Soft, yellow light woke her up. She stretched and yawned, then rang the bell by her bedside to call in a servant. Goblet got up and opened the curtains to gaze out upon Equestria and sighed in happiness. Such a beautiful land. It was a large land and sometimes frightening, and Goblet was very glad the palace was by the coast. She really loved the sea.
A soft pink pony with a darker pink and white mane and tail came in. She had a tray with a letter on.
"Your highness, I heard the bell, and hurried up but your father's chief guard gave me this and told me to give it to you from your father. That is why there was a fourteen-second delay." she said. Goblet grinned. Prim Rose, or, Rose, as they called her, was always very precise with time and hated being one second late.
"You're fine, Rose. Please lay out some clothes. I don't want any crowns, just a simple head piece. I want to visit the gardens and maybe the ocean, today." Goblet said. Rose bowed and started looking through the closet for clothes.
It was never very cold in this region, so the ponies always wore light clothing and light jewelry. The crowns were simple, slender, small and delicate. Nothing heavy and fancy and adorned with jewels, like some other regions.
After laying her things out, Rose helped Goblet into a simple, light purple garment. It was very thin, and very simple. It was a wide skirt that flowed over her backside, and was fastened by a purple flower-shaped pin under the belly. Straps came down around the belly, and a simple halter strap around the neck made it look gorgeous.
Next, a few sections of Goblet's black and white mane were clipped back and a simple, silver head piece put in to hold them together. Goblet had purple painted on her eyelids and a thin like of black below that.
When Rose finished helping Goblet get dressed, they both went out to the gardens.
"Which garden do you wish to visit, highness?" asked Rose.
"Um, maybe the lotus garden. I really like that one and the flowers have just bloomed, or so says mother, who visited yesterday." Goblet replied, and they started off for the lotus garden.
Lotuses were very beautiful flowers. Rare and fragile, they were usually white or turquoise or a combination of both in Equestria. Goblet liked wearing them in her mane.
"Well, here we are." said Rose. They sat down on a bench nearby a patch of blue flowers. Goblet bent down and sniffed them. They smelled so wonderful.
"If you will, pick a blue one and fasten it in my hair with the hairpeice? Or will that look too shabby or weird?" Goblet asked nervously.
"Oh it will look wonderful, highness." Rose bent and picked one, then put it in her mane.
"Oh yes Highness, very beautiful. Very beautiful. I assure you." Rose said. And she didn't just say that, for the princess was always so beautiful, and today even more so.
"Shall we visit another garden?" she asked.
"Yes, let's. Lets go to the snapdragon and lily gardens yet, then go to the ocean."
But just as they started off a pony trotted in and called for 'highness Golden Goblet.'
Goblet turned and looked. It was Dragon's foot (his parents were always bad at naming) or Don, as they called him. He was a messenger boy, and rather new. Goblet always had had a soft spot for him.
"Yes, Don? What is it?" Goblet walked up to him. He took a deep breath.
"His Majesty the king Silver Steel wishes you in his throne room immediately. Her highness Gemstone Flower the queen is there also." he said breathlessly, for he had run as fast as he could to get there, like always.
"Oh, okay. Thank you Don. You may go."
"No, no-must--stay...and be ready for duty." he said, sounding very out of breath and worn out.
"I'll tell my father to get someone else, so you can have a rest." Goblet said, and her and Rose started to leave.
"Thank you, your highness, most appreciated!" said the polite messenger, and with one last smile Goblet and Rose entered the courtyard of the palace and crossed it to the door.
"Oh highness I do think you need a gaurd. Someone who can be here to defend you whenever needed." Rose suddenly said. Goblet looked at her in surprise.
"What caused you to bring that up all of a sudden?" she asked.
"Nothing, just, there's a murderer who everyone thinks is headed to our parts and I worry for your safety. Oh sure, you have me, you might think but I'm useless when it comes to fighting and protecting royalty. I'm just a maidservant." Rose said in her usual worried kind of voice.
They started to ascend a flight of steps. Goblet smiled down at Rose.
"You aren't exactly a guard, I know, but I don't need one. I know fighting myself, as I am learning the arts of Krav Maga and karate, so I could probably handle things myself. I don't need a guard staring at me all day when I can take care of myself. But thanks for worrying." Goblet assured her. Rose sighed, obviously not agreeing, but Goblet was unmovable when it came to things she believed in.
Finally they reached the throne room. Goblet waved Rose to wait at the wall and she trotted up to the throne, where her parents were waiting.
"Hello darling. You have a visitor." The king said, and told his guard to show him in. She gulped.
HIM?
A well-groomed pony the color of wheat with a bushy red and white mane and tail stepped in. He smiled sheepishly.
"Majesties. I'm here to offer myself to the princess." he said in a stronger voice than Goblet thought he'd have.
"What? What do you mean?" Goblet shrieked.
"Calm down Goblet. Calm. Down." said her mother and smiled sweetly at the porter.
"What is it you wish to offer yourself to her for?" she asked.
"To court her, as she is the future queen of this region, she needs a husband to help her rule. I know ruling pretty well since I read all about it." he said. Goblet shook her head but a look from her mother stopped her.
"Oh, so you would like to court and possibly marry her so you can rule?" she asked so sweetly he didn't realize what she was trying to reveal.
"Yes, of course."
"Hmm. Well, we'll think about it and send you and answer by Wednesday. Thank you, sir and goodbye. " Goblet hid a grin. Her mother handled things so well. She only hoped to be as good as her one day.
"Thank you, majesty. Thank you." and he bowed awkwardly a couple times before leaving.
"You better not answer with a yes because I will not marry him! It's plain what he wants." Goblet grumbled.
"Of course I'll say no. But it's better to do it politely, dear. He's just out for the gold and riches and fame." her mother said with a sigh.
"He's out for what being king will do for him, not what having an amazing wife will do for him." Steel said.
Like so many others, Goblet thought as Rose escorted her to her room to dress appropriately for a day at the ocean.
They all wanted the same thing. Fame. Riches. Glory. And they thought marrying her was the only way. Which it was. So that scraggly pony was definitely not the first to ask her that.
Oh how I wish for someone to come to the gates and not offer himself for marriage (for that was always a bad sign) but to slowly and surely court her and win her heart and then perhaps marry.
It just never worked out for her.
It was troubling, indeed. Not even Rose could comfort her.