I was speechless, my face on fire, but whether it was from anger, shame, or something else, I couldn't tell. I was somewhat busy trying to ignore the demon's mad cackling. "What's the matter, morsel? Aroused? I know I am."

"I'm not... aroused! I-" I didn't quite know what I was at the moment, other than bewildered. Was I upset? Probably. I still couldn't wrap my mind around Celestia's decision. This demon had clearly threatened Equestria, had even made her threat part of the contract's terms, and yet Celestia had gone along with it. What happened to the fire she'd shown during the changeling invasion. If she hadn't underestimated Chrysalis, I know she could have easily destroyed her, so why did she hesitate against this enemy?

"Confused, are we? I was too, for a moment. Here was this all-powerful being, clearly set on defending her ponies even if it cost her life, and yet she bowed down to a lowly demon like myself. Why?" She smiled a quick, rueful grin, and shrugged. "I still don't know, of course. She never did confide in me as much as I may have wanted, but I've got my assumptions. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself, though. Or you could ask her. I have a feeling she'll be much more... receptive to your questions."

The two of us sat in silence after that, neither of us making a move to speak as we each pieced our thoughts together. Or, that's what I assumed she was doing as she wringed her tail in her claws. It was either that, or she received some kind of twisted pleasure from the act. I blinked, thrusting that thought as far from my mind as possible. It was already bad enough that she had been openly moaning in her reminiscing, I didn't need to be imagining her other lewd perversions. "So..."

"Yes, morsel?"

"What happened next?"

She giggled, pushing her hair back behind her horns and lay forward on her stomach. "Not much, I'm afraid. The rest of the day was dreadfully boring. Mingle with the commoners here, answer mundane questions about my origins there, lie without the slightest hint of proof through it all. Boring, boring, boring. Still, it wasn't completely uneventful, I'd say..."

When I stepped over the ponies around my, following Celestia like a towering sentry, I felt powerful, drinking in their fear as all of their eyes turned to the pure white of their leader. And her. She acted as if she was in control, but each step she took was shaky, as if she was struggling to lift her hooves from the sucking grasp of a pit of tar. It was obvious that her demeanor was the one and only thing keeping every pony in the town from bursting out into a frenzy. "I wonder how long this will last."

"How long what will last?" She paused, turning back to me, her head tilted.

"Oh, nothing in particular, Princess. Just a girl thinking out loud." I slid up closer to her and wrapped an arm around her back to slyly run a finger up her neck. "I am curious, though. I thought you were here to mingle. Greet your ponies, Princess. Tell them how much you love them."

I could feel the slightest shiver run down her spine and with it came a much more rigid posture from the mare. "I will, but for now I'm looking for the mayor. There was something I wanted to discuss with him before I joined in the festivities."

For a moment, I let my face slip into a pout, twisting my grin into a frown, and stood to my full height, arms crossed. "That's no fun, Princess. A festival is meant to be festive, yet all I see are a bunch of boring ponies staring at some strange creature in their midst. You should really do something entertaining, or I'll just have to find something to occupy myself with elsewhere. Who knows what mischief I could get up to?"

"You promised-!"

"And so did you. I am bored and demand that you entertain me. Must I get down and whine like a child? It would be quite a sight to see, if I do say so myself. A princess dealing with a petulant child twice her size for all of thee town to see. Why, you may even have to punish-"

"Enough. Please. I thought we agreed to keep everything in the privacy of our own company?"

"Perhaps we did..." I grinned, my eyes flashing to the crowd that had slowly grown around us, come to see the argument between their princess and some stranger, "and perhaps we shall, but I am starved for attention. Will you attend to your partner?"

I could see the hesitation in her eyes, the bright orbs dimming as she cast surreptitious glances between me and the ponies around her. For just a moment, I thought she might actually deny me, but just as I was getting ready to make my command she nodded. "It would be rude to deny a guest under my wing."

The word struck me like an iron peg, stinging like the barb of a bugbear, and, for once, I felt my blood boil. I thought it strange, how such a meaningless word, one said without any thought put into it, could have evoked any emotion in me, but here I was, struggling to maintain my glamour in front of a crowd of almost a hundred. It was petty, pointless even, but I couldn't even imagine letting it go unpunished. "A guest, are We?"

I knew she could practically taste the venom in my voice, I certainly could, and everything on her face was begging for me to stop, pleading that she wasn't ready to announce our contract to the populace, and I couldn't blame her for it. One doesn't just marry somebody out of the blue, let alone a complete stranger, without your character being called into question. No, it would surely besmirch her good name for some time to come, but the terms were set and, for some unknown reason, I was feeling especially spiteful in that moment.

