The room was packed, both with ponies and heat. Every pony who could enter the grand hall had done so, leaving the door open for relief. Belle stood atop the stage, sweltering under the ponies gazing upon her, judging her every movement. She cleared her throat softly. "I may not be a wizard, but I can do a good enough showing, hm."

Belle extended a hoof to the prism at her side. Her horn glowed, letting her pull it into the air with her magic. She set it spinning in place before she closed her eyes. She took a step forward, to come down on the stair she fashioned at the same instant, ascending up slowly until she was even with them. Belle could feel the heat of the unblinking eyes staring at her, but they didn't see the tiny shake of her hooves, how much nervousness filled her form. But, even if they didn't notice that, there was one who did.

The one who looked on her kindly, her prince. She smiled nervously as she turned the stairs she was making, producing an even platform as she strode out over the crowd, hovering thanks to her platforms. Behind her, the stairs ceased to be, no longer needed. "Prince Sand."

He tilted his head. "Princess Belle?"

Belle swished her tail. "They've seen stairs. They need something more, I feel." She held up a hoof as if telling him to wait, horn glowing as she lifted herself and the prism higher, just a little with her standing entirely straight. "I learned this trick long ago. I hope it is to all of your liking. If it isn't, please know that it is at least safe."

Blue's horn flared brightly, the glow extending down her body. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as the magic surrounding her blazed brighter and brighter until she became nothing more than a ghostly outline, like a transparent moonbeam was taking her place. But that wasn't all. The prism also grew brighter, colors joining in. Orange and red, then blue and purple, then green, each mixing to produce a whole rainbow of color around her.

Some of the large ponies clapped gently, but the room wasn't exploding in cheers.

One, an older female, stood. "You are showing a trick to please the senses. Lovely, but worthless. Show us something practical, kindly?"

Blue Belle glanced back at the prism. "They can be practically used. Just a moment." She looked ahead and took a breath as she solidified again. She started making new stairs. She reached up, touching the ceiling.

"We've seen your platforms, of some use. Can you do anything else?" That old matron seemed to command respect in the room, others nodding along with her questions.

Belle squirmed, tail swishing as she pondered the options she had, glancing back at the prism that hung in the air. "I can craft pillars and walls as well." She set her hooves and pulled down, the walls leaping out of the floor as she crafted them, surrounded by more stairs that spiraled up into a delicate dome.

"You are a builder now? You must be trying to impress us, surely?" The matron shook her head with disapproval clear to see. "Of some use, but can you do anything else? The walls you make aren't permanent, I imagine."

Belle took a breath. "They fade when they're not being used, or if I dismiss them. I can't maintain this building forever." She scowled at that. "Are you telling me what I am doing is pointless?"

The matron stood on her back legs, a hoof in the air. She could almost reach Belle, hiding near the ceiling. "It is small, like you. I have heard tales of the amazing magic of Equestria. We would see that. Masters of what is and is not, show us something besides very temporary walls and steps."

Belle took a breath and considered. Her next spell would be based on this. She strained to remember a spell that had something entirely new in it. Her eyes widened as she remembered one that was perfect. She flicked her ears, ignoring the whispers of the crowd as she lowered herself. "Behold, my Princess's powers!"

Her horn flared with power and she focused, putting everything she had into her magic. She struggled to draw in air as the effort rose, like she was trying to breathe soup. But she focused and poured magic into that spell, light spilling out of her form to become something else.

In a single moment, from the ground beneath everypony's hooves came a wonderous blooming of green. The dusty floor became lush grass, full of life and beauty, growing rapidly from a brown tint to brilliant greens, purples, blues, reds, and others are flowers erupted between the hooves of the startled guests. Their sounds of surprise rippled, even the matron crashing backwards as various flowers erupted around her. The other guests were just as stunned, staring at their new surroundings.

The prism fell, forgotten in the confusion, but she couldn't catch it, not in her condition. It struck a wall that was solid now and cracked into many pieces, shattering like glass with a suddenness that made her flinch. Without the prism, her platform was no more, and she fell with a squeak, plummeting with the rushing wind of it.

She landed on a broad back. "Are you alright, my princess? That was quite a fall." The massive form of her prince moved under her as he rose, allowing her to be helped down.

Blue Belle sat down, lungs burning from effort. "I tried a spell I'd not used before, and I hope it was more pleasing?" She looked around to see the expressions of the other ponies. They were stunned into silence, if they weren't crying out with delight. Many hooves moved through the grass, disturbing it as they gaped at the display she had given them.

The matron went flat to her belly and rolled in the grass, squirming like a foal. "Oh, yes! These are amazing!"

Belle smiled as she sat up on top of Sand. The room was filled with laughter and whispers of amazement. "I think I found the right spell."

