//-------------------------------------------------------// Tempered Affair -by OnyxElite- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Act I of III "Stridulent Affection" //-------------------------------------------------------// Act I of III "Stridulent Affection" Shining Armor couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned on his lavish bed, trying in vain to become comfortable. His sleeping partner rested without issue. The lingering honey-sweet scent of Cadance's mane relaxed his muscles, and the soft rise and fall of her middle somehow caused Shining's eyes to grow heavy. It was like a mother's lullaby, lulling the tired stallion to a deserved rest, but his mind persisted. The restless Shining turns towards the faced-away Princess and wrapped his arms around her, taking in notably deeper breaths of her aromatic aroma and closing his eyes for awhile. "...." He buried his muzzle into the royal pillows and signed after what easily could pass for an eternity. Shining cracked open his eye to check the magically illuminated clock hanging on the wall. Fourteen passed midnight. Shining groaned further into despair into the submissive pillow. He soundlessly slid out of bed, taking great caution not to awake the slumbering Cadance and pulled a small robe on his naked frame. "Maybe a warm cup of milk will do the trick" Shining thought as he navigated himself out of the coal-black room and down the unlit hallway. "Perhaps a tinge of honey too" Shining easily traversed the castle-walkways to his destination. The Crystalline Cuisine, or just the kitchen. These doors are unguarded normally thankfully to his order. He pulled apart the twin-doors and was greeted with the scent of fresh milk bubbling in a small pot on the active stove. The prince looked all around, but saw no one to claim the beverage or it's creation. Shining flicked the light-switch and the darkness disappeared. The room was completely desolate. The stallion cautiously went around the large counter-island to the pot and examined it closely. He checked the temperature or for any poison, both being perfectly to his standards. Shining Armor, satisfied with no odd observation, pulled a mug out of a nearby cabinet. Shining carefully poured the heated milk into the cup. The honey jar, keeping in check with the convenient oddities tonight, was the only object on the counter. "Suspicious..." Shining peaked out of his peripherals only to catch the doors just as they silently closed themselves. He quickly turned his eyes back to the milk before anything could notice his them. Shining slowly opened the jar with his magic and lifted out a small glop of the sweet substance into the milk. Cautiously checking his peripherals for any movement, the husband latched his magic onto the milk and stirred it. Ever so quietly dragging a small fork into his awaiting hand. "creeee-aaak" Shining lobbed the mug towards the door with startling force. Before it could shatter upon the innocent door, it stopped midair and softly landed on the island, escorted by a light shine of green. The door opened more and the armored head of a guardspony entered. The guard curiously looked about. "M'lord?" The tone of the guard's voice was polite yet urgent. "Lady Mi Amore is asking for you." He shifted and revealed the well-awake Cadance, donned in full royal uniform. A light pink gown with her signature crown and golden slippers. Shining Armor nodded his head towards the guard and left the fork on the counter while he walked outside of the kitchen. "Sorry if I woke you up, Cadance." The prince apologized "I was just-" "What are you doing up this late?!" The calm Cadance jetted the interruption out "By Celestia's tail, it's like you don't even want to sleep with me!" She huffed loudly, arms crossed. Shining's wife stormed passed him into the kitchen, not allowing him a retort. He reached out to her as she went by and was sharply ignored. The door slammed in his face. Shining groaned in the face of the door and began brewing a method of apologizing for his crime. The stoic breathing re-alerted the disgruntled stallion to the bystanding guard. "Uhh..." The Captain of The Guard said sheepishly "Could you... guard this door for awhile? Until Lady Mi Amore retires, if possible." The loyal night-watch saluted and Shining returned the gesture. The guard carefully lifted a flower out of a nearby vase and offered it to the readily accepting Shining Armor. The Captain took the flower and made a note to give the lone guard a raise before cautiously entering the Crystalline Cuisine to encounter his upset mistress. "Cadance, you still here?... I brought you a token of my undying love!" Shining stepped inside and found his beloved quietly slowly stirring the glass of milk he had left behind with her finger. Cadance's gown seemed shorter, short enough to expose her cutie mark. Her crown was missing, and so were her slippers. Shining ignored it and softly walked beside her, wrapping his arm around her. She leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Her horn brushed up against Shining's neck. Cadance didn't acknowledge his presence beside that. "Cadance...?" He slowly said. She turned towards him, looked into his eyes, and suddenly buried her head into Shining's chest without a word. The stallion enclosed his arms around her, lightly kissing her mane. Shining very quickly noticed the lack of the honey-scented perfume Cadance had been wearing when he left their room. "This is...odd" Shining Armor thought as the mare in his arms quickly pulled apart the small string that held Shining's robe together. He held the sole bit of clothing he had up and Cadance kissed the exposed parts of his chest in silent protest. "Uhh, Cadance?" Shining said as unsuspiciously as possible while she kissed more sensually downwards. "When I left the bed, you smelled like honey..." Cadance immediately ceased her kissing and stiffened in his arms. Shining did notice Cadance's very much questionable behavior and tried to disengage the embrace, but his arms didn't budge an inch. Shining tried even harder to no different result. His arms were firmly kept by the familiar green magical aura that stopped the mug earlier. Cadance dug her head even further into Shining's shoulder, as if to hide the glow of her horn and dull hum. "Let me go." Shining grumbled after a full minute of the forced embrace had passed. His captor had only cuddled even harder. "Mmhm.." the muffled voice arouse in reply. "I don't believe I will, Shine..." The stallion tried to stepped back, but Cadance expected it and stuck her own foot behind his, causing him to fall down on the kitchen marble with her on top of him. She took advantage of the moment to land her lips on Shining's. He yelped in surprised as an abnormally long, thin tongue invaded his mouth, touching each of his teeth and whipping his own tongue as Cadance straddled him. Pinning him with an unexpected weight advantage. Shining Armor could hear and feel the purring of his cuddly attacker on his bare chest. Cadance's hands explored Shining's body against his will, often adding pressure on the more sensitive parts of his side and cooing whenever The Captain squirmed. Cadance rested her head on his chest and her long flowing mane did also. Shining Armor's arms were still kept behind his back, so his struggling was futile in the greater light. With another coo, Candace removed Shining's thin robe, leaving him defenseless and naked on the floor, completely at Cadance's mercy. "Mmm..." His wife muttered though her practical ecstasy "...You don't mind if I drop this disguise right, Shiny?" "D-disguise?..." Shining asked with confusion apparent in his tone, which only made Cadance softly laugh and sit up on her prey's pelvis. Shining didn't expect this behavior and blushed as he realized his fiancée hadn't come donning any sort of underclothing, and completely left her flower unprotected. Slowly and carefully, with a purr and a wide smile, Cadance rubbed her exposed warmth on Shining's member, causing him to blush even redder as his rod grew larger without his consent. Her hips bounced up and down, practically drowning Shining's hardened spear in a hurricane of moistness and pure, complete love. Cadance leaned down towards Shining, her hair falling down and shrouding both of their faces. All Shining could do was look into the familiar, lightly purple eyes his wife bore down on him with. And watch as they became a sickly familiar shade of harlequin. Author's Note This is your Hard-Pressed Scribe, and I pray you've enjoyed this story. But, I am curious, where do you all hail from? I descend from the wide deserts of Africa. As it says in the name, they'll only be three chapters. The second one will contain the most clop, if you would wish to know.