What a Prince Does

by Ixtaek

The Prince's Arrival

Prince Blueblood looked down bashfully, then remembered that princes were supposed to be confident.

“Yes, fair lady, I quested long and hard to find you and now, at last, our reunion has occurred!” He took a few steps towards her, but Applejack backed away.

“You were th’one lookin’ fer me? Horse feathers, if I’da’ known that I’da’ told Pinkie Pie not t’bother with a party.” She glared at the Prince, who looked hurt, emotionally and physically, covered in dirt and briars, and a total mess. He was still wearing the collar he’d had on at the gala, though it was considerably worse for wear, like it hadn’t been taken off in the week since. His horn was no longer bleeding but had formed a rather unattractive scab over its tip. Applejack felt a twinge of sympathy for the stallion. He seemed genuinely lost and confused, and he needed medical attention from all the cuts on his body… could a unicorn’s horn even regrow? She would have to ask Twilight. She stood up a bit straighter.

“Look here, Ah don’t like you all that much an’ Ah reckon yer hoity-toitiness means y’won’t like me, but we gotta take care of them there injuries a’fore they get infected. C’mon, Ah’ll take ya back t’the house.” She set off, and to her surprise he followed her docilely, not taking his eyes off of her for even a second. Applejack found it rather unnerving, but his eyes didn’t seem to be arrogant or angry, but quietly mystified and a little… adoring? Applejack shook her head slightly. She must be imagining it.

They reached the house and Applejack pushed the door open for him. The Prince seemed stunned. “But… Lady Applejack, it’s not proper for a woman to have to hold the door for a man! Allow me!” He held onto the door as well. Both stared at each other, waiting for one of them to go inside, and finally Applejack relinquished. Prince Blueblood trotted in after her, seeming pleased with himself. His pleasure, like the rest of his demeanor, wasn’t snobby, but rather like a colt who had been praised by his teacher for doing something right. Had it been anypony else, Applejack might have found it adorable.

“Y’stay here. Ah’ll go get th’bandages and some water t’clean out them cuts.” She fetched the first aid supplies and returned to find Blueblood standing exactly where she’d left him. “Sit down already. Yer exhausted.” The Prince sat gingerly on the floor, making Applejack sigh. “Y’can sit on th’couch. It’s what it’s there fer.” He stood, sheepishly, and settled onto the couch instead.

“I didn’t want to… get it dirty and cause you trouble…”

Applejack snorted. “It gets dirty a fer piece more than that. We put a cover on it so we can jist wash it when we can’t see the pattern no more. Now, hold out yer left hoof.”

The Prince looked at his front legs in confusion, then lifted one. His right one.

“No, yer left hoof. Don’t y’know left from right?”

He looked away, ashamed.

“Uh, no big deal. I’ll jist take care o’this one first…” She began carefully washing out the cuts. “So, uhm… ya… ya got hit pretty hard on the head at that party, didn’t ya?”

Blueblood looked at her with genuine bafflement. “I have no recollection of a party… what is a party?”

Applejack thought a moment. “It’s a… a time when friends get t’gether and have a good time.” Blueblood got quiet, thinking about this. “So… what do ya remember?”

“I remember you saving me from some awful loud things that were hurting me,” he said at length.

“And a’fore that?”

“N-nothing…” Blueblood’s ears sank sadly.

Applejack tied the first bandage carefully. “That’s alright; Ah mean, now y’can start yer life all over. T’ain’t many ponies who get a chance like that.” The Prince seemed encouraged by this, and bore with her doctoring patiently. Just as she was finishing Big Macintosh came in from the orchard and seemed mildly surprised to see a stallion sitting in his living room.

“Applejack, who is this here gentlepony?”

“Big Macintosh, this here is uh… Blueblood. He’s not from ‘round these parts and he was mighty battered so Ah figgered Ah’d patch him up a bit. Blueblood, this here’s mah big brother, Big Macintosh.”

Blueblood bowed to Big Macintosh. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Sir Big Macintosh.”

Big Mac seemed uncomfortable. “Jist Big Macintosh, please.” He looked at Applejack. “Does Mr. Blueblood got anyplace to stay while he’s in Ponyville?”

“Uh, no… but…”

“Then yer more than welcome to stay here. We got an extra room ye can stay in till ye find a place o’yer own.”

Applejack had to resist stamping her hooves in frustration. “Don’t ya think that…”

“I would be honored.”

“Applejack, be a dear and show ‘im to th’room.” Macintosh trotted past them to the kitchen. “Ah’ll tell Granny Smith t’make some extra apple fritter fer our houseguest.” He left the two alone, Applejack spluttering after him. She hadn’t wanted to leave the apparently amnesiac prince out while he was injured, but letting him stay at Sweet Apple Acres was a completely different barrel of apples.

“Ah guess Ah’ll show ya the room…” she grumbled. Prince Blueblood seemed excited by the prospect.

His excitement did not abate when he saw the room. It was very small, right above the kitchen, normally only used during the Apple family reunions. It had a cot with one of Granny’s homemade quilts, a window covered by some curtains Apple Bloom had made for an arts-and-crafts project, with a matching rug, and a single drawer dresser and lamp. Prince Blueblood looked about, nodding in satisfaction. Applejack tried not to let her irritation seep into her voice.

“Well this here’s it. If ya wanna wash off then we got a hose outside or y’can jump into the pond fer a swim. But it don’t reckon it’d be right smart to do so till yer injuries heal.”

