Showing His Place 3: A Life Anew

Three Days Later

Even with how many duties and responsibilities there may have been for the Crystal Empire’s rightful leaders, that didn’t mean the two couldn’t find some time to venture outside the city for some much-needed relaxation. Cadance was really wanting to attend Canterlot’s highly-regarded Garden Formal Party, but she was worried she would have to miss it another year due to her obligations as Princess. Fortunately, both Sunburst and Princess Luna offered to spare some time to oversee the magic-fuelled city over a weekend, much to the Alicorn’s surprise. Both she and Shining Armor theorized that Twilight pulled some strings to get them to comply at the last minute, but neither of them seemed to mind when it meant getting a brief vacation in Canterlot.

So because of that, the two made all the arrangements to travel out with their daughter Flurry Heart by train. Of course, Cadance also made sure that Sombra was given permission to come with them as well, without interfering with his strict probation. The Ex-King may have been under house arrest at the Crystal Castle for his rehabilitation, but the Princess knew that things could get bad for him if he was left alone without her or Shining to keep him safe. Not to mention, his good behavior for the public was convincing enough to grant him a “supervised trip” alongside Cadance and Shining for their innocent vacation.

Of course, the three of them all knew that the excursion also served a deeper purpose beneath the surface. Not only was it a great time for Princess Cadance to attend that social, but it also gave her and Sombra the chance to have their own little “Honeymoon.” Shining was fully aware of that fact, but tried not to dwell about it too much while tending to Flurry Heart on the train. Even if his former wife was taking her new relationship more seriously, the stallion was grateful that he at least had the chance to reconnect with his family again.

“Aaaaahhhh…” Cadance sighed with a relieved smile while she laid back in one of the Royal traincar’s plush and roomy seats. Shining sat across the aisle from her while holding Flurry Heart in his forelegs. Meanwhile, Sombra was sitting right next to his wife as she said with a casual smile towards Shining, “So, how long has it been since we last saw your parents, Shining? Was it that cruise we all went to?”

Upon realizing that she was right, Shining exhaled sharply with his eyes closed while shaking his head. “Wow, I… I think it is, actually. Geeze, that’s been like, what… Almost half a year now?”

Flurry Heart didn’t seem to grasp much of their conversation, and just cooed sweetly while nestled against her father’s chest. Fortunately, the baby Alicorn wasn’t looking back at her mother while Sombra scooched in closer beside Cadance. He casually rested his hoof on top of her thigh, and looked back at Shining as he said, “Honestly, I don’t think that’s too long to be separated from your family. Heck, you were a soldier, remember? I’d figure you would have the experience to be away from your parents for long periods of time.”

Despite Sombra’s truthful point, Shining bit his lip uncomfortably as he nodded his head. “Yeah, I know that,” he replied as he tried to look away from Sombra and his nonchalant display of affection. “But still, it’s… it’s kinda different to be away from family as a teenager on duty leave. I mean… nowadays I’m more worried about them than they probably are about me. Not to mention, I don’t want them to miss out on Flurry Heart growing up.”

The adorable foal gurgled with a wide smile as soon as she heard her name, which caused Shining to smile back at her and bob her on top of his knee. Cadance giggled as she watched the two, but also nestled in close beside Sombra while his hoof continued to rub her leg. “You know,” she noted as she tried to bring Shining’s attention back towards her, not seeming to care how she may have looked from his angle, “considering how much craziness has been going on in the Crystal Empire since we began leading it, I’d be hard-pressed to think they wouldn’t be worried sick about you. Parents tend to worry about their kids no matter what age they are.”

Despite blinking a couple times upon seeing how comfortably she was seated against her husband, Shining still nodded gratefully as he smiled at her. “Ummm… yeah, I… I guess we have dealt with a lot that goes outside Guard protocol, huh?”

“Not to mention,” added Sombra as he used his other foreleg to wrap around Cadance's back and pull her in even closer. His smile widened while he continued to rub the inside of the Princess’ thigh, clearly enjoying how much it was making Shining blush. But alas, his shit-eating grin didn’t seem to interfere with his friendly tone of voice as he said, “I have a feeling your parents might be awfully worried about having a former baddie like me roaming around your castle~”

Shining’s smile tried not to quiver in deflation, but he kept his demeanor positive enough to keep Flurry’s focus on him instead of Cadance's new husband. Fortunately, the Princess quickly glanced back at Sombra with a firm stare as she said warningly, “Honey… you remember what I told you before we left, right?”

Sombra sighed and rolled his eyes with a nod, looking like he was being tasked with answering a question by his teacher in front of the class. “Yes, yes I do, Cadance. And I promise you, I’ll be on my best behavior. Believe me, the last thing I’d ever do is embarrass your Guard in front of the parents.”

Even with the infectiously adorable coos he heard from his daughter clutching his chest, Shining’s muzzle skewed worriedly while overhearing their discussion. He wasn’t sure which part of it was troubling him the most: that Sombra may have been planning to embarrass him in front of his parents, or that both of them have seemingly accepted his role as their ‘Guard’ so soon following their agreement. Even though he knew he didn’t have the right to complain, the fact that things were changing so drastically outside the bedroom was leaving him feeling conflicted.

Nevertheless, the stallion maintained his composure to keep himself silent while Cadance smiled towards him cheerfully. “Don’t worry, Shining,” she said in a soft and reassuring tone of voice. “We might not have any rules anymore, but that doesn’t mean I can’t impose limits myself for the sake of civility. Especially in regards to family, which I will always consider them to be.”

Sombra sighed begrudgingly while still nestled in close to his Princess, and said with a reluctant nod, “Yeah… not to mention, I’m sure I’d probably be gelded if anyone outside of your sister learned about this arrangement.”

Shining knew that Sombra was likely right, but the idea of being exposed by the public made him wince strongly for his own safety. Even if it was presented in the most respectful and loving way possible, he couldn’t imagine many scenarios where the outcome wouldn’t involve Sombra’s head on a pike, and the reputations of himself and Cadance destroyed beyond repair. Despite the efforts they’ve gone through to maintain an innocent appearance, he was just as aware as they were that they were treading across dangerously thin ice. Heck, considering how smart Flurry Heart was getting, part of Shining was worried about having her here right now; for all he knew, she could end up drawing pictures of Sombra and Cadance in the future that could turn too many heads.

