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Description
I remember seeing this tiny Alicorn galloping towards me, a few minutes after the first meeting I had with the Crystal Empress and her husband.

The filly had been brushed and groomed really pretty that day, I was later told, because she, too, was supposed to meet me with her parents. Apparently, she had managed to escape her servants before they could make her wear her regalia. Her mane and tail curled up in cute swirls that bounced at each step the filly took. Though her looks and voice were clearly feminine, her frame resembled more that of a tiny drafthorse: big hooves and strong legs, not at all thin and slender like her mother's.
It was evident she'd taken more after her father even in terms of personality, because I could only stare as she skipped to a stop just before crashing into me.

"You must be the Dragon Lord!" she chimed cheerfully, leaning forward until her soft muzzle pressed against my scaly nose. I smiled awkwardly, not really sure how to react, and mumbled a positive answer. Before I could add anything, however, she was already examining me from head to claws. "Your jewels are really nice, but not as beautiful as you!" she exclaimed after taking a close look at my tail and neck.

My eyes were still wide open with surprise when the Crystal Empress trotted towards us and pulled her daughter closer to her with a hoof. "I'm truly sorry, Lord Ember. Flurry Heart didn't mean to annoy you, she's just... a bit excited, because she couldn't wait to see you after hearing all the stories that precede your glory." The bigger Alicorn smiled sweetly at her filly before ruffling her mane.

One of the other ambassadors suddenly called Cadence, asking for help with the papers that needed to be filled after the assembly. Flurry Heart and I were left alone once again, and this time the young Princess opted for a calmer approach. We talked for a while about soft toys, tea, dolls, camellias (she complained about how the ones in her private garden had a too faint scent) and the problems of owning a peacock when it comes to feeding it (apparently, these birds bite anything that moves, or so she stated after explaining how hers had almost ripped a strand of her mane). Her company was extraordinarily nice and she emanated a tranquil atmosphere that managed to soothe me like nothing else. The comfortable bubble we'd bult around us was however popped when she piped up with an... original, I'd say, request.

"I have an idea" was the prelude to one of the most embarrassing moments I've ever had to go through. "Since we're both leaders to huge empires - well, technically, I'm the heiress to one, but you get what I mean - if we put our thrones together we could provide a much better life to our citizens!" I was seriously concerned that a filly that small already knew such complex terms - words that I even struggled with using correctly. My amazement slowly faded, though, when I started realizing what she actually meant.

"Wait-" I tried stopping her, and almost panicked when I saw both her parents walking towards us, but the Princess was too stubborn to be braked.

"Ember, Lord of the Dragons" she announced loudly with her eyes closed just as her parents were getting closer, now with a dumbfounded look on their faces, "I, Princess Flurry Heart, heiress to the Crystal Kingdom" she puffed out her chest in pure pride and her feathers ruffled as her wings were spread open, "propose to you the most sacred of ceremonies." I sat up, now completely terrified, as she opened her eyes and stared into mine with an intensity that almost scared me more than I already was. "Will you marry me?"

A heavy silence fell in the hallway and desppite my panic I somehow managed to register the reaction of every pony present: while Flurry was still looking at me expectantly, Cadence and Shining Armor started alternatively glancing at their daughter and then at me, over and over again, with growing shock and a hint of anger directed at me. The few servants who'd been within earshot of the majestic proposal had now disappeared for whatever reason. It was only then that I realized that the royal family in front of me was indeed expecting an answer of sorts, and that the future of the relationship between their kingdom and mine depended solely on my ability to hide my panic.

In the end, a sound that vaguely resembled a little laugh escaped my mouth, followed by words I didn't decide to speak. "Ask me again in 15 years, sweetie, and I might take that under advisement, shall I?"

I regretted talking as soon as I realized doing it. I could already see the furious soldiers charging at me with lances and torches as if I was a medieval witch. Instead, what I was answered with was even more surprise from all three ponies. Flurry Heart looked a bit disappointed, but hope was still shining in her sincere eyes when she gave me a confident smile and turned her back to me, trotting up to her bemused parents. Shining Armor stammered something I couldn't hear, and Cadence stared at me a bit longer before shaking her head quickly. Once she was recomposed properly, she grinned awkwardly and chuckled, muttering something to her daughter about having to go back to her room and wear her regalia.

