Fluttershy stared at the two mares behind me in shock before she dropped to the floor. Shadow flexed her bladed wings as Cindra bared her fangs. The vampony growled at Fluttershy as they took up positions slightly in front of me and to the sides.

“Not this shit again”, I sighed. “Look, if y’all are gonna argue, go to my chambers away from everypony else.”

The three glared daggers at each other as they stalked away. I turned and walked past the few ponies remaining in the throne room with my head held high. The whispers began before I even crossed the threshold but I wasn’t dealing with it right now.

“I would advise reining your subjects in”, my mother whispered fiercely as she passed by. “These are precisely the issues that could ruin your rule before it even begins.”

“I’ll deal with it later, mom”, I whispered back. “I’m starving right now, so I’m headed to the reception.”

“Jackson”, she groaned, “Please take your responsibilities seriously. Please!”

I nodded in quiet defeat and changed course to trudge back to my chambers to handle this new yet familiar situation. I took my time getting there, but it was still too short of a walk. I stared at the door and shook my head as I heard struggling inside. As I laid my hand on the doorknob I heard two consecutive yelps of pain followed by matching thuds. I threw the door open and stared at the scene before me.

“What the hell, Fluttershy”, I uttered in disbelief.

I looked to the left and watched Shadow’s legs give out as she tried to stand. Her wing blades were missing and her nose was pouring blood. My guard sported dents in her new armor and was heaving for breath. I turned the other way and saw a bloody mess that was the changeling known as Cindra. Her magical leg twitched as her eyes slid closed. Slowly I turned my attention back to Fluttershy who was scraped, bruised and bleeding from a gash across the back of her right ear.

“What the hell happened here”, I shouted after I closed the door.

“How could you”, the Pegasus asked with tears in her eyes.

A knife of guilt shot into my heart as I stared in her eyes. I lowered my eyes and tried to think of something that didn’t sound like I was passing the blame.

“I loved you, Jackson”, she whispered as the tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “I still do. I just don’t see how you could do those things with somepony you just met.”

“I don’t have an answer for you”, I replied sadly. “I’d like to say I didn’t know what I was doing, but that would be a lie. I don’t know why it happened, but it did.”

She huffed out a shaky breath and plopped down on the carpet. She stared at me tearfully but squinted her eyes shut and silently wept. I eased over to her and gently pulled her into a hug as the tears rolled down her face. Eventually she stopped crying and inhaled a shaky breath.

“I know nothing can change the fact that it happened”, she whispered. “That isn’t the main thing bothering me.”

“What is it”, I asked softly.

“I always thought it would be me that was with you”, the mournful mare moaned quietly. “I always hoped it would be me, somepony who loves you. Instead it was your servants. Ponies that are supposed to have the utmost trust in you.”

“What about you”, I asked. “Fluttershy, you’re the Element of Kindness, for Luna’s sake.”

She sat in silence and her eyes slid closed in thought. Tears fell from her cheeks again and I felt my heart breaking.

“I… I didn’t think of it that way”, she eventually whispered as she stood up and stepped away from me. “Now that you mention it, our duties would make it impossible for us to be together.”

“I’m sorry”, I whispered.

As I stared at the morose pony my vision began to darken until Fluttershy was the only thing I see. I heard a gentle melody in the back of my mind as Fluttershy turned her eyes to me and began to sing in her sweet voice.
If I…
Should stay…
I would only…
Be in…
Your way…

She stepped toward me and tears flowed down her cheeks as she continued singing.

So I’ll go…
But I know…
I’ll think of you…
Ev’ry step of…
The way…

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed at me through the tears as the music reached a crescendo.

And I…
Will always...
Love you…
I…
Will always…
Love you…

She reached a wing up to my cheek as the music grew quieter.

My darling, ooh…
Bittersweet…
Memories…
That is all…
I’m taking…
With me…

I felt a single tear slip from my own eye.

So goodbye…
Please don’t cry…
We both know…
I’m not what…
You need…
And I…
Will always…
Love you…
I…
Will always…
Love you…

She dropped her wing and turned her gaze to Shadow.

I hope life…
Treats you kind…

She turned to Cindra, who had just awakened.

And I hope…
You have all…
You dreamed of…

She turned back to me and kissed me gently.

And I…
Wish you joy…
And happiness…
But above…
All this…
I wish you…
Love…

She took a deep breath and smiled sadly before I felt the percussion of the phantom music hit and a powerful voice I never expected rose from her delicate chest.

And I…
Will always…
Love you…
I…
Will always…
Love you…
I will always…
Love you…
I…
Will always…
Love…
You…

She closed her eyes and finished the song with a whisper as the music faded away.

“I will always love you.”

I stood there in shock as the buttery mare sent one last glance into my eyes and smiled, heartbroken. She turned and left my chambers, the door easing shut of its own accord. I didn’t know what to make of being serenaded but I certainly understood the message of the song. I just never knew she felt that deeply about me.

“Master”, Cindra gasped as she started to limp toward me but fell to her knees. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay”, I murmured as I made my way to Shadow.

Her breathing was shallow but even as she stared into space. She jumped in alarm when the first fastening was undone from her armor. She stared absently ahead as she stood and let the armor fall away. I winced harder than she did when I saw the bruises underneath.

“I didn’t know vamponies could bruise”, I said quietly and cringed inwardly when she froze.

“Who says I’m a vampony”, she asked cautiously.

“Aunt Luna”, I grimaced.

“Damn”, she hissed. “Yes, I am a vampony.”

