Chapter 1
“Forever Your Lady”
Chapter 1
The middle-aged unicorn approached the hazelnut colored desk. Her hooves clopped softly against the floor, moving just a tad slower than they used to. Her purple locks were a few shades lighter, spliced with streaks of silver. Despite many dye attempts, the blue-eyed mare had been unable to conceal the visible ravages of time. Her horn sparked a fire on the lantern placed on the upper left corner of her desk; her golden wedding band jingling as a result. The warm glow revealed a ghostly treasure from her past.
“It’s been a lifetime since I’ve last seen you, old friend,” she said fondly. Her hooves delicately traced across a withered, old lavender diary.
“Huh? Are you talking to me honey?” a voice calls from the other room.
“Oh for Celestia’s sake-no! How many times must we go over this, don’t try to start a conversation while I am in another room!”
“I know I just, I heard you talking and I thought-”
“Just-just give me some time to create in peace, all right?!? And make sure you clean up after you’ve finished supper. I didn’t work my tail off cooking that food just to let it stain my Saddle Arabia imported plates,” she shouted bitterly back to her husband.
The sound of clinking plates being scooped up told her he was done speaking. She sighed heavily and returned to her diary. She rubbed her cheeks in frustration, further irritated at the possibility of more stress -induced wrinkles appearing. That’s just what she needed right now.
“I swear, I can’t let a single thought escape my lips without his radar kicking in. Now then, where was I?” she tapped her chin thoughtfully.
She may be older, but Rarity, world famous fashionista and clothing designer, had not lost her creative spark just yet. She magically lifted a quill, dipped it into an open teal ink bottle and began scribbling away in her diary.
Greetings old friend,
It’s been a lifetime hasn’t it?
Last time I wrote in you I still felt like a filly, but now? I’m a grown mare…happily married with the love of my life and 2 wonderful children. I had always dreamed of arriving at this place, at this stage in life. However, if I am being completely honest with myself, at times I wonder about the road less traveled. Certain…incidents tonight triggered some “what if” thinking.
Those have been my two favorite words for the longest time: what if. Those words have sparked so many fashion lines, so many sensational colors and shapes; I can’t imagine where I’d be without those words…or my beloved husband.
Alas, I must confess I did not love him before as I do now. Things were different when I first met him. Over the years I found my love for him growing and flourishing like a rose, growing more beautiful even as age has shaped him…I wish I could say the same for myself.
She sighed miserably. Another cursed reminder of her age and she was barely half way through the page. Perhaps this was too dreadful of an idea after all. Why did she dust this old thing off anyway?
“Oh, yes of course,” she giggled solemnly. She shook her head shamefully and resumed writing.
Sometimes…I think I hate my husband. I know it’s a horrible thing to say, but sometimes it pops into my head, sometimes I almost let it slip under my breath. But why would I say such a thing? Well it all has to do with a little occurrence that happened not too long after I was married. It began with a letter from a most surprising source…
FLASHBACK
Spike entered Rarity’s sewing room, claws stuffed full of letters, mostly more orders for new outfits. The dragon had thankfully stayed the same size he had when he proposed to her one year earlier. As much as she loved him, if he grew any taller than this, the house would need some serious remodeling. He was taller than his wife, with large wings and a thick, lengthy tail which he adored coiling around Rarity to snuggle her with. There were many nights he found her snoozing peacefully in his warm scales.
“Is that the mail darling? Feel free to put it where you like, I am still in the zone as they say,” she said dramatically. She paused from her sewing and tilted her head back to look at her husband. “Does any pony actually still say that: in the zone?” she mused.
“Even if they don’t still say it, I love to hear you say it,” he replied tenderly. His upside-down face approached hers and planted a sweet kiss on her lips.
They both crooned and melted into the heavenly taste of their parting lips.
“Have I told you how beautiful you looked today?”
“Only a dozen times, but the gesture is always appreciated,” she spun around in her chair and smacked his bottom. He blushed fiercely in shock. “As are you, dear,” she teased.
THWACK!
As if on reflex, Spike’s tail whipped back and spanked Rarity’s rump like a bongo drum. Her diamond eyes flashed radiantly. Flushed cheeks burned brightly with embarrassment…and lust. She looked to him with a bewildered stare, speechless and breathless.
“Oh jeez, I’m so sorry! I-I-I thought were playing and-and didn’t realize I hit so hard. I didn’t mean to-”
Spike didn’t have a chance to finish those words.
Rarity leapt at him with a feverish hunger for her dragon lover; it was a primal reaction she had become quite used to expressing AND experiencing since wedding her dragon husband. He was tackled to the ground, letters and orders scattering to the floor like confetti. They were on the floor, eyes locked and cheeks burning red with cherry red blushes. Their breathing was intense and shallow.
“I never get tired of you doing that,” he said with a panting laugh.
