The Gift Of Beginnings

by RainbowBob

Rating: mature
Tags: Alternate Universe, Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Queen Chrysalis, Romance, Shining Armor, Sex
Length: 12723

On one fateful night, all those years ago, Shining was her knight, and Chrysalis was his queen.

She came to them like a thief in the night, cloaked in darkness and shadows. She had a heart of ice and cold steel, a creature both beautiful, exotic, and deadly. However, like the flip of a switch, there came a change in her. A soldier, whose loyalty was so strong that it gave even her black heart pause, changed something in her. Even if it was for one night.

For Chrysalis on that fateful night, Shining was her knight, and she his queen.

Collaboration with my good friend Merc the Jerk, who you all should definitely check out!

Big thanks to my editor Marik_Azemus for all the help!

Art from the very talented ManiacPaint, go check him out as well!

Published 2014-04-15 03:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-15 03:50:02 UTC

Chapter 1: The Past That Could Have Been

The wind smelled different here.

It was an obvious thought, of course, especially for a woman as smart as she was, but even then… The wind smelled different here.

She gave a small click of her tongue, shaking her head slightly. Her silky green hair moved with the motion of her head like silky snakes. She adjusted herself on the metal chair she sat in, crossing her legs and leaning an arm against the tabletop.

This wasn’t the time for fleeting thoughts. She was in Canterlot, one of the worst places for a creature of her kind to be in. Blueprints of the city she had managed to get her hands on proved fruitful, at least for the time being. It was hard enough to sneak through the magical shield protecting the capital city; she had to crawl through a passageway reserved for the princesses if they ever needed to flee the castle, and then make her way through the guards patrolling the city streets. She was successful, nonetheless, and now that she was outside in one of the smaller abandoned houses, she realized that the wind smelled different here from the open window.

Will you stop? she thought, rolling her green eyes. She craned up slightly, gazing through the window, past the iron bars that made the garden fence, over the privacy trees that separated the castle from the town proper. She could only make out bits and pieces of the town’s brick buildings and the oil lanterns that lit the roads against the night sky, so she rested once more on the table.

But it was true... The wind in her homelands was far different. There, it was bitter. Stale. Downright oppressive. Here? Sweet. Wet, as if the grasses she stood in were kissed by rain on a daily basis. The scent seemed almost hopeful, in a way.

It turned her stomach. She clenched her brown hand tightly as she sat at her far off table in the corner. Waiting gave her time to think about how much she hated that hopeful aura. These people shouldn’t have such lovely treats. Why couldn’t hers? What made Celestia’s children deserve this more than her own?

Nothing, that’s what. Which was why she felt no remorse for what she was going to do to this land. How she was going to suck it dry.

Her own presence here wouldn’t have to be endured for not too much longer. She had a mission, and once it was complete, all of Equestria would know her name.

She heard a creak a bit farther down the way, towards the path leading to the upper part of the city, where aristocratic men and women spent hours talking frivolously about clothes, upcoming parties, and such scandalous material as what their neighbors ate the night before. She knew that at most ten minutes from now, a certain man would arrive, open the gates that needed to be oiled, and walk down the path to meet with a woman.

The very same woman who Chrysalis made sure wouldn’t be around for almost the entire day. It had taken a bit of finesse, a few gold in palms, and, for one stubborn soul, a broken nose and a threat against his brood, but Chrysalis made sure that the man wouldn’t be meeting the woman today.

Rather, he’d be meeting her.

She looked down at her form. The dress was right, a pink, frilly thing she had no business normally wearing, but herself?

Chrysalis needed to make a few changes.

She shut her eyes, repeating a pattern she had done many times before in her life, be it man, beast, or abomination.

Chrysalis envisioned a woman. Young. Eternally young, much like herself. Much like every ruler and ruler-to-be in the lands. This princess-to-be had violent and rose streaked hair, Chrysalis’ own green hair almost as much of a contradiction as Chrysalis’ dark skin to the princess-to-be’s fair, rosy complexion. She envisioned a tall yet lithe figure, one of a pert, womanly softness, a softness that Chrysalis’ own body held, though her own carried a certain sort of short, impish playfulness to it, compared to the princess’s more matron-like, regal stance.

She opened her eyes. Like the hundreds, perhaps thousands of times before, her appearance had changed, matching what she envisioned right down to the small, minute dimple present when the woman smiled.

Chrysalis tilted her head, batting a finger curiously at the hanging diamond earrings she wore.

“How much gold did you throw away for these, Cadence, dear?” she questioned. She paused, giving a small rub to her throat.

“It wasn’t my money, so it doesn’t matter,” she answered herself, her lower, nearly snake-like alto voice gone, instead replaced by the well enunciated, majestic tone of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Or, Cadence, as she was more often called by the public.

So far, her disguise was going swimmingly. With Cadence made sure to not be in the castle for the evening, she could roam the halls without anyone the wiser. Plus, with her exclusive access to the castle due to her princess status, she’d be sure to dig up some secrets and weaknesses about Canterlot and even the princesses if she played her cards right.

Brushing her smooth and bouncy hair with a gloved and well manicured hand, Chrysalis’ eyes glowed a vile green fire. “And since this isn’t my castle either, it doesn’t matter.” Chrysalis laughed, her malicious glee showcasing her old form, even through the disguise.

The night was the same as any other. Cool winds, partly cloudy skies, full moon with a spectacular array of stars in the sky. It really was a peaceful, tranquil, and quite beautiful evening…

Shining Armor gritted his teeth, stamping his feet on the ground. Yet again, the boring monotony of guard duty had broken his steady resolve. Well… as steady as it’d ever be. Truthfully, that’d been the fourth instigation of a break in concentration that week. He could only be thankful that at least the captain wasn’t there to give him an earful. He may have been getting on in the years, but the Captain of the Royal Canterlot Guard could still reduce the best of recruits into a puddle with just a few, mostly likely very loud, words.

Grasping his spear with a tighter grip, Shining looked down the pathway like at any moment it could be filled with a bloodthirsty mercenary group of vandals. Which it most likely wouldn’t, but still, one had to expect the worse.

As his shift came to a close, instead of the mercenaries he had so dearly hoped for just from a break in pace, another guard marched down the pathway, meeting him.

“Hey there, mate,” the other guard grunted, Shining moving out of his way so he could get into position for the next six hour watch.

“Anything big happen while I was gone from the castle?” Shining half joked, stretching out his limbs from their former rigid positions.

The other guard shook his head, then shrugged. “Not that I know of. Heard there was a big ceremony going down in the city. Some big shot ambassador is hosting an event out of the blue, so all the princesses are there.”

Shining stopped his stretching, his attention returning solely on the guard. “All of them? Even—”

“Yeah, yeah, even Cadence.” The guard smirked, hiding a snigger. “You still got the hots for her?”

“Me and half the kingdom,” Shining admitted, sighing.

“Well, don’t shatter your hopes just yet. There’s still the possibility she’ll fall in love with a guard like yourself. I mean, that possibility might be one in five billion, but it’s still there.”

Glaring at the other guard, Shining said, “You know, you can be a real asshole sometimes.”

“Comes with the job. Now, you gonna hit the barracks or what?”

Shining turned away, shaking his head. “Nah, I still got one more job to do.”

“Escort Princess Cadence back inside the castle?” The guard chuckled. “You do know she’s still gonna be at that party, right? Not a chance she’ll be coming back here this early.”

“You’re wrong. There’s still a chance. And it’s my duty to solemnly protect the princesses, no matter how small that chance.”