Fortunately, his train of thought was interrupted by the convenience of the actual train he and the others were in. The group began to feel the slightest change in speed as the brakes started to apply, indicating that their Canterlot stop was close by. Flurry Heart zoomed out of Shining’s forelegs to fly over towards the window, and marveled at the sight of Celestia’s castle that could be seen in the distance. While the Alicorn foal squeed excitedly, Shining was able to sigh in slight relief upon seeing how carefree she looked; she might be a smart filly, but he had a feeling she wasn’t paying much attention to Cadance and Sombra right now.

And given how Cadance was now practically nuzzling against Sombra’s side, that was most definitely for the best. While the Alicorn’s husband chuckled softly and nuzzled her back, Shining tried to ignore their displays while the train intercom turned on above them. “Attention, all passengers,” said the voice through the muffled-sounding speakers. “The train will arrive in Canterlot Station in less than two minutes. Please collect your belongings, and prepare yourself for departure.”

While Shining got up to grab Flurry from the window, Sombra and Cadance took that moment to sneak a loving kiss away from her daughter’s line of sight. The kiss only lasted a second at most, but Shining could hear the smootch of their lips audibly enough to make him shiver while his back was turned to them. Nevertheless, the stallion was grateful that when he apprehended the squirming baby, Cadance and Sombra acted far less conspicuous the instant they got up from their seats to grab their bags. Of course, just as the train made its stop at the Canterlot station, Cadance caught Shining’s attention as she took Flurry Heart with her magic.

“Ummm… I don’t want to impose too strongly,” she said while looking at him with a sightly cautious smile, “But since Sombra doesn’t have any magic to take the luggage himself, could you maybe do it while I carry Flurry? It would mean a lot.”

Shining huffed with a sincere smile, and nodded his head before lighting up his horn. “Yeah, that’s no problem,” he assured the Princess before lifting up the multiple suitcases and bags with his magic. The stallion groaned from the strain as he lugged all the items onto his back, but kept his composure while his teeth were gritted. “Nnnnghhh… Man, this takes me back to Guard training.”

“Seems fitting~” remarked Sombra with a sly and knowing chuckle. Fortunately, Shining was able to ignore that teasing jab while Cadance helped secure the load he was carrying. “Oh, and I don’t want you to forget,” she said while moving one of the lighter bags closer to his neck, “I’m needing to get a dress for the Garden Formal, so I was hoping you could find me something nice at that store on Lilac Drive, okay?”

Shining’s eyes widened as he heard that, and he looked back at Cadance to see her giving a satisfied smirk. The Princess winked slyly before adding in a whispered tone, “And… if you see anything that would look good for tonight, be sure to get that too. Your Prince insisted on it~”

Since Flurry Heart was too focused biting on her stuffed snail toy, there was nothing to keep Cadance from grinning naughtily at her former husband. Even though he felt like he was going to cringe from how pathetic he felt, he was able to breathe out calmly and nod with a smile back up at her. “Ummm… A-Absolutely, Cadance~”

The Princess smiled back with a gracious nod, and leaned in to nuzzle beneath Shining’s neck. “Thank you so much. I’d go myself, but I have a feeling Sombra would behave himself better if I kept my eyes on him.”

Sombra scoffed with an offended look on his face, and rolled his eyes to retort with, “Cadance, I’m not a toddler!”

Cadance glanced back at the ‘Prince’ with an expectant stare, and replied in a more matter-of-fact tone, “So, you’re telling me that you wouldn’t try to tease Shining if I wasn’t around?”

Sombra looked like he wanted to say otherwise, but muzzle remained locked-shut before averting his eyes from her; not to mention, it was obvious that he wanted to snicker when he saw how much Shining’s legs were buckling from the weight of all that luggage. Because of that, all that Cadance gave was a pert, “Exactly~” before returning her attention to her Ex. Fortunately, the stallion didn’t seem to have much trouble as soon as he got in an upright stance. After seeing how protective she acted for his sake, Shining sighed and said with a grateful nod, “Ummm… thanks, Cadance.”

“Hey, it’s not like you wouldn’t do the same for me.” While Sombra shook his head and looked away annoyedly, Cadance floated out Flurry Heart with her magic so Shining could give her a kiss on the head. “C’mon now~ Here’s a pick-me-up!”

After kissing the top of the foal’s head to make Flurry coo giddily, Shining smiled and made his way towards the exit. When the train made its stop, the stallion couldn’t say he felt too silly carrying everyone’s bags. In fact, he was rather grateful that Sombra wasn’t ordering him to do anything more than that upon exiting the train. Honeymoon or not, Cadance's word was basically law when it came to this vacation: Love in the daytime, and Lust in the nightime.

Of course, Shining soon realized that despite that rule, Cadance's husband didn’t need to do anything else to tease him for now. As soon as the train’s exit doors were opened, Shining stepped out first while carrying enough luggage to make him grunt with each step. Unfortunately, the first thing he saw when he exited the train was his sister, whose smile looked particularly wide while staring at him knowingly. While Cadance and Sombra walked off the train with Flurry in tow, Shining looked around as he realized Twilight was the only pony to greet them. Because of that, the stallion couldn’t help sighing in defeat as he glanced back at her. “H-Hey, Twilight! S-So, ummm… How have you been, Sis?”

Despite trying to give an innocent smile following that question, Twilight just narrowed her eyes on him and said, “Well… considering what Cadance told me a few days ago, I have a feeling you’ve been busier than me~”

Shining huffed with a flatter stare while his ears lowered immensely. Unfortunately, that just made Twilight smirk more wickedly before adding with a narrowing of her eyes, “Yeah, that’s right, B.B.B.F.F… I’m fully aware~”

He may have felt optimistic before leaving the train, but that devilish glimmer in his sister’s eyes made Shining audibly gulp.

Fortunately for the sake of Shining’s composure, nothing seemed amiss as the four ponies (as well as Flurry Heart) went across Canterlot to reach the home of their parents: Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Along the way, Sombra actually gave some interesting insight as he pointed out various landmarks, and noted which things have changed or been altered since he last visited this city a millennium ago. Shining hated to admit it, but he was actually just as intrigued by the stallion’s knowledge as Cadance and Twilight were. It almost felt like he was getting a full-fledged tour of Canterlot as a newcomer, even though he and Twilight had lived in the city for most of their lives.

By the time the group arrived at the quaint suburban home for a home-cooked lunch, Sombra had enough practice wooing Cadance and Twilight to be an absolute gentlecolt for Shining’s parents. Despite both of the “Royal Grandparents” being fully aware of his past, Sombra abided by his wife’s orders as he treated both of them with the utmost respect. He listened to everypony’s stories, acted Royally polite during their meal, and refrained himself from saying anything too inappropriate or suggestive. In fact, the Ex-King even let Shining and Cadance sit next to each other at the dining room table, just to avoid any awkwardness.

