The Princess and The Florist

Wintergreen was currently braiding daisies into Love’s tail, as the mares mane was already braided neatly. Love was reading through her novel she was working on to Wintergreen as she enjoyed the summer sun hitting her fur.

“Cyber, Kate, Mongolia, and Bubs then ran as fast as they could out of the flaming forest.” Love said, she then closed her binder and turned to look at Wintergreen.

“Your story is very good, are you almost done?” The stallion said nearly done with Love’s tail, the mare giggled blushing slightly.

“Yeah, I got a few more chapters to write.” She said, Wintergreen smiled as he just finished the mares tail he then stood up and stretched out his limbs.

“Well I think your gonna sell millions of copies.” Wintergreen said, he then walked over and picked up his citizen registration form which was now fully filled-out.

“So how old are you anyway?” Love asked as she walked over to Wintergreen and wrapped a wing around him,

“I’m seventeen.” The stallion said.

“Really!? Well I’m seventeen too! Maybe we can hang out and get some ice cream.” Love replied, Wintergreen chuckled his tail wagging slightly.

“I’d like that, I haven’t had ice cream in a while.” He said, Love then levitated her binder and pencil box into the air as her and Wintergreen walked towards the garden entrance.

“Come on, we’ll find you a room near mine, I’ll put on a skirt, and we can head out!” Love said,

“Alright then.” Wintergreen said as his and Love’s tail was wagging in joy.

-X-X-X-

“I don’t like this.” Heart Breaker said as her, Valentine, Passion, and Inkie watched.

“I know, this is freaky.” Inkie said just as Boom walked by, the stallion wore a pair of large white headphones with majestic blue hearts in the center. Boom stopped in his tracks,

“What’s freaky?” He said. The four sister’s then pointed straight ahead and Boom turned his head. He saw Love levitating some flowerpots full of soil into Wintergreen’s room which was there rooms down from hers. Wintergreen was organizing through his seeds seemingly trying to pick out some. Love gently placed the five pots in front of Wintergreen.

And the stallion put one seed into each pot and patted the soil with one hoof, but what bewildered and shocked Boom the most was Love’s flower-braided mane and tail.

“Okay….time for a intervention.” Boom said, he then watched as Love walked off to her room and shut the door. The stallion lit his horn and a majestic blue magical aurora surrounded Wintergreen. The flower-loving stallion yelped as he was lifted off his hooves and met the eyes of the black unicorn.

“I’m Boom, Love’s older brother. Now, if you don’t mind me asking….how old are you, what town did you come from, what are or we’re your parents like, do you have any mental diseases or past criminal discretions, and what is your sexuality? If I think you are lying on any of these questions I’ll electrocute you.” Boom said, Wintergreen blinked as his cheeks turned the subtlest shade of pink. Heart Breaker, Valentine, Passion, and Inkie watched in curiosity as they saw Wintergreen was trying to process all the questions he’d been asked. Finally the earthpony took a deep breathe and spoke,

“I’m seventeen, I came from the town Meadowpatch. My mother is the most encouraging, cheerful, and supportive mare you’ll ever have the pleasure to meet. My father….was for a lack of a better term….selfish he only cared about how he looked as him and my mother didn’t….last to say the least. No, I do not have any past criminal deeds nor do I have any mental handicaps or disabilities. And, believe it or not, but I’m straight I know my appearance and the way I talk says otherwise but I speak the full honest truth.” Wintergreen said his cheeks turning a brighter pink as he answered the last question. Boom studied Wintergreen for a few moments before setting him down. It was then Love came out of her room wearing a long, frilly, magenta colored skirt.

“Alright let’s go!” Love said,

“Yes, let’s.” Wintergreen said as he quickly went to Love’s side. The mare instinctively wrapped a wing around the earthpony and walked off with Wintergreen. The flower-loving stallion looked back at Love’s siblings and though his face didn’t express it his eyes we’re filled with fear and shame.