Shining made his way down the path, ignoring the chuckles from the other guard. Okay, so he did have the most miniscule of a chance of hooking up with Cadence. So what? He’d been chasing after her for years now, with no results in sight, but in the end, that didn’t matter. If his job revolved around making sure she was safe, that was all the results he needed.

Marching down the garden pathways, he made his way to the very edge of the castle, where it separated from the city due to the wall. Though there was other entrances into the castle, closely guarded yet less bothersome than through the main gates out front. The gardens were a more public space within the castle grounds, so it made sense to allow public access more easily. A set of wrought iron gates, with two guards on the perimeter at all times, was the quickest route into the gardens and castle proper. And just where he was supposed to meet with Cadence on his nightly rounds to guide her safely back into the castle.

Nodding to the two guards on either side of the gate, Shining unlocked the gates and made his way down the dimly lit path that lead into the upper parts of the city. He now realized he should had at least brought a lantern of some kind, but thinking too hard about it now would only make him look like a blustering fool.

“Princess Cadence? It’s me, Shining Armor, back to escort you back to the castle,” he called out, waiting close to the gates. It was strange she didn’t appear already. Typically she had an escort of guards who would trail her whenever she went into the city, allowing Shining the privilege of taking her the rest of the way into the castle. But now, she was nowhere to be seen. “Hmmm… she must still be at that party then.”

“Here,” a voice called from the shadows. Cadence stepped from around the corner of the building, smiling warmly. “Good evening, Shining.”

Shining smiled. “Ah, good to see you, Princess. Where are your guards?” Shining peered over her shoulder into the shadows of the pathway. “Didn’t they walk you back from the party?”

She paused. “I… dismissed them,” she said. “It’s such a lovely night, I’d rather us experience it,” she raised her brow, carrying a smile Shining could almost call coy on her lips, “alone.”

His jaw hung open, then closed immediately, his mind flustering for an appropriate response. Finally, one of the guards at the gates coughed impatiently, signaling for Shining to get a move on. Pointing to the pathway of the gardens with his spear, Shining said, “W-well then, princess, l-let’s just be on our way then, sh-shall we?”

“Lead on, my knight,” Cadence said, giving a small curtsy and turning to follow.

Shining’s palms were so sweaty, he could barely believe he could hold onto his spear properly. He stood at her side, forward walking to guide her on the dark pathways of the garden, every now and a then, a lantern pouring light on the two. Finally, after a heavy silence had dawned on the pair, Shining asked, “So… uh… how was the party?”

“Fine,” she said. “Simply fine.”

Well, now he was certainly drawing straws. Typically he’d be quiet and do his guardly duty with escorting her in a timely manner to the castle, but for some strange reason he had an itch on the back of his neck that needed scratching by asking any question he could think of.

“So, Celestia and Luna had a nice time then?”

“When does Celestia not have a good time at parties?” Cadence replied. “But enough of that, what about you? How are you doing?”

Now Shining was more shocked than ever. She was actually interested in him? Never before in all his dreams did he imagine one of the princesses, never mind Cadence, asking how he was.

“I-I’m doing fine. You know, the usual, guard duty and all.” He turned around and smiled, screaming mentally for him to act cool and not look like a moron. “Just the ol’ serve and protect type of life for me. Nothing compared to the glamour being a princess must have.”

She laughed dryly. “I wouldn’t call it glamour,” she said. “You at least have more pressing things to do than talk for hours on end with diplomats.”

“I wouldn’t really call staring at a wall for hours at end all that really pressing,” Shining joked, successful in getting a laugh out of her. “But I do call it a job well done, at least in my captain’s book.”

“And I suppose your captain’s word is the best word to go by,” she concluded with a gentle laugh. After a moment, Cadence looked up at the night stars, their beauty so vivid that she could see them even through the lantern's light and the city’s oil lanterns. “Shining?” she questioned.

Shining stopped in his tracks. “Yes, Princess?”

“Perhaps you could walk me somewhere different tonight?” She smiled, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “An escort to the castle’s archives?”

Just her touch sent shivers down his spine. “Archives? Do you really need a guard for that, princess?”

“What if I don’t need a guard,” she asked, “but a guide? Or, rather,” she winked and continued in a teasing tone. “Maybe I just want to waste more of your valuable time… if you’d let me, that is.”

At this point, Shining considered his time as valuable as the dirt on the ground. “Wh-why of course, princess, it’d be an honor.” He tried his best attempt at a smile that he could only hope didn’t make him look like a fool. “I am sworn to guard you even if my life depended on it. A trip to the castle archives wouldn’t be a bother at all.”

“Very well, my guard. Take me there,” she said, her broad smile briefly turning into a devious smirk before widening once more.

The archives were an odd mix of schools of thought. The more easily accessible rooms towards the front were spotless, meticulously sorted things that allowed a young scribe or scholar instant access to the most popular theorems and spell incantations, whereas the deeper archives where dusty, archaic messes littered with scrolls and papers draped across every open surface. As they took a glance towards the rear of the archive the two exchanged a glance. Candance, or, rather, Chrysalis beamed at Shining, then after he turned, went back to mentally drilling holes in the back of the man’s head.

It was a stroke of genius having him bring her here. She had so little time in surveying the area that she had no time to find the archives, let alone the documents and files she needed to present to the community at home.

“So, princess, any particular thing you got in mind to read about?” Shining asked, wiping some dust with a finger and inspecting it. “Man, I’m getting spooky chills being back in this place after so many years. Twilight would practically drag me down here all the time, though at least I caught up on my sleep afterward.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes when the man wasn’t looking, but played her part, laughing. “Is that so?” she questioned as she looked over the tilted lines of scrolls on the shelf, making sure to be as vague in her response as possible. She had learned at a young age how to avoid stepping in conversational landmines when taking another’s identity.

“Yeah, surprised she didn’t drag you down here all the time as well.” Shining stood with his hands at his side, scanning the scroll titles. “Looks like we’re in the history section, specifically, pre-Equestrian times. Down there,” he said, pointing to another row of shelves, “is the arcadia section, with old and recent edition spells for the mages and military in the Equestrian armed forces.”

“You have such keen eyes,” Chrysalis said, beaming at the man and making a mental note that Cadence somehow knew Twilight in some way. “Arcadia is exactly what I was searching for. Namely dispel incantations.”

“What would you need that for?” Shining asked, his curiosity spiking.

She briefly froze. “Ah, well, it’s…” It came to her. The best lie was the one closest to the truth. “The diplomat I was entertaining earlier. He questioned the integrity of the shield spell that’s cast over the city. I told him that there was only a handful of spells that could cancel something of that magnitude, but their names and incantations I completely forgot on the spot!” she chuckled, wearing a smile that looked guiltier than she wished it to be. “I felt so foolish that felt I needed to look them up to make sure I was at least close to what I thought they were.”

“Well, I could’ve told you that easily enough,” Shining said with a slight chuckle. “Hard to believe, but I’m one of the best shield casters in the guard force.” He knocked against his golden plate armor. “They don’t call me Shining Armor for nothing, you know.”

“O-oh, of course,” Chrysalis said. She reached down and grabbed one of the arcadia tomes and cracked it open, sitting it down on a nearby table and gesturing to it. “Then enlighten me, my knight.”

Shining took a seat across from her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, beating the shield to the city is a pretty tough endeavor. It’s made to reflect most magic and physical means of removement right back at the attacker. Makes any large, powerful attacks impossible. Plus, any specific spell that could disarm the shield spell had already been taken into account with hexes and magical incantations set up to prevent this.” Shining cracked a smile and winked at her. “But that’s no stopping a multi-front attack on the spell. Hit it enough times at certain places, and you’ll burn it out quicker than focusing in just one area. Might take a long while, but even the best caster would be fried before the shield could hold up long enough.”

