Every Prince Deserves a Princess

"Dude, I don't know what half of this shit is."

"That is because you don't need to know. It is the first and last time you'll eat it, so just enjoy the selection, though it is catered to a refined palette, and otherwise, keep your mouth closed."

Moss flicked his ears, curiously looking over the sample platters arranged before him. The din of clacking utensils, scraping knives, and a dull roar of magical fire filled the air around us as we stood in the kitchen. With only that day and the following one to finalize my plans for the upcoming gala, preparations were in full swing, and the Royal Kitchens had become quite a very busy place to be indeed. Ponies rushed this way and that around me and my overwhelmed companion, and unicorn-powered trays levitated through the air as though riding invisible waves from one end of the workspace to the other. With the accompaniment of the scents from fresh spices and the ambient glow of fire against the stonework, the entire room appeared as though it was a scene from some magical fairytale. I half expected Moss to break into some insipid song about how appetizing the food was, but thankfully, by the grace of Celestia, such a thing was not to be.

"...the hell is tiara miso? I thought miso was a type of soup."

"Tiramisu," I groaned, while rubbing my temples with a hoof. "It's a dessert, and it's quite good. Try it."

Moss reached forward with his hoof to take a chunk out of the expertly-prepared confection, but soon found it slapped away by my much larger foreleg.

"Use a fork, you idiotic ruffian!" I bellowed, drawing the attention that I was trying to avoid from the kitchen staff by stopping him from behaving like some sort of feral donkey.

"What happened to 'oh, I'm so sorry, Moss, be my best friend forever?'" The scolded stallion shook out his hoof with a half-grimace before reaching for a nearby fork and holding it somewhat like a dagger. I decided to simply let it go and watch as he made an unsightly, jagged digging motion into the dessert and brought it up to his lips before chewing with his mouth wide open. To think that that would be our guest of honor. I could scarcely imagine how much worse the other common rabble were.

"Mmph... 's gud," he sang between bites, earning a smile from one of the nearby guards-turned-chefs. I gave the light yellow pegasus a scathing glare, only to find him walking up to Moss as he wiped his hooves with a dish towel. I was completely convinced that the approach was made simply to irritate me.

"Glad you like it, we've all been working overtime to meet Mister Blueblood's specifications exactly."

I opened my mouth to object to the sad excuse for a title, but was quickly blocked by my companion's yammering, now accompanied by lip-smacking and other such unrefined stupidity for a welcome bonus.

"How long've ya been a chef? You ponies eat this sorta thing every day?" It quickly became clear from his wandering eyes and careful tone selection that Moss was yet again checking his conversational partner out, a fact that caused my eye to twitch and blood to boil. Couldn't he keep it to one mare, or stallion, as it were? The sheer indignity, especially with such a class difference... even if this other one was merely a common soldier.

"I haven't before yesterday. Flare," he offered, while extending his hoof. "Blueblood has us working around the clock, with help from some much more experienced ponies. Princess Luna gave him some guards to assist with preparations, and... this is what we got stuck with. Twelve hour shifts in a stifling kitchen, in full armor," he finished with a roll of his shoulders, the light plate clanking as it shifted.

"Sucks to be you. Hey, Blue- you're a bit of a douchebag, you know that?" Moss looked up at me while licking his hoof clean. I simply nodded, my mind elsewhere as I noticed something that I had quite clearly not specified to be prepared for the celebration. I wasn't angry at all as I trotted up to the small basket lined with a soft pink towel. Quite the contrary- I was ecstatic.

There, nestled securely within the soft pink folds were a dozen large, soft cookies, inlaid with chocolate chunks and silky smooth peanut butter swirls. I hesitantly lifted one up to my nose, inhaling the heavenly scent to confirm that they were, in fact, what I had hoped for. As I took a bite, a rush of orgasmic bliss overwhelmed my entire body as sweet nirvana flooded my taste buds. These were exactly what I'd thought they were- Cadenza's cookies.

