Daring Do was not happy.
She had been tasked by no less than Princess Celestia herself to go into dangerous territory and rescue an important hostage. She had traveled through rough terrain and faced several dangers, all ending in a showdown with Ahuizotl himself.
That should have been the hard part. Instead, it had been the beginning of the true horror. Because the hostage had turned out to be him.
Prince Blueblood sat watching his marshmallow cook over the campfire. He had insisted on looting it from the enemies’ supplies, and while Daring had to admit she enjoyed s’mores, now wasn’t the time or the place.
And that was just the first of many things that bothered her about him. The way he was breathing heavily and moaning as he trudged through the jungle. The way he fished that mirror out at every rest and checked his mane, trying to pick out the leaves stuck in it. The way he grimaced as he ate his share of the rations.
What a wuss.
And now, with Luna’s moon in the sky, he was sitting there, pouting on his face, looking absolutely miserable. Pansy.
He actually smiled as he made himself a s'more and popped it in his mouth, chewing with small, reserved bites, the full Canterlot ‘I do everything better than you slobs’ way of doing it. This was, of course, his insistence that he raid the treats from his previous captors. Instead of being practical and taking the essentials, he just had to have a luxury.
Still, to his credit, he wasn’t keeping them to himself. He had even offered. So she sat, roasting her own marshmallow and keeping quiet.
As she watched the chewy object darken, she couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t had a s'more since she was a teenager and her uncle took her camping. It had been the most treasured memories of her childhood before they drifted apart. Swimming in the lake, hiking through the trails, exploring caves...
“Ah, so you can do that,” Blueblood said, snapping her out of her daydreams.
“What?”
“Smile. I was beginning to think your mouth didn’t work right.”
That got her right back to the scrowl. “Oh shut up,” she muttered, pulling her marshmallow out of the fire.
Blueblood spoke as she started placing the creamy prize in between chocolate and graham cracker. “Oh, do loosen up, would you? I was just being playful.” He put another marshmallow on his stick and stuck it in the fire.
“Oh, that’s rich, a Canterlot snob telling me to loosen up. I’ve seen you trying to readjust your mane at every stop.”
“I don’t like being dirty, so sue me. I’m not used to being out here.”
“Yeah, but do you have to whine about it?”
Blueblood arched an eyebrow. “Have I been whining?”
Daring Do opened her mouth to respond, but closed it at some thought. While Blueblood’s discomfort at his circumstances was plenty plain, he never once had expressed them verbally. Sure, there was a moan or groan, but that seemed to be involuntary, the result of how unused to the current situation he truly was.
“...Okay, maybe not intentionally,” she said, watching her marshmallow cook with extra intensity.
“Helping run a country doesn’t leave you with a lot of time to get to know the great outdoors,” he said, preparing another s’more.
“What do you do, anyway? Nopony seems to know.”
“I like to keep it that way. I handle the things that are none of the public’s business. Black Ops and all that. My exploits are as secret as yours, even if I do handle them behind a desk.”
Daring nodded. that made sense, actually. Everypony’s image of Blueblood was either a twit who got a free ride thanks to his heritage, or a fairy tale come true, at least until meeting him turned whatever prospecting mare off of him, and usually stallions entirely, in a few short hours.
“But even I find a way to have some fun. Like shutting down gold-digging mares when they try and court me.”
Daring blinked. “Wait... all those horror stories about you... you were doing that intentionally?”
He grinned. “A lot of mares want to be a princess. I love giving them a reality check.” After a paused, his grin faded. “It backfired on me before, though. At the Grand Galloping Gala.”
“Rarity?” At Blueblood’s shock, she went on. “I’ve met the Bearers before. They helped me deal with Ahuizotl once.”
“Ah, yes, I read that report,” Blueblood said. “I might have jumped the gun on Rarity. I met her at a few social gatherings later, when she was a guest of Fancypants. She actually seemed rather pleasant, when she wasn’t trying to court me.”
“Yeah. I could tell she wasn’t happy getting rough and tumble, but she did it without hesitating. And she didn’t whine too much afterward.” Daring bit down on her s’more, savoring the taste. She had forgotten how good these were.
“So... any mare you’re actually into?”
Blueblood smirked. “Why? Worried about competition?”
Daring would have thrown the s’more at him if it wasn’t so good. “Ew, yeah right! I was just making conversation.”
“Wow, now you actually want to talk to me?” At Daring’s glare, he bit back the rest of his snark. “Well... I had my eye on Twilight Sparkle for a while... before she became a Bearer.”
“Her?” Daring’s annoyance washed away in surprise. “She seems... so unregal.”
“That’s why I liked her. I knew she wasn’t a gold-digger. You’d never know she was born a noble from how she acts. Only ever attended gatherings when the Princess made her.”
“Yeah. She was probably my favorite of that group, aside from Rainbow Dash. Little too scrawny, but she had practicality I respected.”
He nodded. “She is beautiful. I had my eye on her, but she stayed in her shell until Ponyville. It’s a shame. I hear she’s seeing one of the Royal Guards now.”
