Author's Note

Ok, so chapter may be a little weird as some of it was started some time ago and the rest after my latest update for Darkness' Light. I didn't feel like starting it over since it was about half way done when I had last left it and I thought it would be a good way to get back into the groove of things. Next chapter should be better since it'll be from scratch rather than previously done up but I hope you guys enjoy nonetheless.

Dinner with the Royals Part 1

~Two Weeks Later~

Two week, that's how much time since I've gotten out of the hospital and was able to get a good look at the new hive and I got to say that it has been great. Most everything in terms of construction and improvement is finished and what isn't will only take another and aren't too important so we can live without them. My new wings are still growing but these rate their going I suspect it'll take another month before the process is complete, which is the only thing that sucks because my back always feels sore and itches like a bitch, though luckily I have Chryssy who's always willing to massage the pain away in exchange for a little extra cuddling though I do suspect that she wants more but is most likely waiting till my wings come in. That's another great thing, my relationship with Chrysalis had only grown with each day that passes and Lily started to refer to her as her mother a couple of days ago, which doesn't really surprise me as Chryssy absolutely adores her, but what was a surprise was when she started calling Lacy as her aunt. I have no problem with that considering we're the best of friends again but I still didn't think that would happen but Lace sure does spoil her like one. Enough reminiscing about all that though as now I am finally able to relax for a bit from the hectic, but fun, week we've had and rest.

"What are you doing laying in bed mister lazy bones, we've got a trip to Canterlot to get ready for." Correction I got packing to do.

"Oh come on Chryssy just let me take a nap for an hour before we start packing. Today has been exhausting so far and I haven't had a chance to actually rest till now and I'm beat." I began complaining as the pain in my back flares up again.
"You can rest on the train so the sooner we finish and get abroad the sooner you can sleep." She says as she uses her magic to flip me onto my stomach and began massaging around the protrusions coming out of my back.

I groan at hearing this but only half-heartedly as I greatly enjoy the attention the staining joints and muscles are getting. "Okay but why do you seem so eager to get there? I would've thought going to the city you invaded and seeing the ponies whose lives you almost enslaved would have been off-putting." I ask in curiosity, wondering what she's thinking.
"Well it wouldn't really look good on the ponies of Equestria to not show up to dinner when we have received such an invitation from their princesses now would it? " She states as she finishes up on my back.
" And I'm Faust so what's the real reason? " I ask not buying into her story.

*Sigh* "We finally have the chance to show the rest of the world that we changelings aren't as we've been made out to be since our creation and I really don't want to mess this up. It's our chance for both only the two of us to start anew but also the rest of the Hive. I'm so tired of having to have watched our subjects be forced into roles that conflict with who they are and so I want to make sure that if not them then their foals have such an opportunity present to them. I'm also hoping that once we've taken care of my family then we could show them how beneficial it would be to all changelings to integrate into pony society instead of trying to enslave them." Chrysalis explained with a faraway look in her eyes and I can't really say that I blame her considering all that she's done to try and appease not only her Hive but her family as well. I'm just glad things have worked out the way they have because I don't want to have to think about how things might have turned out if certain events hadn't happened.

"Well then I suggest we start packing then huh? Let's go tell Lily then come back and finish up we don't have long before the train is set to leave. It wouldn't do well for our reputation if the Queen and King of the changelings were late for our own dinner eh." I said as I jumped out bed and stretched out my body before making my way towards our bedroom door. I'm almost to the door when I feel myself being lifted off the ground and being pulled back towards the bed. I'm turned around to face my queen who has a big smile pointed directly towards me. It's there for a moment as we started into each other's eyes before she leans in to give me a kiss so full of the same love I've given her since we've been together that I can't help but moan into it.

"I'm glad to finally have my king but we need to discuss wedding preparations in the future to make it official though." She says as we disconnect from our lip lock.

"We can do that when we get back though when were you thinking of having the wedding because I don't want it to be interrupted during the ceremony."

"Well I was actually thinking about doing it after we dealt with my mother and and sisters. I want them to be there for the big day, even if they have to be bound and gagged during the entire thing." I couldn't help but laugh at that, that despite everything they've said and done she still wants them to be there for an important day. Family really means a lot to her if she actually wants them there though I'm not that surprised if I'm to be honest.
"Alright, we can wait till then. Now let's go get Lily." She gives me one more kiss before putting me down and we both head out to find Lily and Lace since they're spending the day together.

