CHAPTER 3
MEETING THE SUITORS
Twilight's eyes flickered open when a heavy knock sounded on the door. Twilight groggily rolled over and yawned while saying
"Come in..." She stretched and the door opened, Cadance peering in nervously.
"Twilight, you might want to hurry your mother has some news..."
This fully woke up the lavender unicorn. After some hesitation the alicorn added
"And I don't think you'll like it..." Twilight leapt out of bed, surely they hadn't already found suitors?! Cadance got out of the doorway and Twilight raced out of the room, heading towards the throne room. The pink alicorn followed the lavender unicorn as they reached the heavy double doors. Twilight Sparkle hesitated, wondering what fate lay in store for her before opening the heavy doors. Six heads turned to stare, they belonging to five princesses and one queen. "Ah, Twilight your here." Celestia got down from her throne, greeting her youngest daughter with suppressed emotion.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked nervously.
"I- I have a letter from suitors..." Celestia confirmed the six princesses' worries and the mares drooped their heads sadly.
"Do you want me to read it my children?" The queen asked and the mares nodded in unison.
"Dear Queen Celestia,
This is an answer to your call for suitors for your six daughters. I have five sons, princes, that are also reaching the marriage age, I request you let your daughters stay at my castle in Canterlot while they get to know each other. Hopefully we can combine our kingdoms in holy matrimony, until then let me know if you can send your six daughters over. From King Sombra." Celestia finished reading and the girls gasped.
"Five princes?" Rarity curiously batted her eyes.
"Canterlot?" Pinkie wiggled her nose indecisively.
"King Sombra?" Rainbowdash frowned, as she had not heard of such a king.
"Y-yes, that is if your willing to go my girls.." Celestia said uneasily, as if unsure how they would react.
"We should give it a go.." Twilight decided much to the disbelief of their mother.
"We'll never know until we try..." Fluttershy persuaded and the other mares nodded halfheartedly.
"Well then, after breakfast you girls should get packed, who knows how long you'll be gone, and the road to Canterlot is a long one, I'll have to send you before lunch." Celestia declared and the six mares numbly agreed.
The six girls filtered out of the room, saying how they weren't hungry. Cadance was about to follow when she thought of something.
"Your highness?" The alicorn asked the queen.
"Yes Cadance?" Celestia answered with a warm smile.
"Can I accompany the girls to Canterlot?" She asked and the regal mare pondered before answering.
"I don't see why not, now can you help me reply to the letter?" Cadance nodded and got out her quill, ink and parchment, this time with joy as she now was allowed to go with the six princesses to Canterlot.
Twilight finished packing her gear, most of it was books. Shutting the suitcase she sighed. The lavender mare had no clue how long they would have to in Canterlot for, it might be a while before they could return to this castle. "Owlowiscious?" Twilight called, and on cue the owl flew down from the rafters of her room. The avian landed on the lavender unicorn's back. A knock sounded at the door for the second time that day.
"Come In" Twilight Sparkle called halfheartedly, and Cadance walked in.
"I just came to tell you, I'm coming along with you girls to Canterlot! Oh, and your mother wanted you to wear a dress" the alicorn backed out of the room smiling. Twilight grinned, this was going to be so much more bearable with Cadance! Now for a dress...
Twilight wore her gala dress, Rarity made them dresses for the gala every year, it was held in their ballroom after all. The fabric fit her perfectly, it was made for her specifically and it was made for lots of movement. Like dancing. The sisters, being princesses, we're taught to dance at an early age, on both four and two legs.
-flashback-
"That's it Fluttershy, you are a natural!" Celestia giggled And the young filly blushed with the praise. The butter cream filly gracefully balanced on her hind legs, strolling across the room trying to keep her balance. As soon as she crossed the room the foal fell back onto all fours again.
"Good job my sweet" the mother nuzzled her foal, the small Pegasus giggling.
"Okay, Applejack your turn!" The orange filly groaned from the other side of the room.
"Ma, you know ah' hate ball dancin'!" The foal exclaimed whiningly.
"We aren't dancing yet sugar, just get yourself across the room on two legs" the orange filly groaned at this, but stood on her hind legs anyway. The foal wobbled a few steps, struggling to keep her balance before falling on her rump.
"That's it!" The small filly lay down, and rolled herself to the other side, much to her mother and sisters laughter.