She smiled, leaning forward on the table to expose a bit of—well, technically Cadence’s cleavage, but for now she’d call it her own—to the man. “Fascinating. It’s the perfect defense against an organized push, but you throw wild, untimed chaos at it and suddenly it’s vulnerable. It’s almost like a lesson, isn’t it?”

Shining’s jaw hung low at his focus was drawn to the two mightily distracting views taking up his vision. “Uh… umm… y-yeah, whatever you say.”

“‘Whatever I say?’” she repeated, running her fingers lightly over her collarbone. “I’m not sure you want to say that, Shining.”

“Well, you are the princess, after all. Whatever you say goes, and I am sworn to obey it, no matter what.” Performing the formidable task of removing his eyes from her generous cleavage and staring her in the eyes, Shining put as much heart and soul he could muster in his next few words. “Even if it means my death, I will do whatever it is in my power to protect and serve you, Princess Cadence, you can count on that.”

Chrysalis paused. There was something in his words that actually froze her in place for the briefest of moments. It was rare to hear something that pure from her lands, but what really caught her off guard was the conviction that they carried. She almost shivered at the strength of his devotion to the princess.

In the meantime, Shining stared deep into Chrysalis’ eyes. He had been expecting the warm, caregiving look of Cadence from those pupils, yet even though they looked the same, he could sense something… unusual. Sinister, even. Something not all the same with her eyes that he had stared at a thousand times over, yet he couldn’t put his finger on it. Frowning, he rubbed his chin and furrowed his brows as he gazed deeper.

“Is something wrong?” she questioned, raising a brow. “You seem… perturbed.”

Shining leaned in closer. “No, it’s probably nothing. Just… are you wear contacts or something?”

“No,” she tersely said. She squinted her eyes shut, willed them to return to Cadence’s true look. Opening them again, she shrugged. “Are you sure your own eyes aren’t tired? Guard duty can take its toll on you, I’m sure.”

Shining rubbed his eyelids with the back of his hands, blinking a few times afterward. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right, princess. It has been a long night, so I’m probably not thinking straight.”

“Well, in that case, we should send you to bed, shouldn’t we?” she said, rising and moving to put the book back on the shelf. “You’re dismissed, Shining. I can find my own way back.”

Getting out of his seat, Shining asked, “You sure you can get back to your chambers alright, princess?”

She paused. Once she got the troops prepared to march to Canterlot, even if it was going to be many months from now, it would be nice to know where the princess lay, as this disguise was perfect for almost any job she needed to do in this territory. “Very well,” she concluded with a nod. “Lead on, my knight.”

Never before had Shining dreamed that he himself would be escorting the princess back to her private chambers. Well, of course, he had imagined it, though it had less to do with escorting and more to do with holding her in his arms and then… well, the rest was obvious.

The halls of the castles near the princesses’ quarters were densely lined with guards, about two at every door down each hall. Extra security measures for obvious reasons, since the princesses were top priority for the entire guard force.

Still, it was a pleasant enough experience to walk down these ravishing halls, the floors made from only the finest marble in the lands, while paintings more expensive than anything Shining could ever make in three lifetimes over hung on the walls. All in all, a pretty grand spectacle for just the hallways of the princess quarters. He could only imagine what the insides of those rooms were like.

Candace trailed behind him, glancing past every painting, every curtain, every rug seeming to catch her eyes, absorbing their detail like a starving man might a feast.

“I must admit, my feet get quite tired in these heels,” Candace said with a small laugh as her eyes hovered and briefly narrowed on a large portrait of princess Celestia, before returning to their more innocent gaze. “I can imagine your boots would be a far more comfortable walk.”

Shining shrugged. “Well, they are designed to be used over rough terrain, so I’d guess so.”

“Well, I guess it’s settled then,” Cadence decided. She stopped for a moment, reaching down and pulling off one shoe, then the other. She gave a small wiggle and flex of her dainty toes now that they were free from their prison, drawing attention to the forest-green toenail polish she wore. “Would you care to hold on to these for me?” the princess purred, gazing at Shining with half-lidded eyes and holding out her shoes to the man.

Raising a brow, Shining silently nodded and held her heels for her.

As they walked farther through the halls, Cadence let a sly smirk cross her lips. “You’ve certainly been bashful this evening, my knight. Something on your mind?”

Shining blushed, rubbing the back of his neck with a sweaty palm. “O-oh, it’s nothing, really. Not every night such a beautiful lady takes an interest in boring ol’ me, much less a princess.”

“This surprises me, Shining,” Candace replied, reaching towards him and playfully running a finger down his cheek. “Why, I would think you would have to beat the ladies away with a stick, as handsome as you are.”

“I… uh… I’m usually too busy with guard duty to think a-about the ladies,” he admitted, a trickle of sweat running down his forehead due to her touch.

“It isn’t healthy to be busy all the time, Shining,” Cadence gently reprimanded him, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You need to make sure to relax…” She reached up to the back of his neck and took to working his neck muscles with a touch surprisingly rougher than her gentle hands would suggest. “Otherwise you’ll get sick. And we wouldn’t want that at all.”

Shining felt a lightness enter his stomach, like he was floating on air now. His head felt a bit dizzy, with his mind aflutter and unable to focus on anything in particular. The only thing he could compare it to was a large quantity of blood loss, which he knew well enough during a training exercise gone wrong in his rookie days. But now, he could barely walk straight.

Tripping and nearly toppling over, Shining righted himself with one hand against the wall. Between him and his leverage spot was Cadence, their bodies pressed against one another and their faces only inches apart. Not a guard was to be seen on this secluded hallway, leaving it to just the two of them, all alone in the dimness of the moon’s light from a glass-stained window.

“S-sorry,” Shining muttered, still trying to right himself on his feet. He could feel her heartbeat beating against his chest, their close proximity allowing him a whiff of her scent. It was less rosy and citrusy than he expected, almost something else entirely he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Shining…” she trailed off quietly, moving a hand up to caress his cheek. She tilted her head closer to him, her eyes closing on their own accord, only to stop at the last moment. “W-we should hurry to my room,” she said, barely able to peel herself away from him.

“Y-yeah… right,” he agreed. He held a palm against his forehead, noting its hot and clamminess. Was he sick? He had felt just fine before, but ever since he picked Cadence up, all he noticed was that he was getting weaker. A headache was starting to take form, while his muscles ached for unknown reasons. If he didn’t know better, he could say he was going through one hell of an illness. But, never the one to complain, Shining toughed it out and led Cadence onward to her rooms.

They turned left at an innersection and walked until they came to a set of double-doors at the dead-end of a hall. He nodded at Cadence and the princess curtsied back, walking to the door. She tried the handle. Locked.

Her face seemed to change for the briefest of moments, turning into a mask of anger and fiery eyes, before becoming her wholesome, albeit frustrated, face once more.

She made the smallest gestures with her hand. A green aura coated the doorknob. Shining heard dozens of clicks stem from the object before a final louder one let itself be known. Cadence gave a turn of the knob and smiled when it opened up and into the dark shadows of her room.

Taking a quick peek inside and nodding to her, Shining said, “Well, if you don’t need anything else, princess, I guess I’ll be going now.”

He turned, taking a step off before Cadence’s voice called a single word.

“Wait,” she said.

Shining halted in his tracks, giving her a glance over his shoulder. “Yes, princess?”

“...You still have my shoes in your hand,” she said, turning and stepping into the room. “Why don’t you bring them inside for me?”

