A Knight In Shining Armor

It had been six years since Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had had their magical night under the old peach tree, she remembered, six years since they had confessed their love to one another.  It had almost seemed impossible to them that so much had changed.  Princess Luna had returned, Princess Cadence had come of age and was now “officially” royalty, and Princess Cadence had learned recently from Princess Celestia that Twilight had grown into a beautiful and established mare.  Princess Cadence thought about how she missed Twilight Sparkle all those years she had been admitted to the very private lessons within Canterlot Castle.  But, regardless of the time and all of those changes, her relationship was everything, and more, that Princess Cadence imagined it would be.

Shining Armor’s relationship with Cadence too was everything he had imagined a perfect relationship would be.  Princess Cadence was beautiful, she loved children still, and she shared the same interests and philosophies with him.   It was apparent, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence truly did have a “true” love with one another, even though they were often separated with Shining Armor’s tough working hours within the Royal Guard.

Shining Armor was in his quarters in Greater Canterlot preparing for his date with Princess Cadence, who in turn, was rigorously brushing, wetting, and freshening herself for her stallion.  “I can barely wait to see him again,” was the thought that ran through Princess Cadence’s mind each and every time she knew she was going to see Shining Armor.  As Princess Cadence sat in front of her mirror brushing her mane, her mind suddenly showed her a picture of Shining Armor in his strapping uniform.  In a flash, that image of her stallion left her mind and she began to brush even faster.

“I can barely wait to see her again,” was the thought that rang through Shining Armor’s head each and every time he even thought about Princess Cadence.  As Shining Armor stood in front of his mirror adjusting his commander’s uniform, an image of Princess Cadence found its way into his mind.  As soon as Princess Cadence turned her head towards him, and her gorgeous eyes met his, Shining Armor sped up his tugging, adjusting, and pulling.

Once the two of them had finished preparing, they quickly left their rooms and headed towards their meeting place, a small restaurant on the outskirts of Canterlot, far away from the noise.  A place that was sure to be peaceful, quiet, just the way they liked it.

As Shining Armor walked through Canterlot, he saw many mares, many beautiful mares.  Though when he looked at one, he only saw a mare that didn’t even come close to matching Princess Cadence’s radiating beauty.  As Princess Cadence walked, she saw many stallions.  But all she saw when she looked at one, a governor sharply dressed, and then another, a military head in freshly pressed uniform, all she saw was a simple stallion.  She didn’t see her strapping and sweet Shining Armor anywhere in this crowd of stallions, and she knew that no matter how far she travelled, she never would.

It seemed like they had only just begun walking when they found themselves at the exact restaurant.  Princess Cadence looked across the way, through the crowd, and surely enough she caught Shining Armor’s eyes.  Tossing all hesitation aside, they ran to each other and embraced.  “I missed you,” Shining Armor said.

Princess Cadence looked up into his eyes, and with a smile on her face replied, “But it’s only been two days.”  She hugged her head back into Shining Armor and awaited his answer.

Shining Armor kissed her softly on the head and answered, “That’s too long for me.”  Princess Cadence looked up into his eyes and smiled partially to herself, and partially to Shining Armor.  She smiled to herself because Champion (who was now a ghost to everypony) had never talked to her like that, and to Shining Armor because of his always sweet and considerate answer.  “Ready to go?” Shining Armor asked his mare.  She looked up into his eyes and nodded her head.  “Great,” Shining Armor said, “I’ve got everything ready to go.”  Princess Cadence then watched as Shining Armor gently pulled away from her and walked into a nearby restaurant.  In just a few short minutes, he returned with a basket levitating in the air next to him.

“Are you ready?” Princess Cadence asked Shining Armor with a playful tone and a giggle.  After a nod and a “You bet” from Shining Armor, the two set off on their way to a picnic under the old peach tree.  As they walked down the familiar dirt path, Princess Cadence turned to her stallion and said “I love you so much.”  Princess Cadence and Shining Armor often told each other that they loved each other without reason, just as they had imagined it.

“I love you too Cadence,” Shining Armor said as he locked eyes so intensely that he nearly dropped the basket full of food.

Princess Cadence giggled and with a playfully quizzical look on her face looked up at Shining Armor and asked “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Each and every time that the two had gone on some kind of date, Shining Armor had looked and stared at Princess Cadence’s eyes with fascination in his own.

“You’re eyes are just so beautiful,” he complimented and spoke the truth softly to her.  “They’re the perfect shade of purple,” he finished softly with a smile.  Princess Cadence loved how Shining Armor complimented and flattered her.  It was like he knew exactly what to say at exactly the right time, every plentiful comment that he had given her had always added to her love for him.  Though she didn’t love Shining Armor solely because he complimented her, no, she loved him because he did things with her, he always had time for her (if he didn’t he made it), he respected her, and he protected her.  If Cadence felt uncomfortable with something, they didn’t do it, and if she was followed or harassed, it was like Shining Armor was not only her stallionfriend it seemed, but her guardian angel also, he was always there for her.

Princess Cadence looked away and said, “Thank you,” quietly.  With every compliment that Shining Armor gave her, Princess Cadence couldn’t help but blush or look away like an embarrassed schoolpony; the gentle and truthful way in which he spoke his words just seemed to have always had that effect on her.

