The Broken One

I sat on my throne and stared at the clock as it crept toward noon. A yawn slipped from me and I scratched an itch underneath my crown. The guards around the castle gave off a sense of nervous readiness as they maintained a state of suspicious alertness. My gaze slipped up to the rafters and I allowed myself to daydream about the future for a moment. A light touch of a hoof on my arm brought me back to reality.

“Are you okay”, Shadow asked quietly

“Yeah, I was thinking about our future”, I smiled.

“Our future”, Shadow repeated. “Our future. I like the sound of that.”

We shared a tender kiss and parted just moments before a messenger entered to inform us that the changeling procession was here. I asked the guards to show them in. A couple minutes later I watched as Queen Chrysalis stepped holey hooves into the throne room followed by five changelings of various sizes with different colors of armor.

“Welcome to Castle Everfree, Queen Chrysalis”, I said with a small nod. “I apologize but I have to ask that your changelings retain their natural forms. Just to avoid confusion.”

“Of course, Prince Jackson”, she replied stiffly. “Your castle is quite impressive considering its age.”

“They don’t build them like they used to”, I smiled.

“Prince Jackson, may we dispense of this idle banter”, she asked testily.

“Guards, leave us”, I ordered after several seconds of silence.

The guards in my employ shared nervous glances before they turned and left the room. I turned my gaze to the changeling queen expectantly.

“Leave us”, she said coldly.

The changelings did as commanded, glancing back as they left the room. I turned to Shadow and asked her to retrieve Cindra but take her time. She laid a hoof on my arm before climbing from her throne and walking from the room with her head held high. After her swishing tail vanished from sight I focused on Chrysalis again.

“So how have you been”, I asked quietly.

“Still recovering from that little cut you gave me.”

“I really do apologize”, I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “I was only defending myself.”

“Speaking of defending oneself”, Chrysalis said with a small smile, “I couldn’t help but notice all of the guards.”

“Don’t you respect a show of strength”, I grinned.

“As if you needed to”, she scoffed. “No, not after our last… meeting.”

“Queen Chrysalis, we don’t have to be enemies”, I sighed. “Why did you attack me last time?”

“You stole my daughter from me”, she hissed.

“I did nothing of the sort”, I retorted. “I saved her life and enacted my Life Claim to save her life a second time.”

“What”, she asked as she jolted back. “You saved her life?”

“I did.”

“Why”, she almost snarled. “What are you playing at, creature? What do you hope to gain?”

“I don’t have anything to gain”, I said calmly. “It was the right thing to do.”

“The right thing”, she scoffed.

“Yes”, I replied. “I was responsible for her first injury so I did what I had to in order to save her.”

“That explains the golden appendage”, she said with narrowed eyes. “”Tell me, what made you attack a foreign dignitary?”

“I did it to protect one of the Elements of Harmony”, I frowned. “I knew nothing of the nature of changelings and in my ignorance I injured your wonderful daughter. I tried to use my magic to reattach her leg but I couldn’t do it.”

“Yet you fashioned a new leg entirely out of magic”, she interrupted with disdain dripping from her voice.

“Yes”, I admitted. “I don’t understand what went wrong, but I saved her life nonetheless.”

“What of the second time”, she asked with just the barest hint of genuine curiosity.

“A misunderstanding between myself, my mother and Princess Cindra”, I grimaced. “I used my body to shield the princess from fire, being injured in the process. I enacted the Life Claim and she declared she would serve me forever.”

“She did WHAT?!”

At that moment the particular princess in question happened to enter the throne room alongside my fiancé. The gorgeous vampony trotted up and sat back on her throne. Cindra came up the dais and stood to my right as her mother stared at her silently.

“Hello, mother”, she said flatly.

“A servant, Cindra”, Chrysalis asked coldly. “Is this what you think of your title? Do you think yourself beneath this creature?!”

“At first I was a mere servant”, Cindra said forcefully. “We quickly developed a relationship that is actually quite difficult to explain.”

“You would throw your inheritance away to serve him?! I will not allow my daughter to be some two bit servant whore!”

“She is not a whore”, Shadow exclaimed as she thumped her hoof on her throne. “She is loved and cared for as family.”

“Oh, I could smell the ‘loving’ a mile away”, she muttered. “So you seduced my daughter in order to enthrall her?!”

“I seduced him, mother”, the princess said quietly.

Chrysalis seemed lost in thought for a few moments before she began muttering to herself. I began to get a bad feeling when her gaze flicked between me and Cindra.

