Chapters A Gentle Voice Calls Him Father
A mere week after Shining Armor and I saved Canterlot, and possibly all of Equestria, from the Changeling threat, and our real special day is already planned. Twilight and her friends, along with a lot of other ponies, worked overtime to make sure tomorrow would be one of the best days of my life. I had to keep myself from eating too many of Applejack's little apple tarts to make sure I could still fit into the beautiful dress Rarity made for me.
With her interest and taste in fashion, I offered to set her up with my, uh, appearance-oriented brother, Blueblood, and the face she made took me by surprise, and made me want to giggle. She explained to me she'd already been acquainted with my brother, and had no wish to spend more time than necessary with him. Since he's an usher for tomorrow, I knew she had to work with him during fittings. I gave her a sympathetic pat on her shoulder, and apologized for bringing him up. He may be a little hard to deal with at times, but I love him.
I made a stop to the gardens to visit with Fluttershy and her bird choir. Their melodies and harmonies were nearly perfect, and it was so easy to make the gentle corrections they needed. All the very last minute practicing was doing wonders for the choir. Even the one who had a bad cold only a week before, causing him to be way off key. I gently asked Fluttershy to make sure he would be okay to sing for the wedding, or to ask him nicely not to perform for it. I hoped I wasn't being too critical, since that was how Twilight spotted my fake in the first place. I wanted my day to be perfect, but I didn't want to be so pushy that Twilight might think there was something wrong with me.
My last check in, in making sure everything was perfect for tomorrow, was with Pinkie Pie. I knew she had everything planned out, I was excited to see how the ballroom looked, now that she was nearly done. She showed me the tables where our lovely dinner would be served, and the area where there were a few foal games set up, like pin the tail on the pony. I knew that the younger ones of the many guests we invited would enjoy the games, and even some of the older ones as well. Ever since Aunt Luna visited Ponyville for Nightmare Night, she's been rather obsessed with standard carnival games.
After that, I was lead out to an area of the garden that was clearly set up for dancing. I had a short chat with the mare who would be playing music for us, I think her name is Vinyl Scratch, and spied all the long tables. Pinkie explained those would be set up with the desserts and other after dinner treats.
“It's looks like I've seen all there is to see, then,” I remark to Twilight as I head back for the castle.
“You're not visiting Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asks me. “She's been training really hard for tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want to at least go see her?” she asked, looking up and down from her list.
Just before we go inside, I point up to the sky.
“See that?” I asked.
She squints up to where I'm pointing. Way up in the sky, there are several hard too see points, and a barely easier to see trail of rainbow, flying around.
“Is that...Rainbow Dash?” she asked, turning back to me.
“And several members of the Wonderbolts,” I added. “Aunt Celestia told me Rainbow wants to be accepted into the Wonderbolts one day. I pulled a favor with the captain. He owed me one. There's no need to try to visit her. I think she's happy as can be, right now.”
We went inside, and I invited Twilight back to my room for a talk before bed. Almost immediately, she protested.
“Oh, no,” Twilight protested. “We're going out tonight. Come on, I already made reservations for us.”
Reluctantly, I agreed. After a short freshening up, Twilight and I were on our way out into the streets of Canterlot. Twilight didn't say which restaurant we were going to, so I followed her, until I was fairly sure I didn't know where we were.
“Twilight, where are we going?” I asked hesitantly.
“Here,” she said, as we reached a rather run down, well, run down for Canterlot, old club that used to be popular in the big band days, long before I was born. She opened the door for me, and I hesitated. I trust Twilight Sparkle. She is, after all, the reason I was able to save the day, and the reason I get to marry Shining Armor tomorrow, instead losing him to that Changling queen. She never let any odd detail escape her notice, and if they needed to defend themselves, they could. Finally, I trot after her, and start into the club.
“Why are we-” I started, but was quickly interrupted.
“SURPRISE!”
A Gentle Voice Calls Him Father
The bachelorette/surprise party that Twilight threw for me last night was exactly what I needed. I'm sure if I'd done what I planned, talking with just Twilight in my room for a while, before going to bed, I might have laid awake and worried about the little details of today. This way, I had a lot of fun, didn't stay out too late, and was still very tired by the time I got home. I fell right asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.
This morning, I was rather glad Aunt Celestia had graciously offered me a room in the castle a few nights before the wedding. From the moment I got up, I was getting ready for the ceremony, and the whole night. I bathed, took a rather long time, enjoying every moment and taking care of every little detail. By the time I step out of the bath, and start to dry myself off, I hear a knock at the door, and assume it's Rarity, who had offered to do my make up for me today. I open the door, very surprised to see my little brother standing just outside the doorway.
