Her Shield, His Heart

Cadence guessed that at this point she really shouldn't be surprised. She sighed deeply as she walked ahead of Shining who had his head down like a scolded puppy and was trailing behind her. After all when he had finally realized he was in love with her he had declared his intention to win her love with one-thousand deeds of daring. She insisted she didn't need him too. They could just go out sometime. But no. Shining had to prove himself worthy of "thy divine majesty."

He used to speak like a character out of Haykespeare and, at the time, she'd found it endearing. So every day he had accompanied her on her way to school. Every morning he'd appear at her door with a gift. Usually it was a sweet. A piece of chocolate or a fresh-plucked rose. A sugarcube. A golden chain. On occasion, other jewelry. Before Cadence knew it she was being showered in gifts. He went out of his way to act like knights in the storybooks he read and Cadence didn't know where to put all his gifts. Still, being that she was sixteen, she soaked up the attention. She felt bad about accepting all the gifts without giving him something. So, she began giving him gifts. She brought him books, a spear engraved with her cutie mark (it had been deemed too precious to be used in battle and now hung in Shining's office), and fresh-baked sweets. Her cooking skills only increased his love for her. Sometimes, he'd appear at her window and serenade her. He had even learned guitar in order to do it. Her Aunt Celestia found it adorable, but forbid him to continue since Cadence needed her sleep or else she'd get grouchy in the morning.

Then there were the one-thousand deeds he swore to do to win her hand. Sometimes, it was simple things like carrying an umbrella over her head when it rained or helping her with her homework. She particularly appreciated that.

"Cadence, you're not even going to talk to me?" He asked. His voice brought her back to the present. It held a mixture of sadness, hurt pride and anger.

"I'm trying to avoid saying anything I might regret."

It was several hours past  midnight, the light of the stars glittering off Canterlot's peaks. The royal city was asleep except for a few stragglers heading back from the taverns. Cadence recognized her cousin Blueblood and pretended not do. He gave her the same courtesy. She continued her trek towards the Palace where she and Shining were staying. It had been four months since their wedding and they had come back from their honeymoon. They'd decided to go out and Shining had managed to make a complete ass of himself. Which reminded her of all the adolescent scuffles he'd gotten into with any colt that dared insult her. It had been cute at the time and she had bandaged up his wounds after.

It had been cute at the time. The time when they were teenagers, riding high on emotions and testosterone and his wild, combative nature had made her heart flutter.

The difference was that they were now adults. She was a Princess and he was by marriage Prince of Equestria and by profession Captain of the Royal Guard. Shouldn't he have more maturity and know a more mature way to handle disputes? If it had been an actual threat-if it had been an actual stallion that had threatened or intimidated her-she'd be showering him with kisses right now. But that's not what had happened and Shining was increasingly unable to distinguish "creep"  from "actual, bona fide threat."

"I'm sorry. I guess."

"Don't say things you don't mean, Shining."

"You're not my mother, Cadence. And, at least talk to me."

"I'm not talking until I've calmed down. I really don't want to hurt your feelings and if I say something, somepony's feelings are going to get hurt."

"I'm a stallion if you don't recall. I can take it."

"You want me to give it to you, Shining? Tell you exactly what I think?" She asked, turning around.

He breathed deeply. "Yes. Go right ahead."

She opened her mouth and then closed it. "I'm too angry to even speak right now."

She turned back around and marched into the castle. Shining followed her till they got to their bedroom. She marched in and slammed the door in Shining's face.

"Oh come on! Cadence!" He pounded on the door. "We need to talk!"

"There are about a million guests rooms in here take your pick!" Cadence shouted back before jumping into the bed and wrapping herself up in blankets. Shining gave the door one more knock, grumbled, muttered some profanity and walked away. Cadence tried to sleep. The bed was soft, the blankets warm and comfortable. But she just couldn't sleep tonight. After several minutes of fruitless tossing and turning she abandoned the attempt and headed for the gardens. Shining was nowhere in sight. She found a bench surrounded by rose bushes and sat down on them. Then she tried to fathom how this night had all gone so terribly wrong. It had been going so well. Then Cadence noticed a stallion staring at her. It happened. She was a Princess after all. Then Shining noticed. He glared at him. The stallion continued to stare. Shining stood up. Cadence tried to stop him, but Shining went over to the table and ordered him to stop staring at his wife. The stallion barked some kind of smart-ass retort and Shining decked him. Cadence wasn't sure what happened after that, but the stallion came up swinging. Tables cracked, dishes scattered everywhere and the fight turned into a whirlwind of bites and kicks. Management had ordered both stallions to leave and Cadence had physically restrained him from attacking the stallion who also looked ready to continue the fight.  Cadence had been horrified and more than a little aroused. The arousal ticked her off as her rational mind was horrified, but the primal, animal side of her was impressed with HER stallion stomping down a rival, his muscles rippling, his mane wildly flowing.

