Shining Armour scowled as he stared at the bathroom mirror one evening. The glass showed a white-coated unicorn stallion, his blue mane long and flowing down his neck. His brilliant light blue eyes were narrowed in annoyance.
Instead of a trim and muscular pony like he'd expected, his reflection's face sported a pair of chubby cheeks, and a slab of hanging fat beneath his chin. His belly was rounded, sticking out from between his thick legs like a large fluffy snowball. His flanks were easily the second-biggest part, taking more room in the back with his tail looking smaller by comparison, and the shield adjourning both flanks as his cutie mark was stretched to fill up the new space.
He thought for sure the scales were malfunctioning, but now he knew it in his heart. He had put on weight.
The reason for it wasn't lost on him either. Princess Celestia had graciously granted the captain of her royal guard paternal leave following the birth of his daughter, Princess Flurry Heart. He had been spending his time off in the Crystal Empire, to be by the side of his wife, Princess Cadence, not only to give her company but to help her look after the realm of Crystal Ponies as well as their energetic, rambunctious filly.
Though, it wasn't all work and no play. Since he was married into royalty, he was technically the Prince of the Crystal Empire, and so got to enjoy it during his stay. As well as the usual permits and appointments, ponies came to grace the royalty with gifts of admiration and gratitude. Usually they were fancy clothes, or toys for the young Flurry Heart, but a lot of them were treats provided by the local bakery - cakes, pies, puddings and cookies, all baked with care and love. And of course, Shining Armour couldn't help but enjoy a bite or two himself. Not to mention the castle chefs always provided delicious and filling meals for the royal family.
Before he knew it, the royal guard captain's strict diet and exercise regiment had been forgotten in lieu of succulent cooking, sweet baking, and the comfort of a plush throne and cushy visits. And now he was a good 200 pounds overweight and that backside of his had grown so large he had to squirm it into that very throne!
With a quiet sigh he trudged back into the adjoining bed chambers, where a pink alicorn mare was snuggled up in bed, reading a book held up by a soft hue of blue magic. She turned her head from hearing the heavy hooffalls and frowned.
"Something wrong Shiny?" She asked as the larger stallion rolled into his side of the bed, "You look upset."
Shining grunted as he shuffled beneath the covers and rolled onto his side to face her. "I'm huge, Cadence. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I'm sorry hon," Cadence said softly, setting a bookmark in her book before closing it and setting it on the bedside table, "I didn't want to upset you. you know you can be pretty stubborn."
"I know, but-"
"Plus, you get the cutest look on your face when the baker in town shows up," She went on, a teasing smirk on her face, "Or when Pinkie Pie appears with a cartload of goodies. Or when you always volunteer to try the chef's new recipes!"
Shining's white face burned bright red with embarrassment. "Okay, I get it..."
"S-sorry, sorry," she giggled, fixing him with a warm smile, "I suppose you want to go on a diet, hm?"
"I have to," he said with a nod, "I'm expected back in Canterlot in a few months, and I have to get back in shape before I leave. What would the other guards say if they saw me like this? What would Princess Celestia say? What would Twily say?" He frowned at the thought of his little sister teasing him for being so large.
"Okay, I get it," Cadence chuckled and snuggled up to him, "but it's not all bad though. You've been much more relaxed, and...you're quite a warm, cuddly snowball~" she giggled.
Shining couldn't help but smile as he felt his wife's hooves wrapping around him, squishing his soft belly. His thick legs wrapped around her middle and the two cuddled up beneath the covers.
"But I understand," she went on, rubbing her nose against his, "I'll help you all the way."
"I know sweetie, thank you," Shining said, planting a little kiss on her cheek, "I'll be going back to my diet and exercise regimen tomorrow, and I'm going to take it seriously."
"And I'll make sure you don't get tempted," she giggled and booped her husband, "I'll deal with the chef, and have any treats delivered to the kitchens, far out of your way."
"I'll appreciate it," he smiled, "and...I'll make sure to control my urges."
"You'd better~"
The two happily enjoyed a session of snuggling up before falling asleep.
