Author's Note

Hey, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed this story! While this isn't the final chapter, I will be posting the last two chapters a little later today. It's time to put this story to rest and begin the next one! But I just wanted to say thank you for the terrific response, and I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed it. Happy reading!

Proposing to Royalty (By This Point...My Nerves are Dead)

Did you ever have the feeling that millions of tiny bees had gotten into every pore of your skin and were buzzing about as loudly as possible? That was my feeling the very next day when I decided that, after weeks and months of dating her and loving her, it was time to ask her that very special of all questions. I don’t even have to say it, yet it probably brings tears to most people. It’s a beautiful, yet solemn occasion and, like most good boyfriends, I wanted the proposal to be absolutely perfect. So I didn’t tell anyone about it. It was a complete and total secret, classified to the point of government levels.

It was a beautiful night in my home state of Tennessee. The moon glowed down upon Twilight and I as I took her on the walk that, I hoped, would change both of our lives forever. The trees around us were touched to a silver, and it looked as if Mother Nature herself had some sense of romance as well. The leaves gently blew in the soft wind that swirled around us, and the flowers seemed to drink in the beauty of the evening. Everything was going according to plan, and the uncontrollable forces of the world seemed to be cooperating with me.

We finally reached the top of a certain grassy knoll. I loved coming up here alone when I was younger, because it afforded me the chance to write and think without any interruptions. It was just me, a pen, some paper, my laptop, and the endless expanse of the beautiful firmament stretching wide and high above. I had come up with some terrific things up here, but I had also come up with some really disappointing things. When I would share them with people, they weren’t subtle about their thoughts. Whether it was a delightful smile or an awkward cringe, their expressions told the entire story. I found that lying lips could be found quite often, but one almost never finds a face that’s infallible.

I made certain that the rocks and other debris tossed about by the natural course of time were not in our way, and then we took a seat. Twilight leaned her head against my shoulder as we both enjoyed each other’s company. “You know,” I said, “this place is incredibly special to me. It’s where I first learned the value of being friendly to my fellow human. But…it took a very special pony to teach me what true friendship was.”

She smiled at me. “I was happy to do it. I just didn’t think I’d fall in love in the process.”

“How long?”

“How long…what?”

“How long did you love me before we became an actual couple?”

She smiled sweetly and looked at the ground before gazing back at me. Her purple orbs danced in the light of the moon, and I knew that this was the right place and the right time. “Well,” she responded, “I didn’t realize it at first, but when I began to see the importance of having you in my life, then it happened. I remember the last Hearts and Hooves Day, about a week before you arrived in Equestria. It seemed like all my friends had somepony special to share it with. I didn’t recognize how lonely that huge castle in Canterlot could be until I was truly alone within its walls. Everypony else had left, except for some guards, and I sat on my throne the entire day, wishing for something that I never thought I could have.”

“What do you mean?”

“I never thought I’d ever find romance. I always thought I was too boring and bookish and that the stallions would go for mares who were more daring or beautiful. At first, I didn’t care because I had Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and all my friends. But now that Celestia and Luna are retired, and Cadance is always so busy and I’m living in Canterlot…”

She didn’t need to finish her story. I could hear her voice begin to break and I wrapped her up in a gentle embrace. I wanted her to feel me near, and to know that she never needed to feel alone again. “It must be tough being a ruler,” I said, “you have the love and respect of everypony, but you don’t actually know them.”

“I try to,” she said, “I’m friendly with everypony I meet, and I don’t even attempt to distance myself from them. I want them to realize that I’m just like them, even though I may wear a crown and raise the sun and moon and have a consistently flowing mane. I don’t want them to fear me, I want them to love me.”

“And they do,” I reassured her, “I could see it in everypony’s face. Every time you and I would trot the streets of Canterlot, the ponies would look at you with complete devotion. I could tell that they were awestruck by your sight.”

“But I don’t want them to be awestruck!” Twilight suddenly cried, the pressures of her domain finally collapsing on her, “I want them to be my friends!”

She buried her head in my shoulder and sobbed. Oh, boy, I thought, how am I supposed to propose after this? I bent my head around hers and rubbed her shoulder. I didn’t say anything, but just tried to be close to her. I couldn’t say anything. How could I attempt to place myself within her and mediate her feelings? I just couldn’t bring myself to do so. I found that my small shoulder massage grew a little bit gentler, and her cries became softer. Soon enough, she backed away from me and wiped her eyes.

“Forgive me,” she said, “I shouldn’t have exploded like that.”

“No, my love,” I said, “there’s no need to ask for that. You’ve got a ton riding on your shoulders. To be incredibly frank, I don’t know how you do it all. I’ve watched you rule for months now, and I still can’t figure it out. You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, Twilight. You rule with confidence, beauty, friendship, and a fiery passion. You’re constantly on a quest to infuse your mind with new knowledge. You’re excited about discovering things. You have a heart that’s even bigger than that beautiful mind of yours. You want what’s best for everypony. You’re a princess in every sense of the word…now…would you allow me to be your prince?”

With that, I dropped to a knee and her eyes went wide. “I’m afraid I can’t afford a ring right now,” I said, “but I believe that you don’t need a ring to propose. Will you marry me, Twilight?”

She gulped. Once again, I could see the gears turning in her brilliant mind. She was trying to come up with an eloquent and elegant response, but in the end, she gave up. A smile plastered itself across her face and she leapt into my arms, knocking me onto my back. “YES!” She cried, “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you! I’ve been waiting so long for you to ask me!”

Her tears fell once again, but this time it was a happy weeping. She backed away and we met in a kiss, only this one was more tender, loving, and passionate than any we had shared before. I didn’t know if it was the perfect proposal, but it was the right proposal, and our lives together were solidified. Our love could never be broken, and in that moment, with the beautiful moon shining down on us just as it had the night we first confessed our feelings, I realized it. We were bound together by time, and the unlimited possibilities of a life shared not simply as the very best of friends, but as loving and cherished mates.