She nodded, starting another marshmallow.
“How about you? Any romance in your future?’
Daring flushed. She considered refusing to answer, but decided that would be hypocritical. She had brought the topic up, after all. “No... I’m too busy.”
“You seem to be too busy for any fun. I had to talk you into bringing these along,” he noted, holding up his marshmallow.
“It was pointless.”
“Not the way I see it. This got smiling and talking. I figure it was worth the extra effort to get them. Don’t act like you’re not enjoying them.”
She blushed, shoving another bite in her mouth.
“Do you do anything for fun?”
“My writing,” Daring said. “Sure, Daring Do books are just a double negative, but any other fiction I write keeps me sane.”
He nodded. “I rather enjoyed The Nine Rings. Read it over two months.”
“You’re a fan?”
“I haven’t read everything you’ve written. My time is limited, you understand. But your novels are frequent. I also enjoy Jade Singer and a few others. When Twilight Sparkle grows up in the same palace was you, you tend to pick up a few books.”
“You know... Twilight invited me to a few things since we’ve met. I’ve turned her down because I’ve been too busy. She and Rainbow Dash visit sometimes, and... I always want to see them more.”
“They're going to be at the Grand Galloping Gala this year. Why don’t you attend?”
Daring Do arched an eyebrow. ‘I don’t have a ticket.”
“Really? Well... be my plus one.”
Daring’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Are you... asking me on a date?”
Blueblood laughed a laugh that made Daring what to hit him. “So the great Daring Do can get flustered. Hilarious...ow!”
A pebble struck him in the forehead. He looked at the mare as he rubbed his scalp.
“Plus ones aren’t automatically dates. I hear four of the Bearers are bringing their sisters this year. Nothing more than me offering to escort you to a social gathering. Well, that, and I’d be guaranteed to keep any unpleasant mares away.”
Daring felt her face heat up. She had to shoot off her mouth and turn what was a friendly offer into an awkward moment. “Um... I’m not good at fancy parties...”
“And I’m not good out here. Only fair I get to see you outside your element.”
Daring wasn’t sure whether to scowl or snark back. She highly suspected either option would illicit an infuriating comment from him.
“What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?” Daring asked.
Blueblood shrugged. “You seem to be holding a conversation with me just fine. I’m not so bad when you get to know me, am I?”
“...I guess not.”
“Besides, I’d figure a pretty mare would want a chance to be treated to some dancing.”
Daring Do’s face heated up at that comment. She glared at her companion, wanting to royally chew him out.
She stopped when she saw the look on his face. It wasn’t smug, it was... shocked.
“Whoa... did that get to you that much? I was just making a joke.” He actually sounded apologetic.
Now Daring really was blushing at letting such an idle comment get to her. “Um, well... most stallions don’t really consider me... pretty.”
Confusion crossed Blueblood’s features. “Really?” He started scanning her body. Daring felt like she should be offended at such scrutiny, but Blueblood’s look wasn’t lecherous. It was like a thoughtful stallion trying to solve a puzzle.
“...I didn’t really look, but now... I don’t see why. You look fine. Not a supermodel, but you look very beautiful.”
Correction, now Daring felt like dying of embarrassment. Hoping to change the subject, she asked. “I’m a little curious how a hoity-toity stallion like you got a compass rose as a cutie mark.”
The smile told her that he had seen right through her tactic, but he played along. “When I was a foal, my father took me on a trip to Saddle Arabia. It was fascinating, and I met so many ponies, and horses, and zebra, and several other creatures. I heard stories from all over the world. All these crazy places, all the wonderful sites... I wanted to see them all. That’s when it appeared on my flank.”
“Your cutie mark is traveling, but you stay in Canterlot the whole time?”
“I have a job to do. The work I do is no less important than yours,” Blueblood shrugged. “Traveling is what I’ll do when I retire, assuming an assassin doesn’t kill me first.”
Daring Do grinned. She appreciated a morbid sense of humor.
“Still, I take time to enjoy the pleasures in life. Your turn.”
Daring Do blinked. “What?”
“Come on, cutie mark stories are give and take. What’s yours?”
Ah. “My uncle Gallant Heart used to take me camping. One day we found a cave while out hiking. I was scared, but he convinced me to go in. There were scary sounds, bats, and it was so dark I couldn’t see anything outside his flashlight. But we went in and we eventually came across a room filled with gems. They were all glittering and covering the cave with light. It was so beautiful. And I never would have found it if I hadn’t gone exploring.”
Blueblood grinned. “Traveling and exploring. Not so different, is it?”
“I guess not. I... I enjoy all the adventure, I really do. But I suppose meeting the Bearers has shown me that I’ve let it consumed me.”
“The Bearers are heroes, but they take time for themselves. I see no reason why you shouldn’t do the same. So, about my invitation?”
Silence followed.
“Well... you know what? Sure, why not?”
Blueblood grinned. “Not afraid anymore?”
Daring Do shrugged, making another s’more. “It’s the unknown. It’s an adventure. And I’m always up for that.”