//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Garnet's Theme // Story: Kingdom in Shadows // by Istaran //------------------------------// "Ugh, I'm so stupid!" Garnet Glitter said angrily as Deep Digger, a crystal earth pony mare with brown fur and stone grey mane, approached her workstation with a cartload of freshly mined gemstones. The earth pony started unloading, and the unicorn started picking through them to find suitable ones to carve runes into. "What makes you think that, pink?" her friend asked. "I was stupid enough to invite a stallion over and expect him to actually be there in the morning when I woke up. Is it too much to ask, really?" she vented. The crystal she was working on cracked under the pressure of her magic, resulting in some colorful language. "Oh? Who? I want details! Did he take your, you know? Did he break your heart? Do I need to break something of his?" Deep asked excitedly. "Do you know those newcomers that just moved in to town? He was their prince. He has such an exotic name. Alexander. I made him promise to be a gentlecolt, and he was, even when I didn't want him to be anymore. We stayed up all night talking, until I couldn't stay up any later... and then he left while I slept," she explained. "Alexander? Yeah, that is a weird name. But... it sounds like he didn't really do anything. Right or wrong. So... you need some tips for turning up the heat?" Deep asked. "What? No. Well, maybe? I think he was interested, but he held fast to his word... which is kind of noble I guess. But when morning came he was nowhere to be found. If he wanted to leave he should have said goodbye at least." Garnet fumed. "Morning... oh! That's right, I didn't see you at the party this morning. Things started getting tense between the newcomers and the rest of us, but somepony got the idea of throwing a huge street party and everyone got a chance to meet each other. They're all so nice! Though they can be a bit gruff for sure. Anyways, I saw their prince mingling... he's quite a looker, huh?" Deep explained. "So he skipped out on me to go to a party without me?! Argh! We've only just met and he's already moved on... Maybe Diamond was right about him." Garnet lamented. "He's a Prince, right? On top of being a cutie? I wouldn't give up that easily. He liked you enough to spend all night talking. I'll bet he likes you enough for a second date," Deep suggested. "Go ask him out again, and this time turn up the heat!" "Alright, I'll see if I can find him after work. But first... ugh, we've been so busy talking I haven't even gotten a single gem enchanted!" Garnet cried. "Aww... maybe I better leave you alone for a bit then. But I'll be back with another load later. And I want to hear what your plan is to bag that Prince!" Deep said with a laugh before taking her leave. Garnet breathed slowly and deeply, calming her nerves and focusing her resolve. After work, she had spent every bit she had preparing for tonight, leaving only enough in reserve to pay for dinner. It was time to 'wow' that prince so thoroughly that he would never even consider skipping out on her again. Or, for that matter, hitting on any other mares. Garnet was wearing a beautiful new evening gown, a sky blue that complimented her pink fur well, and also went well with her jewelry. The garnets in her earrings and necklace glittered pinkly, as did her shoes. Her hooves were freshly painted, a shade of blue similar to her dress, while the rest of her makeup was much more subtle; just enough to really accentuate her feminine features. The ladies at the spa had really outdone themselves when they heard she was going on a date with a prince. She still had to convince the prince of that, but she really doubted he would turn her down looking like this. The sound of his music made it easy to locate him, right back in the same spot she had first met him. She paused just out of sight, listening to his song, and trying to get a feel for it, trying to decide the exact moment to reveal herself. Before long though, the moment chose her. He started singing about how he had found something beautiful here. The first verse was clearly about the town as a whole and it's people, but she found herself compelled to join him in singing the chorus line, in a singing voice more beautiful than she had realized herself capable of. His face lit up as she approached him, but the song continued. In the next verse he was clearly singing about her, though interestingly not a single lyric mentioned anything about the way she was dressed now in particular; the compliments of her beauty were every bit as true when they first met as now. While they sang the chorus together again, his changeling magic openly played across his form, leaving him dressed and made up in a more explicitly 'princely' way, with a formal suit and a little crown. While he didn't seem to have makeup, per se, his facial features seemed just a bit more refined than before as well; details that had been crafted to make him look more down to earth and ordinary were replaced with details that subtly made him seem more regal and extraordinary. And while his dull white cloak was transformed to a fur lined red, it was pulled toward the center as his wings flexed and were openly revealed. Then it was Garnet's turn for a solo, something she really didn't expect. And yet the lyrics flowed forth from her, complimenting the prince before her as she came to sit on her haunches before him. Again, none of her compliments were specific to his transformation, instead largely focusing on the beauty she saw in his heart. Finally, coming out of the musical flow, she took one of his hooves in hers and asked, "Prince Alexander, will you join me for dinner?" "Of course! I was hoping to ask you out when I saw you again, but I did not know where you spend your day. It was the best I could do to wait where I knew you could find me." He hopped off his seat and nuzzled her affectionately. "You did not have to go to such trouble for me, but I am very pleased to see your beauty so well drawn out!" He drew in a deep breath through his nose, reveling her perfumed scent. Garnet blushed as she turned to start to lead him toward the restaurant she had chosen. "Really? I was afraid you had... moved on, after you left without saying goodbye. I heard you went to the street party without me." "Perish the thought!" he declared loudly before dropping his voice. "In truth, I was called away for business. More particularly, seeing to it that the riot that was brewing become a party instead. I would have invited you along, but I saw that you needed your sleep and there was no time to wake you gently. The Harmony of this place is much too fragile as it stands, so I may be needed again with little warning. I trust you will forgive me!" "I feel so foalish for thinking so ill of you. I shouldn't have jumped to such conclusions," she hung her head blushing a bit before she snapped back to attention. "Oh! The party. It's like what you did to 'help' me and my sister come to peace, wasn't it? I still don't think I understand how that worked. Something about songs... wait, you didn't somehow make me come ask you out, did you?!" "No, no, no, no. I was as much dragged along by that wild Song Magic as you were, though I suppose I could have stopped it if I tried. But then, why would I want to avoid being asked out by such a beautiful mare?" he wrapped a wing around her and nuzzled her cheek. "Though I suppose if another mare asked me out, that might need avoiding. You do not strike me as the sharing type." Garnet blushed even harder and whispered back. "I hadn't even thought about anything like that. Why, is that something you really want?" Alex blushed a bit before whispering to Garnet. "I think perhaps someday we find a stallion we could share between us? But there is no need to rush into such a thing." Garnet stopped just outside the '13 Bits' restaurant, too embarrassed by their topic of conversation to go in yet. "I really hadn't thought about anything like that!" "Then think about it. There is no need to rush such a decision. Just remember I am as much mare as stallion. Though I am happy to let you satisfy all of my needs if you like." He stopped whispering to add, "was this where you had in mind for dinner? It looks quite luxurious! I wonder if they have a dance floor, so that I can show off my date to everypony." With that he opened the door for her, showing her inside.