A Pretty Face
It was a lovely night in Canterlot. A good deal of upper-class ponies were enjoying themselves at an enjoyable, classy party. One mare in particular was getting a good deal of attention. A lovely flowing pink mane, and a slender, white form that many said rivaled even Celestia’s beauty. They all knew her name; it was the same as the symbol that was her Cutie Mark.
Fleur-de-lis. The royal heraldic official, and the greatest beauty in Canterlot.
But Fleur paid no attention to the other ponies. She strolled through them as if she were surrounded by mists, only really noticing blurry images and unclear voices as she passed by. She nodded politely when greeted, more out of reflex than recognition.
Her mind was swimming, and while she didn’t show it, she felt as is she was going to cry.
She sighed as she sat down on a balcony in the garden, away from the noise and lights of the party, a place where she could be alone with her thoughts.
“I’m not just a pretty face.” she thought to herself. “And I’m not a silly filly. Who does that pony think she is, anyways?”
She sighed. Okay, she had to admit, she was prone to being a bit of an airhead. And yes, she enjoyed looking pretty.
“Vain.” she muttered. “I guess she got that right. I suppose I do spend a lot of time caring about my looks. But… I’m not just a pretty face. And I do have something more to me. That horrid mare. I’m not just….”
She suddenly stopped. She noticed approaching hoofsteps.
Fleur-de-lis instantly put on a smile, her problems all masked away beneath an unreadable face.
But it was hard not to look unhappy when she saw the mare approaching. It was the same orange earth pony who had insulted her. Applejack, the Element of Honesty. As royal heraldic official, she knew the Elements very well, but was not very pleased to see this one approaching her.
“I’m afraid I needed some fresh air.” Fleur-de-lis stated placidly. “Perhaps you would be more comfortable with your friends, Miss Applejack, and not a shallow pretty pony.”
Applejack sighed. “Ma’am, actually, that’s what I’m here to talk about. It weren’t right what I said. And I can see I hurt yer feelings.”
“A simple comment is not going to cause me any great trouble.” Fleur-de-lis said with a forced laugh.
Applejack wasn’t falling for it.
“Oh, ponyfeathers. I forgot that this is the Element of Honesty I’m talking to.” Fleur thought to herself.
“Look, sugarcube, I realize that y’all ain’t being right truthful about that.” Applejack stated. “Ah hurt ya, and I wish to make it right.”
Fleur-de-lis sighed, letting down her pretences. “Very well, Applejack. I suppose I can see how I seemed insensitive about your plight on your farm. I should have tried to see it from your point of view more. Not everypony has the money to fix all their problems right away.”
“Well, I should’a known y’all were speakin’ out of ignorance.” Applejack replied. “I doubt y’all ever knew what farm life is like, let alone had to deal with a bad crop.”
Fleur-de-lis sighed. “I… appreciate your understanding, Miss Applejack.”
“Just Applejack, if you please.” Applejack stated. “Seems friendlier that way.”
“Oh… well, then, Fleur-de-lis will do for me.” Fleur replied.
“Well, Fleur-de-lis, I suppose I spoke a mite harshly back there.” Applejack apologized. “I’m just… well, worried. For Sweet Apple Acres. For mah family. And… well, no offense, but it can be a mite irritatin’ when somepony who ain’t ever had a trouble in their life tries to act like they have the answers to your dilemma. But I shouldn’t have called y’all another pretty face that’s shallow than a puddle in dry season.”
Fleur-de-lis sighed. “I admit, poverty has never even been a slight concern for me, and physical labor isn’t something I know much about, except for my time at the gym. And I admit, I’m not the most smart or alert mare in Equestria. I had no idea what I was talking about, I see that now. But I was genuinely trying to help.”
Fleur-de-lis turned towards Applejack, looking sadly at her. “Miss… um, I mean, Applejack, I know my life is nothing like yours. But… well, just because I have an easy life and riches does not mean I’m without trials of my own. I know they may not compare to your own, but… well, I don’t think they’re entirely trivial.”
Applejack couldn’t help but feel a bit skeptical, but she merely nodded.
Fleur could see her skepticism. “Look, I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true. I have no idea what your life is like, and you do indeed sound like you have the more difficult life, but here I have to deal with a good deal of things no rural earth pony has to deal with. Everypony judges everypony by appearance here. Do you know why your comment hurt me? Because it’s true.”