Feeling like more of a dolt than ever, Shining followed her in with her shoes in hand. “Oh, man, terribly sorry, princess, my work hours must really be getting at my mind now.”

“Like I said, you simply need to relax,” Cadence replied. She looked over the room, taking note of the vanity, the jewelry on top of a dresser, a halfway open door to her right revealing the start of a very posh restroom, a set of magnificent windows showing the castle’s inner courtyard and the moon above, and just opposite of a pink, almost childish bed was an expansive walk-in closet.

“You can put them in there,” she said after a moment’s hesitation, gesturing to the closet. She walked over to the vanity and seemed to take a sort of inventory, curiously applying a slight dab of blush to her cheeks and looking herself over in the mirror.

Shining followed orders, walking into the closet and hitting a switch. Rows upon rows of dresses of the most expensive variety hung from the sides, the amount here probably outdoing every other noble woman in the kingdom and then some. Whistling lowly under his breath, Shining muttered, “Damn, you really do know how to accessorize, huh?”

“It comes with the territory,” she said. Shining heard the door leading to the hallway shut, he glanced up to see Cadence walking towards the bed and sitting politely on it, her back straight and her hands in her lap. “Please,” the woman nodded to her side. “Join me.”

It took a few seconds for the gears in Shining’s head to finally click together into a working fashion for him to realize what she was implying, and even then, common sense beat his hopes into submission. “...Say what now?”

“Sit next to me,” she repeated, the tone a hint more aggressive than what seemed to be normal from the princess. “My knight.”

Well, he couldn’t disobey a direct order like that, now could he? Complying with as much awkwardness and hesitation as he could unconsciously muster, Shining sat at the edge of her bed, as far away from her as he could allow. “So… uh…” Shining coughed into his hand, unable to look at her. “Anything you need, princess?”

“It’s…” She reached for his arm and entwined her own with his. “It’s rather a want over a need, I believe.” She let go of his arm and turned on the bed. “You,” she whispered. Leaning forward, she planted a kiss on his smooth chin, then cupped his head in her palms and dove deeply into his lips.

Shining didn’t know what he was expecting, but the princess practically throwing herself at him definitely wasn’t one of those things. Hell, for the first couple of seconds all he could do was stand still like a statue as she eagerly snaked her tongue in between his lips. Not wanting to let her do all the work, Shining joined in, interloping her tongue with his own as their lips smacked against one another while their kiss grew more passionate and heated. He could feel her hands at his back and sides, desperately trying to unlock his armor while he himself unconsciously moved his hands to her shoulders to pull down her dress.

However, Shining stopped himself, drawing himself back at the last second. Breathing heavily while quickly realizing his armor had been removed from his torso, Shining gulped. “Princess… I…. I don’t know what to say.”

“It isn’t about saying anything, my knight,” Cadence answered hungerly, her hands already at work running over his hard and toned chest. She leaned into him, pushing him down onto the bed. “It’s about action, is it not?”

“It’s not just about that,” Shining said, holding her arm to keep her still. “It’s much more than that. Cadence, what I’m trying to wonder is… why? Why me, why now?” He looked into her eyes, once again meeting them with the unfamiliarity from before. “I mean, when you babysitted Twilight, we grew to know one another, but never before did I ever think you were interested in me. Why now, of all times?”

She paused, staring at him, like she was trying to piece together a puzzle. “You’re interesting,” she finally said. “A very interesting man indeed. Now, even when sh—” Cadence glanced briefly away, biting at her lip, “When I want you,” she corrected, “you’re curious for the reason why? Do I need a reason why?”

Shining arched a brow. “Doesn’t a lady typically need one? I mean, I can get if this is a one nightstand type of thing. I just, well…” Shining rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I just don’t want that to be the only thing between us.”

Cadence leaned back, looking perturbed. “I see,” she stated, sitting regally on the edge of the bed, looking over him with scrutiny. “That’s… not what I’m used to.”

“You’re more used to guys throwing themselves in a desperate bid for your affection?”

“In a sense,” she admitted, brushing her hair back behind an ear. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but closed it. “In a sense,” she repeated.

Shining grasped her hand, holding it tightly while looking back to her eyes. “Cadence, I love you. I’ve had this feeling for so long now, it’d be useless to deny it. I don’t know if you love me as well, but I don’t want to be with someone I know I’ll never have. If my love for you will only result in us in bed and nothing more, then I just can’t do it.” Shining’s breath shuddered, Chrysalis noticing his palms were sweaty. “I just can’t do that. Not when I feel so strongly for you.”

Cadence jerked away as if shocked. She stood, biting a knuckle and taking to pacing. After a moment she sighed, letting a terse, quiet laugh out. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she said, rubbing an arm. “Shining,” she addressed. “I can’t feel the same way you do. But it’s for a reason you couldn’t possibly understand.”

“What’s to understand? Cadence, I just want to be with you. To be your knight.” He squeezed her hands gently. “I can give you all the love in the world and then some.”

“You can give her all your love,” Cadence stated. Her eyes widened at the slip and she scowled, an unnatural expression on her face. “I can feel it even now. How much you care. It’s enough that I’m getting dizzy just being in the same room as you. And you don’t even know if it’s a mutual affection. I just...” She shook her head. “I have never seen something like this.”

Shining cupped Chrysalis’ cheek, resting his forehead against her own as the two drew nearer. “Cadence, I can teach you how to love, if that’s what it takes. I love you enough to give it a shot.”

“You don’t understand,” Cadence said once more. “But…” She seemed conflicted. After a long, hesitant pause, she nodded over to the bed. “Sit, my knight. I’ll make you understand.”

Shining withdrew himself on the bed, feeling naked on the pink sheets before her eyes. Though truthfully, he was already halfway naked due to her eager hands.

“By your love, promise that you won’t act rash until after I’m finished,” she said, putting her hands together and closing her eyes as if in prayer.

There was a subtle change in her face, no more than a twitch, and then a green aura overtook her body. Her cream skin peeled away, as if fluttering scales had coated her body, revealing bits and pieces of an entirely different figure. A shorter stance. Darker, earthy-toned skin, breasts, while still prominent, at least a cup size smaller than Cadence, pointed, unnatural ears with two emerald green hoop earrings in either one that perfectly matched her flowing hair. She ran a hand with sharp, dagger-like nails down the cleavage of her breasts, finding rest at the curve of her sublime hips.

“Do you understand now, ‘my knight’?” she questioned, her voice low and dangerous like a snake’s hiss. She offered a weak grin, exposing her sharp canines. “Why I knew you couldn’t teach me?”

Shining stared at Chrysalis for a few seconds, his jaw hanging low. Finally, he raised a finger and asked, “Wait… so… what? You can transform your appearance now? What type of magic did you learn to do that?”

She gave an incredulous look his direction, her own jaw briefly hanging. “N-no,” she answered blinking in surprise.

“Um… uh… I… got nothing,” Shining said, shrugging.

“I’m not her, you fool!” the woman snapped. “I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changeling tribe.”

“Oooh, right! Makes sense now,” Shining agreed, nodding his head. Then, it finally hit him. Glancing across the room and through the doorway, Shining now realized he left his spear resting against the wall at the door to Cadence’s chambers. In hindsight, not his best decision. Thinking fast, he rolled off the bed and made a move to tackle Chrysalis where she stood.

She gestured to him, magic flaring to life. He was thrown against the wall, green shackles pinning his arms in place.

“I thought I asked you not to be rash?” she asked, walking first to lock the bedroom door, then towards Shining, who was struggling against his bonds.

“My love is only for Cadence, not some two-bit shape changer lookalike walking around like her!” Shining shouted, putting all his effort into breaking free.

