My Little Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 7

Meanwhile at the castle in Canterlot, Prince Artemis was standing at the window, looking outside. He sighed, and said "No sign of her yet, Shining Armor." "Of course not." King Shining Armor said as he was eating a hay burger. "Good half hour till sunset." After he finished his meal, he looked at Prince Artemis, and said "Oh now, come on. Buck up! Battle's over! The mare is as good as here." Prince Artemis walked over to King Shining Armor, wand said "I'm sorry, Shining Armor. But after sixteen years of worrying, never knowing-." "That's all in the past, now." King Shining Armor said interrupting Prince Artemis. He clapped his hooves, and his servant named Dr. Whooves who brought in two glasses, and a bottle of apple cider on a gold platter. Shining Armor took the apple cider, and poured them into large cups as he said "Tonight, we toast to the future with something I've been saving for sixteen years." Prince Artemis nodded, picked up his glass with his magic, and said "Right, Shining Armor, to the future!" "To the future!" Shining Armor said as he gently hit Prince Artemis's glass with his own. They drank the apple cider as Dr. Whooves drank his in a small cup, and hiccuped. "Ah, excellent vintage." Shining Armor said as he poured more apple cider into their glasses. "And now, to the new home, huh?"

Prince Artemis looked at King Shining Armor, and said "New home?" "The unicorns need a nest of their own, don't they?" King Shining Armor asked as Dr. Whooves quietly poured apple cider into his cup. "A place to raise their little foals, huh?" "Well, I suppose in time..." Prince Artemis said. "Of course. To the home!" King Shining Armor said. "To the home." Prince Artemis said as he gently hit King Shining Armor's glass with his own. Dr. Whooves drank his apple cider, and King Shining Armor clapped his hooves, catching the servant's attention. "The plans." King Shining Armor said. "Of course." Dr. Whooves said as he took out a castle plan, and held it up in front of Prince Artemis. "Well, what do you think?" King Shining Armor asked. "Nothing elaborate, of course, Fourty bedrooms, dining hall, honeymoon cottage, really." Prince Artemis looked at King Shining Armor in shock, and said "You mean you're building it already?" "Built, Prince Artemis." King Shining Armor said. "Finished. The love birds can move in tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" Prince Artemis asked. "But Shining Armor, they're not even married yet!" "I'll take care of that tonight." King Shining Armor said as he poured some apple cider into Prince Artemis's glass. "To the wedding!" Prince Artemis pushed the pouring drink away, and it landed in Dr. Whooves glass as Prince Artemis said "Now hold on, Shining Armor. I haven't even seen my daughter yet, and you're taking her away from me!"

"Getting my Elusive, aren't you?" King Shining Armor asked. "Yes, but-." Prince Artemis tried to say, but King Shining Armor interrupted him, and said "Want to see our grandfoals, don't we?" "Of course, but-." Prince Artemis tried to say, but King Shining Armor stopped him from talking, and said "There's no time to lose. Getting on in years." He raised his glass full of apple cider, and said "To the wedding!" As Dr. Whooves drank his apple cider while leaning back against the table, only to fall onto the floor, Prince Artemis said "Now be reasonable, Shining Armor. After all, Rarity knows nothing about this." "Well?" King Shining Armor asked. "Well, it may come as quite a shock." Prince Artemis said as King Shining Armor started to sip his drink, only to spit it out when he heard what Prince Artemis said. "Shock?!" King Shining Armor asked getting angry while walking towards Prince Artemis. "My Elusive a shock?! What's wrong with my Elusive?!" Backing up, Prince Artemis said "Nothing, Shining Armor. I only meant-." King Shining Armor once again interrupted him, and said "Why doesn't your daughter like my son?" "Now, now-." Prince Artemis said trying to calm the angry king down. "I'm not so sure my son likes your daughter!" King Shining Armor said. "Now see here-!" Prince Artemis tried to say, but King Shining Armor pushed him, and said "I'm not so sure my grandfoals want you for a grandfather!"

