Shining Armor Hates Anon - Chapter Six

>Noon at last.
>With a relieved sigh, you close the sturdy door behind you, feeling your body go half-limp.  Staring up at the ceiling, you rock your torso forward, rolling your chin to your chest in the process.  A small giggle erupts from your charge, Princess Cadence, as she eyes your rag doll display.
>“Come now, it wasn’t that bad.”
“It was.  Horrible.”
>you whisper through clenched teeth.
“I’ve never cared less about the history of Equestria than I have listening to that old nag.  How do you do it, stay awake through the entire ordeal every day?  I think I’d lose my mind, I just might anyway.”
>“Oh, she won’t be back again until next week.  Tomorrow is vocal practice, focusing on poise and projection.”
“How thrilling.”
>The deadpan delivery causes the pink princess pony to smile again before trotting down the hall.  Falling in step behind her, you do your best to erase the last four hours from your mind.  It might be good to find a suitably competent replacement two or three days out of the week for this block of time.
>“Come along, Guardspony.  I think I’d like to dine on the veranda today.”
“I thought that meals were a big deal here at the castle?”
>“Oh, they are, make no mistake.  But you saw how the delegates were after breakfast.  They don’t stop until dinner and I’d like to eat at least one meal in peace today.”
>Chuckling, you nod and move alongside her, keeping pace with her, one step behind.
“As you wish, Princess.”
>Cadence gives you a playful glare as she rolls her eyes.  Your walk is uninterrupted, thankfully, and with the alicorn’s guidance, you soon find yourself overlooking the castle gardens.



>The stone is different out here on the balcony, smooth and seamless, as if it were cut out of a single piece of rock and smoothed over.  Knowing the ponies, that could be a possibility.  Leaning against the railing, Cadence smiles out at the greenery.
>“You know, the garden used to be my favorite part of the castle.  Whenever I would sit for Twilight, she would insist on going down there.  We’d spend hours playing in the grass, hiding in the bushes and chasing one another through the trees.”
>Her smile falters a touch as an air of melancholy settles across her features, granting her a stunning lonely beauty.  Memories locked away or forgotten, trickle up from the back of her mind, the corners of her mouth slowly turning downward.
>“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here at the castle, and I feel like everything’s changed.  Auntie Luna’s returned, Auntie Celestia’s diet has spiraled out of control, and Prince Blueblood is somehow even worse than before.  I only recognize a few of the guards, and Shining Armor…”
>Bowing her head, Cadence quivers.  In the process of shaking, she lifts her hoof, and as the shudder subsides, she slams it down upon the ornate barrier.
>“Ugh!”
>Moving next to her, you also put your weight on the intricate stonework surrounding the ledge.  There are only a handful of inches between you, but she still moves closer, scowling at the garden.
>“He’s changed.  Somewhere between being recruited into the guard and becoming Captain, he stopped being the young stallion I admired.  And with Twilight gone as well, it’s a struggle to find anyone to confide in.”



>Silence reigns for several moments.  Eventually, you reach up and place a hand on the base of her neck.  Cadence doesn’t shy away at your touch, though she does give you a rather curious look.  Taking a steadying breath, you give her a smile.
“Ponies change, Princess.  I’m sure that the Captain has had more than his fair share of struggles, just like you have.  I’ve had to change a lot myself since coming here.”
>“I suppose so, but I don’t have to like it.”
>Her words hang in the air for a moment, before her expression brightens and she gives you a wide smile.
>“Besides, I don’t think you’ve changed that much at all.  I’m sure that back on your planet, you were much like you are now.  Perhaps a little thinner or rounder, but in your heart you have a knack for being honest and doing the right thing.”
“There’s no way you could know that for certain though.  I could be a thief or a criminal, a societal dreg.”
>Chuckling, you flash the Princess a teasing smile.  Cadence’s grin never falters, even as she cocks her head to the side and then shakes it.
>“I’m quite sure you’re not.  You have honest eyes, Anonymous, and anything that you may have done which could be considered ‘criminal’, I’m sure you had a valid reason for.”
>For an instant, your heart hiccups, forgetting its purpose as you meet her eyes.  Like a pair of low hanging plums in the early morning mist, just catching the first groping fingers of daylight, they glisten with dew and draw your attention deeper.  A flush of pink hides them from sight as Cadence blinks, and your heart begins pumping again in earnest.



