It was a lovely morning in the Crystal Empire. The ponies in the empire were going about and doing their daily business, as happy as can be. Ever since their new ruler, Princess Cadence, filled the empire with love, it has become a place of solace.

And speaking of solace, among those many ponies, was a creature one would not expect to be living in a land full of ponies. But yet, he was.

His name is Scales Solace, and he is a little yellow dragon.

Only, this little yellow dragon happened to be the Princess of Love’s special somepony. Or, special somedragon in this case.

The little yellow dragon was currently wandering the streets of the Crystal Empire, mumbling to himself about something. He was deep in thought as several ponies trotted by, giving him curious expressions on why he was out by himself like this.

“Do I get her flowers? No, no… That makes it seem like I did something bad. Wait, did I do something bad? Hmmm, I didn’t eat breakfast this morning, is that bad? No! Focus, Scales. You’re trying to get her a gift. Ugh, but how do I get the Princess of Love herself a gift!?”

Scales was having a tough morning so far. Normally the humble little dragon wouldn’t be faced with such an issue, but ever since becoming Princess Cadence’ beloved, he’s been wanting to get her a gift that expresses his gratitude and affection towards the mare.

Just thinking about her made Scales swoon slightly, his expression growing into that of a dreamy one. Princess Cadence wasn’t just a beautiful mare, she was the beautiful mare in his eyes. It honestly didn’t feel real that a little dragon like him was with a mare like her. He knew that it was extremely uncommon for ponies to be with dragons in a romantic sense, especially mares towards a male dragon. Dragons in Equestria weren’t exactly a common sight, as most of them came from the Dragonlands. And said dragons that came from there weren’t exactly the most well mannered either.

But Scales was different. He didn’t come from the Dragonlands and act ill mannered like some dragons he’s heard about. He was a kind and humble little dragon, but also sometimes mischievous. But who wasn’t? Though, despite his tendency to get into trouble, many ponies who have met him would describe the little yellow dragon as innocent.

Despite all this though, Scales doesn’t even know where he comes from. That much is still a mystery to him. But for now, he’s content with his life in Equestria and the Crystal Empire.

“Maybe some nice chocolate would be a good gift?” He said as he was walking on all four of his paws, looking at some of the candy shops the empire had to offer. Scales then scoffed and shook his head, “Don’t be ridiculous, chocolate is not good enough to express your love for the Princess of Love.”

As he continued looking for the perfect gift, Scales eventually looked at an expensive jewelry store. His emerald green eyes lit up for a moment as he peered through the glass, observing the different cuts of gems. Now there’s a potential gift idea, a nice piece of jewelry… Until he remembered that she already has a lot of jewelry. So it would not make his gift that special or unique in the grand scheme of things.

The little yellow dragon was feeling a tad bit dejected at the moment. He wanted to get Princess Cadence a gift that described how grateful he was for her and how much he loved her. But this was turning out to be harder than he thought. Just how does one get a gift for the Princess of Love?

Unfortunately, Scales would not have any time to ponder this as he heard a very familiar voice speak up from behind him that made his heart skip a beat.

“Scales! There you are, my little dragon. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Dang it.

The little yellow dragon turned around to face where the voice came from, and sure enough, his intuition was correct as the Princess of Love herself was standing before him. She had a gentle smile on her muzzle as she gazed down at him, her amethyst eyes looking at Scales with tender affection and love.

“What are you doing out here, my sweet? You didn’t tell me where you were going and made me worried sick…” Her voice became a little sad as she said that, making Scales feel guilty for not informing the mare of his whereabouts.

“I-I was just…”

“Yes?” She inquired, her gentle voice not being pushy at all. She would happily let Scales take his time to explain.

The little yellow dragon’ expression fell a bit as he couldn’t think of anything to say. “I was trying to get you a gift, Princess Cadence.”

She gasped, surprised. “A gift? For me? Why? Oh, my little dragon… That’s so sweet of you. But you know that you don’t have to get me anything…”

She leaned down and wrapped her forelegs around Scales, enveloping him a hug as she pressed her warm and furry pink body against his smaller frame. The feeling of her soft fur against his own smooth yellow scales was like velvet, silk even. It just made Scales completely melt into her embrace, to which she ‘awed’ at.

Eventually, though, like all good things, they come to an end and the mare pulled away slowly from their embrace. She smiled at him lovingly and gave him a quick loving nuzzle against the cheek with her cheek.

“Come on, my little dragon. Let’s go back to the palace now.”

He made no effort to argue, silently nodding and following the mare back towards the Crystal Palace. On a normal day he doesn’t go wandering off, Scales typically is by Princess Cadence’ side for the entire day. She preferred to keep an eye on him too as she knew Scales was prone to getting up to no good from time to time. But that was part of his unique charm and personality. Though, what really made him interesting to the mare was what he kept hidden deep down and only shared on rare occasions.