Getting angry, Prince Artemis said "Why you unreasonable, pompous, blustering windbag!" "Unreasonable, pompous-!" King Shining Armor said seething in anger as he took out a swordfish, and held onto it with his magic to fight Prince Artemis. "En garde sir!" "I'm warning you, Shining Armor." Prince Artemis said as he held up a platter with his magic, and used it as a shield. King Shining Armor then hit the platter with the swordfish as he said "Forward! For honor! For country!" The fish flopped, and then Prince Artemis and King Shining Armor got into a fit of laughter. "What's this all about anyway?" King Shining Armor asked. Prince Artemis put the platter on the table as he said "Nothing Shining Armor, absolutely nothing." "The foals are bound to fall in love with each other." King Shining Armor said. "Precisely." Prince Artemis said pouring apple cider into their cups. "And as for grandfoals, I'll have the royal woodcarvers start work on the cradle tomorrow." "Splendid!" King Shining Armor said. King size, of course." "Certainly." Prince Artemis said. "To the woodcarver's guild!" Before they could toast, they heard snoring. They looked under the table to see Dr. Whooves taking a nap after he had too many apple ciders.

Then they heard the announcer say "His royal highness, Prince Elusive!" "Elusive!" King Shining Armor said as he ran outside to greet his son. Before the castle, Elusive arrived on his carriage as he went past the stairs. King Shining Armror ran down the stairs, and said "Elusive! Elusive! Elusive, hold, Elusive!" Dopey Hoof stopped running, and parked the carriage as Elusive got off. King Shining Armor ran up to Elusive, and said "Hurry, colt, hurry, and change into something suitable. Can't meet your future bride looking like that." "But I have met her, father." Elusive said. "You have?" King Shining Armor asked. "Where?" "Once upon a dream." Elusive said. He then picked his father up with his magic, and started humming as his father said "Oh, Elusive, stop it! Stop that! Why, Elusive, put me down!" After Elusive put him down, King Shining Armor said "Now, what's all this dream nonsense?" "It wasn't a dream, father." Elusive said. "I really did meet her." King Shining Armor smiled, and said "Princess Rarity? Good heavens, we must tell Prince Artemis! Why this is the most-!" Elusive stopped him, and said "I didn't say it was Rarity." "You most certainly did." King Shining Armor said. "You said-!" "I said I met the mare I was going to marry." Elusive said stopping his father from talking. "I don't who she was. A peasant mare, I suppose."

King Shining Armor looked at his son in shock, and said "A peasant m-m-mare? You're going to marry a...why Elusive, you're joking!" Elusive shook his head as his father did the same. King Shining Armor looked at Dopey Hoof, and said "Isn't he?" Dopey shook his head, and said "Nope. He is not." "No!" King Shining Armor cried out in dismay. "You can't do this to me! Give up the throne, the kingdom, for some, some nobody?" Getting angry, he said "By harry, I won't have it!" He almost threw his silver crown to the ground, but his son caught it with his magic. "You're a prince, and you're going to marry a princess!" King Shining Armor yelled out. Elusive placed the crown on his father's head, and said "Now, father, you're living in the past. This is fourteenth century, nowadays." "Nowadays, I'm still the king!" King Shining Armor said. "And I command you to come to your senses!" "And marry the mare I love." Elusive said as he got into the carriage. "Exactly!" King Shining Armor said. "Goodbye, father!" Elusive said as Dopey Hoof starting pulling the carriage. "Goodbye, father." King Shining Armor said. "Marry the mare you..." He suddenly caught himself as Elusive went past him, and said No, no, Elusive, stop! Come back, hold, Elusive!" Elusive and Dopey Hoof took off to the Everfree Forest as King Shining Armor ran to the entrance to the castle, and said "Elusive!!" But Elusive and Dopey Hoof didn't come back, so King Shining Armor sadly walked to the stairs, and sat down. "Oh, how will I ever tell Prince Artemis?" He wondered sadly.