>“Anonymous?  Have I stunned you into silence with a few sweet words?  I know love is my talent, but don’t look so dumbstruck, it’s just a compliment.”
>Laughing, you shake your head and smile.  Cadence chuckles a moment longer before moving to one of the small tables set up around the open area.  You follow along behind, curious at what she’d said.
“What do you mean, love is your talent?”
>“Oh, well, it’s just that I make ponies love one another.  Just like Princesses Celestia and Luna control the heavenly bodies, and Shining Armor specializes in defensive magic, I make ponies fall in love.”
“So, just like that?  One minute they could despise one another and the next they can’t get enough?”
>“It’s not really that simple, I can only use it where love already exists.  I can’t make people stop loving another pony either, so it’s rather limited in scope.  Let’s just say I don’t make them fall in love and instead that I remind them of why they love, or should love, their partner in the first place.”
“Even so, that’s quite a talent.  It would be easy to manipulate a populace with that kind of power.”
>Ah, Anonymous, you really do know how to run your mouth.  All too late, your teeth bite down on your traitorous lips, but you’ve already said your piece.  You can feel Cadence’s eyes upon you, the once teasing expression turning dark again, verging on furious.
>“Manipulative?  You think I use this to force my will on other ponies?”
“That, that’s not what I meant to say.”
>“But it’s what you did say.  Do you really think me so shallow, so base, that I would manufacture that sort of situation just to benefit myself?”
“Of course not, Cade”
>“Princess.”



>The knot in your throat swells as she corrects you.  You swallow it anyway.
“Of course not, Princess.  I spoke out of turn.”
>“Indeed, you did.”
“Again, I apologize.  I just thought that Captain Armor’s fears regarding your possible abduction were well founded.”
>Walking over to her side of the table, you rest an arm on her shoulder.  The Princess flinches under your touch and averts her eyes.  The scowl is still present on her face.
“You wouldn’t do anything like that.  You’re a very genuine pony with a generous heart.  Otherwise you wouldn’t agree to travel across the country just to make other ponies feel more secure.”
>For a long moment, the pink alicorn doesn’t speak, though you can feel her trembling under your touch.  At last, she whispers.
>“You can’t know that.”
>Your hand slides from her shoulder to her chin, applying a slight pressure to turn her towards you with your fingers.  Resisting at first, she relents after you show no signs of letting up.  Purple-granite eyes, wobbling between frustration and hope, stare up at yours.
“I saw the Prince today.  He’s arrogant, self-centered and rude, a sharp contrast to you.  And yet Princess Celestia more than tolerates his presence.  If you wanted to be ambivalent towards the populace, I imagine she would have nothing to say about it.  The fact that you choose to spend your time among them speaks volumes about your character.”
>“You’re just saying that.”
>Still, the Princess gives you a smile before removing herself from your touch.  Clearing her throat, Cadence settles back into her seat.



>“Guardspony, there’s a door to your right that leads into the kitchen.  Could you inform the chef staff that I’m prepared to eat my lunch?”
“At once, Princess.”
>You bow your head and make your way to the side entrance to the kitchen.  As soon as you enter, you’re very nearly swept off your feet by a bolting unicorn cook.  He turns to you, terror in his eyes.
>“Apologies, sir!”
>And then he was gone, a bowl of levitating salad leading him towards the dining hall.  Taking a moment to glance around the kitchen, you see that the other chefs are in a similar state.  They snap at one another and at the assistants as they cook and jostle against each other.
>Pots and pans clang, water spits as it boils over and the relentless sound of knives pounding against chopping blocks assault your ears.  Towards the back, in a separate room, you can see the shock white feathery head of an eagle, wielding a butcher’s knife in its claw.
>“You!”
>A pink unicorn snaps, bringing your attention back to the area around your person.  He glowers, sizing you up then snorting.
>“You don’t look like much of a cook, but those fingers ought to be good for something.  Come on and we’ll get you a cutting board.”
“Actually, I’m here for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”
>With a heavy sigh, the unicorn scowls.
>“I should have figured as much.  They’d never send us a spare set of hooves unless it was the Gala.  What’s the Princess want?”
>“She’s going to be dining on the veranda today.  Could you send someone out to see to her?”
>The gruff looking unicorn stares for a moment, then chuckles, cackles even, and begins shaking his head.



