Letters to the Princess

by Shaslan

Chapter 1: Letters

To Cozy Glow,

Our chess game was…rather fun, wouldn’t you say? A pity that I had to leave Canterlot before our second match. I feel quite sure I could have beaten you twice. Your overconfidence is a real weakness, you know.

Let me know if you ever get a court case in the Crystal Empire; I’d adore a rematch. Maybe I could even help you learn a thing or two about the game.

Sincerely,
Princess Flurry Heart.

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Dear Princess Flurry,

If overconfidence is a weakness, you seem a little at risk of weakness yourself. Don’t be so sure that you’ll catch me off-guard next time.

Another game sounds…great. It’s refreshing to meet a real challenger at last. There isn’t much call for Canterlot-trained lawyers up in the northern wastes, but…if you’re ever in town again, let me know?

I hope you will.

Kind regards
Love from
Yours sincerely

Cozy Glow

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Cozy,

I’m going to level with you — I was really pleased you wrote back. Really pleased. I wasn’t sure you would. Making friends doesn’t come easily to me.

I’ll be in Canterlot again in three weeks. Prince Blueblood is trying to change the terms of our grain import agreement and somepony has to beat some sense into him.

I want to see you again. How about that rematch? I might even be able to shake my guards for a couple of hours, if I take a roundabout route to the chess club.

Sincerely,
Flurry.

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Dear Flurry Heart,

I’m looking forward to it. I know a thing or two about giving guards the slip — I’ll lend you a hoof.

Cozy Glow.

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Cozy,

I can’t wait. I’ll be done at the palace around four. We can meet by the lake in the gardens; with any luck my guards will think I’m going to stay there, and we can abscond.

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I’ll be there.

—Cozy.

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To Cozy Glow,

I can’t tell you how sorry I am that I missed our game today. I didn’t mean to — stars know I was looking forward to it more than anything else on this blasted trip.

Buck, I wanted to —
I wish I hadn’t

I wish I could blame it all on Prince Blueblood — you must have met him often enough at the Canterlot high society things, so you’ll know full well what a horrible bore he can be — but I can’t lay all the fault at his hooves. I was getting somewhere in the negotiations, so I kept going. If I’d stopped pushing he would have buoyed himself back up into his usual self-righteous outrage by the next time we met. So I had to stay — even though I knew that you’d be waiting.

This grain import deal; it’s really important for the Empire. Some years the Crystal Heart’s influence expands by a couple of meters and pushes the ice back — but some years it doesn’t. We just don’t have the land to grow everything we need. We’re reliant on Equestria. And little details like Blueblood’s new tariff can have a huge impact on the ponies back home.

I really am sorry. I hope we can have another game some time soon?

Yours faithfully,
Flurry Heart.

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Flurry Heart,

I waited there for hours. You made me feel like an idiot. It…it was idiotic of me. A second date with the Princess of the Crystal Empire? What was I thinking? As if somepony like me could ever be…friends with somepony like you.

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Dear Princess Flurry Heart,

I quite understand; I know full well how busy you must be as a member of the royal family. A chess game with a lowly lawyer can hardly be classed as important state business.

I wish you all the best with your grain import treaty.

Sincerely,

Cozy Glow.

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Cozy —

Please, don’t let this — let’s not end it here. I do want to see you again. Not as state business, as my business.

I’m sorry I didn’t come. Words can’t tell you how sorry I am. I’m — it’s like they’re just waiting for me to mess up. Everypony’s watching out for it, all the time. Watching me.

That’s why I…that’s why I have to try so hard.

It’s just that I have so many ponies depending on me all the time. And Mom always wants more — is your mother like that? Every time I adjust to the newest part of the load and find my feet again there’s another bit dumped on the top.

Sometimes it’s enough to make me want to scream.

Yours regretfully,
Flurry.

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Princess —

You’re under pressure, are you? A nation watching you, counting on you.

Well, imagine the world watching you. Waiting for you to screw up again. Knowing that you’re evil. Utterly certain that a villain is who you really are.

Let’s not kid ourselves. What could a princess and a pony with my — with my history ever have in common? This was a stupid idea from the start.

Cozy Glow.

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Cozy —

I know you got my last letter. I know because I wrote to Raven Inkwell and had her check with the Postmaster General at the Canterlot mailing office, and she checked with the mailpony who delivers your post.

Come on. You’re making me feel like a stalker, here. We had…a connection. Give me another chance. I won’t mess up again.

Yours hopefully,
Flurry Heart.

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Oh, well I am Flim, and he is Flam
And we’re Canterlot’s finest musical telegram
We’re here to tell you: “How sorry I am!”

Excuse the Princess sock puppet,
And my brother’s hoof up it,
Not to mention that dangling button eye
You said you’d fix that, Flim!
Well, I said I’d at least try —

Princess Flurry Heart didn’t mean it
She gave us thirty gold bits to help you see it,
So forgive her — “Oh please forgive me!”
Forgive her — “I’m Sock-Princess Flurry!”

And of course, remember this isn’t spam
It’s a fantastical, funtastasical, unbelievable,
Canterlot Singing Telegram
Brought to you by Flim, and Flam!

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To Miss Cozy Glow —

You are formally invited to attend the Crystal Faire as a personal guest of Her Serene Highness, Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire.

Attendance is not optional.

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Flurry —

For stars’ sake, don’t you think sending the invite with an armed escort was a little much? You win — I’ll see you next week.

Cozy.

Comments

[asdtroi8895]

This is a pleasant surprise. It should be fun.

I like how both Cozy and Flurry are desperately trying to keep their usual calm and collected demeaners, but failing miserably and end up showing their vulnerabilities. They really are perfect for each other here.