As for Shining, he couldn’t have felt more content as he enjoyed a loving meal with the ponies he cared about. And with Cadance acting perfectly civil alongside him and Flurry Heart, Shining almost felt a sense of normalcy while listening to his parent’s cheerful recounts of Canterlot gossip. Even though he wished Spike was around to enjoy the meal as well (apparently, Twilight allowed him to stay at the Friendship School to assist with Starlight Glimmer), Shining felt grateful that he was able to savor the rare moment with the mare he loved. A simple meal with family may have not been a lot to most ponies, but Shining saw it as a much-needed moment of reflection to feel grateful for what he still had.

Even if Cadance was taking her new relationship to serious levels, Shining didn’t detect any animosity or insincerity from her as she remained close by his side during dinner. If it wasn’t for Sombra staring at the two studiously, or Twilight’s coy-looking grin every time Shining looked back at her, the stallion would’ve felt like nothing changed at all between them. In a way, having Cadance being so sincere and caring helped to confirm that nothing really changed overall. And because of that, Shining felt much more content with himself by the time dessert was being served.

“Alright, everypony!” said Twilight Velvet with a cheerful smile as she trotted into the dining room with a massive chocolate cake hovering in her magic. While she carefully lowered the plate down on the waiting serving stand, Cadance had to restrain her daughter so she wouldn’t fly straight into the dessert. Fortunately, Velvet didn’t mind the sounds of Flurry’s annoyed squirms while she floated out the serving knife. “This just cooled down enough to put frosting on, and there’s more than enough for everypony~”

As she began to cut the first couple of pieces from the tremendously moist-looking cake, Sombra’s brows raised with an impressed smile when he got a glimpse of that gooey cross-section. “Oooooh~ Are those strawberries in there?”

“Indeed they are,” chirped the mare with a prideful wink back at him. “Considering how there are three Princesses, a Prince, AND a former King in the same room, I wanted to make the occasion special~”

Sombra gave a polite shrug as he smiled back at her thankfully; however, the former Tyrant wasn’t above shooting a cheeky stare back at Shining for a split-second after hearing what Velvet said. The stallion thought that would be the end of it, but he was sadly mistaken as Cadance raised her hoof. “Well, ummm… actually, Velvet…”

The mare paused her cutting to look back at her daughter-in-law, and Shining was trying his hardest not to look bug-eyed as he did the same. But regardless of how worried Shining may have appeared, Cadance put her hoof back down before motioning it towards Shining’s direction. “You know… there might be a slight error in that estimation right now…”

Shining’s heart sunk into his chest, and he bit his lip as he tried not to squirm in place. At the corner of his eyes, Shining could see Sombra grinning wide directly at him. Meanwhile, Twilight covered her blushed face with a hoof while seated next to their confused-looking Dad. Shining knew that Cadance was going to say something awful, and could only clench his muzzle shut in hopes that it would be a painless reveal.

“I mean…” Cadance then smiled as she floated Flurry Heart into Shining’s hooves, and kept her hoof pointed at her. “Just because Flurry is an Alicorn doesn’t necessarily make her a Princess, Mom. She’s just a baby~”

Shining Armor never let out a silent sigh so heavily in his life, and had to bite his lip to help counteract any blush that would’ve arisen from that fakeout. Both Sombra and Twilight struggled not to snicker at how squirmy Cadance made her cuckold, but Velvet and Night Light didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss. “Ohhhh, don’t be like that, Cadance!” jeered Night Light with a carefree wave of his hoof. “I know you and Shining don’t want her to feel too privileged as a member of Royalty, but I think she IS a Princess. Both legally and biologically.”

Cadance just rolled her eyes, and didn’t try to argue the semantics while accepting a plate of cake that was floated towards her. Shining placed Flurry Heart into her highchair, and tried to keep a close eye on her while she devoured her slice of chocolate cake. Twilight already had a plate herself, and she stuck a fork into the moist center before saying, “Well, you can’t necessarily blame them for wanting to make Flurry feel normal. I mean… Blueblood was raised as a Prince since birth, and look how he turned out.”

Both of the parents groaned with disappointed grimaces upon hearing that name, clearly indicating that the two were familiar with that stallion. “Ughhh… Okay, yeah,” noted Night Light with an apprehensive shrug, “I can understand avoiding that.”

“Actually…” Twilight Velvet seemed to be pondering an idea for a second before glancing back at her daughter. “Twilight, why haven’t you and your friends tried to reform him?”

“Wait, what?!” gawked the younger Princess, looking almost offended by such a notion.

“Well, why not?!” asked Velvet right back at her. “I mean, you guys have a pretty good track record with that sort of thing, don’t you? You reformed Discord, Starlight Glimmer, that Tempest lady who was here a while back…”

“Don’t forget him,” added Night Light while holding his fork with his magic, and pointing it directly towards Sombra. “I mean, Sombra had a pretty bad past, but you managed to make him into a great guy! I mean, he’s one of the most polite ponies we ever had here! If you can do that, then why not Blueblood?”

Sombra had his brows raised in surprise, and seemed downright honored to receive such a kind sentiment from Shining’s Dad. But while the former Tyrant smiled and nodded back at him, Twilight sighed and tried to point out, “Well… When it comes to reformation, the pony or creatures we managed to help were those who actually wanted to change. And as far as I know, Prince Blueblood is not a pony who’s willing to change his ways.”

“Not to mention,” noted Cadance after taking a bite from her cake, “It usually takes a lot of time and effort to properly rehabilitate someone with bad impulses. If you really want to help someone with bad habits, it helps to give them something important to place their focus on.”

Cadance made sure to give a cheeky smile towards Sombra, who managed to shoot a wink back at her without the parents noticing. Twilight Velvet sighed, and nodded in approval to Cadance's point as she cut herself the last piece. “Well, I can certainly agree with that. As long as you have a proper goal in place, anything is possible.”

Sombra locked eyes onto Cadance from across the table, and made sure to glance down at her abdomen as he said with a knowing grin. “Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, Mrs. Velvet~”

Cadance smirked a little wider back at Sombra, and gave the faintest nod of her head for her Guard to see. Shining winced while tending to Flurry Heart, and darted his head around to make sure nopony caught that exchange. Luckily, neither of the parents seemed to notice anything was amiss while Velvet waved her hoof in dismissal. “Ohhhh, you don’t have to be so formal, Sombra! Just Velvet is fine.”

