The Broken One

I awoke stiffly the next morning and groaned as I sat up on the couch in our antechamber. I sighed when I looked at the closed door to our main chambers and shook my head.

“I can’t believe she made me sleep on the couch”, I grumbled. “All I did was spook Silver a little bit.”

“You can start to make things better by apologizing”, Shadow called from the bedroom.

“How did she-“

“Vampony”, she interrupted. “Remember?”

I groaned again and stood up slipping my boots on as I made my way out of the antechamber. I turned left and right before asking Audrey where Silver Lance was. I followed the hallways to the library and smiled at Silver as I entered.

“Hey Silver”, I called as I waved. “Got a minute?”

He bowed to me and settled the book he was reading on a nearby table. He glanced at me nervously as he trotted over.

“Look, I’m sorry for scaring you yesterday”, I smiled as I put a hand on his shoulder. “I just couldn’t resist when I saw you creeping up on dad’s statue.”

“L-looking back it actually was f-funny”, he haltingly admitted. “It j-just wasn’t f-funny at the t-time.”

“Silver, why do you stutter”, I asked as I cocked my head. “You didn’t stutter when I first met you.”

“N-no reason”, he replied as he looked away.

“Silver, tell the truth”, I said calmly. “You’re being ordered to speak freely.”

“I c-can’t”, he hesitated.

“Now”, I said quietly as I gently pushed my aura over him.

“I’m t-terrified of you”, he whispered. “After what h-happened with th-those assassins and the c-c-clones and now the Diamond D-Dogs, I’m s-scared to a-anger you, y-your Highness!”

“I see”, I murmured as I began to pace. “Are you regretting taking your position here?”

“N-no, your Highness”, he replied in shock.

“So you willingly serve somepony who terrifies you”, I asked. “Is that why you’re so efficient?”

“I p-pride myself on d-doing a good j-job”, he answered.

“So what are you afraid of”, I asked as I approached him. “Are you afraid I’ll slit your throat in the name of science? Think I’ll smash your skull if you get the wrong kind of apples?”

“I d-don’t know w-what I’m scared of”, he stuttered quietly.

“You have nothing to fear as long as you don’t betray me”, I said quietly as I rested a hand on his shoulder again.

He blushed slightly and I noticed a faint musky smell. I breathed in and came to a sudden realization.

“Silver”, I asked quietly.

“Y-yes, your H-highness”, he replied nervously.

“How long have you been crushing on me?”

His face went red as he ducked his head and rushed away. I scratched my head as I followed his dust trail with my eyes and shook my head. I started walking toward the dining hall when Audrey notified me that Queen Chrysalis was requesting entry and I told her to send her to the dining hall.

“Hello, my talented cuisine artists”, I called as I pushed the door open.

“Hello, Prince Jackson”, the head chef bowed. “What will be your culinary pleasure today?”

“Just a Celestia salad with a glass of water”, I smiled much to their shock.

I was led to one of the smaller tables and was seated right away. I informed the chef that Chrysalis would be joining me and ordered a mug of mead to be brought out when she arrived. I sat and sipped my glass of water as I waited for the changeling queen to arrive and stood as she approached.

“Hello, Prince Jackson”, she nodded as she got close.

“Hello, Queen Chrysalis”, I replied as I pulled her chair out for her.

She looked at me in surprise but sat in the chair. I went and sat across from her and waited for her to speak.

“Prince Jackson, I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer about my changelings’ visit recently”, she said evenly as she took a long sip of her mead.

“I tested a new recipe of alcohol I call ‘moonshine’ on your changelings”, I lied. “I didn’t expect memory loss, but then again that batch was approximately ninety eight percent alcohol.”

“That pure”, she gasped. “It’s no wonder they couldn’t remember anything!

“Yeah, Cindra wasn’t too fond of it”, I smiled.

“Speaking of my daughter”, the changeling smiled sweetly. “When do you plan to remarry?”

“Remarry?”

