The Grand Galloping Gala, social event of the year for the ponies of Canterlot; the place for high-brow pony society to mingle and mix.
It was perhaps a dubious sight to see Ditzy Doo, of all ponies, dressed in a long, flowing purple dress, stepping out of one of the carriages and on to the long path leading up to the Canterlot Castle.
She was late already, by an hour or more, after a ‘mishap’ with her dress had caused the entire thing to fall apart. One little thread pulled, and the entire thing had collapsed; so she had to rush to get it repaired an hour before the Gala started.
Almost tripping and falling on her face on the way out of the carriage, she stumbled, and managed to regain her footing; innate balance, she told herself, and not long practise.
It was an odd set of events that led to her being at the Gala, and not all of them were entirely happy, either. Actually, most of them weren’t. Her job; or well, her ex job, at the transport company, had been ‘unexpectedly terminated’ when Ditzy had managed to break a ‘priceless’ vase.
It hadn’t even been her fault, really. She had been carefully watching her step, to make sure there was not a single thing she could bump into and cause her to lose her footing, when one of the other movers had backed directly in to her, not paying attention to where he was going.
Her complaints had, of course, gone unnoticed and unheard. Instead, she had been called into her bosses office.
The boss of the company; a large, muscular Earth Pony named Steel Hoof, had handed her a golden ticket. “This is yours, so long as I never see your face again,” he had stated flatly.
And that was that. Another job gone.
Before that, it had been her job as a Mail Mare, where she had continually mixed up various letters and parcels. And before that a line of various odd jobs she had attempted and inevitably failed.
And so there she was, the poor, confused Pegasus mare with the wonky eyes, all dressed up for the Gala, with no date, no friends to accompany her, or anything. Maybe the Canterlot folks would be more accepting of her problems? It wasn’t like she did any of it on purpose...
The carriage pulled away from the drop-off point, heading back down the road towards the station it had started from, and Ditzy gave it one last, long look, before beginning to trudge her way towards the castle.
The party was already in full swing: orchestral music filled the halls while the murmur of conversation hummed in the background, the clinking of fine glass cups on metal as ponies went this way and that, serving the high-class unicorns who were in attendance.
Even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were there, at the end of the hall, sitting in their places of importance. The Princes of Canterlot ranged about, drinking fine wine and courting fillies of their interest. It was, in general, a very large, very fancy party.
Looking about, Ditzy found no place where she could effectively blend with the crowd. These kinds of meets were not her thing. She was the furthest thing possible from ‘high class’, and as far as she knew, the Gala was specifically for people of either class, or importance. The Princesses, the Wonderbolts, everypony who garnered an invite was somepony. She was just...nopony.
Hanging her head slightly, she turned and instead moved left, away from the crowd inside, pushing through a pair of large white doors inset with giant windows, and to the garden party.
Faint tingles of the orchestral music from inside wafted, muted, into the garden, where various ponies stood about, talking amongst themselves in small groups. Imported fireflies floated back and forth amongst the temporary residents of the garden, washing the area in their soft, pinpoint glows, while woodland creatures, enticed by the smell of food, lingered at the edge of the treeline, watching with intent, sparkling eyes.
Out here was more her pace; there were even ponies like herself, looking lost and alone and unsure what to do. She was certain that these were the ponies who found their golden tickets in any number of the ‘special’ places. It was a marketing ploy for the Gala, strewing golden tickets about Canterlot, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale in the oddest of places. Those that managed to find a golden ticket were basically in possession of a special invitation to the Gala.
A tight-knit group of female Unicorns were chattering amongst themselves nearby, seemingly watching a Unicorn who stood a few metres away, trying to entice a bird down from the tree he was under to perch on his hoof. They were giggling amongst themselves, whispering this and that to eachother, and, naturally curious, Ditzy crept closer to them.
“No, you!” whispered one of the unicorns with a giggle.
“I’ll bet you ten bits!” said another.
“I say twenty and you still won’t!” countered the previous.
“Forty, and you have to bump into him deliberately!” said another.
Ditzy blinked, wondering what they were arguing, and betting on, before one of them snickered faintly and then lifted a hoof towards her. “You there, Pegasus!” she called.
Blinking and recoiling slightly, Ditzy looked left and right, her ears splaying backwards. “M-me?” she asked uncertainly.
The unicorn nodded, beckoning her closer.
Uncertainly, Ditzy minced over to the group of Unicorns, who opened their ranks to let her in, their smiling faces arranged all around her.
“Now, Pegasus. We have a little wager going on that none of us will have the courage to go and ask White Knight out on a date,” she said in a hushed tone, grinning at her.
Ditzy looked around at the faces of the female unicorns, her ears pinning back once more. They were all smiling, but it wasn’t a warm smile. It seemed like they were all having some inside joke.