“I apologize, Velvet,” Sombra replied with a raised hoof, before cutting himself a portion from his slice of cake with a fork. Just as he was about to pop it into his muzzle, the Ex-King casually added, “I was merely following my Special Somepony’s advice about staying polite~”

While Sombra took a bite from his cake, and gave an impressed hum from tasting the well-baked dessert, everyone else was staring at him wide-eyed. Even Cadance seemed a little worried, which made Shining feel absolutely terrified. Twilight looked around the table with a bitten lip, looking like she was preparing to light up her horn in case anything went south. Meanwhile, Night Light blinked a couple times while staring back at Sombra before he said, “Wait a minute… You… You’re in a relationship?”

Sombra swallowed his bite of cake before giving an innocent shrug with his hooves raised. “Wellllll… kinda, yeah. But for the sake of her safety, I will not say who the mare specifically is. Given my… controversial return to Equestrian society, I’d rather not have her be villainized by the presses if word got out, you know?”

Night Light raised his hoof as he nodded with a clenched muzzle, indicating that he didn’t need any further clarification. Velvet didn’t seem to want to press the subject either, but she did glance over to the relieved-looking ‘couple’ to ask, “Wait, so… did either of you know about this?”

Cadance's smile looked a little strained as she shrugged awkwardly, and then looked back at Shining to nod to that question. “Well, we… are aware that he’s seeing somepony special. Neither of us are against it, but… yeah, we’re not willing to discuss who it is either.”

Shining breathed out softly as he nodded his head. When he saw the look of relief in Cadance's expression following Sombra’s ambiguous answer, he was honestly rather grateful that she felt the same way he did on the matter. Of course, he was also rather glad that Flurry Heart was too busy with the chocolate smeared across her face to take much notice of the situation. Meanwhile, Night Light seemed to turn his focus onto Twilight in regards to Sombra’s unexpected news. “So… Did you know that Sombra had a Special Somepony?”

Shining groaned while sinking his face into his hoof, barely able to appreciate the awesome cake his Mom made. Unfortunately, Twilight seemed a bit less worried than Cadance as she answered, “Well… I actually have met the two a couple times together. And… honestly, I think they make a wonderful couple~”

Shining looked up to see Twilight giving him a cheeky grin following that opinion. Fortunately for him, his sister returned his attention back towards their Dad to add, “I mean… I happen to know that she used to be in a serious relationship with somepony else, but… I guess she just had better chemistry with Sombra~”

Sombra smiled wide as he nodded thankfully towards her. “Thank you, Twilight,” he said with a grateful tone behind his cocky-looking grin. But alas, he tried to keep himself humble as he shrugged his shoulders, and decided to add, “And to be fair, the mare’s former mate wasn’t a bad guy at all! He’s actually someone I deeply respect, but… I think both of us knew what was the better choice~”

Shining wanted to sink into his chair, but could only bite his lip before seeing Sombra motion towards him. “Shining, you know who I’m talking about, right?” he asked with a leering grin and a tilt of his head. “Would it be alright if you… maybe gave your insight?~”

Shining was silent for a moment as he glanced back at Cadance, who merely shrugged and shot him a playful smirk. Twilight seemed rather pleased as well, and narrowed his eyes on him in wait. Shining wanted to move his attention to something else, but he couldn’t while both of his parents were looking directly at him. After a long moment of silence, the stallion closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. “I, ummm… Y-Yeah, I… I know him…”

Shining then sat back upright as he took another breath, and tried to explain who the ‘stallion’ was with everyone listening. “He… he really is a fantastic stallion, just like Sombra said. And I… I honestly didn’t expect things between him and… and Sombra’s new mate to have changed the way it did. But, ummm…”

Shining readjusted himself in his seat in slight discomfort, but his pause only lasted a second or two before continuing. “Well… I think in the end, he… he realized that he… he wanted her to be happy. And… and despite how much he loved her himself, he… he wanted her to be with someone who was more... fulfilling, I guess? And… And even though I know he’s still close with both her and Sombra, he…”

Shining had to think for a moment to find the right words, which wouldn’t have been so taxing if it wasn’t for the multiple eyes focused on him. While Flurry Heart finished licking her empty plate as it hovered in her magic, Shining sighed perly before finishing his assessment. “... He… honestly feels perfectly fine, I think. I mean… It’s a weird thing to want, I suppose, but… I think he realized that he loved her enough to allow somepony else take his place. And… I’d like to think they respect him for doing that…”

Cadance looked over at him with a blushed and prideful smile on her face. Twilight seemed happy as well, but had to bite her lips shut to keep from giggling. Both Night Light and Velvet shrugged with accepting looks, even though it seemed like neither of them really understood what Shining was getting at. Meanwhile, Sombra just nodded in approval towards the stallion as he said, “Believe me, Shining Armor… We sincerely do~”

Just a few hours following that eventful lunch, Shining made sure to follow by Cadance's request as he trotted into the heart of Downtown Canterlot. As for Cadance and Sombra, the couple decided to stay at the parents’ house for a little longer so Shining’s parents can fawn over their granddaughter. Fortunately for the stallion, Twilight decided to accompany him so he wouldn’t be completely alone. And unlike the earlier lunch, the Princess seemed slightly less cheeky in regards to what she knew of her brother’s personal life.

“So… if you don’t mind me asking, Shining…”

Even though he could tell her tone of voice was being polite, Shining still sighed sharply while keeping his focus on the rack of dresses in front of him. That response made his sister’s muzzle skew worriedly, but she only paused for a second before asking, “Are… are you okay? I mean… you seemed a little upset as soon as you left the house, and I--”

“I’m fine,” Shining said in a firm, but still clearly bitter tone of voice. He tried to avoid looking back at her, but he could still sense her offended scowl from how bluntly he snapped at her. He could hear Twilight taking a sharp breath, as if she was about to say something in response to his attitude. But before she could open her muzzle, Shining pinched the bridge of his snout with a hoof and added, “S-Sorry. I… I’m sorry I said it like that, okay? I… I really am fine, I’m just… ugh…”

Shining didn’t know what else he could say, and just kept his muzzle pointed away from his sister. Twilight still looked a little miffed, but her expression relaxed after hearing that apology. Her lips then pursed shut in contemplation before she decided to ask, “Is… Is it because of what happened at lunch? Because if I wasn’t supposed to do that, I really am so--”

“N-No, it’s not that,” Shining said in interruption once more. Fortunately, this one was accompanied with him looking back at her insistently. “Seriously, you… you didn’t do anything wrong at lunch, alright? Mom and Dad don’t know anything, which was pretty much all I wanted today.”