“I imagine we’ll both be tired by the end of this,” she replied lustfully.
“What about the orders?”
“BUCK the orders! Momma needs some time with her Spiky Wiky!”
Her sudden flare in attitude and mature language was oddly stimulating Spike. He looked at her with a devilishly charming smile; his teeth growled in a purring manner.
“And I think Spiky Wiky could use some time with his little marshmallow.”
Her cheeks turned pink at such adorable flattery. She couldn’t contain her filly-like giggle. He was so cute when he was trying to seduce her; it made her feel like she’d agree to anything with him. She leaned in and kissed him. Their “wrestling match” was about to be moved to the bedroom, but before being consumed in the throes of passion…something caught her eye.
It was a letter. There, sitting amongst the pile of scattered orders and letters was a rose red envelope; sealed with a royal insignia. It looked like it was from Princess Celestia’s stationary but the hoof writing on the address didn’t match hers. Princess Luna has ocean blue envelopes and Princess Cadence’s have a distinct “crystal empire” style to them which only leaves…
“Prince Blueblood.”
Just speaking his name aloud made Rarity’s lips felt like they had been violated by some degenerative fungus.
“Wow, way to kill the mood hun,” he added dryly.
“What? Oh sorry darling, its just-well look at this,” she levitated the letter to his eyes. His emerald orbs widened upon realizing who it was from. “It’s addressed to me. I don’t understand what possible reason that vapid clod could have for writing to me.”
“One way to find out,” he said with a shrug. Spike stood back onto his feet; idly twitching his wings.
Their spark of passion dwindled in comparison to their overwhelming curiosity. Rarity delicately sliced the envelope open with her magic. It was a letter, a hoof-written letter from Blueblood to Rarity. She placed her cherry-red glasses on the bridge of her nose and examined the unfolded letter.
“Dear Miss Rarity…Ugh, it’s ‘Mrs. The Dragon’ now; every pony knows that…It has been ages since you last graced me with your majestic beauty…yes and with good reason! Imagine my delight when I picked up a copy of the Canterlot Chronicle and found you on the front page…So he knows I got married and yet he can’t get my name right? Your beauty struck me like a heavenly…blah, blah, blah. More ego stroking, blah, blah, blah…Ah here we go; actual content. I realize our meetings at the Grand Galloping Galas were hardly the fairy tale encounters you dreamed of. No amount of words or immaculate gemstones could cleanse the filth of my rudeness from your memory, but please let me at least make an honest attempt to start anew with you. I would be immeasurably honored if you did me the pleasure of joining me 3 days from now at the Jade Rose café for lunch in Canterlot so that I can make a proper and respectable royal apology to you in person. I know my behavior has given you every reason to distrust me and my words, but believe me when I say from the bottom of my heart: I have only your best interests in mind; signed Prince Blueblood.”
Spike and Rarity stared blankly at the letter still hovering with Rarity’s aura. They looked at each other before looking back to the letter.
“We’ve seen some pretty weird stuff in our lives, but Prince Blueblood acting all friendly and sorry for being a jerk? I didn’t think that was possible,” Spike exclaimed.
“Indeed, pity that I don’t trust him enough to even see if he’s telling the truth,” Rarity said dismissively. She crumpled the letter into a ball with her magic and tossed it into the teal trash can near her desk.
“You sure you want to do that Rares? What if he really is being serious, what if really does want to patch things up with you?” Spike asked.
“The only thing I’d be willing to patch up with him is that bothersome mouth of his,” she said, harrumphing loudly.
“I know he was a total pig to you but that was a long time ago. You’ve grown, so have I, we all have, maybe he has too.”
“Why in the world are you defending him Spike? This is the same creep I wasted my first Gala evening with, the same one who practically forced himself on me at another gala. Had I listened to you, my night would have been infinitely more pleasant, and I wouldn’t have been soaked in cake and humiliation or have anything to do with him ever again.”
“Look, I’m the last creature in Equestria who’d be swinging for his team. He disgusted me to no end last time we saw him. But the thing is, considering that a good number of our friends were once bad guys; I think we’re supposed to at least try and hear him out.”
She knew he was right, she didn’t want to even think the word redemption when it came to someone like Blueblood; but her husband still spoke the truth. She had accepted apologies from far more scrupulous characters than Blueblood; like Discord, Starlight Glimmer and the Changelings. Perhaps listening to a long overdue, but much needed, apology over a free lunch could be a start.
“I suppose you’re right. I just can’t believe he wants to talk now after all this time. I haven’t spoken him since the Gala before you proposed, and I’ve barely seen his loathsome hide at any royal gatherings,” she mused.
“Heh, maybe Princess Celestia knows you’d rip off his horn and shove it up his rump if he ever got within 10 feet of you again,” he chuckled.
