Hey everycreature! What's up!?
I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and ready for the next one!
Before we begin the next chapter however, a quick thank you to JKF 95 for the fav and follow! Now back to the story!
Chapter 2: So Far, So Good…
Morning came as Flurry Heart woke up bright and early, for today was an important day. The royal family from Saddle Arabia was coming for a few days to negotiate a new trade deal between the two kingdoms and it was Flurry's first time handling this kind of thing completely alone without any help from her parents, who entrusted her to do what was best. Flurry knew her parents were counting on her as she had every bit of confidence she could do it and show her parents she was more than ready.
Flurry fixed up her mane, making sure she was presentable before putting on her royal attire and looking at herself in the mirror, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile.
"Okay Flurry, today's the day, you can do it." Flurry told herself out loud before coming out of her bedroom, being met by Grace, who stood at attention.
"Good morning, your highness, you look ready." Grace commented as Flurry came next to the griffon.
"As I should be Grace." Flurry replied. "How long until the royal family arrives?"
"A couple of hours." Grace answered.
"Good, than we have some time to make sure everything is ready for our guests." Flurry happy everything was going good so far. "Prepare some of the guards to go to the train station, I will join you to meet them after I quickly check everything."
"At once, your highness." Grace bowed before going to carry out her orders as Flurry went to make sure all the preparations for the guests were ready before trotting with a guard escort to the train station, where the special train carrying the Saddle Arabian royal family would arrive.
And soon enough it did as it came rolling into the station and coming to a stop as Flurry stood up straight, ready to meet her guests as Grace stood next to her. As the steam from the locomotive settled down, one of the train car doors opened to reveal two full grown ponies, a stallion and a mare, with a shorter stallion who was around Flurry's age. As the Saddle Arabian royal family trotted out onto the station platform, Flurry gave a bow before lifting her head back up.
"Your majesties, welcome to the Crystal Empire." Flurry greeted.
"Ah, Princess Flurry Heart." The older stallion greeted back. "I must admit, I am surprised to see you alone, I expected Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor as well."
"My mother and father are on a vacation in Canterlot, but I assure you that I have the full confidence of my parents to see this trade deal between our two kingdoms through and done." Flurry replied.
"Very well, may I present my own heir to my throne, Prince Hassan." The Arabian king turning to the younger stallion, who came up.
"Your beauty has been well reported, princess and I'm glad it was no lie." Princess Hassan taking one of Flurry's front hooves and giving it a kiss as Flurry gave a little blush but more of awkwardness as she gently pulled it back and brought it down to the platform floor, refocusing as she addressed all her guests.
"Right…" Flurry said slowly. "Please, if you and your entourage will follow my guards and I, we will take you to the palace. You must be hungry and tired from your long journey and we have prepared everything for your stay."
"Lead the way, your highness." The Arabian king politely said as the group made their way back to the palace and along the way…
"I hope my guest room is next to your bedroom, princess, I would very much like to get to know you." Princes Hassan spoke to Flurry as he trotted besides the crystal princess.
"Sadly no, prince, my quarters are away from the guest rooms…" Flurry replied. "Thankfully…" Flurry said under her breath.
"That's okay, I don't mind a walk through the palace, maybe you can give me a tour during the visit, just us two?" Prince Hassan asked.
"You'll see, your highness." Flurry politely replied as best she could before turning to Grace and speaking to her guard captain in a very low voice. "If the prince tries anything, you have my permission to do what you must."
"Easier done than said Flurry." Grace said back as quietly. "This prince doesn't seem to take the hint…"
And Grace was right, Prince Hassan was very much one of those stallions who only seemed interested in beauty than personality, which was why Flurry fell in love with Pound Cake, because he wasn't interested in the fact Flurry was royalty, but was a very kind mare. Flurry remembered her mother telling her when she was younger while in Canterlot, most stallions only looking to score a date with one of the royals just for the sake of popularity. Shining Armor was one of the few stallions who just didn't care about that, that's why he ended up winning Cadance's heart easily.