"That you did." Sand touched his nose to his little betrothed. "You did quite well. Are you tired? I can take you back to your room."

Belle pushed herself to her hooves and stood with a shaky sigh. "I'll be fine. It's not too far of a walk." She gave a few happy blinks. "Or do I need a prince to help me all the way there?"

"You may not need it." He gently huffed warm air over her. "But your prince stands ready. Little princess of green, you are a blessing on me and us all." He rested his muzzle on her side. "A treasure like no other."

Belle brushed her cheek against him with a tired smile. "I aim to please."

Sand trotted off carefully with her atop. "I do not mean to burden you, my princess, but is that a trick you can do as you please?"

Blue Belle looked up at him. "Yes, it is one of the easiest spells I know. It will need more effort if I was to cast it over a larger area, but it is well within my limits." She nodded firmly. "In fact, I could do it again right now."

"Please, no." Sand nudged her playfully. "You need rest, little wife." He considered as he walked along. "And a new trinket. What do you call it?"

"A prism." Belle huffed gently, remembering that moment it shattered into bits of dust. "I would like another, if you can. Thank you."

Sand nodded firmly. "Consider it done."

It wasn't long before they reached her room. "Your room, Princess." Sand stepped inside with Blue on his back, entering it quietly and moving to set her down on the floor. He sat, gazing around at the decorations that filled the space. "Quite lovely. You have a good eye for decor."

Blue Belle wobbled in place, feeling an odd tingle as she brushed against him. It made her shiver with strange delight, the feeling of his fur against hers. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "I tried to be true to the culture I now reside in, while giving it a little touch of myself, for it is where I reside, is it not?"

"It is." He gently nuzzled the top of her head. "And you did a commendable job. Many would have made their room only to their own tastes. You put the taste of my people first." He gave her a firm hug. "But I should be going now. Rest, Blue Belle. Rest and recover your strength."

Blue Belle grinned as he moved away from her, the little shivers running down her spine as his touch left her.

Once he was gone, she strode to her mirror to behold the mare that stood there. "You are a mare." She huffed gently, knowing she hadn't always been. "You'll have to do all the things mares do." She glanced backwards as she flicked her tail, contemplating all that'd be. "And soon. But for now, rest."

She collapsed onto the bed with a relieved sigh, tired and a little sore from all that magic she'd just used. That sort of work was normally reserved for emergencies, not entertaining ponies. At least, that was what she had told herself. She rolled to her side, considering it. "I may have to add spell practice to my schedule." She had skipped so much of that, using the excuse that she didn't need it as a princess. "Princesses should know at least some spells, and I've barely used any in forever."

The word 'forever' struck her. Forever wasn't all that long ago. "I did learn the stairs." She smiled, thinking about that spell, even if she couldn't use it until she had a new prism. "I simply must be more careful with the next." An idea struck her. "Oh! Yes." She raised a hoof to her chest. "If I wore it, then I couldn't drop it. It'd make a delightful necklace bauble." She closed her eyes, laying on her back and tail draped off the bed. "Mmm, yes. That's the plan."

Blue Belle looked forward to practicing more spells. At least the basics, things like she could do as a foal. She'd work on her stamina as well. The way she had gotten tired shamed her. "None of that," she sleepily sighed out to herself, stretching.

A knocking at the door woke her up instantly. "Yes?"

The door cracked, and a maid's voice came in lightly, "Ma'am. They've set a date for you."

"A date?" Belle sat up sharply, realizing there was only one thing there could be a date for. "The wedding?!"

"Yes, ma'am." A card slid into the room. "Here are the details, ma'am. Sorry to bother." The door shut, leaving Belle alone again with the card.

Belle rolled onto her stomach, reaching out with her magic and pulling it in close. She turned it over in her hooves as she lay there. "We've been here two moons. Why so long? Or are they stalling?" Her ears flicked at the thought. Still, a date had been set, she could see it. It wasn't terribly long away. She would be wed to that immense, but lovely, prince. She colored at the thought. "I had always wanted to be married to a true and proper noble."

She sighed gently, her former dreams having been of taking a noble mare at their side. That was clearly not to be, as she was the noble mare making somepony else's dream come true instead. "The basic idea has still been fulfilled." She burst into laughs. "At least there will be a proper noble mare involved. And, even if I say so myself, she is a catch. My Sand seems to be quite enamored with her."

Blue Belle stroked the card in her hooves as she spoke. "Yes, he does." She squirmed gently at the thought of him and Blue Belle, or the imagined memory of how he felt, warm against her. When they got married, that heat would surely grow even more intense. There would be expectations on them both. If they didn't meet them, the whole wedding could be called off.

With nobility, love was certainly not enough. Sometimes, one did without it entirely.

Author's Note

Wedding time is drawing close. Is Blue Belle ready?

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