Chapter 1 - Getting started.
Getting started.
Red June swayed nervously on her hooves right before the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres, she turned around thinking about turning back but that wasn’t an option.
After all she was going a date with the stallion of her dreams, handsome and noble Valiant Heart, he was her pen pal friend for a long time and in her eyes he was perfect.
He is handsome, chivalrous, funny, compassionate, handsome, brave, strong, he’s in the guard and on top of all of that, he’s a prince of Crystal Empire, A PRINCE.
Also did I mention he’s handsome?
And that’s why June never before tried anything, he was just too perfect, she didn’t find herself worthy of him, after all she was just a simple farm pony and even though her friends didn’t agree with her, she never was really too fond of her looks.
But she didn’t really care about them until now.
Crème De La Crème, close friend of her cousin Del, came to help and “Make June look even prettier then she already is.”
And so here she was, standing on the harsh ground of her home, legs shaking under her threating to collapse.
If somepony who knows her saw her right now, he probably wouldn’t recognize her, instead of normally brave, hardworking, confident pony with ruffled mane he would see a stunningly beautiful mare, who looks like she’s about to faint.
Which really wasn’t so far from truth and she didn’t even leave boundaries of her home.
This is ridiculous! I work my hooves off every single day, I even once fought timberwolf but I can’t get myself to go on a date I always wished for? Come on June you can do it! Violet mare thought to herself and bravely lifted her foreleg, after few more moments of hesitation she pushed it forward and planted steadily on earth.
Red June continued walking like she never did it before for next fifteen minutes until finally calming herself to the point where here hooves were positively finding their way forward.
Soon enough she arrived at train station, she was supposed to be here for around ten minutes before train would even arrive, but because of her problems with walking she managed to make it perfectly on time, train would departure in few quick moments.
Red June trotted up to the entrance and stopped there simply looking inside, after few moments the conductor who stood right next to her tipped his hat and coughed getting her attention.
“Excuse me Miss, but are you going in or not?”
“Oh, of course I’m going in.” June said and stood in same place smiling.
“All right, then perhaps you should enter the train?”
“Yes of course there’s just one problem.”
“What is it?”
“My legs don’t want to move for some reason.”
He stood there with confused expression for few moments thinking before he finally manage to stammer out. “D-Do you maybe want me to, I don’t know, push you in or something?”
“I-I think I can manage just give me a second.”
“Sorry miss but we ain’t got no seconds left.”
June sighed and gathered her whole brave that was left, somehow she managed to walk inside, she passed the boundaries behind which there was no returning.
And she suddenly started to regret that decision.
“Sorry I think I changed my mind may I….”
Red June was cut off by we loud noise of conductor’s whistle, seconds later doors closed and train started to move.
Which meant that by every second now she was closer to Canterlot.
Her heart rate was raising proportionally to traveled distance, she tried everything to somehow calm herself down, remembering that this is a double date and she won’t be alone with him, or thinking about him, how amazing he is, how handsome and noble he is…
This didn’t help at all.
Sweet Apple Acres – Few seconds after June left the house.
“Oh she looked so beautiful in this necklace, don’t you think Del?” Crème asked smiling widely, slightly proud of herself.
“Yeah, indeed, thanks for help by the way, I’m not sure she would find the courage to leave without you being here.”
“Ohh, that’s sweet, no problem Del.” Crème answered and they both just stood there for looking each other in the eyes, in her case Crème was pondering about what kind of activities will they be doing here on the farm.
In Del’s case, he was thinking how beautiful her eyes are and was wondering if this is one of these romantic moments he heard about.
“Hey Delly! Are you here?”
They both flinched surprised slightly as they turned around and noticed small filly standing on top of the stairs, who smiled widely upon seeing her cousin and immediately run downstairs.
“Ohh, who’s this adorable little filly.”
“Hey, mah name is Api, and Ah am Del’s cousin.” She answered proudly and puffed out her tiny chest, a gesture Crème classified as “Adorableness that defies logic.”
“Hey there cous, I didn’t know you where here today, actually how did ya even got upstairs without me noticing that you walked in?”
Api sat on her haunches and smiled proudly “Ah got in through a window!”
