Silver strode towards the meeting, fidgeting slightly as he went. He was dressed up in a fancy tuxedo. It wasn't a perfect fit, but they didn't really plan for an alicorn to drop in so suddenly.
"This is the closest we have for you," insisted the thin unicorn known as Sassy Saddles. "Why don't you come back after your little get-together and we'll get you properly sized? I'm sure Rarity--"
"You know Rarity?"
Sassy had pointed to the sign at the front of the store. "This is her boutique, Canterlot branch. As I was saying, I'm certain she'd love the challenge of making an outfit fit for a prince, but since you need it today, this is the closest we have."
And so there was Silver, pulling at his clothing nervously with little tugs of his magic as he trotted up to the door and focused his magic on the knocker before hesitating. It was a perfect time to practice. He let his magic go, channeling the telekinesis in a cloud that he stuffed through the cracks of the door and beyond, reaching into the unknown past it.
He could feel at least five ponies quickly. Three stallions, two mares, all unicorns, which made sense enough. That was Canterlot, afterall. No wait, there was an earth pony? He felt over the anomaly a moment. Stallion, moderate build, jeweled... Suddenly his magic fizzled and he was left with a mild headache that started to clear quickly, but something had dispelled his efforts. How curious...
The door opened suddenly, revealing not an earth pony, but a zebra stallion that looked at him with a raised brow.
"Oh! Hello." Had he been noticed? "Nice to meet you, I'm--"
"Silver Watch, we've been told." The zebra stepped back. "Next time try to introduce yourself with less magic."
Silver colored faintly as he proceeded inside. There was Fancy Pants, beside Fleur and talking with several other unicorns. With a smile, Silver proceeded towards the familiar faces. "Sorry about that."
Fancy looked up as Silver approached. "Ah, here's the stallion of the hour. Our uncrowned prince." He coughed into a hoof. "As they said at Princess Twilight's coronation, 'Behold.'"
The other unicorns turned to regard Silver curiously. A stallion looked him up and down. "I guess that makes sense enough?"
"What does?" asked a mare.
He pointed at Silver. "The colt that could barely control his magic came to this. It was his destiny from the start."
That got a nod from all of them, unified in the ideal of fate at work. One of the mares circled around Silver. "I heard the most fascinating things about you--"
Fancy cleared his throat, commanding all eyes towards him. "We'll have plenty of chances to get to know Silver. He'll be joining us today, but let's not overwhelm him." He leaned a bit closer to the crowd. "He's a bit new to the scene, but he's eager to learn."
Silver felt himself relax. He was in good hooves with Fancy around. Where was Night Wi-- He jumped as he looked to the right and found Night Wing standing beside him as if she had always been there.
"I said I'd be here." She was wearing a sheer and glistening dress that covered her form. Before, he would have been blind to it, but he had internalized what made a pony pretty or not, and that dress was certainly flattering. "Stop staring at me." She frowned. "Keep your eyes on the nobles. They're the ones you need to impress."
One of the noble mares glanced between Night Wing and Silver. "Is she with you?"
Silver considered a dozen excuses before settling on the truth. "Let me introduce a bodyguard and esteemed servant of mine, Night Wing, proud member of the Warlocks."
That drew a chorus of impressed noises as some pressed close to start pressing her for questions, which she addressed tersely.
Fleur pressed against Silver's side. "You've grown into such a fine stallion." She raised her brows together. "You must be so proud."
Silver warmed. The contact felt like a little more than a friendly bump. "I'm more than a little nervous, really. I want to do what's right for Equestria."
Fancy raised a glass held in his magic. "I'll drink to that." His words prompted a toast as many glasses rose together. "To Equestria!" they clinked together and drinks were had.
The zebra nodded towards Silver. "Tell me, where did you learn such advanced magics?"
Silver felt on the spot. Most of them were likely unaware he had done anything. "I learned a lot of tricks with Cel--"
A stallion perked up. "She did it again! Princess Celestia certainly knows how to find the talented ones."
That wasn't what he had meant, but close enough by his measure.
It wasn't enough for the zebra, who looked him up and down. "I'm told you don't have a 'traditional' marriage."
That raised many curious brows. One of the mares flashed a smile. "Please, tell us and dispel the rumors. What sort of arrangement do you really have?"
Silver glanced at Night Wing, but she was answering her own questions and not paying him much mind. Some help she was. "I actually went... more traditional. I am the stallion of my herd. Night Watch is my first wife."
