“Cousin Spike!” squealed Flurry Heart, peaking around the pink curtain that separated the balcony from the inside of the castle.
 
“Shh!” Spike replied, holding a claw over his mouth and gesturing out to the balcony.
 
Flurry craned her neck, her eyes flitting from her aunt Twilight to the changeling king, and back again. She crouched down behind the curtain again, and hissed: “Cousin Spike, what are they doing? Are they in love yet? Are they getting married?”
 
Spike muffled a laugh, and whispered: “Flur, this is their first date, they’re not getting married… yet.”
 
The princess knit her brow, staring at the pair of older royals.
 
“Well, have they, like, kissed?” she asked, impatiently, “Held hooves? Hugged? Have they even planned their next date yet?”
 
Spike gestured to her to be quiet, and they gazed for a moment at Twilight and Thorax. The king laughed and blushed at something she said, and the princess shoved his shoulder playfully. A moment later, their playful banter had shifted back to soft, hushed conversation, and the pair gazed warmly at each other. Finally, Spike replied; “No, they haven’t done any of that yet. But it’s definitely going well.”
 
“How’s it going well if they’re not doin’ anything?” grumbled Flurry.
 
“There’s just something new between them, Flurry.”
 
Flurry squinted at the pair, studying Twilight, Thorax, the air around them, the foot of empty space between them.
 
“What?” she asked, dumbfounded.
 
“I said there’s something there.”
 
“Well, what is it? What’s there?”
 
Spike considered.
 
“Cadence will tell you when you’re older.”