“Now, we will gladly give anypony who can ask him out successfully a sum of fifty bits," she continued in a hushed whisper. “Do you think you’re up to the challenge?”
“W-well I-I’m not so sure he’d go f-for someone like me..." she said after a moment, shirking back, very aware at that moment of just how badly her eyes were misaligned.
“Nonsense. A fine young pegasus like yourself, why would he not?” the Unicorn asked in a haughty tone.
“You r-really think so?” Ditzy asked hopefully, raising her brows, ears pricking upwards, wanting to believe.
“But of course, my dear. Just go over and ask," the unicorn said, nudging her with her nose, pushing her slightly towards the oblivious male Unicorn.
“O-okay...I guess I can try..." Ditzy said uncertainly, before she turned towards the male. His back was still turned, trying to coax the bird down out of the tree with faint coos.
Looking down at herself, Ditzy straightened up the purple dress she wore, adjusted her hair, and then minced on over to the male, pausing when she got to his flank, wondering whether to walk up to his shoulder, or just catch his attention and get him to turn towards her.
Pausing uncertainly, she lifted a hoof, and then cleared her throat gently. The bird that had been perching on the branch caught sight of her, chirped, and then bounced away along the branch towards the centre of the tree, out of reach.
The unicorn sighed and then shook his head slightly, turning around to face the Pegasus. “Yes?” he asked, in the typical way of the Canterlot Unicorns. His voice was so...studied. It was just perfect, like everything else about him. From his hair, to his horn, to his coat. Everything about him was just so. There didn’t seem to be a spontaneous thing about him. It was kind of boring, but at the same time, rather attractive.
“U-uhm...well...I saw you kind of all alone over here," Ditzy started, her tone and voice soft and barely audible.
“Indeed," Stated the unicorn, a brow raising at her curiously.
Ditzy was very aware of the female unicorns all watching. “W-well...I was k-kinda wondering if you’d...uhm...like to go o-on a datewithme?” she asked, her ears pinning back slightly, giving a hopeful grin up at the unicorn, while one of her eyes slowly drifted off to stare at something far to the left.
The upper-class Unicorn stared at her for a long moment, impassive, expressionless, looking her up and down once, and then just giving a single, flat ‘No’ and brushing past her.
Ditzy deflated, hanging her head, her ears splaying backwards further and a faint sigh of defeat leaving her. A chorus of giggles echoed from behind her, and she winced slightly, turning to peek over her shoulder, confirming her suspicions.
The unicorns from previously were all giggling and pointing at her, getting in a good laugh at her expense. Various snide remarks left them.
“To think you were stupid enough to ask him on a date!” called one, in between mean laughter.
“I figured you were dumb, but that sets a new record!”
“Who would want a pegasus with a set of wonky eyes, anyhow?!”
Ditzy recoiled, her eyes misting over slightly and her head lowering, turning away and then dashing into the treeline away from the unicorns, hiding herself from their words, and then just slumping behind a bush to hide from the rest of the party.
She didn’t know what she had expected to happen. But such a blunt, hurtful rejection, followed by the unicorns all making fun of her...it was the worst possible outcome she could, and could not, think of.
And so she just laid there in the bushes, and cried, while various woodland creatures came to investigate their new scenery, before dismissing her entirely. One of the birds even came and perched on her hoof, chirping at her curiously.
“Hello little birdie," Ditzy said, sniffling slightly.
A shadow fell over her, and the bird bounced away before taking flight, and Ditzy looked up, and up and up towards the dark shape standing over her. The horn bespoke a unicorn, but backlit like that, she had no way of knowing which unicorn it was.
She frantically tried to clean her tears, but to no avail, giving up after a second and just staring up at the dark shape wordlessly.
The unicorn just stared down at her for a long few moments, his head slowly tilting to the side, before he leaned down to be more on her level, staring at her.
Ditzy pulled herself up into a sitting position, sniffling faintly, and then canting her head as well. She recognized the coat he was wearing; it was White Knight, the unicorn she had asked out. “I-I’m fine," she sniffled, shaking her head slightly. “Just go away."
“You are not fine," the unicorn said with a shake of his head response. “You are distraught."
“I’m getting used to it," Ditzy said, turning herself away resolutely, staring into the darkness.
A hoof against her cheek made her flinch and recoil slightly. But it was a gentle hoof, lightly urging her to face him again. She did as the hoof suggested, and half-turned back towards him.
“I am going to retire to my quarters. I would very much like for you to accompany me, Milady," he said with a gentle little nod.
Ditzy blinked up at him, her ears pinning back once more, not sure what to think of this. “This is just another mean trick," she decided, shaking her head and turn away again.
“I assure you, Milady, this is not a trick," he said with a slight nod. “I have been facing down invitations from the group of Unicorns for the last hour, and I assumed you were merely another from their group. Their attitude suggests otherwise," he explained, gently pulling her around to face him again.