Chrysalis nodded. She smiled, running a hand across his cheek. “That’s why I said you interested me.” Her smile faded and she broke away from him, returning to pacing to gather her thoughts. “When you give a dog a treat, he gobbles it up, does he not?” she asked, looking over to Shining. “But you…” Chrysalis crossed her arms, gazing down at her feet. “You wanted more than a quick fix, didn’t you?”

“What does it matter to you?” Shining grunted. He slammed his back against the small space he had with the wall, still unable to wiggle himself out, yet that didn’t stop him from trying. “I don’t know why you wanted me so bad, but it doesn’t matter! The second I get out of these bonds, I’ll drag you down to the dungeons myself!”

“I didn’t want to bed you specifically,” she replied, then gazed at him like a teacher instructing a student. “My tribe, we don’t require substance in the same way men do. We can eat flesh and fruit and it will keep us alive, but…” She put her hands behind her back, looking royal as she stared him down. “What we require for our magic, for us to truly prosper, is love. And love and lust are two sides of the same coin. The stronger the lust, the greater its power.” Shrugging, she laughed. “And what better lust is there than an unreachable one? I could have disguised myself as a prostitute and eventually gathered enough strength from the men and women that visited me to let me channel the magic I needed. But why do that when I could simply bed one person and be done with it?”

Shining gritted his teeth, his strength all but gone from his constant struggles against Chrysalis’ magic. “You think I care for whatever insight there is about you? Go burn in Tartarus for all I give a damn.” Shining’s eyes narrowed, the bound guard leaning as far as he can from his bonds to get closer to Chrysalis. “But I swear, if you so much as harmed Cadence is any way, I’ll make you wish for an afterlife in Tartarus after I’m done with you.”

“Your Cadence is fine,” she said. “I haven’t hurt her in any sense of the word.” Chrysalis once more paused. “And do try to be a bit more civil. I’ve been more than accommodating to you.”

“Civil? You snuck into the city disguised as a princess for Celestia knows what, and you expect me to be civil?” Shining’s eyes widened, and then his face fell. “Shit… it makes sense why you’re here now. And I practically spelled it all out to you. Fuck!”

“You did good in that regard,” Chrysalis replied with a smirk. “And I felt I played my part perfectly.”

Shining raised his head, his earlier distraught turning to a devious smile. “Yeah, I guess we did. Too bad you forgot an important piece of information.” Shining’s eyes glowed a brilliant blue, orbs of light taking form in his hands. “They don’t call me Shining Armor for nothing!”

His bonds shattered as the orbs took the form of a shining shield, more of the bright blue magic pouring out of his palms. Free now, Shining made a move against Chrysalis during her surprise, successful in this attempt at tackling her to the ground. The two struggled against the other, Shining’s superior strength giving him the edge during such close combat quarters. Eventually, he got her pinned down, holding her arms to the floor while he used his knees against the sides of her body to keep her down. He smirked, sweat pouring from his brow onto her.

“Well done,” Chrysalis said, staring up at him.

Breathing heavily, Shining said, “Okay, now that I’ve got you just where I want you, there’s no going back. You’ll be spending this evening in the dungeon, Your Majesty.”

“And do you think I’ll go along willingly?” she asked. “Because I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Shining’s hands glowed blue once more, the magic locking Chrysalis’ arms in place. “Maybe, but I still got the upperhand. Plus, you pretty much spelled it out to me that you’re weak now. Trying to get into my pants made that clear enough that you’re running low on magic and need a refill.” Leaning down, Shining whispered into her ear, “Well, guess that’s not gonna happen now, will it?”

“Do you think so?” Chrysalis replied. She shot her head forward, pressing her lips against his for all she was worth.

Shining was taken aback, his grip starting to weaken. At first trying to fight it, the intoxicating presence of her tongue wrestling against his own was too much. He drew into the kiss as well, his magic failing as that familiar light headed feeling from before returned. Soon, even his strength began to slowly fade away the more enamoured into the kiss he got. The magic faded from around her wrists, she moved up to wrap her arms around the man’s neck, pulling him closer. She broke away from the kiss, grinning.

“Told you,” she said.

“You bleeding parasite,” Shining whispered, his vision starting to blur.

“Parasite?” Chrysalis questioned, kissing him once more on the lips then trailing down to his chin, then his neck. “I don’t know about that. I mean, I’m working for my magic, after all.”

“You’re nothing but a love-sucking parasite,” Shining repeated, his strength faltering on how much longer he could keep himself above Chrysalis. “How does it feel that no one will ever love you, and that you’ll never love anyone back? You’ll always be an empty shell filled with cracks, always trying to fill it with love from someone else, only for it to spill out.” Shining winced, groaning under his breath as more of his power was drawn out. “You’re just a heartless monster ripping out other’s hearts in the hope you’ll get one yourself. But you never will.”

She paused, a spark of anger flaring to life in her eyes. “I’m not a monster,” she replied, staring at him. “You don’t understand what this is like. You don’t understand what I’ve had to do to take care of my people. Your kind could never understand us.”

Shining smirked, falling to his side as his energy was finally spent. “I don’t need to understand, I can already see it clearly enough,” he said, staring at Chrysalis lying down at his side. “You can make up any excuse you want, but you’ll still be a parasite unable to love anyone but herself.”

Chrysalis shot her hand forward, slapping him on the cheek as she made her way atop him. She pushed him off of her and stood, quivering in indignation. “Would a parasite have shown you what she really looks like? I could have had my way with you, I could have lied in Cadence’s form and committed my soul to you and left you bitter when the real her had no idea what you meant. But I didn’t because, for some maddening reason I thought you deserved better than that. I thought you deserved at least a bit of the truth. I had enough magic in me to seduce you with a spell, but I chose not to do that either, yet you…” She pointed a finger at him. “You think you’re better than me? To Tartarus to you, welp. ”

Shining grabbed her wrist, not budging from staring in her line of sight. Now it all made sense why he could never familiarize himself with those eyes of hers. Cadence’s were always loving and giving, full of merit and good cheer. But Chrysalis, her eyes were hardened, closed away like a locked iron cage. Callous and full of malice, her pupils were practically on fire from some deep, burning rage within herself. It made Shining sick to his stomach he had fallen so easily into this imposter’s ploy. Yet… there was something deeper there. Behind the mask of viciousness and fury, there was a small flower of… determination? He didn’t know how to describe it, but in the turbulent that was Chrysalis’ soul, Shining spied the tiniest of good traits blossoming forth. And right then and there, he could see he had her all figured wrong… for the most part.

“Why do you fight so hard?” Shining asked. “Why do you bother trying to be something you’re not?”

“My people need me to,” she said curtly. “I’m sure your Celestia has felt the same on occasion.”

“But you go about it hating us. Hating yourself.” Shining closed his eyes, breathing in deeply before opening them again. “Even now, you could have killed me, or knocked me out, or something. But you didn’t. If you seriously hate me and my people as much as you say, then you wouldn’t hesitate to do it. Hell, revealing yourself tells me you’re not as evil as I would’ve thought. So why? Why do this then?”

“I don’t know,” Chrysalis said, limply letting her hand rise and drop. “I…” She looked towards the door, then to the ceiling with a sigh. “It’s… this place. It’s so different from my own. A part of it I hate, a part of your people I hate, but… another part of me wants a land like this for my kind. Where we can spend days on end talking about shoes and food, and all your other frivolities. Why do your kind have that, but mine don’t?” She scowled, her eyes sparking. “And why does the fair princess Cadence have men and women of all walks of life fawning over her, while I’m met with nothing more than fear?” She bridged her hands together in front of her, looking surprisingly weak, like a scolded child. “Am I… do you still think of me as a monster?”

