To say Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was tired would be an understatement. She was exhausted to her very core; a deep soul draining fatigue. Not forty-eight hours ago she had been crying her eyes out in the dark crystal caves beneath Canterlot, alone, mourning the inevitable loss of her fiancé. So much had happened since then it was still hard to believe. The weight of the ring on her horn was a constant comfort and since saying 'I do' she had touched the simple gold ring dozens of times just to remind herself it was real. She had gone for the deepest of depressions to the happiest days of her life in under two days. It was shocking and her mind was still trying to process everything.
Cadence shivered at the memory of being attacked by the insect queen. She remembered oozing slime and that bitch's cackling laugh. Somewhere in her imagination she heard the constant buzzing of hundreds of wings around her. She almost felt their chitinous talons on her fur and shivered. She remembered screaming into the echoing darkness beneath Canterlot for hours, begging for her knight in shining armor to rescue her. But he never came…
As if sensing her thoughts, Shining Armor reached out and touched her shoulder. Cadence flinched in surprise but offered her husband a smile.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked. Cadence's only response was to bury her face in his chest. The carriage ride was the first time the two had truly been alone since her rescue and Cadence just needed somepony to hold her. Shining Armor was quick to respond and pulled her tight into his body. Cadence sighed at the familiar warmth. Compared to this, the crystal caves might as well have been the frozen shores of Lake Cocytus itself. It was certainly as bleak and was the furthest she had ever felt from her lover, even if she had only been a few miles beneath Canterlot. Cadence whimpered slightly and Shining Armor cooed into her ear.
"Hey, hey…it's okay." He rocked her back and forth gently, "I have you. You're safe with me." Cadence involuntarily flinched at his words and buried her guilt quickly. She couldn't…wouldn't blame him for what had happened. The insect bitch had fooled them all, thanks in no small part to that horrible spell she had cast on her husband.
"Sorry." Cadence said with a weak laugh, "I almost lost you, so you better get used to me cuddling with you a lot for the coming months."
"I can live with that." Shining Armor laughed and held her chin in his hooves, "What I can't live without is you." He kissed her delicately as Cadence laughed.
"Geez, Twilight was right; you are corny." She teased.
"Only when it comes to you." He replied with his roughish grin, "Besides I know you love it."
"Don't flatter yourself, sweetie." Cadence said with a loving smile and kissed him, "You are not as charming as you think you are."
Shining Armor fixed her with an intense stare.
"Yes I am." He said simply and she melted in his embrace. Damn the bastard, but he was right. When he wanted to be he was more charming than Con Mane from those spy movies. He could be a complete gentlecolt one minute, and a charming, daring rouge the next. Just one look from him was enough to make Cadence blush; it was a look that said she was the only mare for him and that he was undressing her with his mind at the same time. He always pulled out that roguish look at parties just to drive Cadence wild.
A sour note entered her mind. Had he given the changeling queen the same looks?
Just the idea of Queen Chrysalis being in the same room as Shining Armor sent pangs of rage down Cadence's spine. The doppelganger had stolen her clothes, her voice, and her friends and had almost stolen her fiancé. She had used Shining Armor's love for her to rot Canterlot from the inside. Cadence seethed with anger and had to pull away from her husband, her ears almost fuming. She had held him at night; cast her own corrupted version of Cadence's own healing spell. Cadence had felt a rift in her heart while imprisoned at the idea of Shining Armor casting his protection spell without her true love to sooth away the pain.
Just as soon as her anger fired up, it died out and an icy feeling sunk into her gut. Cadence cast a glance at Shining Armor out of the corner of her eyes. He was waving at the last few ponies of Canterlot as they left the outer districts. Shining Armor and her look-alike had been together for five days. Five days of pure agony for Cadence…but what had happened during those dark hours when she had been alone? Had Chrysalis hugged him? Kissed him?
Did she…?
"Shining Armor?" Cadence whispered without looking at him. The stallion turned away from the window and the crowds of ponies he was waving at. The princess's tone had sounded a wrong note in him and he gave her a questioning look.
"Sweetie?" He asked, "Everything okay?" He reached out to touch her shoulder but she shied away.
"I…I have to ask you something." She began slowly, hesitantly. She turned to him and he was surprised to see very real tears in her eyes. "And before I do, I want to-"
"Cadence, it's okay." Shining Armor said softly and brushed her tears away. Cadence offered him a sad smile but pushed away. She wanted him to just hold her, but her mind was simply out of control.
