Love Me Tender

by Little Owl

Rating: everyone
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Second Person, Princess Cadance, Romance, Self Insert, Alternate Universe
Length: 3135

Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's divorce may leave her hurting inside, however that doesnt stop her from spreading love to others

Princess Cadance's special talent is love, that is common knowledge. Love is something you are bereft of in this new land, but one pony in particular's selflessness strikes you deeply. Her divorce from Shining Armor leaves her in a similar situation, but this doesn't prevent her from making you feel loved.

Contains: Pecking, Hugs, Affection
AU tag for Shining Armor and Cadance's divorce

Cover image by SambaNeko on Deviantart: Cadance Silhouette Wall by SambaNeko on DeviantArt

Published 2022-02-21 11:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-02-21 11:50:00 UTC

Burning Love

Author's Note

Someone recommended me to do Cadance, so here's Cadance. Not as good as my Izzy Moonbow one and also a bit later after Valentines Day unfortunately, but hey, its still the Month of LUUURRVVEE.
Whilst the last was intended to make the reader fall asleep, this is instead intended to make the reader to feel loved, its why I was nervous about making this one, since I wouldn't be able to capture it aptly having never had that feeling myself
Cover image by SambaNeko on Deviantart

Burning Love

The crackling fireplace, the pink rose petals scattered across a scarlet carpet, the golden record player and gold and red couch displaying the room with pleasing colour co-ordination. The curtains are shut, obscuring the dark, cold night, also made of a soft fabric that would send pleasing shivers down your spine were your fingers to make contact with them. The aforementioned couch is illuminated by the warm glow of the fire, with pink cushions in the shape of love hearts. The darkness of the room should be overwhelming, but instead it is an atmosphere of intimacy and romance. Your headspace clears somewhat upon entering, though the anxious thoughts of being in a new, unfamiliar land still plague your mind, not two weeks removed from arriving in Equestria. But a smile creeps onto your face when you see a pink, pony-shaped silhouette sitting in front of the fireplace. Your mind does not need to put two and two together to realise who that pony is.

Princess Cadance has her back turned to you. A shadow casted over her, with the accompaniment of soft, feminine crying. She is crying hard but you sense that her tears aren't completely flowing, it's almost as if she is resisting the urge to cry, trying to be strong even when she only has herself to cry to. Whatever the case you know she is not alright. You have your suspicions as to why. The light of the fire is only partially covered by her delicate figure, it illuminates her, left revealing a large empty space, big enough for someone to sit next to her.

Your mind starts to flash back to first arriving in Equestria, when you first talked to the pink mare. Her wisdom and bubbly personality stuck with you immediately, as did her touch. Her mane was as soft as silk, and her smooth fur made your mind go numb as she hugged and pecked you. You were admittedly taken aback by her showing of affection, before realising that she was the Princess of Love and that was natural from her. But maybe it was this ability to "love" that made her relationship with Shining Armor difficult. They had tried to make it work, but they mutually agreed that the fact the Princess of Love was tied down was slightly off-putting for the populous needing love advice so that personal bias would not get in the way of anything. Things should've been better because of it, yet here she is. Crying softly in pure despair and loneliness. You hadn't known the couple for very long, but you could tell that the bond they shared was strong, its just that it wasn't enough.

Your mind makes a decision that is all too easy, go in and comfort her. Despite how tired you are from the long day and the prolonging anxiety of being somewhere unfamiliar, it doesn't matter. Not to you. What matters is that she is alone and sad, and you are going to change that. The room has an inviting, welcoming nature making it all the easier for you to enter as you take a step onto the soft carpet.

You close the door behind you so no-one else can see the Princess cry, only to hear a gasp afterwards and see the candy maned Princess swing her head round to look at who was entering. You freeze, slightly taken aback by her noticing your presence. You see fully now her pink eyes glistening with tears, tears that were hesitant to fall. You brace yourself as she makes an effort to speak.

"Oh... hello" she says, amidst deep breaths trying to maintain control of her emotions "Do not feel like you are intruding. Your presence especially is a welcome one"

Such a statement garners surprise from you as she rubs a hoof over her eyes, wiping her tears away.

"Oh don't be concerned, its just liquid pride... as my ex husband would say..." Her voice almost breaks as she pauses, you can almost see her lip trembling before she places her hooves to the side of her head and starts mumbling to herself

"No Cadence, bad mare! This is selfish, you've had your time to be unhappy" she says quietly, you stand awkwardly watching Cadence battle her inner demons. The pink mare then gets up and turns around walking towards you.

"Princess of Love reporting for duty" she giggles, you can still see the fur around her eyes is wet with tears, but something about the fact you hear her laugh and see her contagious smile makes you not care in the slightest. Your brain tells you to speak, to ask her what is wrong, to say that you are there for her if something is troubling her. Your mouth opens, your words of empathy, comfort and genuine care... cut off by a soft hoof being placed against your lips.

