Crown of Winter

by CartoonNerd12

Chapter 8

Gemstone got ready for her next date the next day, but she noticed the mood in the room wasn't very good. Screwball and Apple Jewel were sulking, and Star and Cotton were irritable. Gem wasn't in the best of moods, either, given she was worried about what could happen this time since the last guy tried to kiss her. She didn't tell her parents and she begged Dignity not to tell either since they both agreed it would only make their folks worried. Their cousins sided with them on it.

She turned to the girls, "Well, I'm going."

Cotton asked, "You want one of us to come along to make sure this one doesn't get his grubby hooves on you?"

"Well… I don't want an escort, but it would be nice if one of you was nearby."

"Here." Screwball conjured up a thin whistle, like the kind used on dogs. "If there's trouble, blow on this."

Gem tested it out, but even though no sound came out, the rest of the girls said, "OW!"

"It's reserved for only us to hear." Screwy explained.

"Neato!" Cotton exclaimed.

Gem smiled, "Thank you, Screwy. I feel much better now about going."

"As a matter of fact, we should all have one." said Star.

Screwball complied and made whistles for them all. "These will be for the boys for when they get back," she said as she held three of them.

"Which may be a while." said Starling. "They're at the library attending Dawn Twirl's study session."

"How did they convince Whirl and Sky to go?" Apple Jewel asked warily.

Starling shrugged, "Who knows? Fire always did have a way with words."

---

Sky asked Whirl while they were sitting at a table with other ponies, including his cousins and their marefriends.

"Why are we here again?"

"Fire invited me to come along after Dignity said he would come with Mauve and we decided to make it a triple date."

She arched her brow feeling, not at all convinced.

"Fine. I owed him one. When he invited me, I told him I wouldn't come to any egghead study group and he reminded me that I owed him a favor back when we were kids."

"What did you do?"

"I'll tell you later." He turned his head to face the pony in charge of the session.

Dawn addressed the group in a soft tone, "Thank you for coming. As I can see, there are some new faces as well as the old. Now I'm sure a lot of you have homework that needs to be done, given it's finals week at the schools. For those who don't have any, please help those that do."

The study session was underway and Whirl felt bored and so did Sky. They couldn't be much help to the ponies that had papers to finish. Fire Spark was having a blast. So many students needed to finish science projects and he was happy to provide research and answer any questions the students had. Mauve watched in awe of the ponies working and how so many of them needed help. Perhaps just thinking one could do anything only took one so far. Sometimes, a pony needed a little push to get him or her through.

She whispered her thoughts to Dignity, who smiled.

When the session was over, the princes and their mares were outside the library talking.

Whirl said, "No offense, Dawn, but I won't be coming back to any more sessions."

"Any sessions." said Sky.

Dawn nodded in understanding, "It's okay. Not every pony likes studying or reading."

Dignity suggested, "Perhaps next time, we all choose something we like to do for a triple date."

Sky questioned, "Like what? What could we all possibly like?"

Mauve motioned, "I must agree. There's not much for all of us to really like something."

"Besides, I have to get back to the derby. My mom's about to prepare for the race."

Dawn and Mauve gaped, "Your mom's a Wonderbolt?!"

"Uh, yeah. Spitfire, captain of the Wonderbolts."

"I love the Wonderbolts!" said Dawn.

"So do I!" said Mauve.

The guys exchanged smiles. Fire said, "Looks like we found something we all like…"

---

Cotton and Star watched from a corner as both the prince and his ambassador friend entered the throne room where they would meet with Twilight.

"You know, if they weren't so set on getting close to us, I would think they were cute." said Cotton.

"You too, huh?" Star sighed, "I will admit the ambassador is quite attractive."

"The prince's not bad looking, either." She shook her head, "But still, they are the enemy."

"Our pride is more important at the moment."

Then they sighed.

"It's too bad they had to come during the proclamation. Had they shown up before…"

Star nodded.

The doors to the throne room opened and the two stallions walked out. Prince Cannon Fire turned his head back, saying, "Look over the papers, and then you can tell me your decision tomorrow."

The girls heard Twilight say, "Certainly. I will meet with my advisors and we will make our choice."

Cannon bowed his head and so did Pen Pusher as they left the room. They were about to turn the corner when they head gasps and briefly saw the same princesses they saw hiding yesterday.

"We're being followed." said Cannon.

"And by the same mares who told us to leave them alone. Now that's ridiculous. If they wanted us to keep away, why would they shadow us?"

"Just a couple more days. Once we have the queen's answer, then we can leave this strange place."

"Who are you calling strange?!" Cotton came out.

"You." Cannon answered.

"How dare you!"

"I dare because you made it very clear that we leave you alone, and yet you follow us! Now I would like to know why that is."

"So would I." said Pen Pusher.

Star came up to them, "We were just passing by when we saw you going to meet my mother. And I would like know what kind of business arrangement you have with her, which is a pretty clever ruse, seeing how you're only here for us."

"This again?!" Pen exclaimed, "Your Highnesses, we are on a diplomatic mission to bring peace to any neighboring kingdoms because - believe it or not - we were at war in Maretonia and we wish to offer alliances through trade. I'm not sure how aware you are about how lucky you are, but at least you can choose to love. But Prince Cannon Fire has to marry someone of noble blood, no matter what." He took his leave with the prince following him.

This left the girls utterly speechless.

---

The Wonderbolt derby was over and the group was laughing from all of the excitement.