“Blueblood!” I exclaimed. “Come on in, little bro.” He comes in, frowning at the little bit of a mess I left my towels in, but smiles when he turns to see me.
“I just wanted to come see you,” he says, informality breaking through his normally very formal tone of voice. Realizing his slip, he quickly corrects himself, speaking in a proper manner again. “I never congratulated you, sister.”
I'm just overcome with joy, seeing my little brother again. He's been off in Manehattan on some business for Aunt Celestia, and even when he has been home, I was busy with paper work and meetings for the house Shining Armor and I found to live together. And then there was the business of me being kidnapped. I'm so happy to see him again. When I was trapped down in the gem mines, I was so scared I'd never see Shining Armor again, I'd never see Blueblood, or Aunt Celestia, ever again. I pulled Blueblood into a tight hug.
“Hey, you're getting my coat wet!” He protested, though he didn't move away.
“I love you too, Blue,” I tell him, hugging him tighter. Finally, I let go, and a silence falls between us. He wipes at the spot on his fur that I got wet, as though that would dry it faster. My mind can't help but wander to the last time we were a true family. I can barely even remember, I was so small.
“Well, I suppose I said all I came to say,” Blueblood announces. “I must be off. Goodbye, sister.”
“Bye, Blue,” I tell him as he's heading out the door. I turn, and toss the extra towels into the laundry basket, and try to finish drying my hair. Moments after Blueblood closed the door, I hear another knock.
“Come in,” I call. The door opens and I turn to see a frowning Rarity.
“What's wrong?” I ask her with a concerned look. “Did you run into my brother?”
“Quite literally,” she replies curtly. “And he had the nerve to call me a brute.”
“Oh, Rarity, just ignore him. He's probably upset that he let his neat freak ways get in the way of really getting to know a special pony like you.”
“I don't know how your parents raised him-” Rarity started. Anger wells up inside me. I strongly dislike anyone talking badly about my family.
“They didn't,” I snap, not sure where that came from. The white unicorn looked at me, shocked. “I'm sorry,” I say, in a softer, quieter voice. “I shouldn't have snapped. My parents, well, they're a sore subject for me.”
“Oh, dear, I am so sorry, Princess,” Rarity says, truly looking it. The anger has seeped away quickly, leaving only shame in it's place. “It wasn't my place to say something like that, and I do apologize.”
“He's never even really known our parents,” I continue, unsure why I feel the need. Still, I can't stop the words from coming out of my mouth. “He's only known Aunt Celestia, and the nurses and nannies who have taken care of him since he was born.”
I paused while I watched Rarity organized her supplies. I'd never told anyone about my parents. Shining Armor never asks, he doesn't know it's an issue for me. By the time I started foal sitting for Twilight, and met Shining Armor, I was already under Aunt Celestia's care. As Rarity starts working, I continue my story.
“Even I barely remember my parents. I was five when Blueblood was born, and,” I pause, but can't help myself from telling the story, “my mom died,” I finish quietly. Rarity paused with the eyeliner, but only to give me a small sympathetic look.
“I never learned why my father left. I only know that one day he brought the two of us to Aunt Celestia's palace and left us here. Ever since, Celestia's been as good as a mother to me and Blueblood, but being the crown princess of Equestria, she wasn't always there for Blueblood and I. It wasn't much of an issue for myself, since I was already started in a magic school. I was too busy having adventures with my friends to care much about what was happening here at the castle, but Blueblood was here everyday, with a horrid nanny.”
I pause as Rarity patted a light powder along my chin, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue, but when she's done patting on the powder, it just comes out.
“She was hyper critical of how he was presented, which is probably why he's turned out such a neat freak,” I tell her. “I found out years later that she used to, well, she'd hit him for every time he did something wrong.”
Rarity's mouth fell open, and she near dropped the container with the light pink powder. I took it out of her hand and placed it on the table, just in case.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I shouldn't have bothered you with it.”
“No, no,” Rarity quickly recovers. “I'm glad you opened up to me, Princess.”
“Just Cadence, please,” I remind her.
“Well now I feel just awful for how I treated him at the Gala. I had no idea. I should apologize the next time I see him,” Rarity tells me.
“You can't tell him that I told you,” I say, my eyes going wide. “It's supposed to be a family secret.”
