It all felt like a dream. There he was in his alicorn self, walking up to her before standing right in front of her and looking down with his electric blue eyes. Red June saw a tiny smile cracked at the corners of his lips and felt a heated blush redden her mulberry cheeks, the shade of red brought out both her white freckles and green eyes.
The distance between her and Valiant Heart had grown short enough for them personal space to intertwine. Not daring to make any sudden moves, her four hoofs remained frozen where they stood. His muzzles slowly leaned in closer to hers until she could feel his warm breath brush along her cheeks. It made her heart race with anxiety and caused her to look away in embarrassment.
She tried to back away, her right foreleg lifting itself in retreat but his sky blue hoof came up to gently hold her by the chin, melting away any intention she had of running away. He lifted her head delicately back up to face him. His loving smile now clearly evident as she was reminded just how close they were.
“Now kiss!” squeaked a certain little white coated filly that popped out from behind Red June.
“H-huh? What?” Red June stammered as the sky blue stallion disappeared in a bright flash called reality.
Red June found herself back in her room, seated at her desk. The surface of the wooden furniture was barely visible, hidden under a cover of letters, letters from her correspondence with the prince she was daydreaming about. She then noticed in her hoofs the most recent letter she had gotten from him.
“I said, Uncle Mac is looking for the plow disc,” Api repeated herself to her older cousin.
“Oh sorry, Api. I was thinking about something else,” the older mare offered an apologetic smile. “Del was using it yesterday. I reckon you better ask him”
“Where is Del anyway? I didn’t see him bucking in the orchard.”
“He isn’t?” Red June tilted her head in deep thought. “Oh, I remember now. He was helping me make a delivery to Sugarcube Corner.”
“Why? What are you busy with?” Api tried to climb up the desk to look at the letters holding her cousin’s attention.
“Nothing!” Red June threw her forelegs over the letters. “I mean… nothing interesting, just boring old letters from an old friend.”
“Valy…Valiant Heart,” Api read the name from the letter she managed to get her hoofs on. “Isn’t that the name of the prince from the crystal empire?”
“Api!” Red June reached out to snatch back the letter.
“Hey! I was reading that,”
“You can’t read them. These are personal.”
“The prince writes personal letters to you? Wow. I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
“I have to thank Claire for that. It was way back when you weren’t even born yet. She and her family had moved to Ponyville for quite some time. He came to visit and she introduced me.”
“Pixel never introduced me to any prince other than the ones in her video games,” Api grumbled as her eyes fixed on the letters being kept away into a little wooden chest. “So how come I’ve never seen him visit?” Api’s question was immediately answered with a disappointed sigh.
“He used to be able to visit more often. That was when he was still a unicorn and before he had any royal duties,” Red June explained while her eyes lingered on the closed chest. “Still, even now, he manages to find time to write every now and then to keep in touch.” A small content smile poked out at the corners of her lips.
“Aww…I was hoping he was visiting soon. A prince must have been on lots on adventures right? Definitely not as much as my pa but still, any adventure is always a good story,” Api jumped around the room, swinging her hoofs around and pretending be on an epic journey like the ones her father would tell her.
“Funny you should mention that. He’s actually coming to visit in a few days. I just got his letter informing me about it,” Red June giggled at the little filly’s shenanigans. She then turned her head towards the window, recalling the times when they met and whispered with a reminiscent tone, “I can’t wait to see him again.”
Api paused her make believe display of a quest, eyeing the dazed mare with interest. Then a thought hit her. “What is he like?” Api asked in an all so innocent fashion.
“He is everything you would expect a prince to be, a real gentlecolt; kind and caring. He has a really big ego about his looks sometimes, but by Celestia, is he a looker. That’s even before he became an alicorn! His mane is steel blue with mustard strips and his coat sky blue. But his eyes. Those electric blue, deep, round, perfect eyes…”
“You like him don’t you?”
Red June instantly straightened up at the little adventurer’s comment. Her face felt like it was burning as she snap a look over to Api who was wearing the most devilish smirk she had ever seen. The little filly had her eyes narrowed into very thin lines, mocking Red June of her attraction towards Valiant Heart whom she had just described so dreamily. Api then puckered her lips and made kissing sounds, her hoofs held together beside her head.
“I-I…I…” Red June’s voice was caught in her throat, unable to find the proper words to respond with.
“Admit it. You like the prince. Have you written to him about you liking him?”
“Api! Enough!” Red June’s cheeks were as red as the apples her family harvested at Sweet Apple Acres.
“Since you like him so much, you should tell him when he comes to visit,” Api concluded as she dodged an attempted grab from Red June before bolting for the door. “Sorry June, gotta find Del to ask about that plow disc.” With those last words said, Api left a very mortified Red June to drown in her embarrassment.