~Twenty-seven minutes later ~

We managed to make it to the train station and get abroad without incident but even so I could tell that Chrysalis was slightly nervous to be going back to Canterlot after all this time. I would have taken it upon myself to assure her everything would be fine but Lily actually managed to beat me to the punch with her excitement. Asking us what it would be like and her own assumptions got her mind off of her own misdeeds. "And Miss Rarity told me they had lots of pretty dresses there, even hers, but she also said that a lot of them cost a lot of bits." Lily said with her hooves spread out to empathize her point.

"Well sweetie Canterlot is a place where the so called elites live and they all believe that having expensive items actually mean something out in the real world." I told her as I hide the distaste I have for such ponies.
"What to do you mean daddy?" She ask with a tilt of her head.

"What he means is that a lot of ponies who have had live basically given to them on a silver platter instead of actually having to work for it don't really appreciate what they have, especially since everything they was made by the ponies they look down on. Not all are like that but a vast majority of them are and will most likely do so as we make our way to the castle. Well that is they aren't too busy cowarding in fear from your father's death glares." Chrysalis said with no small amount of distaste being evident her tone except for that last part as she had a rather evil grin on her visage.

From there the conversation drifted to more light-hearted subjects such Lily's education, well actually more of hatchling education in general seeing as though the Hive no longer has to go scourging for food and are being allowed to live in Equestria. Lily had brought up there subject of having a sibling but I let Chrysalis handle that one seeing as though that is more on her then anyone else since she already knows I wouldn't mind having a child with her. Admiringly though I'm more curious than anything in how we're going to get past the whole interspecies thing as well as what our child would look like though I will say that I'll accept them no matter what they turn out to be.

~Forty-nine minutes later~

We arrived at the Canterlot Train Station as just as we expected there are ponies glaring at us but they quickly ran as I have then a look that promised death.

"Ahem," I heard from my left. I turn and see that there's a guard there with a chariot nearby. "Princess Celestia has told there guards to be expecting your arrival and asked that we escort you to the castle." He said even told it would seem that he's not too happy about being here. Me and Chrysalis exchange looks and nod to each other after a moment, "Alright then lead the way." I say and he motions towards the chariot. I let Lily and Chrysalis get on first before jumping on myself and we're off once we get comfortable. The trip isn't fairly long but is wholly uncomfortable for my two girls thanks to the ponies, both noble and not, glaring at them until I set my gaze upon them while I have my arms wrapped around both of them to let them know I'm right here. It only takes us a good ten to twenty minutes to get to the castle and I gotta say it's no wonder you can see all the way from Ponyville the damn thing is huge which I suppose actually works out when it comes to events like Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding.

We get off the chariot once the guard stops in front of the steps leading to the castle entrance. Before I could take a single step I'm stopped by a pair of hooves wrapping around my waist and somebody pressing their head against my back. "Please don't leave our sides tonight David, I have a bad feeling about how this night is going to go and we're going to need you." Chrysalis whimpered out as Lily, too, joined in pressing herself against me.

"Don't you worry you two, I won't let anyone hurt either of you." I told them as I turned around in her grasp and pulled the both of them into me. While I couldn't see it because of our position I could feel Chrysalis smiling, Lily too but I have a feeling there's something more to it than just being simply being happy. I don't say anything as we part but seeing both of my ladies happy again always makes me feel better.

"We'll be your escorts to see the princesses." A new batch of guards say, ruining the moment we were having though I couldn't help but chuckle at the scowl that almost instantly appeared the moment the guard made him and his group known to us. It soon vanishes as we stand up and get a move on so and get all this over with so that we may return to the Hive and get back to preparing for the fight, and maybe find a way to help with accelerating the growth of my wings. Things were definitely not kept tense for long as Lily's curiosity got to her as we came up to the doors and went through'em. Seems she was making comparisons to this castle and the hives if her thoughtful, yet cute, expressions were anything to go by. She never wandered too far from either of us but then again we did kind of follow her around more than the guards that were supposed to be our escorts, which of course pissed them off a bit but I don't give a damn, my daughter wanted to have fun and damn it I was going to let her have it. "We need to get going, we don't want to keep the princesses waiting." I hear a bite in his voice that we all picked up and I saw the mischievousness growing in the two.

Chryssy looks at Lily and tells her, "Don't worry about them Lily just go ahead and look around all you want. We gotta get that energy out of you now since we are going to be sitting at a boring old dinner with the princesses and most likely some of those stuck up nobles we were telling you about earlier." Well that's not really a lie since I know Lily doesn't like to sit around for too long and who knows what will happen during the dinner so I guess it's a win-win for us all, well except the guards but I don't give a damn.

