Scarlet sat at the small table in the Ponyville inn reading over her itinerary.

Princess Celestia was not the least surprised that when Scarlet returned back to the palace late that night a week ago and was interested in taking part of the holiday off. At Scarlet's request, the two of them settled for her be a liaison for a few of the preparation committees on behalf of the royal family before the celebration, and then take the actual solstice day and the following week off.

She looked over her list.

Decorations- Town Hall

Music and Entertainment- Town Hall/Town Square

Food- Sugar Cube Corner and Sweet Apple Acres

“Town Hall is fine,” she said quietly to herself. “Lady Sparkle certainly has things taken care things there. Octavia and Scratch have got the entertainment covered by covered in the square and Lady Pinkie Pie has things in order at the sweet shop as well. Which leaves...”

Scarlet stared down at the paper, gazing at the last three words on the list:

Sweet Apple Acres.

Scarlet now realized why the princess was so easy to settle on giving her this list. Both Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and her sister Octavia were more than capable or organized to cover things. Sweet Apple Acres was where she both a desired and a dreaded to see.

Both Scarlet and her mother Cheerilee liked the plan Apple Bloom came up with. Scarlet would arrive as a royal envoy to inspect the food. This also gave her the chance meet more of the family (though it be in an official capacity) while Cheerilee could go set the record straight for with Big Macintosh. If Macintosh wanted to see Scarlet, she was right there on the farm. If Big Macintosh did not want to see Scarlet, or some other unforeseen circumstances arose, Scarlet could leave the farm having done her duty and go back to Canterlot.

Scarlet’s mind raced with scenario after scenario, but she had no clue how anyone would react. It was all up in the air and Scarlet needed to take her mind off of it.

“Beat you, High Score!” A voice called from a table across from her where a couple of ponies were playing cards.

“No way, Shady! Tornado are you sure he is not cheating?” A brown earth stallion replied to the blue one that just spoke.

A grey pegasus with a tornado cutie mark sitting with them looked up at the two of them.

“You both are beating me, what do I care?”

“I ain’t cheating!” The earth pony that was called Shady blurted out. “High Score just can’t accept that he can lose.”

“Bite me, Shady!” High Score rudely scoffed. “The only way you win is by cheating. Let me deal this time!”

“And let you cheat me!? No way!” Shady barked back. “And we learned the hard way that Tornado can shuffle worth crap!”

Scarlet sighed and she put away her schedule, despite all the ponies at the other table being older than her, they were all acting like children. She was going to put a stop to it.

Scarlet stood up and walked over to them, her tall stature and poise towing over them.

“I’ll deal!” She said in a direct but calm tone.

The three other ponies looked up at her.

“Fine,” Tornado said happily. “Get another mare in the game, even the numbers and put these little colts in their place.”

“And you are?” Shady asked her.

“Some who’s been noticing you’ve been dealing from the bottom deck for the last two hooves. Mr. High Score is right, you have been cheating.”

The comment seemed to shut Shady up.

High Score looked up at Scarlet impressed and slid half of his chips over to her.

“Here,” he said. “Pull up a chair, but don’t get too attached to those chips I’ll have them back from you in no time.”

“As for you I don’t think I’m in much danger, your big mouth of yours losses you more hooves than what cards you are dealt.” Scarlet sniffed, expertly bridge shuffling the cards.

“So you work at a casino, songbird?” Shady asked glancing over at Scarlet’s hawk cutie mark.

“I work at a palace of sorts, but no I do not work at a casino.” Scarlet responded not looking up at him.

Scarlet loved the game of poker, though she did not like gambling. Having spent many off duty days in the barracks had given her enough experience to enjoy the strategy and subtleties of the game.

“So what? You work at the Corn Palace?” High Score snorted.

Scarlet ignored his comment and dealt.

In about six hooves Tornado was out and Shady was down to his last chips.

“Fold,” Scarlet said calmly, discarding her hoof.

“You don’t know how to bluff, do you?” High Score asked her.

“I do, but I don’t need to when I know what cards you have by that arrogant smirk on your face.” Scarlet responded in a flat tone.

“You like my smirk then?” High Score beamed at her.

“No,” Scarlet said back in a cold tone.

Tornado pulled her hoof up to her face to hide a snicker.

“Whoa!” Shady remarked. “Denied! Ok High Score, I’ll see you, show me your cards!”

He pushed the last of his chips in.

“Two queens!” High Score replied.

“Dang! I only got two tens.” Shady groaned, hitting his head on the table.

“An then there were two,” Tornado said looking up at Scarlet and High Score.

Scarlet dealt them their cards.

