Showing His Place: Sacrifice

Shining Armor had lost track of how long he had actually been in that room with Sombra during their “meeting,” but it felt far longer than it actually was. Surprisingly enough, the Ex-King didn’t keep his Private preoccupied for too long, and only gave the briefest synopsis of his offer before letting him get back to his Princely duties. Unfortunately, even after Shining re-donned his Royal attire and went back out to the castle’s main grounds, his mind was understandably overwhelmed from what he heard from his Superior. A million thoughts and questions were rushing through his head with every step he took down the crystal hallways, and it was near-impossible to focus on just one for more than a second or two.

Was that what Sombra really wanted from me?

How long has he been wanting me to do that?

How the buck does he think he can get away with it?!

What makes him think I would actually say yes?!?

Shining paused as he reflected on that last question, and tried not to wince from whatever answers may have been floating in his head. Despite how horrifying the idea of being gelded was, the stallion felt even worse that he didn’t immediately tell Sombra off for suggesting it. He may have been rightfully shocked the instant his Prince clarified his offer, but he still felt like a moron for staying silent throughout the rest of Sombra’s meeting. Instead of just saying no, or even ending the twisted relationship he had with the former villain for even suggesting such a thing, Shining actually listened to the remainder of his Superior’s deal before being politely dismissed.

But even with how stunned he still felt after leaving the room, Shining was also surprised at how politely Sombra gave that request to him. Instead of acting all dominant towards him, or even just ordering that act like a pure sadist, Sombra treated the idea of that procedure rather delicately. He gave Shining more than enough time to properly process the offer, and never once forced him into it against his will. Even though he was sure Sombra understood how unfathomable the idea of being gelded may have sounded (especially in modern times when the practice for Guards was barred centuries ago), it still felt jarring to hear Sombra acting so respectful towards him about the topic.

Shining sighed sharply as he tried not to think too hard about it, since the idea felt far too extreme to warrant any reflection. Even with how far he and Cadance have been taking things with Sombra as their Bull, including an act as severe as castration still felt like something beyond either of their approval. He knew that in retrospect, any boundary lines they should’ve had with Sombra were expunged a long time ago, and that the Prince’s offer to Shining shouldn’t have been too surprising. But at the same time, Shining was sure he’d need the time given by Sombra to allow it to process in his head; or at least, he could use the time of reflection to answer one of the biggest questions he had about it:

Does Cadance know that Sombra wanted me to do this?!

Fortunately for Prince Shining, it didn’t take long for him to find where his “Wife” had gone to. Even if he didn’t ask for directions to Cadance’s whereabouts by castle staff, Shining was likely to have followed the sounds of Flurry Heart’s cheerful giggles to find her. When the stallion finally found them, he couldn’t help smiling as he discovered Princess Cadance bobbing their daughter up and down with his magic. Even with how far along she was in her pregnancy, the Alicorn carried a spry-looking smile on her face while tending to Flurry so naturally. And as the Princess bounced the foal in her aura to make Flurry giggle endlessly, her ears remained perked for attention while the Royal Crystaller was standing beside her.

“So according to my research,” said Sunburst, who had his horn lit to hold a clipboard in his magical aura, “there’s a good chance that by the time Flurry Heart reaches her adulthood, she’ll have carried a magical link to the Crystal Heart itself!”

“Seriously?!” beamed Cadance and Shining at the same time, as he had gotten within earshot to hear that detail. While Sunburst glanced back at the stallion upon noticing him, Cadance was smiling wide at the Crystaller as she said, “Ohmigosh, that’s amazing!” She then pulled Flurry Heart in close with her magic, and cooed sweetly, “Did you hear that, Flurry?~”

The Alicorn foal squeed with a prideful smile while hovering her her mother’s magic. As Cadance pulled her in for a loving hug, Shining came in to join the two and hug both of them at the same time. Sunburst lowered his head with a bashful smile while stepping away from the family, not wanting to intervene during such a sweet moment. “Uhhh… Heh heh heh…” Sunburst chuckled nervously to himself while averting eye-contact with the Royal couple, and scratched the back of his head while saying, “W-Well, ummm… That’s what I have for now, but I still need to do some more research through the archives for validity.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Sunburst,” said Cadance while looking back at him with a warm and appreciative smile. “That’s still a great thing to hear. Thank you.”

