For His Majesty

by CrackedInkWell

Chapter XXVII: The Concert.

Truth be told, ever since Prince Blueblood had woken up in a hospital bed, the Princesses did make one last bet on their nephew: and that was to see when, as well as whom will pop the question. This time, they would interfere with neither his nor his consort’s love life. Even before both stallions returned from the Moneigh Islands, all three returned to their business as Royals, but this time had placed down a wager as to when it’ll happen.

Cadance thought that “Fancy would most likely propose to the Bluey within six months.”

Luna smirked in saying “I think that it would happen within two years. I have heard ponies getting married within that period of time.” And when asked who would propose first, she too assumes that it would be Fancy.

As for the Solar Alicorn, she placed her bets that “It would take over two years. Love like that needs plenty of time. And I think that when it does happen, it would be Blueblood that will propose.”

Since the trip to the islands, it was undoubtedly that both stallions had increasingly grown closer. Of course, Blueblood was called away sometimes for diplomatic reasons, to where he was carried away to Neighpon or Yakyakistan. While Fancy Pants returned to his job as a patron for Canterlot. Though, that wasn’t to say that neither stallion had time to see one another. If anything, servants from either the palace or at the wealthy stallion’s home have a tendency of raising a few eyebrows whenever they hear some unusual noises coming behind locked doors.

As months went by, Fancy was the one to give the Prince some breathing room to “foalnap” him. He would send out a range of particular dates, then out of nowhere, he’d be spirited away on board the airship to be taken with his lover to anyplace he desired. Anywhere he wanted, from the sands of Saddle Arabia to the snows of Himalamas, he explored them with his blond Prince at his side. With each date trip, Blueblood watched as the older stallion seemed almost youthful with these adventures.

It would seem as if time ran right by as weeks and months rush by. Seasons and holidays came and went, and the Princesses have waited to hear news on their nephew. The day after six months, Cadance was furious, but it was a relief to the celestial Princesses. Yet, on the couple, they waited.

For the longest time, nothing had happened for two-and-a-half years. No news of their status in their relationship, until one night in a theater. Fancy and the Prince stood offstage in the wings. The older unicorn studied the last minute reading the manuscript while Blueblood had a hoof rested on his back. “Are you sure you feel ready?”

His coltfriend replied with a nervous chuckle. “I have been practicing this piece for a year, you think that I might be ready by now…” he trailed off as his ear listened to the muttering off an audience. Fancy’s mind nearly had forgotten all the complicated notes as it was nearly been drowned out by the enormous but unmistakable chorus of a huge mob of a curious audience. “Everypony I know is out there. This is the first time I’ve played to a crowd this big.”

“Not to worry,” Blueblood cooed. “I made sure that the lights are bright enough that you shouldn’t be able to see what’s out there. All you’ll be able to see is black.”

“That doesn’t mean that I won’t be able to hear them,” his consort replied. The curtain was open, and the only thing that he could see on the stage was a lonely black piano with a musician finishing his piece. “Are you sure that piano is tuned?”

Rolling his eyes, the Prince replied, “Don’t worry, you’re not going to play on that piano. And before you ask, the answer is yes, it’s tuned perfectly. Fancy, you’re going to do fine.”

He looked at his coltfriend in confusion, “I’m not going to be playing on that?”

Blueblood kissed his forehead. “It’s a surprise. But in all sincerity, this is going to go over great.”

“But I’m the final act,” he said as he took a handkerchief to wipe off the sweat. “It’s bad enough that I’m playing Horseshoepin’s masterpiece, but I have to play it in front of everyone I know. So of course, I have to put up enough pressure as it is.”

Fancy felt his coltfriend rub his back. “You know, I have heard that piece before, played many times by different pianist. Yet, out of all of them,” Blueblood smiled, “your interpretation is the most heartfelt out of all of them. In a way, it’s like Horseshoepin had come back to life and started playing once more.”

“Makes me wish that I had the composer himself playing instead of me,” he muttered. The older unicorn felt through his pockets, double checking to see that his gift to his Prince was still there. “You are coming on stage with me? Aren’t you?”

“Of course,” Blueblood nodded, “I’ll be with you from the first to the last note. No matter what happens tonight, I’ll be with you to make this dream of yours come true.”

“Too bad reality is crashing itself in.”

“Fancy, look at me for a second,” his consort did so and immediately get a kiss on the lips. No matter how many times either did so, it still was able to make either stallion freeze the moment in each other’s warmth. Worry seemed to erode away while stilling the mind before the Prince pulled away. “Feel better?”

His blue maned consort wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his hoof. “A little, but I think it’ll help.” Then he heard the final chords ring out to applause. On stage, the pianist got up from his seat and bowed before exiting. Taking in a deep breath, Fancy said, “Here we go.” And with his coltfriend by his side, they walked into the spotlight together.