“You did what?!” Del asked nervously.
“Ah walked on that big tree that’s close to the house and jumped from one of it’s branches!”
Del facehoofed and frowned “Api! How many times am I supposed to tell ya to stop all these crazy and dangerous, well things!”
“But Starburst said that ya have to be brave and…”
“I’ll have to do something about this influence that Star has on you.”
“Oh Del, calm down, she’s completely fine right? Don’t be mad at her.” Crème added making what you would call, puppy eyes with a smallest little bit of seduction.
“Ohh all right.” Api suddenly smiled and nodded her head towards Crème silently thanking her who also nodded in response.
“So Del, what are we going to do today?”
“Your marefriend is going to work with us today couz?”
Crème chuckled as Del blushed slightly but calmly responded “Yes, Crème will be working with us today, but she’s not my marefriend yet, she’s just a good friend.”
Api nodded and left the building all excited about doing chores with her newly found friend, Crème swiftly followed her before turning over to Del and smiling.
“What?”
“She’s not my marefriend, yet?" She said emphasizing last word making Del blush madly.
“W-Well I-I’m umm sorry I-I…” He stammered as his brain tried to arrange propel sentences but to no avail, Crème on the other hoof chuckled and left the building leaving embarrassed stallion all by himself.
Del and June, one of them was on her way towards Canterlot, other one was standing in his own living room but surprisingly they managed to say the exactly same thing.
“This is going to be a loooong day.”
Chapter 2a - Greatest, worst day ever.
June shifted uncomfortably from leg to leg feeling more nervous than during the cider season. The train she was on was about to stop, only mere seconds were separating her from meeting with her Prince.
Suddenly the train stopped and doors opened, she quickly looked in the window---since there were no mirrors from trains, expect the ones in toilets---she raised her hoof and moved her bang behind her ear, which quickly returned to its place on her forehead.
June took a deep breath and once again removed her red and white mane from her vision.
She smiled satisfied but soon her bang came back, she grinded her teeth and lowered her position a little, “Why does it have to happen to me,” she said. “Why when I’m working in the fields and don’t care about anything this stupid hair patiently waits behind my ears, but now when I’m going on a date—which probably won’t happen again anytime soon—I can’t get it to stay in place!”
June ferociously moved her bang behind her ear only to helplessly stare at it as it jumped right back on its place, her glare was almost burning a mark in her weak reflection.
June took a deep calming breath, she counted to ten and released the air from her lungs, along with tension and anger.
She looked once again at the window and she froze, she felt her cheeks burning in embarrassment as her eyes met with amused glare of Prince Valiant Heart who stood outside.
June chuckled dumbly and slowly lowered herself until she was completely of out his vision, she covered her face with hooves, Why from all the ponies in Canterlot, he was the one to see this. she thought.
“Miss? Are you leaving? This is the final station.” Conductor said.
“Yeah sure, just give me a moment.”
He shrugged and left June alone with her frustration, she took another deep breath and repeated the calming down process aunt Fluttershy taught her.
“All right, that’s not a big deal, I only made a fool out of myself in front of my date, that happens.” She stood up and shook her head. “Surely it does.”
June stepped out of the train with hesitation visible in her steps, Valiant was there waiting for her with same amused smile she saw through a window. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and white shirt beneath it, his neck was adorned by a bowtie with yellow and dark-blue strips which matched the colors of his mane.
“I’m glad you’re here, I thought you will never leave that window alone.” He said.
June suddenly felt the earth under her hooves melting and almost felt over. She looked over to the side and placed her stare on a train station main building.
“I tried to get my mane right”—she moved her stare back at him—“but I guess it’s a futile work.”
“It might be a futile work”—he chuckled—“but also an unnecessary one, you look beautiful.”
June’s eyes widened and her stared quickly moved over to meet his eyes. “Really?” She asked not believing her ears.
“Yeah, really.” He said and offered his hoof to June. “Shall we go?”
June felt her cheeks once again burning, but this time it wasn’t a bad feeling, it was irritating but overall a happy one. “Y-Yeah.” She said and took his hoof.
