No pony was in the chamber except for me and the female Changelings Taking care of the pods. The one I sat in front of was a Transparent Green-blue pod, and inside it was there was a small little changeling. A Changeling Queen. I had made the pod over five months ago, and It was almost ready to hatch.
The small changeling floating inside, unlike the others scattered in the surrounding pods,
"My queen, there is a guest waiting for you."I turned my head to see a scrawny-looking Changeling Guard. I sighed. After the Failed invasion, love was harder to find then ever. Our best Infiltrators had to sneak in and out of other Kingdoms, absorbing as much love as they could then depositing it in the rationing system. There was very little love food, and changelings were starving.
"Bring them to the Throne room, I'll seal this up and then come to meet them.". The changeling did a weak bow before running off. I flew up and started to put down the magic-proof covering that only I could open. Before shutting it, I whispered softly to the pod "Hush, you'll be fine. you'll all ways be safe, my little gem, my little Crystal." That would be her name. Crystal. Queen Chrysalis and Princess Crystal.
As I walked down the empty halls of our hive, I shuddered. Back when we were strong, each room had honey-comb like hexagons filled to the brim with love energy and food. But now they were hollow, not a drop in sight. Now everything was different, there where fewer pods being created by the females, and in order to keep the population up we had to resort to transforming ponies into changelings. Nothing felt right anymore.
As I walked in the room, I saw the guest. He was a Male changeling, but not a generic soldier or even a general. In fact, he almost looked royal. his legs didn't have the usual holes, instead, it seemed like there were cracks and broken-off areas. After i sat down, he did a mocking bow. "Your Highness, I must introduce myself, I don't believe we have met. I am Shard, the rightful King of the changelings!" Shard announced with a tone of superiority.
All the guards, and myself gasped in shock. There had never been a king, the royals were only Female, the males all were either a guard,a general, or a infiltrator. How could this be possible?! This was treason, for only the queens were the rightful rulers.
He must have seen the look of utter shock on my face, for then he replied "i know this must be extremely confusing, but I assure you that I am the rightful king, and of course, out of respect, my queen, I ask you to marry me if you wish to continue to rule with me. Unless you wish to be humiliated by being defeated in a duel for the crown, which I will most certainly win."
"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!" I answered to his treasonous statement. "There has never been, and never will be a king. I am the rightful ruler of the changelings, and you are a pitiful excuse for a changeling! Now leave before i execute you!" My anger towards this bastard was more then any-pony could understand! This was a direct threat to the throne! I would never marry him, or even duel him! This will be over with as soon as the foolish changeling leaves.
But he didn't he just stood there and calmly replied "I never expected you to understand the first time. But I will come back every week to ask you the same questions, and until you agree to either duel me or marry me, i shall go through your hives and talk to your changelings to convince them of the truth, that I am king. And if you don't accept I shall raise an army against you, and I will destroy you, Queen Chrysalis!" He spat out my name as if it tasted like bitter love. As he walked out he gave me a cruel smile, like that of a snake before it bites you. And that is exactly what he reminded me of. A snake before the strike.
A pony hidden by shadows walked into the entrance of a small changeling hive. As it entered, it stated to walk up to the first door. It's hoof slowly knocked on the hard stone-like door. The door slowly opened.
"Who are you, and what do you want! We have no love food to spare, if that's what you're seeking!" The changeling who answered was a scrawny looking guard, only sticking out his head to hide hid malnourished body and family. As the changeling, for the pony was indeed a changeling for certain now, drew back his hood, a look of utter shock and confusion spread across the changeling guards face.
"I am shard, and i can see that you and your family are starving. Do take this, as a sigh of my pity for you." The mysterious changeling reached with his hoof back in his cloak, and then brought forth a large lump of love food. As the guard accepted the gift, he looked up to the stranger and asked "Who are you that you can freely give such a large amount of food to us?
"Well, doesn't a king care for his subjects? For I am your rightful king."