Fluttershy sighed as she sat in her seat. Her boredom was now getting the best of her. She had been in that seat for a few hours now. It felt like she had been doing that for years. This was true; she had been sitting in that throne her whole life, only getting off to eat, sleep, and to use the loo. She had nothing to do all day. All she had for entertainment was the jester, but even he had gotten boring after he had used all of his tricks. A lute playing a bored tune seemed to be on in the background, but, in a world full of dragons and mystery, it was the norm. She had her head propped up on her arm, her elbow firmly pressing against the throne’s armrest. Her regal dress was a step too uncomfortable, and Fluttershy struggled not to fidget in her seat.
Father said fidgeting is a sign of weakness. I’m not a weak mare.... am I?
Fluttershy furrows her brow in thought, her eyes wandering away from the area in front of the thrones. But, they stop when they find one of her slaves. Slaves were usually ponies that you would boss around, be disgusted at, or not notice at all. This pony in particular was special. She had a special feeling that seemed to be radiating from her, and this always makes dear Flutters smile. The mare was graceful in her own special way. The way the tangled up mass of hair she has for a mane bounces as she bobs her head, the way every muscle shows under the coat of pink fur she had as she wipes the scrubbing brush along the floor, the way her blue eyes always seem to be.... happy. Despite the look of concentration on this slave’s face, her eyes still seemed joyful. This slave’s name was Pinkie Pie, and a great mare she was. Fluttershy sighs dreamily as she watches the slave scrub the floors of the royal court, her face sinking into her hoof.
It did seem unheard of, didn’t it? A mare with another mare, a princess and slave no less. The Princess was supposed to go with the prince, and the slave to remain working for the rest of their life. To think that a princess and a slave were to be wed would be insanity! And lets not forget to mention the fact that liking one of the same gender makes you a fillyfooler or coltcuddler. Most of the kingdom was homophobic; mostly straight or asexual. The few with other sexualities would be punished severely if the authorities found out. So, they were forced to be what they were not. If the residents of the kingdom found out the princess married a mare.... well, the consequences would be dire.
After realizing this, Fluttershy sighs unhappily. Though, being caught in her thoughts caused her to be deaf to the world around her, thus causing her to be unable to hear her father trying to speak to her.
“Flutter Emily Shy the Fourth, I never!” The King exclaimed, giving his daughter a sinister glare. Fluttershy snaps out of it, looking to her father in surprise. She then processes the sentence, knowing that she is in trouble, the mention of her full name and the sinister tone was any indication.
“I can’t believe this. How can you expect me to make you queen when you can’t even pay attention to me?” Fluttershy’s father gave the young mare a stern look, a look that was also mixed in with worry.
“I-I’m sorry, father. It won’t happen again,” Flutters apologized, her ears drooping down.
“Anyway, I come bearing great news!” The stallion says, losing his seemingly angry mood in half a second, as if he’d thrown it out of the window, because it was trash.
“Your mother and I have finally found the perfect suitor for you. He is charming! – “
“Father, I – “
“You will meet him during dinner, tonight. – “
“I, uhm – “
“You shall be wed a week after the Festival of a New Cycle! – “
“Father, I really think – “
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, dear,” he said, smiling at his daughter. Fluttershy, though, looked downcast.
“okay.”
“I don’t like him.”
The words rang through her ears as she said them. Her reflection stared back at her with the exact same expression as always. Her heart stayed true to who she loved, and, that was the special slave.
“I don’t like him.”
For the umpteenth time she says this, practicing for when confronting her father about the whole matter. The mirror did as it always did. The bathroom was empty, save for a guard standing right outside in case of emergency.
“I don’t like him.”
Stop doing this to yourself. We both know that you won’t say a thing to him about this.
“My brain is right...”
“A toast, to the Soon-To-Be-Queen!”
“Here here!”
The ponies that sat around the table lifted their cups in celebration before bringing them to their lips to sip. The wine was sweet, and could easily intoxicate those who were new to it. Everypony then began to dine on the massive assortment of food that was laid out before them – everything done for a mostly vegetarian race. Fluttershy, though, just sat slumped in her seat, staring at her plate. She wasn’t hungry. She had failed to talk to her father, just like she knew she would, and the festival was only a weekend away.
The prince she was getting married to was boasting about his achievements back where he lived. All of them had to do with helping himself, and not the ponies he ruled. Just like her father.
Fluttershy thought back on all the selfish things her father had done during his lifetime.
His chamber furnishings. The nearly impossible to truly impossible to pay taxes he put up just to spend for things that were for him and him only. Treating his wife like a waste of space, an untalented cheater who only wanted him for his money. The way he was always so selfish, and self-centered anyered her... And he hasn’t apologized once.
Her thoughts wandered to Pinkie Pie. How she loved her. How the love story she was living in was bound to have a bad ending.
“Flutters, dear, mind passing me my drink?”
That’s what Fluttershy wished she heard. But, instead of a polite, regal voice, came a snooty, foul and rude voice which said, “Get me my drink, woman! And make it snappy!!” The voice belonged to the snot-nosed prince she was going to marry.
How could my father have made such a huge mistake?
The Festival of a New Cycle.
It’s here.
