Flurry Heart sat at a large round table, seated with her was Shining Armor, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Glade and Dr. Patch Work from the hive. The entire table was quiet as Dr. Patch delivered his report.

“...and we have begun siphoning away the hex, but the process is slow. And it seems to drain the Princesses magic as well further slowing the process, while we will eventually be able to fully cure her majesty, it is a matter of when that is still the unknown.”

Celestia nodded, taking in the information as best she could. “For argument sake, say you are able to fully remove, or drain this hex in six months, how soon after that would Cadence be able to return to the Empire, not in a leadership position, but simply in order to recover?”

Dr. Pach rubbed his chin. “While timeframes are still the biggest unknown here, assuming she is fully drained magically as a result of the cure, or purge of the hex, then I would say she could return home, under medical supervision naturally, in perhaps a month. But she would not be allowed to resume any duties for a minimum of one year, at best. That is assuming all factors are in our favor, if they are not after she recovers, we could be looking at five years plus before she is capable in any capacity to resume anything beyond walking among her citizens.”

That was not a welcome prognosis. “Thank you, Dr. Patch, we will not keep you from your patients further.”

Bowing Dr. Patch left the room. Once he was gone Celestia looked around the room, this was not going to be easy.

“Captain Armor, what is the moral state of the Empire?”

“Not good Princess, in the week since Cadence was brought here, morale among the citizens has hit a record low, some are afraid this will be another ‘Sombra’, I’m not sure how they come to that idea.”

“It's because the last time a stallion was in power he enslaved them.” Flury pointed out.

Everyone at the table looked at Flury.

Shining pinched his brow with a hoof. “So they are afraid of me?”

“I think they fear a single ruler rather than you personally,” Glade spoke up. “I've been helping the crystal ponies settling in, when I told them we don’t have a single ruler but rather a council, they were rather relieved, they told me they feared a monarch as opposed to a diarchy or even council.”

“So it was the fact that Cadence and I ruled together that made them feel safe as opposed to just me or her?”

Glade nodded.

“I feared as much,” Celestia said drawing the attention of the room. “Shining Armor, did Cadence tell you I pushed up your wedding day?” Shining shook his head. “Cadence wanted to have the wedding about a year later, but I knew the Empire was due to return within a year or two, I knew Cadence was descended from the Imperial family, her cutie mark is the Crystal Hart after all.”

“I had wondered about that.” Flurry Mused.

“So you had Cadence push up our wedding so we would be married before the Empire returned, and the Empire would have co-rulers rather than just a princess.”

Celestia nodded.

Flurry sighed. “And I’m guessing having a changeling pose publicly as Cadence until she recovers is out of the question.”

“Flurry, how do you think an Empire of already panicked ponies would react to finding out they were being deceived.” Twilight asked with a flat stare.

“Mass hysteria, it was a hypothetical anyway, I doubt any of us could hold the disguise perfectly enough to fool anypony, remember how easily you discovered Crysalys the first time you met her?”

Twilight nodded.

“So what's the next best option to help alleviate tension until Cadences eventual recovery?” Flurry asked.

“Somepony needs to take Cadence’s place, either temporarily or permanently depending on how well Cadence recovers.” Luna answered.

Flurry held her head in her hooves while Shining looked completely distraught.

“BBBFF I know this isn’t what you want…”

“But I have to think of the needs of the Empire, I know I know.” Sighing he looked at Princess Celestia. “I’m assuming you have some ideas? I haven’t been able to plan much beyond ‘make sure my wife doesn't die’, and before any of you even think it I won't remarry, Cadence isn’t dead.”

Celestia raised a hoof to forestall any further arguments. “I would never even consider suggesting being unfaithful that dose, however, narrow the list of ponies who could fill the position in a way that is acceptable to everypony involved.”

“If you would Princess,” Flurry began. “The Empire needs its leaders before it falls apart, I for one would like to see the Empire once when it is peaceful.”

Celestia nodded. “There is only one pony who the populace would accept and can fill the position without being wed to the current Emperor, you.”

