The night after Coin Counter’s suicide attempt, Cadance made sure her daughter was fast asleep. As per her promise, Cadance read Flurry Heart a story, one about her father’s bravery. Though they both teared up, Cadance managed to finish it and send her daughter off to slumberland, quiet and peaceful. As she trotted out of the room, Cadance remembered what she wanted to do tonight.

“He should be waking up by now.” Cadance thought as she made her way to the south wing of the castle. “I know Coin Counter is alive but it’s his mental state I’m worried about. I hope my visit will put him at ease.”

Finally, she made her way to the entrance of Coin Counter’s living quarters where two guards stood watch, ensuring no one except medical staff or herself were allowed in. Once they saw her approach, they all stood at attention before opening the doors. There was little to no lighting in the room with the exception of the moon’s light, courtesy of her other aunt. Upon the bed laid Coin Counter, resting peacefully and still recovering from his self-inflicted injury. Cadance could only guess how much mental scarring he’d sustained from his grief-driven experience.

“Thank harmony you’re alright,” Cadance whispered as she sat down on the chair next to Coin’s bed. “I’m really sorry about what you had to go through. If you can hear me, please… wake up.”

Cadance, being the Princess of Love, had experienced heartbreak and managed to recover from it. She always knew that love would eventually be found again after it's been lost. Coin Counter was one of her top advisors, a close friend as well after her loss. Even though it wasn’t a romantic affair due to him being married at the time, Coin always had an ear open when Cadance needed someone to talk to. He always was an understanding stallion and to see him do what he did out of losing his wife was something that shook Cadance.

“Coin, I just want to let you know. Just as you always had an ear for me when I needed it, I’m all ears for you and I’m not mad at you either. I’m here to comfort you, to help you with your problem. Please… my friend… please wake up.”

Cadance then heard an audible groaning noise coming from the bed. Coin Counter was beginning to awaken as he began moving around in place, opening his eyes. His head throbbed with pain and his body felt weak from the injury. Briefly pulling his covers up, he saw a diagonal scar on his stomach about as wide as his sword, a painful reminder of his deed. Resting his head back on the pillows, Coin sorrowfully sighed as he realized his attempt to reunite with his wife in the great beyond had failed.

“Coin, thank goodness you’re awake.” Cadance said, looking at Coin Counter. Being now alert to her presence, he felt a wave of shame flood his mind. She was the last pony he saw before he lost conscious yesterday and didn’t like the thought that a pony he was so close to had to witness him harming himself, especially when said friend was the ruler of his homeland. Knowing the sort of pain he put her through, Coin turned his head to the wall beside him, not wanting to look Cadance in the eyes.

“Why are you here, your majesty?” Coin murmured, still physically and emotionally weak.

“I just thought you shouldn’t be alone, especially after what happened.” Cadance answered back to which Coin Counter groaned. She could clearly determine the distress in his breath as he shifted his body to match the direction of his head. Cadance always showed concern for all her subjects, especially to those in her royal court. Of course, since Coin Counter’s ordeal dealt with love, she practically felt obligated to help, though knew to tread carefully given the state of things.

“No doubt the doc told you what happened.” Coin muttered back, showing signs of a breakdown.

“Yes and I’m sorry about what happened to you. I didn’t know you lost your wife… and your foal.” Coin gave no response to Cadance’s condolences, which she took as a cause for concern regarding his mental state. “Coin, I just want you to know that I’m not mad at you or anything.” Still, not a peep from him, only a sigh escaped his snout. Coin Counter turned his frame around to face the same direction of his head. Cadance became a bit distraught and realized that the trauma from his ordeal had worsened him and decided to be more forward with her efforts.

“Coin, I know you feel hurt by what happened to you but suicide was not the way to address it.” Cadance said as she approached his bed to Coin Counter’s displeasure. He began to get progressively uncomfortable as well as terrified over having to look Cadance in the eyes, feeling he shamed himself in front of her.

“I WANTED TO BE WITH HER AGAIN!” Coin snapped with sorrow, tears beginning to well from his eyes. “SHE WAS MY EVERYTHING!” Cadance was visibly startled by his outburst, never expecting it in his weakened state. She expected him to be angry with her but to her shock, he was more sorrowful than anything.

“I know what it is like to lose some you’ve given your heart to.”

“But, you had something to remember Shining by. I was left with nothing!”

“I know how rough it must be for you and believe me, I truly understa-”

(Play BGM 04 - A Mortal Heart)

“DON’T GIVE ME THAT, CADANCE! JUST! DON’T!” From his second outburst, Coin Counter’s emotional barriers began to disintegrate. Then, with a blink of his eye, he saw a hallucination of his dead wife in front of him, sitting on her haunches. Believing she was there in the flesh, he felt too ashamed of himself to look her in the eyes, knowing she, in some form or another, witnessed his attempted suicide. He buried his nuzzle in his pillow.