"Rarity's turn!" Fluttershy softly spoke looking over at the small filly across the other side. The white unicorn foal stood on her legs, and much to the amazement of her mother twirled herself across the ballroom, her hind legs falling naturally into place as she danced elegantly across the room.
"Brilliant!" Celestia touched horns with her third daughter as Rarity sat next to her other two sisters.
"Thank you, I've been practicing!" The filly's dark blue eyes sparkled from the admiration.
"Pinkie, it's your turn my darling" the queen looked over at her fourth daughter, who instantly stood on her hind legs and waltzed over to her older siblings and mother like she had been doing it from the day she was born. They gasped as the pink filly suddenly flipped herself over, doing a hoofstand before bouncing herself back onto her hind legs.
"Amazing my child!" The proud mother nuzzled her pink daughter, as the filly widely smiled, giggling away.
"Dashie?" The Queen turned back to face her blue foal who was pouting.
"I don't want to!" The foal exclaimed, crossing her arms grumpily.
"Just give it a try?" The alicorn coaxed and the foal sighed before balancing on her back legs. The filly's forelegs wavered around dangerously as the filly struggled to keep her balance. Eventually the wobbling died down and Rainbowdash was able to stand up at straight. Content she was still enough, the rainbow haired foal took a step forward, instantly face planting into the ground. "Ehhh" the filly groaned, sitting back up and instead crawling to her other siblings.
"I hate ball dancing." The blue foal exclaimed, frowning moodily.
"You and me both sister." The orange one sighed back.
"Wanna bust this joint?" The Pegasus asked
"After you!" The earth pony replied, opening the door for her younger sister before exiting herself. Once the door had shut behind the stubborn set of fillies Celestia laughed warmly before turning to her youngest daughter who was attempting to stand on her back legs, wobbling precariously, her forelegs Going around like windmills.
"Relax Twilight, just breath" Celestia gently soothed and the lavender filly found herself taking a step forward.
-end of flashback-
Twilight sighed, those were the good old days.
"And now I'm off to get married!" Twilight groaned to herself, Owlowiscious hooting in reply, ruffling his feathers from where he sat on his perch. The studious unicorn sighed again, she couldn't believe they were doing this! The lavender princess exited her room, suitcase and Owlowiscious on his perch being held in her magic. As she walked towards the exit, she found her sisters exiting their rooms and joining her aswell, suitcases and pets in tow. As the mares edged closer and closer to the carriage that awaited them they found themselves getting more nervous. What were the suitors like? Were they nice? Would they like them? And as they reached the door that led outside they found themselves reluctant to go. "Come on, let's go!"'Pinkie chirped, bouncing outside, A nervous Fluttershy in tow. Rarity huffed and stepped outside, Twilight following her Unicorn sister. Glancing back at the last two she sighed.
"Coming?" Twilight Sparkle asked
"Uh no way, I can't do this!" Rainbowdash panicked her fore hooves over her head. "You and me both sister!" Applejack agreed nervously.
"Come on guys, we agreed to this as a team, you can't drop that now!" The unicorn reasoned but her older sister answered with,
"Ah' ain't budgin'!"
"Come on you stubborn thing you!" Twilight lifted both mares up with her magic before trotting towards the carriage.
"Heh, she called you stubborn!" This received a green eyed glare.
As they neared the carriage the three youngest sisters got in the back seat the three eldest sisters sitting in the front seat. Cadance crawled into the seat next to the carriage driver and Celestia waved down to them from one of the many castle windows. "Goodbye my children!" She called loudly and the sisters all chorused back
"Goodbye!"
The carriage started to roll forward, hitting a few bumps in the road, and they went down a large hill, here they were starting the long and winding journey to Canterlot.
"I spy with my little eye, something...green!" Rainbowdash stated.
"Tree." Twilight guessed without even looking up from the book she was reading.
"What, how did you know?!" The mare gasped, surprised.
"Rainbow, the only things around for miles are trees and rocks, not the mention the last seventy two times you had a go at eye spy you chose a tree!" Twilight groaned, slamming her book shut.
"What are we doing to do then? This is just is boring!" Rarity whined, her dark blue eyes fluttering as she glanced out the window.
"Ooh, I know, let's sing a song!" Pinkie giggled excitedly, throwing her legs up and almost knocking off Gummy, her toothless pet alligator who was resting on her lap.
"5000 bottles of apple cider on the wall, 5000 bottles of apple cider!"