“Well… alright then,” she replied with an accepting huff, even though her brow was still raised curiously on her downtrodden brother. While Shining went back to looking across the rack of garments aimlessly, his sister waited another moment before saying, “Just so you know… I really won’t judge you if something is on your mind, okay? I mean… I really do like messing around with you regarding your… thing~ But that doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you as my brother.”

Shining paused as he closed his eyes and sighed, knowing that his sister meant that assurance sincerely. Even though he knew she was just as perverted as his Ex (if not more), the stallion couldn’t deny that she was also just as compassionate. Even though he felt stupid for dwelling on such a thing, he knew it was better to just bring it up instead of bottling it in. “Well, ummm… If you really mean that, then… Then I suppose I can explain…”

The stallion took a moment to look around the shop, which was thankfully empty of everyone except an inattentive clerk. Fortunately, Twilight took advantage of Shining’s pause to light up her horn, and cast a sound-proofing dome over the two of them for some added privacy. He smiled back at her after seeing that wall of glowing purple magic surrounding then, and took a breath before trying to explain. “Well, I… When I was first dating Cadance, I… I came to this store to buy her some lingerie as a Hearts and Hooves present. And, uhhhh… I mostly did that because…”

Shining clenched his muzzle shut briefly, and huffed through his nostrils before lowering his head. “Ummm… She… She wore it the first time the two of us… Y-You know...”

Twilight’s eyes widened rather quickly, and she covered her mouth with a hoof to conceal her surprise of learning such a thing. “Oh… Oh, wow…”

Shining closed his eyes with a solemn nod, and then brought his head back up after exhaling deeply. “Yeah. So… because of that, I… I’m not sure how to feel about coming back here to buy something for her to wear for… for...”

Despite how morose the stallion looked while blushing deeply, Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder to catch his attention. The moment he looked back at her, the Princess carried an insistent smile as she said coaxingly, “... for her to wear forrrrr?~”

Shining huffed while closing his eyes again, but his blush grew heavier for his smirking sister to see. Even though he was already feeling sensitive about being here of all places, he knew he couldn’t refuse to respond right now. So after another breath, Shining kept his eyes closed and muttered meekly, “... for… for her husband… P-Prince Sombra…”

Twilight giggled slyly to Shining’s remark, and pulled him in for a reassuring hug while the sound-proofing spell was still up. “See? Was that so hard?~”

Shining tried to pout from his sister’s insistent teasing, but the added physical contact made his hind-legs quiver from his chastity cage continuing to strain. He wanted to hope that she didn’t sense that, but he was sadly proven wrong after she pulled back and giggled again. “Well… I guess something is still hard about all this~”

“Ugh!” Shining rolled his eyes and shook his head to his sister’s immature jab. “Twi, can you please take this seriously?! I mean… I know I shouldn’t be so hung-up about buying her a dress and lingerie here, and… I want to be grateful everything is still a secret and all! But… It just…”

During his momentary pause, Shining took a breath while his face was clenched from the growing anxiety of everything. Twilight’s smirk dropped a little, and she took a respectful step back in case her brother got too emotional. Fortunately, only a couple seconds passed before he sighed with a more relaxed expression, and kept his eyes pointed away from his sister. “I… I know I’m not losing her, but… I wanted to keep this, at least…”

Twilight knew that her brother basically begged to be put in such a demeaning role alongside Cadance and Sombra, but she could tell that this moment was leaving him feeling hesitant at best. Fortunately, the Alicorn seemed to have an idea as she pulled her brother in close, and hugged him from the side while speaking. “So… let me ask you something important, Shining…”

The stallion kept his muzzle shut, but he reopened his eyes to look down and see his sister’s supportive smile. As soon as she had his attention, Twilight raised a brow as she asked, “When it comes to the dress you want to get her… how do you want her to feel while wearing it?”

Shining huffed with a tilt of his head, and pondered that question over before replying, “Well… I want her to feel beautiful. But, I’m pretty sure it’d be impossible to screw that up. Heh heh… B-But ummm…I... I also want her to feel… wanted. Like… I want her to feel like every stallion in the room would be envious of whomever is with her…”

Twilight’s smile widened from that answer, looking happy that he had that state of mind. “Anything else?~”

Shining nodded his head, and took a second before adding, “Well, uhhh… I also want her to… stand out a lot. Like… she’s been wanting to attend this social for years, and I… I want to feel like she’d leave the party empty if she weren’t there…”

“So… something sexy?~” guessed Twilight with a cheeky grin. Shining’s cheeks remained deeply blushed, but he was able to smile weakly while nodding back at her.

“Ummm… Y-Yeah~ And, uhhh… I want her to… I honestly want her to… feel just as confident in public as she does around Sombra…”

While Twilight raised both brows in surprise, Shining raised a hoof to say insistently, “I don’t want her to come out or anything! But… I want her to feel like… like nopony could try and intimidate her…”

Twilight gave a prideful smile upon hearing that, but decided to ask one last question for his sake. “And… Why do you feel you want her to feel that way?”

Shining gave a befuddled glance back at his sister, and stared at her like she just spoke in fluent Yakyakistani. “Why? I… Be… Because I love her! Why do you think I feel that way?!”

“That’s all you need to remember,” said Twilight with an insistent smile as she continued to hold her brother from the side. “Shining… I’m sure you’re aware that I did a lot of research regarding your… relationship. And through my studies, I was able to better understand just why you’d find pleasure from this sort of power-exchange, and… I’m also able to see right now that you love her more than anything. And I don’t think I need to tell you that she loves you too.”

Shining instantly nodded to that statement, not needing a second to really contemplate that fact.

“And right now, you’re wanting her to feel absolutely perfect. Not just for this party, but to make both you and Sombra happy. And considering how special this event really is -- you know… due to how you and Cadance are changing things up…”

His jaw may have clenched shut a little, but he didn’t try to react too strongly while nodding in understanding back at her. As soon as he did that, Twilight shrugged with a smile before looking back at that rack of beautiful dresses. “Don’t you think that… she wanted you to come here so you know how special she sees this night too? I mean… given that it’s kind of their Honeymoon, you might as well make it count for them~”

Shining sighed with his head lowered pathetically. However, his blush was just as noticeable as his smile after thinking it over. Even though he still felt a little uncomfortable about being here for this, he was able to see it under a different light after that explanation. He wasn’t necessarily destroying his memory of this place, but instead… he was giving it a new meaning to encompass who he was now.

“So… what do you think you should do, Shining?” she asked with a caring grin, knowing that her brother wouldn’t be as hesitant to answer her honestly now. The stallion still appeared timid about everything, but he was able to take a deep breath before lifting his head back up to respond accordingly.