"Uh uh uh, do not speak, come with me into this warm room" she says taking you further into the room. She wasn't kidding when she said it was warm. You won't admit it, but the Crystal Empire's freezing temperatures during the winter months are quite tiresome to endure day in and day out. Cadence sits you down onto the red and gold couch, with a caring expression on her face.

"I've been seeing the work you put in around here. And yes don't think that because I'm a Princess that I am above showing appreciation towards the tireless work put in by everypony here in the Crystal Empire. Because I genuinely do. Though there are always those that work harder to earn the Princess of Love's gratitude" upon saying this, Cadence flashes a knowing look your way

"Affection for you is a rare commodity isn't it? I can tell" You perk up at hearing this, not sure if you should be insulted

Cadence chuckles "As a matter of fact I am surprised that someone as caring, sweet and attractive as you hasn't found somepony that you are of interest to"

You blush hearing this, though this is coming from the one mare whose job it is to make you feel loved, it doesn't make it any less flattering, plus with how much of an eligible bachelor you are, its definitely something you needed to hear.

"Its why I created this room, to stimulate the perfect romantic experience for those that feel bereft of such love. The idealistic landscape in sight, sound, smell and taste" Cadance giggles and on cue pulls out a heart shaped box of chocolates

"Care for one? It would mean a lot to get feedback on my sweet goods, I mean they are ones I do myself, so they aren't the best"

Cadance's self-doubt reassures you that you are going to love it no matter how mediocre it is. However it seems such sympathy is not necessary as you place the confectionary in your mouth. This is what heaven tastes like, smooth chocolate that flows softly against your tongue as it melts. Your mind goes numb ever so slightly. You give across a giddy expression, that makes Cadance smile both amused and pleased, with a little bit of relief as well.

"It seems that you are enjoying it" Cadance says softly "I am glad. Its something I so desperately wanted to get right. If I could name a way of instant stress relief off the top of my head it would be the sweet feeling of chocolate lapping against your tongue"

Cadence picks up another from the box and holds it tentatively in her hoof "For being a sweetheart, I think you deserve another one" she says almost sultrily, as she affectionately feeds you the chocolate, something about the way she did that just causes a rush of adrenaline run through you as your heart starts beating 100 miles a minute

You can only agree as you swallow the chocolate, much to your dismay. But the vibrant, sultry colours of the room surrounding you seem ever so slightly clearer, but something inside of you refrains you from relaxing. You look at Cadence getting up before moving elegantly across the room, her eye twitching. You feel guilty, remembering the divorce between Cadence and Shining Armor, she was breaking her back trying to make you and many others feel loved that it was easy to forget the fact that the Princess of Love herself... had no-one to love.

"You know I can tell what you're thinking right? I am an Alicorn after all" Cadence swings around and trots towards you

"You are too sweet for your own good you know that?" Cadence says with a grin "But I want you to stop worrying about me. I've had my time to grieve, I have work to do. Its not about me anymore, its about my subjects who I care about deeply. Everyone deserves love, and you are no exception. You don't know how good it makes me feel inside when I am able to make someone feel better about them-self through the power of love. I know you love to help others, that is your special talent as it will, so help me by letting me make you feel love"

Your brain is slightly frazzled by this. You've known some workaholic ponies in this world, but never have you seen somepony that is more dedicated to their role more than Princess Cadence. You admire it but at the exact same time, you can't help feeling its unhealthy, even if she does seem so much happier when she is spreading love to others.

"Your mind is too distracted" Cadence says with a tut

Ok this mind reading thing is a little unnerving, but at least it means there are no mixed signals between the both of you. She knows what you are thinking, and what you are thinking is sending you to a place of angst and concern.

"We are going to turn that thinking box of yours off, at least for the moment. You are here to know what love feels like, and you can't "feel" if you are constantly overthinking it"

She strolls over towards the record player. She places a record onto it, and out comes a romantic but also tender piece of music, the southern accent of the vocalist is immediately recognisable. In your short time in Equestria, you had gained a fondness for Elvis Parsley and his music. Something about it, just puts you in a happy place no matter what mood you are in, you can enjoy the moment here and now. Speaking of right now, Cadence starts to move closer towards you, swaying to the slow rhythm of the song as she gets on her hind legs and softly grabs a hold of your hands.

"What better way is there to feel loved than a romantic waltz between two ponies" Cadence says before realising who she's with "Well one pony and a... you know what I mean"

You chuckle. She lets you lead the waltz between the two of you. You feel the smoothness of her tentative hooves as you start to move with her. You aren't the best ballroom dancer, but Cadance doesn't seem to care as she remains silent with a delightful, full smile on her face. No rough movements, just gentle sways, the only sounds heard being the music and the odd giggle from Cadence when you step on her hooves, you swear there was a hint of nervousness in her laughter. You stare into her eyes, the glisten in them she had when she was crying earlier having seemingly returned, as you felt her release a hoof and wipe it across both eyes. You go to ask what is wrong but Cadance cuts you off once more.

