On and on their journey took them. It had been hours since they'd left the gates of Canterlot, and still their trip had not come to a stop. Wherever it was that her Aunt had planned for them, it was clearly out of anyone's way.
Princess Cadence, still in her wedding gown and hairstyle, was sitting comfortably in her wedding carriage. Her mind brimming with ideas about where it was they might be going.
She looked out of the window of her carriage, looking upon the countryside as they passed by. Tall grassy hills. Rivers and streams which glistened in the moonlight. It was, without a doubt, a beautiful sight. She'd spent much of her life travelling around Equestria, visiting many places. But she'd never taken enough time to simple enjoy the places around her. Here though, she had plenty of time to do so.
And the aforementioned moon was also impressive to behold. Auntie Luna had certainly outdone herself tonight. No doubt in an attempt to make their night perfect. It was something she knew she'd have to thank her for once they returned in a week.
She could not say that it was a boring trip. The views alone were enough to hold her interest. But her thoughts continued to dwell on their destination. Her aunt, Princess Celestia, had promised that the place they would spend their honeymoon would be specially prepared for them. Though where it was she could not say. She'd swore she'd never come across this road before, yet something about it seemed familiar to her.
Her thoughts turned to her wedding. It was an image in her mind that brought her joy. Finally, after so long, she'd been united with the stallion of her dreams in holy matrimony. She considered herself truly fortunate to have found someone like him. One who was as devoted to her as him. She'd never loved anyone this way before and it brought her great comfort to finally call him her husband.
And speaking of whom, that stallion was sitting beside her now. She turned away from the window to face him. Captain Shining Armour, still in his red uniform which he wore at their wedding. Seeing him, she found that he was staring at her with a big smile on his face. She gave a small smile of her own and raised her eyebrow.
"What?" she asked.
Shining, still smiling, merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Just admiring the view."
She gave him a gentle push with her hoof at this corny line, which prompted laughter from both. After which, Cadence moved away from the window and leaned against Shining, her head just under his. Shining, in turn, placed a hoof around her. Neither could deny how happy they were to be with each other right now. Given the events of recent days, there had always been that lingering doubt in their mind, of just how close they came to being separated from each other forever. It was a thought that neither enjoyed.
But no matter how dark that thought may have been, it was always completely overshadowed by the feelings of joy and love they felt in each other's company.
Shining planted a kiss on top of Cadence's head. She smiled at this and closed her eyes.
"We've been travelling for a long time now. Do you mind if I sleep for a bit?" she asked.
Shining shook his head.
"Not at all. I'll be here."
And with that, Cadence allowed herself to relax in away she hadn't managed for days. Simply being here, in this place, at this time, with the stallion she loved so much, was all she needed to put her mind at rest.
She could not deny, it had been quite a good sleep. But, being Cadence, she did not sleep too heavily. So much so that it only took a gentle nudge from her husband to wake her up. Her eyes opened immediately, only to be greeted by her love, Shining, who, as promised, was still right there, being leaned upon by her. She smiled at him, and he to her.
"We're here," he said.
She turned away from him and looked out of the window. When she did, her face broke out into a massive smile. She opened her side of the carriage and got out, followed soon afterwards by Shining Armour.
Once out, the newly-wed couple stared at their destination. It was a large house, built in the style of the manors and palaces of Canterlot. It was standing in front of a rocky cliff with a small waterfall and subsequent stream to its right. Looking behind him, Shining saw that this house had a magnificent view of a wide open grassy plain. It was facing East so they'd get a good sunrise in the morning, no doubt Celestia's choice.
Turning back to his wife, Shining saw the excitement on her face.
"You know this place?" he asked.
She nodded enthusiastically before answering.
"I most certainly do! When I was young, this was the royal family's holiday home. We'd come out here and spend time with each other during special events like Hearth's Warming Eve. But over time, the family used it less and less, and soon enough it was abandoned entirely."
Looking back at the house, Shining could see signs of recent refurbishment. Newly cleaned windows, and a lawn that had the distinct smell of having been cut recently. Celestia and Luna had clearly gone to a lot of trouble to make sure this place was ship-shape for them. He was grateful, which he would undoubtedly tell them next time they met.
He turned to face Cadence. Seeing the excitement on her face made him smile. He lifted his left foreleg and offered it to her, drawing her attention.
"Princess. Would you care to accompany me inside?" he asked in that "faux posh" manner he knew she loved so much.
