Kingdom of Loving: Fear and Loving in the Crystal Empire

Chapter 4: Breakfast and a Show

The next morning Twilight awoke and felt refreshed in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Last night had been taxing, mentally, right up until she had managed to get herself off and wind down for bed. She’d dreaded falling into the dark clutches of sleep and having her subconscious run off with her after everything she had seen, but surprisingly, her dreams were vaguely pleasant. There were a lot of old memories there of her and her brother, before he’d gone off to join the Canterlot guard, before he’d left for the Crystal Kingdom. She really did miss him and she was very glad to be getting to attend his wedding.

That was three days away. For now, Twilight was scheduled to go on a tour of the kingdom. Shining promised he’d take her around to all the sights. She understood now why it was probably best she’d had a good night’s sleep beforehand. Somewhere in the back of her mind a twist of dread at seeing another naked pony rose, but she quelled it. This was a new day, she reminded herself. This was a new opportunity to make a good impression and get to know these ponies in their full, natural environment.

Very natural environment, she mentally snarked as she rolled out of bed. Her preferred sleepwear was a simple nightgown, a white thing with frilly lace around the long sleeves, the collar, and the ankle-length hem. It was just sheer enough that where it hung loosely across her figure anypony could tell she was purple, but it was not see-through even in direct light. She pulled it off on the way across the bedroom and draped it across the end of the bed. There was a moment where she considered the irony. In the space between the bed and the washroom she was perfectly comfortable being naked, even striding around without clothes on and no intention of putting them on. The moment anypony suggested she step outside that door, however, or anypony came in, and she would be a shrinking violet in more ways than one.

Twilight always needed some extra time in the morning to wash, dry, and brush her long mane, since it hung to the small of her back, and her tail draped nearly to her calves. It wasn’t difficult to keep orderly, just time-consuming, and she found that the bathroom cabinet was already stocked with everything she needed from fresh soaps to three kinds of fur-conditioner to thick horsebrushes that would wade through even her damp head of hair with ease. As she stood under the flow of hot water from the crystalline showerhead she couldn’t help but note she was quite naked.

Of course she was, and in any normal situation that would have been a silly thought to have. She wasn’t in her normal situation, however, in her room above the library in Ponyville or a guest bedroom at Canterlot. She wasn’t in a place where clothing was the norm and being naked was what happened when you took a shower. As she shut off the flow of hot water and stepped into the steamy air outside the shower curtain Twilight mused on the notion that being naked, right now, was as natural a thing among the Crystal Kingdom ponies as wearing her clothes was at any other time.

While she ran the soft cotton towel over her damp fur Twilight debated on whether or not she should actually get dressed. It wouldn’t be seen as abnormal here, but for her it was definitely strange. The thought of all those eyes on her naked form, watching her with the knowledge that just last night she had been touching herself - even if that was known to her alone - made her quiver like the air had suddenly gone cold. At the same time, it made her nipples stiffen through her fur and her cheeks redden.

That was too big a step. It was not her custom, it was not her practice, so she would have to make do just not fitting in here. That would be easy enough. She’d not fit in plenty of places at first, Ponyville included, and just looking at where she was now - she had plenty of friends. Cadance even acted like she liked her very much!

Even that particular thought made Twilight doubt herself. If Cadance was really under some sort of influence - or worse, was exerting some kind of influence over the ponies of the Crystal Kingdom - then she might actually be a danger to all Equestria. What if that was the reason Celestia had given Twilight, and only Twilight, permission to attend her brother’s wedding? Was this supposed to be some sort of spy mission that she was supposed to pick up in subtext? She was so terrible with subtext! Celestia should know that by now!

Twilight found herself growing more anxious as she dressed in a repetitive copy of yesterday’s attire. A simple dark purple skirt, a matching blazer, and a blouse neatly buttoned up and tied off with a little pink neckerchief made her look like the quintessential schoolgirl which, in many ways, she still felt like on the inside. She tried to force down the uncertainty about Cadance and her own inexperience. Worrying about whether this was a secret mission to preserve Harmony did nothing if she could not keep herself calm, cool, and collected.