-X-X-X-

“Your siblings are very…..spirited.” Wintergreen said with a nervous chuckle, Love’s ears twitched as she caught the waver in Wintergreen’s voice.

“Don’t worry they’re overprotective when it comes to me. No reason to be all freaked-out.” Love said, and Wintergreen blushed as he looked at the ground.

“Boom….lifted me with his magic. I don’t like unicorns touching me or anything of mine, especially with their magic.” Wintergreen whispered,

“Oh, really? Why’s that?” Love asked. Wintergreen blushed even redder his ears going back,

“I have my reasons. But you don’t have to worry it’s unicorns that bug me not alicorns. Kinda ironic considering that alicorns have more powerful magic, but still, it’s just my preferences.” He said. Love nodded knowing better then to intrude on Wintergreen’s personal likes and dislikes. But she did make a mental note to tell her adopted unicorn siblings not to get all chummy-chummy with Wintergreen until he was ready. It was then Love noticed that many ponies we’re looking at Wintergreen. Normally whenever she came outside in the kingdom (which wasn’t often) she’d be getting looks of pity.

That was because her parents had made up a lie that she couldn’t or wouldn’t get a cutiemark because of a rare disease that prevented it from showing. The ‘disease’ wasn’t contagious and it would be unknown when it would ware off. Yeah, to Love the story sounded absolutely ridiculous but she saw why her parents had done this. Ever since an incident that had happened when she was a filly her parents had always wanted her to be safe and happy. But now that those looks of pity weren’t being thrown at her it felt weird for Love.

She looked over to Wintergreen and found the stallion wasn’t even batting an eye at the odd, confused, or even mocking looks from the ponies. It’s as if he was immune or something, or maybe Wintergreen was used to the looks. And, for Love, if it we’re the latter then she was very concerned on who had conditioned Wintergreen like this. Love tried shaking off her concern as the ice cream shop came in sight but she swore she could sense Wintergeen relax slightly as he saw the shop as well. Wintergreen opened the shop door, much to Love’s shock, and smiled gently at her.

Love blushed and walked inside heading to the counter immediately, Wintergreen followed again not seeming to notice the looks he was thrown. But in reality Wintergreen was noticing the looks and he wished they would stop, but he didn’t dare show it bugged him. The young stallion had learned through his years that showing any sign of reaction (especially when the looks we’re mocking) was bound to get him into trouble. So Wintergreen kept his gentle and calm smile as he caught up to Love who was trying to choose which ice cream she wanted. The young stallion looked up at the menu putting a hoof to his chin in thought.

Suddenly though the young stallion felt something cold slap against the back of his head. Wintergreen put a hoof over his mouth to silence a small combination of a yelp and a gasp. The young stallion then put a hoof on the back of his head and found some ice cream. Wintergreen quickly knocked the substance out of his hair and took a deep breathe making the red flush on his cheeks fade away. Once the young stallion had gotten himself together he was quick to make up his mind.

“I’ll have the orchard-toffee ice cream, in a waffle cone, with extra oats please.” Wintergreen said in his same calm voice, the grey plush pony at the counter didn’t show any response to the young stallion.

“And I’ll have the hearts desire-mocha blend, waffle cone, with coconut shreds please.” Love added,

“Of course, Loveygum Kitties Goddess The 1st.” the plush pony replied as they went to make the current ice cream orders. And that’s when Wintergreen started searching his person for his bag of bits he always carried around with him. But after a few minutes Wintergreen's cheeks went scarlet as he realized his bag of bits wasn’t on him. The young stallion mentally retraced his steps and quickly realized he had left his bits in his room thanks to the slight interruption from Boom. Wintergreen’s ears fell back, he quickly looked over Love and the young mare nodded as she levitated her bit-pouch on the counter.

When the ice cream came one cone had a pink and light brown scoop on it with white shreds on it. The other cone had a yellow and brown scoop on it with star-shaped oats in and on it. Each pony took their respective ice cream cone in their hooves as Love used her magic to give the required bits and put her bit-pouch away.

