The "Princess"

The gentle rumble of the train beneath my seat did little to relieve my building anxiety. A cold sweat slowly trickled down my neck as my heart pounded away behind my ribs. The tension in my chest grew, and I felt ill—almost on the verge of throwing up. I tried to stop my hands from trembling, but was unable to. A panic attack was creeping up on me, and it took all of my willpower to not break down in a fit of tears.

My mind was so distracted that I failed to notice the world around me. I jumped when a hoof was placed gently upon my sock-covered leg, whipping my head around to stared into a pair of concerned eyes.

“Nora, are you alright?” Twilight asked, her eyes studying my face closely. “You look a little pale. You’re not getting sick, are you?”

Swallowing thickly, I shook my head.

“I’m fine, Twilight,” I said, my voice cracking halfway through her name. “Just a little nervous is all. The motion of the train ain’t helping.” I winced inwardly, silently cursing my Irish accent. It seemed that the more nervous I was, the thicker the accent became. There were times none of the ponies could understand what I was saying and had to wait for me to calm down in order to understand what was troubling me.

“Did you take your motion sickness medicine before boarding?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, I took the medicine before we left the library,” I assured her, even as I clutched my handy bucket closer to my chest. Having never been on a train before arriving in Equestria, I had learned very quickly that train rides make me sick. That had been a horrible experience for everyone involved, and Rarity still holds it against me.

It’s not my fault she was sitting in front of me when it happened.

The train hit a particularly large bump, which caused me to groan softly. As I shifted uncomfortably on the seat, Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“Then what are you nervous about?” she asked.

“The meeting,” I mumbled.

“You’re nervous about your meeting with Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked, the disbelief clear in her voice. “Why would you be nervous? You’ve done this plenty of times in the past year!”

She wasn’t wrong. Ever since I was dumped in the middle of White Tail Woods during the annual Running of the Leaves (scaring the participating ponies half to death. At least the resulting stampede cleared all of the leaves off the trees), I had to make this journey to Canterlot on a near-monthly basis. At first it was so that the Princesses could question me about my arrival and my intentions in Equestria. After finding out that I was mostly harmless, the visits had changed to them wanting to learn about humans and our homeworld in general. I also had to travel to Canterlot in order to get a work visa so that I could get a job and start earning bits.

I had also traveled to Canterlot for the annual Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant, having been invited to see it by Princess Luna. She felt the best way to say ‘thank you’ for all the information about my old world I had shared with them was by sharing some of their own culture and history.

No, after all the times I’ve had to visit Canterlot, I’ve learned to deal with my motion sickness. It wasn’t the train ride that was causing me distress. It was the reason for the journey in the first place.

“But you’re the one who requested an audience with the Princess,” Twilight pointed out when I told her this. “You had me send the request along with my friendship report!”

“I know,” I groaned, “but that doesn’t help with my nervousness. I don’t want to waste the Princess’s time.”

“Nonsense,” Twilight snorted. “That’s why she holds open court. To allow ponies, or in your case, humans, to come to her for any problems. She knows you are coming, you won’t waste her time.”

I knew that Twilight was trying to calm me down, but her words had the opposite effect. The fact that Princess Celestia knew I was coming just added fuel to my nervousness.

“Well, do you want to talk about what you want to see Princess Celestia about?” Twilight asked. “It might help you to discuss it before going in front of her.”

Playing with my hair, I gave the purple pony a weak smile. “Sorry, Twilight, but it’s kinda personal.” Upon seeing her hurt expression, I quickly added, “It’s not like that. I just don’t feel… comfortable talking to you about it before I see the Princess. I feel like if I tell you, I’ll chicken out before seeing Celestia.”

Twilight’s hurt look subsided, replaced instead by a comforting one.

“I don’t think you need to worry, Nora,” she said. “No matter what you want to see Princess Celestia about, I’m sure it will be fine. I remember one time back when I first became her personal student, she allowed me to sit in on court one day. A stallion showed up, asking if he could put a mouse on her nose. She agreed, he placed a black mouse on her nose, and then walked out of the court without another word. Celestia kept it there for the rest of court, and even gave it bits of her lunch.