While the family finished up their hug, Sunburst nodded gratefully to the Princess’ compliment. However, as soon as the three pulled away, Cadance was quick to take notice of the apprehension in her “Husband’s” expression. Shining may have been smiling quite genuinely to Sunburst’s findings, but it was hard for that blush he had to go away following his meeting with Sombra. He wasn’t sure if Cadance knew what actually transpired, but his expression was apparently clear enough for her to look back at Sunburst with a hesitant look.

“Hey, ummm… Cadance used her magic to float Flurry towards Sunburst, with the filly beaming excitedly for her Crystaller. “Would you mind looking after Flurry for a few minutes?” she asked him politely, hopeful he wouldn’t be too apprehensive to do so. She glanced back at Shining for a second before clarifying, “I… I think Shining and I need a moment to talk privately, if that’s okay.”

“Oh! Sure thing,” assured Sunburst with a cheerful smile, before taking Flurry into his foreleg to cradle against his chest. While the foal gurgled and hugged the Crystaller happily, Sunburst floated his clipboard aside to rest in the inner pocket of his cape. “I’ll take her back to the nursery.”

“Thank you so much, Sunburst,” Cadance said warmly, and gave her daughter a loving wave as Flurry and Sunburst left the parents alone. As soon as the Crystaller rounded a corner to disappear from sight, Cadance’s expression grew more wary as she looked back at Shining. The Prince’s muzzle pursed tightly in trepidation, since he was able to see from his “Wife” that she likely knew what may have been amiss. Since the two were out in the middle of one of the castle’s vacant hallways, Cadance looked around before she lit up her horn, and conjured a small dome of her blue magic to go over both of them. Shining recognized it as being a sound-proofing spell, which would ensure that nopony could eavesdrop on them.

“Sooooo…” Cadance grew a worried-looking blush as she looked back at Shining, and paused briefly enough to take a cautionary breath. “... I take it that Sombra talked with you about something big?”

Shining’s ears dropped down to the sides of his head, and he tried not to wince at the realization that she already knew of Sombra’s plans. “Ummm… yeah, he did,” said Shining with a feeble-sounding mutter, and he looked away from the Princess while tugging on the Royal regalia hanging around his neck. “I… I’m guessing that he told you about it in advance?”

Even though neither of them were using the G-word out loud, it seemed that Cadance was already aware while nodding back at Shining. “Well, ummm… if it’s pertaining to that one thing Sombra was wanting,” she noted with an uncomfortably skew of her head, “then… yes, I did. But in my defense, I originally thought Sombra meant that as a joke. I didn’t think he’d actually propose it seriously!”

“Cadance, are you serious right now?!” Shining didn’t mean to snap like that towards her, but his emotional state was already fairly frayed while he gawked at her in shock. He pointed a hoof back to where he came from while asking, “How… How could you let him ask me about that?! Do you have any idea how insane that is?!?”

“Yes, Shining!” she shouted back at him, almost looking offended that Shining asked her such a thing. “What, did you really think I didn’t?! As soon as I realized he was seriously contemplating it, I was this close to smacking his fake horn off!”

“Th-Then why did he ask me then?!” blurted Shining as his expression grew more baffled. “Seriously, why didn’t you stop him?!”

“I tried to, Shining!” retorted Cadance insistently. “Believe me, I tried to talk some sense into him! If anything, you should be grateful he didn’t order you to do it.”