Once her mane was in order and she had spritzed a bit of lavender scent around her neck, Twilight left the room and tried to recall the direction back to the main hallway. The castle was big, but it wasn’t impossible to navigate. In fact it had a very geometrically pleasing pattern to it that appeared as organic as it was mathematical. Was it possible that the crystal structure had been grown like this or directed through magic?

Twilight put a cap on her fascination as she walked down the spiral staircase she remembered coming up with Cadance and counted the floors that passed. Ten, by her reckoning, and she wasn’t even in one of the tall spires on the outer ring of the castle or in its main central body. The dimensions of it were just mind-boggling.

As she came to the bottom of the stairs Twilight found the small hallway leading past its many doors unattended, and main hall was opened up a bit with its central elevator gone, allowing a wafting breeze to flow through the atrium. It was staffed by several guards as it had been the day before. They were naked, of course, but Twilight found it a measure easier not to focus on their hanging genitalia or their softly rising and falling chests.

“Twilight Sparkle,” a voice said politely but firmly. She turned to see a pegasus guard approaching from one of the other corridors that branched off like the many points of a star. He was rather handsome, well-built with a toned physique, a soft orange coat, and a blue mane and tail. He was holding a halberd and had on a helmet, but a quick look down below said that like all the others, that was nude. Twi couldn’t help but give a second glance.

Between his legs the guard had a pleasing shaft hanging free and limp to about his mid-thigh. It was just big enough around that Twilight could imagine it doing terribly productive things if he put it to use. Its dark, almost burnt orange skin tone made it stand out, too, along with the two orbs hanging in the furless leather pouch just behind its girth. She swallowed and pulled her gaze away, trying to stop thinking about his penis and how it might do a better job than her fingers.

“Cadance and Shining Armor wanted me to inform you that, should you feel up for it, breakfast is being served in the private dining hall.” He gestured down the hallway he’d come from. A little red cheeked, Twilight thanked him and headed down to see what her brother and future sister-in-law were up to in the morning.

Oh dear. She hoped they weren’t “up” to much.

The private dining hall was more like a room adjoining the kitchen, as far as Twilight could tell. It had a small table that would sit a few ponies, a cabinet displaying crystal plates and cutlery, and just through a nearby arch was the plain sight of kitchen counters, a stove, a refrigerator, and more things that looked like they would be right at home in a homemaker’s kitchenette. Cadance was already seated at the table where there were three places set along with several dishes piled high with one of her favorite breakfast foods - pancakes. Twilight could smell more being cooked as she approached and peeked in through the doorway.

“Morning!” Cadance chirped happily. She was, as she was last night, entirely naked, and though she was sitting with a tablecloth obscuring her lower half Twilight could see her ample bust above it just fine from where she stood, and likely where she would be sitting. Shining was probably in the kitchen - he did always like to cook and Twi often joked he’d make a great housewife someday.

“Good morning,” Twilight said as she sat down and decided not to think about Cadance’s breasts or her secret plot to be naked.

“Hey, is that Twily?” Shining called, right from where Twilight expected him to be.

“Yep! Hey, are these barley pancakes?”

“Sure are! Your favorite.”

Twilight smiled broadly and picked up a fork to begin serving several of the large, round flapjacks cooked to browned perfection onto her plate. Cadance gave a little giggle.

“You know, it’s definitely a wonder I found a stallion who loves to cook so much, and is so good at it.”

“Oh, Shining lives for it. He makes the best pancakes in Canterlot,” Twilight said proudly. There were enough of them to feed a herd, but she really only wanted a few. Cadance had apparently already nibbled her way through a small stack with syrup and graciously passed her the crystalline boat that contained the sweet maple.