Allowing herself to be led back to face him, she gave a faint sigh, shaking her head again. “I-It’s fine...I’m used to it now," she said in an entirely broken way. “People always treat me differently because of my eyes...it’s fine. Go enjoy your party, White knight," she stated.
“I will not enjoy my party if you are hiding here, crying in the bushes due to my actions," he said, drawing himself up and placing a hoof on his chest. “You will either have to accompany me back to my quarters, or I will have to spend the night as miserable as you are," he stated rather firmly.
Her ears pinned back once more, and she gave an awkward shift of her wings. “...I really can’t win, can I?” she asked.
“No, you can not," White Knight replied with a sly grin.
Ditzy sighed disconsolately, and then climbed to her hoofs. “My dress is all dirty..." she murmured, trying to brush herself off self-consciously.
“We shall take a route where the others shall not see you," White Knight said with a nod. “Forgive me for my rudeness, but I failed to ask you your name."
Blinking for a moment, Ditzy looked up at him. “My name is Ditzy...no points if you can guess why," she said sullenly. “Most people just call me ‘Derpy’ anyway," she added, a tone of bitterness creeping into her voice.
“It is nice to meet you, Ditzy," the unicorn said with a slight bow in respect, straightening up and then waving a hoof towards a path cut through the trees. “Shall we go?” he asked.
Ditzy gave a slight nod. Anything was better than this place.
The Unicorn began to walk down the path, and Ditzy fell into step slightly behind and to the side of him, her head lowered, listening to the sounds from the other side of the trees where the party was still happening quite happily.
“So tell me; what brings a lovely pegasus such as yourself to the Grand Galloping Gala?” the unicorn asked.
“Wondering how someone like me managed to get a ticket here?” she asked flatly, her ears splaying once more.
“Indeed," the unicorn stated, without a trace of bashfulness; displaying ruthless honesty.
Ditzy was taken aback by the shameless honesty, and blinked a little bit, trying to order her thoughts and supply a response. “W-well...I kind of messed up at work,” she stated, sighing and shaking her head. “I broke something really expensive, and they didn’t believe it was my fault. One of my co-workers backed into me, and I was trying really hard not to break it,” she said, frustration permeable in her tone. “And so my boss gave me the ticket on the provider that he never see me again,” she finished, shaking her head for a moment.
“Your boss did not listen to your side of the story?” the unicorn asked curiously, continuing to lead her down the path towards the fancy mansions in the near distance.
“Of course not,” Ditzy replied with a shake of her head. “I...really can’t blame him. I kind of do break things a lot,” she said, suddenly self-conscious again.
“Indeed. What with the eyes,” he said with a short nod of understanding.
Ditzy bristled at that, eyes narrowing at him, wings flaring, a low growl building her throat. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, her tone angry.
White Knight arched a brow calmly, peering at her over his shoulder. “I merely mean to state that natural disadvantages of one whose eyesight is impaired, including hoof-eye coordination and lack of reliable depth perception, would lead anypony with said disadvantages to seem ‘clumsy’ to others,” he explained bluntly.
She deflated at that matter-of-fact explanation, her ears splaying backwards once more, wings folding back to their normal positions as they left the garden behind, and headed for the main gates of a large mansion. “I...I guess that’s true,” she admitted. “It’s just...most people don’t put it so..."
“Matter-of-factly?” White Knight offered, smiling at her warmly. “They tend to act as though it doesn’t exist?” he added.
Ditzy paused a moment, and then shook her head. “No...they never act like it’s not there...but they act like it doesn’t matter. Or they keep trying to help me with everything,” she said with a soft sigh. “I don’t know which is worse."
“Indeed,” White Knight said, pushing the large gate open and holding it open for her.
Ditzy blinked slightly, and then stepped through the gate, cheeks flushing faintly. She had never been treated like this before, like one of the ‘fancy’ ladies who needed gates opened for them.
“Most ponies are generally inept at dealing with people who have disabilities,” White Knight explained.
She bristled again at that, glaring at him, but the unicorn lifted a hoof to silence her.
“Would you call your eyes anything else?” he asked.
She opened her mouth to angrily respond, and then closed it again, settling for just glowering at him.
“My family has always prided itself on its honesty. I will not lie to make you feel better,” he explained calmly, walking her to the front door, which was hurriedly opened for them by a butler.
Ditzy stared up at the face of the large mansion, more of a palace than anything else, and blinked slowly. “You live here?” she squeaked.
“But of course. I think it would be exceedingly odd to be walking into somepony else's home like this,” he said rather dryly.
She blinked, cheeks flushing once more, and then shook her head slightly. “You must be pretty important...or rich,” she said, looking around at the room they entered, what seemed to be a foyeur. There were paintings on the walls, plush furniture to lounge on, shiny silver fittings and soft felt walls of purple.