"Take one down, pass it around, you got 4999 bottles of apple cider on the wall!" The pink mare started and there was no stopping her as she continued on the next verse.
"Oh brother..." Rainbowdash groaned before covering her ears.
"No bottles of apple cider on the wall, no bottles of apple cider,"
"Go to the store, buy some more, 5000 bottles of apple cider on the wall!" Pinkie squeaked as she finished, waking the others up from their fitful slumber. The carriage rolled to a stop and the six mares yawned before opening the doors, and collecting their luggage and companions and leaping out of the carriage.
"I can't believe we are here already!" Fluttershy looked around curiously before adding
"I thought Pinkie's song wouldn't last the whole way!"
"Just be dang grateful it did, or she would have started again!" Applejack snorted before stepping forwards, her sisters following behind her. Cadance stepped out of the passenger seat and trotted over to where the girls had started to walk towards a giant castle.
"I think it's bigger than our home!" Pinkie squeaked in surprise and her sisters nodded awestruck at the towering castle above them. On the path ahead walked six figures, drawing ever closer. Once the two groups got closer to each other they realised the other group was made up of six stallions, all unicorns. One unicorn stallion stepped forward, he was a grayish black, with a black mane and tail that swirled around in a way similar to their mothers did. He had a curved horn that was red at the tip and he wore a royal red cloak that covered most of his backside. He glared at the six princesses and their servant with his piercing red eyes before giving a toothy smile.
"You must be Queen Celestia's daughters, I am King Sombra, thank you so much for coming,but first let me introduce you to my sons." The King continued motioning towards the first unicorn stallion behind him.
"This is Prince Blueblood." The white stallion blew his blonde mane out of his eye in a charming matter.
"Prince Trenderhoof." The next stallion was a brown unicorn with also a blonde mane, with a whitish blonde streak through it.
"My twins, Prince Flim and Prince Flam." The two similiar yellow stallions waved with cheesy grins.
"And Prince Shining Armour." King Sombra gestured towards the last stallion, another white unicorn who seemed greatly uninterested.
Cadance stepped forward
"Thank you so much for letting us stay here your highness, I am Cadance and I am accompanying the girls while they stay here." The king nodded appreciatively and Cadance continued.
"This is Princess Fluttershy, Princess Applejack, Princess Rarity, Princess Pinkie pie, Princess Rainbowdash and Princess Twilight Sparkle." The servant finished explaining their names and instantly the five princes formed a circle, chatting away in whispers.
"Don't mind them, their just...organising things..." King Sombra covered for his sons, but the girls could clearly hear their whispers.
"I got dibs on Fluttershy!"
"No way, Twilight is so much better!"
"Are you kidding, Rarity's the true gem!"
"Bags Princess Applejack!"
The princes muttered these in loud whispers and the six mares wore expressions of disgust. Prince shining Armour seemed incredibly uninterested in his brothers' conversation, but he was focused upon the group of mares curiously.
King Sombra suddenly coughed loudly,and the five brothers turned around embarrassedly.
"Now I think you children should get to know each other better, sons, show these lovely princesses to the dining room!" The father took charge and the five princes turned tail, leading the six princess to the dining room.
As the eleven equines entered the room, they started seating themselves around a large oval shaped table. Blueblood grinned charmingly and Scooted a chair back with his magic. Rarity who was next to him fluttered her eyelashes gratefully.
"Why thank you-" she was cut off as she fell, about to take the seat as her own, only for Prince Blueblood to sit in it himself, making her land on her rump. She glared at the prince, who didn't seem to notice her fall.
"Well I never!" Rarity huffed before taking the seat next to him.
"So ladies-" Flim began.
"Care to tell us about yourselves?" Flam finished, the twins in perfect sync.
"I was born on a Tuesday-" Pinkie started but was cut off when AJ shoved an apple in her mouth. Rainbowdash nodded towards Twilight who caught on and winked, she would be the talker for today.
"Well..."
Afterwards the mares gathered in the room they were staying in. The six mares collapsed on their beds.
"Those suitors-"
"We're nothing-
"Like we-"
"Expected-"
"Them-"
To be!" The six princesses continued on the sentence for each other.
"I Mean, that Prince Blueblood, the most selfish stallion I have ever laid eyes on!" Rarity cried, lifting a foreleg to her forehead.