“Well yes, now that Shadow has passed beyond the veil-“

“Shadow isn’t dead”, I growled. “She’s upstairs with Aliya and Umbra.”

“I beg your pardon”, she gasped. “You brought her back from the dead?!”

“She was never dead”, I replied coolly. “She just fell into some kind of vampony coma.”

“Then how did you revive her”, she urged.

“Well, first I cloned Shadow and wound up with Umbra”, I explained. I read how to revive a vampony and did so. Twice.”

“Yes, but how?”

“With blood”, I shrugged and laughed when she choked on her mead.

“Would you care to explain”, she asked quietly.

“Oh, I used the blood from three clones of myself to revive her”, I replied. “See, she was somehow different from Shadow but the effect was the same.”

“And you used clones to revive Shadow”, she asked.

“Yes”, I nodded.

“Tell me, what was it like to kill yourself”, she asked with a dark glint in her eyes. “What did it feel like?”

“Like butchering mindless animals”, I scoffed. “No, the exciting ones were the clones of Silver.”

“How so”, she asked.

“They begged me to stop”, I grinned. “They all had to die but it was interesting figuring out exactly how the pony body works.”

“So wicked”, the changeling queen cooed. “Too bad you’re not into older mares.”

“Yes”, I said as my grin turned carnal. “It certainly is a shame.”

“Is it warm in here”, Chrysalis suddenly blurted as she fanned herself and turned her eyes away.

“I knew it”, I laughed quietly.

“What are you talking about”, she asked with a blush.

“I knew you wanted me”, I grinned. “You’re jealous of your own daughter.”

“I’m not jealous”, she scoffed as she drained her mead and stood to leave. “I originally came to ask when you were going to make your bond with Cindra official. Now I wonder if you even intend to keep your end of the bargain.”

“Seriously”, I growled as I stood up. “You’re getting the better end of the deal and you’re getting impatient? Tell me, what would happen if I took offense to your badgering and stopped sending trade goods to your kingdom?”

“It would be war”, she replied icily.

“You’ve already seen what I can do”, I growled as I touched my sword. “I’ve improved since then.”

“As have I”, she warned. “I have more drones than ever before. You would be no match for them.”

“I could kill you where you stand and never lift a finger”, I said with a small smile.

“Nonsense”, she scoffed.

“Audrey, give her a little jolt”, I grinned.

A lightning bolt streaked down from the ceiling and struck Chrysalis square on her rump causing her muscles to lock for a moment. The changeling stared around in bewilderment and turned her gaze on me.

“That was only about two percent of the available power”, I mumbled as I inspected my nails. “Do you really want to do this?”

“My daughter’s heart is yours”, she growled. “Until that changes I will stay my hoof. You will regret this day.”

“Possibly, most likely, almost guaranteed I will, but it was worth it”, I shrugged. “Nopony is going to threaten me in my own castle. I promise you if you want to go the course of war, I will make you watch as I rip the heart from your chest.”

“Feisty”, she murmured. “Hmm, you may be right. Only time will tell.”

She turned and walked from the room with her head held high.

“Audrey, what are the chances I just sparked a war?”

There is an eighty one percent certainty that war is the result of today’s encounter. Would you like to know the odds of winning such a war?

“Sure, why not?”

After seven thousand three hundred and seventeen simulations, there is a nineteen percent chance of victory.

“Shit”, I muttered as I rubbed my head. Three sets of hooves drew my attention as my mares and servant trotted over to me and took empty seats. I looked at all three of them for several moments before Umbra spoke.

“Master, if the changeling queen worries you then just remove yourself from the situation”, she replied.

“I would have to send Cindra away to accomplish that”, I muttered quietly. “That ain’t happenin’ so go fuck yourself with a barbed wire dildo”, I growled.

“Y-yes, master”, she replied as she started to get up.

“Where are you going?”

“To find a barbed wire dildo, master”, she blinked at me.

“What the f- sit down”, I sighed.

“I take it you offended my mother”, Cindra asked.

“Yeah”, I replied.

“Well, fuck.”