The Changes We All Must Make

Cadance and Zenith's conversation was going was going well, they had gotten rather off-topic however and they learned that they had a lot of similar interests. Favorite game: Monopoly. Favorite color: Red! Favorite food: Well... She said chocolate and he said cotton candy but then they had come to the conclusion that chocolate cotton candy should be a thing and if not she should invent it. All and all they were just enjoying one another's company. A prisoner and a princess actually getting along, how ironic.

Cadance could barely hold in her laughter any more. Zenith had used about seventeen word puns in a row and while it was cringe worthy how hard and long he had to think about it he simply smiled at her waiting for her to break. They were playing a game to see who would end up laughing first no matter was said. Gaining control of herself she hummed thinking of a joke she heard from father-in-law.

"Okay, okay... My turn."

"Damn, I could have swore that would get you... maybe next time I'll have to think a bit harder... Okay lay it on me."

"Alright. So a Deer, Zebra, and a Lion walk into a bar-"

The door to the cell burst open Shining Armor standing in the doorway a look of worry and anger on his face. "Candy are you okay?"

Cadance looked at her husband confused for a moment but got up from her chair and nodded, "Yes Shiny, I'm fine why do you look so upset?"

"Why do I look upset? You've been down here for nearly five hours! I was getting worried that this changeling had brainwashed you or something worse."

"Shiny you know that no magic can be used in this room... no matter what magic it is. So that's impossible and you know that."

Zenith snickered a bit causing both Cadance and Shining to look at him.

"HA! I win!" Cadance cheered.

"What?!" Shining questioned in confusion.

"Oh, w-well Zenith and I were playing a game." Cadance said innocently if not a bit sheepishly.

Shining got a deadpan look at first but instead of returning to worry, it contorted into raw anger. "WHAT?!!! YOU WERE PLAYING A GAME WITH THE PRISONER!?" Shining completely lost it and got a front row seat to the fireworks. "CADANCE YOU HAVE TO INTERROGATE HIM NOT PLAY SILLY GAMES!"

"I-I w-was b-but..." Cadance started stammering in surprise. Shining had NEVER yelled at her before. EVER.

"NO BUT'S CANDY I MEAN, WHAT IN TARTARUS WERE YOU THINKING!" He shouted at her. "Come on," He continued a bit quieter but that didn't take the anger from his tone. "Visiting hours are over changeling." Cadance looked at the floor for a moment but followed her husband out and the door closed and the familiar sound of it locking in place greeted his ears before silence fell.

When your married, you should fight. At least that's what Cadance had come to believe from watching her in-laws. It's healthy for the relationship and can even make it much stronger. In the words of her mother-in-law Twilight Velvet, 'If you don't fight, then something isn't right.' Cadance believed it to be true, her and Shiny fought over a bunch of stuff. It was mainly little things that wasn't really important but they always made up and sometimes even had the best sex afterwords. This time though, it was much much different. Shining had never, ever yelled at her before. He may have got a bit harsher with his tone or raised his voice a little but she'd never considered that yelling. But he full on let her have it.

While in bed she'd tried to ask him if he wanted to talk about earlier and he just huffed and ignored her proceeding to instead go to sleep. Something else that has never happened before today. She sighed and faced away from him and tried to get some sleep as well. However hard she tried she couldn't her mind was too awake. She needed time to think. A walk would do her some good at least, she thought it would.

Two laps in the castle gardens, and still she didn't feel any drowsiness or think of a solution to the problem she was having with her husband. "I'm the Princess of Love for tartarus' sake." She huffed at herself in frustration, "I shouldn't have any problem figuring this out! Ugh!" She glared at a rose bush in her frustration. "I wish I had somepony to talk to about this..." She was quiet for a moment then, an idea popped into her head. "Zenith! He might not be as well versed in what I'm dealing with but in all that studying he did he might know what I'm overlooking if I explain it to him!" She smiled and with a new found spring in her step made her way to Zenith's detention cell.

The familiar sound of his door opening woke Zenith from his slumber with how bucking loud it was. He huffed in irritation but sighed softly looking to the door as it opened wide to reveal Cadance and she closed the door behind her quickly after looking to make sure she wasn't followed. This action caused him to cock his head wondering just what she was hiding.

"Zenith, I'm sorry if I woke you." Cadance began, "But I needed someone to talk to right now."

Zenith yawned but responded, "A-Alright," Zenith after shaking his head and focusing on her more clearly he could tell just by her body language that something was definitely wrong and it wasn't exactly a small issue. "Well it must be pretty serious if you are coming in here with practically see-through nightgown on." He said with a soft chuckle. "And once again, sorry for my lack of hospitality.... but please take a seat... I'd offer more but my situation has me rather chained down so to speak."

Cadance smiled a bit at his dry word joke. He was trying to make her feel better, and it worked a little. Accepting his invitation she took a seat on the chair across from him.

"There's that smile," Zenith said smiling back at her. "This room feels a lot less cold and dark when you smile."

