Centenary

The chirping of the birds broke me from my day dream. I shifted on my cosy plush cushion and gave my wings a stretch as I rolled the kinks out of my neck with a satisfying pop. Opening my eyes I gazed out over the royal balcony at the centre of the Crystal city looking across the breadth of the city.

Despite disappearing for over a millenia, in the century I had ruled the empire had seen it rapidly catch up and become a place where friendship and love warmed the homes of all the ponies who resided here.

Despite my best efforts to ignore it my eyes soon settled upon the brilliant crystalline statue set across the main boulevard that led to the palace. It was impossible not to take note of it. I had commissioned it to be something to immediately draw everyponies attention to my own detriment.

The sunlight hit it just so and the crystals shone a brilliant Gold, Pearl white and Azure, The statue of the stallion was rearing up ready to strike at an unseen foe, his fur and mane forever pristine, his armour forever gleaming in statue form.

Stars above a century had passed and the black hole in my heart still seared with pain. The decades might have dulled the grief but it never truly went away. It would disappear for a time, but it was always lurking waiting in the cracks of my heart to rear its ugly head and wrap itself around my heart like a great serpent.

I had told myself throughout the decades that the grief would pass and I would love again, but I think I was just lying to myself at this point. Some princess of love I was. Maybe the stress of the war broke me and I just never pieced myself back together. I wouldn't have been the first pony it had happened too. So many grieving husbands and widows left behind, Children bereft of a sibling or a parent.

My ears flicked upwards as I heard the gentle beating of wings above me soon followed by a clack as hooves met crystal flooring.

There was silence for a while as I continued to look towards the statue of my late husband. Prince Shining armour, Saviour of Canterlot, hero of the Crystal empire. My Shiney. I felt a large downy wing wrap itself around my barrel as I sniffled the tears stinging at my eyes a little and turned my head to the left with a sad smile on my muzzle.

“Sorry you need to put up with me like this honey”

The Princess of hope just looked up to me and smiled patiently, Every time I looked into her crystal blue eyes I could see shiney's gazing back at me. I leaned down and we nuzzled into each other's cheeks as I put my own wing around my daughter and we shared an embrace.

“Its okay mom, I know the hurt comes back sometimes”

Her voice was soft, full of concern, this was the wrong way round. I was supposed to comfort her when she had her heartaches. I held onto the embrace for a few moments to compose myself.

After a while I pulled back from her, the wing still held around her barrel we both shared a smile before looking back out across to the statue. She learned against my side stifling a yawn.

“Why are you up so early anyway mom?”

I took to playing with her mane in my magic field tidying up the rats nest it had become trying to centre my thoughts again as I sighed.

“I couldn't sleep.”

All I got in reply was a soft.

“Hrmm”

It was quiet again for a moment. All I could hear and feel was the rising of her chest as she breathed before she broke it again asking softly.

“What was he like?”

I felt like the question had struck me physically. Had I really been such a poor mother that I didn't even tell my daughter about what her father was like? She would have been very very young when he passed she would only remember so much. I felt a wing Squeeze me and looked down out of the corner of my eye to see my daughter snuggled into my side with a content smile plastered on her muzzle and it brought me back to when she was just an itty bitty little foal.

With that the tension in my body melted and I started to giggle.

“Your dad was a doofus but that was part of his charm.”

I could feel her snort and start to laugh with me and soon that serpents grip on my heart was broken and we just lay there giggling like mad mares and it took us quite a while to calm down.

She was looking up at me beaming a smile.

“There's only two things that make you smile so much mom”

She flushed a little but continued on.

“Whenever you tell ponies about me, and whenever you talk about dad. It makes you smile.”

I pressed my lips to the top of her head and pulled her close to me.

“I am so very lucky you turned out to be as sweet and caring as he was”

I could see a proper blush on her cheeks now and I couldn't help but start to giggle again.

“And neither of you could accept a compliment without turning red either.”

I sighed and smiled as I looked at the statue again.

“I am glad you turned out so much like him. He was a good pony. And I loved him so very much. Just like I love you”

Maybe I was looking at it from the wrong angle. I still loved. I loved my subjects, I loved my staff, I loved my friends and family. I loved and cherished my memories of Shining and most of all I loved my daughter.

Perhaps one day I dared to hope maybe I could love another.

My heart soaring I pulled my daughter tight to my side, my breast full of the warmth of love I looked down at her.

“Let me tell you about when I met your dad…”