"Please, just let me say this." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I love you. And I always will. And no matter what you say, I won't get mad at you. I promise."
"Wha-"
"Please." Cadence stopped him with a hoof to his lips, "When…when Chrysalis was pretending to be me…s-she fooled everypony. Even you." Shining Armor opened his mouth but she stopped him with a glare, "No, don't say anything. She had cast a spell on you. I don't blame you honey; I never will."
"But…"
"But…" Cadence looked out the window, unable to look at her soulpony, "Do you remember the night we got engaged? Do you remember what we said?"
"Of course." Shining Armor said with a smile, "I told you I would love you forever, and I'm going to keep my promise Cadence."
"Not that." Cadence said with more emotion than she meant, "The…the part about us not…being together again until our honeymoon." Shining Armor's eyes widened in fear and shock.
"…oh…"
"Yeah." Cadence said sadly, "Chrysalis wouldn't have known that and I doubt she would care if she did. I…I want to know…did you…di-did she…" Cadence took a shuttering breath and fought back the biting pain in her gut, "Where did she sleep?"
Shining Armor was silent for a very long time. He looked at his hooves and absently traced the silver and gold armbands he wore. He mouth had gone dry and his voice was all but lost. He had never even thought of that. Chrysalis had looked just like Cadence, spoke like Cadence…and when he got off duty he had been so exhausted they had never really had time to be together long…but…He wanted to forget, to lie and make it all go away.
"Don't lie." Cadence whispered, interrupting his thoughts.
"She…she slept with me." Shining Armor whispered, "In our bed." Cadence hissed and closed her eyes.
"Did…did you two…?"
"…yes." Shining Armor looked away but Cadence reached out with a shaking hoof. She took his chin gently and brought his trembling lips to hers. It wasn't a kiss lost in passion. It was a healing kiss, laced with love. Their tears mixed as they pressed into one another and Shining Armor took his bride in her arms and held her close. Cadence pulled away slowly and kissed all along his face, to his eyes and finally to the ring that hung from his horn.
"Tell me." She whispered.
"Cadence, please." Shining Armor's voice was broken.
"No." Cadence said firmly, "She tried to take you from me. I hate her, Shining Armor. I want to hate her and you have to let me. But I don't want to be…consumed in anger. Tell me everything so I can face it now." She put a hoof to his face, "Then together you and I will fix everything. I have faith in us." Shining Armor gulped hard but kept his eyes fixed on his lover. "How many times?"
"Twice." He said monotone, "the first time…" He smiled involuntarily, "it had been a long day. I was exhausted and my migraine just wouldn't go away. She tried her spell but it didn't work…looking back, its obvious why."
"Why?"
"She didn't love me, Cadence." Shining Armor said simply, "She wasn't using your healing spell. She was sapping the life out of me." Cadence held him closer and felt the fire of her anger begin to smolder again. She grimaced into his fur.
"What happened next?" She whispered. Her mind was screaming at her to make him stop but she ignored it. Her heart had to know; she had to know everything or her imagination would drive her insane.
"We…" Shining Armor hesitated, "She smiled at me. She looked at me with your eyes and more lust than I've ever seen." Cadence backed away, hurt.
"You know I love when we're together. Its beyond amazing." She countered, "I love you. You are the single most attractive stallion I've ever seen. I…I lust after you too, Shining Armor."
"I…I know that!" Shining Armor said carefully, "She just-"
He never finished. She had captured his lips in a passionate kiss. Cadence would be damned if some insect queen could outperform her! Cadence put as much lust and passion into that kiss as she could. She bit and sucked on his lips, drawing a deep moaning from his chest. Cadence smiled against his lips and pulled away. She trailed wet kisses along his jaw line and up to his ear. She nibbled his ear and he shuddered in pleasure.
"Keep talking." She practically moaned into his ear. Her words were hot with passion and sent a shiver all down his spine. She wanted him to relive his time with Chrysalis and see how it paled to the real Princess Cadence. She would make anything that insect bitch did seem boring and dull. Cadence would prove her superiority.
"She…she led me to our room." Shining Armor managed but the princess's attention to his body was making thinking all but impossible. "She was very aggressive. Dominating…"
"Did you like it?" Cadence whispered. Her anger burned white hot in her breast but she refused to let it engulf her. She would never get mad at Shining Armor; he was only guilty of loving her. His love was strong enough to beat Princess Celestia for pony's sake! How could she ever fault him? But the idea of another mare being with her stallion sent pangs of jealousy along her nerves.