The stage lights, while indeed shining a brilliant, blinding light overhead, wasn’t quite enough for the older unicorn to see the outline of rows upon rows of ponies. Yet, to his coltfriend’s credit, he couldn’t distinguish who was who in that full house. Fancy followed the blond Prince to the upper, center stage was a microphone stood. Blueblood, wearing a smile ever since they came on, cleared his throat and spoke into the device.

“Mares and Gentlecolts, on behalf of the theater, we thank you for coming to the Pianists for Orphans Charity Concert. As we are drawing to a close, we have something special prepared as the final performance. Not only will you be hearing Fancy Pants performing to an audience this large for the first time, but I have arranged it to make this occasion special for the both of us.”

As Blueblood spoke, Fancy took notice of a couple of strong looking ponies had come on stage to push the black piano aside.

“In fact, Fancy will be playing on a different, but nevertheless, still valuable piano. One that has been carefully been transported from all the way from a specific museum in Prance. It has been well tuned for this occasion, as well as this final piece.”

Out from the curtains, those same ponies pushed on another piano. Only this time, it was made entirely out of wood and had a much older design as it was wheeled over towards the bench. The lid was carefully propped up, revealing the strings underneath.

The Prince turned to his consort, “Fancy, this piano you’re seeing, is considered a sort of national treasure to the ponies of Prance, and for good reason. That, right there, is the very same instrument, in which Horseshoepin had composed many of his words, and even played on up to the day he died.”

Fancy’s jaw dropped, “Wait! Are you… is that really…?”

Blueblood nodded as he spoke into the microphone, “You are given the privilege to be the very few ponies to play on Horseshoepin’s favorite fortepiano.”

In shock, he dropped his copy of the sheet music, placed his hooves over his muzzle and shook his head. “Oh no… No, Bluey, you’re way too kind but… I can’t.”

Distending himself from the microphone, the Prince said, “Yes you can.”

“But… But this is Horseshoepin’s piano. His piano! I don’t know if I should even touch it.”

“It’s not going to disintegrate if you do,” he deadpanned. “Fancy, I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of convincing the Prench government to bring that piano over here if I didn’t think you could do it. And I know that you can.” He returned to the microphone. “Now, for the final piece for tonight will be Horseshoepin’s Ballade in G minor.”

Picking up his sheet music, Fancy and Blueblood sat down, side-by-side on the bench at the cream ivory keys that waited to be played. The older unicorn took a moment to take out his handkerchief again to dry off the sweat that was running down his forehead. It was all too surreal that his coltfriend had brought out the old composer’s piano for him to play on. In front of the elate of Canterlot no less! He felt the Prince’s hoof on his back, and before he could turn to him, Blueblood was whispered in his ear, “Forget everypony here and focus on no one but me.”

Fancy waited until the auditorium was quiet, which made it easier to pretend that they weren’t listening. In that silence, he focused on nopony except for the Prince that was next to him that had placed the sheet music on the old wooden stand and flipped open to the first page. The blue-maned unicorn took in a deep breath and tried to remember that he isn’t playing for nopony else, but him. Like how he did on the Moneigh Islands.

Reaching up to lightly touch the right cord of keys, Fancy took in a deep breath, pressed down on the sound peddle, and let out a deep, rich set of chords. His hooves climbed up the black and white keys like the opening of a great dance until he reached the upper, lonely keys. Bars of hesitation echoed out from the wooden sound box of an instrument before the base keys slowed the melody further until for a moment, it would seem that time had stopped before it started up again as a sort of dance.

Out from the haunted piano, a slow waltz came quietly back to life. Fancy took care to grace his hooves over the master’s keyboard, letting certain hammered strings ring out into the abyss of the darken theater. Fuzzy sounds and blurry memories came out from the sheet music. Both Prince and consort sat there to reflect their time as the music flew and spun around them like snow in a breeze. It would seemed as if all the little and big moments that had lead them here didn’t seem too long at all.

From the waltzing beat, they recalled the dances they’ve shared ever since the night they first met. A hodgepodge of memories from their first encounter to the ballrooms of foreign palaces twirled around them with the image of the other in their hooves. From former holiday balls to being alone in a room with a phonograph, like the music that went to a crescendo, they too saw with their imagination how they spun like dust devils. Grace notes and elegance twisted around in the darkness as the piano got louder, almost as if the very notes threatened to break the ancient piano at any moment.

But when the theme changed from a waltz to a sort of childlike carnival, Blueblood watched on as he kept one eye on the music sheet and the other on Fancy’s hooves that glide about the keyboard, even as he sped up. Every note he listened to was perfect in timing and form. Although he knew that his consort could do it, he couldn’t help but enjoy the ride of it to watch him play. In fact, as he listened to that development of that second melody, he recalled the dates that he had the most fun that he ever had in his life. Doing things that didn’t seem possible before, taking more risks that made the two of them feel alive. From dizzying roller-coaster to cruising down jungle rivers, it was as if the music had brought back their surprised dates all at once.