Cadence gave a slight giggle before placing her hoof in his.
"Why Captain, I would be delighted," she replied.
And so the two lovers, hoof in hoof, walked up to the front door and opened it before stepping inside. Once in, they found that the interior of the house was just as immaculate as the exterior. Polished wooden floors, well-constructed walls and ceilings and beautifully made furniture. The works. The couple looked at each other happily, knowing that each was just as pleased with their surroundings as the other.
It took them a good hour to figure out where everything was. Bedrooms, dining rooms, doors and windows. And once they were done, they decided that, given how late it was already, just to relax in a room adjacent to where they'd be sleeping. The room was moderately sized, with a large window looking out over the aforementioned view of the East. The was a fireplace in the wall so large it almost spanned the wall's entire length.
Shining walked over to the fireplace and projected some magic onto it using his horn. It did not take long for the logs, which had already been placed there in preparation for them, to be set alight by this. Soon, the fire roared into life and the room was filled by its natural orange-red glow.
Turning away from the fire, Shining found that his wife was now sitting comfortably on the room's massive green carpet. She patted the ground next to where she was sitting, clearly inviting him to do the same. It was an invitation he did not hesitate to take her up on.
Sitting next to each other, the two simply stared at the fire for a while before Shining spoke.
"So what do you want to do?" he asked.
Cadence considered this question for a moment before replying.
"I'd be happy if we just talked for a bit."
Shining nodded in response to this.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked.
Cadence smiled. It was clear to her husband that she already had something in mind for them to discuss.
"Our marriage."
Shining gave a brief chuckle. His guess had been correct.
"I would love to talk about that. I must confess, it still doesn't seem real to me. Like it hasn't quite sunk in yet."
Cadence nodded briefly.
"I know how you feel. It's all so....overwhelming. The day of our wedding was perfect. The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small."
Thinking back on that day was something which made Cadence smile softly. It was a thought that warmed her far more than the fire in front of them. As she slipped into her thoughts, she leaned her head against Shining's shoulder, much like she had done during their carriage trip.
"We were both nervous. I can't blame either one of us for feeling like that," she said.
Shining gave a small chuckle, prompting Cadence to look up at him with a slight look of confusion.
"My dear Cadence. In all the time you've known me, when have I ever been nervous?" he asked with a sense of pride in his voice.
Cadence gave a small giggle. She knew him well enough to give an answer to that question, which she gave him with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
"Well, there was the day you proposed to me."
Shining's face became one of embarrassment, having now been reminded of how much of a nervous wreck he'd been that day. But he was stallion enough to admit it.
"You're right. But apart from..." he began.
But Cadence interrupted.
"And then there was our first kiss."
Shining nodded in agreement. It was embarrassing that she'd known how nervous he'd been on those occasions. But still, he opened his mouth once more to refute her, before being interrupted once more.
"And then there was our first date. And then there was the day we met after Discord was defeated, when you escorted me to my chambers by Celestia's command."
Shining gave a sigh. It was clear he wasn't going to win this one. He nodded at her with a smile, which led her to resume her previous position of leaning against him. Shining's thoughts once more returned to their wedding.
"You were right about the wedding though. It was perfect. I'd been thinking about it for months, yet it still managed to exceed my hopes," Shining replied.
The stallion looked down at his wife and smiled upon looking at her. She was so peaceful, leaning there against him. You'd never think that just a few days ago, both of their lives, and those of everyone they knew, were in mortal peril.
Thinking back on that day. That terrible day when almost everything he'd cared about had nearly been taken from him. To think he'd been that close to losing the love of his life. It was a thought he could not bear to dwell on. His expression became stern as he thought about it, an expression that Cadence caught when she opened her eyes once more and looked up at him.
Knowing him like he did, she instantly knew what was on his mind.
"Shining, my love. Do not dwell on the past. The Changelings were pushed back and our wedding happened regardless. Focus on that."
Shining had to concede that. His wife had always known how to cheer him up, if only slightly. It was a talent he appreciated. He smiled once more as he looked down to her.
"You're right. We're together now and that's what matters. Bound in holy matrimony. Till death do us part."
The moment he said those last words, he regretted it. For now it was Cadence's turn to suddenly look forlorn. Her smile vanished and her thoughts could be read easily, especially by Shining.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." he began.