[color=#a66ebe"Okay mommy," Lily yells out as she runs all over the place which causes Chrysalis to freeze up and look towards the excited filly with wide eyes. I can't help but smile at what my daughter has just said without seeming realizing it. I walk over to her side and lay my hand on her back to catch her attention. She turns to me with her still wide eyes that seem to be teary up a bit. "You know as well as I do that it was only a matter of time, though I was hoping it'd be sooner." I stated as she gives me a shaky smile and looks back to our daughter.

*Ahem* "I believe we must be going, the princesses are not ones you should keep waiting." The same guard from before said to us in an agitated (bitchy) tone.

I was about to tell him to shove it where the sun don't shine, but alas someone else responded before either of us could. "And what's wrong with allowing them a bit of sight seeing since I know neither my sister nor I said anything about rushing them to the throne room. In fact if I remember right we had asked that we be notified when they arrived at the castle so as to give them time to unpack and settle down from their train ride, and yet we have yet to receive such a message my dear guard?" And there goes the sputtering guard routine, you'd think they would learn by now that it isn't a good idea to mess with someone the princesses have connections to, especially to those who have been allowed to build next to the home of Equestria's heroes but what are you gonna do but laugh at the poor(not) soul. "Well since you seem to be incapable I think it's best that you be dismissed, though not before I assign you to latrine duty for two months," And there's the punch line.

"So many guards do you think have to get stuck with toilet scrubbing to get it through their heads to stop being disrespectful, or at least stop being so obvious about it?" Asked Chrysalis with her humor making itself known.

"It won't matter, you should know that. No matter the punishment their will always be those that see us the way many others still do. . . . .as monsters that need to be exterminated just for being different, for trying to survive and live as happily as we can with the hand we've been dealt."

"But you've never been one to simply accept such a thing now have you?" Luna asks, already knowing the answer.

"What can I say, you don't like the hand you've been dealt then you gotta keep going until you find the right one, something I can confidently say I have." I doubt I could have kept the smile on my face from coming but damn it all if I didn't say that everything I have now is what I was meant to have and as I said before I wouldn't trade it for anything.

"Well I'm glad to that but lets say we get you three to your room so you can get settled in until it's time for dinner?" Luna asks as she hovers our luggage that we had forgotten about in front of us. I grab all our bags from her magical grasp and we set off away from the throne room and into the area where the guest rooms are located. Once there we unpack some of the essentials while I get another change of clothes ready so I could get myself cleaned up a bit.

"Hey, Chryssy, want to join in the shower?"

"Sure, just let me get Lily into bed." She says with a tried Lily on her back. I head in and get the water ready before getting myself undressed. "You know they're looking better everyday, starting to look more like a normal pair of wings than when they first started sprouting from your back." I heard her comment from behind me as I was taking off my pants.

"Yeah, though I wish they didn't have to take so long to grow, I miss being able to sleep on my back with you laying on top of me comfortably, ya know." I whined a bit as the wound that's been left behind by these damn things begins to act up again.

"At least you only got two weeks left so just try to ignore it for now and that time will pass by before you know it." She says as she places her front hooves on the spot between my shoulder blades and starts rubbing the area a bit. I sigh a bit in relieve and relax into her massage. Hooves may not be the best thing for massages but she still seems to do a damn good job at it anyway.

"Thanks love, but before we go any further, did you remember to put up the barrier?" I asks as I'm ready to let the hot water do it's job, but I more worried about the safety of these first and foremost.

"Of course, I may trust Celestia and Luna now but that doesn't mean I trust those that serve under them." She says with a smile before nudging me to get me into shower already. "Now get in there because I'm not having having you smell like a gym when we go to dinner."

"What, I don't smell that bad. . . . . do I?" I take a quick whiff and start retching a bit, yep definitely need this. "Why haven't you said anything before now?" All I get is a shrug which causes me to hang my head down before walking under the water and just melt under the soothing heat. I wait for a moment for Chryssy to step in and allow her to wet her coat a bit before hijacking the water for myself which gets me a pouting changeling. I merely smile before motioning her over as I grab the shampoo bottle. I couldn't tell you when we started bathing together but it's been about as natural as any couple doing so, if every couple involved a mythical creature and a human that would almost appear possessed, but yeah it's all completely natural. Anyway as I get done washing her hair and back she has me do her wings as well to help me better understand how to properly care for them since Lily's should start growing a bit more soon and so we'll need to show her the same things I'm currently being taught. Seems as though it's much easier than I thought seeing before I figured that they'd be delicate from their appearance alone so you'd have to be like super gentle when cleaning them but as she twist and turns them I see now that I am wrong.