As they trotted together, Scales looked up at Princess Cadence, getting lost in her eyes briefly. She was just so beautiful… How could any mare like her fall for a little dragon like him? It was different for Spike and Rarity, because that at least seemed like a realistic goal for Spike. But this was different. It still didn’t make sense to him.

“Princess Cadence? Why do you love me?” He was getting straight to the point with this one, no beating around the bush today.

She giggled, not finding anything wrong with his question. “You know you can just call me ‘Cadence’ now, right? No need for formalities if we’re special someponies.” The mare glanced at Scales as they trotted by the Crystal Heart, stopping right next to it. “But to answer your question, I love you for what's on the inside… And outside. I mean come on! You’re just a cute wittle dragon, how can I not swoon when you do something cute?”

Scales blushed, pouting and furrowing his brow. He tried to act like he didn’t like being called ‘cute’ even though his blush told a different story. “I’m not cute. I don’t know where you got that idea.”

The mare just giggled some more. She found him super adorable. “Right now! You’re blushing, and that just makes you so cute to me. Face it, you can’t escape being cute, my little dragon.”

Scales could only grumble some more as he was led inside by Princess Cadence now, not having anything more to say about her calling him cute. So he remained silent and followed the mare indoors, being led to the throne room so she could continue her day with him by her side.

As the day went on, Scales sat in thought, thinking about what she said earlier. She loved him for what’s on the inside, but what did that mean? Scales wasn’t very good at this romance thing, yet somehow he made her swoon like there was no tomorrow. It didn’t make sense. At least, not right now.

Eventually the day was coming to an end and they were back in Princess Cadence’ private chambers.

Scales was sitting on the balcony in their room, looking out over the Crystal Empire as the sun set. He was still deep in thought and thinking over what Princess Cadence had said to him. Said mare was beginning to unwind after her normal day of princess duties. As she was doing so, she saw her little dragon sitting outside on the balcony, and she became slightly concerned about his behavior.

“Scales?” She called out, trotting over to where his head rested on the railing. His brow was furrowed and he looked… sadder than his usual happy demeanor. “Is something the matter, my little dragon? You can talk to me, you know. I won’t judge.”

He was still frowning a little, a bit of confusion laced in his voice as he spoke out his thoughts. “I-I know that… I’m just still thinking about what you told me earlier. When I asked you why you loved me, and you said it's what’s inside of me that you love. I guess I’m still having a hard time understanding it.”

Ah, that’s what was bugging him, Princess Cadence thought to herself.

She looked at Scales with one of her signature Princess of Love certified expressions, nuzzling her snout gently against his cheek. “What I said is true, it’s what’s on the inside that I love most about you…”

The feeling of the mare nuzzling his cheek with her snout made his cheeks flush red a little. “I guess I just want to make sure I’m doing this right. That I’m not disappointing you in our relationship. That you’re not disappointed in having a lover like me.”

Princess Cadence could have sworn her heart melted when she saw the way his cheeks flushed. Why did this little yellow dragon have to be so gosh darn cute? She didn’t think she could be attracted to anything but a stallion for the longest time, but somehow this little yellow dragon proved her wrong. Scales was not like other dragons from the Dragonlands. He was not… ugly, to say the least.

Scales was small, sure, a little bigger than Spike but not by much. However, he was sleek and defined despite his small stature. For being a little dragon who could technically be considered a baby dragon in the eyes of many, Scales didn’t have any of that baby fat Spike had. Maybe just a little bit to his face, but nowhere else. Perhaps that was part of his more slim and agile design in nature, as his wings were already slightly larger and bat-like in shape, along with his tail being longer and sleeker with fins at the end to help stabilize him in flight. And his scales, oh, how his name fit him perfectly. His scales were yellow, yes, but he also had black scales on his back that created an interesting pattern that contrasted nicely against his yellow ones. And don’t get the mare started on his dorsal spines! They too were just so cute and she loved to fondle with them when they were laying in bed together, because to her surprise, they were actually rather flexible. Especially on his forehead as they were more pronounced and defined. And then there was the topic of his little paws and claws, which, from what she knew, was a rarity among dragons to have paws. But Scales had them, and they were so cute whenever she saw his paw pads. And he had them on all four of his paws because he was primarily quadrupedal, how cute!

Princess Cadence loved her little dragon’s unique appearance, and she wouldn’t change it for the world.

She spoke in a soft and loving tone to him as she continued, “Scales, you’re not disappointing me in any way. I know what I was getting into by choosing you. Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and you my little dragon, have so much love in you. It instantly intrigued me when I heard there was a sweet little dragon in Equestria who constantly tried to put others before him. So I just had to meet him for myself.”

Her words made the blush on his cheeks grow even brighter, now causing him to turn his head slightly so he could look at her. “I didn’t know you thought that about me. I just try to do my best, that's all.”

“Exactly, Scales! You try, which is more than what I can say for even some ponies. You try so hard some days, like today for example in trying to get me a gift, it just makes me love you even more. And that’s the greatest gift you could ever give me, your love.” Princess Cadence explained gently.