"What? You've never seen tears of joy? Its just..." she pauses "You're just very good at this. I must admit also, the concern that you showed me earlier has made this so much more authentic. Love isn't just about physical displays of affection, being supportive for who it is you care about is equally important if not more so, and the shear concern you showed towards me makes me feel that if I was that special somepony in your life, I could depend on you for support"

She then leans in and ever so gently, brushes her lips against your cheek before resting her muzzle into your shoulder. Heat rushes to your face, but you do not feel embarrassed, instead you let the rush you get from her kiss sink in. Your brain cannot even conger the words to describe the poetry of this moment. The sweet scent of Cadance and the soft feeling of her fur pressed against your chest sends shivers through you. All of sudden, you feel cold as the Princess pulls herself away from you.

"Though love comes from mutual trust, and to create the most authentic experience possible, I must be open and honest with you." she takes in a breath and directs her eyes away from you "I wasn't okay before, when you came in, I try not to miss Shining Armor but I really cannot help it. What we had was special and the fact that kind of love wasn't enough to keep us together then..." she manages to stop her voice from breaking, her showing such strength when she is clearly so distraught makes you want to hold her in your arms forever

"Its so selfish me to think these thoughts, I mean c'mon I'm always telling my subjects that there is plenty of fish in the sea, so if I can tell that to myself. Even though for some reason its much harder telling yourself things than it is saying things to others"

You chuckle upon hearing this, thoroughly relating

"I guess its very similar to your situation. You are always telling yourself you aren't good enough to find yourself a significant other. That there isn't someone out there who will care about you for who you truly are and you fear dying alone. Sounds a bit deep, but that's about the gist of it right?"

You nod your head in response

"Well, if you don't find someone, which I highly doubt, you can still come to me. If you are in need of love and affection, to remember what it feels like to be treated like a worthwhile being in someone else's life. I will never turn you down, if even all you need is a quick hug and you be on your way, I will give it to you without a second's hesitation. I value every single being that lives beneath me, but even a Princess must be allowed to have favourites. Your caring and humble nature truly makes you stand out, even when physically you look different from others that reside here"

You have to agree. But something about the way she says it makes you feel not only emotional but also... stronger, like a piece of your puzzle that was missing before has been filled. Something about this mare. Maybe it's because she is the Princess of Love and so she knows how to make you feel loved, but even if that is the case, it doesn't make you feel any less grateful for this affection.

By now the song had ended. Your mind feels swamped by thoughts of one thing and one thing only, and that is the mare in front of you. Your connection has grown so strong over the past... you have even lost track of the time you were so invested in the romance.

But there is one thing still bothering you. All of this... this love, this growing connection, its all effectively a simulation. The soft pecks on the cheek and the slow dancing, its almost like lust in a way. And what makes it worse is that it would all have to end soon. Princess Cadance was not your special somepony, she is just doing her job. But then again is something like this really so bad? Life is about savouring every moment no matter who its with. With how unlucky you've been in finding love, any sane being in your shoes would kill to feel love like this, even if it is a façade.

"That's right" you hear Cadance's soft voice say, her mouth a little closer to your ear than before and her tone lowered to that of a whisper "Think about the here and now, and don't worry I'll stop reading your thoughts, I get it is rather unnerving, I just want to make sure you aren't thinking of anything you might regret"

With that, she takes you by the hand, towards the couch and both you and her sit yourselves down onto it. You snuggle deep into the soft couch, its cushions almost swallowing you whole with their divine softness. When you think you cannot get any deeper into it, you feel the soft fur of Cadance snuggling you further in. You feel a tender hoof wrap around your waist and her muzzle ruffling the back of your hair.

You close your eyes within seconds as you hear a rustle and Cadance's lips connect against the skin of your warm cheek. However this time you feel her hover above you, soft air exhaled from her snout and against your skin as a contented smile creeps across your face. She then proceeds to kiss your cheek multiple times with audible, soft squeaks as you relax further into her loving embrace.

With each passing second you feel Cadance's love flow deeper and deeper into you until you are almost a slave to it. The heat of the crackling fireplace burning through your face, but your relaxed mindset ignores the blazing heat. Cadance looks down on you with a a face of shear warmth and peace.

"I know this is only a simulation, but believe me when I say I'm enjoying it as much as you are. I know you worry about me and my wellbeing but right now it is your job to stop. Relax into the experience, love yourself by embracing the love around you. Let me do the thinking for the both of us"