Hey everycreature! What's up!?
Sorry for the delay, hope you haven't been waiting too long, lets get to the next chapter!
Also, a quick thank you to demonblaze857 for the fav and follow and now back to the story!
Chapter 3: Turn of Events
Morning came as Flurry woke up, doing her normal morning preparations like brushing her mane and putting her royal attire back on and of course finishing with opening her bedroom door to find Grace there, right on time as she always was.
"Good morning, your highness, looking ready as always." Grace greeted her princess.
"And morning to you too Grace." Flurry said as she began trotting, Grace right besides her. "Is breakfast almost ready for our guests and I?"
"Yes and I assume you want me to step in again just in case." Grace asking as Flurry knew right away what she was talking about.
"You read my mind." Flurry smiled as someone else approached the two from behind.
"Excuse me princess." A stallion's voice spoke as Flurry and Grace turned around to see the Saddle Arabian king, the two mares taking a bow.
"Your majesty, I didn't expect you to be up already, breakfast isn't done yet." Flurry curious.
"I know, I was wondering if I could speak with you princess." The king requested as Flurry of course couldn't deny it.
"Of course." Flurry replied before turning to Grace. "You are dismissed for now captain."
"Yes, your highness." Grace bowed before taking her leave and letting the to royals discuss whatever the king needed to talk about.
"If this is about any concerns you have with our negotiations, your majesty, I'm sure we can work it out after breakfast, we can be very flexible with the terms." Flurry started, guessing that was why the king wanted to speak with her now.
"That's actually not what I wanted to talk to you about." The king replied. "It's actually about my son, my prince and heir to my throne, he seems to have taken a liking to you."
Flurry couldn't believe this… In any other case, she would have been angry, but this wasn't just anypony she was talking to and during these precious negotiations with her parents counting on her…
"Yes, it does seem like that." Flurry said as politely as she could through her true feelings.
"Tell me princess, do you have any other interest or seeing anyone?" The king asked. "And in any case, to my knowledge and what I have heard, you don't have anyone, which means you have no heir yourself."
When Flurry married Pound Cake, he just wanted one thing, to not become official royalty and remain a regular pony, being kept out of the celebrity light, which Flurry was more than happy to give and so her family was kept a secret. Of course it was open to the Crystal Empire and to their friends and family, but other kingdoms had no idea that the Crystal Empire princess had someone or even had a little filly. So of course the Saddle Arabian king had no clue about Pound Cake or little Cinnamon.
"You're right, your majesty, but I'm currently not looking for anyone right now, I am very busy preparing to be the next leader after my mother and father, as you have seen." Flurry said as gladly as she could.
"Either way, I suggest you think about it princess, better to be prepared than face it all of a sudden." The king advised.
"I'll take that under consideration…" Flurry replied and cleared her throat. "If you can get your queen and prince, I'm sure breakfast is ready by now for us and we can then continue our negotiations." Flurry bowed
"Very well." The king bowed back before leaving to get his wife and son while Flurry let out a hot breath, calming herself down.
"You can get through this Flurry…" Flurry told herself as she trotted by herself to the dining room, which was all ready with breakfast as the royal guests arrived, they sat down with Flurry at the table, of course Prince Hassan seating once more next to the princess.
"So princess, about my offer for you to take me to the Crystal Gardens, perhaps we can do so after breakfast, relax after eating." The prince said as Flurry knew Grace, having heard that was coming up, but well… The prince was going to keep bothering her about this…
"I wish we could, your highness, but you're here with your parents to get this trade deal done between our two kingdoms and the sooner we do so, the better…" Flurry began. "And the faster you're out of here…" Flurry said in her head.
"I'm sure that can wait and my father and mother would appreciate the next rulers of our two kingdoms getting to know each other better…" Prince Hassan starting to move one of his hooves to lay on top of Flurry's currently resting on the table as Flurry moved it away.
Flurry knew it was better for her sake to say no, but again… She needed to keep up the good impression so things don't get sour for the bigger picture as she saw that the king was listening in to the conversation.
"Very well, your highness." Flurry giving in as the royals finished breakfast and Flurry went to the front doors of the palace, Grace there with a few guards, ready to accompany the two royals, but Flurry decided against that.
"Your highness, please let me and a few guards escort you two, it's my job." Grace spoke and then lowered her voice. "And as your friend, I need to make sure he doesn't try anything."