>“Haha, I’m sure.  You find out what the Princess wants to eat, and then YOU can take it to her.”
“And how’s she supposed to know what is available?”
>Growling, the unicorn glances around, then purses his lips and gives a whistle.  At once, an earth pony with a shaggy blonde mane stands beside you, quivering.
>“Y-yes chef?”
>“You still got the list?”
>“Yes chef!”
>“Well, give it to the minotaur.  Princess Mi Amore Cadenza wants to know what’s for lunch.”
>With a relieved sigh, the pony nods, giving another ‘yes chef’, before turning to you and mentioning with his head.
>“Follow me, it’s on the board.”
>“Don’t lollygag!”
>“No, chef!”
>The earth pony leads with a spring in his step, over to a large cork board.  All manner of recipes, notices and warnings reside there, stretching across in every direction, often causing papers to overlap and hide from prying eyes.  Thankfully, the ‘list’ is near the top, so the pony lifts his head and grabs it with his teeth.
>“Eeh ou go.”
“Thanks.”
>The pony offers a smile and then jumps as the chef shouts at him again.  Leaving him to his fate, you work your way through the bustling assistant chefs and head back towards the balcony.  Once clear of the kitchen, you take a few moments to glance over the list.
>Daisy Sandwiches?  Yuck.  Vegetable Soup?  Edible.  Mutton?  Thank goodness for carnivores.  As you continue to scan the list, Cadence clears her throat.  A quick glance up reveals that you nearly crashed into her.
>“So, you’ll be waiting on me today?”
“I, uh, suppose so.”



>You hold the list out to her, gripping it at the top between your thumb and forefinger.  The paper droops, wobbling a little in the wind, but the Princess comes to a decision quickly enough.
>“I’ll have fruit, the soup, buttered bread and the hay plate.  Water will be fine.”
“As you wish.”
>Turning to leave, the pink pony calls out to you.
>“Anonymous?”
“Yes?”
>“What about you?  Or have you already decided, seeing as how you were so engaged in checking it before I stopped you?”
>Cadence’s lip curls up slightly, stretching more so as your stomach burbles in response to her teasing taunt.  Bringing a hand down to your belly, you feel your face color a little before she laughs, shaking her head.
>“Please, I don’t like to eat alone, but I’m certainly not putting up with politics.  I think I’d like it if we shared a meal together.”
“A-as you wish, Princess.”
>Leaving her still smiling, you hustle back to the chef and give him Cadence’s order.  He grunts in response.
>“All right, just hang around, we’ll have it ready in a bit.”
>Snatching the list from your hand, he tosses it to another pony who rushes to put it back on the board.  How they find anything in that mess is beyond you.  As the ponies work, you make your way back towards the other room you saw earlier.  A deep, throaty humming sound rumbles out from the open doorway, broken by intermittent chops.
>The gryphon within is the source of the sound, and apparently a female by the shape of her body.  Supporting herself with one claw against the counter, she swings her hips from side to side, in time with the music.  You can just barely make out words in the song before a pair of steely eyes turn to you.



>“Who enters my space?”
>Her white head is offset by the not at all subtle aqua-colored feathers around her eyes.  Creating a wing like design, you lose yourself in her appearance, until her beak snaps shut.
>“Well, out with it?  What is it you want from Vanda?”
“I, uh, was wondering if the mutton was any good.”
>Vanda regards you for a moment, before smirking and nodding.
>“It is quite good as it has been cooking since yesterday.  I should know, I’ve been seeing to it this whole time.”
>With a chuckle, she drops her knife and points to a corner.
>“Please, take what you like.  I fear that the delegates will not finish what I have prepared.”
>With an appreciative smile, you pass behind her and grab a plate, taking a sizable chunk and moving back into the kitchen proper, leaving Vanda to her work.  You feel her eyes on you the entire while.
>“Ah, there you are.”
>The chef from before approaches, though he eyes your choice in lunch with a mild distaste.  Placing your own food aside, you reach into the blue aura surrounding the plates and rest them on your arms.  It’s a little uncomfortable, but you mange to balance all of them, plus two glasses of water and your own meal of meat, bread and an apple.  As the pony leaves, you realize the real trick will be getting outside.
>Twisting, turning and panicking, you eventually make it outside.  Cadence taps her hoof against the table, once again glancing off into the distance, seeming equal parts bored and depressed.  And entirely unaware of your presence.
“Scuse me, Princess?”
>She turns and you give her a helpless smile.
“I’d appreciate if you could lend me a hoof?  Or a horn?”



>After a moment of staring at your predicament, she chuckles and her horn goes alight, levitating two of the plates away from your person.  Finding your load that much easier, you hustle over to the table and carefully place each plate.  You notice that Cadence seems particularly intrigued by the fact that you picked up the meat.  At least, judging from the way she’s staring at it.
“Do you want some?”
>The way she jerks back, you can’t help but have a laugh at her expense.  Taking a few seconds to organize your plates from hers, you tip your glass in her direction before taking a drink.  The scent from that meat is heavenly, and you’re looking forward to making a half-hearted sandwich.
>Princess Cadence snaps back to reality after a moment and begins eating her own lunch.  A comfortable silence settles in between the two of you as you enjoy the meal, though you occasionally sneak a look up at her.  Once or twice, you catch her doing the same.  You both give nervous grins and go back to your food.
>You’ve made it through halfway when the pink alicorn perks up.  Getting up from her seat, she walks over to the balcony, smirking a little.
>“It seems that the Prince has come back.”
>Leaning over beside her, you give a wide grin.  Prince Blueblood and his entourage are strutting through the garden towards the entrance beneath your balcony.
“So he has.  Do you think he’ll pass underneath us?”
>Cadence’s eyes light up as she smiles and looks back to the table, her horn glowing with a soft light.  Your cup moves with hers until they both hang over the edge, turned almost to the tipping point.



