A Cydonian Affair - Book One

Princess Twilight gave off a quiet groan as she came to her senses, and upon realizing that she had fainted, she took a quick look around. To her relief, there was nopony else in the sitting room she now occupied, and a blanket had been drawn over her. As she sat up, the door opened, and Princess Celestia soon placed a reassuring hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" the Solar Princess asked. "You gave us all quite the fright when you fainted."

"I'm feeling just fine, thanks, but…how long was I out?" Twilight asked.

"Only an hour or so." Celestia gave a warm smile. "Prince Mathias sheltered you all the way here, and wanted to keep watch until I persuaded him otherwise."

"Oh...right." Twilight then remembered the reason she had fainted in the first place. "Where is he?"

"He's with my sister in the dining room." Celestia helped Twilight to her feet before adding, "He asked if it was possible to have a quick meal before you both return to Ponyville."

"What do you mean, "both"?" Twilight wondered. "I thought he would be returning to Cydonia."

"Twilight…you missed a good amount of conversation on both the part of my sister and I and Prince Mathias." Celestia said, as they exited the room and headed into the hallway, escorted by two Solar Guards. "He asked to stay with you for about two weeks, three at the most, to help acclimate himself to Equestrian customs, and allow him time to befriend the Elements of Harmony. I accepted this and his proposal of marriage on your behalf."

"What?" Twilight gasped, all other things in her mind coming to a screeching halt, her jaw falling in disbelief. She took in several breaths, all her emotions rising up in a mix of shock, disbelief, betrayal, and fear.

"I thought…that…why did you?..." she stammered.

"Twilight Sparkle, my dearest student, please listen." Celestia said in a voice that made Twilight pause, as it reminded her of her own mother, Twilight Velvet's voice when a clear understanding was necessary between them. "I know that Prince Mathias's proposal was out of the blue, but you must understand that this was an arrangement over five hundred years in the making. I cannot deny the Cydonians what was promised to them any longer."

"Furthermore…I can't…I won't stop this from going forward. It would go against everything I stood for and believed in to promise an ally something I cherish beyond belief, and then take it away at the last moment."

"But I'm not ready for any of this!" Twilight protested. "I've known Prince Mathias for less than two hours, and I'm supposed to marry him? This is…this is completely impossible! How will my parents react to this? Or my brother and sister in law? Not to mention my friends!"

"Twilight…" Celestia started to speak, trying to reach out to comfort her student, only for Twilight to shove the outstretched arm away from her.

"No! Don't even try it!" Twilight said, tears emerging to her eyes. "How could you even do this to me? Just tell me this is a dream, a mistake, a misunderstanding, anything! Right?"

"RIGHT!?" she cried again. Celestia was silent, and Twilight fell to her knees, fresh tears hitting the carpet. Twilight was so distraught, she didn't notice Princess Luna and Prince Mathias approach. Luna took one look at the sight and turned to her sister, who motioned for her to stay quiet, along with the Cydonian Prince.

Prince Mathias, however, had other ideas. He pushed his way past the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, and unclipped the clasp of his emerald-colored, patterned cloak. Before Twilight could push him away or even speak, he had wrapped it around her shoulders, and embraced her tightly, letting a single, gentle hand rest on her hair, the other on her shoulders.

Twilight dropped her jaw slightly as she heard Mathias whisper into her ear.

"Princess Twilight, I am so indescribably sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and please be assured that I wasn't fully prepared for this meeting either. However, I…I knew that for the sake of both our nations' futures, I had to accept this arrangement."

"I've…read many stories about you Princess, and the other Elements of Harmony. I've…always wanted to meet you under better circumstances, maybe even befriend you…but this is just how things played out."

"I'm not asking you to marry me the second we arrive in Ponyville or Cydonia. I'm not even asking you to immediately be my fiance'. All I want to ask of you is…"

"...Is what?" Twilight asked, her voice barely standing out from her shaking throat.

"A fair chance." Mathias replied, making Twilight's eyebrows rise as she genuinely thought his words over, with the tears flowing down her cheeks starting to stop. "Whatever you need from me, Princess…it will be done."

Twilight looked into his eyes as he guided her face gently to look at him, and she could clearly see the sincerity and honesty in his eyes. She wiped the last of her tears away, and slowly settled back into his arms as she spoke a single word that made Mathias give a relieved, small smile.

"...okay."

Mathias guided her to her feet, and she lowered her head to his shoulder as he continued to speak quietly.

"We can work out all the details later, I promise you that. For now…are you hungry?"

"Mhmm." Twilight affirmed, giving a small nod.

"Then let's get some breakfast." Celestia said, guiding the two of them towards a nearby dining room. While they walked, Twilight returned Mathias's cloak to him, and he pressed his hand into hers.

"Don't worry." he said, as Twilight looked at him in a confused manner. "Whenever you're ready…I will offer that ring in a proper manner. For now, as a matter of fact, I might have an idea."

"What sort of an idea?" Twilight asked. Mathias then took out a pocket watch from his shirt pocket, and undid the clasp, letting the thin silver chain fall free. He then retrieved the ring from the box, and slid it through the chain.

Then, he placed the improvised pendant at her neckline, and using his magic, took the clasp off of the pocket watch and merged it with the chain. Twilight gave a faint blush, and as they entered the dining room and sat down, Twilight quietly spoke.

"Prince Mathias?"

"Yes?" he replied immediately, looking at her with kind eyes.

"Thank you." she said."I'm sorry that I melted down like that…"

"It's fine, Twilight." Mathias nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, is there anything you'd recommend here? I'm not exactly up-to-date on Equestrian cuisine…"

"I'd imagine you will be soon enough." Twilight gave a small laugh, and as the waiters came around, and she helped Mathias order, she looked to the window. The sun had risen, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen in the vibrant blue sky..

She smiled and relaxed, knowing that whatever happened next…she would be ready to proceed with a clear mind and a renewed spirit.