Shining gulped, throat running dry. Before there had been a being filled with such hatred and spite, betraying his feelings at one of his most vulnerable moments, all he could think of her was nothing more than a black-hearted deceiver. But now, seeing her for what she truly was, for why she did what she did, his earlier statements about her were false. She was just another ruler worried about her people, and willing to do whatever it took to make them survive.

Looking up, he saw droplets of tears beginning to form in her eyes. On instinct, he wiped one away, whispering, “You try to cover up who you are with hatred and fear, but that isn’t who you are at all, is it? You just want what’s best for your people.” His fingers gently caressed her cheek. “And deep down, you want to be loved.”

She sniffed, turning from him, ashamed at her own tears. “I…” she choked out, her face scrunched and frowning. “I…”

“Chrysalis, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be this way.” Shining parted a lock of hair that had fallen out of place, a small smile on his cheeks. “Even if you say you can’t love, you still have goodness in your heart. Even a dumb ol’ guard like me can see that. And I’m sure deep down, you know it too.”

She embraced him, squeezing him tightly against her, letting out dozens of shuddering, heavy breaths as she tried to regain her composure. “Shining,” she whimpered.

He held her close, allowing her tears to spill freely on him. Now he weak feeling in his muscles was gone, his strength returning slowly but surely. “Yes, Chrysalis?”

“You’re…” She swallowed, her breathing finally calming down. “You’re a good man.”

“And you’re not as bad as I first thought,” he said, smiling gratefully at her. “Maybe not as bad as you think, either.”

She weakly smiled, one of the first genuine smiles she had in a long time. “Thank you.”

He returned her smile with one of his own. She shifted in her seat, looking him over.

“Shining?” she questioned.

“Yes?”

Chrysalis chewed on her lip once more. “I mentioned earlier how we use love and lust as a sort of food, yes?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, it also lets us sense… affections, as it were. It’s how I had at least an idea on who to target for my disguise as Cadence.”

“You disguised yourself as Cadence to make it easier to fool me?” Shining asked, arching a brow. “Man, am I really that obvious?”

“It was one of the reasons for a disguise, yes” she agreed with a nod. “But that’s beside the point.” She narrowed her brow. “I felt something from you a moment ago, Shining.”

“I… kinda felt something to. Like you weren’t sucking out my soul from before. It… actually feels pretty good,” he admitted, cheeks flushed. “Like I can feel another heart beating alongside mine, filling me with energy.”

“You’re making me feel the same way, in a sense.” She moved her hand hesitantly to his shoulder. “Like I don’t have to hide behind a mask to be accepted. It’s… nice.”

“Yeah, it feels good.” Shining’s hand moved of its own accord to her back, slowly trailing up her spine and to the hem of her dress. “Almost as if I was… was…” Shining’s eyes widened, his hand stopping in its tracks. “You lied to me.”

“About what?” she asked, pausing.

“You said you could never love someone,” Shining said. He witnessed a spark of fear light itself in Chrysalis’ eyes. “But you can.”

“I…” She slowly, mechanically nodded, as if deciding something within herself. “I like to hope one day I can.”

“Do you feel it now?”

“I’ve never felt it for myself, just from others, but…” She smiled worryingly. “But if it isn’t, I’m sure it’s close. And that scares me.”

“Why does that scare you?” Shining asked. “Isn’t being able to love what you always wanted?”

“Because I know who your heart truly belongs to.” She sighed. “And that thought… it’s hard.”

“Yes, I know,” Shining said, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He looked away for a moment, Chrysalis’ eyes too filled with pain for him to look at them. “Before, I had thought that I had been blessed by a miracle somehow for Princess Cadence to notice me. That everything she did was so perfect, that she was perfect. And to think, I wanted to have her all to myself, and even the thought of only having a piece of her filled me with such woe that I couldn’t go through with it.” He closed his eyes, turning his hands into fists. “Then that turned out to be a lie. I was so angry, because I thought even that small piece that had been offered to me was gone. But now, I don’t feel that way anymore. All I feel is something… something better than I’ve felt in a long time.” He opened up his eyes and returned his focus to Chrysalis, her own eyes shining with a fire that was neither hatred nor evil, but something brand new altogether. “And that feeling came from you, Chrysalis.”

“Shining…” She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. “I want you to be happy. I don’t… I don’t know how or why we both feel like this so quickly, but I know it’s the truth. I want you to be happy. That’s why come tomorrow, I want you to forget about me. I’m sure your princess will share your feelings in time. She would be a fool otherwise.”

“Heh, you know me and my luck with the ladies,” Shining said with a chuckle, tempting Chrysalis to smirk. “Even when I have a good looking one throw herself at me, I end up eating the dirt, as usual.”

Brushing his hair with a hand, Chrysalis weakly smiled. “Not completely. I said ‘come tomorrow.’” She reached forward and rubbed a bicep. “Tonight may still be ours, if you wish.”

Shining’s smirk faltered, his earlier cheer quickly disappearing. “Chrysalis, wait.”

“Yes, my knight?”

“Remember how I didn’t, well, do it with you when you were Cadence? Because of how I didn’t want my love to end in a cheap one night stand?”

“I do,” she agreed.

“Well, I want the same thing, but with you.” Shining held her hand, feeling the faint heartbeat of her heart against his chest, along with her magic as well. “I don’t want a single piece, I want the whole. And that whole is you, Chrysalis.”

“Shining…” She shook her head. “We can’t. You have a place here. I don’t. And I know you wouldn’t belong with my own. But… just for tonight, I want someone to lay with me. Not an image I created, not out of necessity for magic, but because I want it and they want it.”

“Chrysalis, you could have a place here. You don’t have to hate us. We can help you.” He took her hand and kissed it, that same faint smile from before on his cheeks. “I can help you.”

She gave a small nod. “Do you really think so?”

“I know so. You don’t have to live your life like you were before. You can build something better here,” Shining said, holding her hand against his chest, her feeling the beats of his heart, “and with me.”

Chrysalis leaned against him. “You sure you’re not a diplomat? Because you’ve got the tongue for it.” She smiled, staring into his eyes. “And what happens if I agree to your deal, tonight?”

“Well, for starters, we could figure out a way to help your people,” Shining said, his smile growing wider. “Then we get you more involved with discussing with the princesses, hopefully we can make an agreement beneficial to both parties. And maybe if you don’t mind hanging out with some dumb ol’ guard, we could grab some dinner as well.” Their lips were only inches apart now, Chrysalis pressing herself closer to Shining’s body. “That is, if you don’t mind the type of food a guard’s salary can pay for, Your Majesty.”

“I don’t mind anything of yours, Shining.” She ran her fingers gently down the side of his neck. “Not one thing. You could be a pauper, and there’d be a charm to you.”

“So, does that mean you’ll give it a shot? He blushed, his rugged exterior melting at her gentle touch. “Give me a shot?”

She smiled sweetly at him. “Yes. Yes, I think I will. If you’ll have me.”

“Great! Now, do you mind getting off? My back is starting to kill me,” Shining jokingly admitted. “Floors don’t exactly agree with me.”

She laughed, standing and offering her hand to him. He took it, hoisting himself back to his feet. In a playful shove, Chrysalis had him on his back once more, though this time in much less confiding positions.

Chrysalis looked down at him, smirking. She took off one glove, letting it drop to the floor, then another. With that same smirk, she lowered the straps of her skirt, first teasing, then exposing the dark chocolate nipples standing on the end of her large, inviting breasts. She leaned forward, using her biceps to squeeze them together, before standing upright again and lowering the dress the rest of the way, kicking the clothing to the side.