Shining’s face dropped while he stared back at her wide-eyed, not needing to clarify whether or not she meant that. But before he could say anything in response, Cadance was quick to place her hoof against Shining’s muzzle to keep him from speaking too soon. “Buuuuttt, I made it explicitly clear to him that he could not do that. Even with all the other stuff we’ve done, I knew better than to force you into anything that permanent. And he understands that too, right?”

After a moment of silence, Shining closed his eyes and sighed with a reluctant nod. Cadance pulled her hoof away from his lips, which gave Shining the opportunity to speak once more. “Y… Yeah, he does know that,” he admitted with a meager shrug of his shoulders, before he added, “and… he actually told me to think it over before saying anything to him…”

Cadance gave a brief sigh of relief while smiling faintly, clearly having been worried about what her husband may have tried while alone with Shining. When the stallion looked back at her, he tried not to cringe as he asked, “So… how much did he tell you about it?”

Cadance huffed while looking up at the ceiling for a second, needing a second to process Sombra’s controversial plans with his Private. “Well… at first he was just joking about how his gelded Guards weren’t as complacent as you were,” she said with a blush, before she bit her lip briefly during a secondary pause. “But then he… he seemed to bring it up more frequently with me, almost like he wanted me to think about it as well…”

Shining winced upon hearing that detail, not wanting to even ask how awkwardly those conversations between them must have went.

“And then, ummm…” After taking another moment to think about her wording, Cadance’s muzzle skewed in apprehension as she looked away from Shining’s worried gaze. “About a week ago, he... Sombra decided to ask me in private if… if it was alright for him to make you a gelding...”

Shining’s brows rose with a look of surprise on his face. Cadance couldn’t bear to look back at him, and rubbed her foreleg with a hoof while blushing over her conflicted expression. Shining looked down to his hooves while silent in thought, and took a second before asking, “A-And… What did you tell him?”

Cadance huffed sharply before looking back at Shining, and replied, “Well, obviously I told him no! Seriously, did you think I would say ‘Yes’ to a request like that?!”

Even though he was grateful she gave that response so insistently, Shining couldn’t help shrugging his head while retorting in an awkward tone, “Well, I mean… we’ve both said Yes to a lot already…”

That reminder made both of them try not to cringe, clearly not wanting to give too much thought to how drastically things had changed between them. They both understood the emotional aspects of their relationship hasn't changed too much, since they still loved each other more than anything else. But at the same time, given how severely the introduction of Sombra altered their statuses in the bedroom, neither of them wanted to think too critically about the multiple elephants that were practically galloping around the room. But alas, during that long and awkward pause, Cadance breathed out slowly before she said, “Well… despite that point, I… I couldn’t bear to put you through something like that. Or at least… I didn’t want that to happen without your approval…”

Shining nodded in understanding, but his hesitant look still remained while glancing back at Cadance. “And you…” Even though he was unsure whether or not to hear the truth, Shining still decided to ask after a quick exhale, “... you said it was alright to let him ask me?”

Despite how uncomfortable that question may have been, the Princess gave a light shrug before nodding back at him. “Well, I… I figured it would be better than letting him make you, at least.”

Since he couldn’t necessarily argue with that point, Shining nodded more gratefully and said, “Well, thank you for that, at least.” Shining then sighed more pertly, and added, “But still! I mean… Did he at least tell you why he wanted me to do that?!”

“Believe me, I asked him that question the moment I realized he was serious!” After giving that retort, Cadance’s expression turned less insistent as she looked away from him, and she said, “But ummm… Well, he… He kinda just said that he wanted to do it because…”

Shining waited a couple seconds for her to finish that response, but grew worried when he saw how apprehensive the Princess was getting. Eventually though, Cadance shrugged uncomfortably before saying, “... Because he… he felt like it was something you would agree to doing…”

Shining’s eyes shot wide-open, and a more immense blush grew across his cheeks upon hearing that response. “W-What?!” he shouted with a shocked expression.