“I… I’m…”

After another moment, Shining looked back at those dresses as he smiled more confidently, and said, “I’m going to make Cadance look absolutely perfect for Prince Sombra~”

Twilight nodded in satisfaction before turning off her sound-proofing spell, and walking towards that rack to help her brother out. “Well, let’s get to it, then! I was honestly thinking she should wear something red…”

By the time the sun began to set over the Canterlot horizon, the highly-esteemed Garden Social was already in full-swing in the rear courtyard of Canterlot Castle. Even though it was a rather high-class event with unpronounceable appetizers and an orchestral quartet, the positive and upbeat mood made it feel rather lively. Of course, a large reason for that may have been the presence of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who showed up to the venue wearing a stunning red cocktail dress. She also had her mane tied up into an expertly-woven bun, that was held in place with two ornate sticks. Even though everypony knew she was a happily married mare and a mother, even Twilight could spot a few stallions trying to sneak glances at her enviously curvaceous form.

Of course, despite how ravishing she may have looked, it seemed that Sombra was gartering just as many stares just by being in attendance. Even though he wasn’t causing any trouble, and even wearing a handsomely well-tailored suit of pitch-black with a red tie, it was doubtful that any ponies would be willing to talk with him outside of fulfilling a dare. Fortunately, the grey stallion didn’t seem too perturbed by his isolation while he walked around the venue, and kept his eyes pinned on the dancefloor. Even though a lot of eyes were cautiously focused on him, it didn’t seem like anypony was able to see how much he was keeping his attention on Cadance.

Out on the dancefloor, Cadance smiled contentedly while she stood on her hind-legs, and slowly danced to a beautiful orchestral number with Shining Armor. The white stallion was wearing one of his tailor-made tuxedos for the occasion, which had a deep blue color that looked rather fetching on him. By all intents and purposes, Shining looked great for the occasion while he danced with the Princess for everypony to see. However, despite how handsome he may have looked, the Royal ‘couple’ kept a respectful distance while stepping in tandem to the rhythm of the song.

Up close, Shining couldn’t hold back his admiration while holding Cadance in his hooves, and seeing up-close just how beautiful she looked in the dress he picked out. Cadance smiled back at him just as genuinely, and carried a faint blush on her cheeks while they continued slow-dancing. Outside the dancefloor, Sombra and Twilight were standing side-by-side while watching the two enjoying the night for themselves. Even though both of them knew exactly how jarring their relationship really was, neither of them could deny that the two looked absolutely adorable together. If both of them had their memories erased right then and there, they probably wouldn’t have seen anything amiss from how lovingly Shining and Cadance stared at one another.

“Cadance, you… you have no idea how wonderful you look tonight~” said Shining in the most sincere tone possible, and a warm smile that perfectly matched.

“Oh, Shining… You look amazing too~” Cadance said while smiling back at him just as dearly. Even if Sombra couldn’t hear the two from where he was, he could tell from how she looked that she wasn’t being dishonest in the slightest. She then smirked more playfully before pulling her hoof up, and giving Shining’s snout a light tap as she went, “Boop!~”

Shining tried not to snicker from that cute little jab, recalling how the two used to do that all the time while dating. The stallion smirked mischievously back at her, and did the same snout-tap with a “Boop!” of his own. That action caused Cadance to giggle audibly, as well as a few of the other dancers who were within earshot of them. While Sombra stared at the two with slight confusion, Twilight giggled a little before nudging him to whisper, “Don’t worry. They do that a lot.”

Sombra wasn’t worried about the two, but he still smiled gratefully back at her and nodded in acceptance. Soon after the two returned their attention to the dancefloor, the song finally ended to warrant a round of applause. While most of the party-goers clapped respectfully, the dancers all thankfully bowed before making their leave. However, while Shining walked off to grab himself something from the refreshment table, he didn’t seem to notice Cadance trotting towards the orchestra.

“Hey, guys~” she whispered as she caught their attention. The four musicians seemed rather surprised by Cadance's presence, but none of them were able to bow out of respect before she lit up her horn. The two sticks holding her bun came down, and allowed her mane to drop across her back and give a devilishly wavy style. The removal of her bun also revealed that she was hiding something inside of it for this occasion. Much to the musicians’ surprise, the Princess had a folded-up wad of paper which she floated over to the four. “If you don’t mind, I’d really like to make that a request for tonight~”

After the paper was unfolded, the orchestra read through the sheet music to see what it was the Princess wanted them to perform. There may have been a couple raised brows, but none of them seemed to protest as they looked up at her with approving smiles. “Your Highness,” said the stallion who was still sitting on his piano bench while bowing his head, “it would be an absolute honor~”

“Thank you very much.” After bowing back to the four respectfully, Cadance made her way back to the dancefloor while the orchestra prepared for their impromptu number. On her way, the Princess made sure to look out towards Sombra and nod her head in approval. Even though it was clear that Shining was unaware of what was going to happen next, Sombra grinned eagerly wide before straightening his tie, and trotting towards the stage as well.

Cadance lit up her horn again so she could grab the nearby microphone by the orchestra stand, and floated it towards her so she could take it with her hoof. After softly tapping the bulb a couple times to make sure it was on, the Princess grinned antsily as she took a breath before speaking. “Ummm… Can I have everypony’s attention, please?~”

Shining instantly darted his head back towards the stage upon hearing Cadance's voice over the loudspeakers. Meanwhile, the Alicorn smiled with a deepening blush as she saw everyone in
attendance taking notice of her. Of course, she also heard a few murmurs and lights gasps the instant Sombra trotted out onto the dancefloor as well. Fortunately, nopony seemed to say anything in protest while Cadance remained in place without worry. Shining quickly ran back to the side of the stage to stand beside his sister, and whispered cautiously, “Twilight, what’s going on?”

Shining’s sister shrugged her shoulders to indicate she didn’t know, but grew an intrigued smirk while looking out at the two. “I have no idea, but I’m really curious to see what they have planned~”

Shining blushed with his muzzle wrinkled worriedly, but he couldn’t help staying in place as he looked out at them as well.