Cadance blushed at his statement, her smile growing. His words were rather sweet, he must be able to tell that something was truly bothering her and was truly making a solid effort to console her.

"Well thank you Zenith, that was very sweet of you to say." She says the smile however fading as she speaks again. "I know that this may sound a bit strange but I, need your help." Zenith gave her a curious look as she continued. "As you probably recall Shining yelled at me in front of you today... And... it was so, unlike him. That's not even the worst part... It's true he never has yelled at me like that before, he refused to talk about it before we went to sleep like we normally do. He just ignored me, even though I was fully prepared to apologize for whatever I might have did wrong to make him so upset." Cadence explained as Zenith thought about what she was telling him.

"Hhhhmmmm... it seems to me he was furious with you."

"I know that... but I wanted to talk it over and make it better but he didn't give me the chance."

"Okay, well what normally happens when you have an argument?"

"Well, the last time we fought about something it wasn't all that important..." She said shifting in her seat blushing clearly uncomfortable.

"Come now Cadance there is nothing that can surprise me I'm a changeling, and we are both adults here."

"W-well the last argument we had was about, sex."

"Go on."

"He... wanted anal... and I wasn't in the mood. Plus, that's normally something he would ever get on his birthday."

"Uh huh... interesting... I will keep that thought to myself." He said as he pushed what she thought she was going to say out of his thoughts. "Go on."

"Wait what? What did you think we were arguing about?"

"Well... I was thinking that maybe Shining was going to ask for something along the lines of a three-way.... but that's just my own thoughts on his personality from the information I've gathered, but please go on." Cadance blushed and an awkward silence fell in the room for a moment. "Wait you had argued about that before, haven't you?"

"Y-Yeah, only it wasn't Shining's idea..." Zenith's jaw dropped for a moment and snapped shut.

"W-well... that's definitely... interesting and I'll keep that in mind, but we are getting off topic. Please continue." Zenith said pausing a few times trying to put the conversation back on track.

"Right. I told him no and we argued for a while about it but I eventually gave in and we did it."

"Mmmm, Okay... that for me seems like a red flag." Cadance got a puzzled look at his statement. "I'll explain, but how often does your husband win your arguments and gets his way over your way?" Cadance had to think about it, but it honestly didn't take too long.

"Most of the time he wins the argument."

"Okay, and what is the argument normally about?"

"Sex." She says immediately. "At least mostly that."

"Make that three red flags."

"Are you going to explain those now?"

"I will after one more question. After your argument and he wins, he gets what he wants and that is normally sex and nothing else?"

"Yes."

Zenith's face scrunched up, "It sounds to me like he's just starting stupid arguments to get to have his way with you when ever he wants." He said to himself much to quietly for her to hear. Letting out a soft sigh, he spoke to her. "I'll explain the flags now. When I was conducting my research about 4 years ago I met a mare while disguised and she told me what she knew about married relationships. She actually was a marriage counselor, rather convenient for me and I learned as much as I could from her. I even got so far as to get a certification from her to open my own practice. Anyway, while studying under her she told me of these 'red flags' in a relationship. Spots where a relationship was in danger or all together unhealthy and was borderline toxic. Possibly leading to a life of unhappiness or divorce somewhere down the line."

Cadance's face immediately was struck with worry. Her marriage was in danger of falling apart! "Please tell me what the flags were!" She said nearly frantic."

"Whoa, calm down I did say possibly... From what I could tell from your explanation three things caught my attention. The key one however is you resolve all your issues with sex. Sure, sex is good stress relief and is great exercise it's not healthy for your relationship to rely on it to solve all your problems with your husband even if you do talk it over first. How long has it been since you've just cuddled or spent time together without it leading to sex?"

"Ummm," She thought about it, it took some time but she finally remembered. "About... 8 months ago..." She said her ears pinning back to her skull.

Zenith exhaled and made a chirp sound, "Welp, that's a actual huge red flag. Not spending down time together just for the sake of being together, is a huge issue... and needs to be addressed."

"W-well what should I do?"

"Simple, ban sex for 2 months and spend quality time together. If he can't accept that then you'll have to give him a ultimatum."

"An ultimatum..." Cadance didn't at all like the sound of that. "What would that be?"

"In order to save your marriage from growing colder, you have to make him understand that you are completely serious about your standing. If he tries to and given from your explanation he will, put your foot down and demand marriage consoling."

"The last thing a stallion like Shining would want would be that he has to go to marriage consoling and have to admit there is a problem when he thinks everything is completely fine. Should he refuse, then put him in the dog house until he accepts your terms."

Cadance had heard about other mares putting their husbands out on the couch or completely ignoring them for long periods of time when they were upset with them or didn't get their way. Cadance had never done that, not ever. Her husband usually had free reign to do what he wanted while she couldn't ever do what she wanted.

"Maybe you should tighten your husbands leash as it were." Zenith snickered at his rather dry humor but he was definitely right. It was time she foot down and demanded her own respect and wishes be met as well.