Valiant smiled, they walked out of the train station and were immediately greeted by an old pony wearing a tuxedo, who turned out to be their chauffeur. They entered the big luxurious carriage while the old pony gave his workers a signal to start running, and so they were off.
June could literally hear her heart pounding in the chest, but it was all right she could handle that much. Soon however that changed as Valiant who up till now was sitting fairly far from her moved closer.
And closer.
And closer.
And finally she felt his foreleg going behind her back and gently landing on her shoulder.
Panic took over the poor farm mare as she didn’t know what to do in this situation, with hundreds of thoughts swimming around in her mind she did what her instinct told her and slowly laid her head on his shoulder.
For June the situation she found herself in was both the most amazing and the most terrifying one.
On one side, she was leaning sweetly on the Prince of Crystal Empire, how great is that?
On the other hoof, she was leaning sweetly on the Prince of Crystal Empire, what can be more terrifying than this?
They stayed like that leaving June a lot of time to decide whether she’s happy or scared, but before she could figure it out their carriage stopped and after for moments she heard hoofsteps outside.
Their chauffeur opened their doors and bowed. “Sir, we have arrived.”
Valiant took his arm off her which brought both relief and irritation, this confusion of feelings in her minds was slowly driving her mad.
“Thank you.” He said and turned his attention to June, “Shall we?” He asked.
“Y-yeah.” She said with a nod of her head.
“You don’t talk much do you?” He asked.
“Well I got it from my father, you should have a dialogue with him it’s like talking to a wall.”
“Seriously?”—he let out few laughs—“It can’t be that bad.”
“Well he has his moments, but usually it’s either ‘Eeeyup’ or ‘Noope’”—she chuckled—“I sometimes wonder how the hell did he manage to date my mother.”
“Well I don’t see how not talking much is a problem here besides—“
“My mum’s a linguist.”
“Okay I can see the problem”—he scratched his head—“maybe your father could give me some advices how to pick up ladies.”
June couldn’t help herself, she laughed loudly and shoved Valiant lightly with her hoof, after few moments she remembered where she was, and who she just shoved.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to I—“
“It’s all right”—Valiant massaged his sore arm—“I have to say, you have a better punch than most of our soldiers.”
June once again felt embarrassed and lowered her head while also avoiding his gaze. Valiants smile faded away, he leaned over her shoulder, “Did I say something wrong?” He asked.
June sighed. “No, it’s just that, that I’m nervous.” She said deciding to tell him the whole truth. “I never dated anypony before, and”—she once again took deep breath—“I really like you, when you first came around with Illusion I thought you are just some narcissistic Prince, but you quickly proved me wrong. And as you helped us work on the farm I couldn’t help but notice different things.”
June felt his arm gently moving around her left shoulder, he leaned over and placed his other arm over her right shoulder embracing her in gentle, comforting hug.
“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to go in there,” He said “But you know, I asked you out on the date only because I really wanted to, when we worked on Sweet Apple Acres you really caught my eye.”—he felt her hooves on his arms—“how much work you put in your chores, how you were always there to help your cousin, the fact that you didn’t care about how you look, yet you are one of the most beautiful mares I saw, and trust me on this one”—he chuckled—“I saw a lot of them.”
June turned around with a small tear in a corner of her left eye and huge grin on her muzzle, she broke free from his weak hug and jumped out of the carriage, “What are you waiting for? We’ll be late.” She said.
Valiant, who at first moment was taken aback by her actions soon caught up with her and once again offered his hoof, which she took without hesitation this time.
’After all, this is the most amazing thing.’ She finally decided, she felt strong and confident, she thought that nothing more could possibly leave her terrified tonight.
“So this is a restaurant I chose for us, do you like it?” He said and motioned with his free arm towards the building.
June for the first time since they got here turned her attention towards the restaurant and froze. Her muzzle became pale as she stared at probably the biggest, the most baronial structure she ever saw.
The entrance was big enough to fit in standards of royal castle, the huge pieces of wood were adorned by breath-taking carvings, the entrance was covered with stone roof which was hold by a line of columns. The way towards the building was adorned with red carpet, on which some rich-looking ponies walked towards the building.
“Breathtaking right? Wait till you get inside, it will get even better.”
June let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, “I wonder if my heart can survive this.”
