Maud jumped at the surprise frenzy of knocks coming from outside of her door. She had been awake for about an hour, waiting for Crystalline to drop by.
She walked to the door and opened it, revealing her crystal friend. "Heya!" Crystalline greeted, smiling brightly. "Are you ready to go?"
Maud nodded before putting her saddlebag on her back. She tightened it and walked outside of her room, making sure she had her room key in tow. After she closed the door, Crystalline started to walk down the hallway, swishing her sparkly tail.
"Come on! Let's not waste any time!" She remarked as she bounced away. Celestia, the resemblance of her and Pinkie is almost scary...
Maud slowly made her way over, seeing that her friend had already left the hotel. She walked outside, and felt the warmth of the sun on her fur. She once again took in the sights of the many crystals around her.
After catching up with each other, the two made their way to Crystal Geode's shop, looking at the sign on the building moving a bit in the breeze. The breeze had a nice chill to it, which Maud deducted came from the icy lands around the Empire. Crystalline silently giggled before taking her place by the window, carefully observing.
"Alright! It's go time!"
Maud nodded. "Alright. I'll be out in a minute." She took a breath before opening the door, seeming nervous as ever. Her heart rate picked up as she saw the unicorn who had stolen her heart sitting at the desk. He looked up, and Maud caught her eyes in his. He gave her a smile as she approached.
"Hello, Maud! Did you have a nice rest?" He asked as Maud nodded.
"I did. However, I don't have enough bits to stay another night."
Crystal raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well... hotels here are more expensive than any other place in Equestria." He then looked from Maud to his desk. "You only are able to stay here the rest of today, then?"
Maud blinked. "I guess so."
Crystal shook his head. "That's no way to take a vacation! Here, how about this: you can stay at my house in one of the extra bedrooms I have. For free. That way, you can make the most of your little trip. Does that sound good?"
Maud stood there in disbelief. Crystalline was wrong! Crystal Geode was showing friendship! She kept a smile in as she responded. "That would be nice. Thank you, Crystal."
The crystal stallion smiled back. "No problem. Meet me here at five. That's when I close up shop."
Maud nodded. "Sounds alright with me." She then turned and walked towards the door. "See you in a few hours." She walked outside, immediately feeling all warm and fluttery. Once again, visions of the blue stallion were circling throughout her mind. Crystalline jumped over to her, a bright smile on her face.
"Oh my gosh, you actually got him to smile!" She then giggled a bit. "I think I was wrong. Well, there are two options here." She stopped, looking at Maud in seriousness. "He either wants to be friends with you because you don't show too much emotion like himself, or, he has the hots for you." Crystalline gave Maud a teasing look. "I think it might be the second one." She then flipped a bit of mane out of her face. "Oh, if that's the case, you are a lucky, lucky, lucky, mare. You have no idea how many mares flock to stallion models."
Maud blinked, taking it in. She never thought about him actually liking her back. The whole idea of him being the one for her was still a lot to process. Her heart rate picked up as a purple hoof broke her from her thoughts.
"Yoo-hoo! Equestria to Maud!" Maud looked in her friend's direction. "Are you okay? You seemed distant for a second."
Maud's ears perked up, but she blinked. "I don't think I was."
Crystalline shrugged her shoulders. "Oh. Okay." She then grew a smile on her face. "So... what did you two talk about? You seemed a little shocked. Well, from what I could see, at least."
Maud felt her heart pick up speed once again. "Well... he's letting me stay at his house for a week."
Crystalline's eyes widened. "He what?!"
Maud nodded. "Yep. I told him that I only had enough money to stay here one night. He then offered for me to stay at his house so that I would have a good vacation here."
Crystalline picked up her jaw. "Wow. He must have changed. Either that, or he really likes you. Maybe he just became a better pony." She shrugged again. "Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, do you want to meet my work friends tomorrow? We could probably go do something." She then jokingly raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're not going out with Geode, of course~."
"Sure, I would like to meet them." She paused for a moment as her ears flicked back only a small bit. "And I won't be going out with him."
"But how could you be so sure?"
Maud blinked. "I just have a feeling."
Crystalline pouted. "Darn. I wanted to encourage you to go out with him." She then perked her head up. "Okay, answer me honestly. Do you like him? Like... like like him?"
Maud knew that now was time to put her stone face into action. She knew that lying isn't the best thing, but she didn't want to confess that she was in love with him. She just thought getting out of it might be better.
"No. I don't."
Crystalline's ears flicked. "Aw, are you sure? I thought I saw love in your eyes as you looked at him earlier."
"Well, whatever you did see wasn't love. I might have been admiring the rocks on the counter when you looked."
Crystalline raised an eyebrow. "Wait... you admire rocks?"
Maud nodded. "Yeah. I can look at any rock, and immediately know what type of rock it is."
"Interesting."