“Winter, honey, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Then, Coin felt a warm, soft, and gentle presence touch his cheek. Looking up, he saw his wife looking down at him with a warm smile. His heart was racing at the collective speed of the Wonderbolts as his wife’s ghost pulled him into a hug, complete with a kiss on his cheek. She rubbed his back as he smiled and teared up once more. Leaving the hug, Winter Rose trotted back toward the wall with her husband reaching out to her with sadness. But then, a unicorn filly peaked from behind her and lunged at him, giving him a hug. It didn’t take Coin too long to realize that foal was the daughter he never got to have. His eyes teared up intensely as he returned the favor, wrapping his forehooves around her. The foal broke the hug as she returned to her mother’s side and they began to disappear into nothingness.

“No! Wait! Please! Come back! Please! No!” Coin pleaded to no avail as his family’s ethereal forms began to fade away with a smile. Before they fade into nothingness, Winter Rose mouthed something that Coin was able to read out.

“I love you, always.”

They were gone, no trace of their being was left. Feeling his heart broken for the second time since he lost them, Coin Counter collapsed back onto his bed, crying in raw grief. Though she saw nothing of what transpired, Cadance heard every bit of what came out of his mouth.

“He must’ve had a grief-induced hallucination.” Cadance thought to herself. “Maybe now he’ll be easier to help.” With a sigh and a frown, Cadance climbed on to the bed and hovered over a sobbing Coin Counter. Laying on her side, Cadance used her magic to gently pull him into her hooves, wrapping all four around him. Coin immediately caught notice of it but did nothing, being paralyzed by such a warm and loving feeling.

“Coin, It’s okay.” Hearing her words, Coin had let go and climbed out of the proverbial shell that kept him for the last two years, crying in the hooves of his matriarch. “Just let it all out. It’s okay my friend. I’m here for you.”

“Wh-Why?” Coin stuttered.

“Huh?”

“Why did it have to happen? Why did they have to die?”

“I honestly don’t know, Coin.” As she comforted her grieving advisor, a question lingered in her mind. “Why did you want to hurt yourself?”

“Because,*sniff* I couldn’t bear spending another Hearth’s Warming season without her. I remember a few years back when you lost Lord Shining, I shared the most romantic night with my beloved Winter Rose. When we got intimate, I felt like our hearts were linked, like the purest form of love. When we found out we were expecting, I felt happier than I ever thought possible. But when they died,*sniff sniff* I thought I could endure it but I was too weak! I loved her very much and yet, she was taken from me and I was left with nothing to remember her by, not even a child to raise!”

(Play BGM 05 - Excerpt from “The Ecstacy”)

As Coin Counter laid in his ruler’s hooves, grieving over his lost love, Cadance truly felt his pain. During the first year she lost Shining Armor, she was inconsolable to where even her aunts weren’t able to lift her spirits. When Coin Counter came upon his ruler on her throne crying, he talked to her which led to a hug. Wrapping her in an embrace for some time, he was able to calm her down. Cadance felt some degree of peace knowing she had somepony willing to listen when she needed to vent and speak of her troubles. Sometimes, Coin would invite her over for tea with his wife. During those gatherings, the air was alive with conversation. Those were truly the better times.

“Oh Coin Counter,” Cadance said as she wrapped her wings around him, engulfing him in a feathery cocoon. “I know your heart is heavy with grief over losing your family. Love, when it is lost, will always find your heart once more. It doesn’t die forever.”

“But Winter Rose was the mare of my life, no other mare could replace her.” Coin muttered as tension was starting to fade.

“I know you do Coin and believe me, not a day goes by where I don’t wish for my dear Shining to be at my side. But, I have to move on, for the sake of my heart and my daughter. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t keep the good memories he and I had together. I know he would’ve wanted me to move on and be happy and I’m sure your wife would wish the same for you.”

“How could you be so certain?”

“I am the Princess of Love, silly. I understand it more intimately than any other creature out there. All of the emotions, concepts, and everything in between, I’m well versed in them. I know you felt alone after what happened. But like I said before, I’m here for you and you should never feel alone.”

At that moment, Coin Counter felt the veil that was his sorrow being lifted from him. A surge of relief and happiness swept through him as, for the first time in two years, he felt at ease. Now he was able to take in and appreciate the warm embrace from his princess and turned his body around to meet her embrace with one of his own, nuzzling her chest fluff and catching the faint sound of her heartbeat. Cadance took a hoof and brushed it along his mane.

“Cadance…” Coin sighed as he rested his head in her fluff. “Thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome, my friend.” Cadance replied as she pulled him further in to feel her warmth as the room felt cold from the winter, allowing their bodies to radiate heat between each other. “You don’t need to worry about work for the next week as I’ve taken the liberty to give you some time to relax.”

“I’m sure my secretary can handle things nicely.”

“I know he can. After all, he’s your protege.”

“True… *yawn* true. Hey Cadance?”

“Hmm?”

“What time will you be returning to your quarters?”

“I’ve decided to spend the night with you. After what you’ve been through yesterday, I felt like you could use some company.” Upon hearing those words, Coin Counter let out another yawn before going off to sleep in the hooves of his princess. Craning her neck forward and allowing her cheek to rub his, Cadance let out a contented sigh as she joined him in slumber.

“Sleep well… my friend.”

Author's Note

You know, I'm starting like Cadence more than Celestia nowadays. I really haven't written a fimfic exclusively about her before. Well, first time for everything I guess. Anyways, the clop chapter is up next. Stay tuned.