"And those Flim, Flam twins were nothin' more then smooth talkers!" Applejack snorted.
"That Trenderhoof guy just kept cutting us off!" Rainbowdash sat up, punching her pillow in frustration.
"Well I guess Prince Shining Armour wasn't so bad..." Fluttershy put in.
"He was silent the whole time!" Pinkie squealed.
"He seemingly doesn't want to go along with this aswell, perhaps we can be friends." Twilight suggested but the others shared frowns.
"But what are we going to do about the other suitors, I mean we can't just go home immediately, it wouldn't be very polite!" Fluttershy worriedly but her lip.
The others looked around a bit downcast by this realisation. Hoofsteps sounded outside the door followed by a knocking.
"Come in!" The girls chorused and Cadance stepped in, six animals at her hooves.
"Your pets just had a lovely meal and look like they might want a nap" the alicorn giggled as a normal looking Gummy fell over. Pinkie scooped him up in her hooves.
"Well then, we'll just have to get little wittle alligators to bed!" She laughed with a wide smile before tucking the reptile under the covers of her bed. The alligator started snoring, a bubble being blown through his nose. Giggling at this, Fluttershy turned back to the door and saw Angel bounce onto her bed.
"How was your meal Angel?" She asked and the White bunny snorted before crossing his arms.
"I see." The Pegasus relied, before opening her suitcase and fetching a carrot, one which the hare didn't wait to snatch out of her hooves.
"Right, well girls, I'm in the room across the hall, I'll leave you to chat." The alicorn backed out of the room, closing the door with a hoof. The mares simultaneously sighed.
"Group hug?" Pinkie tried to lighten the mood, holding out her arms. The others complied and went over to the fourth sister's bed, joining in on a massive hug.
"It's okay girls, we'll get out of this...somehow..." Twilight anxiously bit her lip as she was hugged by her five older sisters.
Meanwhile in the princes' room. The five brothers were chattering way excitedly.
"Rarity was a true beauty!" Prince Blueblood charmingly grinned.
"I've got my eye on Princess Fluttershy!" Flim declared.
"As I've got one on Twilight!" Flam finished off. Trenderhoof was about to speak when the twins cut him off.
"We know who you like, you smitten kitten!" They chorused teasingly and the unicorn hoofed at the ground embarrassedly.
"What about you Shining, surely you have an eye for the eccentric pink one or the rebellious blue one." Blueblood turned to the youngest brother who was looking out the window solemnly. Shining armour shivered at this.
"How could you talk about these mares as if they are trophies!" The unicorn snapped at his older siblings, they had been nothing but pains since they had returned to their room. Luckily the princesses weren't that bad, they were all kind, generous, loyal, honest... But what really caught his eye was their servant. Cadance her name was, at first her purple eyes had traveled over the brothers skeptically, as if scrutinising them to see if they were good enough for the girls, but once decided she seemed to be so caring. Sighing Shining Armour turned away from the window and slumped onto his bed. Blueblood rolled his eyes before stomping his hoof on the floor.
"Servants, get in here!" He bellowed, swiftly followed by the opening of a door and the scurry of four ponies, what looked like a dragon, and a mix of animals called a draconequus.
"You! Fetch me and my brothers some apple cider, we need to celebrate!" The arrogant prince pointed at the draconequus, the creature in turn snarling silently.
"My name is Discord..." It whispered fiercely, but snapped it's talons, a tray of beverages appearing before the princes.
"And you! Make sure dinner is getting prepared, we want all the best for us and the princesses!" Blueblood didn't even look as he snootily pointed a hoof towards a random servant. The little dragon responded to being pointed at with a quick scurry out the door towards the kitchen.
"The rest of you can leave!" The servants responded to this by swiftly racing out of the room. Shining Armour groaned.
The princesses were trotting towards the dining room, were they were to eat dinner.
"I really don't want to spend dinner with prince snooty!" Rarity snorted and Rainbowdash agreed with a firm nod.
"But we have to turn up, or it would be very impolite of us..." Fluttershy reasoned as the six mares edged closer to the dining room.
"Impolite, smolite!" Rainbowdash waved her elder sister off with a hoof.
"Ah' agree, with the way the acted during lunch they don't deserve for us to be polite!" Applejack rolled her green eyes and Twilight bit her lip.
"We should give them another chance, they were probably just trying to show off and impress us.." The lavender unicorn spoke up but the five other sisters still seemed disinterested.