But Cadence raised a hoof, prompting him to stop.
"No. It's fine. I've learned to accept it. It's just difficult to be reminded that something like that will one day happen."
Shining mentally beat himself over this. Their evening had been going perfectly and he had to screw it up by bringing up the one thing that neither of them had ever wanted to talk about during the entire year they'd been together.
Death.
Shining knew that it happened all over of course. Sometime ponies in married couples out-live each other. They grieve and it's difficult for all. It was a natural thing, he'd always told himself. But for Cadence, the pain would be even greater.
Looking down on his wife once more, his eyes turned to her beautiful wings which were protruding from the sides of her wedding dress.
Cadence was an alicorn, like Celestia and Luna. And that meant one thing. She would live a very long time. Far longer than he could ever hope to live. So no matter what he did, whether it happened now or even a hundred years from now, he would pass from this world. And she would keep going. She'd be just as young and beautiful now as she would be when the time came for her to sit beside his deathbed.
His mortality and her lack thereof had been something they'd talked about before, and it had always brought them nothing but sadness. But they'd always cast such thoughts aside. They'd focused on each other. He'd told her time and again that it did not bother him that she would out-live him. But it had always bothered Cadence. How could it not?
Shining gave a deep sigh before finally speaking to her.
"I'm sorry. Tonight is probably the last time you wanted to be reminded about that."
Cadence shook her head.
"It's not your fault. Ever since I was a child, my Aunt has prepared me for the day when that might happen. But even then I've dwelt on that notion."
She looked up at him with sadness in her eyes.
"That thought that I could lose you one day."
Shining's face gained a look of determination. He placed one hoof on the side of her face and stroked it. She placed her own hoof on top of it, her eyes welling up with tears.
Seeing these tears, Shining spoke.
"One day perhaps. But that is not today. And this day, you will not lose me. I promise you."
Cadence was moved by his words. Whatever sad or mournful thoughts that she had within her were, for the time being, completely gone. Replaced only by an immense joy that she was here in this place with a stallion who cared for her this much. It was true. A day may one day come when he was no longer in her life. But this day was not that day, and she was not going to waste one more second worrying about their future.
The doubt gone from her mind, Cadence, much to Shining shock, suddenly leapt at her husband and knocked him to the ground with her on top, much like they'd been on the day he proposed to her. Though taken aback at first, Shining's confusion at the situation vanished when she immediately placed her lips on his and joined with him in the most passionate kiss they'd had in weeks. They simply laid there together with their forelegs wrapped around each other, never breaking away for an instant.
After a good ten minutes or so, they finally stopped, with Cadence giving Shining a look he'd never seen before. She was smiling, her head slightly tilted to one side and her eyes half-closed.
"You know, being newly married, there are of course certain traditions should probably be kept on our first night together."
Although somewhat unsure of what she meant, he saw her looking in the direction of their adjacent bedroom, and instantly got the message, returning the smile back to her.
She got up, allowing him to finally get off his back since she knocked him down. He kept his eyes on her as she gracefully walked over to the door of the bedroom. Once there she placed a hoof on the back of her head and pulled out the pin that was keeping her mane up in that style she'd been wearing since their wedding. Her mane fell down to it's natural position instantly. She looked back at him with that expression still on her face. In the light of the still-burning fire, Shining swore she had never looked more beautiful in all the time he'd known her.
She finally opened the door and entered, clearly wanting him to follow. And Shining was no idiot. He leapt to his hooves and followed after her, closing the door behind him as he entered.
The two lovers laid there in their bed, hot and exhausted, but not regretting a moment of it.
The consummation of their marriage had been quite an experience for both of them. Before this night, neither of them had shared a bed with each other, or anyone else for that matter. Despite how much they loved each other, there had always been that lingering doubt in the back of their minds about what this night would be like for both of them, how well they would do.
And as their bodies began to cool from their time together this night, both shared the exact same opinion of each other.
It was more than worth the wait.
They looked at each other with love in their eyes. Their smiles bigger than either one had ever seen on the other. This night had been everything they'd hoped and more. Seeing some hair out of place and obstructing Cadence's face, Shining raised a hoof and gently brushed it aside so he could look at her properly. Neither one of them said anything, for there was nothing to be said.
Instead, the two simply moved closer and gave each other a simple kiss on the lips. True, it may not have been as passionate as the one they shared earlier in front of the fireplace, but it was pleasant nonetheless.