Fleur-de-lis sat down, putting her head in her hooves. “Why do you think I care so much about my looks? Yes, I admit, it is fun to beautify myself. But most everypony, other than Fancy Pants, judge me for my looks. ‘That beautiful mare’, they call me. ‘That supermodel pony’, or ‘that lovely mare’, or ‘my fair lady’. Nopony really seems to know anything about my name other than my looks. That’s why it hurts, Applejack. Because I am just another pretty face.”
“Well, maybe y’all ain’t just that.” Applejack stated.
Fleur-de-lis shot her a look. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
Applejack sighed. “I… guess not.” she mumbled. There were times she wished she could be less honest, but she knew it would just cause more damage if she lied.
“Look, maybe I don’t think very much of ya.” Applejack admitted. “But maybe I just don’t understand your life any more than y’all understand mine.”
She sat down beside Fleur-de-lis. “So, uh… I’m willin’ at hear y’all out.”
A faint smile crossed Fleur-de-lis’s face. “Well, I… I don’t know where to begin.” she exclaimed. “I… suppose… well, I shall be honest. I doubt you of all ponies would care if I didn’t mince words.”
“That’s just sayin’ the same thing with fancy words.” Applejack replied with a chuckle. “And fancy words don’t change the truth. Jes ‘cause ya dip a tomato in caramel, it don’t make it a caramel apple. Sure, it’s sweeter outside, but inside it’s still a tomato.”
Fleur-de-lis looked a little confused at the analogy, but went on.
“You’re lucky, Applejack.” she stated. “You have a purpose. You’re useful. What am I? I’m just the pony who looks over who gets what crest, and I make sure nopony mixes them up. My entire job is made up of ceremonial duties.”
She lowered her head, and sighed deeply. “I don’t think if I disappeared, anypony would really notice. There are lots of pretty mares. And most of my duties could very easily be carried out by anypony else.”
She turned towards Applejack. “You could never know what it’s like. I feel like I do so little, and what I do is not even important. And it doesn’t make any difference if it’s me or anypony else doing the job. Most of the time my tasks are redundant.”
“Redu-what?” Applejack asked, cocking her head.
“Just… kind of pointless. I only have any job because of the ceremonies we keep. It’s almost like they just do these things because ponies feel sorry for me. Frankly, other than assigning crests, there isn’t one task or another that I do that the princesses or some other servant couldn’t do as well without much trouble.”
A small, sad smile crossed the unicorn’s lovely face. “So I suppose… I could say I envy you a bit, Applejack.”
Applejack looked taken aback. “What? Y’all are envious of little ol’ me?”
“Yes.” Fleur-de-lis replied. “Because you do important things. Because you have good friends and a happy life. I have money. What can money buy? Things. Things cannot make a pony happy. I bought so many things, but they do not make me any happier. You, even if you were not an Element of Harmony, you are useful. You give food to ponies. You are liked for who you are, not because you are rich, or who your friends are. I love Fancy Pants dearly, because he is the one pony who truly cares about me for being me. Everypony else just sees my money, or that I know Fancy Pants.”
“Or yer pretty face.” Applejack said softly. “I think I get it now.”
“It’s not that I don’t try to be useful.” Fleur-de-lis went on. “I give lots of money to charity. I’ve built hospitals and shelters and schools. I’ve tried to add a little pleasure to everypony’s life. But in the end, all many ponies see is the money, and my pretty face. Which is why I try to keep up my appearances. I do enjoy being thought attractive, but that isn’t why I do it. I do it because my entire life depends upon what other ponies think of me. Without my beauty, I would just be a pony in a position with no real authority. I would be an outcast! My whole life, having anypony ever pay attention to me, all depends on… on looking beautiful. I… I always have to look nice, or else they… they’ll just forget me, and I… I’m so shallow! I’m so useless!”
Fleur-de-lis began to sob, putting her head in her hooves.
“You’re lucky, Applejack.” she cried. “You’re so lucky. You may have lost your parents, but at least they loved you. From when I was little, my parents sent me off to school all the time. I never saw them. They never asked me what I wanted to do. It was always what I had learned, how I looked. I was a trophy for them to brag about to their visitors and friends, a pawn in a competition against a bunch of children I didn’t even know. I didn’t have friends. When your parents’ love depends upon you being the best, there aren’t a lot of foals who would think twice about stepping on anypony in their way. I though things would be better when I grew up and could control my own life, but it’s… it’s no different!”