“Um….Love, do you mind if we go somewhere else and eat our ice cream?” Wintergreen whispered in Love’s ear, and the mare nodded she had a feeling the stallion wouldn’t feel to comfortable in the shop. And as Wintergreen opened the door for the princess (and struggled to stand on his hind hooves, the young stallion noticed a group of colts at the table. The four colts we’re snickering quietly and Wintergreen fought the blush that threatened to creep onto his face, he now knew who had hit him with that ice cream scoop.

As soon as Love and Wintergreen got out of the shop they began to eat their ice cream.

“Mmm! This is really good!” Love said as her face lit up taking her first lick, but as she looked over to Wintergreen she saw that his ears were down and his cheeks we’re a permanent shade of red. Love looked around and realized ponies we’re still eyeing Wintergreen and without much thought the princess picked up pace to a trot and led the young stallion to a place she knew he’d love.

-X-X-X-

“Hey, Wintergreen! Look!” Love said giving young stallion a nudge, Wintergreen snapped out of his daze. The young stallion looked up and his eyes went wide he was so stunned he lost his grip on his ice cream cone. Luckily though Love was quick to catch it with her magic, Wintergreen looked around at the gorgeous view in front of him. Wintergreen saw that Love had led him to some sort of meadow, the place had flowers of all types as all you could see on the ground was nothing but flowers. The young stallion looked up and saw that he appeared to be in some sort of cave as the walls we’re covered in flowers as well, and at the center of the ceiling there was a large gaping hole that allowing sunlight to flood the cave.

Wintergreen felt a smile spread on his face, in all of his days he had never seen so many flowers. The young stallion felt tears of joy cascade down his cheeks as he put a hoof to his mouth to prevent a fillyish squeal from escaping his mouth. Love giggled,

“I thought you’d like it, I noticed you seemed a bit down so I thought I’d take you here. What do you think?” She said.

“It’s amazing! I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Wintergreen said as he turned on his head and brought Love into a hug, the young mare gasped as her magic faded and Wintergreen’s ice cream his the ground. Love hugged back making sure to keep a good grip on her ice cream.

“I’m glad you like it, so what was bugging you?” Love said concern etched in her voice, Wintergreen pulled back as his ears ducked down. The young stallion looked down at the ground,

“Nothing really, I was just a little embarrassed about not paying for our ice cream. I felt I needed to because well….I am a stallion after all.” Wintergreen said. But Love raised an eyebrow not seeming to buy into Wintergreen’s words.

“Really now, that’s it?” She said,

“Well….not fully….no.” Wintergreen replied with a visible cringe.

“Well, what is it? You can tell me anything.” Love said encouragingly, the young stallion in front of her squirmed and failed to make eye contact with anything for more then a few seconds.

“Mmm….those colts….I mean not that I don’t like children or anything! And to be fair I’m not sure if you noticed…..but the way they acted….reminded me of my childhood.” Wintergreen said his cheeks burning, Love immediately felt a stab of sympathy. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

“We’re you bullied when you we’re a colt?” Love said wrapping a wing around the flower-loving-stallion,

“No….well not really, and when I was bullied it was brief. I never truly cared about what other ponies thought of me so they stopped. At least….nopony but my parents.” Wintergreen said, as his eyes glossed over and her used one or his left front hoof to rub his right.

“We’re they strict?” Love asked, cause in truth she could see why having strict parents would cause somepony to resent or feel remorse for their childhood.

“No…it’s just….he was….” Wintergreen said trailing off growing increasingly more uncomfortable,

“He what?” Love asked urgently as she couldn’t help but feel fear and concern grow in her chest. Wintergreen chewed on his lip before began to breakdown crying, the young mare dropped her ice cream now too worried about Wintergreen to care about it. She then brought the young stallion into a hug rubbing his back contently.

And Love didn’t let go.

Even after Wintergreen had cried himself to sleep.