“Prince Jackson of Everfree Forest”, she began shrewdly, “You have defiled the princess of the changelings. Tradition dictates a joining of houses.”

“No offense, Cindra”, I said to her before turning to Chrysalis. “What if I refuse? I am already engaged, after all.”

“According to ancient law, princes were allowed multiple wives. If you refused it would be seen as an affront to our princess and our nation”, she said with narrowed eyes. “Besides, with my resources you could begin turning a profit from this little forest.”

I turned to Shadow and saw something unreadable in her face. I turned back forward and closed my eyes for a moment to collect my thoughts.

“Could I have a week to discuss things and get back to you”, I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

“No”, she said coldly. “This is a one-time offer. I don’t know about you, but I would hate to be responsible for starting a war.”

“Then allow us fifteen minutes”, I begged.

“Oh, very well”, she sighed as she rolled her eyes and stalked out.

“What do I do”, I asked quietly. “Either choice is a life altering event. One affects my life; the other affects all of Equestria.”

“Being a ruler means making hard decisions”, Shadow said quietly.

“I don’t want you to be forced into marrying me”, Cindra sighed. “If you did marry me, I would want it to be because you truly loved me.”

“I understand that, but what choice do I have”, I groaned. “It isn’t ideal, but it would prevent a huge war. I’m willing to do this for my ponies because it’s in their best interests.”

“Maybe we could even learn to love each other”, the changeling smiled unevenly.

“Shadow and I both love you already”, I replied. “I think it would be best to go through with this. I’ve been roped into this arrangement, but it really isn’t that bad.”

“I agree with Jackson”, Shadow uttered. “For the sake of millions of ponies, I think he should accept the proposition.”

“I’ll go get her”, Cindra said quietly and fluttered away.

I rubbed my face roughly and slouched down in my throne. A few seconds later I heard the two changelings approaching and sat up in my throne. I could almost feel the smugness rolling off of the queen as she stood before me.

“Queen Chrysalis, after consideration I accept your proposal in the interest of peace”, I said evenly.

“That is pleasant news”, she almost purred. “I look forward to a bright future for our alliance. Do take care of my dear daughter.”

She turned and left the castle rendering us completely speechless. I turned to the two mares in turn looking for the words to say. I opened my mouth but closed it silently. I had no idea what to say.

“This doesn’t change things much”, Cindra smiled.

“No, not really”, I agreed quietly. “It actually doesn’t change anything except how many wives I will have.”

“So… how are the wedding arrangements going to go”, Cindra asked slowly.

“We could maybe have a double wedding”, I suggested.

“No”, Cindra replied as she shook her head. “I want Shadow to have her own wedding day. She was engaged to you first.”

“Are you sure”, I asked as I ran my hand over her ear.

“Yes, master”, she replied.

“I’m not your master anymore”, I smiled.

“That’s right”, Shadow grinned. “He’s your fiancé now!”

“Fiancé”, Cindra whispered quietly.

The changeling went wide eyed as the sudden reality kicked in. Her knees buckled and before either of us could reach her she crumpled to the floor unconscious. Shadow and I looked at each other before I picked her up and set off towards our chambers.

“You’re taking this rather well”, I whispered to Shadow as we walked.

“I… I don’t know how to explain what I feel”, she whispered back.

“Try”, I quietly encouraged her.

“I’m happy that we… prevented war. I’m glad that Cindra doesn’t have to return to the hive. It makes me happy to see her happy, but I’m ashamed to admit I’m jealous. Just a little bit.”

“Jealous”, I asked nervously.

“Don’t get me wrong”, she smiled. “I love you now more than ever. I can feel the love you have for me. What started as adoration and gratitude turned into a deep soulful love for you.”

“And me?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it”, she asked quietly. “I see your interactions with her and I can see a level of caring that surpasses the loyalty to even the best of friends. Is it because she was bound to you? Is it something more? Your relationship with her is hot then cold. It’s yes then it’s no.”

“It’s… I really can’t explain it”, I muttered. “The two of you are in my care and I promised myself I would take care of you both. She just happens to be in danger more often than you.”

The vampony chuckled lightly as we entered our chambers. In the middle of the room facing the door stood a tall white alicorn with fury written all over her face. I walked over and placed Cindra on the bed gently before turning to my mother. I opened my mouth to speak but the crack of teleportation echoed in my ears. I blinked and looked around, and to my surprise we stood in the middle of the foalflower field. I opened my mouth to speak again but my mother stomped her front hoof and snorted.

“Well, fuck.”