day live happily ever after in a crystal palace!" she gushed.
"Crystal palace?" He arched an eyebrow at her. She had obviously given this more thought that Shining Armor had given her credit for. "Whatever. And what if you lose?"
"I'll give in! I will accept that this world just can't accept the love between a Captain of the Guards and the Princess he's supposed to guard. I'll settle for loving you from afar!"
Shining Armor took a moment to weigh the pros with the cons. On one hoof this was likely to be a huge distraction to him, and three weeks was an awfully long time. On the other hoof this was probably the best way for her to move on without the shedding of tears, this way they could at least try to end it as friends. "...deal!"
He held out his hoof and she shook it. "You don't stand a chance, Shining Armor."
"We'll see about that."
"That's a very nice strong arm you have there."
Shining Armor yanked his arm back causing the princess to giggle at his actions.
Regaining his composure, Shining Armor offered her a smirk of his own. "Either way, in three weeks time this will all be over."
She returned the smirk. "Then our real life can begin."
"Either you will respect my wishes..."
"Or you will accept my kisses!"
Shining Armor blushed furiously "Stop that!!"
"NO!"