"...means a lot to me, so I'm more than happy to be a part of it. I wasn't always a guard, you know. In fact, I was l-"

"Yo, Blue?" Moss interrupted, waving a hoof before my face. It wasn't until he struck me lightly across the snout that I came to, somewhat shocked and offended by the boorish gesture. "You in there? If you had a stroke, I get your money, right? Pretty sure no one else would care..."

"Yes, yes, best friend. Flare, was it?" I asked the confused guard as I turned the cookie over in my hoof, absorbing the details of the baked perfection before me. He nodded,his light purple mane bouncing a bit as he did so. "Where is Princess Cadance? Has she been down here with you?"

"Princess Cadance? Yes, she's been down here the past three days, working right alongside us. She's handling inventory and making sure we meet your quota," he replied with a bit of venom on the last word. I couldn't possibly imagine why.

I cast my gaze through the steam and smoke, trying to zero in on any errant trace of pink- though admittedly, with the pregnancy, it was more a grounded hot air balloon of pink- and found nothing. Somewhat disappointed, I let out an exasperated sigh as Moss and Flare began to talk again, before the pink quite abruptly found me.

"Guess who?" an angelic voice whispered as two hooves covered my vision. I barely managed to fight back an idiotic smile as I rose my own hoof to touch hers.

"The only mare in this castle that I care for."

"A sad truth, most days. Come to check up on things?" she asked, as I turned to face her. She was plump and perky, but still the epitome of beauty. The elegant, light purple apron tied tightly to her chest only added to the classical warmth in her slightly rounder than normal face, and her winning smile caused my heart to flutter. My Cadenza stood before me, sweating slightly, though whether it was from the heat within the damnable kitchen or just the strain of walking with such a heavy load beneath her, I didn't know.

"Actually, I came here just to see you, my dear," I lied. I took one of her soft hooves in mine and dipped my head low, planting a gentle kiss upon the smooth surface before letting it go to watch her blush. She always blushed for me. Never once had I seen her do so for Shining Armor... though of course, he wasn't cultured enough to treat her with such respect. A princess was to be cherished, after all.

"How sweet of you. Your little friend seems to be in heaven at the moment." Cadance pointed with an airy giggle to Moss, whose muzzle was covered in chocolate as Flare ran him down the list of what was being practiced within the kitchens. My eye twitched, and I came very close to snapping at her.

"He isn't..." I began, but thought better of it, "...doing badly at all. If anything, it's been a bit of a pleasure having him around." I forced a grin, and she bought it hook, line, and sinker. Cadance walked closer and put her hoof to my chest with a smile, looking up at me as she tilted her head.

"I knew you would come around. You have such a big heart... if only you would show it more." She dropped her hoof to the floor with a barely audible clatter amidst the noise in the cavernous room. I, of course, noticed.

"Perhaps, my fair lady. Shall we leave this heat behind for a spell? You look exhausted, and my... friend will be quite fine on his own," I added with a sidelong glance at the stallion gorging himself upon freshly-baked garlic bread. What would normally have been annoyance at the sight was instead replaced with... I'm not exactly sure what. It was a light sensation in my heart, and a humbling one. It was then that I realized that this taste-testing was probably the closest thing the stallion had had to a proper meal in months. It would have been much easier to find sympathetic had it been anypony else, but still- did he not at least deserve to eat? He was nearly skeletal, after all.

"If you insist. I wouldn't mind a break for tea. May I lean on you? My hooves are quite sore..."

I leapt at the chance and moved right up alongside the tired mare, willing to play support and whatever other role might need fulfilling. Cadance pressed into my side with a weak smile, and I was somewhat taken aback by the weight against my ribs as she leaned. Surely, the foal must have been due within weeks, if not days...

"You really shouldn't be down here, working yourself so hard. Let the commoners take care of things. This celebration is for you just as much as your husband," I began, as we walked out of the sweltering kitchen and onto the plushy carpet of the halls.

