"What?"

"Stag, I can't make it clearer. You. Ambrosia. Miasma. Bed. Sex. Foals."

Stag heard what his mother had said... then promptly passed out.

Why? Why is this happening to me? Why couldn't they have asked for a more normal type of treaty? I can't do this, I'm a married stallion! Why me!?!

***

In old times, it was common for changeling royals to have not only a paper contract, but a flesh-and-blood contract in the form of a foal sired by a member of both royal houses. If Miasma, Ambrosia, Calliphora, Myxine, or any of the Equestrian Changeling rulers wanted that sort of contract, the duty to "supply the ink" would fall to Stag, seeing as he was the only still-potent stallion in his family.^

Ambrosia and Miasma wanted this sort of contract, which meant very soon, Stag would need to sire two foals, one to each queen.

The problem being Stag had only ever had foals with one mare, and that wasn't until he and Double had married at 20, after dating from the time they were 13, and growing up together after meeting at 1 before that. From there, they had spent their years together before finally deciding to have foals. Now, Mandible and Silkworm were 10 years old, and Stag and Double were at the comfortable age of 220 years^^. Their conception had happened after Stag and Double had built a relationship that had grown and blossomed over two centuries.

Now Stag was expected to bed two mares and have at least one foal each in just one year. So he had responded to this upsetting news in the only way which seemed appropriate.

However, he would need to wake up some time.

***

Stag woke up in his room. Double was beside the bed.

"How long was I out?"

"The entire trip, and three hours after that."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. You hungry?"

"No. I... I just have a lot to think about..."

"Alright. I'll be back later."

"Thanks, Double."

Double nodded, then left her husband alone.

Stag, for his part, began thinking.

Okay. I have a year. I play my cards right, I can smoothly transition into this. I can do this. I will do this. I will get in the bed with them and make foals. I know I can do that much.

Which one first, though?

Stag went over what he knew about the two mares.

Ambrosia was quite curious and rather playful, but had a tendency to be a ditz... in the worst possible way. She had little conscience, and often hurt others by accident, simply because she didn't know she was being cruel. Starving creatures in order to see how skinny they would get and stabbing others up to 47 times in the chest were common. She wasn't evil, and in fact, she had the carefree personality of a teenage mare, but she just had no concept of what was right or wrong.

Despite this, she was actually a good queen, and her subjects loved her. Of all the Swarms, hers was the most carefree, collecting love by disguising themselves as females dancing in the woods, luring stallions into sticky traps, siphoning off a little love, then letting them go with no memory of what had happened, as long as Ambrosia didn't decide to starve one.

And she was beautiful by the standards of all equines.

Miasma, on the other hoof, was vain, snobby, and always tried to act superior. However, her tendency to bathe in sewer water meant she always wanted two changelings to accompany her on public visits, swinging incense. Combined with the perfumes she used, most beings couldn't be around her for long.

On top of this, her table manners were atrocious. She ate anything, no matter how rotten, moldy, or fungus-ridden, and practically (and occasionally literally) rolled around in it.

Her Swarm was nomadic, but always took refuge in the sewers of any large city, though Manehattan was a favorite. They had no specific way to collect positive emotions. They were opportunists shaped by the cities they loved.

Stag considered the options.

Let's see. Known, but unknowing murderer, or smelly know-it-all?

Miasma probably has more experience... but Ambrosia's more beautiful.

Ambrosia has better table manners... but Miasma's probably more clever.

But Miasma has a HORRIBLE temper. At least Ambrosia's happy most of the time

Okay, I'm definitely going with Ambrosia first. Heh, maybe I can teach her a few things on the side... like the concept and difference between "bad" and "good".

And, despite himself, Stag let a small smile form. However, it faded the more he thought about it. He spoke out loud*

"I can do this. I am going to go into the Everfree, court Ambrosia, and..."

He practically choked. He couldn't say it.

...And i'm going to make a foal with her... Oh, just be honest with yourself, Stag! You're going to have sex with her!

With that, Stag passed out again.

Author's Note

^Well, technically there was his father, but he wasn't technically a member of the royal family anymore.

^^Making them two decades older than Granny Smith. However, the two, by pony standards, looked like they were in their late 20s or early 30s