Her hips drew the eyes, they fit her form perfectly and focused one’s attention on her body as a whole, much like a well-made spread at a buffet. Shining was completely unsure where to focus his eyes, as appealing as every part of her body was. She brushed her hair back, sauntering to the edge of the bed, before moving her hands over her sex, covering the thin green line of pubic hair leading down like a lovely garden trail.

“Anything that needs changed?” she asked, seeming self-conscious. “Cadence had larger breasts. Oh, and she was taller too. Should I alter my voice? I’m sure you’d like something more feminine.”

“I like you just the way you are,” Shining admitted, his excitement growing more powerful the longer he stared. “I want to be with you, Chrysalis, and no one else right now. Just like you want to be with me the same way.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve just been me,” she said. With a wry smile, she took Shining’s hand and guided it to her cheek.

The two met in a kiss, this one without the leaching of love that Chrysalis exhibited before. Now the two were sharing in one another’s love, the combined ecstasy making Chrysalis drunk from the power. Never before had she experienced true, genuine love for her before. But now that she had it, it was the best feeling in the world, like she was more powerful than she had ever been before.

Before too long, as their lip-locked embrace continued, Chrysalis broke away and pushed Shining onto the bed. She licked her lips, eyes flashing green from powerful magical energies.

Wasting no time, she brought her hands to his belt and undid it with the flick of a wrist, pulling down his pants and revealing his white boxers, where she could already see a bulge rising to life, like a beast after a long winter. Pulling off both legs of his pants, she then turned her attention to the boxers. She smiled, running a finger under the elastic of the underwear and kissing the bulge rising from it. After a moment, she trailed her sharp fingernails over his package through the fabric, smiling through her kiss.

Shining winced, his heartbeat increasing dramatically. “Wow, you really know how to egg a guy on, huh?”

“You have your talents, I have mine,” she purred, taking a thumb and rotating it playfully at the head of his shaft through the fabric until a small wet spot of precum appeared on his boxers. Lowering his boxers, she was pleased at his package. Not the longest or the thickest she had taken, thank the gods above, but it was a pleasurable length, just right for her body as-is. She grasp the shaft with one hand, then half of her other, before once more licking at the tip. With a wink, she removed a hand and took him into her mouth, using her lips for stimulation and letting her teeth gently graze his skin, while rotating her tongue underneath his penis. She brought her head back and forth, finally letting her hand free so she could take his shaft entirely, from the tip all the way to his base in one fluid back-and-forth motion. She debated on where to place her hands, but finally decided on his thighs as she worked her sensual magic.

Shining laid back, filled with a burning fire that only Chrysalis’ lips could put out. Her tongue was like a snake, wrapping around his shaft to squeeze the life from him. Each time her head bobbed in and out, he could feel himself edging closer and closer to the edge. The way her lips hugged his cock, how her eyes looked up innocently—or as innocent as she could manage—up at him, the way she turned her head and parted some of her hair behind her ear just so he could have a clear view of what she was doing, it was all becoming too much. Didn’t help she playfully pinched his balls, fondling his testicles and sending shivers down his spine.

Chrysalis continued her work, reaching up with a hand to tweak a nipple on one of his hard pecs as she herself took her other hand to her own breast, massaging it and groaning onto his penis, the vibration only serving to send rapture down his member like a lightning rod and all the way to his toes.

Finally, Shining’s legs twitched, and his groin burned with an untapped fire that had to be released before he’d burn away. Grabbing the back of Chrysalis’ head and drawing her close, causing her to deepthroat his dick the furthest it’d go down her throat, he cummed. His seed shot forth down her throat, Chrysalis swallowing the first few streaks right away. Then, Shining began to relent, falling on his back on the bed while his cock spurted out white stream after white stream. Chrysalis still had her lips wrapped around his shaft, continuing to suck his tip while using her hands to rub his slick length to drain him of every last drop. Finally, the last of his seed was tapped out, yet Chrysalis made him squirm a few seconds longer by playing with his tip using her tongue. Pulling away, she smiled, her lips and teeth covered in his white goo.

She ran a tongue across her teeth and swallowed. “My. How long has it been, my knight?” she questioned. “I’m sure I’ve seen cattle with less load.”

“Like I said, I don’t have the best of luck with the ladies,” Shining chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Besides, I was kinda, well, hoping a certain princess would arrive at my door. Though, it turned out, something better happened instead.”

She paused, then tenderly ran her fingers through his hair. “Shining…” she said quietly. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being you,” she said, kissing him on the forehead.

“I guess I should give you that thanks myself,” he replied, hugging her hips to get her atop him. “Well, for at least half the time. Still surprised that you revealed yourself to a big stupid guard like myself.”

“Because I saw something in you,” she addressed, entwining her hands with his. “Something special.”

He smiled, hugging her close and resting his forehead against her own. “Well, I’m glad I got to feel that something special with you as well.” He kissed the tip of her nose, that smug smirk on his face still standing. “The guard ending up with the queen, who would have thought?”

“It’s like an ending to story you hear as a child,” Chrysalis agreed, once more kissing him on the cheek, then the neck. She took his hand and pressed it against her breast, moving her hand on top of his to knead it.

While fondling one breast, Shining made quick work to suckle on the other, his tongue licking all around her nipple during their loving embrace. It was at this time Shining’s swelling pride returned back to stand at attention, more erect than ever. He rubbed it against her clit, never stopping the attention he was paying to her luscious breasts.

She curled forward, the touch against her clitoris making her gasp in pleasure along with the stimulation her breast was receiving was nearly driving her mad. It had been a long time since she had felt a hand this dedicated to making her feel good. Most just used her for their own satisfaction, never taking the time to earn hers.

“Good,” she quietly marveled, kissing him with zeal anywhere she could reach her mouth. “Like that.”

Without further ado, the head of Shining’s shaft made way to part the lower lips of Chrysalis’ pussy and dive right into the folds of her womanly chambers. All the while Shining never let up playing with her breasts, her soft, dark skin so smooth all he could do was touch and lick it all over. His mind was instantly attuned to Chrysalis’ insides, the warm wetness tightening around his cock better than he could have ever had thought possible.

Chrysalis rode his shaft, panting and pawing at her own breasts with a hand, before reaching behind her and cupping an ass cheek tightly in her grasp. She rose up and down upon him, her experience and skill bordering on supernatural as she adjusted herself in small minute details to squeeze him for everything he was worth.

Shining could barely manage to keep up, actually having to hold her hips in place to prevent her from going overboard. It was like a wild animal was atop him, beating him down for all its worth in her lust. It was all he could do to contain himself, yet Chrysalis was another matter altogether. All he could manage was to thrust up and down while she gyrated atop him and worked his cock for all its worth.

“Hnng… Chrysalis, I-I’m gonna blow soon!” Shining muttered, squinting his eyes shut. “Fuck… you’re going too fast!”

“It’s fine,” she answered quickly, squeezing even tighter against his member. “Let it come.”

“N-not until you have,” he breathed, wincing as his shaft twitched and trembled. He couldn’t help but increase his thrusting, his strong hands forcing her hips up and down faster and faster so she was practically bouncing off of him. “Damn… damnit, I c-can’t—”

Chrysalis shivered once more as her hand found her clitorious and took to running a thumb across it. Shining watched as she squinted, biting her lip then finally sighing as she reached climax just moments before he himself did.