"How decadent," declared a stallion.
"Indeed," agreed a mare, but she was colored as if the idea didn't entirely repulse her. "Do you treat your mares as property?"
Silver's eyes widened. "Oh no! Just like any good marriage, there has to be love." He took a slow breath. "I--"
The Zebra suddenly spoke, "Do they love each other?"
Silver blinked. "Y-yes. I have two wives, Night Watch and Samantha, and while I adore them both, they are also extremely close to each other. I think that's the best way to do it, like an extended family."
One of the stallions nodded. "I can hardly keep up with the one I have." He got nudged for that, but continued. "I should imagine any more would need to get along very well. Those are the sort of arguments that could leave a stallion in pieces."
Fleur draped herself over Silver in that graceful way she tended to move. "And how would a mare enter this herd of yours? I imagine that is the question in many heads right now."
That was a bit too much, but how did he nudge her away without being rude? He slipped his magic out around her and put an inch between them despite her still leaning on him. "Well, I'd be the wrong one to ask."
Fancy raised a brow at that. "I should think you'd be the first to ask?"
The zebra shook his head. "Of this I know. The one to approach is the first wife. Only she may even consider bringing in other ponies, then it is seconded by the stallion. I have heard tales of it being with and without speaking to the other wives."
How did the conversation get to be entirely about his family structure? "We wouldn't dream of doing it without everyone's approval."
Mercifully, that topic shifted as a mare asked, "When are they going to do your coronation? It's indecent to have a prince without one, and unusual for Princess Celestia to put it off."
Silver smiled at the crowd. "Actually, I was hoping I could get a few tips about that." Eyes turned towards him. "I wasn't born noble, and I don't want to embarrass her, or our lovely country. Will you show me a few things?"
Suddenly advice was the only thing he didn't want for. In turn each gave a few bits of advice on how to stand, how to talk, how to address other ponies of higher and lower standing. It was almost enough to forget about his uncomfortable suit, almost.
A unicorn approached with a platter of food and held it in his magic before the crowd. "Refreshments?" Others stood closeby with refills of wine and less hard drinks, and the chat died down as several availed themselves of the offered treats.
Wing was suddenly by Silver's side and paying attention to him. "You're doing fine."
"Where were you?"
"Ready to act if needed, which I haven't needed." She glanced at the zebra enjoying a cracker with something on it. "I don't trust that one. Foreign, knows more than he's letting on..."
Silver couldn't argue that, not directly. "He knew I was using magic before."
"Huh, trained..." Wing scowled. "I'll keep an eye on him."
She vanished into the crowd as well as she did shadows, and Silver was left alone as the conversation picked up. It was, thankfully, not about him but instead some noble that had divorced and remarried for the fourth time, the scandal of it all. Silver nodded along, but felt no particularly strong emotions about a pony's handling of their personal affairs.
Fleur turned towards a hallway. "May I take a moment of your time?" She wandered off with a little sway to her hips that Silver caught. It was a trap, he figured, though not the kind that'd land him in the hospital, but worse. He valued Fancy as a friend, and wanted to keep that.
He nudged Fancy gently. "Come on, nothing two stallions can't handle."
"Too right." He fell in with Silver and they went to assist Fleur.
They navigated the hallway easily and found a door cracked open. Fancy opened it with his magic and stepped inside to find Fleur laying on a couch, giving her best come hither look that disintegrated quickly into surprise at Fancy being there at all. "W-what? I..." Her look returned suddenly. "You really do like groups."
Fancy colored in a way Silver hadn't seen before. "Dear, please. This is most unbecoming."
Silver felt he should say something, but what? "I'm sorry, but marriage is an important promise." He closed the door behind them. "Fleur, can I help?"
She seemed surprised at the question. "You clearly don't want to help." She rose up to her hooves, frowning.
"Not like that." Silver smiled gently. "I mean you. You have a lovely husband, caring and loving. Tell me, what would make you stray? No judgement."
Fancy raised a brow. "I can't promise to oblige that, dear boy. You're... Fleur, did I treat you poorly?"
Fleur looked between the two stallions. "I don't suppose we could just pretend this little scene never happened?" Silver wasn't budging. "I supposed not... Very well, Ambassador." She settled back on the couch. "From colt to counselor. I hope you realize how embarrassing this is for me."
Fancy let out a small breath and turned to Silver. "Look here, I... understand where you're going, I think, but... Is this proper?"