“Don't worry, Prin- Cadence,” Rarity clearly wasn't comfortable with such familiarity with me, but I ignored it. “I won't breathe a word to anyone.”
For a little while longer, Rarity finishes her work. I stay quiet. My internal dialogue is caught up in thoughts of Blue, my baby brother.
“Well I'm all done. I'm going to be helping the other girls with their hair and make up soon,” Rarity tells me. “We'll be back later to get you into your wedding gown.”
“Why don't you guys just come here?” I ask. “You all are my bridesmaids after all. It would be fun.”
Rarity smiles.
“I'll bring it up to the other girls, and I'll try to get them in here by eleven so we have just enough time to do everything,” Rarity says, “Although, oh dear, I'll have to get our dresses from the tower, and make sure they're here by noon at the latest.”
“That's no problem,” I tell her, giggling a little at how frantic she's getting. “I'll just ask a few of the ponies who volunteered to help today to bring them down.”
“Just make sure they're very careful with them. Those dresses represent weeks of work,” Rarity says before saying goodbyes, and heading out to find her friends.
I ring for the pony in charge of organizing the volunteers, and ask her about the dresses, and to remind the ponies to be very careful with the dresses. When the very kind pony assures me the dresses will be on time and safe, she excuses herself, and leaves. I sit on my bed and sigh. Today is going to be a very long day. A very happy day, but a long day, indeed.
A Gentle Voice Calls Him Father
I am only moments away from walking down the aisle, to meet my wonderful groom. The music had started up, and my bridesmaids are already in their places on the steps. My flower girls skip in front of me, scattering rose petals with each hop. At long last, after weeks of turmoil, strife and hard work, I finally get my moment. I start down the aisle.
I notice Rarity start to tear up, and dab carefully at her eyes to clear it away, and while she wasn't looking, Applejack slipped her iconic hat on. I see Twilight, standing to Shining Armor's side smiling widely. Shining Armor himself can't keep his eyes off me. I smile at him, but my eyes move to my aunt, who is giving me her standard serene, graceful smile. Her official, public smile, a kind that doesn't tell me anything.
A small glace to the side lets me see Shining Armor's parents tearing up. I know they're both very happy for us. I'm sure they're very proud of Twilight for her hand in uncovering the wicked queen's plot to take over Equestria.
Finally, I reach the steps, and my eyes are locked on my groom's eyes. I can't believe my luck, the stallion I've had a crush on since before I got my cutie mark is going to be my husband. Slowly, I turn towards my aunt to begin the ceremony.
I break from the kiss I'm giving Shining Armor to watch the rainbow trailing after the cyan pony turn into Sonic Rainboom.
“Isn't this just perfect, dear?” I ask him, as Rainbow Dash completes a full rainbow, just for us. “All this effort, just for us? It makes me feel like I'm so loved by the people around me.”
“You are, Cadence,” he said to me. “You're loved by the people of Canterlot, you're loved by your friends, you're loved by Twilight, and all the other mares and colts you used to foal sit for, you're loved by Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia, and most of all, you're loved by me.”
I nuzzle against him, glad that he's finally my husband, and that the whole terrible mess of the changeling invasion is far behind us. Suddenly, I hear someone call out to me.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!” I hear one of the royal guards call out.
“Princes Cadence, please,” I correct, turning towards the guard.
“My apologies, Princess Cadence,” The guard replies.
“What is it, Steel Wing?” Shining Armor asked the pegasus guard.
“There's someone here to see the Princess,” Steel Wing reported in an official voice. “He demands to speak with her.”
Shining Armor and I exchange a look. Who could possibly want to speak to me who wasn't already in attendance at my wedding?
“I'd better take care of it,” Shining Armor says. I want to stop him. This day is our day, to spend together. It'd hardly be much fun if my husband had to work today.
“I'll take care of it,” aunt Celestia offered. “You two head towards the ballroom.”
I put it out of my mind as my wedding party and I went to the ballroom to join the rest of my guests for the lovely dinner that Applejack prepared. I was almost finished my own dinner when the double doors to the ballroom swung open, and a white pegasus with very bright, flowing orange, red and yellow hair. Aunt Celestia came galloping in behind him.
“I told you that you cannot come back here,” she says in her royal voice. I've only ever heard Aunt Luna use the royal voice. Apparently I have the ability to use it, and Aunt Luna wants to teach me, but Aunt Celestia said no. Dinner was stopped as everyone stared at the scene.