“Seeing as you didn’t bring any mice with you, I doubt your issue will be as weird,” Twilight said, giving me a warm smile.

“Yeah… weird…” I muttered. I knew that Twilight was just trying to be a good friend and help me relax. Ever since we first got to know one another, she had always tried to help my transition to living in Equestria be as smooth as possible. She even helped me get my first job at the local sweet shop, putting a good word in to Bon Bon for me. However, her words only seemed to cause more butterflies to settle into my stomach.

My reason for wanting to see Celestia wasn’t as weird as wanting to put a mouse on her muzzle. It was much weirder.

Swallowing, I glanced out of the window, only to look away a few seconds later. The scenery zipping by did nothing to make my stomach feel better. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the contents of my stomach down. Not that there was anything inside of it; I hadn’t had anything to eat today. Only some water. I didn’t want to get sick in front of the Princess. That definitely wouldn’t help with the reason I wanted to see her.

I swayed slightly in my seat as the train began to lean to the right. It was making its way around the mountain now, which meant that we were nearing our destination. My trepidation grew, and I clutched the bucket closer. Unable to help myself, I tapped my foot against the floor, my leg bouncing up and down as a soft ‘tap-tap-tap’ filled the air.

Twilight gave me a sympathetic look, but remained silent. Seeing that I didn’t want to talk right now, she returned to her book.

I closed my eyes and tried to keep my breathing smooth and steady. In order to distract myself from the swaying of the train, I went over what I wanted to talk to Celestia about in my head. I wasn’t sure how I was going to start the conversation, and the more I played the scenarios out, the stupider they seemed.

I was beginning to regret asking Celestia for an audience.

I continued to go through different scenarios for the next few minutes, trying to find the best one that didn’t make me cringe.

“Too bad I couldn’t ask for a private audience,” I muttered to myself, frowning. Beside me, Twilight perked up, her ears swiveling to point in my direction.

“A private audience?” she repeated, glancing up from her book. “That can actually be arranged, if you’d like.”

Hope began to grow within my chest. “R-really?!”

“Certainly,” Twilight said with a nod. “We just have to cancel your appointment for today, and then we can schedule a private meeting for sometime tomorrow.” And just like that, the hope was gone.

Groaning, I hunkered over my bucket. “I can’t cancel the meeting. That’ll just make things more awkward.”

Twilight gave me a confused look. “Of course you can cancel the meeting. Ponies do it all the time. Court usually ends sooner than scheduled because of the number of call offs.”

“We are not cancelin’,” I growled, my accent deepening slightly. “I’ll just 'ave to suck it up an'—”

The train’s forward movement suddenly ceased as the brakes screeched, sending my stomach lurching up my throat. Twilight yelped at the sudden stop, tipping over sideways as her book slipped from her grip.

The train slid to a stop within Canterlot Station.

I emptied my stomach into the bucket.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

The line to see Celestia wasn’t as long as I thought it would be. Granted, I’ve never had an actual audience with royalty before, so I didn’t know what the average line looked like. All of my previous visits and meetings with the Princesses usually happened in the dining room over dinner, or occasional breakfast if I stayed the night.

Settling into one of the chairs that dotted the walls of the hall, I rubbed my hands together and tried to ignore the looks I was getting. Despite the fact that I’d been here for over a year, ponies still stared at me wherever I went. Even in Ponyville, although those looks were usually curious instead of disdainful.

Twilight sat down beside me, oblivious that most of the other ponies were looking our way. She glanced up at the clock located above the throne room doors. It was a little after eleven in the morning, Twilight having gotten us both up at the crack of dawn in order to catch the early train. My meeting with Princess Celestia wasn’t until noon, which meant that I had around a forty-five minute wait.

Forty-five minutes of ponies staring at me like an exhibit in a zoo.

I sighed, tucking a few loose strands of hair back behind my ear. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve had to deal with in Equestria. I’m just thankful that Applejack head been able to distract the minotaur long enough for me to hide.

I had just settled down in the chair when the throne room doors creaked open and unicorn mare with a light gray coat and thick-rimmed glass poked her head out. She glanced around for a few seconds before her eyes landed on me and a small smile graced her muzzle.