She began to break down into tears again. “Everything here is fake!” she sobbed. “Ponies here only care about appearances. No wonder those changelings fooled them all. And I’m… I’m no better! I’m just a pretty doll, set on display! My parents treated me like a doll, my teachers treated me like a doll, and now everypony acts like I’m Fancy Pants’ doll! I’m not a doll! I’m not a doll!”
She was clutching her head, almost shouting now as she wept.
“I can’t show any emotion! I’m not allowed to be sad, or ponies act like I’m crazy! I’m not allowed to get excited, or get angry, or anything, or else they all act like I have some problem!”
She lay upon the ground, her chest heaving as she continued to sob.
“I’m so… useless. I’m so shallow. Everything I do is so shallow! Everything is fake! I just want to live! I just want something real! I just want somepony to care!”
As she gasped upon the ground, she suddenly felt two strong hooves lift her up and embrace her. In surprise, she looked to see Applejack, holding her tightly.
“It’s okay, sugarcube. Jes let it out.” the orange earth pony said softly, patting her back.
Fleur-de-lis was stunned. She awkwardly put her hooves around Applejack, gently at first, then holding on tightly as she sobbed.
“I’m so sorry… you had to see me like this.” she sniffed.
“Nonsense!” Applejack replied kindly. “Ponies ain’t meant ta keep things all bottled up all the time. Y’all gotta let it out sometime, else it’ll jes hurt you.”
Applejack sighed. “And you know somethin’? You ain’t shallow. Y’all wouldn’t be thinking’ stuff like this if’n ya were. And y’all ain’t useless. Why, don’t you know just how much use those schools and hospitals you help build are? And ya know what? Yer probably one a’ the best mares in Canterlot. I guess I jes didn’t see it underneath that pretty face. I guess I kind of judged you by yer looks, too. And that was wrong of me. I guess even Canterlot ponies have feelings.”
“We just aren’t allowed to show them.” Fleur-de-lis said with a sniffle. She drew back slightly, giving a sad smile to Applejack. “It isn’t any easier at the top, Applejack. Just a different type of difficult.”
“Can’t say I envy you.” Applejack admitted. “But y’all shouldn’t envy me, either. It’s your life. Do somethin’ with it.”
“Like what?” Fleur asked with a sniff.
“Stop actin’ like somepony ya ain’t.” Applejack replied. “Take it from me, I’ve been there. I was livin’ the high life with my aunt and uncle, the Oranges. Never been so miserable in my life. Then one day I woke up and realized that, bein’ the honest pony I am, the first pony I had to be honest with was myself. I ain’t cut out for the fancy life. Maybe you might be, but if’n ya ain’t, there ain’t no shame in a simple life. And if’n y’all are a fancy pony at heart, well then, stop lyin’ to yerself ‘bout bein’ useless, and stop actin’ like somepony else ta all those other ponies. Who the hay are they ta judge, anyway? And while I don’t know much about that heraldin’ and stuff, I do know that you know who almost everypony in Equestria is, and their families and such. Y’all could be very helpful to the princesses with that kind of information. And if you ain’t happy with yer job, then try somethin’ else. Nopony’s stoppin’ ya but yerself.”
Fleur-de-lis gave a small sniff and stood up.
“I… suppose you’re right.” she murmured. “But… I’m scared. I don’t know what will happen.”
“Well, y’all got Fancy Pants, and he’s ‘bout the nicest Canterlot pony I ever did meet.” Applejack pointed out. “And for what it’s worth, I’ll help y’all out however I can.”
Fleur-de-lis sighed, giving Applejack a small smile. “I… I suppose I could try.”
“Fleur, dear? Are you all right?”
The two mares turned to see Fancy Pants striding across the lawn looking concerned.
Fleur-de-lis smiled, not a fake smile this time, but a genuine one. It was a little sad, but it shone with hope.
“Yes, dear.” she replied. “I was just having a very good conversation with Applejack here. The party was becoming a little much for me, but I think that I’m ready to go back now.”
As she strode up to Fancy Pants’ side and the two walked back to the festivities, Fancy Pants turned towards Applejack and mouthed a silent “thank you”. Applejack grinned and tipped her hat in response.