Everything in the room bespoke of wealthy ponies, but she didn’t have long to inspect the room, as White Knight led her into a hallway, and then up a flight of stairs, to a rather lavish room fitted with a bar, a long couch for sitting, and a large, plush bed with what seemed to be gold silk sheets stretched across it.
“Wow,” Ditzy said, staring around at the room, and then back at the unicorn. “This is your room?” she asked.
The unicorn shook his head slowly. “No, my room is in one of the towers,” he stated, motioning for her to sit down on the couch.
Ditzy made her way over to the couch, and then sat uncertainly on the edge of it, watching him out of the corner of an eye as he moved over to the bar.
“So, what would you like to drink, Ditzy?” the unicorn asked.
“U-uhm...I’m not sure. Alcohol doesn’t mix so well with me..," she admitted.
“Nonsense my dear, a glass of wine will do you good. You look so twitchy that you’re liable to jump out the window at any moment," he stated.
She bristled at that, and then slowly relaxed, shaking her head. He was right. She was nervous. Maybe some wine would be help calm her down. “Okay...sure," she acquiesced. “Just the one glass."
“Atta girl," the unicorn said with a smile, pouring a glass of wine for them both, and then carrying her glass over to her, handing it to her delicately.
Ditzy peeked down at the purple-red liquid dubiously a moment, swirling it in her cup of a moment, staring at it, and then looking about furtively, and while White Knight went back to get his own glass, she downed hers in one quick gulp, putting the glass down ever-so-carefully on the desk besides the couch.
The unicorn raised a brow slowly as he noted her empty cup, but didn’t say a word, instead sitting down next to her, not too close, but not too far away, either. “So tell me, what are your plans for the future, Ditzy?”
The pegasus made a faint sound, raising a brow at him as the world tilted crazily for a moment, the wine going straight to her head as she had imbibed so much of it so quickly. “Wha?” she asked, blinking at him tipsily a moment. “Wooo...one glass too many,” she stated.
The Unicorn snuffed a laugh, and then shook his head slowly. “Perchance in hindsight the wine was perhaps not such a good idea,” he stated.
“Nooo. It’s fine,” Ditzy said, her speech the tiniest bit slurred. “I’ve never been good at holding my spirits,” she said with a slow nod, leaning against him heavily a moment. “I like you,” she slurred.
The Unicorn raised a brow at that. “Indeed?” he asked.
The pegasus nodded earnestly. “I doooo,” she crooned. “You’re different from the others. You don’t treat me differently because of my eyes...well, you do,” she corrected, blinking hazily up at him. “But it’s not the same. You’re truthful with me,” she said with an earnest nod.
White Knight nodded in response. “Indeed. I try to treat everypony I meet equally,” he stated calmly, taking a sip from his wine.
Ditzy nodded and then sighed faintly, pulling away from him to sit on her haunches facing him, swaying unsteadily. “I’m sorry I asked you on a date like that,” she said with a sad shake of her head.
“I am not," White knight responded with a faint smile, raising his glass to her in a mock toast.
“But...I’m just a jobless Pegasus," she said, sighing once more and then dropping onto her stomach disconsolately, resting her head on her hooves. “You’re a classy, wealthy Unicorn."
White Knight nodded at this, placing his glass aside, and then dropping down onto his stomach as well, peering into her eyes, even though one of them was currently drifting, staring somewhere off to the side. “You are a jobless pegasus, indeed," he stated.
“Blunt," Ditzy said, ears splaying backwards slightly.
“Indeed. But you are also an attractive jobless pegasus with a rather endearing attitude," he added, smiling at her warmly.
“A-attractive?” she asked after a moment, cheeks flushing faintly with warmth.
“Indeed," he affirmed, nodding once and smiling at her.
“B-but...m-my eyes," she stammered, off-balance from a mixture of the alcohol and having an upper-class pony actually call her attractive.
“Your eyes, do, indeed, subtract something from your overall appearance," he stated bluntly, lifting a hoof to gently stroke over her blonde mane with a smile. “But you are still attractive nonetheless. Why, if not for your eye condition, you would likely have many eager suitors and you would not have ever met me," he stated with a generous nod.
She blinked once at that, her cheeks flushing even further, trying to stammer out a response.
A lifted hoof placed against her lips quieted her words.
“I would be honoured if you would accept an invitation to dinner," he said with a smile.
“L-like a date?!” she squeaked.
“Indeed," responded the unicorn.
Ditzy stammered once more, her cheeks flushed deep pink, trying to hide her face behind her wings. “I-I-I d-d-don’t know w-what to s-say!” She fumbled over her words, trying to phrase a correct response.
“I was hoping that ‘yes’ would be an answer foremost in your mind," the unicorn said dryly.