“You consider my love for you… a gift?” Scales gave Princess Cadence a questioning gaze again, now even more curious as to what she meant.

“Yes, I do,” She kissed his right cheek lovingly, “Sure, I could have any stallion in Equestria and they could give me any kind of love I want. But your love, Scales, is pure. There are no formal ties behind it, no lies or ulterior motives. You are just trying to make me happy, and I couldn’t ask or want for anything more.”

Scales was a little speechless. She thought all of that about him? He tried to find his voice, looking for any words to say in response to the mare’s kind and loving words. But he couldn’t. Scales could not for the life of him vocalize his thoughts. So he did the one thing he knew how to do…

…He smiled.

Seeing Scales smile at her, his full expressive, big, genuine, grin, it made Princess Cadence return the look in an even more tender way. She slowly leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, basking in this somewhat intimate and vulnerable moment between them.

“You brought adventure into my life, Scales. Having you here with me now brings me more comfort than anything else in this world. You are the solace of my heart, and I would not give that title to anypony else.”

“Thanks, Cadence.”

“Anytime, sweetheart.”

After their little talk, they returned to their room from the balcony, finally settling in for the night. Scales had that happy smile on his muzzle now, feeling confident in the love Princess Cadence had for him. It had only been a few weeks since they had gotten together, so he was a little unsure at first, but now he was completely convinced that this was what she wanted. What they both wanted.

After taking off her regalia and makeup, Princess Cadence slipped into bed alongside her little dragon. Scales was already comfortable under the bed sheets, so he wasted no time in snuggling closer to her body. He sighed happily and nuzzled his head against the mare’s neck, feeling her warm and soft pink fur. It was fluffy like a cloud, perfectly kept and clean, showing just how far Princess Cadence went into taking care of her appearance.

Cuddling himself closer, Scales finally understood what Princess Cadence meant. Being here with her was all that mattered, and it brought him a joy that no gift ever could. Because being with this mare was the best gift he could ever ask for.

Scales looked up from his position right next to her, stopping his nuzzling for a moment to speak up in a quiet voice. “I love you, Cadence. I promise to always love you, even if the waters get rough. I just want to make you happy because you make me so happy.”

She smiled warmly at his confession of love, taking the time to gently nuzzle against his neck in return. “I love you too, my little dragon. I know you want to make me happy, and I will forever love you because of it.”

Scales let out a soft dragon whine of affection as he felt the mare nuzzle against his neck, the gesture being very appreciated by him as he always loved her nuzzles. He couldn’t help nuzzling back, this time into Princess Cadence’ soft and silky mane, his snout sniffing her scent and getting a whiff of her lovely perfume that she always used. It was his favorite smell in the whole world, and it practically made the little dragon melt on the spot, being able to be this close to the mare he luckily called his own.

As much as he would have loved to keep nuzzling Princess Cadence like this, feeling sleepy was inevitable and Scales could not stop himself from yawning. As he yawned and let out another small whine, his small muzzle opened wide enough for Princess Cadence to see his little fangs. They were just absolutely adorable to her, having a little dragon like him that belonged to her.

It wasn’t before long that Scales fell asleep into the comfort of Princess Cadence’ embrace. She smiled sweetly at the sight of her little dragon snuggled up against her body, leaning down to press one last tender kiss against his forehead with her muzzle and soft lips. Her forelegs wrapping around his small body gently to keep him close to her as they slept together.

She whispered tenderly to him, “Sweet dreams, my little Scales. May your heart always be filled with love.” With a soft glow of her horn, she flicked off the lights and promptly fell asleep. A content smile on the mare’s muzzle as she felt at peace with herself, dreaming of her and Scales.

Was it a little strange that an alicorn princess like her was in love with a little dragon? Probably, but she didn’t care. Cadence was the Princess of Love, and she knew love better than anypony in Equestria. And while she could have any stallion in Equestria, she chose this little yellow dragon instead. Not because of what was on the outside… Okay maybe a little. It wasn’t her fault she couldn’t help that he was so darn cute.

But mostly, she chose him because Scales had a heart she had never seen in a creature before. Despite being a dragon, he was not plagued by greed, selfishness, or any other obnoxious or rude traits.

Scales was a dragon with a pure heart and soul. And his love for adventure and the world around him made Princess Cadence realize that even she still has a lot to learn about love. And that’s okay. Because if there is one thing that she is certain about, Scales brings her joy and comfort no other creature or pony can come close to. And her time with him was only just beginning as they have just started their adventure together.

Princess Cadence was confident that she would share many adventures with him. There was still so much to learn about him, so many more stories that came with him that she wanted to uncover. But those would come in time, because right now she only thought of one thing…

He is Scales Solace, her little dragon…

And the solace of her heart.

Author's Note

Hello! This is my first story, so thanks for reading it. I hope you enjoyed it, I would like to make more featuring this little duo but I want to see how this story does first. Thanks again!