Rarity was about to scold him for such a vulgar and uncivilized scenario, but truth be told, the image did give her quite a few impish giggles. If there ever was a pony who deserves Rarity at her most un-lady like, it was Blueblood.
She looked to her husband with a raised eyebrow. A twinkle of mischief gleamed in her sparkling sapphire blues. “We both know I can take myself; however, I find it hard to believe my beloved husband wouldn’t have a few choice words for that royal pain if he tried anything funny again,” she said with a grin.
“They’d have to scrape scorched chunks of him off the walls,” he replied immediately.
Rarity knew her dragon defended her honor with the ferocity of a thousand dragons; he never missed an opportunity to remind her. Some ponies would see them together and ignorantly assume his protective side resembled that of a loyal dog or pet.
But she knew it was deeper than that.
He was her guardian, her scaled angel, a gentle giant to her and a fire breathing nightmare to any who dare wish her harm. And as much as they love to roleplay the part in the bedroom; she was by no means a damsel in distress. The fashionista was more than capable of protecting herself from danger. Still, knowing he defended her so unquestionably was far more calming and comforting than all the magic and combat skills in the world.
“Now that’s what I call a real man,” she cooed lovingly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeaking gleefully as he scooped her up in his muscular arms.
“I’m your man Rarity, now and forever.”
“Let’s worry about the now part. I believe we were right in the middle of something rather…heated?”
The dragon smiled from ear to ear and took the hint and his bride to the bedroom. Laughter and sighs thundered from the happy couple’s chambers. Their purple tails entwined lovingly.
3 days later…
As promised, Prince Blueblood was waiting for Rarity at the Jade Rose café. It was an elegant, lavishly exotic place that reeked of arrogant wealth and nauseating pride. Just looking at it made her feel like her eyes had just cost her a small fortune. Sitting at a smoothly polished emerald stone table was the one that invited her to this part of Canterlot: Blueblood.
He wore blue pants with a cerulean stripe running down the side of each hip; they disappeared into his strapping knee-high black boots. A grey coat with a black collar and green buttons adorned his chest. Each end of his coat ended with golden bands encircling black cuffs. A sky-blue shirt wrapped in a raspberry scarf rested comfortably on his upper body, just below his oafish pearly white smile and tiresome blue eyes. Blueblood clearly wished to convey a dapper, more rugged princely image to the fashionista. He was after something. Why dress up in such glamorous attire for a simple apology? He’s saying so much without even knowing it.
Rarity, however, never missed an opportunity to be fashionable. Even the most mundane or trivial of outings inspired her to look her best. Today was no exception.
Rarity wore a crystal blue dress with a black underskirt. The dress’s collar stretched halfway up Rarity’s neck, lined with streaks of rose and blue green. A pale pink skirt-like cover with dots curved over her backside. A striking magenta bow flashed noticeably across her chest. Each of her front hooves were adorned with dainty magenta shoes sporting pink buttons along the sides and pink butterfly style wings on the back of each heel. To complete her look, Rarity put her hair up into a ponytail.
“Well, well, well, the mare of the hour finally arrives. I must say you look ravishing Miss Rarity,” he said politely. Blueblood stood from his seat, bowing to her as if she were royalty. “I was beginning to worry that beast was never going to let you out of his tower,” he crudely joked.
Her dead eyed expression offered little gratitude to his remarks.
“It’s Mrs.The Dragon actually. And please, don’t bother with sweet whispers and grand standings. We are not friends after all,” she replied dryly.
Her sour mood didn’t seem to be fazing Blueblood. He remained chipper and valiant, everything she knew he was not deep down inside. Rarity was confident his true colors were out in full force for each evening he ruined, and no flashy outfit or complimentary brunch would make her think otherwise.
“My apologies Rarity, is it all right if I call you Rarity at least? Here, allow me to get your-”
“There’s nothing wrong with my horn. I can seat myself just fine, thank you.”
Blueblood attempted to pull a chair out for Rarity, but she pulled it out faster with her own magic first. He flinched slightly but continued to smile as he calmly sat down. Rarity followed.
“My goodness it’s been an age and a half Rarity. Look at you. Still as elegant and regal as ever, you’re sense of style truly is nothing short of spectacular.”
“Do me a favor Blueblood. When we order brunch, please request a bucket. At this rate, I’m going to throw up sooner than later and I’d rather not sully this gorgeous outfit any more than it already has.”
“Come now, can’t we at least be civil? I’m trying to pay you a compliment on your remarkable fashion sense.”
“You mean like the dress I wore to the gala? Tell me what was more remarkable about that one: how absorbent it was with ground water or how well it shielded your coat from flying cakes?”
“I only meant to-”
“You made your sexist intentions quite clear the last time I saw you. Don’t insult me by acting as if I’ve forgotten how you forced yourself upon me OR what my husband said he’d do to you if you ever tried it again!”