“Yes! Yes!” Ditzy said, throwing her hooves around the unicorn and hugging against him, burying her face in his mane happily. “I would like nothing better, dear sir!” she cried, in a clumsy approximation of his own upper-class speech patterns.
The unicorn smiled, lifting a hoof to stroke her mane in return. “I am pleased," he stated, before gently disentangling her from himself. “For now, I shall retire. You are welcome to stay here for the night, Miss Ditzy," he said with a low, respectful bow.
“Thank you!” she squeaked in response, trying to bow in return and ending up just face-planting, coming up a moment later rubbing a hoof against her cheek.
The unicorn smiled, motioning to the corner, "Just ring the bell should you require assistance, a servant will be with you promptly," he explained, before turning towards the door.
Ditzy waited until he had left the room before throwing herself on the bed and clutching a pillow to her chest in glee, rolling about. She was actually going to go on a date with an upper-class pony! A handsome upper-class pony!
Voices in the hall intruded on her mind, and she pricked an ear upwards.
“Mother, she may be a mere pegasus, but that does not mean she has any less class than the Unicorns," White Knight was saying.
Ditzy blinked, listening intently.
“But she’s so...plain. Not a shred of fashion sense about her," said a haughty, feminine tone, making Ditzy’s ears splay backwards.
“I look for more in prospective partners than their fashion sense, mother. Or their eyes," White Knight stated rather flatly, and she felt a strange warm bubble of emotion growing and blossoming in her throat.
“Oh very well. But mind you dress her up pretty, Knight. I’ll not have her embarrassing our royal family."
A third voice echoed through the door; “Prince White Knight, you have inquiries as to why you left the party early. What shall I tell them?”
The rest of the conversation in the hallway was drowned out by a peculiar buzzing in her ears, and she stiffened slightly, her eyes wide, starting to hyperventilate.
Prince White Knight?!
Ditzy clutched the pillow to her chest, hyperventilating, her eyes wide, heart racing, throbbing and beating somewhere in the back of her throat, the pressure becoming permeable behind her skull as she stared at the fabric her face was pressed into. Despite the hard thudding of her heart so loud in her ears, she could hear everything that was happening. Her senses were hyper-alert.
Prince? A Prince?!
White Knight was one of the Prince’s of the royal family, and she hadn’t even known?! She had asked him on a date! And now, here she was, in what was obviously his royal castle, of all things, on his guest bed!
~~~~~
“Ditzy? Ditzy?” a voice was asking.
Ditzy’s head shot up as consciousness gripped her, and her eyes blinked wide and scared for a moment, her mis-matched gaze coming to rest on White Knight.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his expression one of mild concern. “Should I seek the nurse?”
The pegasus blinked once, slowly, registering that she was in a very, very uncomfortable position, and then sat bolt-upright, her wings springing upwards in a flight reflex as she backpedaled to the edge of the bed, staring at him with wide eyes. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realised that she must have fainted, right there on the bed. It was still dark outside, so it couldn’t have been a very long time since she had passed out.
“What’s the matter?” White Knight asked, sounding much more concerned now, at her odd behavior.
Ditzy gave a flustered shake of her head, waving a hoof at him. “Younevertoldmeyouwereaprince!” she squeaked out in a stream of syllables, her breathing rapid and shallow, wings quivering as though to propel her outside through one of the windows.
White Knight raised a brow slowly, his head canting just a little bit to one side, blinking at her once. “....And?” he asked.
“That’s something a girl might want to know!” she protested.
The unicorn peered at her for a long moment, his head tilting back to the other side, brow still raised. “Do you feel inclined to notify every pony you meet that you are a pegasus?” he asked.
Ditzy blinked at that, fumbling over her words for a moment. “It’s not the same thing!”
“Indeed," he responded dryly. “But it is the same principle-” Ditzy shuddered as she heard principle; “insofar that I need not notify anypony I meet because there are very few who do not know I am a prince. I apologize for not realising that you did not know."
“”W-well....you should!” Ditzy said with a firm nod, not quite sure how to respond to such a reasonable explanation, lowering her head and peering up at him. “It changes things," she said in a small voice, shaking her head.
“Changes things?” White Knight asked, arching a brow slowly. “Please, explicate."
Ditzy waved a hoof at him meekly for a moment. “You’re a prince," she said, frowning deeply. “You shouldn’t even be talking to me. I’m just a clumsy pegasus who can’t hold a job," she finished, shaking her head once. “I have nothing to offer to a Prince."
White knight canted his head slightly at her, and then shook it slowly, his expression chiding. He stepped up onto the bed, and then shifted to sit in front of her, lifting a hoof to soothingly rub at her mane. “Ditzy," he said, slipping his hoof in under her chin to force her to meet his gaze.
The pegasus winced just a little bit, her ears pinning backwards and wings quivering slightly in flight-or-fight reflex, her expression sad.