“Ms. O’Malley, the crown will see you now,” she chirped.

I stared at her, mouth agape. “B-but… you… I thought my appointment wasn’t until noon!”

“We’re ahead of schedule,” the unicorn said, the smile never leaving her face. “If you’d like, we could take a few more appointments before yours. Give you some time to get prepared.”

“N-no... oi can go now,” I stuttered. Pushing myself to my feet, I walked quickly towards the doors, aware of everyone’s eyes on me as I went.

Twilight followed after me, waving to the unicorn that was now holding the door open for us.

“Hello, Raven,” she said with a smile. “How are you doing?”

“Well, hello, Twilight,” Raven said, her eyes lighting up upon seeing the lavender unicorn. “I’m doing fairly well, thank you. Although, it’s gotten rather boring around here what with you gone. There’s no magical disasters every other week to liven the place up.”

Twilight blushed, her ears splaying out sideways.

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” she muttered.

“It took us nearly five days to figure out how to stop that mirror from insulting whoever looked into it,” Raven said, mirth dancing in her eyes. This just caused Twilight’s blush to darken.

I watched the two talk, wringing my hands nervously.

Giggling lightly at Twilight’s embarrassment, Raven turned to look up at me. “Ms. O’Malley, if you’d follow me.” She then turned and walked back into the throne room.

I remained motionless, staring wide-eyed after the retreating mare until Twilight nudged my leg gently with her hoof. This caused me to jump slightly, and I glanced down at my friend.

She motioned after Raven with her head, a small smile on her face.

Swallowing thickly, I nodded before following after Raven, my heart pounding in my ear. Twilight followed, and the doors closed behind her with a soft ‘thud’.

The throne room was massive, the ceiling towering high above us. Large marble pillars lined the room, banners twirling around them and hanging from the ceiling. Stained glass windows covered the walls, the sunlight causing a cascade of colors to spill across the room. Reds, blues, yellows, green, and purples colored the floor and walls. A red velvet rug ran down the length of the hall, running from the doors all the way down to the throne that sat up on a double dais.

And seated upon the throne, a warm smile on her face, was her.

Princess Celestia smiled down at me, her rainbow-hued mane wafting gently in a non-existent breeze. Her white coat seemed to shine and twinkle in the sunlight, the white fur as immaculate as ever. Her wings were folded neatly by her side, the large feathers preened and straightened. Adorned in golden attire, she looked every bit the princess she was.

Just like every other time I had laid eyes on her, the very sight of her took my breath away. I didn’t realize that I had stopped walking until Twilight nudged my leg again, snapping me out of my daze.

I shook my head—trying to clear it—before returning my attention back to the Princess. In the time I had been staring, Raven had moved to stand on the middle level of the dais, a clipboard held in her magic. She was watching me, the smile still present on her face.

Hands fidgeting, I inched closer to the throne. I could feel my face heating up, and I tried to look everywhere but Celestia’s eyes. Her lovely, magenta eyes.

As I neared the bottom of the dais, Celestia’s smile grew and she inclined her head.

“Good morning, Ms. O’Malley. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” she said, the sound of her voice causing my stomach to flutter. If she noticed my nervousness, she didn’t show it.

I gave her a strained smile, staring at a point just over her shoulder.

“G-gud mornin' ter ya, princess,” I said, stumbling slightly over the words. I paused for a brief second before my eyes widened and I quickly dipped into a hasty curtsy. This caused Celestia to laugh softly, and I could feel my face heating up. I stood back up and nervously straightened out my hoodie before clearing my throat. “And y-you can call me Nora, if you’d like.”

Celestia nodded her head once. “Very well, Nora. It is very nice to see you again, but I never thought I’d see you during court. What troubles you? I promise to assist in anyway I can.”

I opened my mouth, unsure of how to start, only to close it again when the sound of whispering reached my ears. Glancing to my right, my breath caught in my throat as I saw a group of ponies gathered around a round table near the wall, eyeing me with cold looks on their faces. I immediately recognized quite a few of them as nobles, having bumped into them over the course of my many visits. They muttered back and forth with one another, their cold gazes locked firmly on me.

I squeaked, shrinking back under the scrutiny. However, my attention quickly returned to Celestia as she spoke.