"That's a terrible way to speak of your bride-to-be, isn't it, love?" I spoke just loud enough for those gathered nearest to us to hear, just as she had when she'd inadvertently invoked my ire, but dropped my voice to a whisper as I moved in closer. "You will enjoy this, and you will ensure that everybody around us is assured of your commitment. We wouldn't want anybody spreading any rumours that you're being manipulated, now would we?"

Before she could even respond, I pulled her face to mine and our mouths met, locking together like suctions. She was slow to reciprocate, and I had anticipated it, so I allowed myself the leisure of exploring her mouth, slipping my tongue past her teeth and down her throat. I watched her slowly ease into it, her eyes gradually closing, until her own tongue pressed against mine. The ponies around us would never see the little skirmish we were having, she trying and failing to wrestle me out of her throat, but they definitely heard her moan, saw the way she squirmed. I smiled into the kiss, gave her neck one last caress, and pulled away to stare into quivering magenta eyes of my very put out partner. "I told you that you were mine, didn't I?"

All at once, the silence that had fallen over the crowd broke, bursting into a cacophony of frenzied questions, each more urgently pressed than the last. I couldn't resist the grin that split my face, nor could I suppress the chuckle that shook my body. How could I? The sheer look of disbelief on the princess' face could have brought the sadism out of a butterfly.

"You just-"

"Yes."

"In front of-?"

"Most definitely. It was delightful." She rolled over onto her back, her chains clinking noisily, and grinned up at me, likely drinking in the shock that I knew was apparent on my face. "She looked just like that, you know? Celestia, that is, and a lot of the ponies in attendance that day, too. It didn't win any favor from her, but it certainly showed her how serious I was. Thinking back on it, I realize now why I had acted like that, but I don't regret it. I think it was that moment that I realized how serious I was as well."

"I still can't..." I shook my head and stared down at the stone. "Why?"

"I wasn't sure back then, probably did it on instinct, but I figure the answer should be obvious." She sighed, and clutched her chest. "I did fall in love with her, although at that time it was probably just infatuation pushed by the desire for power. As I said, she was much more awesome than I and I wanted to lord what little dominance I could over her. Petty. Stupid. Worth it."

I nodded slightly. I understood what she was saying and, while I didn't agree with anything she was doing, I could somewhat empathize with her. I'd known power and wished to hold what little I could over those that I loved. I did it all the time when I knew something that others didn't. I didn't like that part of myself, just as I'm sure most ponies didn't, but it was there. "So... why didn't she burn you?"

"What do you think would have happened if she had immolated my face in front of all of those innocent eyes?" She shook her head, absentmindedly tapping the sparkling iron around her wrists. It wasn't exactly my choice, nor did I think she could stop it. From the moment I first burst into flames, I was dreaming of the moment she would shove her horn into my-"

"Stop! I get it! you like it when you are hurt and when you hurt others! I don't... I don't need details. Especially not..." I shuddered, much to her delight if her cackling was any hint. "Just continue, please?"

After that, we didn't stay in one place for too long, moving through the crowds and greeting each pony we met. No longer were the questions focused on where I had come from, instead turning to inquiries of our meeting, when we had grown close, how long until our marriage. In those few, short hours, I learned quite well how magnificent of a manipulator my bride-to-be was as she wove falsehoods over fiction to make our arrangement seem as legitimate as she could. I could have broken the web of deceit, as it surely would have brought even more stress falling down upon her shoulders, but seeing her squirm under the scrutiny of hundreds of curious, fearful peasants was more than enough for me. I'd already slaked my hunger; drove away my boredom.

By the time midday came, the sun reaching its apex above us, the carriages that would carry us to my new home had arrived. They hadn't been due until past sunfall, as I had gleaned from the nearly incessant whining of the town's leaders, but here they were, almost as if summoned by the princess herself. "Well, Princess, I'd say it is time we made our leave, yes? After all, we do have a wedding to plan and invitations to send."

"Of course, Amai. I'm truly sorry, Mayor Hat, but I wasn't expecting my fiance to arrive quite as early as she did and plans had to change. I hope it didn't ruin your plans too much." Celestia smiled brightly, a gesture that the old stallion hastily returned. Politics always bored me, but it was always fun watching each person scramble to keep up with another.

"Of course not, Your Highness. I understand completely. I just hope that you and your lovely marefriend enjoy the rest of the night. Have a safe trip!"

The mayor bowed deeply, almost losing the top hat that sat upon his head to the momentum, as we nodded our formalities before stepping onto the gold-trimmed carriage. It was hysterical how he fumbled over himself, his nerves showing through as clearly as the sun on a cloudless day, and it wasn't until we were seated upon the plush, velvet cushions that I expressed my mirth to the princess. "You know, morsel, I do quite love when somebody hides something from the thing they fear the most, don't you?"

"Everybody has something to hide. It's part of being alive, one of the burdens of consciousness."