“You have nothing to offer me that I do not already have," he said bluntly.
Ditzy winced even more at that, shirking away slightly, but the unicorn pulled her around to face him properly again.
“You have nothing to offer me that I do not already have, except yourself," he finished, staring into her eyes, even though he could only correctly meet one of them as the other was slowly rolling to the side.
“But I’m nobody..." Ditzy said quietly.
White Knight gave a nod, and a faint smile, rubbing his nose against her own sweetly for a moment. “Indeed you are. But neither am I," he said rather calmly.
“But you’re a prince..," she protested weakly.
“Indeed I am. But does that make me somebody? A Prince’s value is dependent on the observers preconceptions about their title," he stated rather calmly.
Ditzy thought over what he said for a moment. “You’re right...I guess...but you’re still out of my league. Well, well out of my league. I can’t even look into your eyes properly," she said with a defeatist sigh.
White Knight shook his head slowly. “It is fortunate then, that I retain the ability to choose my prospective partners for myself," he said with a faint smile.
The pegasus blinked up at him, her ears still lowered. “But...why would you choose me? I’m just a clumsy pegasus with broken eyes," she said forlornly. “And you’re a Prince. You should be courting a high-class unicorn mare who knows your world and understands you," she pointed out.
The unicorn gave a nod. “Indeed. That is perhaps correct. But I grow weary of the upper-class mares."
“So you thought you’d stoop as low as you possibly can?” she accused.
White Knight shook his head slowly. “No. That was not my intent," he stated.
“Then why?” she asked, glaring up at him after a moment. “Why me? When you could choose from any mare you want?”
The Unicorn paused a moment, as though trying to weigh his words and form a correct response to her question. “When I saw you flee into the bushes..," he trailed off, pondering a moment. “I don’t know," he admitted. “The Unicorns who attempt to win my favour are all quite sure of themselves. They guard their emotions behind impassive faces. They are impenetrable," he explained, lifting her head with a hoof again, to peer into her eyes. “Seeing you crying in the bushes due to my actions touched me in ways that the Unicorns cannot. You are not like them. You are vulnerable and delicate, even if you are ‘lower class’. You are more a lady than any of them will ever be; and perhaps it is merely my protective instinct that you awoke...But I know that you intrigue me. And I wish to explore these feelings,"
Ditzy blinked up at him, her ears splaying backwards and wings giving a little bit of a quiver as he spoke, feeling her cheeks flush faintly at his words. “Y-you really think I’m more of a lady than them?” she asked nervously.
White knight nodded slowly. “Indeed. You are not as high-class as they are. You are utterly alien to what they are and what they represent; but it is those differences that underline what you have, that they do not," he explained, gently stroking along her chin with his hoof in a soothing, affectionate manner.
"So crazy eyes make me a lady?" she asked sarcastically.
The unicorn snuffed a laugh. "If you wish to look at it that way, then yes, they do," he said with a short nod.
Ditzy looked up at him for a long moment, her wings slowly relaxing, her ears pinning back slightly. "...Thank you, White Knight," she murmured, feeling her cheeks flush again. "You're...very sweet," she admitted.
"I am not sweet. I am merely truthful," he said with a nod, leaning forwards to nuzzle his nose against her own gently for a moment. "I was on my way to see if you would enjoy a nightcap with me when I saw you lying unconscious in a position that could not possibly be comfortable for a creature with bone structure."
The pegasus nodded, feeling her cheeks warm even further. "I...I uhm...k-kind of fainted," she muttered, chagrined.
"Fainted?" White Knight asked, his tone conveying surprise.
Ditzy nodded after a moment. "W-when I heard you were a prince," she added.
The unicorn nodded at that. "Indeed. I did not realise it would be such a shock to you," he admitted. "The offer still stands though, since I woke you from your blissful slumber," he offered with a faint smile.
She raised her brow, lifting her head and peering up at him again. "What did you have in mind? The last glass of wine I had didn't go so well. My head is still buzzing," she said, shaking her head for a moment.
"I will have a servant bring up a pitcher of punch," he offered with a raised brow.
"Well....I suppose it couldn't hurt. Are we just going to drink it here?" she queried.
White Knight shook his head slowly. "I was intending on inviting you up to my personal quarters for the duration of our drink," he explained.
"...I guess that'd be fine," Ditzy said, feeling her heart racing a little bit. His private chambers? What would they need to go there for?!
The unicorn lifted a hoof; "No ulterior motives, I promise," he said with a faint smile.
Ditzy gave a weak smile in response to that, slipping off the bed and nodding at him. "Then...lead the way."
White Knight smiled faintly at that, waving a hoof for her to follow, and then turning about, stepping off the bed and pushing through the door, turning right down a long hallway. She followed him every step of the way, keeping close, her wings slightly unfurled and pressed to her side as though for comfort.