Shining walked out of the kitchen dressed in an apron that read “Kiss the Cook,” and nothing else. He placed a few fresh, hot pancakes on the plate by the unoccupied chair, smiling at his sister. “I was hoping you’d join us.”

“For your pancakes? I’d walk here from Ponyville myself.”

Shining chortled at that and reached around to untie his apron. With a quick tug he pulled it off and hung it right off the back of his chair, turning to face Twilight and Cadance. They both stared for a moment. Cadance’s gaze darted quickly from Twilight to Shining, who did not realize why he was being ogled.

Twilight knew what her brother’s endowments looked like, or she had known that, at one point. Back when they were young they’d taken their share of baths together, played the “run from mom without pants on in public” game, and were just in general innocent little foals. Now that she and Shining were older, Twilight might have considered it a little less pleasant to see her brother’s genitals, but there they were. His manhood was rather sizable even for a stallion his age and build, and its was a deep blue-black that stood out against his white fur like a sore thumb. Both of his weighty nuts were resting slightly off-center in their snug pouch, and he obviously shaved a little around the base to keep things tidy.

Shining swallowed and hastily sat down. “Sorry! Uh, sorry, so sorry, Twi-”

“No no,” Twilight interrupted, shaking her head and stuffing a piece of pancake into her mouth as casually as she could manage after being flashed with her brother’s thing. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Really?” Shining asked, glancing at Cadance in silent question. She gave a quick shrug that said she didn’t know for certain, as she certainly hadn’t done anything.

“Nope. I’m not going to let it get to me. I’ve had some time to think about it, and this is definitely your kingdom, your ways. Bro, you’re the future prince. It’d be more awkward if you didn’t embrace the local custom.”

Cadance smiled and Shining gave an approving nod. “I’m glad. After yesterday, I thought you might be having a little bit of a meltdown.”

“Oh, yesterday I was having a meltdown,” Twilight admitted, stuffing another generous bite of pancake into her cheek. “I’m just very good at hiding it. You should have seen me during finals.”

“Your sister’s very smart, Shining, and I think she just needed time to think it over,” Cadance said supportively between sips of her fresh squeezed orange juice. Twilight held out her crystal glass to Shining as he offered to pour some for her.

“That’s my Twily, she’s always on top of things.” Shining placed the pitcher down on the table and jumped very slightly. He looked sideways at Cadance, but Twilight didn’t look like she noticed.

“Mm, so what are we planning on seeing today?” Twilight asked, looking at her brother. He looked nervous, fidgeting in his seat.

“Ah, well, there are lots of places to-ah! To see,” Shining stammered. Twilight gave him an odd look and he quickly cleared his throat. “What would you like to visit first?”

“Are there any libraries or magic schools?” Twilight asked eagerly, tail flicking a little too excitedly through the hole in the back of the chair. If she wanted to know anything about the Crystal Kingdom it was definitely how all this crystal amplified magic or what unique spells it could produce.

“Oh, there are several! There’s also a few crystalline magic shops along the main boulevard,” Cadance tossed in, leaning on the table with her cheek in one hand. The other was not in sight.

“That sounds amazing!” Twi gushed. “I’m very excited to see what kind of magic the crystals are capable of.”

Shining grunted. “Ah, yeah, Twily, why don’t you ah, go...get ready?”

“But, I am ready,” Twilight stated flatly, looking at her brother with a tilt of her head, ears perked. She was dressed and other than her bookbag- “Oh! I’ll get my bag and make sure I have all my notebooks!”

Twilight stood hastily and hurried out of the dining room. As soon as the ruby door swung closed behind her Shining looked at Cadance, who was still smiling innocently, one elbow on the table to support her cheek in her hand. The other was under the table, the tablecloth slowly moving back and forth on her side with the subtlety of her actions.

“Think you could spare a little more love before you go?” she asked sweetly, completely ignoring the pointed glare he was giving her.