The festivities were quite appealing to the peasant’s eye, but, to a royal, it was just like a casual outfit. Fluttershy was sitting in her throne as usual, but, instead of watching a boring jester or the mare she loved, she was watching countless amounts of ponies dancing. Even the slaves were dressed up in the best things they could find. Speaking of...
“Pinkie?” Fluttershy said as her eyes landed on the mare she loved. The mare in question was wearing a very tattered grey tuxedo, a slightly worried and lonely look on her face. Fluttershy made to go meet with her, but she was stopped by her father.
“Where do you think you’re going, young miss?” he said, giving the princess a stern look.
“O-oh, I’m just going to.. go.. dance with my-my, Prince...” she lied, hoping that her father didn’t notice. The tiny voice in her head was shouting at her for stuttering. It said he saw through her lie.
“Okay, have fun, dear.”
That pegasus is so oblivious. That's good, though. Mmhm...
She trotted off to the pink mare, slowing her trot to a slow walk as she neared her destination. When she did, she found the slave sitting on a bench, looking awfully lonely. The mare looked up to the princess in confusion, then directed her eyes back in front of her, downcast. Fluttershy lifted up a foreleg and reached a hoof out to the mare. Her face was hopeful, hoping that Pinkie would get the hint.
The slave looked up to the princess, and she eyed the hoof that was reached out to her before looking at the mare with a questioning face. Fluttershy was biting her lip, silently getting giddy. Then she noticed the confused face the pink pony had.
She took a deep breath, and asked the question she thought she’d never ask.
“May I have this dance?”
Time seemed to stop as she uttered those words. She even held her breathe. She continued to bite her lip, so hard so that she thought she was going to draw blood.
“I... I can’t. Not with you, princess...”
Flutters felt her heart drop to her horseshoes. But, in a very out of character way, she stayed resilient.
“Pinkie, I give you permission to not treat me as a royal, but, as anypony else.” Fluttershy smiled at the pink slave, her face slightly red. Even as the mare muttered, “oh, I don’t know...” she merely giggled and grabbed her hooves in her own, and brought her onto the dance floor. Fluttershy was here. She was going to dance with the mare of her dreams. With her heart fluttering in her chest, she bowed to Pinkie, who only looked on at her, downcast. When the princess pegasus looked up to her again, she gave her a questioning look.
“I... I can’t dance.” Pinkie couldn’t bare to look at the butter yellow pegasus after she said it. She turned her head away, rubbing her hoof on the sleeve of her tux. Fluttershy merely smiled softly, taking the pink mare’s hoof in hers. She blushed and looked at the floor.
“Dancing, is like... expressing yourself, but, with your body. You can dance in many, uhm, different ways.” She felt a squee escape her mouth as she explained to the slave.
“You can make up your own moves, or, you can be organized and do a well known dance, such as... the, uh... Waltz, for example..”
“Mistress, I’m still not so sure...” Fluttershy took hold of both of Pinkie’s hooves after she said that, rearing up. Pinkie gasped and was soon only standing on her hind legs as well. She looked up to the yellow mare, who was blushing, and smiling sheepishly.
“Okay... now what?” she said, giving the princess a smile. Fluttershy felt another squee escape her mouth, and she began explaining.
As she explained, they both started to do the dance she described. They were both doing a great job, both in an amazing rhythm. They both were synchronized in a way the most amazing couples only imaged they could be.
They were dancing as if they were one.
The two were outside admiring the beautiful starlit night. They barely said a word, their company was enough. They were both in the royal gardens, leaning against a fence as they admired their surroundings. Fluttershy had a hoof resting on one of Pinkie’s, and their cheeks were both tinted slightly red. I hope my dream comes true. Maybe it’ll be a wing popping one? she though at random as she looked at the mare next to her. Pinkie looks at her, a genuine smile on her face. Fluttershy giggled a little bit and said, looking at the sky, “It’s a beautiful night tonight.”
“Yeah,” the pink mare said, following the pegasus’ gaze. Fluttershy looked back at the mare she loved with a worried gaze.
“Pinkie.. I... have a confession to make,” she said, gaining the attention of the Pie family member.
“I don’t want to marry the prince. Pinkie, my heart... is in another place. I.. l- mmph!!”
Pinkie had interrupted the rambling princess by placing her lips on the other. Flutters was surprised, but quickly got over it, leaning back into the kiss. She even allowed her wings to unfold into their full span, and, one of the wings brushed against a special substance, and it started to glow, along with the rest of the garden, making the area around them beautiful. Pinkie pulled away after too short of a time, her eyes full of wonder, before gasping and covering her mouth with her hoof.
“Oh no.. Oh no.. what will the king think? I’ll get a flogging for this... probably worse... oh no, Princess, I’m so so-“
Fluttershy removed Pinkie’s hoof from her mouth and kissed her again. The thrill and the soft lips against her own was a feeling she never wanted to forget, ever. After they parted again, she smiled at the mare before her.
“I don’t mind, Pinkie Pie.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” Pinkie said, flustered, “I was worried for a minute.”
She gasped, “But what about your marriage? What will the kingdom think?”
Fluttershy smiled.
“We’ll make a plan.”