"I did." Shining Armor managed before she swept his lips into a teasing kiss. Cadence crawled on top of him so she straddled him. The kiss was only a heartbeat long before she left his lips to explore the rest of his body.
"Why?"
"It was something different." Shining Armor said, "It was like you had taken charge. You knew what you wanted and you got it." Cadence couldn't help but grin at the idea.
"Was it hot?" she put as must lust into her words as she could. Her husband grinned, his eyes wild.
"So hot." He teased. Cadence grinned at him and when he leaned forward for a kiss, she slammed him back into the seat.
"Well then." She said innocently, "I guess I'm gonna' have to take charge more often."
"Oh really?"
"Oh…" Cadence leaned forward and licked all along his jaw line, "I know what I want and I'm going to get it." Shining Armor took her mane in his hoof and wrenched her lips to his. Cadence gave a momentary yelp but quickly melted into his lips. She had to admit; it was hot when he took charge too. The temperature in the carriage was starting to heat up and Cadence had to reign herself in. They still had two hours before they reached their destination and there was still talking to do.
"What about the second time?" She whispered. She was nuzzling him while she spoke. Anything to just be near him. Shining Armor sighed and shook his head with a sad smile.
"I was on duty and-"
"You were on duty?" Cadence gasped in outrage. Part of her was sickened at the idea, the other part jealous. Why didn't I ever think of that? "But you're so serious when you're on duty. I've seen it! Nothing can distract you!"
"…there is one thing that can distract me." He whispered, slightly ashamed.
"Me?" Cadence breathed, "Shining Armor you were born to be the Captain of the Guard! You live for it!"
"I live for you, Cadence." He said firmly, "Being a captain is my job but I'd resign tomorrow if you wanted me to."
"I would never ask that."
"The offer still stands though." Shining Armor said and she knew he was serious. Cadence felt moved despite the situation. His cutie mark was a shield for Celestia's sake! He was a warrior born! He had more commendations and medals than any other Captain of the Guard. His men loved him and would follow him to the bowels of Tartarus itself if he asked. And he was willing to give it all up just for her.
"But what happened? You were on duty…" Cadence looked at him with sad, almost longing eyes. Shining Armor brushed his hoof over her face and blushed slightly. Cadence narrowed her eyes playfully; this was going to be good.
"I was patrolling the northern donjon and she…you…came up to me with the bridesmaids. You wanted to let me know you had changed the flower arrangement."
"I saw what she ordered." Cadence put in, "Disgusting. Who the hoof wants green flowers at a wedding?"
"I was so tired I didn't care." Shining Armor said with a dry chuckle, "Then you sent the bridesmaids away and took my hoof…and led me to one of the rooms."
"Which room?"
"…the library." Shining Armor said as if ashamed.
"The royal library?" Cadence grinned menacingly, "while on duty?"
"…yeah…" Shining Armor looked away, "Look I get it if you're mad. I mean it wasn't you…if you want to call me a cheater, I get it. But I do love you." Cadence put a hoof to his lips and smiled.
"I will never hold a grudge against you." Cadence kissed him gently, "You are the love of my life, Shining Armor. No changeling can change that!"
"You're not mad?" He asked.
"Of course not." Cadence said but grinned, "But I am jealous." She kissed him slowly, passionately, "and I'm going to have to think of the most delightful ways to prove I'm better than her."
"You don't have to prove anything!" Shining Armor said, "That bitch is nothing compared to you."
"Oh I totally expect to outperform her." Cadence shrugged, "but there are going to be some things I want to do to…cement that."
"Like what?"
"Well first when we get back to Canterlot, we're getting a new bed." She said firmly, "And sheets."
"Done."
"And…" She bit his ear playfully, "After that, I'm taking you to the library for round two."
"Cadence, really you don't-"
"Yes I do." She interrupted, "If you're ever out with your buddies and you feel like bragging, it's going to be about me."
"It would always be about you."
"And besides" Cadence ignored him and captured his lips in a burning kiss. She ran her hooves up and down his body and undid the tie around his neck, "Now that I know you're fair game on duty, I'm going to be having a lot of fun with you."
"Really?" He teased. He noticed her hooves were making quick work of his uniform and within seconds his decorative armor had clanged to the floor. "What are you doing?" He asked playfully. Cadence simply grinned back.
"Outperforming."