"Of course, but he wasn't hiding something you'd expect from just anybody. Did you not see how nervous he was?" I slipped my hand across her back and traced my fingers along her withers. "He was talking so quickly. Almost like he was counting down the seconds until you left."

"Most ponies are nervous when I'm around. It's bothersome, and something I wish I could work through, but I'm used to it." She shook as I dug my nails through her fur, gently tracing circles down her back. "Plus, I'm pretty sure you being there wasn't helping much at all."

I chuckled under my breath, and instinctively slid closer to the mare as the chariot began to move. "Oh, certainly. I saw how your ponies acted around you, practically falling over themselves in their anticipation, but surely you could tell the difference. He's hiding something terrible, or at least terrible by whatever standards you ponies hold, and I'm so very eager to know what it was."

She slumped forward as my fingers slipped lower, drawing abstract designs into her flank and across the bright little sun emblazoned on her ass. "Why are you telling me this? Is it another attempt to get under my skin and make me doubt my ponies?"

"Now, Princess... How could you think that of me? Haven't we been the best of friends since we met? We even kissed!" Her glare sent pleasant little shivers down my spine as I smiled and hugged her closer. "I'm teasing, morsel. I'm telling you because we're partners now. You may belong to me, but that doesn't mean I won't help where I'm needed. We have a contract, you know..." I slid my hand down to her tail, wringing my fingers around her dock, and ever so slyly graced the tight pucker below with little caresses. "Besides. If I was trying to manipulate you as such, do you really think I would make it known?"

"Not in public, Amai." I shrugged, pointing at myself as if accused of some grand wrongdoing that I hadn't committed, and continued to tease under her tail.

"We're far from in public, morsel. I doubt that anybody could see the way you twitch when I do this..." I gently slipped a finger down and into her folds, snorting with laughter as she yelped and shook the chariot, much to the guardstallions' dismay. "Well, they wouldn't see unless you made some rather embarrassing noises and used binoculars to see what happened. But what are the chances of that?"

"You are already making me regret my decision." She sighed, keeping as straight of a face as she could with my knuckles buried deep into her hindquarters, and regarded me with a hint of confusion on her face. "If I were to believe you, and I find it difficult to do so, what would my guards find if I pursued the subject with the mayor?"

A shake of my head was all I offered for a moment, still working my fingers, much to Celestia's increasing pleasure, or displeasure if the glare shot in my direction was any indication. "I haven't the slightest clue, Celestia. I cannot read minds, nor can I predict the future, but I am beyond capable at reading others. Believe me or not, it's your choice, but I would suggest having somebody look into that old horse's affairs. I'm sure something quite juicy will turn up." I grinned as the princess finally shuddered, a soft moan escaping her lips, barely audible over the rushing of wind around us, and clenched on my fingers in pre-release, and silently withdrew my hand back to my own lap.

The fury in her stare made my blood run cold and my smile split my face as I tried to feign a look of pure innocence. "What? Did you forget what I am? Besides, I thought you didn't want me to touch you."

"I... Why?"

"Because she was just burning up in that chariot. I thought I'd cool her off."

I buried my face in my hooves, hiding my blood-tinged cheeks. "I-I didn't want to know-" She barked with laughter, slapping her thigh with a sharp crack and wiped a tear from her eyes as I turned my frustration into an angry glare. "I'm serious! You don't have to tell me every time y-you..."

"Fuck the princess of Equestria with my slim, powerful fingers?" I groaned at the smug look on her face, but it only served to incite more glibness. "Do you know what she did after I stopped?" Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to decline an answer, but she interrupted a hand on my muzzle. "She gave me her first order. Can you guess what it was?" Again I wanted to refuse an answer, but only had enough range of motion to slightly shake my head. "Rhetorical question, morsel. She demanded I finish her. It had been mere hours and I already had a hold of the monarch of your lovely land, first with our contract and then with this small act of dominance. And believe me, she did not last long after I had stopped." Her grin broke out across her face as she held her free hand out to admire her fingers. "Let's just say that I have very magical appendages." Her eyes turned back towards me, a devious smile plastered on her face as she massaged my muzzle.

It took me a few moments for the smell to hit me, the scent of arousal freshly dried, and my eyes widened as one of her digits surreptitiously slipped between my lips. I panicked and pulled away, wrenching my face out of her grasp and nearly biting her finger in the process as the demon howled with laughter. "Y-you! Don-! Agh! That was in-!" I shuddered, trying to suppress my urge to freak out and blast her with magic, desperately trying to wipe my tongue off on my coat all while the woman rolled on the floor, cackling.

Several minutes passed before both of us calmed down enough, her laughter dying out and my desire to strangle her with her own tail simmering down into a niggling urge. I didn't relent my glare, however. "You could learn from Celestia, morsel. It'd serve you well to learn some composure, especially with how the ponies act when things don't go as planned."