Yet, in this carnival of sound, intimate, romantic sounds were heard from the lower notes that softly reflected their blooming romance. If anything, it was the sound of a miracle to the both of them; something that started unexpectedly, down right impossible became real with every passing bar. Sure, they would admit to the other that it wasn’t what they expected it, but neither would have it any other way. For them, in that grand crescendo, it declared that because the other is imperfect, that to their eyes, their love was perfect.

_*_

It was unbelievable that by the time that Fancy had played out the final chords that it was over. To him, it only seemed like a second ago since he began, but now, in the darkness of the auditorium, an avalanche of applause came roaring and tumbling down. Hooves feeling sore, feeling like he did complex gymnastics on his two forehooves, he was sweating underneath the bright stage lights as he got up. Peering out at the stomping silhouettes, cheering out in yells, bravo’s and whistles, a tearful smile crept on Fancy’s face as he bowed.

Glancing over at his coltfriend, he too was applauding in his own way, clopping his hooves respectively. A smile graced his face. One look at him, and the older unicorn knew one thing: it was time.

After the other pianists came on stage to take one last bow together, Fancy took his Prince’s hoof and pulls him backstage. Over and around tables of sets and props, the older unicorn lead Blueblood to a backroom in which he closed the door behind him, “So, how did I do?”

The younger stallion kissed him, “Incredible, as always. I just knew you would play perfectly on Horseshoepin’s original piano.”

“Yes, I mean to ask, how in the world did you get your hooves on it?”

Blueblood rubbed the back of his neck. “When you’ve known the ambassador of Prance for so long, especially when you are on good terms, you’d be surprised of what sort of favors we ask each other. Of course, asking for a particular piano did take some convincing on my part, but still, it was exciting to hear you play on what the composer wrote on as his working desk.”

“Such a beautiful sound though,” Fancy replied. “Still, it was incredible for having me playing on it. Thank you, Bluey.”

“Anything for you,” the Prince smiled. However, he noticed his consort’s hesitation. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh?” the blue mane unicorn snapped back into reality. “Oh no, nothing at all it’s just…” Blueblood watched his hesitation and asked what was going on. With a sigh, he responded, “I think you might want to sit down for this.” He did so, Fancy reached out and took hold of his hooves into his own. “Blue, I know this is rather unorthodox for a commoner to ask you. So, I guess I have to do this professionally as to give you a… proposition.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow, “A rather unusual way to do so. But I’m listening.”

Clearing his throat, he continued, “Prince Blueblood Everfree, I humbly asked to present a petition on behalf of myself and the elite of Canterlot to humbly ask that you, my Prince, to take on this commoner…” Fancy gulped before continuing, “To be your… husband. I ask you, Your Majesty, to take me as to be your lawfully, wedded spouse. I on my part will promise will do more than to swear my loyalty, but to love and cherish you, as the pony you are. While I do not wish to gain the title of Prince or any other, I do hope that I shall spend the rest of my days with you.”

He saw his coltfriend growing blush on his face. “Fancy…? Is this some weird way of proposing to me?”

“In a way,” his consort shrugged. “So, to show that I’m am serious,” he let go a hoof and reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box.

Taking it into his magic, he opened it up to find a golden ring with an opal stone in the center that was encompassed with sapphires. The Prince smiled, “It’s perfect.”

Fancy smiled, “So my Prince, to you accept my petition?”

“You know, an old fashion ‘Will you marry me’ would be sufficient and to the point.”

“But to a Prince that has a taste of the dramatic? Where the fun would be if I didn’t?”

Rolling his eyes but with a smirk he shook his head. “Very well, I’ll play along.” Clearing his throat, he craned his neck up to a regal stance. “Fancy Pants, my Royal Consort, I accept your petition.” He was immediately tackled with a hug.

“Thank you, Bluey…” Fancy said in his ear, “I hope that this time, I’ve made the right choice.”

“And I think we already did.” Blueblood smiled.

Author's Note:

I think that I have only one last chapter to write from this and it will be done! But man did it take a while to get here didn’t it?

Comments

[Joeyjambo122]

Is this the end or is there one final chapter?

[CrackedInkWell]

8215642 Sorry about that, I just put up an author’s note saying that I’m planing to write one last chapter and I think I’ll be done.

[TheVClaw]

Okay, this story was all kinds of wonderful. Blueblood and Fancy Pants were developed in such an organic, naturalistic way. And combined with the adorable and well-flowing story, this finale was certainly well-done and worth the wait. Bravo, good sir.

[CrackedInkWell]

8215656
Not quite, I do think that I have at least one last chapter to do before I finish it.

[TheVClaw]

8215661
Oops, my bad! Sorry.

[Grekoy]

Yes! All of my Yes! Looks like celestia won the bet.

[Joeyjambo122]

8215647
Another thing I have to ask. Was this story a continuation of Blood Poisoned?

[CrackedInkWell]

8216071
Ya know, I have wondered about this myself if this is taken place in the same universe as Blood Poisoned. While that one was meant to be a comedy, this one is relying on the romance and slice of life stuff...

So you know what? I actually think it is. And because it is, I think I know what other detail I’m going to put in for the final chapter regarding Spike.