Flurry eventually gave up and left, but not before glancing at me from behind her shoulder and throwing me another one of her bright smiles. In the meantime, her parents approached me with unreadable expressions on their formerly confused faces. The fear I'd earlier felt had now almost vanished: I was trying to reason that of course, how could they misunderstand my answer? I was only joking, and their daughter was too... wasn't she?

They exchanged one last glance before Shining Armor turned to me, his eyes soft and his voice not at all angry. "Flurry can be a bit of a troublemaker, we apologize if her behavior bothered you but we can assure you that it was not her intention of making you feel uneasy."

"On the contrary," Cadence added, "we do in fact agree with her little speech: uniting our crowns could result in a favorable alliance, don't you believe so? Of course, she is still too young to even realize what she proposed you, but if you're willing to wait the 15 years you promised, and if our daughter still holds the same affectionate feelings towards you... we won't have anything to stand opposite."

I was speechless once again, but quicker to snap back to reality. "I'm honored to receive such proposal, Your Highnesses. I will discuss the matter with my father, who still owns part of my power on the Dragon Lands. However, there is still quite a long time before we must make a decision, and for this reason I believe we should simply keep in contact and arrange monthly meetings in order to mantain a solid relationship between reigns." I was surprised at my own political skills, which I'd formerly thought non-existent, but found relief in their positive and relaxed reaction.

I didn't know that at the time, but my bond with the Crystal Princess was just going to get stronger, despite the distance separating us. And since Dragons age far more slowly than Equines, the 15-year period went by in the blink of an eye for me and my subjects. It was then that I knew the joke I'd made, back when Flurry was still a filly, had been one of the best instinctive reactions I've ever had: for one spring night, in the Crystal gardens, the light pink Alicorn scooted closer to me and whispered lovingly words that I'd have never expected to hear.

"I still wanna marry you."

____________________________________________________________________________

I'M BACK EVERYONE
So yeah, this is more or less how I picture EmberHeart in my AU <3 I don't have much else to say now, except that my two week holiday in the UK went absolutely great overall, and that I have to thank for the great headcanon depicted in this drawing and text ^^

Description
I remember seeing this tiny Alicorn galloping towards me, a few minutes after the first meeting I had with the Crystal Empress and her husband.

The filly had been brushed and groomed really pretty that day, I was later told, because she, too, was supposed to meet me with her parents. Apparently, she had managed to escape her servants before they could make her wear her regalia. Her mane and tail curled up in cute swirls that bounced at each step the filly took. Though her looks and voice were clearly feminine, her frame resembled more that of a tiny drafthorse: big hooves and strong legs, not at all thin and slender like her mother's.
It was evident she'd taken more after her father even in terms of personality, because I could only stare as she skipped to a stop just before crashing into me.

"You must be the Dragon Lord!" she chimed cheerfully, leaning forward until her soft muzzle pressed against my scaly nose. I smiled awkwardly, not really sure how to react, and mumbled a positive answer. Before I could add anything, however, she was already examining me from head to claws. "Your jewels are really nice, but not as beautiful as you!" she exclaimed after taking a close look at my tail and neck.

My eyes were still wide open with surprise when the Crystal Empress trotted towards us and pulled her daughter closer to her with a hoof. "I'm truly sorry, Lord Ember. Flurry Heart didn't mean to annoy you, she's just... a bit excited, because she couldn't wait to see you after hearing all the stories that precede your glory." The bigger Alicorn smiled sweetly at her filly before ruffling her mane.

One of the other ambassadors suddenly called Cadence, asking for help with the papers that needed to be filled after the assembly. Flurry Heart and I were left alone once again, and this time the young Princess opted for a calmer approach. We talked for a while about soft toys, tea, dolls, camellias (she complained about how the ones in her private garden had a too faint scent) and the problems of owning a peacock when it comes to feeding it (apparently, these birds bite anything that moves, or so she stated after explaining how hers had almost ripped a strand of her mane). Her company was extraordinarily nice and she emanated a tranquil atmosphere that managed to soothe me like nothing else. The comfortable bubble we'd bult around us was however popped when she piped up with an... original, I'd say, request.