Silver extended a hoof towards Fancy. "You've given me so much. If I can help, please? If you don't want it, I'll back out of this room and pretend I saw nothing. Embarrassing either of you is so far outside my goal. I just want to be a friend."
Fancy quirked a smile as he settled down. "Most friends don't rush to be involved in such matters. You're something else. Very well, I'll allow it."
Fleur seems to want to turn the semi colon into the full colon, but Fancy is there with protection from typos?
Due to her position and abilities, I wonder if this one not only knows of Zecora, but is related, or is there to keep track of her?
well now, i guess you could say that this is starting to turn into a sausage fest the question is why tho, she say him growing up from no less than a young colt and she is like mid 20's to early 30's
7246192 point taken, it's your story anyways, who am I to tell you what story line points to put in to your story. Who knows maybe the typos will be a technology enhancement one of these days?
Many threats abound, but of a different persuasion than normal.
The zebra is a plant, the real enemies are the mares!
Keep going! ;)
ROFL
Maybe silver's pheromones are affecting the mare's around him; first male alicorn, mare's naturally go towards the strongest stallion, after all.
7246836 I know I say said for the second time I was done with this but I'm just getting the basic computer components in with out programming, answer fusal magic could help put it together if they analyze the tiny bits and peices and take every conceivable note upon taking it apart, then testing what elements/molecules/you know what I mean is used where and re apply it. If course that is making the assumption that on equestria there are even those materials.... Forget it leave it with twilight long enough and there will be two , fix all for the win!
7246903 ooh I will probably bring this back up sometime, but I need more evidence as of now... But for now I conclude until a later date
O my this is interesting. but some how I have a really good feeling that Fleur and Fancy and going to end up with a much stronger mirage.
Sassy pointed - Sassy had pointed
That rose many - That raised many
conversation get entirely - conversation get to be entirely
behind themselves - behind them
on that couch - on the couch
*****
Silver seems to be handling himself well with a small nudge from Night Wing to redirect his attention and stay focussed.
I imagine that Fleur is looking for a little spontaneity in her relationship and Fancy may not be aware. I get the feeling from the past chapters that she does love him and he loves her just as much. Silver Watch - Ambassador and Marriage Counselor.
Intersting choice of words by this particular stallion. Usually 'decadent' has the meaning of rich and indulgent, but the actual root is shared with 'decay' so a decadent society for example is one that is falling into disrepair or regressing to a more primitive state. I don't think it's a compliment, though it may seem like one.
Prince Silver Watch, Prince of marriage counseling.
7247590 Funny part is that the word really works for all meanings of it. The crowd seemed largely positive at least?
7246903 wait, it is either am board out of my mind that I'm taking every last lead I can get, but I got it now. They Have this technology in Equestria, infact they are not far from inventing their own computers. I belive y'all are familiar with arcade games at an arcade such as places scattered through out six flags great America well I present this picture
encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTRUdNeQbtj1WL-ghi6ckH8pPLRer7nEKwCA6aj3XrKERsRuJuCKrtvig9F
As you can see this is where button got his name from, button mash, and mind you that the first video game recorded in history wasn't made in one of these little machines, it was a basic program made on a computer during world war II, and you might debate that it is a computer game not a arcade game, well the first arcade game, pong, was released later in 1971 and it had much more advanced technology there fore by reason they have th technology to make a computer. Infact computers should have came first! Explain this! (But honestly I'm not trying to insult intelligence in anyway this is about pride and fun now and magic won't pass sense button here is an earth pony unless if earth pony magic can do arcade games)
7248894 Unless it's actually a mechanical game. We never get to look at it for long, so who knows?
7248922 I would say not just look at the joy sticks, they are basicly plastic, if it was mechanical there would be larger turny ones, and there would be no use for small plastic buttons that could easily break in comparison to larger ones which are much less likely to break, although I do admit this would be a strange place to put an electronic game
Fleur's married. She knows Silver's married several times over. She knows that Night Wing is present and keeping an eye on Silver. She also knows that Night Watch holds all the relationship cards. And yet, she still makes a blatant and ham-hoofed move like this?
I hope there's more going on than the ending made it seem, because she had to know she was going to fail spectacularly if all she wanted was a tumble in the sheets.
And if that's truly the extent of her plans, she and Fancy have more serious problems than Silver can likely fix with his endless supply of friendship Band-Aids.