The white colt had to take a break to compose himself. Rarity’s frosty eyes and even colder words were making this increasingly difficult to manage, and it hadn’t even been 5 minutes! No, he couldn’t give up now; he was a changed colt, different from the creep Rarity knew so long ago. His hooves clasped firmly together as he calmed his nerves and prepared himself to face the wrath he so justly earned from her.
“It was...”, he paused to sigh, “Foolish of me to offer pleasantries and act as if nothing had happened. I should have known you would have preferred getting to the heart of the matter rather than engage in idle chit chat. I just figured I’d offer you some more stimulating conversations other than the grunts and snarls you no doubt get from your significant other.” He brushed a few strands of pale blond hair from his eyes.
“It is why I came here after all,” she said frigidly. The waiter presented her with a cup of tea; she kindly thanked him and sipped it delicately, always in proper lady form. The way he said “other” made her teeth clench in restrained loathing.
“Quite true,” he replied courteously.
Blueblood took a loud sip from his tea and an even louder bite from his blueberry scone.
Rarity cringed at the sound of his lips smacking as he munched on the pastry.
“It is with my deepest and most heartfelt sincerity that I offer you the apology you so richly deserve my lady. I, Prince Blueblood, nephew of Princess Celestia,” she rolled her eyes at that, “apologize for my ignorant and disrespectful behavior and seek your forgiveness.”
She wanted to stay mad at him. It would be so easy to hold onto those bitter memories and give him the cold shoulder until he froze to death; however, if there’s one thing she had learned from Twilight and the others it was that forgiveness is a part of friendship and everyone deserves a second chance…even Blueblood.
“I…t-t-thank you Blueblood, that was very decent of you. You realize this won’t be a quick fix though, yes? You did make quite an unflattering impression on me both times we’ve met. Even still, believe me when I say I do appreciate your apology and…and…well…I suppose this can be a start,” she confessed reluctantly.
This brought a warm smile to Blueblood’s face. He was expecting he’d have to drag it out of her, but her generosity truly seemed to know no bounds. He felt like a weight had lifted from his mind.
“Thank you Rarity. I was hoping you’d say that. I know this will be the beginning of a beautiful new friendship,” he said optimistically. The waiter approached with their ordered dishes.
“Um l-let’s just see how brunch goes and work from there, okay?” she said with a nervous laugh.
Though things seemed to be mending between the two, it was a far cry to say Rarity had accepted Blueblood as a friend. He was still on thin ice and it was up to him on whether he’d keep treading carefully or sink beneath the ice.
“Mmm...oh sweet Celestia, this looks simply divine! I never knew food could look this exquisite,” she beamed.
The unicorn pair happily dug into their high-priced dishes, all compliments of the blue eyed prince. She enjoyed a plate of garden pasta while Blueblood ordered fresh imported oats with a honey glaze. His chewing was a bit slow, however. He was too busy focusing on Rarity’s radiant smile from the deliciousness of her meal; her cheeks looked as sunny as his aunt’s sunlit sky.
“I take it you’re satisfied with the cuisine?”
“Oh yes, very much so! This tastes like a slice of heaven, topped with silver and gold sauce.”
“I imagine it’s quite a step up from that substandard food you have to choke down from your Earth pony friend.”
The spoon she levitated to her lips halted suddenly. Any newfound comfort in Blueblood’s company seemed to have evaporated almost instantly. He continued chewing and chattering away, obnoxiously unaware of the stunned look on Rarity’s face.
“Come again? I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that, darling.”
“Oh you know, that apple peddler who tried to sell me that petty carnival fare at the gala. She’s a friend of yours right? How is she and those other commoners fairing?”
“My friends are doing just fine thank you. Furthermore, I’d thank you kindly from referring to them in-”
“That’s fascinating, so tell me, what’s it like being married to a scaly fire-breather?”
This took Rarity momentarily off guard. The snide comments and fowl manners were expected; even her highest interpretation of an apologetic Blueblood included a pony void of any manners. But hearing him ask about Spike so bluntly, that was indeed surprising.
“Spike, his name is Spike, and it’s quite wonderful actually. Why do you ask?” she raised a prying eyebrow. She wiped her lips with her napkin and placed her utensils down.
“I needed to hear it with my own ears is all. I mean, I knew you were charitable, but settling for a creature of his class is a bold statement that few can match. Bravo to you,” he replied smugly.
He slurped loudly on his drink. The sounds of his lips flapping made her cringe, almost as much as his backhanded compliments did.
“Settling? Bold statement? Why you…I’m HAPPILY married to Spike! He’s not some charity case or political statement, and I most certainly did not settle,” she proclaimed defiantly.
He chuckled boisterously. Rarity felt a vein throbbing along her forehead, boiling increasingly inside of her.