“Just ignore them,” she said. “They are just here to observe. They have no say over what happens in open court. Now, what did you wish to discuss?”

I squeaked again, gripping the hem of my skirt tightly in my hands until my knuckles threatened to turn white. My mouth was suddenly very dry, and I could feel sweat dripping down my face and neck. I could see Raven and Twilight both giving me sympathetic looks, which did little to help my anxiety.

Biting my lip until it was about to bleed, I summoned all of my courage and steeled myself. Just as Celestia opened her mouth to speak again, I closed my eyes and blurted out, “Wudyergooytwi’me?”

Silence filled the throne room, and I kept my eyes shut tight, figuring that it was better for my nerves to not look at whom I were addressing. There was a soft shuffling noise in front of me before I heard someone clear their throat.

“I’m sorry, but could you repeat that? I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch it,” Celestia asked.

Feeling bile slowly rising up my throat, I swallowed before licking my dry lips and repeating at a slower pace.

“Wud yer go oyt wi’ me?” I winced at the thickness of my accent, almost positive that she still couldn’t understand what I was saying. Cracking my eyes open and risking a quick peek confirmed my suspicion: Celestia was giving me a confused look, her ears folded against her head.

Off to the side, one of the nobles whispered something to her companions, causing them to begin to snicker loudly. Raven shot them a dirty look, but Celestia’s gaze remained firmly on me.

Feeling like I was about to be sick, I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

“W-would… would you go out with me?” I stuttered, my voice cracking halfway through the sentence.

Celestia’s look of concern dissolved into one of disbelief before she quickly masked it, staring down at me with a neutral expression on her face. Beside her, Raven stared at me in shock, her clipboard now lying on the ground. Twilight had a similar look on her face, her mouth hanging open as she gaped at me, her eyes wide. The nobles have stopped snickering, most of them now glaring at me with looks that caused me to cringe and sent shivers down my spine. An awkward silence descended upon the room as everyone stared at me.

I silently prayed that the floor would open up and swallow me whole, saving me from the awful embarrassment. What the feck was I thinking, coming all this way, going through all this trouble, just to ask Princess Celestia on a date? What made me think that this would possibly work out in my favor? I should have just kept my feelings to myself rather than risk all of this on some fool’s hope.

Celestia broke the silence by clearing her throat. “You want me to, um…?”

“Go out with me,” I repeated, my voice shriller than usual. “On a date,” I added a few seconds later. “...with me.” I absently played with a strand of hair, my face crimson.

A hesitant look crossed Celestia face, and her wings ruffled softly by her sides.

“I-I see,” she said, not meeting my eye. I could feel my heart beginning to sink in my chest. “I… I’m flattered, really, but I fear I must decline. I don’t usually… partake in those types of social events…” She trailed off, awkwardly crossing her hind legs.

I felt myself beginning to panic again.

“Jist wan date!” I cried out, trying to keep my accent from bleeding through. “One date, an’... an’ then I’ll leave you alone if you want…”

Celestia’s look of unease grew, her ears pressing against her head. “I’m sorry, but I—”

“It doesn’t ‘ave to be someplace fancy,” I added quickly, cutting her off. “A walk through the park, or somethin’ like that. Just one date, that’s it!”

Celestia paused, her eyes narrowing as she stared at me with a critical look. Her gaze seemed to bore into my very soul. She studied my face closely for a few more seconds before her posture relaxed slightly. She blinked several times, an uncertain look on her face, before taking a deep breath and—

“Oh, this is rich,” one of the nobles said with a laugh. “You can’t be serious. This is too rich! The monkey is in love with the Princess?” This caused the rest of the nobles to begin to laugh as well, the sounds of their guffawing echo around the throne room.

Raven shot them another look, her muzzle crinkled in disgust. Twilight ignored the nobles, looking up at me instead with a concerned look on her face.

As the cackling of the nobles fills my ears, I could feel my eyes beginning to water. I bit my lip, choking back a sob that was threatening to escape. Swallowing thickly, I blinked my tears back. I steeled myself as best I could, keeping my gaze locked with Celestia’s as I waited for her answer. I probably looked more confident than I was; I pretty much felt like I was about to be sick for the second time that morning.