“Well, can you blame him?” blurted Cadance without thinking, which made the stallion grow even more perturbed. The Princess winced upon seeing Shining’s gawked look on her, but raised a hoof to keep him from saying anything. She then breathed out slowly to calm herself down, and added in clarification, “I mean… You’ve already agreed to a lot so far…”

Shining scoffed with a strong roll of his eyes while looking away from her. Even though he knew she was right, it was hard for him not to feel offended by her answer. “Oh, so that means I’d automatically say yes this time?!”

Cadance gave another uncomfortable shrug, and pointed out apprehensively, “Ummm… Well, you… You didn’t say no, did you?”

Shining froze momentarily, before he slowly lowered his head with a regretful cringe in his expression. He didn’t say anything back to his “Wife,” but he was sure that she got her answer from his silence alone. Cadance’s muzzle pursed tightly upon noting that reaction, and waited a second before she asked, “So, ummm… what did he say to you?”

Shining pulled his head back up with a more prolonged sigh, and said, “Well, after telling me how much he respected my work as his ‘Private,’ he offered me the chance to… t-to be gelded.” Shining reached underneath his Royal regalia, and pulled out the two steel balls that Sombra unsubtly removed from the Newton’s Cradle to emphasize his recounting of earlier events. “After that, he told me about the benefits he’d offer me if I thought it over, which I’d still get regardless of whether or not I said Yes to it.”

“Oh, really?” asked Cadance with a more surprised tone as her brows perked up. “What benefits did he mention?”

Shining felt uncomfortable with going over the details so seriously with Cadance, since it made him feel more like it was a feasible decision to make. But alas, he still breathed out before saying, “Well, obviously I’d be let out of my chastity cage if I agreed to it, although he said that wouldn’t happen otherwise. However, he… he also brought up that if I gave his offer some thought, I’d be allowed to sleep in the bed with you guys again. He’d also allow me to be more active in the bedroom aside from keeping Guard.”

Despite the looming consequences regarding such a decision, Cadance was able to smile more gratefully upon hearing that from Shining. “Honestly, that’s… not a horrible deal if you still say no.” She then stepped in a little closer towards her “Husband,” and asked with a more optimistic tone, “Plus… I’m guessing he didn’t tell you about the benefit I insisted on?”

Shining looked back at her confusedly, and shook his head before asking, “Wh… What do you mean?”

“I thought so,” she said with a shrug of her head, not looking too offended that her husband let out her input on the matter. “Well, after I managed to get him to agree to just asking you, I wanted him to add a measure I asked about. And basically, I… I told him if you were to say yes, that you would be let out of your cage to give a sperm sample.”

Shining’s head reeled back while staring at her wide-eyed, not expecting her to have placed that kind of input in Sombra’s plan. “Wait, really?!”

“Yes, really,” she stated insistently while her smile grew more natural. “I mean, come on! Did you really think I wouldn’t want another foal with you?”

Shining blinked a couple times, and had to look away from Cadance to keep her from seeing his guilty wince. “Ummm… Honestly, I… I wasn’t sure…”

Cadance’s eyes widened as she gawked at him, and she took a moment before saying flatly, “Wow.”

Despite knowing he probably insulted Cadance greatly with his assumption, Shining tried to defend himself by stating, “Well, excuse me for not knowing for sure, Miss ‘I’m gonna keep my cuckolded husband in permanent chastity’!”

Cadance may have been offended, but that point was valid enough to make her sigh and shrug her shoulders again. “... Okay, touchè.” She then looked back at Shining and added, “but still, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want another foal from you in the near future! I even told Sombra that before he told me his plans, and he agreed to respect that for my sake!”

Shining blinked a couple times while wide-eyed, and huffed as he grew a bewildered smile. “Ummm… Wow, I… Th-Thank you for that,” he said with a sincere and humbled tone.

“You’re welcome,” she said with a reassuring smile, before she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. After that, she pulled back to add, “And just so you know, that wasn’t the only thing I’d insist on. I mean, obviously we would invest in alternative forms of testosterone if you were to agree, just to make sure you would actually still be involved and find pleasure yourself.”