Gods and Goddesses what was wrong with her? The very thought brought a familiar tingle to her loins. There was a reason she liked him to wear armor in bed.

'No body. We're supposed to be MAD at him remember?'

This had happened before, of course. Shining hated any other stallion looking at her. Usually, however, he just glared at any potential rival. He used violence sparingly, more sparingly than he had when he was younger. The only thing that used to get him physically violent was if somepony insulted her. He did not stand for ANYPONY insulting her and that had led to more than a few scrapes. Every fight he got in was another "daring deed" he counted towards his self-imposed quota he had to fulfill before he considered himself worthy of her. In the end, he did it. He had done one-thousand daring deeds in her name (most collected during the Roan War) and finally asked her to marry him. She'd said yes of course just as she would have if he'd never come up with the ludicrous idea.

'But, I don't think he's ever considered himself worthy of me. Maybe he never will.'

She sighed at the thought and stared up at the moon. After all these years, he was still desperate to impress her. It was like he was still a teenager, frozen in time even though she was the ageless goddess.

Raindrops started to fall down on her head. The pegasii must have scheduled a late-night rainfall or it was wild magic moving in from the Everfree.

She realized the raindrops were no longer touching her though it was still raining, droplets hitting the leaves and plants all around her. She was surrounded by a familiar blue shield that was keeping her out of the rain. She knew Shining was behind her. Always keeping her safe and protecting her. Always her knight.

"Don't stand in the rain, Shiny, You'll catch a cold."

He slid into the shield. They sat together in silence for a time.

"I couldn't sleep." He said.

"Yeah. I couldn't either." She admitted. She was slowly forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at him.

"I can never sleep if you're mad at me." He admitted.

"You must have had a lot of sleepless nights when we were dating."

He chuckled. "You have no idea."

"I'm still on that pedestal you put me on when we were kids aren't I?"

"Where else would a goddess go?"

She popped him on the shoulder. He winced and she cursed her strength.

"You know I don't like being reminded of...of what I am."

"You're still denying your divinity like when we were kids?"

"Face it, we both have the maturity of thirteen year olds."

The rain fell all around them, but they were safe in Shining's shield. The world outside didn't exist. It was just them.

"I got really mad tonight." Shining said.

"I could tell." Cadence responded. "You don't normally get that mad."

"I've been looking for a way to prove myself to you ever since...ever since...you know..."

It took a few moments for her to realize what he was talking about.

"Since the Changelings?"

"I failed you, Cadence."

Cadence threw her arms around him. "Shining, you can't blame yourself for that."

"If I'd truly loved you-"

She put a hoof to his lips. "No. Shining. Listen to me. I love you. You don't NEED to prove anything to me. You already did that remember?"

"I made a vow to always protect you, remember? And you were suffering, alone, trapped in darkness and I wasn't there for you."

She embraced him with her wings. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder.

"You've protected me so many times, proved yourself worthy of me. When are you finally going to believe me when I tell you that you are worthy of my love? And that you always have been?"

"I love you, Cadence. I'm afraid, though. That maybe you'll leave me. That maybe I'll screw up so bad you'll find somepony else, nobler than me or braver. That's why I hate it when other stallion's look at you like that."

"I'm pretty sure there's nopony nobler than you. Even if their was it is you I love. We have been through so much together. Our love defeated an army. And I'm sure we'll go through other trials. What matters is I'm going to stay by your side. I promise you."

Shining deepened his embrace around her as if he was clinging to her. "Do you forgive me?"

She kissed his forehead. "Of course I do. Just don't get in any more fights. Every time you do I'm afraid you're going to get hurt. You're not the only one that's scared of losing the pony I care about."

He nuzzled her. "I'm sorry. I'm a warrior. It's what I am and what I'll always be. I'll try to tone it down though."

"How about one brawl a month?"

"Heh. Alright, then. I'll have to find another way to prove my love for you though."

"Oh for the love of...fine. If you really want to prove your love how about a hoof massage? Or a preening sessionnnn....ohhhh..."

Her mind melted as Shining took one of her feathers into his mouth.

"This, I can get into." She moaned. "You read that book I gave you about Pegasus erogenous zones."

"I'm a quick student."

"Yes, yes you are. Why don't we continue this in our bedroom?"

"Sounds good to me." Without letting down his shield he scooped her up in his forearms and carried her off.