When the nobles started laughing, the Princess’s eyes flickered over to them for the briefest of seconds before returning to my face. Her brow furrowed slightly as a contemplative look crossed her face, along with a hint of sympathy. After a few seconds she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted once again by a noble.

The mare stood up from her seat, placing her forehooves on the table as she glared at me.

“You dare to ask that the princess wastes her time on the like of you?” she sneered. “You are neither a noble, nor a pony. This is an insult to not only our great nation, but to the Princess herself. You dare to think that somepony as fair and perfect as the Princess would even consider wasting her time on a… a… a freak like you?!”

The world around me froze. However, before I had a chance to process what the noble had said, before my heart had a chance to shatter at her words, before the word ‘freak’ could reduce me to a pitiful crying mess, Celestia moved.

She was on her hooves in an instant, a warm smile on her face.

“Okay,” she said as she slowly descended the steps of the dais. “One date it is then, Ms. O’Malley. I think I can give you that. If you are free, let’s say, seven o’clock tonight at The Silver Mare?” Her smile grew slightly as I nodded dumbly, my mouth hanging open. “Splendid! I shall see you then.”

Reaching the bottom of the dais, Celestia then turned her attention to the nobles. The warmth immediately left her smile, and her gaze became icy. “I’ll be ending court early today in order to prepare for my date with Ms. O’Malley. We will continue it tomorrow in lieu of regular court. If you have any petitions that need to be reviewed, you may present them to my sister during Lunar Court. Understand?”

The nobles shrunk back under her gaze, shivering in their seats as they nodded quickly.

Celestia eyed them for a few more seconds before nodding sharply and looking away. She moved towards a door just behind the throne dais, but as she passed me, she paused. Glancing over at me, a strange look passed across her face before she smiled softly. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against my forehead.

I froze, my entire body locking up as those warm, soft lips caressed my forehead. A small part of me was mortified as I realized that I had probably been sweating due to my nervousness, and Celestia was now kissing my sweat-covered brow. However, the rest of me was too busy praying that this wasn’t a dream to really care right now how sweaty I was. Princess Celestia—the Princess Celestia—was kissing me. The very being that had been haunting my dreams and flustering me for the past few months was kissing me! I wasn’t too sure, but I felt that if the room had been dark, my face would have been glowing with how flushed it was.

And just like that, it was over. Princess Celestia pulled away from me, the warm smile still on her face.

“I’ll see you at seven, Ms. O’Malley,” she said before turning and, ignoring the slack-jawed faces around her, headed through the door and was lost to view.

The second Celestia was gone, ponies began to move. Raven quickly followed after Celestia, her clipboard following faithfully through the air behind her. The nobles got to their hooves and left, muttering to one another in low voices.

Beside me, I could hear Twilight say something, but my mind couldn’t process what she was saying at the moment. I could only stare off into the distance, my mouth hanging open and cheeks ablaze. Then, slowly, my eyes rolled up into the back of my head, and I proceeded to faint dead away.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

I hurried down the streets of Canterlot, trying to ignore the eyes watching me as I went. Despite my constant visits to the city, most ponies had yet to actually see me, so many of them were now stopping and staring in surprise—sometimes in disgust and horror—at me as I hurried past. Swallowing thickly, I pulled the hood of my sweater further over my head before hurrying down a side alley to escape from the stares.

As I came out onto another street, I glanced around to get my bearings. It took me a few seconds, but upon seeing the local doughnut shop, I figured out where I was. Turning, I headed down towards the market district.

The plaza was overcrowded much to my discomfort, ponies milling about as they headed back to their places of business after lunch. I worked my way around the edge of the marketplace, making my way towards my intended destination.

The bell above the door chimed softly as I entered, alerting anyone inside to my presence. Luckily, there appeared to be no ponies inside at the moment; there were no customers present, and the owner no doubt was in the back somewhere.

As the door closed behind me, I pulled my hood down and took in the general layout of the store. It was rather sparse, considering who owned the shop. Several pony mannequins rested along the far wall, all of them bare except for the last one, which was adorned in a stunning green and blue dress. Several displays along the front window held similar outfits, placed in such a way as to catch the attention of passing ponies. There was a counter in the corner of the room, a doorway behind it leading further into the back of the shop.