“Please, Rarity, there are no photographers here, no reporters to twist your words. You can be honest with me about the whole marriage being a publicity stunt for your business,” he said knowingly. The revolting prince was confident he knew the truth.
The enraged fashionista was about to show Blueblood what a busted jaw felt like, but instead of snapping, she displayed an eerie sense of calmness and restraint. She smiled deceivingly, not that the prejudicial twit would notice.
“Well since we’re being brutally honest here I’ll make you a deal: if you can guess my favorite kind of jewel, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
“Splendid! It’s a deal. Personally, I’ve always pegged you as a sapphire kind of girl.”
She shook her head, still smiling brightly.
“Hmm…okay…how about emeralds? Rubies? Quartz?"
Each guess earned him another shake of her head.
“This is tougher than I thought. Could I have a hint?”
She nodded, that eerie grin never fading.
CRUNCH!
“It’s the family jewels.”
Blueblood’s eyes bulged to absurdly large proportions. He tried to cry out in pain but only a pitiful squeak came out. Something excruciatingly painful was afflicting his lower region in a vice like grip. He vainly reached down with his hooves to find some kind of relief, but found no tangible force being applied down there. It was at this time he noticed Rarity’s horn was glowing brightly; she had a smug, almost criminally gleeful smile on her face.
“Now, do I have your absolute, undivided attention?” she asked.
One tug and Blueblood instantly nodded in agreement. His legs shifted uneasily, unable to sit still or reframe from whimpering.
“Splendid. Now let me make this perfectly clear, if I hear one more negative thing about my husband, I’m going to crush your family jewels until they’re reduced to a fine powder and watch them blow into the wind.”
She squeezed once more, causing him to squeak in pain.
“Did you get all that?”
Blueblood nodded frantically, his eyes pleading desperately for release. Rarity’s horn’s glow faded and the pitiful prince was freed from her grip.
“Sweet Celestia that hurt!” he wheezed. Blueblood examined himself to make sure everything was still intact. Rarity could hear him muttering something about finding a doctor who can be discrete under his breath.
“I’m afraid my tolerance for your company has expired…not that there was much to begin with. I’ll be taking my leave now; it hasn’t been a pleasure,” she said coldly. The ivory mare stood from the table and turned tail to the royal pain. She couldn’t believe she wasted such a luxurious outfit on the likes of him.
Her ears twitched. She could hear Blueblood getting up from his seat and waving his hooves in the air. Without even looking back, she already knew he was trying to call her back. Rarity refused to waste another minute of her precious time on this nonsense.
“Wait please; I didn’t finish telling you everything I needed to say. There’s more!”
“If I wasn’t a lady, I’d tell you everything I need to say, but since we’re in public, I’ll settle for ‘thanks for the meal’ and nothing more!”
“You should leave Spike and be by MY side!”
Her pace quickened. The more she heard the less she liked about it.
“I’LL PAY YOU TEN THOUSAND BITS TO SPEND THE WEEKEND WITH ME!”
The words echoed in Rarity’s ears like the chilling howls of a Windigo. Her hooves stopped in place, too thunderstruck to make another step. A shrewd smile formed on Blueblood’s lips as Rarity slowly turned around.
“What did you just say?” she asked incredulously.
“That’s the real reason I called you out here. Not only to apologize, but to build a new foundation that you and I can nurture and flourish together…as a couple. I was a fool to discard your feelings and dreams at the gala. I realized now the mistake I made, and I want to make it up you. I want to give you the dream life you’ve always desired. As a prince, you know I can give you everything. And if money helps makes all of this easier then so be it. I know your business is struggling and could use a boost; I’d be happy to help,” he said boldly.
“And you know I am already happily married to my beloved Spiky Wiky. I could barely stand brunch with you; what makes you think I’d even pretend considering leaving my husband for you?” she exclaimed.
“I’m not asking you to; all I’m asking is for you to think about giving me a chance. Give me one weekend, one weekend just the two of us. I promise at the end of that weekend that I will respect whatever decision you make and will pay you regardless,” he said.
“And what, pray tell, decision would I be making, assuming I even consider this absurd proposal of yours of course?” she inquired.
“You’d be deciding if you still want that fairytale life you yearned for so long ago. I know you’re content with that dra-err Spike, I know that. But I also know that the life you have with him now isn’t the life you’ve always sought after. I can change that; I can make it happen for you. You were right when you called me a royal pain. I’ve been a disgrace to the crown and to my auntie’s good name. But you’ve learned from her teachings and become a better friend and a better pony to all. Help me become the pony you wanted me to be; let me show you that ‘Prince Charming’ still exists so that maybe, just maybe, I can truly give you the happy ending you deserve,” he declared.