"No, it really isn't." Cadance rolled her eyes and playfully hit my chest. "Besides... I need to be useful somehow. I'm tired of being cooped up in my bedchambers, being waited on day by day. It was fun for the first month or so, but now... I just hate being so immobile," she lamented.

"I can understand that. You've always been one of the hardest workers within the castle. Your cookies are delightful as ever, by the way." I moved forward to hold the door open for her, and absolutely did not watch her flank as she waddled inside.

"Thank you... but it's torture, Vladimir. The usual for tea?"

"Of course." I closed the door behind us and made my way to my spot upon her couch, propping up several throw pillows for her to sink into upon her return. The sound of igniting flames left the kitchen as Cadance moved back into the living room and slowly climbed up to join me upon the sofa. I took her hooves in mine and assisted her, and for the briefest moment, we locked eyes. A tacit communication took place, and in that moment, I knew that she was thinking the same thing I was. She must have been.

"...you're still beautiful, you know."

Cadance paused, somewhat surprised by the statement. After several uncomfortable seconds of silence, she moved to lay upon her side, her forehooves extended toward me. I took them each in turn and began a gentle massage, unsure of what else to say. Thankfully, the next move was hers.

"...thank you." And that was the end of it, as she breathed a sigh. Perhaps I was wrong. "You always give the best massages."

"The best?" I asked, my interest piqued. Did she mean...?

"Well... very near to it, yes," she answered with a smile. My spirits sank as the tea began to whistle, and I hopped off the couch.

"Allow me."

I dragged my hooves onward and into the kitchen before extinguishing the floating flames beneath the tea kettle. It seemed that my princess would never truly be mine... unless, of course, those assassins made their move. My thoughts drifted back to the newspaper article from earlier in the week, and an uneasy feeling rose within the pit of my stomach as I mulled over what I could remember. Something didn't add up. Something was off... but I couldn't think of any explanation as to how. With an irritated snort, I added peppermint and honey to the freshly prepared mugs of tea before trotting back to the couch and handing Cadance her mixture. She accepted with a smile before blowing upon the surface, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Is everything alright?" I inquired.

Cadance finished her sip and cast a sorrowful look over to me as I set my cup down and resumed the massage. "Vladimir... you know that I care for you very much, yes?"

"Of course I do. I would never question that," I said. My hooves began to rub hers with a bit more force, wondering where her train of thought was going. She let out a wistful sigh before setting down her tea and stopping the massage by putting both of her hooves atop one of mine. As she held my gaze, her words were slow and careful, her tone so unlike the cheerful, bubbly princess I knew.

"I am sorry. I am sorry that we didn't meet sooner... but some things were never meant to be. I know some day soon you'll find yourself a mare. You're a wonderful stallion, and I know that it's only a matter of time before somepony else sees it, too..."

I didn't know what to say, and so I said nothing at all. I sat sipping my tea until it was finished, idly rubbing her hooves as my mind simply... existed. For some reason, her statements carried with them a sense of finality, but none of her optimism was successfully conveyed. Something needed to be done.

"...I suppose I should check over that inventory list. After all, you spent quite a bit of time checking to make sure that it was up to par. Will you be alright on your own, Cadenza?"

A heavy sigh chased my words as she brushed her long locks back behind her ear and re-folded her hooves atop one of the pillows. "Yes, of course... and I hope you will be, too. Thank you for setting up this celebration, Vladimir. I'm sure Shining is going to love it."

I fought back the snort trying to escape me as I made for the door, adjusting my bow tie as I walked. I rested my hoof upon the handle and gave it a sharp turn, not bothering to look back. "Oh yes... I'm sure that he will."

I stepped out into the hallway and gently closed the door behind me, my mind spinning rapidly through possibilities and solutions. As I stomped back toward my room, her sweet voice echoed through my skull over and over, without ceasing. Perhaps Cadenza was right.

Some things were never meant to be.