As I glanced around the room, a voice called out from the back, “Just a minute, please!” There came the sound of something being moved, followed by a soft curse. A few seconds later, a lithe unicorn mare exited the backroom. She was light gray, with a flowing pink and white mane.

Stepping around the counter, she smiled warmly. “Welcome to Fleur De Lis’ Magnificent—” Upon seeing me, she froze, her light-violet eyes widening in shock. She took a step back and lifted a forehoof, only to blink in surprise a few seconds later.

“Pardon me, mademoiselle, you startled me. I was expecting a pony,” she said, the warm smile returning to her face.

“Naw, not a pony,” I muttered, playing with the hem of my skirt.

“I can see that,” the mare said kindly. “What brings you to my shop on this fine day, Ms…?”

“Is mise Nora O'Malley,” I began, before coughing. “Sorry… my name is Nora O’Malley, b-but you may call me Nora if you’d like.”

“Ms. O’Malley,” the mare repeated, eyeing me curiously. “I’ve heard of you, but never really had a face to put with the name. I am Fleur De Lis,” she said, placing a hoof upon her chest, “but you may call me Fleur, if you so happened to be inclined. Now, what can I do for you, Ms. O’Malley?”

“It’s Nora,” I muttered weakly, fidgeting with my skirt. “Oi… Oi nade a dress.”

“I’m sorry?” Fleur said, blinking several times.

I winced before clearing my throat again. “Sorry, I nade… need a dress.”

“Well then, I dare say you’ve come to the right place!” Fleur chirped happily. Her horn lit up, and she pulled a roll of measuring tap out of… somewhere. She directed me towards a nearby podium that was surrounded by a half circle of body-length mirrors.

“If you would kindly remove your overgarments, Ms. O’Malley,” Fleur said, motioning to my sweater with a hoof, “I’ll just take some quick measurements and then we can get started.”

Still fidgeting nervously, I pulled my black hoodie over my head and placed it carefully on a nearby care. Feeling exposed now in just my white shirt, I folded my arms over my chest.

“My, your skin is such a lovely shade, mademoiselle,” Fleur commented, staring at my arms.

I glanced down at them as well, wincing as I eyed the pale skin with some unease. Being prone to burning in the sun, I had taken to covering myself up most of the time I was outdoors. Long sleeve shirts, pants, or on the occasions I wore skirts, thigh-high socks were my usual attire. As such, my skin was a nasty pale shade, nearly white in some places.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Fleur tapping the podium with her hoof. “If you’d just step up here for a moment, Ms. O’Malley, I can get the measurements I need to begin work on your dress.”

Nodding weakly, I stepped up onto the platform, only to trip on the edge. I stumbled, my arms flailing, only to stop as Fleur’s magic surrounded me.

“Carefully, please, madam,” she chided. “I highly doubt that you want to be injured for whatever event this dress if for.”

Whimpering softly beneath my breath, I moved to the center of the podium and spread my arms out slightly from my sides. I winced as the tape measure suddenly started to spin and twirl around me, measuring my arms, waist, chest, and legs, as well as several other places. Fleur stood off to the side, taking notes as she watched the tape measure carefully.

After a few long seconds of silence, she spoke. “Now, what is this dress for, exactly, madam?”

“It’s for a date,” I replied, eyeing the tape measure with some fear as it wrapped gently around my bosom.

“Aw, how sweet. Trying to look nice for your special somepony,” she cooed. “When is the date?”

“Tonight. Seven o’clock,” I answered stiffly, the tape measure now between my legs in a way I did not find comfortable.

“Oh, then it’s a good thing for you I don’t have any more appointments for the day,” Fleur said, watching the tape measure with some concealed amusement. “I should be able to finish the dress within a hour or two. That should give you plenty of time to get ready for your date.”

I tried to answer, but couldn’t, the tape measure now snuggly around my neck.

“If I may be as bold as to ask, who’s the lucky stallion?” Fleur asked.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the tape measure loosened, allowing me to speak again. “It’s not a stallion.”