And now Flurry had to deal with the same thing, while negotiating a trade deal… However she was sure she would be up to the challenge and she would get through the few days easily. The group arrived at the palace, where the Saddle Arabian family and their entourage was shown to their rooms while Flurry made sure their visitors' lunch was ready. And as it was and the visitors were shown to the dining room, Flurry was there to greet them.
"I hope your majesties find the cuisine to your liking, the cooks and kitchen staff have done their very best to replicate your dishes from Saddle Arabia." Flurry spoke.
"Well it smells wonderful, just like home." The Saddle Arabian queen commented as everyone sat down around the table.
"If I may princess." Prince Hassan pulling out Flurry's seat before she could sit down by herself.
"Thank you…" Flurry replied as she sat down, of course at the head of the table since she was the host.
"I hope you don't mind, I have asked my parents if I could sit down next to you." Prince Hassan said as part of Flurry wanted to say "No", but of course she needed to make things go smoothly and right.
"Of course not, the prince can sit wherever he likes." Flurry calmly spoke as in the back of her head, she was screaming, luckily she did have her guard captain just behind her in case the prince tried anything drastic as Flurry began eating herself.
"Say princess, maybe after lunch, you and I could take a walk through the crystal gardens, alone, I have always wanted to see them…" Princess Hassan started as he moved one of his hooves to put on top of Flurry's.
"Excuse me, princess, but you're needed in the kitchen." Grace spoke to Flurry as the griffon put herself in between Flurry and the prince.
"Thank you Grace." Flurry replied. "If your majesties will please excuse me, I will be right back." Flurry getting up before Hassan had a chance to make a move as Flurry trotted to the kitchen with Grace following to make sure no one bothered her princess.
As the two were in the kitchen, the staff continuing their work, Flurry could let out some frustration before taking a piece of advice she got from both her mother and Auntie Twily, taking a big breath and slowly letting it out.
"Thanks for the save Grace." Flurry thanked her guard captain. "That prince is really something."
"I couldn't agree anymore Flurry, what are you going to do about him?" Grace asked.
"I just have to bear it, try to get through the few days to negotiate the deal." Flurry answered. "Pound and Cinnamon will in fact come the day after the Saddle Arabians are gone and I can forget about this."
As Flurry relaxed, she returned to the dining room, finishing her lunch with the visitors before the royals trotted to one of the meeting areas of the palace, to begin the negotiations for the trade deal. Flurry presented the terms that the Crystal Empire had to the Arabian king and queen, which were all fair and agreeable, at least Flurry thought and it was what her parents would have wanted to. Of course the Arabian prince still tried to get on Flurry's nerve as Flurry tried her best to not be distracted and focus on being a princess doing her duty.
As the day passed, with the first rounds of negotiations finishing, the royals ate a good dinner before they would retire to their bedrooms, Flurry utterly exhausted as she was trotting to her bedroom, with Grace besides her. Flurry hoped she could sleep well tonight as she wouldn't be bothered by the prince, with the guards posted outside her door to keep him out.
"One day down, just a few more to go…" Flurry sighed.
"Don't worry Flurry, everything's going to be okay." Grace comforted her friend as they arrived in front of Flurry's door. "Goodnight princess."
"Goodnight Grace." Flurry told her friend before entering her bedroom, trotting over to her desk, with the mirror on it, taking off her royal attire before turning her head to besides the mirror…
There, a picture of Flurry sat, with Pound Cake and little Cinnamon with her, the stallion wrapping his wing over Flurry as Flurry's little filly was on top of her mother's head. Flurry didn't have any of her royal attire on in the picture, not even her crown, it was just a normal family picture and sometimes it made Flurry wish she did have a normal life as she smiled upon looking at it.
"I can't wait for you two to come back to me." Flurry said quietly as she stayed like that for a few more minutes before finally settling down for a good night's rest, hopeful tomorrow would be a little easier…
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and well next time something shocking will happen… What is it you ask? You're just going to have to wait!
Until than…
See everycreature later!