The room was silent, not even the sound of breathing could be heard as Celestia braced herself for the inevitable.

“WHAT!?” Flurry shouted in what was definitely volume matching the royal Canterlot voice.

“Flurry, you have already gained a favorable standing with the crystal ponies, they would accept you as Cadence’s regent at the very least, not to mention you are crowned empress by birth, you can legally take the position.”

“B-b-but what about…. TWILIGHT! She’s Shining sister, she can fill the role as she is related by blood.”

“I don't have the standing with the crystal ponies you do, not to mention I already have my own fiefdom to run, I can't just up and leave.”

“I-bu-ah” Flurry stammered before planting her face firmly on the table in front of her. “I never wanted any of this.”

“And that Flurry is why you are perfect for the position if you have been eager to accept the position I would not have allowed you to take it.”

Flurry just groaned, why did her life have to become so complicated anymore?

“Flurry,” Glade spoke up. “I know you’ve never wanted power or even authority, but sometimes fate has things planned for us we never wanted, it doesn't mean it's always bad.”

Flurry rubbed her temples, trying to fight off the coming headache.

“Fine, I’ll fill in as regent until Empress Cadence can resume her duties because one day she will return to the throne.”

“Flurry,” Celestia spoke in her warm motherly voice. “You should be prepared to incase Cadence can’t return to ruling. She will eventually recover as Dr. Patch pointed out, but it's still unclear how much damage Chrysalis did.”

“I still can’t believe she is still causing us trouble after being ‘dead’ for three years.” Twilight laminated.

“Sombra was turned to shadow and smoke, banished the empire, and came back after a thousand years, it seems that many of our foes have a hard time of staying defeated.” Luna added.

Twilight could only nod in reply.

“Unfortunately Shining and Flurry must return to the empire, the crystal ponies need to be reassured that their leadership is still strong, especially in light of other recent events.” Celestia spoke, directing it at said ponies.

“Yes princess,” Flurry replied. “We’ll leave within an hour, we have a lot to do to get things calmed down.”

Shining nodded in agreement, both got up to leave as Glade spoke up.

“Captain Armor, may I speak with you a moment before you go, privately?”

In the week since coming back to Canterlot, having his wife wrapped in a cocoon and Flurry wanting him to give the have a chance, Shining had made some headway to accepting changelings, but he still didn’t quite trust them.

“If you have something to say then you may say it to the rest of us.”

“While not a secret, I would like to discuss something discreetly.”

Shining was ready to refuse before he could Flurry spoke up.

“Talk with her, she raised me Shining. If there is one changeling you could trust it would be her.”

“Very well, I will hear you out Miss Glade.”

The two stepped out into the hall, the moved down the corridor until they were in between guards and out of immediate earshot.

“Alright, what do you have to say that couldn’t be said in front of the others.”

“It's something of an offer, we know you don’t trust us, and I can only imagine what it must feel like to trust your mate to such a group. You have to return to the Crystal Empire, leaving Cadence here, that can only make it worse.”

“All correct, are you going somewhere with this?”

“There is a way to have Cadence in the empire, but I doubt you’ll like it.”

~o0o~

Shining Armor woke with the rising of the sun, he was used to doing so from his time in the guard, the only adjustment had been that the sun rose at a different time in the empire then Canterlot. Sitting up, Shining still felt incredibly tired, he hadn’t slept much that night, or really any night in the past week. It was just as bad as when Flurry had been taken almost twenty years ago.

Only now I have my little filly back, and my wife is the one missing.

Shining looked over at the empty side of the bed, the sheets were all wrinkled and bunched up from his restless sleep if Cadence had been lying there the mess of sheets would have been for a very different reason. Shining missed Cadence, and not just from the past week either. Ever since Flurry had been taken Cadence had been slowly changing, back then he had thought it was just her coping with the loss, now he new differently. More than once over the fifteen years or so, Shining had wondered what had happened to the affectionate loving mare he had married. He just wanted his family back, he wanted his as normal as possible life back, but it seemed that was never going to happen.