I held her gaze for several moments, biting back the rising anger in my stomach, before finally sighing and hanging my head. "You're right. She is a monument to aspire to, and a pretty daunting one at that. I don't appreciate what you did, but I could have handled it better."

"There you go! Now..." She leaned in close, her voice dropping down to a whisper as if she didn't want the crowd of nothing around us to overhear. "Do you want a real taste? I've been told I remind a certain somebody of pomegranate."

I growled and shoved her away, only serving to elicit more laughter."Just tell me what happened when you got back! What happened with the mayor!?"

"So touchy. The offer still stands, though."

I stepped off the chariot, a wide grin on my face, followed by Celestia, her once calm, flowing mane roiling erratically and fur matted by sweat and copious sexual fluids. "I'd say they probably heard you all the way in my homeland with how you screamed, Princess. If you want to keep our bedroom acts private, I'd suggest working on some exercises in restraint."

"I would not have screamed so loud if you had simply stopped at the-" She paused, shaking her head, and nodded to the pair of guards who, despite the past hour of the flight's activities, had kept their demeanor surprisingly stoic. Or they would have had their flagposts not been at full mast, proudly displaying their true colors. "No, I won't give you the satisfaction."

"And we're already bickering like old codgers! My, Celestia, you sure do like to take your relationships seriously. Although, maybe we're moving a little too fast. I still have my whole life ahead of me. I'd prefer not to be a haggard crone so early." I skipped ahead, my feet padding softly on the smooth stone beneath them, and turned to face her, my expression hardened. "So, are you going to take my advice?"

She glanced back to the two guards and motioned them away, leaving just the two of us alone in the vast courtyard when they flew the chariot away. "I will... have some of my ponies look into it. If they find something, and I truly hope that they don't, then..." She hesitated, and, from the way her eyes unfocused for just a moment, I knew she was trying to phrase her words quite particularly. "Then, perhaps, I may think more on this contract. As it stands, I fear I don't quite gain as much of a benefit from our arrangement as you do, outside of my subjects' safety. If your assumption proves true, then I may find some purpose for you."

"A purpose? For me?" I pressed my hand to my chest, mocking awe, and bowed deeply. "Why, thank you, Princess. I'm sure I'll be a wonderful ass...et." I chuckled, spinning on my heel, and skipped on ahead as the white mare followed slowly behind, quite obviously less eager to be back home than I was. "You don't need to worry, morsel. I'm always right about these things."

"And that's what worries me." She sped up her pace, catching up to me at a brisk trot, matched my stride with surprising agility, and gently nudged me with a wing. "Before we have another debacle like before, I need to set some ground rules, Amai."

I slowed slightly, hooking my arm around her barrel, and lifted her off her hooves, chuckling as she gasped and momentarily flailed like an abducted cat. "Ground rules? I suppose, but we both know how well I listen to those."

"Then consider them an order! And put me down. I'd prefer it if we could reason this out like proper adults, but I will abuse my command if you don't with to cooperate."

"Oh, please abuse it, Celestia. Abuse me as well. I really would appreciate it."

"Enough! I like to think I am a patient mare, I've had many, many centuries to work on it, but I need you to be serious. I'm sure you want this to work just as much as I would prefer it to. I do not want to invoke my power upon you, nor do I want you to run rampant through my streets." She stared at me, eyes full of weakness, face lined with weariness, and, for a moment, I thought I was staring at a completely different mare. A mare devoid of that indomitable strength that had seduced me at first contact, incapable of sending me to my doom even if she wished to. I watched her trudging behind me to close the distance, and I shivered. Had I been mistaken? Was this mare, this mere pony, worth my desire? So many thoughts, doubts, and questions flashed by in a matter of seconds, and then she straightened her back, standing to her full, regal height, and stared into my eyes, her magenta orbs glowing fiercely in the light of the sun. "No, I do not want that and I will do everything in my power to prevent it. I will play along with this little game you've thought up, but you will do as I say or come to regret it."

I smiled, the grin stretching widely across my face as it wiped any semblance of distaste from my visage, threatening to send me into a fit of laughter as she continued to burn her glare deep into my soul, and bent forward to press our lips into a quick, chaste embrace. "Of course, Princess. I am your servant, pledged to follow your commands to the letter, or did you forget our pact?" I pulled away, bowing deeply enough that my horns nearly scraped the stone at her hooves. "Demand it and it shall be done. Bend me to your will."

Author's Note

So, the next chapter will get pretty bad (where the dark and shit comes into play), but it's nothing overtly terrible. If you've seen a horror movie, then this shouldn't be anything overtly new. Still, just a forewarning.