“Everypony in attendance,” began Cadance as she spoke through the mic and looked out towards the gathering crowd. “First of all… I want to thank all of you for this absolutely wonderful night. I know that… well, given my title, it’s hard for me to attend every stuffy soire that happens in this city~ Heh heh…”

A large portion of the crowd chuckled knowingly to that statement as well, clearly willing to show more humor for Royalty’s sake. Fortunately, Cadance was quick to add in a more sincere tone, “But… I can safely say that I really missed coming to the annual Garden Social since I became head of the Crystal Empire. And I… I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful this night has been…”

She paused for a second to glance back at Sombra with a warm, and genuine-looking smile. She then motioned back out at the audience towards Shining’s general direction to say, “... for my husband and myself…”

Another round of applause rolled across the crowd, with many of the clapping ponies motioning towards Shining while he stood in the forefront with an immense blush. Even if Cadance technically motioned to him, there was no doubt that she planned that suggestive motion for him to see. She brought Sombra out in the middle of this party, and basically referred to him as her husband without anypony turning suspicious. Even though his face burned hotly in respect of such a bold move, Shining’s fretful feelings weren’t enough to keep him from overhearing his sister snickering beside him.

“And furthermore,” continued Cadance as she stepped in closer beside Sombra, and looked back at him with a friendly smile. “I’d like to thank all of you for allowing Sombra to attend this social as well. Even though we’re all fully aware of his past mistakes, he has shown nothing but the utmost dedication and kindness when it came to proving his redemption. And with the help of myself, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and especially Shining Armor…”

There were a few more claps that came from the ponies nearby Shining and Twilight, but it was more withheld since they knew Cadance had more to say. While Twilight watched with an impressed smirk in regards to Cadance's cleverness, Shining tried not to look too flustered while he smiled with his bottom lip bitten. Meanwhile, Cadance brought a hoof back towards Sombra, and placed it on his shoulder as she followed up her previous words:

“... The Prince and I are both deeply… and eternally grateful that despite all the controversies we faced… that you’re all as willing to provide Sombra with a second chance as we have.”

Once again, everypony applauded the Princess and her kind words, with only Shining and Twilight catching on to what she actually said. That time, Cadance literally placed her hoof on Sombra and referred to him as the Prince. But due to how she worded the whole thing, nopony seemed to think she was actually referring to him. Shining could only stand still as he tried not to gawk, unsure if he could be mortified or amazed with Cadance's wordplay.

But whichever feeling it was, it made him exhale shakily while his chastity cage strained hard beneath his tux.

“And because of that,” said Cadance as she let go of her mic, and let it float in her magic to indicate she was almost finished, “Sombra and I were wanting to present a routine together, to help solidify our bonds and show you all what unity can do for our future. This is also a means to let you all see Sombra for who he really is. Not as a King. Not as a Tyrant… but as a partner~”

With that, Cadance floated the microphone aside and pointed over to the orchestra. The musicians all nodded happily, and got themselves ready to perform the surprise number presented on Cadance's sheet music. The Princess and her husband stood on their hind-legs while facing one-another, and smirked mischievously before the music began to play. The sounds of lingering violin swills, deep piano arrangements, and passionate guitarwork soon flooded the Garden Social, and caused Shining’s eyes to widen a split-second before everypony else’s.

Without hesitation, Cadance and Sombra’s bodies worked in shockingly outstanding synchronicity as they moved their hooves in tandem across the dancefloor. The two may have only been “married” for a couple of months at most, but the timed steps and sweeps of their legs carried enough discipline and understanding of each other’s bodies to make it look like they’ve been together for years. Unlike her earlier dance with Shining, which was undoubtedly sincere and special for the two of them, Cadance didn’t look the least-bit hesitant about keeping her body close to Sombra’s as they shared their own personal tango. As their gazes remained studiously locked onto one-another, Shining had to bite his tongue when he saw how much burning desire was lingering within their half-lidded eyes.

For most of the other attendees watching the performance, many impressed hums and whistles could be heard in response to Cadance and Sombra’s skilled hoof-work together. But despite how close the two may have been locked in each other’s hooves while they made sweeping steps and spins across the stage, it seemed that Shining and Twilight were the only ones to know how genuine their passionate feelings for one-another really were. Nevertheless, despite how inexplicably well the two may have been performing such a sultry routine without raising any brows, Shining’s ears still lowered in awkwardness as he heard various murmurs from ponies around him.

“Oh, wow! Sombra is really something, isn’t he?~”

“I know! And he looks surprisingly good in that suit~”

“Man, Cadance looks stunning in that dress~ Why didn’t she have her hair down before this?”

“She looks like a totally different Princess! I… I kinda like it~”

“Goddess, Shining is such a lucky stallion! She’s amazing~”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I think I’m a little jealous of Sombra right now.”

If Shining wasn’t tightly pursing his lips shut while trying to keep a smile on his face, he likely would’ve agreed with that last guy. Of course, considering how amazingly well Cadance and her husband were dancing with each other, the stallion couldn’t say any of the statements he overheard were wrong in the slightest.

With her mane down and her inhibitions unfiltered, Princess Cadance looked absolutely tantalizing while moving in flawless motion across the dancefloor. She may have been stunningly beautiful before, but her new appearance and demeanor really did make her look like a completely new mare while locked in her new Prince’s seductive clutches. Meanwhile, the effortless steps of Sombra’s hooves displayed an immense feeling of power that Shining could feel from several feet away; and with that dark suit complimenting his charcoal coat perfectly, it didn’t seem like anypony aside from the cuckold was able to spot how his tie carried the exact same color as Cadance's cocktail dress.

About halfway through their routine, Cadance made several alluring turns of her body while Sombra spun her around, which caused an impressive level of applause for such a high-end event. As the Princess savored the feeling of embracing her new stallion so openly without turning any heads, not even the flashes of lights from press cameras seemed to falter the passionate smile plastered across her face. Even when Sombra picked her up for a full-body spin, making sure to hold her as tightly as possible with his hooves against her most questionable regions, the stallion’s talented moves were enough to leave everypony cheering without question.

By the time the song came to a close, Sombra finalized the routine by letting the Princess fall back from his chest, and then quickly catching her with his hooves for a theatrical dip. While Cadance was left clutched in Sombra’s grasp and breathing heavily, her blush couldn’t be contained as she smiled and heard the thundering applause from all around her. Sombra was grinning wide as well, and sighed in satisfaction as he looked and saw the countless ponies cheering for them. Even though he claimed the Crystal Empire’s new leader as his wife, everypony was still applauding him and treating him as a “changed stallion” following that titillating tango.

Meanwhile from the side of the dancefloor, Shining kept his smile as prideful and genuine-looking as he could while he clapped alongside everypony else. The entire ordeal felt unbelievably mind-boggling, but the fact that he and Cadance made it through unscathed left him with a profound sense of relief. Twilight was cheering as well, but she couldn’t resist giving a couple knowing nudges against her brother’s side while admiring how far Cadance had changed in the past few months. Just as Cadance and Sombra got back on their hooves to bow respectfully, Twilight leaned in to her brother’s ear and whispered, “Well, Shining… I have a feeling Sombra is gonna hit his mark tonight~”

Despite how quickly that implication made his heart sink down in his chest, all that came out of his still-smiling muzzle was a weak and trembling breath while he nodded his head.