Pulling himself out of bed he made his way to to the royal dining room, it was a smaller room just off from his and Cadence’s sleeping chamber. Entering he half expected to find Flurry there, surprisingly the room was empty of any pony else. He was just about to sit down when he heard laughter from somewhere, looking around he noticed the door to the kitchen was open a crack. Moving to investigate Shining peered into the kitchen, as he did he could hear the ponies inside talking.

“I never thought to use milk in with them.”

“Yep, it makes them go further when you live underground certain foods are harder to get, so we make them stretch out more than normal.”

“Wait, how did you get milk underground?”

Shining could now see Flurry working with the Spire’s head chef, Ruby Goblet.

“Dandelion milk, when you cook it with the right amount of water you get this nice thick sweet cream, regular milk seems kinda bland after growing up on that.”

“Well, we don’t have a shortage of crystal berries up here…”

Gobblet trailed off as Flurry levitated up a spoon full of the berries and milk she had been mixing, the moment he tasted it his eyes shrunk and a huge grin split his face.

“Well if everything you cook is this good I might be out of a job.”

Flurry laughed a bright and warm laugh that made you just happy hearing it. “I’m going to be way too busy to replace you, but I do like cooking, so don’t be surprised if you find me in here from time to time.”

“It will be a delight.”

Flurry plated something Shining couldn’t see from his vantage point before she spoke again.

“Home come it just you in here? I know I’ve seen servants all over this place.”

“This is just the kitchen for the royal family, the main kitchen is a floor down next to the main hall, so I’m only serving three… sorry, two ponies now.”

“It was just Shining and Cadence before I came back, I never saw them eat much at breakfast, I always had the most, why is that?”

Gobblet shrugged. “I know His Majesty likes to keep much of the same diet as he did in the guard, as for Her Majesty, she never ate a lot after you were taken from us.”

Flurry regarded the older Crystal pony, his body was in very good shape for his age, but his eyes told her that he had seemed much in his long life, much she guessed from the time of Sombra.

“The entire Empire regarded me as ‘their filly’ didn’t they?”

“More than you know, you were the first heir born to us since before Sombra took over, you were, our hope for our future, now I think more than ever.”

Flurry sat down slumping slightly. “I have two families, the one I was born into and the one who raised me, and right now one doesn't want anything to do with the other.”

Shining Armor didn’t hear the rest of their discussion, he left the room seeking out the one pony, or rather changeling he didn’t think he was going to see so early. Marching down the hall he came to a guest room, it looked like any other with the exception of the single guard standing by it. The guard saluted Shining as he approached, he returned the gesture, then dismissed the guard. The guard was confused at first, but Shining made it clear he was not to be argued with.

Shining expected to find the room covered in green slime, maybe a pod or two, or the room at least blacked out, he didn’t expect to find Glade sitting at the window taking in the early morning sun while looking over the empire.

They really aren't what I expect, are they.

At hearing his entrance, Glade turned around and bowed to him, spreading her wings in a similar fashion Shining had seen pegasi do when bowing to Celestia.

“Good morning Emperor Armor, to what do I owe this visit so early?”

I really have been a plot, haven't I? “Please rise Glade, I will not have another member of my family bowing to me.”

Glade looked up a rather confused look on her face. “I feel I should ask if you are feeling well, under some influence, or being forced to say such things. After all just yesterday in Canterlot you had to be convinced to speak with me without the Princesses present.”

Shining nodded. “Perhaps I should be checked, but I need to address something more important first. I overheard Flurry talking with my head chef just now, and while I am still not fully trusting of your kind as of yet, I have come to realize that what I am doing is no better than what Chrysalis did almost twenty years ago. Flurry regards us both as her family, and I am trying to steal her away from half of her family, I won't stand for that anymore.”

Shining let out a sigh, he was about to make a huge decision, he just hoped, in the end, it was the right one.

“Glade, please tell the hive I accept their offer.”

Author's Note

Thanks to Sandstorm94 for pointing out that I completely forgot to edit this chapter before posting.