Rarity didn’t know what to say or what to think. Part of her wanted to slap him so hard he’d need surgery to realign his jaw, but another part of her, small though it may be, actually wondered if he was telling the truth and that he actually wanted to change.
While the idea of living the royal dream she’d imagined ever since she was a filly still intrigued her, the thought of leaving Spike was inconceivable. Was this all a trick? Was this some sort of imposter or Changeling wearing Blueblood’s face to deceive her? Whatever this was, it confused and befuddled her beyond reason. Prince Blueblood was offering an absurd amount of money just for a non-existent shot with her, how uncharacteristically desperate of him. Everything about this situation from the very beginning made her feel uneasy. She wondered what the princess of friendship would say about this; she wondered what Spike would say.
Enough pondering, it was time to ago. Though Rarity did nothing that constituted as unfaithful, something inside her made her want to rush back to husband immediately…and possibly take a long shower.
Perhaps he could have some insight to ease her frazzled mind about all this.
“He said WHAT?!?” Spike roared barbarously.
Rarity winced at her husband’s unhinged outcry. She groaned in slight disgust at the drops of saliva that splattered on her face when he roared. She levitated a napkin to wipe them off. Spike stomped around the living room in a rampaging pace. The way he was acting, you’d think he was the one degraded and insulted.
“I can’t believe I,” growl, “gave that jerk a chance,” snarl, “says that about me to my wife,” snort. Spike’s dragon instincts were bubbling inside of his core. His breathing intensified, and his claws and fangs twitched angrily.
“You needn’t worry dear; I made sure no funny business was allowed,” she said calmly. The ivory mare placed a delicate hoof on Spike’s left leg. His boiling blood calmed almost instantly, muscles relaxing and melting under her touch.
“Sorry it’s just that…I can’t believe he would act like that. Offering money like your company can be BOUGHT or something! I mean, we knew there was a good chance of him still being an ass, but that-that whole weekend offer thing? That’s just nuts,” he said disbelievingly.
She leaned on her hooves and planted a sweet, assuring kiss on the dragon’s snout. He smiled adorably at those sapphire blues she batted towards him, kissing her back.
“Thanks love, I feel much better. You always know how to cool my fire down.”
“Of course, dear, though there really was no need for you to get all steamed up. Even if I had agreed to his proposal that doesn’t mean you should feel threatened by him.”
The pair headed into their kitchen and started to prepare dinner. Spike was preparing a sauce loaded plate full of gems while Rarity was chopping up vegetables for a large salad.
“I still don’t exactly get what he was asking you to do,” he mused, sprinkling pepper onto the jewels.
“If I had to put a pin in it, I’d say he was trying to sweep me off my hooves by showing me the dream life he thinks I wanted for myself. He seemed quite confident that one luxurious weekend would be enough to make me want to swap soul mates; I imagine the money was to sweeten the deal as it were. Pfft, how uncouth,” she huffed.
They sat down to enjoy their dinner. Rarity tried to continue speaking to Spike about her brunch with Blueblood, but she found it difficult to get a word in edge wise when his loud jewel crunching made her ears wilt.
“I imagine he must have looked pretty foolish once you turned him down, eh?” Spike said smugly.
“OW!”
Rarity cringed in pain as she bit into her salad. She levitated her fork from her lips and carefully examined it. There was a small shard from one of Spike’s gemstones in a crouton. She ran her tongue over her teeth, hoping not to find a crack along any of her molars.
“Oh, let me get that for you,” he offered.
Before she could protest, Spike’s tongue burst from his lips and snatched the gemstone off the leaf like a frog lassoing a fly. He beamed obliviously as he chewed the jewel fragment. Rarity nearly turned as green as her salad. She cleared her throat and pushed the bowl aside, opting for a roll instead.
“Um actually, honey, believe it or not, but I’ve admittedly been noodling with the idea of maybe…accepting Blueblood’s offer,” she said hesitantly.
“SAY WHAT?!?”
Spike started gagging and choking. He slammed his right claw against his throat and upper chest area, forcing the clogged chunk of gem down as best he could. This was a reaction she was expecting and dreading. She calmed down a bit once she saw Spike was okay and able to cleanse his clogged throat with a glass of water.
“Now darling, please let me explain before you freak out. As loathsome as Blueblood is, he is still a prince and I believe even he has enough loyalty to his royal word to pay the sum he promised. At the very least we know he’s good for the bits.”
“But-but he’s a disgusting creep! He only cares about himself and getting what he wants; he doesn’t care about the needs of others. And no amount of money is worth him pimping you out!”
“Now hold on a minute, who said anything about me being pimped out? What a distasteful phrase!”
“Come on Rares, what other reason could Bluebutt have for paying such a crazy large number of bits just for one weekend with you? It’s not like we need his bits anyway.”