Blueblood smiled at her. “Thank you for your generosity, Lady Applejack.”

“That’s another thing. Ah ain’t no lady. Mah name is plain ol’ Applejack, or Miss Applejack, iffen yer feelin’ a mite formal.”

Blueblood thought this over. “Very well, Miss Applejack, I thank you most humbly.”

Applejack scowled. “Ah don’t get it. Yer nothing but a snotty, froofy good-fer-nothin’. Why ye actin’ so… so nice about this here sitch-y-ation?”

Blueblood smiled at her benevolently. “Because, Lady Applejack, that is what princes do. Genteel demeanor and thankfulness for any act of kindness is part of a prince’s very nature!”

“Ye didn’t act like that t’mah friend Rarity at the Gala!” Applejack said, snorting derisively.

Prince Blueblood looked aghast. “I did not? Oh, how unchivalrous of me! A prince must be kind to every maiden, whether they are his lady or not.”

“His lady?” said Applejack suspiciously.

“Yes! A prince defends his lady against every harm, goes to battle in her name, and dies with her name on his lips! Fear not, Miss Applejack, for I shall never let a thing harm you!” He reared and beat his hooves in the air to emphasize his point. Applejack stared at him like he was crazy.

“Are ya plumb outta yer mind? I ain’t no princess! And I…”

“That matters not. According to most of the books I read, the prince’s damsel is often a pure-hearted villager who helps him through her kindness, just like you did for me!” He took one of her hooves. “Besides, once we wed then…”

“Now hold on just one second here!” Applejack said, pulling back from him like he was a snake. “Ah don’t know what nonsense yer spoutin’ but Ah can assure ya Ah’d never, ever fall fer a double-dealin’, apple-hatin’ varmit like yerself, much less get hitched t’em! Where’d ya get all this nonsense about princes anyhow?”

“Why, from the books about princes of course! There were plenty back at the… castle, I think it’s called.”

Applejack put her face into her hoof. “Those are jist fairy tales, Blueblood. They ain’t real.”

Blueblood’s ears sagged. “Then… then what am I supposed to act like?”

“Well… uh…”

“Do you know what I was like before?”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“What was I like?”

“Ya were annoyin’, snobby, and unpleasant.”

“So… I should be like that?”

“No!” Applejack sighed. “Ya can be however ya want, really, but Ah’d recommend not goin’ back t’that particular attitude. Nopony really likes a snob.”

Blueblood patted his head, wincing when his hoof touched his broken horn. “Well, I’d much rather act like a prince than a snob. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to act like that until I figured out what a real prince is like.”

Applejack resisted the urge to facehoof again. “Fine. Make yerself more presentable. Mah friend Pinkie Pie is throwin’ ya a party and it wouldn’t do t’be late.” She stomped out, worn out from the stallion’s curiosity.

“A party… when friends get together…”

Author's Note:

Haha this is so long. I couldn't think of where to break it. But it's mostly talking so... yay.

Comments

[SeanofTheDead]

This... Is not a long chapter. This is a good length for a chapter, plenty happened though you told more than was shown, most of my chapters are around 2000 words. Makes for a nice break from your day, without eating up all of your time or for a short read before bed.

[Magical Trevor]

5347766 Yo, newsflash. This is about the longest chapter in the story. Maybe you're a decent author, and can write decent-length chapters, but guess what? Not everyone can, and being condescending and insulting like this isn't going to help them get better. So if you don't have anything constructive to say for advice, like you did when you said they told more than showed, then you can sod off. They've already said they're not a great writer. They know they can improve, and are looking to do so, so try to keep that in mind, okay? Not all of us can be RainbowBobs and WandererDs and ShortSkirtsandExplosions.

That said, this is about what a chapter should be for a minimum, in general. Aim for at least one-thousand words, because that's the minimum length for a story to be accepted, so if that's the shortest a one-shot should be, then that's about the minimum length you should aim for in a chapter. Two to three thousand word chapters are usually considered solid chapters, as it's enough to get some stuff done, while not being overwhelming.

[NemoSpecific]

Is it just me, or does "Well, now you can start your life over!" seem like the wrong response to hearing that someone's got amnesia?

Maybe "Let's get you to the hospital" would be more appropriate?

[Parasprite Polka]

That matters not. According to most of the books I read, the prince’s damsel is often a pure-hearted villager who helps him through her kindness, just like you did for me!” He took one of her hooves. “Besides, once we wed then…”
“Now hold on just one second here!” Applejack said, pulling back from him like he was a snake.

I laughed so hard, I started to cough! It's OK, I'm not dead (yet).

[Deathclaw2014]

“But… Lady Applejack, it’s not proper for a woman to have to hold the door for a man! Allow me!”

There are men and women in Equestria?

[Deathclaw2014]

5347766 Why does length even matter if we already know what's happening? But yes, chapter two does more telling than showing.

[Yoshifan30]

Applejack put her face into her hoof. “Those are jist fairy tales, Blueblood. They ain’t real.”

yep like in the video at least in the beginning part not everything has to go what the fairy tales does

[Yoshifan30]

So apparently Prince Blueblood is still in his Gala clothes and he looks really a mess but the only thing he only concentrate is finding Applejack which he did and unfortunately she had some dealings with him especially how what he said back at the party was not nice at all but Applejack sees him differently he's not like the one at the party he looks like a lost Pony who doesn't know what to do anymore and Big Mac even offering him to stay this is going to be something else