“Wait, what?!” asked Shining while shaking his head in bewilderment. “Did… Did you seriously consider it enough to think of that?!”

“Well, he did tell me a week ago!” noted Cadance in clarification. “That gave me enough time to do some research on the matter. And just so you know, geldings are still able to achieve arousal though testosterone patches, or even magic-based stimulation. Heck, they can even still ejaculate due to prost--”

“Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Shining threw his hooves up to give a silencing motion, which prompted Cadance to stop her assessment. As he stood on his hind-legs with his eyes near-bulging, he blinked a couple times while staring back at his “Wife,” and asked worriedly, “Are… Are you actually, like… okay with me doing that?”

Cadance paused as her ears lowered in trepidation, and she looked away from him with a small blush growing across her muzzle. She didn’t say anything for a second or two, and needed to take a breath before finally opening her mouth again. “... I… I wasn’t sure what you would say about his offer, so… I decided to prepare myself in case you said yes.”

Shining’s jaw dropped, not expecting his own wife (in a legal sense) to actually assume that sort of thing from him. “Wh… What makes you think I’d agree to that?! I mean, I know I already did a lot for him, but…”

After saying that last part, Shining paused himself to keep from cringing at the cold reality that came with it. In retrospect, Shining knew that he has in fact allowed a lot of things a cuckold usually wouldn’t. But even with Cadance’s pregnancy, as well as his own permanent chastity, the idea of being willingly gelded still sounded like overkill. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Cadance to place a hoof on his shoulder, and used his momentary pause to speak in a more comforting tone. “Shining… I’m not trying to assume anything from you, and I’m also not saying whether or not you should do it either. It’s your body, Shining Armor. Not mine, and certainly not his. It’s entirely your choice, and I’m not giving any personal say on the matter…”

Cadance then took a breath, and continued to speak reassuringly for Shining to better process. “But… But with that being said, I… I’ve seen just how much you’ve been willing to do for this kind of relationship. And… And I never once heard you object to any of it… Even when you had every opportunity to do so…”

Shining averted his eyes from her, and his muzzle tensed up as he struggled not to show too much emotion to her truthful claim. Meanwhile, Cadance kept her hoof on his shoulder as she kept going with a warmer smile on her face. “Shining, I… I’ve seen how you look when Sombra gives you praise for the things you do, and… and I’ve seen how happy you get when you follow his lead. I know you’re a Prince, and I know you’re undoubtedly proud of your achievements, but…”

Shining looked back at Cadance after hearing that emphasized conjunction, his expression bordering between immense worry and conflicting self-doubt. But for Cadance, her smile remained genuinely loving as she said, “... You seem to really like being a Guard for Sombra, and… you enjoy carrying that kind of role for somepony again… Don’t you?”

Once again, Shining Armor’s silence said far more than any answer he could’ve given in that moment. And despite the lack of any audible response, or even a movement of his head to respond to Cadance’s question, she still leaned in to kiss him on the forehead in reassurance. “All I’m going to say is this,” she said after pulling her head back, and looking Shining in the eyes with her smile as sincere as ever. “No matter what decision you make, I won’t judge you in the slightest, and I’ll always love you no matter what. And I can guarantee you that Sombra would respect your choice as well.”

Shining’s muzzle remained tightly shut, but he nodded his head faintly in understanding of her kind words. After Cadance smiled back at him lovingly, she gave a quick zap of her horn to undo the soundproofing dome they were under. Since the hallway they were in was still empty, Cadance kissed his cheek once again before she began to walk away, and said, “All I want is for you to do what makes you feel happy, Shining Armor. But there’s nothing wrong with saying no.”