Rarity broke eye contact at that point. Her eyes cringed in shame, a silent pain shimmering in her luminous blue orbs. Spike’s anger suddenly decreased. He could see it in his wife’s eyes and in her guarded body movements; there was something she wasn’t telling him.
“Honey? We are doing all right…aren’t we?” he asked pryingly, sounding more worried with each passing second. Spike felt a nasty blackness growing inside of his stomach. What wasn’t she telling him and how long has this been going on?
“Well…actually…my business has been hitting a few snags lately. Despite my well-connected friends in the fashion world, there are many potential customers that have difficulty overcoming certain social hurdles,” she said cautiously. She had to word it carefully as she knew this was a sensitive subject for her beloved husband, one she hated bringing up.
Spike’s confused face slowly morphed into one of anger and irritation. It took a minute for the drake to process his wife’s meaning, but he got it and he didn’t like the sound of it one little bit.
“Oh…I see what you’re saying…you’re saying you’ve got to accept a bribe from that pig because I’M scaring eveyone away from doing business with you, IS THAT IT?!?” he growled fiercely. Spike stood from the table, wings flared and tail twisting.
“That is NOT what I said, and you know it!” she snapped back.
“You didn’t have to, I’ve heard this song before and it still sucks no matter how you sing it,” he grumbled angrily.
BAM!
Rarity bashed her hooved against the table, rattling the silverware and spilling some of her wine. Spike flinched but remained firm and guarded.
“This isn’t just about you Spike! This affects both of us you know. I’m not trying to ruffle your scales or anything; I am just being honest with how things are with our finances.”
“If things are that bad, why don’t we just ask Twilight for help? She is a princess after all.”
Rarity lifted her hooves in the air and clenched them tightly. The enraged mare looked like she was trying to strangle the purple dragon in midair. She growled behind clenched teeth and turned her back to him; she couldn’t stand him when he said things like that.
“Oh, that’s your solution for everything, just ask Twilight, ask Twilight; have her do everything for you why don’t you?! We have to be able to stand on our own hooves without relying on your mother for every single situation!”
“We wouldn’t be in THIS situation with YOUR old boyfriend if you hadn’t ditched me to go with him to the gala, twice I might add.”
The indignity of that statement compelled the mare to turn back to face her husband, her eyes flashing with fury.
“How DARE you throw a lady’s past in her face like that! I’ve apologized dozens of times for my wretched behavior on both occasions, but you still seem dead set on throwing it back in my face. And weren’t you the one who wanted me to respond to his letter in the first place?”
Spike raised a claw to counterpoint but halted. She had him there. He grunted in embarrassment; the dragon refused to lose this argument. He quickly reclaimed his ground.
“Yeah…well…I was j-j-j-just trying to help with a friendship lesson, a-a-all right!?”
“Oh really, and what, you expect some kind of thank you or something?”
“That’s not really what I-”
“Well congratulations, you’ve got it: thank you!”
“No, thank YOU!”
“You’re welcome!”
“YOU’RE welcome!”
SLAM! SLAM!
Spike and Rarity stormed out of the kitchen into separate rooms, each one violently slamming a door behind them shut. The house lightly rattled from the aftershock of their disruptive departure.
Opal looked lazily to the left and right. She had been sitting on the floor enjoying her gourmet canned cat cuisine the whole time. She sighed lazily, shrugged, and started playing with a ball of pink string.
2 frustrated hours later…
Both Spike and Rarity were still exhaustively frustrated with each other. After spending the rest of the night apart and their bedtime routine in bitter silence, they entered their large, four poster bedframe with rose red curtains and royal plum bedsheets and tried to turn in for the night before someone said anything else they might regret. A magenta colored blanket stretched from each opposing side of the bed, tugged angrily by the quarreling lovers. Neither Rarity nor Spike allowed the other to have sufficient coverage. This tug of war over the blanket had been going on for the last 20 minutes. They normally slept side by side, arms draped over the other with their tails curling under the blanket. Tonight however, they could barely stand being in the same room together, let alone sleep in the same bed.
The unicorn huffed irritably. Her sleep mask offered no assistance in lulling her to sleep, a fact she was angrily all too aware of as she tossed and turned. Spike sighed heavily beside her. The very sound of his exasperated sigh was grating on her nerves; it had to stop. The unicorn jerked up from her pillow and glared scathingly at the purple plump selfishly hogging the bulk of the blanket. She was just about to give him the boot to sleep downstairs on the couch when he said something that caught her off guard.
“I haven’t forgotten, you know.”
His words halted her anger but did not dissolve it. She stared curiously at her husband, visibly perplexed by his weary tone and choice of words.
“What do you mean you haven’t forgotten? Forgotten what?”
Spike turned to face her. She was taken aback by the sorrow brimming in those enchanting emerald eyes of his. He looked so ashamed, so full of fear and doubt. She hadn’t seen such uncertainty in his eyes since when he was a baby dragon.