********************************************************
Fleur-de-lis was rather surprised a few days later when a royal guard came into her office with an order to take her to meet with Princess Celestia. Fleur couldn’t help but feel a little nervous, despite how often she had met with the princess before. Had somepony seen her outburst and told the princess? Could she be in trouble for behavior unbecoming of a royal courtier?
As she entered the throne room, she saw Princess Celestia was sitting upon her throne with an inscrutable expression. Beside her stood Fancy Pants, who gave her a reassuring smile.
“Fleur-de-lis.” Celestia stated. “It has been brought to my attention that your duties have become mostly obsolete in the past few years.” she stated.
“Oh no. She’s going to fire me.” Fleur-de-lis thought.
“I would like to thank you for your loyal service to Equestria, but your services are no longer required.” Celestia went on.
Fleur-de-lis’s face fell, and her heart sunk into her stomach. “I… guess I should go pack my things.” she thought.
“However….”
Fleur’s ears perked up.
“I am informed that you are Prench-born?” Celestia said questioningly.
“Y-yes, Your Highness.” Fleur-de-lis replied. “I came here with my parents when I was a filly.”
“Yes, Fancy Pants has informed me that your parents were Prench ambassadors.” Celestia stated. Slowly, she smiled. “So, considering that you officially are Prench… do you think that you would be capable of being the consul for Prance here in Canterlot?”
Fleur-de-lis’s mouth dropped open. “Wh… you can do that?”
Celestia nodded “Your parents are official Prench ambassadors. In fact, you’re not technically a citizen of this country. Your diplomatic immunity is the only reason nopony brought charges against you.” Celestia gave a warm smile. “That, and I don’t have the heart to deport ponies.”
“You have the power to elect me as a consul?” Fleur asked.
Celestia chuckled. “Just between you and me, our world isn’t officially united yet, but unofficially, laws concerning differences of countries and such are simply in place to ease the transition to unity. And all pony countries do acknowledge me and Luna as their sovereignties. The diplomacy and law is simply to ensure that things are done fairly. One thing centuries of experience has taught me is that even the wisest of us still need to hear the opinions of others and take them to heart. Your job will be to be one of those others, and provide us with the information and opinions we need to keep our rule over Equestria a fair one.”
Celestia giggled. “So I suppose what I’m saying is that you would have full rights to question my judgment. Officially, I am not bound to obey my subjects, but unofficially, a good ruler is a servant to their people. So I would appreciate nothing less than total honesty. Do you think you could handle that? It is a very important job.”
Fleur-de-lis smiled, trying to contain her joy. “I… think so.” she replied. “I… have a friend who taught me to be more honest.”
********************************************************
As Fleur left the palace with Fancy Pants later that day, the two of them were talking and laughing, both proud of Fleur’s new job.
"Did Applejack say anything to you or the princess about my job?" Fleur asked.
"My dear," Fancy Pants replied, "I hardly believe that the princess requires aid to recognize your talent." Then he gave a small smile. "However, if it would interest you, perhaps Miss Applejack would accept an invitation to a private dinner party. Say, to celebrate your new job?"
Fleur-de-lis giggled. "That sounds lovely."
They walked happily through the marketplace, as usual drawing more than a few stares.
“My, my! ” a nearby pony exclaimed. “That marefriend of Fancy Pants is quite lovely.”
“Hey, beautiful!” a nearby pony with a camera called. “You’re that gorgeous mare who was voted Miss Equestria three years straight, aren’t you?”
Fancy Pants gave the paparazzi a disapproving look, but Fleur-de-lis stepped up before he could dismiss them.
“I am not Miss Equestria, and I am not 'that gorgeous mare'.” she replied firmly. “My name is Fleur-de-lis.”
Author's Note
This was inspired when I was listening to the song "Fleur-de-lis" by Evening Star. Since Fancy Pants was such a nice pony, I highly doubted that he would have any relationship with anypony who truly was shallow.
I like the idea of Fleur-de-lis being very much the aristocratic diplomat. Looks are very important in high-class society, and it occurred to me that perhaps Fleur may not actually like the attention she got solely for her looks. I see her at a bit of n airhead in some ways, but with a great deal more depth to her than many Canterlot ponies. I wanted to bring more to her character than just "Fancy Pants' girlfriend" or "that beautiful mare", because even in the fandom, this seems to be the general idea of her. I hope to make her more than some pretty face.