“I’m in,” High Score said with the quickest of glances of his cards. “Just you and me, Lady Hawkeyes.”

Scarlet looked over at him and back at her cards.

“That is not my name,” she said arranging the cards in her hoof.

“What is your name by the way?” Tornado asked with sudden realization.

“I never gave it,” Scarlet replied. “I’ll stay as well.”

High Score shuffled his chips.

“I’ll keep my cards,” he said. “And raise four bits. So what is it? Eagle eye?”

“I’ll draw two.” Scarlet said, ignoring his smirk. “No, and I’m not giving it to you. I’ll see you and raise three.”

High Score put his cards face down on the table and gave a bigger grin at her.

“You know I am going to keep guessing till I get it.” He said crossing his arms. “Your name start with the word red? How about Red Hawk?”

“No,” Scarlet replied. “It’s your call.”

“Red song. I bet you have a beautiful singing voice.”

“No, your call.”

“Tell me.”

“Quit stalling, call or fold.”

High Score squinted his eyes at her. Scarlet looked back, her cool gaze patently waiting for his call.

“If I win this hoof will you tell me your name?” He said leaning forward.

“Is that your call? You see me my three and raise by asking me my name?”

“That and all in,” High Score said, pushing all of his chips into the table.

Both Shady and Tornado gave ‘oohs’ at High Score’s wager.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow.

“That was a dumb bluff,” she sighed.

“Really think that? I’ll give you a peek.” High Score said, flipping over one of his cards. It was an ace. “Fold and tell me your name.”

Scarlet shook her head.

“I’ve never needed to bluff because you’ve been practically doing in all night.” Scarlet replied. “I’ll see you, and you show me your cards.”

High Score flipped over the rest of his cards, he only had a pair of aces.

Scarlet showed her hand, full house jacks full of fives.

Tornado clopped her hooves. Shady pounded a hoof on the table in appreciation as well. High Score just sat there shocked.

“Well, it’s been fun ponies. But I’m going to bed.” Scarlet said, throwing her cards on top of the chips.

“Wait, wait, wait. This isn’t over! I demand a rematch!” High Score said standing up.

Scarlet stood up as well, her height towering over High Score. Both Shady and Tornado exchanged worried glances.

“You are in no position to make any demand of me,” Scarlet scoffed at High Score. She then turned to the rest of them. “Thank you for a enjoyable evening.”

Scarlet turned away from the group and headed for her room.

She heard High Score at her heels.

“A rematch tomorrow then!” He stated.

“I got places to go little colt,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

“Just give me your name.”

“You wagered that and lost, so not a chance!”

“Ember Wing?”

“You can stay here and keep guessing till the end of time if you want, but I’m not going to let you waste more of my time.”

“A scarlet mare like you walks in, schools me like a colt then walks out. I am not going to be mocked like this!” High Score said galloping in front of her to block her path.

Scarlet flinched at the sound of her name.

“What?” High Score asked at her change of expression.

Scarlet gave a sigh.

“Just when I think for a moment you get it, you go off again being a thick idiot. I guess dumb luck graces even the worst of fools.”

“Luck is a skill.” High Score said back smugly. “What you see as luck is actually my brilliance.”

“You really believe that? Arg! You’re impossible.”

High Score scratched his chin.

“Wait... Scarlet! That’s it! You’re name is Scarlet!”

“Out of my way loser!” Scarlet said pushing him aside and heading up the stairs.

“LOSER! YOU DON'T GET IT GIRL! I’M HIGH SCORE! NO ONE BEATS ME!” High Score protested, his face getting red.

“Really?” Scarlet called down the stairs back at him. “Because I beat you at cards on my first try! Keep practicing gamer-boy!”

Shady approach High Score who was now gawking at the now empty stairway where Scarlet stood.

“Easy man, she just got lucky!” He said trying to calm him down.

“Luck!? Haven’t you been listening to a word I’ve been saying!? She... I...” High Score’s voice tailed off.

“Looks like you found a worthy adversary,” Tornado said approaching the two. “Who would have thought it would be a younger mare?”

“She’s not that young. And ok, she may have beaten me today, but I don’t quit, even when I’m knocked down. I stay at it till I set the new record.”

“So what’s the new goal this time?” Shady asked with a sigh. “Train with professional poker players till you beat her?”

“No, this is not about poker. Cards are just the first level with her.”

Shady sighed again, this time rolling his eyes.

“Next level? So what is that Hoof wrestling?” He asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m not gonna stop til I have my prize.”

“What prize?” Tornado asked.

High Score looked back at the stairway.

“Her.”