"Your mom came so close to losing!" Whirl told Sky.

"Hey, she managed to pull it off in the end. Besides, it was all for show. She makes them think she would lose, but she would really win in the end."

"That's a very good strategy." mentioned Dawn.

"Certainly," said Mauve. "Now I know that if I ever had to make a bet in the races, I would always choose the Wonderbolt that appears to be losing."

"Not that you would gamble, would you?" her coltfriend asked.

"Only if I knew for sure that I chose the winner."

Sky pointed, "Then when I become a Wonderbolt, you can always bet on me!"

"Good to know. When will that be?"

"Soon. Right now, I'm on the Wonderbolt Reserves, so it'll be a matter of time till a spot opens up."

Dawn questioned, "But your mom is the captain. Can't she just let you on?"

Sky sighed, "But I just want to prove to every pony that I earned it and not because of my mom."

The girls smiled.

"I get that." said Dawn.

"I'm always handed things, but for once, I would like to do something for myself. I respect that."

Sky smirked, "You know what? We're going to get along just fine."

"Good." said Whirl, "Because you girls are going to spend a lot of time together."

They looked back in confusion, seeing the princes grinning.

Dignity motioned, "Naturally, if you are to marry into the royal family, you will become princesses."

They gaped, realizing this was true.

"Shoot, I forgot for a moment you were a prince." Sky smirked at her colt.

"Hey!" he pouted playfully.

Dignity and Fire chuckled with Fire saying, "You know what? Sometimes we forget that, too!"

Whirl glared at them, but then his face softened and he laughed it off.

"What can I say? I'm not princely."

"Well, I'm not exactly princessly, either…" Sky gave a concerned look and moved Whirl to the side, "Are you sure you're making the right choice?"

Whirl smiled, "I am. Who cares if you don't act like a princess? I know some of my cousins don't act like it."

"But… Whirl. For so long, I have been training to be a Wonderbolt, and well… What's it going to look like if I marry you and become a Wonderbolt? Ponies are going to assume you had something to do with it, even though I truly earned it… It's bad enough my mom's the captain and I had to live in her shadow… but… marrying you… it'll feel like there's an unfair advantage… I… don't know if I can marry you…" She turned away so he couldn't see her tears.

"Sky…" He looked on with concern, "I'm sorry… I had no idea how hard it was for you growing up with the Wonderbolts… Suddenly, I see the reason you act mean and take it out on me as a way to cope with it…"

She still looked away, "After being so harsh to you… it's amazing you even had a crush on me…"

"Despite your moods, I didn't care. I just saw you as this amazing pony who was a great flyer besides myself…I knew I needed a pony that was going to be able to keep up with me and you were the only one who could."

She faced him with tear-stained cheeks, "Really?"

"Always." He took her hoof and moved her closer. They then leaned in, closed their eyes, and kissed.

There was cheering and whooping when they realized they weren't alone. They turned to face the smirking faces of the princes and Dawn and Mauve.

"What? Can't a guy kiss his mare?"

They laughed.

Once they moved on, Sky and Whirl were in the back as she whispered to him.

"I want to be your wife, but I don't want us marrying until after I become a Wonderbolt."

"I understand. The problem is my family wants me and my cousins to give heirs. Since we don't know how long until you become a Wonderbolt and given that my cousins at the castle are rejecting suitors left and right, they might force us to wed sooner than we would want to…"

She gave a worried look, "Would they really do that?"

"I… don't know." he called up to the guys, "Hey, Fire! Dignity!"

"Yeah?" they said turning back to face him.

"What happens if the girls don't choose anyone? Would our parents force us to marry to preserve the line?"

Dignity gave a concerned look and looked to Fire for the answers. He also had a concerned look.

"That's a pretty interesting point… It's no secret that they need us to have heirs… If the girls can't find anyone and since we made our choices… Gentlecolts, I'm afraid to say that they would."

Whirl, Dignity, and even the girls were shocked.

Comments

[Godslittleprincess]

I'm not sure how aware you are about how lucky you are, but at least you can choose to love.

Finally, someone's talking sense.

[Skye Mist]

"You know, if they weren't so set on getting close to us, I would think they were cute." said Cotton.

UUUGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!
Not this crap again.

I'm not sure how aware you are about how lucky you are, but at least you can choose to love. But Prince Cannon Fire has to marry someone of noble blood, no matter what." He took his leave with the prince following him.
This left the girls utterly speechless.

*claps* Encore! Thank heavens!

[Godslittleprincess]

"Fine. I owed him one. When he invited me, I told him I wouldn't come to any egghead study group and he reminded me that I owed him a favor back when we were kids."

What did Whirl owe Fire for? I mean, I know I wrote that one oneshot where Whirl completely messed up their act, but I think you had something completely different in mind when you wrote this part, and well, you haven't exactly elaborated on it.

"This again?!" Pen exclaimed, "Your Highnesses, we are on a diplomatic mission to bring peace to any neighboring kingdoms because - believe it or not - we were at war in Maretonia and we wish to offer alliances through trade. I'm not sure how aware you are about how lucky you are, but at least you can choose to love. But Prince Cannon Fire has to marry someone of noble blood, no matter what." He took his leave with the prince following him.

Thunderous applause.

She gave a worried look, "Would they really do that?"

No, no they won't. Not if you're honest with them. I mean, sure, they might be a little impatient, but they'll give you time if you don't feel ready.