"Could you staring at them like that, it's getting a little embarrassing." She suddenly says as she seems to hide her wings from me. I blink a couple times, trying to register what just happened before I finally decide to ask, "Why?"

She gains a couple of green cheeks as she blushes before she responds, "Well I'm not sure if you've been told, which I very much doubt you have, but among changelings one of the things we hold dear is our wings. I'm not sure if you've noticed but there isn't much of a difference between us unless you're the queen. The one of the only things that tell us apart is our wings, from color, to overall appearance, and I'm sure you've noticed how many times the others check over their wings when they're around someling they wish to court," I nod to her as I'm absently mindlessly, but gently, scrubbing her wings which have some how ended up in my hands. "Well unknown to many other species on Equis but we have a sort of mating dance that revolves around our wings because of their uniqueness that is comparable to that of a spider's nest." Well that's actually quite interesting and I look even more closely at hers and try to memorize to different contours and such that litter hers and take notice how they swirl, cross, and seemingly dance around each other. I can also feel her trying to tug them away from me again but that quickly stops as I go to trace a random line on her left wing.

"So I'm guessing you didn't try that this 'mating dance' on me since I'm not a changeling?" I ask her as I keep going. I'm not sure how I didn't notice it before but her wings are quite fascinating.

"Well actually I already did awhile ago." I give her this weird look but then it hits me when she might of done this. On our way to Ponyville she had pulled me away from the camp one night after we had Lily to bed under the pretense that she had something that she's been wanting to show me for some time. We had traveled quite a ways away before she finally stopped in a sizable clearing when she started an elegant dance that I couldn't even begin to describe and hope to do it justice. I'm not sure how long it took thanks to the fact that I had been entranced by it so much but I do know that after she was done I just absolutely stunned that I got to witness such a thing. Normally I don't care much for dancing as I'm more into the musical arts, only listening of course, I can't sing to save my life, but it felt so personal, not for her but for me as well. I remember being in tears and just about squeezing the life out of her when she grounded as well as the teary eyed smile she gave me as I did.

Coming back from that flashback, the look on my face must of said it all as she seemed rather glad about something, as well as the fact that her smile seemed happier than normal. A second later she snatches the shampoo away from me and stands up on her hind legs as I lean forward to make things easier for her. "Thank you Chrysalis," I blurt out.

"For what?" She asks as she stops washing my hair to look at the top of my head as she hasn't move from her spot.

"For everything, you've given me a everything I thought would be lost to me, my happiness, my dreams, a purpose, my heart, and most importantly of all, my family." I couldn't express it enough to convey how not only her, but also Lily, make me as I think about everything that could've happened to me by now if it wasn't for these two. This is something I've no doubt said before as well since I've gotten here and met up with Chrysalis and Lily but I don't care, these two are my life lines and I have no Idea what I would do should I lose them.

"You don't need to thank me or Lily for that, especially since we both hold the same feelings. I know you still doubt yourself when it concerns how good things have turned out but you don't need to. You've contributed as much those of us that love you the way you are, and those who don't, so if any of us need to be saying thank you it is all of us." She climbs down as she finishes up, both saying her part and washing my hair, and she's got that wonderful smile I love seeing everyday. Afterwards the rest of our time in the shower is left in a pleasant silence as we rinse off, get out, and dry each other off. Looking towards a nearby clock I see that we still got quite a bit of time before we actually have to be there so I get myself dressed and allow Chryssy to scrutinize my outfit since I know she's going to do it anyway since we're going to a formal dinner, though I found it strange as she's not nearly as bad with Lily as she is with me. I'm thinking that she almost sees me as her personal male model she can get to strip whenever she wants, not that I'm really complaining.

Doing this eats up whatever time we had left, just as I predicted, and we're currently being escorted to the dining hall. We're all getting stares but it seems some soon to be sterile stallions giving Chrysalis some rather, penetrating looks. My displeasure must have shown too since no sooner had I looked in their direction did they run off with with their tails between their legs. I snorted as I saw this and got a nudge to the leg for it as well as a 'you better behave,' look from both the girls.

"Are you sure they're not related?" I heard Saboru asked after they turn away from me.

I don't know at this point but I would take a hazard in saying yes with the way they seem to get those looks to match. I told him as I keep a lookout for others that want to eye up my mare. Seems though my message got across to the male populace seeing as though most just go about ignoring us and that ones who don't, well lets just say their special somebody didn't exactly appreciate them staring at another mare.

After another couple of minutes of navigating the corridors we've finally come across the entrance to the Dining room and it seems the atmosphere has grown tense as what is waiting for us beyond this is unknown. The uneasy feeling doesn't stop me however as I push open the door.