He led her through a series of turns, this way and that, and then up a long spiral staircase, to what she instantly assumed were his private quarters. There was purple felt everywhere, with a bed covered in blue silk and what appeared to be blue satin sheets. The walls were sparsely decorated, a poster of the Wonderbolts pinned to one wall, and a painting of a mountain valley and stream on another. A pair of large white doors inset with glass panes led out to a balcony that must have had an awesome view.
She had barely looked around when a Butler shuffled in, placed down a pitcher of punch, and then crept back out again.
“It’s...nice," Ditzy said, her eyes wide, staring at the opulent surroundings.
“Indeed it is," he said with a slight nod and a smile, waving a hoof towards the balcony. “I trust that as a Pegasus, you won’t have a problem with heights?” he asked.
Ditzy shook her head slowly, and minced over to the big double doors, pushing them open and stepping up to the balcony railing, peering out over the edge.
The party was still in full-swing below them, if the description could even be used for the kind of party that was going on down there; ponies moved back and forth, and the gardens were alight with lanterns held by the various party-goers walking back and forth, seeming to be only fireflies at this distance.
Further off in the distance was just pure darkness, with the occasional yellow glow of a window denoting a small cottage built amongst the trees. Even further afield, Ponyville was faintly visible as a muted collection of glowing orbs that were the lights of windows.
The stars above were faintly visible, as their eyes still hadn’t adjusted properly.
White Knight’s horn glowed faintly as stepped up besides her, and the lanterns in his room all shielded, cutting off all light except from that of the lanterns far below.
“It’s quite a view," he said, pouring them drinks in the darkness, the faint glow of his magic casting an odd purple haze over their faces.
“Yeah, it is rather nice," she said, peering down at the party below, and then out towards Ponyville.
“I bet you get much nicer views all the time from up in the clouds," he pointed out.
“Well...kind of. But...I’ve never been looking out over a view with a Prince before," she said with an earnest nod.
“Still hung up on the Prince thing, huh?” he asked.
Ditzy nodded once more. “Indeed," she said, before wrinkling her nose and pawing at her muzzle for a moment. “Now you’ve got me saying it!” she protested.
“Indeed," White Knight responded, his tone completely blank, though a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
She rolled her eyes and hoofed him in the shoulder playfully a moment, before accepting her wine-glass full of punch and sipping at it delicately, peering out across the dark lands, no more than layered shades of darkness placed over one another.
“Look up now," he suggested, raising a hoof towards the sky.
Ditzy blinked and peered upwards, her eyes widening at the sheer amount of stars she could now see. There were hundreds of thousands of them, sprinkled across the sky. She gasped faintly, blinking up at them slowly. Of course, to her, it was even more breathtaking, as her eyes, unwilling to look at the exact same spot at the same time, gave her two different images of the same amount of stars.
“Impressive, huh?” he asked with a slight grin.
“Yes!” she responded with a nod.
“Don’t much take the time to star-gaze, I’ll wager?” he asked.
Ditzy nodded at that. “Whenever I look up at the stars, there’s always so few..." she admitted.
He nodded in response. “That’s because of light pollution. You need to get way out away from lights to be able to see all the stars...or way up high, like we are now," he said with a grin. “Just so long as you don’t look down at the lights."
“You have this every night?” she asked, staring at him for a long moment, regarding his silhouette.
He gave a helpless shrug in response. “Anyone can have a view of the stars. I just have it a lot easier," he pointed out, turning towards her and smiling faintly. “So, you never did tell me...how did you get your cutie mark? I’ve never seen bubbles as a cutie mark before."
Ditzy blinked at him, her ears pinning back slightly at his question, surprised that he would take interest in that. “Uhm...well...it’s kind of a silly story," she said, embarrassed.
“I’m not going anywhere," the Unicorn said, raising a brow at her and tilting his head. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re uncomfortable."
“It’s not that," she protested, frowning deeply for a moment. “It’s just...I’m not even really sure what it is myself," she said with a soft sigh.
“How do you mean?” he queried.
“Well...I was looking at muffins," she said, nodding once. “Looking at muffins, and crumbs," she continued, lifting a hoof. “Really...a muffin is just lots, and lots, and lots of crumbs. Right? A mountain is just lots and lots and lots of grains of dirt, yeah?” she asked, looking to him for confirmation.
“In a way, I guess so," White Knight said with a reasonable nod.
“Well....If a muffin is just crumbs. Couldn’t we just be made of something like that?” she asked, raising a brow.
The Unicorn blinked at her slowly, his head tilting to the side, before he shook it firmly. “I do not see how that is possible. We do not crumble," he stated.
“No, we don’t crumble. But neither do Apples, or anything else like that," she said with an earnest nod. “So I thought to myself...that maybe it was all just really, really, really tiny crumbs that we’re all made of. And suddenly...I had bubbles as a cutie mark," she said with a faint sigh and a shake of her head.