Just a couple hours after that momentous celebration, the three ponies were looking quite cheerful as they trotted down one of the empty wings of Celestia’s castle. As per Cadance's request, Celestia was willing to provide Sombra one of her guest suites for him to spend his weekend. Even though it was obvious the Princess had no idea that her former enemy was now fucking her niece, she trusted Cadance enough to also oblige with her request to keep any staff or guards away from his quarters.

Because of that, the Princess and her Prince were laughing quite openly as the two drunkenly trotted down the hallway side-by-side, with Cadance tightly latched close against Sombra’s side. All the while, Shining trotted awkwardly beside the couple with a notable gap between them, obviously looking like the third-wheel he knew he was. But despite how openly Cadance was showing her affections while nuzzling Sombra and giggling lovingly, Shining kept a close eye on their surroundings so nopony would accidently spot them like this. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Sombra reached his personal quarters for the weekend, which was conveniently at the very end of the hallway furthest away from the main castle.

“Mmmmmmm… Hhmhmhmhmhm~” Despite Shining Armor being right beside her, Cadance hummed contently as she grazed underneath Sombra’s chin with her blushed muzzle. She sighed sweetly upon catching his masculine scent beneath that faint layer of cologne, and gazed up at him with serious bedroom-eyes while smiling excitedly. “Oh, Sombra… you have no idea how badly you riled me up while we were on that dancefloor~”

Shining’s cheeks nearly exploded with a heavy blush, but he kept his composure while biting his lips and struggling not to envision what Sombra will do with her tonight. Of course, the poor Guard’s legs buckled a little the instant he heard her Prince reply in a deep and sultry growl, “Ohhhhh, believe me, my beautiful Princess… I intend to perform a much different kind of tango on you as soon as you get into my bed~”

Shining tried his hardest not to whimper while his muzzle wrinkled tightly, and his chastity cage strained hard from his direly-trapped stallionhood. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do when he looked over to his former wife, and saw her clutching Sombra with her hooves around the back of his neck. “Oh, honey~” she purred while eyeing him with pure lust that was practically dripping from her waiting grin. “Considering how ready I am, you better Rock… My… World~”

Shining finally broke composure as he looked away from the two with a heavy shudder, and clutched a hoof over his mouth to keep from moaning audibly. Unfortunately, Sombra noticed that reaction enough to smirk at him teasingly and say, “Oh, Guard?~ Isn’t there something we needed from you about now?”

Shining needed a moment to gather his thoughts, and let out a trembling breath before he nodded his head. Despite how badly his hooves were quivering antsily, the stallion was able to light up his horn to conjure up an item he bought from that store. With a flash of his magic, a petite pink bag appeared within his aura as he floated it over to his Ex. “Uhhhh… I… I bought this for you…”

Cadance was still holding tightly onto Sombra as she looked back at him like he was a second thought. However, her face lit up the instant she saw that bag, and she audibly squeed as she let go of her husband and took Shining’s gift. “Ohhhhh, Shiny!~ That’s so thoughtful of you!”

Cadance snuck a quick peek inside of the bag, and grinned devilishly upon seeing the dark red lingerie her former husband bought for her. It actually looked rather close to the kind of attire Shining bought for her a long time ago, when he and Cadance had sex for the first time prior to his Guard academy graduation. Her smile turned more natural as she felt a twinge of nostalgia from seeing such a thing, and she couldn’t help looking back up at Shining with a gracious smile. “Wow~ I… I’m really thankful you did this for me. That means a lot.”

To emphasize her point, the Princess put down Shining’s bag before leaning in, and giving him an innocent kiss on the cheek. While the stallion blushed dorkishly from that meager gesture, Sombra sighed with a roll of his eyes while opening up the door to his room. “I suppose I should give you my thanks as well,” he said towards Shining with a sincere, albeit slightly begrudged-sounding tone. But alas, his smile still looked genuine as he said, “You did an outstanding job overlooking the Princess, Shining. And because of that, I’m happy to relieve you of your Guard duties for the rest of the night~”

Shining’s smile dropped quite significantly upon hearing that measure, but Cadance didn’t try to dispute it as she took her bag and rushed into the room to get herself ready. Meanwhile, Sombra’s grin turned much more vindictive as he put out his hoof, and assured the Guard, “But don’t worry too much, Shining. If you prove yourself to be diligent enough for your Prince in the next week or so, I might let you watch the recording of tonight’s events~”

Shining tried his hardest not to look disappointed, despite how badly he felt like he earned his right to be in the room while Cadance was being plowed by that cocky stallion. But nevertheless, the stallion knew there wasn’t much he could do without going against the Prince’s orders. And with Flurry Heart waiting at home with his parents, Shining reluctantly sighed with an understanding nod before shaking Sombra’s hoof. “Ummm… A-Alright then, m… m-my Prince,” Shining said in a weak and pathetically meager-sounding tone. “I… I promise I’ll do what I can.”

“You better~” purred Sombra as his shit-eating grin turned more apparent. He then let go of Shining’s hoof, and turned himself around quickly enough to smack the stallion’s face with his tail. He then slammed the door shut, just missing Shining’s face by a couple inches. The Guard wasn’t sure how long he remained in that spot before he begrudgingly walked away, but he was able to hear Cadance's muffled moans beginning just as he made his awkward exit.

Due to his bewildered and frustrated stupor, Shining didn’t remember much for the remainder of that night while he walked back to his parent’s house by himself. He could recall having to explain to his Mom and Dad that Cadance had a little too much at the Garden Social, and decided to rest at the castle for the night. He could also recall Twilight waiting in the living room after their parents accepted that excuse, and giving a few teasing remarks as to what she thought Sombra was doing at that moment. And Shining also remembered tending to Flurry Heart for a good portion of the evening when she got fussy, which was honestly a saving grace to help undo the massive strain of his chastity cage.

But after that whirlwind of an emotional night following Cadance and Sombra’s passionate tango, the one thing that stuck out in Shining’s mind the most was when he returned to their quarters early the next morning. While the couple remained sound-asleep in each other’s clutches without any disturbance, Shining took the liberty of cleaning the room up before any staff could find anything too suspicious. During that time, the stallion was a little upset to find that despite how much money he spent on Cadance's dress and negligee, both garments were torn to shreds from Sombra’s prowess the previous night.