“I will see my daughter if I want to, Celestia.” I nearly fainted right there. He used the royal voice back at her. He was nothing like in the few memories I held on to, but there was no denying.
“Father?” I say in a gentle voice.
“Mi Amore!” I hear him say in a normal voice, and memories come rushing back: In a brightly lit kitchen, when I was maybe four, and I was helping Mom make some kind of cookies, kicking a soccer ball in past Father's hoof, feeling Blue kick from inside Mom late in her pregnancy. They were things I could barely remember, or not remember at all, brought back in almost painfully sharp clarity.
“Father!” I exclaim louder, much more assured. I run over and hug him.
“Mi Amore,” he says lightly into my mane.
“Actually, Father, it's Cadence,” I tell him as I pull out of the hug. “Oh, Shining Armor, come meet my father!” I didn't even notice Shining Armor was already nearly right behind me.
“Father, this is my husband, Shining Armor, he's captain of the guard,” I introduce and explain. “Shining Armor, this is my Father.”
“It's good to meet you, sir,” Shining Armor says, reaching out for a hoofshake. The older stallion returned the hoofshake, but said nothing.
“Really, now, Solaris, you are interrupting a wedding reception,” aunt Celestia reminds him sharply. “One that you were not invited to. I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”
“You're going to demand I leave my own daughter's wedding, Tia?” he asks in the same tone. He turned to me. “You want me to stay, right Cadence?” he asks in a cotton candy soft voice.
“Of course I want you to stay, Father,” I say. “Please Aunt Celestia? It wouldn't be too hard to set one extra plate, would it?”
Aunt Celestia sighs in response. She clearly doesn't want my father here, and I don't quite understand why. Finally, she relents, and one of the waitstaff sets up an extra plate at my wedding party table. Right next to Aunt Celestia. This, for sure, was going to be an awkward dinner.
A Gentle Voice Calls Him Father
Days have passed since my wedding reception. Shining Armor and I are on our way home, after saying good bye to Twilight and her friends at the train station before they take their return trip home to Ponyville. Though I saw Shining Armor pull her sister aside and asked her to stay in Canterlot.
“We've been over this, Shining Armor,” the purple mare told her brother. “I like my life in Ponyville, but I'll take trips back here to see you more often; I promise.” The siblings hugged, and Twilight joined the other five ponies, and Spike, on the train. We waved at them as the train pulled out of the station a few minutes later.
“How about we go back to the house and have some alone time,” Shining Armor whispered in my ear as we turned towards the exit. I giggled and we hailed a taxi cart to take us back to the center of town, where our house is.
As Shining Armor is paying the nice stallion who pulled our cart, I notice our front door is ever so slightly ajar. Worrying, I hurry up to see why. I push open the door to get through, and don't see anyone around.
“Hello?” I call out, my fear getting the worst of me. I worry that somepony has broken in for some reason. “Is anyone there?”
“Who are you talking to, love?” Shining Armor asks me as he shuts the door.
“The door was open when we got out of the taxi,” I tell him. “I think someone's here.”
“Stay here, sweetheart,” Shining Armor orders me. His demeanor has changed completely, from his normal, relaxed state, to his official, professional stance. Even his voice has taken on a deeper, more authoritative tone.
I do as he says as he goes around the house, checking each room carefully. After what seems like forever, Shining Armor returns to me, and nuzzles my cheeck.
“There's no one here,” he tells me in a soothing voice. “Nothing missing, nothing broken. We might have forgotten to close the door properly before we left. We'll have to be more careful.”
I decide to make myself some tea to calm myself down. As I'm passing through our breakfast nook, something catches my attention and makes me pause. A brightly colored envelope is sitting on the otherwise clear table. I distinctly remember putting a vase with a bouquet of tiger lilies in the middle of the table yesterday.
“Honey,” I call out. “Did you clear the flowers off the breakfast table?”
“No, Cadence,” Shining Armor called from the den. I pick up the envelope and bring it to him.
“This was on the table,” I say, showing him. He takes it and starts to open it. “And the flowers I put on the table are gone.”
He's reading the letter inside with concern. He turns it around so I can read it.
“It's from your father,” he says.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Shining Armor,
Your are cordially invited to tea tomorrow afternoon at 3PM in Canterlot Castle...
My mind trailed off and I could no longer focus on what the rest of the invitation said. My eyes focused on the one important thing on the piece of paper. My father's signature at the bottom.
“We have to go,” I say immediately. “We are going, right?”
“Of course, sweetie,” Shining Armor tells me. “Unless there's a good reason not to.”