"Perhaps we can throw them off!" Pinkie squealed. And Twilight curiously cocked an eyebrow.
"What do you mean throw them off?" The youngest sister confusedly questioned.
"You know, make them think we are weird or something!" The pink party princess giggled. At this Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie and Rainbow screeched to a stop, sharing a devious glance and a mischievous wink.
"What are you girls planning?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"Trust me," Rainbowdash started
"Just leave it to us!" Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie finished. Twilight and Fluttershy shrugged but followed their sisters into the dining room. The six princesses sat down in their chairs, sitting up straight with gracious smiles that lightened up their faces. The princes smiled charmingly back. Blueblood clapped his hooves.
"Servants, give us the food!" The door was opened and was followed by six figures with silver trays in their hooves or magic. Once the food had been served the six servants silently trailed to the back of the room, waiting to see if their masters wanted anything else. Applejack surveyed the area, seeing the princes were eating she grinned deviously and nodded towards RD who was unsuspiciously wearing her cool glasses. Seeing the nod the blue Pegasus removed her glasses and tucked them under her wing.
"I just noticed, you princes haven't told us anything about yourselves!" Rainbowdash started and the princesses smiled innocently.
"Well, I enjoy all things apple." Trenderhoof smiled hopelessly at the uninterested orange mare across from him.
"Really? Because I can bake all things apple, Apple pie, Apple strudel, apple cobbler, apple dumpling, Apple cider, Apple Brown Betty-" Applejack started much to the annoyance of every other prince.
"Applejack knows everything about apples, just like I know everything about parties!" Pinkie cut the orange princess off.
"Because everyone needs a party to make them smile, which is kind of what I do, I live to make my sisters and my friends smile! Because everyone needs to smile, it makes everyone happy and joyful and-" Pinkie pie was cut off by Rarity
"Of Pinkie stop your woefully long life story!" The White unicorn threw a fore hoof to her head.
"Rarity stop whining!" Rainbowdash rolled her magenta eyes.
"Whining?! I'll show you whining!"
"The lights are too bright, this food is too cold and this water is too warm, this oval shaped table stops me from seeing everyone at the table, it's too hot in here, turn the fans on! Oh but not too high you'll mess up my perfect mane!-" the unicorn droned on and on and the princes shared panicked glances. The orange princess, blue princess and pink princess smirked at each other, just as they had planned.
After dinner the six princesses left and as soon as the door had shut behind them they all shared one massive hoof bump.
"Girls that was amazing!" Twilight grinned at the four princesses and Fluttershy smiled warmly at them too.
" we know." Dash strolled past cockily. What they didn't expect was for the six servants to exit the dining room after them.
"Stop!" One of them an orange pegasus cried and the six mare confusedly turned.
"We saw what you did out there!" A cyan pegasus gave a half smile.
"Thank you, no one has ever thrown off our masters like that!" A white unicorn stallion grinned wholeheartedly.
"It was awesome!" The little dragon clapped his claws.
"It sure was epic!" An orange earth pony with a poofy mane nodded with a large beaming smile.
"Boo!" The draconequus suddenly teleported in front of his fellow servants, the six mares falling backwards with yelps of surprise.
Each servant helped a princess back to their hooves.
"You will have to forgive him, he loves to pull pranks." The first pegasus rolled his eyes as he helped Twilight stand.
"Thanks. Now what are your names?" She asked curiously at the six creatures.
"Flash Sentry" the orange pegasus smiled, his turquoise eyes shimmering.
"Soarin!" The cyan stallion posed awesomely.
"Fancypants." The White unicorn stallion did a humble bow one which Rarity giggled at.
"Spike!" The dragon's tail lashed behind him as he spoke.
"Cheese sandwich!" The eccentric orange earth pony bounced once as he introduced himself.
"And I'm Discord, master of chaos!" The draconequus sneered, much to the fright of the princesses, his odd appearance was a little frightening after All.
The mares chattered among themselves,and Twilight introduced themselves.
"Cool, we best be going back to work, but seeing you mares 'round?" Soarin strolled past once the lavender unicorn and her sisters and the princesses nodded eagerly.
"Well that just happened." Rainbowdash grinned.
"Who knew some snobby princes' servants could be so nice?" Fluttershy's teal eyes trailed after the retreating bunch servants. They were very interesting. Very interesting indeed...