The next morning, Shining Armour and Cadence were in the Crystal Castle's dining room, enjoying breakfast. Shining had managed to fight off his urge for pancakes with syrup and had ordered some zap-apple jam on toast with his morning coffee. Cadence's toasted cheese-and-hay sandwich and coffee had barely been touched, since she had focused her efforts on feeding Flurry Heart her cereal.
"That's a good girl," she cooed, dunking the tiny spoon into the tiny bowl, "you're doing so well!"
The baby alicorn babbled and smiled at her mother, getting ready for another mouthful.
When Shining finished his toast, he got up from the table and walked up to his wife's side. "Alright, I'm gonna go get started. Let me know if you need me."
"I will," she smiled and the two shared a kiss on the muzzle before she turned to Flurry, "Tell daddy 'good luck', Flurry!"
Shining lowered his head to her with a smile. "Daddy's gonna go get in shape!"
Flurry Heart simply prodded her daddy's cheek with a tiny hoof, giggling as it squished up. Shining just rolled his eyes with a chuckle and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before setting out.
Cadence returned to feeding her daughter, and smiled with immeasurable pride when the baby filly used her own magic to get at least some of a spoonful into her own mouth.
When they were both finished - for the most part, considering Flurry had gotten half the cereal anywhere but her mouth - Cadence cleaned them both up and took her daughter into her hoof, and shot a look at the kitchen doors. She remembered how the abundance of food and gifts of baked goods were kept in there, and now that her husband was on a diet...
With a pair of crystal mare maids cleaning the mess left by the royal filly, the princess pushed her way into the kitchen, much to the surprise of the chefs inside. They nearly smacked their snouts off the tiled floor as they bowed, and the two princesses had a little laugh at this before Cadence put them at ease.
A unicorn mare wearing a slightly fancier chef's uniform than the others trotted up to her. "Your Highnesses! This is a surprise! Did you require more breakfast?"
"No no," Cadence shook her head, "I just came to enquire about something. Where the gifts of sweets from the town bakery and outside the Empire are kept."
"Ahh, right this way," the mare smiled and led the royal mares through the kitchen, which the staff was in the middle of cleaning after breakfast, "We keep them separate from the usual desserts, for special occasions."
The mare opened a large metal door into a cooled hallway, with lines of similar doors at each side. There had to be at least a dozen on each side!
"Oh my," Cadence gasped, walking inside and putting a wing over Flurry to keep her warm in the chilly corridor, "All these fridges are for the gifts?"
"They're...not fridges, Your Highness," the mare admitted, and opened up the closest door to the left.
"They're larders."
Cadence's jaw slacked when she looked inside. Boxes, barrels and crates were stacked from wall to wall, all sporting symbols Cadence recognised. They were either from the delightful bakery in town - which Shining better be avoiding, she joked internally - or a trio of balloons, the cutie mark belonging to a certain friend of her sister-in-law's.
"Goodness," she whispered into her hoof, "I didn't realise there was so many!"
"The pink mare from Ponyville is very enthusiastic," the head chef groaned, "She's the reason we had to keep these larders reserved - she's filled up most of them!"
Cadence was almost speechless. She knew Pinkie Pie was passionate about baking, almost as much as parties, but to create such a backlog?
Still, she had to deal with them somehow. There were no social events coming up where she could hand them out to ponies. And she couldn't just throw them away, she'd feel awful. Pinkie was such a great baker, and all those cakes, pies, muffins, cupcakes...
Her mind began to race as she imagined all those treats, and her tongue slid across her lips. It'd be such a waste for them not to be eaten, and she wasn't the one on a diet.
"Your Highness?" The head chef's voice snapped her out of it.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she muttered, "I spaced out for a moment. Anyway, about all these treats...have some boxes sent up to my quarters. We need to start making some room...and I don't want Shining Armour cheating on his diet." She added with a grin.
"I never realised the Prince had such a sweet tooth till recently," the smaller mare giggled, "How many do you want brought up?"