I pause, and bite my lip. Aunt Celestia clearly doesn't like my father. The obvious reason is that he left her to deal with Blueblood and myself. I didn't like that explanation though. It made me feel like Celestia didn't care for either of us, merely put up with us because she had to.
“You look like you need to relax, Princess,” Shining Armor says in a low voice, moving closer to me. I push my thoughts of family to the side and focus on my husband.
“Let's retire to the bedroom,” I reply, with a devious smile.
~*~
The next day, Shining Armor and I were walking to the castle for tea. When we reached the gates, the guards didn't even give us a second glance. I became more and more nervous as we reached the garden the invitation had told us tea would be served in. I had only had small conversations with my father since the reception, and as far a I knew, Celestia was refusing to speak to him.
We round the final corner, and see my father, and quite a few other unicorns from prominent members of Canterlot society, as well as what seems to be the whole of the Wonderbolts team. I spied Blue, as well as Aunt Luna. It fails to escape my notice that Celestia is not present.
I give my greetings to many of the ponies present, and graciously accepted compliments from social climbing unicorns.
“Marriage certainly agrees with you,” one mare comments.
“Look at you, just glowing!” Another adds in.
“I'd like to greet my father,” I say to the ponies surrounding me. “If you'll please excuse me.” They let me through. I approach my father and give him a huge.
“Thank you for inviting us,” I say to him. “But you could have left the letter in our mailbox, instead of on the breakfast table. It gave me quite a fright to return home to see the door ajar.”
“I'm sorry, dear,” he replies. “I just couldn't help my curiosity.”
I didn't say anything, slightly confused by his response, anything I might have said was drowned out by Aunt Luna's royal voice. She still hadn't quite managed to grasp the concept of when to use it and when not to. When turning to look at Aunt Luna, Blue caught my attention. He looks visibly uncomfortable, which was odd for him. If something made him uncomfortable, he avoided it, or ordered it away from him. I trot over to him.
“Hi Blueblood,” I greet. He gives me a nod.
“Good afternoon, sister. You're looking well,” he comments.
“You're not,” I say in a low voice. He glares at me. “What's wrong, Blue?”
“There is nothing wrong,” he insists. “I'll ask you to kindly leave me be.”
“But Blue,” I start, but am interrupted by a small bell, signaling that tea was about to be served. I took a seat next to Shining Armor, who had been talking to a uncle of his, who is retired from the guard. I make small talk with his family while tea is served. The day isn't going even remotely like I imagined it would be, and even still is turning out to be a bit of a disaster.
As tea ends, many of the Wonderbolts take off for practice. A few unicorns leave, making the crowd very thinned out. I notice Blueblood has left, but Aunt Luna remains, as well as my father. I notice they don't interact with each other much.
I whisper to Shining Armor that I was getting tired, and would like to leave soon, and we started to say our goodbyes to the various guests remaining. After I finish saying goodbye to my father, Aunt Luna pulls me over.
“I'm afraid we've never gotten to know each other, Cadence,” she tells me in her normal, soft voice. I don't say anything, waiting for her to finish what she wants to say. “Sometime this week, I'll pay you a visit. I'd like to take some time to talk to you, since it appears neither Solaris OR Celestia seem to want to.”
“Thanks, Aunt Luna,” I say, giving her a hug. I say my goodbyes, and turn to walk back to Shining Armor. Suddenly, I feel incredibly dizzy. Nausea rises within me, and I try my hardest not to get sick right here on the lawn.
The next thing I know, I'm on a bed with starched white sheets and a rather generic looking green blanket. I look around, trying to figure out where I am and what's going on. I sit up rather quickly and I get another rush of dizziness and wave of nausea. I lay my head back down, unable to stand. I hear a door open, and then a very familiar voice.
“Cadence! You're awake,” Shining Armor exclaims.
“Where are we?” I ask him, so very confused. I try to sit up again, much slower, and much more carefully.
“The infirmary wing of Canterlot Castle,” Shining Armor answers, giving me a cup of water for the bedside table.
“What happened?” I asked him, before taking a sip of the cool water.
“Well, you passed out in the garden,” he tells me. This makes sense. My memory is a little woozy and what he's told me connects well to what I remember. I nod before taking another sip of water.
“It's not a good thing you passed out, dear, but we found out some good news from all this,” he tells me.
“We did?” I question. I don't remember hearing any good news.
“Cadence, we're pregnant!” he announces with joy. My jaw drops open.