The New Princess

Chapter 24: The teases + tour

As we entered the grand palace in Enchancia, I led the way, my friends following close behind with wide eyes and hushed voices. Even the Wonderbolts, who were usually too cool to be impressed by anything, couldn't hide their amazement at the towering marble pillars, glittering chandeliers, and intricate tapestries around us.

"Alright, Dash, this place is...wow," Surprise said, spinning slowly as she took it all in. "I knew it'd be fancy, but I didn't think it'd be this fancy. How are you even handling all this? Do you, like...live here? With Soarin?"

At her question, I felt my face turn bright red. "What? No! I mean, no, not here," I stammered, totally caught off guard. "The palace I'm staying at is just a little...further off from here. Near the forest. More further actually. Makes things a lot easier when i am at Soarin's palace cause Soarin and I have to work on...you know, training and all."

Misty Fly smirked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. "Oh, so it's just for training, huh? Or are you just looking for an excuse to stay close to a certain prince?"

"W-what? No!" I blurted out, feeling my cheeks burn even more. "Please, as if I'd stay here just for him! I mean... Soarin's just...he's just..."

"Totally has you wrapped around his finger," Fleetfoot teased, giving Misty a knowing smile.

I glared at them, trying to fight down my blush. "Can we just move on with the tour already? There's a lot more to see in this palace than, uh, where I'm not living."

My friends exchanged grins, clearly enjoying my embarrassment, but they followed me down the corridor lined with intricate paintings and sculptures. I was pointing out a portrait of Enchancia's royal family when I saw my brother, Rainbow Blitz, coming toward us, probably for a meeting he had with some minister.

"Blitz!" I called, waving him over. "Meet my friends, the Wonderbolts! This is Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Surprise, and Misty Fly."

Blitz's eyes widened as he scanned the group, and when his gaze landed on Misty Fly, he froze. His usual confident grin faded as he just stood there, staring with his jaw slightly open.

"Hi, Blitz!" Surprise chirped, giving him a wave.

But he didn't even notice her. He was too busy staring at Misty Fly, who had already caught on and raised an eyebrow with an amused smile.

"Uh...hi," Blitz managed, sounding more like a squeak. He cleared his throat, trying to act casual. "I mean, uh...hey. I'm Blitz. Rainbow Blitz. Rainbow's brother."

Misty smiled, giving him a once-over. "Well, nice to meet you, Blitz. Heard a lot about you from Rainbow."

Blitz straightened, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, yeah? Good things, I hope?"

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes, muttering to Spitfire, "This is just too cute."

Spitfire smirked, nudging her. "Almost as cute as Rainbow and Soarin giving each other heart eyes every two seconds."

My cheeks flared again, and I shot them a glare. "Alright, can you guys not make us a thing?"

"Oh, come on, Dash. We're just calling it like we see it," Fleetfoot teased. "You've been glowing since you got here with your prince charming."

Ahead of us, Soarin stopped, turned back, and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, if you all keep this up, I might have to keep Rainbow here for another week. You know, until she can control all the blushing."

"Very funny, Soarin," I shot back, my face heating up even more. He just winked, which only made my friends laugh harder.

Misty chuckled softly, leaning over. "Alright, alright, we'll lay off you guys...for now." She glanced over at Blitz, who still seemed spellbound by her. "But I think your brother might have a little...situation."

I followed her gaze to see Blitz practically tripping over himself to keep up with Misty. I snickered. "Oh, he's got it bad," I whispered, nudging Soarin, who chuckled beside me.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✨ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✨ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✨

As we continued the tour, I felt a wave of gratitude toward Soarin. Bringing my friends here had meant everything to me, and I couldn't believe he'd gone out of his way to make it happen. I looked over at him, his face relaxed and content as he listened to Spitfire's questions about Enchancia's military.

He's been so sweet about all this, I thought, a soft smile creeping onto my face. I don't know if I could've made it through without him.

Soarin caught me looking, tilting his head with a curious smile. "Something on your mind, Dash?"

I shook my head, brushing it off. "Nope, just...thanks. For everything."

He smiled warmly, his eyes softening. "Anytime, Dash."

"Man, you're really living it up here, Dash," Surprise whispered loudly, nudging me with her elbow.

"Just wait until you see the rooms," I replied, giving her a playful smirk. "Speaking of which... Soarin said they're getting everything ready for you guys, but you can all hang out in my room until they're finished."

Soarin, who had been walking a few paces ahead, turned back with a smile. "Yeah, it'll only be a bit longer, and then you'll have your own space. Meanwhile, Rainbow's got quite the setup."

"Oh, we don't mind bunking with Dash," Fleetfoot said, glancing at me with a sly grin. "Especially if we get to see where she spends her royal downtime."

I shot her a look, feeling my cheeks warm. "It's not all royal downtime, okay?" I muttered, shoving open the door to my room and holding it open for the group.

My friends flooded in, immediately dropping onto the overstuffed couches, leaning against the walls, or sprawling on the carpet. Twilight was inspecting the ornate bookshelves, while Pinkie had somehow found the hidden snack stash, passing around treats before I could stop her.

"You have snacks in here?" Pinkie gasped, holding up a bag of enchanted-looking caramel popcorn.

"I'm... resourceful," I muttered, shrugging.

Fluttershy settled into one of the plush chairs, glancing around with a content smile. "Your room is beautiful, Rainbow. It must feel like a whole other world."

"Pretty much," I replied, taking a seat on the carpet next to her. "Sometimes, I can't believe it's real."

Applejack tipped her hat back, admiring the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "I can see why ya like it here. But you sure you're not just stayin' here 'cause of Soarin?" she added, throwing me a teasing grin.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not! Well... it's convenient. Training's nearby and... you know, the whole royal thing."

Fleetfoot snickered. "Yeah, yeah. Convenient, sure. I bet Soarin's just thrilled that you're so close by, too."

Just then, Soarin cleared his throat, clearly trying to hold back a smile. "Alright, guys. I'll leave you all here to get settled. Rainbow, feel free to give them the full tour." With a wink, he stepped out, leaving the door slightly ajar.

As he walked off, Surprise let out a mischievous laugh. "Full tour, huh? Are you sure it's just the palace he's interested in showing you, Dash?"

"Ugh, you guys!" I protested, half-laughing as my face heated up.

Misty Fly leaned back against a pillow, grinning. "So, Dash, when do we get the real scoop on you and Prince Charming?"

Before I could respond, Spitfire raised her hand to silence the room, her expression serious. "I think we all know the truth here, everyone. She may be living the palace life, but Dash will always be our Rainbow—wonderfully stubborn and impossible to embarrass."