Cadence shot her a cheeky wink. "Oh, a baker's dozen should do."
Shining Armour grinned as he stepped off the scale. He had been back on his diet and exercise regiment for just over a month, and it was really showing some results. He didn't waddle as much when he walked anymore, and his rump didn't feel as cramped in his throne. He'd also made two less breaks to get his breath back on his jog the day before.
Though he was still a bit too heavy to skip or prance, so a proud march into the bedroom sufficed, despite the loud clumps of his heavy hooffalls.
"Cady, guess what?" He chirped, his still-rather-chubby cheeks dimpling with his proud smile, "I'm down 43 pounds this month!"
Cadence looked at her husband through the dresser mirror, her magical grip on a brush as she combed out her mane. "Oh Shiny, that's wonderful!" She smiled, "Twilight's suggestion really did you wonders!"
"Yeah, that book of healthy herbs really came in handy," he agreed, giving his leg a flex. It was still rather thick and soft, but its muscle was making itself known again. "At this rate, I'll be back in shape long before I head back to Canterlot!"
"Just don't get too into it," the pink princess giggled, smirking at his reflection, "You need to fit through doors, not mail slots~"
"I know hon," Shining chuckled, his cheeks flushing warm at his wife's teasing, "Let's get some breakfast, huh?"
"Sure," she smiled and set her brush down, "I'm rather hungry anyway." Then it was her turn to blush as her stomach let out a loud rumble to emphasise her claim.
As he followed his wife through the hallway, Shining's eyes couldn't help but drift toward her in wonder. Cadence looked...different recently. He noticed her belly had a bit of a roundness to it, just pooching out between her legs. She certainly wasn't pregnant - Flurry Heart was enough of a hooffull already.
And had her flanks always been that round? She always had a bit of a sway in her step, but he hadn't noticed them bounce or wobble before.
But he couldn't take his eyes off it. A hot flush came over his face as his thoughts began wandering. The most recurring one being "How does it feel?"
Deciding to take a chance, he raised a hoof and gave one of his wife's flanks a quick, gentle prod, and lowering it before she would notice.
The feeling of her soft, warm fur combined with the squishy layer of fat caused the prince to shudder with delight. He definitely didn't hate this new discovery.
And so it was no surprise to him that she'd ordered extra pancakes and some poptarts for breakfast, and he spent equal time feeding Flurry Heart and watching his wife chow down on a sugary meal.
It was just a week before Shining Armour had to return to Canterlot, and he couldn't he happier that evening. He struck a pose in the mirror, showing off his slender, muscular form, even giving his foreleg a flex. His face was smooth and narrow again, and his flanks had practically deflated.
The Crystal Empire Prince was looking like a captain of the guard again, and he was so proud of himself. All his diet and exercise had paid off. He had even shed a few extra pounds off his regular weight!
Now was a good time for skipping, and he practically pranced out of the bathroom. "Hey Cady, have you seen how much weight I've-"
He paused, his smile fading to make way for a wide-eyed, slack-jawed look of pure shock. His slowly reddening face added a tint of fluster.
On his wife's side of the bed was a huge, pink butterball of an alicorn, whose face had been previously shoved into a pink box decorated with balloons. A round, puffy-cheeked face raised of the box, fixing Shining with wide purple eyes and looking rather flustered too.
"O-oh, Shiny!" Cadence squeaked and hastily knocked the box off the bed, sending a few uneaten donuts and crumbs onto the floor, and wiped the cream and sprinkles from her mouth, "I thought you'd take longer in there...?"
Shining just stared, silent. What had happened to his wife? Her slender and trim belly was replaced with a round fluffy barrel that squished out as she laid on the bed. Her flanks were a pair of pink balloons with a plump blue crystal heart cutie mark adjourning each side, which jiggled and wobbled with every slight movement. Her cheeks were perfectly round balls of chub that gave her eyes a slight squint and took the narrowness away from her face. Her chest was puffed out between her legs as well as her belly, and a thick slab of pink fat hung beneath her chin.