>“I certainly hope so…”
“Princess, I don’t really think that’s a good idea.”
>No, it’s a wonderful idea, but you can’t let her know that.  From what you’ve gathered, the Prince is a pompous buffoon, but it wouldn’t look good on your record for her to get into mischief on your watch.  Cadence turns, her grin turning into a smirk.
>Her eyes widen and her mouth forms a small ‘o’ as she shakes each glass with her magical hold.  She repeats the action several more times, never moving her eyes from yours.
>“Oops!  Woah!  Uh oh!  G-Guardspony Anonymous, I, I just don’t know if I’m, strong enough to hold these glasses.  They, they’re, slipping!”
>Any sense of control you had over this situation has slipped away in an instant.  The Princess’ expression morphs back into a playful smile.  As you take a step towards her, she takes a step back, and wobbles one of the glasses.  She even wiggles her eyebrows.
>“I think I should dump it.”
“That’s a very bad idea.”
>She purses her lips, as if considering what you had said.  After a moment’s pause, she nods.
>“Yeah.  Gonna dump it.”
“Cadence…”
>The Princess smirks, taking a step towards you and cocking her head to the side.  She’s toying with you, but a part of you is finding yourself drawn into her game.  She takes another step and raises an eyebrow.
>“Tell me, Guardspony, what are you going to do about it?”
>She’s about three paces away now, the cups are twice that and hanging over the edge of the balcony.  Prince Blueblood must be passing underneath you soon, best to stall for time.



>Dividing your attention between her and the glasses, you take a step forward.  She doesn’t move them at all.  Taking a deep breath, you turn your focus back to her.
“I don’t suppose there’s much I can do about it.  I don’t have magic and I can’t fly, so stopping you from dropping them is out of the question.”
>With a throaty purr, Cadence smirks and takes another step towards you.  She’s enjoying this, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t.  Her playfulness reminds you of someone in your old life, someone you miss tremendously.
>“So you admit that you don’t have any tricks up your sleeves?  You’re very bad at this bluffing game.  I might have believed you could pull them in with your superior reach, but since you can’t stop me…”
>Cadence smirks and turns her head towards the garden.  Out of the corner of your eye, you see the glasses turn.  Thinking quickly, you hold out your hand.
“Wait!”
>It works.  The Princess pauses and turns her attention back to you.  She seems slightly aggravated, but that’s fine by you.
“You’ve got a spot of lunch on you.”
>She didn’t, of course.  She was an immaculate eater, dabbing at her face constantly.  The syrup this morning had probably been a result of the post-breakfast brawl. Still, the Princess gives a small nod and presents her cheek to you.
>You take a step to close the distance, close enough now to feel her breath on your skin.  As if someone tugged on her tail, the Princess’ body suddenly goes rigid from hoof to horn.  Her eyes scream of a struggle between cautious curiosity, and a desire to end the game.  But she holds her ground.



>Kneeling in front of her, you place yourself nearly nose to muzzle with her, before licking your thumb and wiping away some imaginary crust and butter.  The stiff nature of her body is evident even as you touch her, like her coat has not a fraction of give to it.  All too quickly, she turns her head and whispers
>“A-are you finished?”
>There’s a quietness to it now, as if her will for the game was at last about the break and she looked away to save herself.  Pressing your thumb against her muzzle, you turn her back to face you.  She doesn’t fight in the least.
>At this moment, several things happen at once.  You meet her eyes, feeling yourself slipping into the purple fog within, even as her breathing falls into sync with yours.  Blinking becomes a foreign sensation, as if doing so would tear her away from you.
>And then there is the tinkling of glass and a screech of dismay that breaks the spell.
>“I-I’m soaked!”
>“Uh oh, seems I lost my concentration.”
>Cadence whispers as she meets your eyes again and gives an apologetic grin.  Sighing, you curse Prince Blueblood for being the slowest moving horse in Equestria.  Moving to your feet, you give your charge a grin, whispering back.
“Well, Princess, would you prefer to wait for them to catch up, or should we go somewhere until he cools down?”
>A smile breaks across her face and Cadence nods, galloping towards the kitchen.  With one last mournful look back at your unfinished lunch, you hurry after her.