“I was wondering why you licked my head when I cut it in the shower”, I smiled halfheartedly.

“You aren’t angry with me”, she quietly asked.

“I’m more scared than anything”, I admitted.

“Scared?”

“Yeah”, I sighed. “Aunt Luna warned me about vamponism.”

“That’s not possible”, she scoffed.

“But you actually bit me.”

“Yes, but I didn’t inject any venom”, she replied.

“Venom”, I repeated dumbly.

“Yes, that’s how the curse is passed on”, she laughed. “I could bite every inch of your body and not turn you into a vampony.”

I had my doubts but I just decided to agree with her. We turned our attention to Cindra as she struggled to stand.

“Stop”, I said. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I already am”, she whimpered quietly.

I focused my magic and flooded it into the changeling, grunting as I felt a twinge in my chest. The wounds faded from the changeling and she stiffly rose to her hooves. I let the magic fade and she walked slowly to my side.

“Can anypony tell me what I witnessed with Fluttershy”, I asked and scratched my head. “Why in the hell did she just start singing like that?”

“It’s song magic”, Cindra replied quietly as she stared at the floor.

“Song magic?”

“Yeah”, the changeling winced as she stretched. “All I know is that sometimes ponies break out into choreographed songs.”

“Yes, and her message was crystal clear”, Shadow said as she eyed her damaged armor.

“Yeah, she’s gonna back off but she’s always gonna love me”, I sighed. “At least she won’t be fighting with you two over me.”

“We don’t fight over you”, Shadow said indignantly.

“Not anymore”, Cindra smirked.

“So what started the fight”, I asked as I began straightening the room up.

“Things went downhill as soon as we got in here”, Cindra sighed. “The laundry hadn’t been picked up yet so she got a big whiff of what we did last night.”

“After that, she whirled around on us and started yelling about trust and taking advantage of the stallion she loves”, Shadow said with a grimace on her face. “When she said that, I couldn’t deal with her. I just snapped.”

“So you attacked her first”, I asked and hung my head when she nodded bashfully. “I would spank you, but you enjoy it and having your shit wrecked by Fluttershy is punishment enough.”

“She still scares me”, Cindra whispered.

I finished picking up overturned furniture and looked at the blood stains on the floor. I sighed and used magic to clean the floor completely. Once that was done I materialized a chair and flopped down, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

“Master”, Cindra asked quietly, causing my head to jerk up. “Would you like a massage?”

“No thank you, Cindra”, I sighed.

“Fellatio?”

“No, Cindra”, I sighed again. “How can you be hungry after last night?”

“I’m not”, she said quietly. “I just wanted to help you relax, master.”

I caught the tone of her voice and opened my eyes to see tears gathering in her eyes. I sighed and held my arms out to welcome them both onto my lap. They happily jumped up into the massive chair beside me and draped themselves across both of my legs. I stroked their backs and muddled through my thoughts as the two ponies began snoring lightly.

My thoughts began to take a dark turn as I thought about the current situation. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why I was created. I didn’t know my purpose. I didn’t even know if I had a purpose. All I knew was that I was the only of my kind and now ruled over a supposedly haunted forest with a weird ass zebra living there alone.

A pop startled me and I launched a fireball in the direction of the sound. I was rewarded with shouting as the two ponies on my lap rolled to their hooves sleepily and jumped between me and the new arrival. I leapt to my feet and reached for my sword but calmed down when I saw mom standing there.

“Did you mean to set your itinerary for the next week on fire”, she asked as she glanced at a small pile of ashes.

“Itinerary”, I asked. “I rule over a bunch of trees. How much can there possibly be to do?”

“We have to present you to the griffin kingdom and the Minotaurs”, she sighed, “not to mention finishing the interviews for your staff and beginning repairs on your castle.”

“The interviews are done, your Highness”, Shadow bowed.

“Cool”, I replied. “How many guards were worth a damn?”

“I found thirteen others with suitable backgrounds and work history”, she grimaced. “They will be sufficient until we can hire more guards.”

I nodded and asked Cindra about the household staff. She had hired ten maids, two chefs, a groundskeeper and a treasurer. She expressed concern about needing more maids, but I told her we would have to wait. I spoke to my mother about the coronation and learned the reception had lasted for only two hours.

“At least I’m done with that”, I sighed.

“Yes, but now we have to decide which of these two is to be your fiancé”, she grinned.

“Beg pardon”, I asked in trepidation.

“Fiancé”, they shouted in unison.

“Prince Jackson will not be labeled as a pony who molests his servants”, mom said with a dangerous calm. “He shall either be betrothed to one of you or you both will be sent away.”

“You can’t do that”, I shouted as I turned to my mother.

“I am your mother”, she snapped, “and I will do what must be done to protect you. I don’t approve of the fact that you take them both to your bed every night, but you will be betrothed to one of them.”

“What?!”

“I’ll do it”, Shadow said shakily. “I’ll get engaged.”

“Shadow, you don’t have to do this”, I said as I turned to her.

“Jackson, I want to do this”, she smiled calmly and stroked my cheek with her wing. “If this is what it takes to be able to stay with you, then that’s what I want to do.”

Mom turned to the vampony and smiled warmly. Her eyes shone with tears as she turned back to me.

“My son is getting married”, mom gasped.

“Well, fuck.”

Author's Note

The song in this chapter was "I Will Always Love You", and was a mix of Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton's styles. If you've never heard those two renditions, do yourself a favor and go watch them.