“That...idea has some merit. I cannot pretend to be able to comprehend it," he admitted.
“You think it’s a stupid idea," Ditzy accused, turning away to stare out over the land again.
“No. I do not," he countered, stepping over next to her again, pulling her head around to face him, and peering into her eyes in the darkness. “I think you are a very smart, very adorable Pegasus," he said with a warm smile.
She felt herself flushing hard at that, her ears pinning back and a low, happy humm leaving her throat. He thought she was adorable? She was suddenly aware of how close he was, their noses almost touching, and she felt her cheeks flush with warmth, while her heart began to beat faster.
“I-I k-kinda wish this were alcoholic," she muttered, putting her glass down with a shaking hoof.
“Why is that?” he asked curiously.
“B-because I want to kiss you b-but I-I’m not b-brave enough to..," she whimpered, her ears splaying back flat against her skull, starting to turn her head away in a shy motion.
White Knight smiled faintly, raising a brow. “Then why don’t you? You do not need false courage," he encouraged.
“W-what?” she asked, flushing further, lowering her head a little bit.
“Kiss me," he ordered bluntly.
Ditzy wasn’t aware of moving at all, but suddenly, her hoofs were holding him just behind the jaw, and their lips were pressed together in a warm, firm kiss. Her eyes clenched closed in embarrassment, and her wings sprung out from their normal position, her heart racing and breathing increasing in speed to a shallow panting as she felt him actually lean into the kiss! He wanted to kiss her!
She wanted to squeal and hide under her hooves, but she couldn’t, oh no, she was kissing a Prince, and he wanted to kiss her. It was perfect!
After several long moments, Ditzy pulled back for air, her cheeks burning with a pink flush, taking a step backwards as she panted breathlessly. “T-that was n-nice," she whimpered.
White Knight nodded slowly, ever-composed. “Indeed. We should do it again," he stated.
“L-like r-right now?” she stuttered.
The Unicorn smiled faintly, sitting down on his haunches and motioning for her to come closer. “I would enjoy that."
Ditzy minced over closer to him, and then threw her hoofs around his neck, kissing him eagerly, her heart thudding hard in her chest, smiling into the kiss.
~~~~~
She didn’t know where the time had gone. But suddenly, she was feeling tired. There was a pleasant blurring of her thoughts, and a warm, fuzzy feeling just flooding her chest, even though her lips were numb and her tongue was mildly sore from the intense making out session she’d just had with White knight.
Even now, she was leaning against him happily, gazing out silently over the view with him, just enjoying the sensation of his larger form against her own.
“I think I should sleep..," she said with a heavy yawn, rubbing a hoof against her eyes.
“Indeed. It grows late," the unicorn said with a slight nod, stroking a hoof gently through her mane. “Why don’t you use my bed for the night?” he offered.
Instantly, she was wide-awake again, her wings springing up as she felt the strong urge to leap off the balcony and hide somewhere dark. “Y-your bed?!” she squeaked.
White Knight nodded slowly. “Indeed. I shall sleep on the couch," he said, motioning with a hoof towards the couch along the wall opposite the bed. It was larger and more comfortable than the bed she had been on earlier, by the looks of it.
“W-well....I-I dunno..," she stammered, ears pinning back helplessly.
“I will keep to that end of the room, promise," he said, lifting a hoof to his chest in a motion of sincerity.
After several long moments of thought, and creeping weariness, Ditzy gave a nod. “I...suppose," she said, peering at him sideways. “S-so long as it’s not any trouble...?”
“None at all," the Unicorn said with a smile, motioning towards the bed as he stepped back through the door. “Would you prefer the balcony door closed, or open?” he asked.
“I don’t mind either way," she said, mincing past him towards the large bed, pausing at the edge and then shaking her head. “N-no. Actually. I’ll take the couch!” she said, bounding over towards the couch and leaping onto it before he could.
White Knight stared at her for a long moment, raising a brow. After a moment, he seemed to make his mind up about something, and stepped over to the couch. Ditzy squared her stance, ready to fight for her decision.
“You won’t get me off of here," she said, stamping a hoof.
The Unicorn grinned a little, and then leaned in to kiss her with a low, happy sound, making her quiver and then melt helplessly under his advances.
“You are adorable," he said simply, before turning about and stepping over to his bed, curling up on it and closing his eyes to sleep.
Ditzy watched him for a long moment, before doing the same on the couch, flexing her wings for a moment, and peeking one eye open to watch him sleep for a few minutes. She was sleeping on a Prince’s couch, and he had kissed her, and he liked her! And to think, that morning, she had just been jobless and unhappy. And now? Well!
Smiling faintly to herself, she closed her eye, resting her head on her forelegs to sleep. For once, she was content with how her life was going.