"I have an idea" was the prelude to one of the most embarrassing moments I've ever had to go through. "Since we're both leaders to huge empires - well, technically, I'm the heiress to one, but you get what I mean - if we put our thrones together we could provide a much better life to our citizens!" I was seriously concerned that a filly that small already knew such complex terms - words that I even struggled with using correctly. My amazement slowly faded, though, when I started realizing what she actually meant.

"Wait-" I tried stopping her, and almost panicked when I saw both her parents walking towards us, but the Princess was too stubborn to be braked.

"Ember, Lord of the Dragons" she announced loudly with her eyes closed just as her parents were getting closer, now with a dumbfounded look on their faces, "I, Princess Flurry Heart, heiress to the Crystal Kingdom" she puffed out her chest in pure pride and her feathers ruffled as her wings were spread open, "propose to you the most sacred of ceremonies." I sat up, now completely terrified, as she opened her eyes and stared into mine with an intensity that almost scared me more than I already was. "Will you marry me?"

A heavy silence fell in the hallway and desppite my panic I somehow managed to register the reaction of every pony present: while Flurry was still looking at me expectantly, Cadence and Shining Armor started alternatively glancing at their daughter and then at me, over and over again, with growing shock and a hint of anger directed at me. The few servants who'd been within earshot of the majestic proposal had now disappeared for whatever reason. It was only then that I realized that the royal family in front of me was indeed expecting an answer of sorts, and that the future of the relationship between their kingdom and mine depended solely on my ability to hide my panic.

In the end, a sound that vaguely resembled a little laugh escaped my mouth, followed by words I didn't decide to speak. "Ask me again in 15 years, sweetie, and I might take that under advisement, shall I?"

I regretted talking as soon as I realized doing it. I could already see the furious soldiers charging at me with lances and torches as if I was a medieval witch. Instead, what I was answered with was even more surprise from all three ponies. Flurry Heart looked a bit disappointed, but hope was still shining in her sincere eyes when she gave me a confident smile and turned her back to me, trotting up to her bemused parents. Shining Armor stammered something I couldn't hear, and Cadence stared at me a bit longer before shaking her head quickly. Once she was recomposed properly, she grinned awkwardly and chuckled, muttering something to her daughter about having to go back to her room and wear her regalia.

Flurry eventually gave up and left, but not before glancing at me from behind her shoulder and throwing me another one of her bright smiles. In the meantime, her parents approached me with unreadable expressions on their formerly confused faces. The fear I'd earlier felt had now almost vanished: I was trying to reason that of course, how could they misunderstand my answer? I was only joking, and their daughter was too... wasn't she?

They exchanged one last glance before Shining Armor turned to me, his eyes soft and his voice not at all angry. "Flurry can be a bit of a troublemaker, we apologize if her behavior bothered you but we can assure you that it was not her intention of making you feel uneasy."

"On the contrary," Cadence added, "we do in fact agree with her little speech: uniting our crowns could result in a favorable alliance, don't you believe so? Of course, she is still too young to even realize what she proposed you, but if you're willing to wait the 15 years you promised, and if our daughter still holds the same affectionate feelings towards you... we won't have anything to stand opposite."

I was speechless once again, but quicker to snap back to reality. "I'm honored to receive such proposal, Your Highnesses. I will discuss the matter with my father, who still owns part of my power on the Dragon Lands. However, there is still quite a long time before we must make a decision, and for this reason I believe we should simply keep in contact and arrange monthly meetings in order to mantain a solid relationship between reigns." I was surprised at my own political skills, which I'd formerly thought non-existent, but found relief in their positive and relaxed reaction.

I didn't know that at the time, but my bond with the Crystal Princess was just going to get stronger, despite the distance separating us. And since Dragons age far more slowly than Equines, the 15-year period went by in the blink of an eye for me and my subjects. It was then that I knew the joke I'd made, back when Flurry was still a filly, had been one of the best instinctive reactions I've ever had: for one spring night, in the Crystal gardens, the light pink Alicorn scooted closer to me and whispered lovingly words that I'd have never expected to hear.

"I still wanna marry you."

____________________________________________________________________________

I'M BACK EVERYONE
So yeah, this is more or less how I picture EmberHeart in my AU <3 I don't have much else to say now, except that my two week holiday in the UK went absolutely great overall, and that I have to thank for the great headcanon depicted in this drawing and text ^^