After a short moment of silence, Maud internally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Celestia, she stopped-
"But I still think you may like him."
And, she took back that internal sigh of relief. She was never going to live this down. "I don't like him."
The crystal mare scanned Maud's face before looking away. "Oh, alright. I'll believe you. For now." She then looked around. "So... you have to go unpack and report to his house?"
Maud shook her head. "I don't have much to unpack. I only brought a saddlebag with me. And I'm meeting him at the shop later."
"You only have a saddlebag?" Crystalline asked, her eyes filled with surprise. "I've never heard of a pony travelling to the Crystal Empire with only a saddlebag."
Maud blinked. "I travel lightly."
Crystalline snorted. "Well, that's obvious!" She then nudged Maud's shoulder before her ears folded back. "Oh, yeah. Tomorrow, I won't be available until later. Captain Shining Armor commissioned me to work until mid-afternoon tomorrow."
Maud nodded. "Alright. I'll occupy myself here."
"Maybe you can help with Crystal Geode's shop? I'm not trying to tease you. It's just an idea."
As Maud heard this, she smiled internally. She liked that idea. It actually was a very good alternative. "That sounds good. I'll probably do that." She paused for a minute. "And, I'm curious. Where do you work as a royal guard?"
Crystalline pointed up to the castle. "I work there, of course!" She proudly lifted her head up. "I am protecting Princess Cadence in her throne room."
Maud's eyes widened. "Wow. That's an honor."
Crystalline nodded, a bright smile visible on her face. "Yeah. Well, Cadence likes talking to her throne room guards and befriending them, so Captain Shining chose four of the most social guards to directly protect Cadence." She flicked her tail. "I also had to go through a lot of training to get to my level. He picked the most social guards in the higher ranks. The ones who have a lot of experience."
"Wow. It sounds like you've been a guard for a while."
"Sort of. It's been a few years at least."
Maud nodded and looked towards her hotel. "Well, I should go check out of my hotel and all that. I may not have much to unpack, but I may want to spend some time in the hotel room."
"Oh, that's okay! So... I guess I'll see ya tomorrow?"
Maud nodded in response. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."
She then walked up to her hotel. Internally, she was the happiest mare in Equestria. Crystal Geode had invited her to stay with him! The thought sent more raging butterflies through her stomach. If he was really as unfriendly as Crystalline made him sound, then he must care for Maud in one form or another. Limestone had told her to not doubt the Choosing Stone at all, and that everything will work out.
Everything will work out in the end for us...
Though, even though she kept telling herself that everything will be perfect, a small part of her still doubted it. Would he not want to pursue a relationship? Would he give her a farewell after a week and never see her again? These thoughts made Maud's stomach churn.
She walked up to the front counter of the hotel, making eye contact with the mare.
"Hello. I would like to check out now."
The mare nodded and smiled. "Oh, alright. I hope you enjoyed your stay!"
Maud blinked. "I did. The Empire's very nice."
The mare flipped a bit of her sparkly mane out of her face. "I'm glad!" She then wrote a few things on paper. "So... just bring your room key over here when you're all packed again."
Maud nodded. "Alright. I'll be back in a minute." She replied as she started down the hallway and over to the flight of stairs.
After checking out of the hotel, eating lunch, and enjoying the scenery, she found herself in front of Crystal Geode's shop. It was about five, which meant it was about time to leave with him. Her stomach fluttered as she opened the door, welcoming the glimmer of the crystals on the wall. The shop had a very nice feeling about it.
Crystal caught her glace and walked away from the counter. "There you are! Are you ready to leave?"
Maud nodded. "I am." Crystal then waved to the other worker before holding the door open. Maud walked outside before he closed it. The two then walked in silence for a few minutes. Maud did normally enjoy the silence, but not when it was hanging above her and her love's shoulder. She tried to break it.
"Have you had a nice day?"
He nodded, keeping his glance ahead. "I have, thank you. What about yourself?"
"It has been very nice. Though, I didn't expect the hotels to be so expensive."
Crystal nodded. "Yeah. This happens to a lot of ponies, in fact." He then stuck his head up. "I'm just not generous to them because they're... really uptight."
Maud blinked. "I imagine. I hear from one of my sisters that ponies in Canterlot are like that. I have been there once, but stayed out of everypony's business."
Crystal gently moved a bit of mane out of his face, seeming to be avoiding the glance of a few mares walking by. "I have heard mixed reviews about Canterlot. Some love it, some dislike it, it varies." They then turned a corner to see a large mansion coming into view.
"We're here," Geode announced as he picked up the pace a little bit. Maud's eyes went wide. She didn't expect him to live in a huge house like this.
She made her way up the crystal path, looking at him holding the door open for her. Her heart started racing and her mind drifted to permanently living in this house, snuggled up with the crystal stallion, staring into his eyes...
She snapped out of it as she now saw him a few feet away, gesturing for her to come inside.