But, Shining didn't dislike the sight. In fact, his hind legs twitched as he felt a tingle between them.
"C-Cadence," he muttered, taking a careful step toward the bed, "Y-you look..."
"Fat?" Cadence finished his sentence with a sigh and looked at herself with regret, "I know. I've been helping the chefs clean the extra treats from the kitchen larders and...they were so delicious. Pinkie Pie's treats are just so good, I just couldn't stop, and before I knew it, I was pigging out on cakes and pies because I wanted to. I guess that's what I get for teasing you for getting big, hm?" She offered a sad smile to her husband.
"N-no Cadence, don't get me wrong," Shining quickly said as he trotted up to the bed, "I'd love you no matter what size you are, you know that. I just...never realised how..."
Cadence blinked and adjusted herself on the bed, sending her large flanks into another rippling jiggle. "How...?"
Shining's hind legs shuffled once again as a sweat broke onto his forehead. "How...good it looks on you," he near whispered.
A pregnant pause hung in the air, and the royal couple shared an awkward, tense stare.
Cadence finally broke the frozen moment by looking back at her large belly and flanks. "You...like me being fat...?"
"I-I mean," Shining stammered nervously, darting his blue eyes, "I-I love you at any size. You just...really wear it well. You look so plush and soft, and...it's kind of...really nice..."
The princess caught her husband's hind legs shifting, and that seemed to confirm it for her. Her plump cheeks blushed bright red, and then dimpled as a coy smirk crossed her muzzle. "So that's why you never said anything."
"Yeah," Shining chuckled awkwardly, his white face bright red, "that and I didn't want to upset you..."
"And probably didn't want me to lose weight, I bet," she giggled, giving her flanks a slow, teasing, wobbling shake that caused Shining to be short of breath for a moment, "Well, I don't exactly feel awful with it...I guess I can keep it. At least for a while~"
"R-really?" Shining asked, trying his best to not sound absolutely ecstatic, "I mean, what will the other ponies say...?"
"Oh they'll come around," she smiled and waved a hoof dismissively, "besides, I think they'll find a softer looking princess more approachable, hm? Plus, Flurry Heart would love the new pillow." She giggled and pressed a plump hoof into her belly, blushing as it squished in some and slowly moulded back into shape when she removed it.
Shining Armour was speechless. He could only nod with a large, dorky smile on his face while getting under the covers. Though, he wasn't sure how he was going to sleep, now that he was so...excited.
A blue hue came over the blankets as they were pulled back, revealing his body. He blinked curiously, then gulped when he saw his wife adjusting her position...toward him.
"You look a little wound up, sweetie," Cadence purred, her eyelids lowered to give her a rather sultry face. With a bit of grunting, and help from her magic, she managed to shuffle herself on top of her husband. "Let's take care of that. I'm not hurting you, am I~?"
Shining's breath quickened, though it wasn't from lack of air. His wife's soft belly squished out over him like a warm, fluffy water balloon, and he could hear the sloshing of digesting donuts from inside.
"Ooh, you are wound up!" Cadence giggled, starting to blush herself as she used her magic to lift the discarded donuts and box off the floor, "I'm up for giving this new body a test run, if you are~"
"Y-y-yes, I am," he blurted out, the hugest dorkiest smile on his face, then looked as she set the box of donuts next to his hoof, "W-what's this for...?"
"To eat of course," she giggled, her husband's heart skipping a beat when her plump hoof glided circles around a chunk of her chunk, "I wasn't finished with them, and I still have room to fill. I'm sure my big strong captain can multitask having some fun and popping a few into my mouth, hm~?"
Shining could only nod in response, already looking ready to faint.
"And I suppose I can turn a blind eye to you helping yourself to some," she giggled, using her magic to direct one of his hooves to a donut, the other to squish into her soft expanse, "as long as you don't look like me before you have to leave~"
Shining Armour was undoubtedly the happiest pony in Equestria at that moment. Not only had his wife accepted her new look, but she was openly willing to let him have fun with it!
Being part of the royal family had its perks indeed.