Shining practically pinned her down to himself, all energy being released in a torrent of cum into her vaginal folds. Stream after stream was pumped inside her, filling her with a warm stickiness that felt like heaven. She could barely contain herself, both of them riding out their orgasms with dual glee and merriment. Chrysalis was so drunk off of their lust love that all she could do was drool and stay up due to Shining holding her, otherwise her entire body was completely limp. Finally, the last of Shining’s cum was released into her, his seed dripping from their connected sexes.

“Oh god… Oh damn… Oh wow,” Shining panted, their bodies covered in a click sheen of sweat.

She collapsed on top of him, resting on his broad chest and letting out a content sigh. “I expected as much from you.”

“I’m that bad, huh?” Shining said with a chuckled, resting a hand on her back. He could feel her heartbeat beating in tune with his own, wild and passionate from the love they just made.

“If you call that bad, then I’ve yet to see anyone good,” she replied. After a moment, she rolled over, staring at the ceiling, then glanced over at the wet stain on the sheets. “You realize this isn’t your bed, correct?”

“Um… you wouldn’t happen to know any special type of changeling magic to clean the sheets?”

“Sadly, my duties as queen involved less laundry than you’d assume,” she replied dryly, the corner of her mouth quirked in a weak smirk. The smile slowly evaporated as she took another look at the man beside her. “I can’t believe I’m asking this, but do you think this was right?”

Shining put his hands behind his head, grunting. “Well… officially, no. I’m pretty sure laying in bed with the leader of an enemy nation is grounds for me being called out as a traitor and both of us ending in a dungeon.” He looked to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “But once we convince the princesses you and your people aren’t as bad as everyone thinks, we can change that. I just know it.”

“But can we convince them?” She offered an unsure laugh. “If I recall, the last time someone tried to change the standard operation here, she was exiled.”

“Banished to the moon, to be more precise,” Shining corrected her. He cupped her cheek, brushing away a lock of stray hair from her tan skin. “And I know it might be tough, but together, we can do it. If I could get you to love, then we can do this as well.”

“But what if they won’t listen?” she replied, leaning into him and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. “You could be executed. You yourself said this was treason.”

He wrapped an arm around her, their naked bodies pressed close against the other. “Chrysalis, that won’t happen, trust me.” He kissed her forehead. “I said my bad luck only applies to the ladies, on all other accounts I’m a pretty lucky kind of guy. It’ll work, I just know it.”

She let out a breath through her nose. “It will work out for you,” she said. There was a long, hesitant pause, then Chrysalis looked once more at the man. “Shining?”

Shining smiled, asking, “Yes, my queen?”

Her face briefly trembled. “Could you kiss me? Just one more time?”

He lifted up her chin, not noticing the tears spilling from her eyes. “Of course.” Their lips touched. Unlike the other times they had kissed, which had been lust-filled, passionate events, this one was much more heartfelt. Chrysalis continued to cry, her tears silent as she held Shining close, like her lip depended on it Shining in turn wrapped his arms around her body, a hand still on her cheek as they melded together in their kiss.

She brought a hand up against his temple. There was a brief glow in her palm that quickly faded away and Shining’s eye twitched involuntarily.

“Shining, please listen to me,” Chrysalis commanded, her voice cracked as she sniffed bitterly. “Shut your eyes, my knight.”

He did as she said, his eyes falling closed in an instant.

She exhaled, once more looking to the ceiling before returning her gaze to him. “If something happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do. This… this city… it still disgusts me. But, but you deserve to be happy, with someone that will make you happy, Shining.” She gave a small gesture towards him, as if turning a door handle. “When you wake up, you will change the sheets on the bed and put on your clothes.” Chrysalis knelt down, picking up her dress and quickly donning it. “You will leave the room and lock the door. The instant you cross that door’s threshold, you will forget me. You will forget everything we spoke of. And the next time you see me, you will be repulsed by my presence.” She could feel her lip trembling, but stiffly tiled her nose up, looking down at him. “Do you understand, my knight?”

Shining’s eyes opened, his eyes glazed over and glowing a sickly green. Staring at her, he said, “Yes, my… my… my...”

“Good.” Putting on her gloves, she turned back once more to him and walked over, cupping his cheek in her hand. “You will court the Princess Cadence, if you so desire. You will follow your heart as you see fit. Do you understand, my knight?” she repeated, feeling the power of the spell resonating through her body.

Shining didn’t answer, instead, reaching out with a finger to brush away a tear that had fallen on her cheek.

“Good luck…” she whispered, clasping her hands together once more and shutting her eyes.

There was a flash of green brilliance, and where Chrysalis once stood was a young maid with a brilliant smile and golden locks of short-kempt hair. Her smile briefly fell. She paused, hesitating, reaching out to him. But in the end she narrowed her brow and turned, walking out of the room without a sound.

Shining sat there for several moments longer, then after a couple of minutes passed, got up and changed Cadence’s sheets and dressed himself without a word. He left the room the same way he had entered it, nothing out of place. Exiting it, he walked down the halls of the castle, his expression blank, almost as if he was lost in a trance.

The hallway was quiet, save for the smart tapping of a pair of heels making their way closer and closer to Shining. He rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Princess Cadence. She let out a surprised gasp, resting a delicate hand at her heart.

“Gracious, Shining,” she exclaimed. “You startled me.”

Shining blinked, shaking his head slightly. Looking left and right, then back to Cadence, he held a hand against his head. “Wait, what?” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. “Where am I?”

Cadence blinked, then offered a small, tittering laugh. “The castle, and you’re traveling towards the main hall, my knight.”

Shining’s confusion turned into a smirk. “Heh, oh right, just remembered. Man, these long nights are finally getting to my head.”

“I understand completely,” Cadence said earnestly. “I have spent hours entertaining diplomats tonight. It was getting ridiculous. It makes me glad there’s a warm bed waiting for me.”

“I wish I can share those sentiments. All I got waiting for me is a cold cot in the barracks.” Sighing goodnaturedly, he passed by Cadence with a quick nod of his head, saying, “Well, I’ll be seeing you, princess.”

She gave a small curtsy. “Good night, Shining. Be seeing you.”

Before he took five steps forward, Shining stopped in his tracks. A small voice chimed into his head. It was so familiar, yet so far off at the same time.

You will follow your heart as you see fit.

“Hey, Cadence,” Shining called out, turning around right before Cadence disappeared around the corner.

“Hmm?” She turned, arching a curious brow Shining’s way.

“Are you, um, busy tomorrow night?” he asked, his voice filled with hesitation. He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat and saying with much more bolstered confidence, “Because I was thinking the two of us could go out into the city, grab a bite to eat or something.”

She paused, her expression briefly faltering. Finally, she smiled warmly at him. “I’d love to.”

Shining felt like he just got sucker-punched across the jaw? She actually said yes? And all it took was just asking her out? Why didn’t he try this out years ago?!

“Great! Hope you don’t mind something a guard’s salary can afford,” he said, chuckling mildly.

“Worst case, I can at least tip,” she replied back, still carrying that same dreamy grin. “Just come and get me, you’ll know where I’ll be. Goodnight, Shining.”

“Goodnight, Cadence!” he called out to her, turning around as a smile broke out of his face. He actually did it! He asked out the princess, and she said yes! This was the greatest night of his life!

Yet… he felt oddly empty, somehow. He had just asked out the girl of his dreams and was successful at that, yet still he felt like hadn’t accomplished anything. He chalked that up to still being in shock over her answer of yes, and briskly made his way down the halls with a light bounce in his step.

He passed by a blonde maid, who watched him leave with a small, wry smile, her green eyes observing him until he was well out of sight. With that done, she herself turned and walked down the lonely hall, the night far from over for her.