After a short walk to their destination, Shining Armor led them up the incline and to their usual spot under the tree.  After they sat down, and as Shining Armor was unpacking their food, Princess Cadence looked up at the top of the tree and watched in amazement as the still beautiful limbs swayed in the gently blowing wind.  Shining Armor had not lied when he said that the tree would never leave them without shade, for each and every time they had ventured there, the round and sizeable area of shade had not moved an inch.  Even when they snuck out in the late night hours to meet each other there, the same spot remained shaded still even as the moon was at its highest over the barren hilltop.  Princess Cadence just thought it rather mystical that the tree seemed to always be there for them, like it belonged to them.

The two of them sat down for a quiet picnic and admired the beauty around them.  The clouds, the grass, the tree, it all made them feel at peace with the world, and it made them all the more happy that they had met each other; all the more happy that Shining Armor had been, and was, Princess Cadence’s knight in shining armor.

As she ate, Princess Cadence heard a crunching sound under her rump. At first, she thought it was the grass and paid it no mind, but after a few more minutes she looked underneath her rump to see the edge of something white.  How she hadn’t noticed it when she sat down, she didn’t know (she thought perhaps she was too busy admiring the never boring beauty of the scene around her), but she rose her hind end up and pulled it out from underneath her using her magic.  She saw that it was an envelope with her name in front of it.  “What’s this?” she asked Shining Armor with curiosity.

Shining Armor took a bite of his sandwich, shrugged, and said “I don’t know.  Maybe if you’d open it, you’d find out?  I didn’t even know it was here.”  Princess Cadence looked back at the envelope and observed the writing as she tried best to see who’s hoofwriting it was, though her efforts were in vain.  She opened the seal carefully with her magic and pulled the neatly tucked piece of paper housed within it out.  A red rose as well as a blue ribbon fell from the envelope too and landed at the base of her hoof.  She picked up the rose and the ribbon, and instantly recognized it as the same type of rose that Shining Armor had left on her pillow the night they had first met, and the blue ribbon which she had lost several years ago.  She continued to levitate the beautiful rose and familiar bow with her magic as she unfolded the paper and read the touching words written out on it:

“My dear Princess Mi Amoré Cadenza, Princess Cadence, you are my life.  You are beautiful.  You are kind.  You are amazing, my dear Princess Cadence.  I believe that Canterlot is a beautiful place full of love because of you, and only you.  I also believe that no amount of “thanks” in all of Equestria will ever be enough for all of the wonderful things you have done and the many ponies you have made happy.  You’ve been hurt Princess Cadence, you’ve been hurt when you didn’t deserve to be hurt… you never will deserve to be hurt… and I’ll make sure of that.  You’ve told me that you would take all that pain again just to see me happy.  But, I want you to be happy.  If you’ll have me, Princess Cadence, I would be honored if you would meet me under this very tree, on this very day, in only one month when the moon is highest over this field, at midnight.  With love, I leave you this rose which I first gave you the night, that magical night, which we first met.  Its pedals are enchanted with magic, so that no matter how many years pass by, it will never die.  It will never die Princess Cadence, like my love for you, it will never die.

Midnight in one month

With love,

             Shining Armor

Before doing anything, Princess Cadence smiled at the red rose and the ribbon.  She pinned the rose snugly in her mane and used her magic to tie her mane in a ponytail, an accessory of her appearance that she had nearly forgotten.  “You didn’t even know it was here?” Princess Cadence cocked her eyebrow as she smiled over at Shining Armor.

He smiled back and said, “Well… I might have known a little something.”  Controlled by love, Princess Cadence jumped into Shining Armor’s hooves and kissed him.  “So, will you come?” Shining Armor asked Princess Cadence softly.

She looked up into his eyes and nodded her head.  “Yes, yes I’ll come.  I would come even if it was at the end of Equestria,” she promised him.  She pulled away from him, and with a smile on her face asked “Where did you find this old thing?” she used her magic to tug softly at her ponytail.

Shining Armor replied, “Funny story actually.  After training a couple months ago I was walking through the courtyard to make sure that everypony had cleared out, and just because I wanted to see it, I walked over to the hedge where I had picked that rose for you.  When I looked inside the hedge, I saw that wrapped around the stem of a blooming rose,” he finished his explanation.

Princess Cadence and Shining Armor sat under the tree for a couple more hours and talked about the bow, the rose, and the letter.  Princess Cadence tried to get a little hint out of Shining Armor, but he had an excellent poker face, and an even more excellent sense of secrecy.  She didn’t tell him this, but as Princess Cadence stored the very sweet note underneath her wing, she promised herself that she would always keep this close to her.  After some more talking though, the two of them got up and set off for Shining Armor’s headquarter home (Princess Cadence often stayed with him there).   As they walked down the road though, and as Princess Cadence looked over at Shining Armor, she couldn’t help but wonder what he had in store for her.  As they walked on, Princess Cadence stopped for only a moment as a thought popped into her head.  “Could…Could it be?” was the thought that would torment Princess Cadence for one more very long month.