"Captain, I'll be fine, I can take care of myself for a little bit, just please make sure our other guests are attended to and enjoying their stay." Flurry replied and then lowered her own voice. "Plus, if he does try anything, I can do anything I want to him and make him not tell his parents." Flurry winked as the prince himself arrived, having quickly fixed himself up to make him look more presentable and well… also to impress the princess.
"I hope I haven't kept my princess waiting too long." Hassan asked as Flurry glanced over to Grace, who held in a hurl over that pathetic line.
"No, shall we take that walk you so desperately want, your highness?" Flurry asked, keeping her calm.
"After you princess." Hassan bowed as the two young royals went out of the palace, to the nearby crystal gardens, which shone brightly and beautifully.
As the two royals entered the garden grounds, Flurry tried her best not to pay attention to the annoying Arabian prince as Flurry thought of other times she would be here, more specifically, with her own family. Whenever Flurry needed to unwind, relax, or just felt like it, she would come here with Pound Cake and little Cinnamon, sometimes just with her husband. She remembered the long walks she would take with her husband and daughter, clearing her mind and not needing to worry about anything else. Flurry even remembered that she and Pound Cake would go for night walks sometimes on their wedding anniversary, just the two of them, enjoying their love for each other…
"Quite pretty, but not a match for your beauty princess." Hassan interrupted Flurry's thoughts as Flurry got back to reality.
"Oh thank you, but really these gardens are the gem of the kingdom, the famous pillar Mistmane herself helped shape these gardens." Flurry replied. "Shall we talk about the trade deal between our two kingdoms, your highness, use this time wisely."
"Oh no, I didn't come out here to talk about politics…" Hassan rolled his eyes. "To be honest, I almost didn't want to come on this trip, but then I heard I would get a chance to meet you."
"Here we go…" Flurry said in her head and slowly rolled her eyes.
"Can we sit down, maybe relax and just talk to each other about ourselves." Hassan suggested as there was a nearby fountain with some crystal benches around it.
"Very well…" Flurry agreed as the two took their seats on one of the benches, Flurry sitting a little bit apart from the prince.
"Such a lovely spot…" Hassan commented. "You know, back home, we have fountains like this in my palace, maybe when you visit, we could sit by there…" And then Hassan started coming closer to Flurry and not just closer, his muzzle was aiming straight for Flurry's and he was almost there, when… "Hey, what!?" Hassan shouted a little loudly as some water splashed onto him from the fountain as Flurry's horn quickly unlit before the prince could notice.
"Oh dear…" Flurry pretended to be surprised. "Something must have gone wrong with the fountain, I'm sorry my prince, I'll make sure to tell the garden keepers about this problem, should we return to the palace to dry yourself?"
Hassan didn't reply, but just got up, along with Flurry as the two returned to the palace, the prince storming inside first and going back to his guest room. Grace, who was by the front entrance of the palace saw this as she turned to see Flurry come in behind.
"What happened, your highness?" Grace asked.
"Lets just say that the prince tried to kiss me and well… He had a little watery accident…" Flurry lighting up her horn a little to show Grace what she did.
"Nice one Flurry." Grace whispered back as Flurry chuckled.
The day passed by relatively quickly as Hassan didn't say much through the next round of negotiations, but Flurry was rather concerned as she did notice that the prince had this look in his eyes… By the time the day ended with dinner with her guests, most of the negotiations were done and would be finalized tomorrow as Flurry sighed with relief, for this was almost done and she could then get on with her normal life with the prince out.
Flurry went to sleep, looking froward to the next day as she woke up just as the first rays of the sun started shining and got to work. Before breakfast Flurry wanted to check up on her own kingdom as she was with the royal advisors in the throne room, signing any papers that needed her signature and such. That is until the Saddle Arabian king came into the throne room, not surprising Flurry too much.
"Your majesty, what can I help you with, is there a problem?" Flurry asked.
"No problem…" The king answered. "But I would like to add one more piece to our trade deal between our two kingdoms."
"Oh, well what is it?" Flurry asked. "I'm sure we can work something in."
"An arranged wedding between my son and you or else this trade deal is over." The king simply stated as Flurry's heart just shattered and she just stopped working altogether as everything not over fell apart so suddenly, but her worst fears came true…
And on that bombshell, I hope you enjoyed and looking froward to the next chapter!
Until than…
See everycreature later!