“A mare then?” Fleur asked, her eyes widening. “How… unique. It’s not often I hear about such relationships. Most of the ponies in Canterlot are highly conservative, believing that anything other than a stallion and a mare is wrong. Oh, but not I,” she added quickly upon seeing me looking at her nervously. “I see no wrong in it. Love is love, and you can’t control who your heart tells you to love. If you are only interested in other mares, then you are only interested in other mares.”

“Um… I’m bi,” I mumbled, shuffling awkwardly on the podium.

“So, who’s the lucky mare then?” Fleur asked as she finished up with taking my measurements.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I stared at my feet and muttered beneath my breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, Ms. O’Malley,” Fleur said, giving me a warm smile over her shoulder.

“It’s Princess Celestia,” I said again, my voice barely above a whisper.

Fleur froze, the tape measure fluttering to the floor as her magic sputtered and died. Slowly, her head turned until she was staring at straight at me.

“P-Princess Celestia?” she breathed, her eyes widening.

Shrinking a little under her gaze, I nodded my head weakly.

"Princess Celestia,” she repeated again, staring off into space. “Your date is with Princess Celestia. You are going on a date with Princess Celestia. You’re going to be wearing a dress I made to a date with Princess Celestia.” Fleur was now practically hyperventilating, her breaths coming in quick, short bursts.

I took a step back, eyeing the mare nervously.

Her eyes snapped to me as I moved, and she stared at me blankly for several seconds before a smile started to spread across her muzzle. Stars seemed to appear within her eyes as she continued to look at me.

“A date with the Princess?” she said softly, more to herself than to me. “Hmm, yes, that might work. I do believe that I have some newer material in the back that might… yes, with a nice orchid ribbon. Or maybe mulberry. Hmmm, I wonder…” She trailed off, tilting her head to the side as she studied me closely.

I shifted beneath her gaze, suddenly feeling very exposed and very uncomfortable. Casting a sideways glance at my discarded hoodie, I half-considered running over and putting it back on, but that thought was dashed when Fleur stepped up to the podium.

“Ms. O’Malley, before I get too far into the planning for this dress, I would like to know the size of the budget you will be working with,” she said.

“Um, money isn’t an issue,” I muttered, playing with a strand of hair. “I have, uh... quite a bit saved up, actually.”

“How much are we talking?” she asked before wincing. “Not that I’m trying to overprice you or anything. I don’t want you to think I run that type of business. I would just like to know how much I’ll be working with. You set the price, I’ll work around it.”

Biting on my bottom lip, I motioned for Fleur to come closer. When she leaned towards me, I bent down and hurriedly whispered the amount of bits I had in her ear.

She stepped back, her eyes wide. “T-that much?” I nodded, and she licked her lips. “If… if you don’t mind me asking, how did you…?”

“Odd jobs around town,” I answered, twirling my hair. “Lots of odd jobs around town. Several overtime shifts. Overnight shifts at the hospital too. Living below my means helps.”

“Living below your…” Fleur trailed off, her eyes drifting towards my stomach as a look of concern crossed her face. “Mademoiselle, you aren’t starving yourself to afford this, are you?”

“No, nononono, nothing like that,” I said quickly, waving my hands in front of me. “I’m eatin’ enough, I swear. I just… I don’t ‘ave a lot of stuff ter my name. In fact, the amount of stuff I actually own could probably fit inter a pair o’ saddlebags.”

Fleur’s gaze soften, and she gave me a small smile.

“I see,” she said softly. “Well, this dress will be something you can call your own, I promise you that. It might take me longer than I originally thought though. We can’t have you going on a date with the Princess with mediocre attire, now can we?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Fleur held up a hoof, silencing me.

“No, no, I won’t hear otherwise. Now, if you’d follow me, Ms. O’Malley, we’ll make you look simply magnificent!”

A weak smile—my first one since entering the store—touched my lips, and I nodded softly.

“If you’d follow me,” Fleur said, turning and heading towards the door behind the counter.

I stepped down of the podium and made to follow her, only to pause after several steps. Turning around, I hurried over and picked up my hoodie. I pulled it on, slipping my hands into the sleeves, before following Fleur into the backroom.