With a grunt, Shining stood, the tablecloth taking an extra moment to fall away from the stiff pole jutting out in front of him. His blue-black cock was standing firm from Cadance’s incessant stroking, and he placed his hands on his hips as if to display it even more plainly for her. The mare’s eyes flickered with obvious delight, and gingerly curling her pink fingers around its thick base, she leaned in to kiss its slightly bulging tip. Shining shivered and tried to hold back the throaty groan that rose up, but it didn’t quite stay under his breath.

Freeing her other hand from supporting her head, Cadance slid her fingers up under Shining’s nuts and gingerly fondled his hairless sack, rolling each ripe orb in her palm before gently applying pressure up underneath his cockroot with her fingertips. He leaned back a little more and shifted his hands from his hips to his fiance’s head. She didn’t protest as his thick fingers gripped into her mane, mussing it quite completely and pulling at it just a tad roughly, before she parted her lips and let him help her guide that thick pole into the warm embrace of her mouth.

Shining was generously endowed even for a stallion of his pedigree, and Cadance had always enjoyed feeling that turgid thickness pushing into the back of her throat. Practice had made her nearly a perfect fit for him, and once she felt the throbbing pulse of his heartbeat echoing through her cheeks, she slid her tongue forward just a tiny bit to give her motions some texture. Slowly, deliberately, she pulled the inches she’d very greedily sucked down back out and left a shimmering streak along the underside of her lover’s cock. Her hand steadying the base slid up to his medial ring, fingered over the sensitive, fleshy ridgeline, and dropped back down again just as her pursed lips followed suit.

The next moan was not as quiet as Shining intended. In fact, if he wasn’t positive his sister would take another fifteen minutes of organizing notebooks for documenting their trip, he never would have stood up in the first place. But he knew his sister, and he knew Cadance, and there was time.

Not like he would last very long in her skilled hands, anyway.

Cadance’s fingers danced in expert timing with her muzzle and tantalizing tongue, which only drove Shining’s desire to plunge his hips forward and rut his gorgeous fiance on the table. It was only with barely-restrained twitches of his hips that instead he managed to flex and huff, grunting out a warning as his tip flared outward and blood rushed from his brain to fill his hot shaft. Cadance pulled him out until just the fattened head of his horsecock was resting between her lips, pursed them, and then he popped.

Hot, white, and thick, Shining’s spunk was always flavorful and rich with his musky, salty flavor. The alicorn purred as she suckled between each powerful jet that managed to hit her soft palate and pool on her tongue, encouraging him to give her more in viscous droplets before the next rope blasted her tastebuds. She swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed again, until Shining’s thighs unclenched and his hiked tail lowered. Giving a soft sigh she picked up a napkin from the table to wipe her chin and his tip dutifully before releasing it to fall half-limp back between his thighs.

Shining’s cheeks were red as Cadance stood up to meet him. “Now go give your sister a good tour, and don’t stay out too late. We’ve got to meet with the wedding planners in the morning.”

“Mhmm, she’ll be a little while yet,” the stallion chuckled before kissing his wife’s still-tangy lips, a flavor that he might have balked at had this been a few years ago, before he understood just how much he could love a pony who could taste like him and still be so appealing.

Twilight’s cheeks were burning nearly crimson as she stepped away from the door, letting the breath she had been holding tightly for the last minute hiss out of her nostrils. Her heart was pounding and her knees were weak. The small crack narrowed while the door slid shut, startling her for fear one of the two lovers had moved to open it, but they hadn’t. They were still kissing, loud and very wet-sounding smacks vocalizing their lewd affections.

The nervous unicorn swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to hurry back up to her room. If she was quick, maybe she could still gather all her notebooks and be back down before Shining missed her. If she was lucky, maybe she’d get to take care of the growing heat between her legs so she wouldn’t have to walk around with the image of her brother’s cock in his fiance’s throat dancing around her head all day.

Maybe, too, she could spend a little time trying to figure out why that thought made her so jealous.