“How lucky I am,” he said brokenly, “you mean so much to me that it tears me up inside whenever I make you sad or angry. It kills me inside Rarity, just kills me.” Spike slowly sat up to look at her at eye level. “When I first met you, I swore that if the universe was generous enough to bless this tiny, unworthy little dragon with your love, that I would give you my heart, my life and my soul unconditionally.” He placed his claw against her left cheek. “And every day I get to wake up next to your beautiful face, that makes me the luckiest guy in the world and you remind me of it with every smile and every kiss.”
Her cheeks reddened sweetly. Tears of joy slowly dribbled onto Spike’s cupping claw. He sighed achingly as he cast his eyes down, hiding tears of another nature from his wife’s angelic gaze of love.
“But I don’t deserve it…you don’t deserve this. I keep pushing you away like this because I’m so insecure about my looks. I keep expecting the day will come when you’ll leave me and-and realize you made a mistake and want to be with another guy…a pony…and not some greedy, possessive dragon,” he said with a loud sniffle. His voice echoed with pain. He felt so ashamed for thinking his wife would ever leave him, and yet, he felt even worse for believing that nightmare could still come true one day.
“Oh Spiky Wiky, you really are a silly goof, aren’t you?” she said sweetly. Rarity kissed his nose and wrapped her hooves around him. She crooned at the immediate warmth she felt from his loving touch and furnace like belly. “You know there’s no amount of royalty or riches in this world that would ever make me leave you,” she cooed tenderly. The mare pulled back and looked confidently at her worry-eyed husband. “Even if Blueblood had a thousand weekends, he’d never win my heart; it has now and always will belong to you,” she said, planting a heart melting kiss upon his lips. He smiled breathlessly as their lips separated.
“Holy guacamole…I really am one lucky guy,” he said; smiling goofily.
“I’ve told you before darling, I’m the lucky one,” she proudly declared. Her batting eyelashes waved hypnotically at him. “And rest assured, if you don’t feel comfortable with me associating with Blueblood, consider him gone my dear,” she replied firmly.
“Nah, you go ahead if you want to. I trust you. You’re my wife and one weekend with a prince isn’t going to change that,” he said with a soft chuckle.
“You better believe it Spikey-poo. And about before, I’m sorry about-”
“Water under the bridge Marshmallow, I’m sorry too. Let’s go to bed and just start fresh in the morning.”
“Sounds simply divine…Goodnight…Mr. The Dragon.”
“Goodnight…Mrs. The Dragon.”
The loving couple kissed each other goodnight and nestled into bed. Rarity wrapped her hooves around her husband’s body, snuggling closely to it. She sighed contently and fell almost instantly to sleep. Spike briefly opened one of his eyes to see the look of bliss on his wife’s smiling face. He smiled in return and closed his eye.
Under the sheets, the dragon’s tail snaked towards his wife’s curly, purple tail and intertwined them together.
To be continued…
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Da feels...Da feels
*Grips chest*
I-it h-hu-hurts... s-so mu-much
can't wait to see this
This is great I have to say I really can't wait to see the next chapter. I do wonder tho, what is Spike's position in Equestria. I mean the way they talk about him like he is JUST a dragon? I mean he is a member of the friendship court, Embassador to the Changling and dragon kingdoms, teacher at the friendship school, hero of the crystal empire, prince of friendship, former Dragonlord, and might as well be a knight of Equestria, 'prince' Blueblood is a joke honestly when they compare the good and what they have done. Spike doesn't live like Blueblood because he doesn't want to. I wonder will Rarity see or at least already knows that it isn't about if Spike is worthy of her, it is if this is the life SHE wants to live. Which I wonder when some of Spike's high society friends, like Fanypants, Sapphire Shore, and other Spike has gotten close to from his time in Canterlot. Even more so Celestia since we know she is close to Spike for sure. See their interaction with her out not with her husband with another stallion, one she has history with will raise some eyebrows for sure. And worse case is this whole weekends Spike will be home suffering worrying his new greatest nightmare will be coming true. This is really interesting and it has me eager to see where it will go from here.
I enjoyed it.
Welcome back my friend, is really surprising to see you writing the sequel of that fiction. I think I will read it when it is finished. Anyway, how are you?
9376047
I'm well, very busy but well. Been working hard to finish this story for the contest deadline. Just waiting for the final chapter to be beta read. Its all completed otherwise and will be ready for the deadline tomorrow for sure! Glad your taking an interest in the story ^^ means a lot to me. Specially from you.
Gosh, it's kinda like Moonlighting, isn't it?
Oh Spike, you already know that that associating with Blueblood was a mistake and you're just gonna give him another chance to take a shot at your wife. And Rarity, yes, go to Twilight for help, at least you know Twilight will have no ill intentions.