And so they simply stayed there, staring at each other, not saying a word. They did this for as long as they had strength to stay awake. It had been late at night when they'd reached this building, and it was even later now. Finally, after all this, the couple finally fell asleep and did so with smiles on their faces.
Light poured into the room. Even through the drawn curtain, the beams from the sun managed to make their way onto the bed in the middle of the room, and with it, the two within.
Being the one who was facing the window, Cadence was the first to wake. Despite her usual tendency to sleep lightly, the previous night's "activities" had exhausted her, so she was unusually slow to rouse this morning. The bed was still warm and comfortable, which didn't help matters. She tried urging herself to get up, but frankly she'd rather just stay where she was.
And when she opened her eyes, that feeling deepened. For there, lying next to her, and still asleep, was her beloved husband. He still had that smile on his face from last night. From the looks of things, neither one of them had moved their position since they'd fallen asleep last night. Raising a hoof, Cadence placed it on her love's head and ran it through his blue mane. The move prompted him to stir in his sleep, making a "hmmmm" sound as he did so. It was a reaction Cadence could not help but smile at. Even asleep, he welcomed her touch.
Cadence closed her eyes and smiled at the events of the last few days. It had been quite an experience, no-one could deny that. And after all the danger, the fear and the close calls, she'd come out of it happier than she had ever been. Looking back at her sleeping husband, she wondered to herself how she could have ever been so lucky to have someone like him by her side.
The Princess gave a chuckle as she considered another thought. Of course, he's probably asked the same question of himself a dozen times by now. She had to admit, both of them were the kinds of ponies others would give their own right hoof to spend their lives with. Which made it all the better that they be the ones to do so. They matched each other perfectly. Her husband had said to her many times before that she made him happier than he'd ever been before. Likewise Cadence was never as happy as she was when she was with Shining.
That happiness was, at one point, almost stolen from her by that monster of a Queen. If they'd been just a few second late, she would have been his wife instead of Cadence. And given how sick and twisted the creature was, who knows how far she would have gone with him before her plan was complete. It was not a thought she liked, so she dismissed it, instead focusing on the fact that the Queen was, for the time being, gone from their lives.
Thinking back to how happy Shining made her, she realised that this moment, just as an example, was what she meant by that. They were not doing anything important, or life changing. They were simply lying next to each other. And yet this moment in this place gave her more joy than she had ever felt her entire life.
Shining had been right when he said what he said to her the night before. Though she may one day find herself in a time when he would no longer be there, this time, this moment in her life will still have happened. And she would cherish this moment and every other moment she spent with him. Even when those moments turned to memories long past, they would be with her for all the centuries she would live, and they would bring her joy.
Her thoughts were soon interrupted when she heard a sound coming from Shining. Looking at him, she saw his eyes begin to open. It took him a while to open them completely, but once they were and he looked up at her, the smile that had been fixed on his face all night grew even wider.
"Good morning," she said lovingly.
"And to you," he replied.
She looked at him and sighed, prompting a confused expression on Shining.
"What is it?" he asked.
Thinking back to the day before, Cadence had the perfect response for him.
"Just admiring the view".
They both laughed together at this comment. Once finished, Cadence, still covered in the sheet, moved closer to her husband. Instinctively, Shining raised his foreleg and allowed her to get closer, then lowered it around her once she'd stopped moving forward. They were both very pleased that their first moments this morning could simply be the two of them together like this. They enjoyed the warmth they felt from each other.
Cadence gave Shining a quick kiss on the lips before lying her head on the pillow.
"I know we should probably get up. But to be honest, I'd much rather be right here than anywhere else in the world right now," Shining said.
His wife smiled at the thought. Given how pleasant this experience was for them both, she could not argue with that suggestion.
"We have a whole seven days of our honeymoon to enjoy. I don't think anyone will begrudge us for spending one morning like this," she replied.
And so the newly-married ponies spent the entire morning in bed, simply appreciating being with the other. They'd been through Hell in order to get to this moment. They'd gone through trials and experiences no-one should ever have to face. Much of what they'd held dear had been risked, almost lost to them forever. But after all was said and done, they'd come out of it as husband and wife.
True, the events of the last few days had been turmoil. Something they wouldn't even wish on their worst enemies. But given that it led to their being here, now, in this time and place, together and sharing their life together, they had only one thing to say.
It was totally worth it.
