The Different Prince

"No, Auntie, I will not let you in to see him," I heard Cadance defiantly say outside of my new room. She had informed my mother of my location some time after she brought me back to the palace.

"But he's my son," mother cried.

"He's my family too," Cadance retorted. "And he's scared to death of both you and Luna. If you love him, you'll go home and wait until he wants to see you again."

"But... but," it sounded like she was crying. There was a moment of silence. "Very well... y-your right. B-but please. Take these. His favorite blanket and his narwhal plushie. Lyra, his wetnurse, should be arriving soon... will she be alright, or should I order her home as well?"

"I'll let him decide," Cadance replied with a sigh. "But, I think he could use the familiar anchor. Though, what about Cobbler?"

"Well, Luna has taken more interest in him, after... the incident," Celestia meekly told her.

"After she attacked and attempted to mutilate him, you mean," the princess said with an edge of tough love. "Don't sugarcoat it Auntie. What she did was unforgivable. It's a wonder he trusts me at all."

And she was on thin ice. But at least she wasn't freaking out at the moment. It was a long silence outside before I heard someone walk away. A moment later, Cadance opened the door and came to sit on the bed beside me. She began stroking my mane.

"She'll give you your space for as long as you need it," she said in a soft voice. Her eyes were wet, had she been crying? She then draped my small blanket over me and pushed my narwhal into my hooves. "There. Are you feeling better?"

I nodded and hugged my beloved horned whale tightly. I needed him.

"Your wetnurse will be here soon?" she continued, "would you like to see her? Or do you want a new one?"

I shook my head.

"You want her to stay?"

I nodded. Lyra was always sweet and kind to me without any ulterior motives.. Though, everyone seemed to have changed since yesterday. Would she be any different? I prayed not. Surely there was someone who would hear my silence.

"Excuse me, your majesties," a maid poked her head in apologetically. Cadance was keeping things secret for now. So far anyone knew, I had just gotten a little ill and was on a vacation for the time being. "But, the bath is ready. Sergeant Pepper is bringing Shining Armor from the training fields, and the Princess Flurry Heart is already waiting. She loves her hot baths, you know."

"Of course," Cadance smiled as she scooped me up. We left the blanket behind, but I kept my narwhal. He was enchanted with waterproofing spells, so I could take him anywhere I wanted.

A considerable walk for someone with short legs later, we arrived at the royal bath. It was the size of a swimming pool. Flurry was already splashing about with maids close by laughing as they tried to wash scrub her clean.

"Leave us," Cadance instructed them. "Today I think we should have a private bath, thank you."

They bowed and left. She gave me to Flurry who sat at the shallow end and nuzzled me playfully. "Gold... why are you here?"

"Oh, he just needed a change of scenery for his health," Cadance informed her as she undressed and slipped into the warm water.

Flurry waded over to her mother and sat down, leaning against her side. "Is he sick?"

"No, I don't think so," the pink princess replied, hugging her daughter with a wing. "He just needs a vacation. Could be here a while."

"Aw, you hear that?" she beamed a smile at me, "We're gonna be like sister and brother."

Cadance chuckled and shook her head.

The door to the bath opened and a crystal mare in a blue uniform walked in. Behind her, led by the reins, was Shining Armor, without his uniform and as commanding a figure as a stallion could be. The guard bowed and left.

Shining slipped into the water and walked up to nuzzle his wife and daughter. He paused a moment to sniff me curiously. He seemed to recognize me, as he licked me and laid down before cadence. Flurry passed me to her mother and jumped on his back, giggling.

"Shining's already accepted your presence," he princess giggled. "I hope you two get along well. Though... I suppose you miss your father. Perhaps?"

I nodded. Daddy wouldn't change or try to hurt me. That big red mountain was as soft as a pile of pillows when his family was involved. He would never pass me off in favor of a conversation with a snobby noble. Though, maybe in favor of a night of passionate lovemaking with either of his wives. But, you couldn't fault the lucky guy for that.

Shiny, I'm sure was a friendly stallion to young foals. But he wasn't my daddy.

"Well, I'm sure I can arrange him to visit from time to time," she said, drawing a smile from me. She nuzzled my face and began picking out bits of rock and stick from my fur. "This is gonna take a while to get you cleaned. How do colts get so dirty." She laughed. "All the same, I hope I have a few. Flurry could use some brothers to help toughen her up."

"Hey," Flurry protested, standing up on Shining's back and flexing her arms and wings. "I'm strong. See?"

Cadance nodded. "Oh my, yes. But, you have no competition... yet."

Flurry seemed ready to say something else, but her father stood up and she fell back into the bath. With a laugh, she began splashing him. He gave a rumble and grabbed up water in his magic and dropped it on her before smiling. Soon it was a small naval battle between the two of them. Cadance hardly seemed to notice. Was this the norm for them?

"I imagine, Big Mac is more laid back," she said as she put up a shield to defend her self from stray water balls. "That's because he's a draft stallion. He's specifically bred to pull carts and have an even temper. Shiny was bred for war. What he's doing now is an instinct that helps teach his children how to defend themselves in the future."

I watched those two, they seemed to be having a lot of fun.

"No, you can't join them just yet," she told me as she continued cleaning me. "You need to get cleaned up first and get a quick check up with the castle doctors. In the mean time, just relax, have some milk, or fall asleep. You need your rest."

Unbelievably, I didn't feel like nursing at the moment. I chose to sleep.

* * *

The check up was quick. Just temperature and heart rate as well as examining certain defining features. The only thing they found out of place was the scarring in my throat. They passed it off as a result of eating a foreign plant earlier. Soon I was trotting out of their at Cadance' side.

"See, I told you there was nothing to worry about," she told me sweetly.

Well, I had freaked a bit when one touched my purse. I was gonna be jumpy for a while.

Then something hit me. Nay, more like collided. I struggled for a minute until I realized what it was.

"Oh, pound, don't tackle the prince like that," Lyra cried. She was flanked on both sides by two guards, who seemed bemused.

Cadance smiled at the affectionate display my friend showed. Stop him women, his licking my face. No, it's not cute.

"You must be Lyra Heartstrings," she greeted the mint mare with an outstretched hand. The unicorn shook it and nodded.

"Yep, your majesty, I'm his wetnurse. I came as soon as I could." She looked very concerned. "Has he been eating properly?"

"Well, other than a strange bush, it's been every fours or so hours," the alicorn calculated.

Lyra's concern deepened. "Four hours?"

"I know, for a colt his age it should be every hour, maybe more considering his size," Cadance sighed. "He's... adjusting."

"But, other than that, is he alright?"

Cadance confirmed and turned back to me. "And this is his gelding? Pound, was it?"

Lyra nodded. "They've been best friends almost his whole life."

"Good, you and he are just what he needs to perk back up," she gestured down the hall. "Let's get you moved in and we can talk more about the prince."