With that, Cadance walked away from the Prince leave him alone with his thoughts. And even as Cadance rounded the corner to find their daughter, Shining stood by himself for a long time as he processed everything that was said. Even though he didn’t have the answer he wanted just yet, the unicorn sighed to himself before he started to walk again, hopeful he could come to a decision by the time he stood before Sombra once more…

For the rest of that morning, nothing significant really occurred to throw Shining off from his Princely duties. Even though the ever-present reminder of Sombra’s offer remained lingering in the back of his mind, Shining was able to keep those thoughts at bay while tending to the Crystal Empire’s various obligations. Fortunately, since it was a weekday, Shining actually didn’t have that much to do aside from some light paperwork. The biggest task that the Prince had to complete was the authorization of several zoning proclamations to improve the Crystal Empire’s security systems; and since he already knew the gist of those details in advance, it took him less than an hour to get everything approved with city planners by the time Noon arrived.

Shining wasn’t sure where Cadance or Flurry Heart were at, but he knew that lunch was set to be prepared rather soon. Luckily for the stallion, he had already prepared Sombra’s meals the previous night, so he didn’t have to worry about that errand right now. Even though the task was rather tedious at times (especially since none of the Crystal Ponies could be trusted to do it), Shining felt a strange sense of satisfaction from how well his cooking skills had gotten over the past year; he may have not been a Canterlot Five-Star certified chef, but it was still gratifying to know his food was good enough for a literal King to enjoy.

Of course, as soon as that thought came into his mind, Shining tried not to cringe at the idea of Sombra having that kind of title again. Despite the fact that Sombra knew he was strictly barred from any political stature (not to mention the ex-villain’s personal feelings against seeking reclamation of his throne), the fact of the matter was that under technicality, Sombra was a member of Royalty again. It may have only been through Royal Decree by Princess Twilight during that controversial marriage ceremony, but Shining knew that it was still technically valid. He may have still been married to Cadance himself under legal documentation, but there was no doubt that Sombra was her husband now; and because of that, Shining had to see him as a Prince, instead of the other way around.

Considering the ex-King’s sadistic past, that thought alone should’ve been enough to make Shining feel sick to his stomach. But instead, the “Prince” could only feel his cheeks blush at that unsettling fact. Even though he knew Sombra had no legal authority over him, he still felt compelled to follow him as his “Private,” despite how embarrassing that fact sounded in his head. But even worse than that, Shining tried his hardest to ignore the uncomfortable strain from within his chastity cage while processing that detail; he didn’t want to admit he liked the position he had, but it was growing more difficu--

“Oh, there you are, Shining~”

Since he was so lost in thought, Shining jolted as he froze in the middle of the hallway he was walking down. Prince Sombra, who had been waiting for Shining near one of the elevators, came into view to surprise his startled Private. Shining had no idea where Sombra had been all morning, nor did he want to think about how long he had been waiting for him to come by this section of the castle. But alas, the stallion’s muzzle still pursed tightly while his blush grew heavier across his cheeks.

Sombra smirked more openly upon seeing that response, which made his thick fangs peek out from between his lips. However, the Prince was quick to put out one of his hooves, before he said with a less menacing tone, “It’s alright, Shining. I’m not requesting an answer from you just yet. Cadance told me about your discussion earlier, so I’ll wait until you come to me.”

Shining blinked a couple times, unsure whether to feel relieved or suspicious about Sombra’s claim. While he was grateful the ex-villain was remaining respectful about his offer, Shining still needed a second before he nodded back at him. “Ummm… th-thank you for telling me that,” said the Private in a tone of voice more timid than he would’ve preferred to give. After clearing his throat, Shining spoke more clearly as he added, “Uhhh… Speaking of Cadance, do you know where she is?”

“Indeed I do~” Sombra said as his brows raised with a more notable grin on his face. “She had just left Flurry Heart with a couple of the Royal Caretakers, and has agreed to come assist me about something regarding you~”

Shining’s blush disappeared as his face paled in worry, and his eyes widened while peering up at his smiling Prince. Even though the two were out in the open, Sombra took the lead as he smacked Shining’s side with his tail. “Come with me, Private! I have a feeling you’ll appreciate what I’m about to do for you~”

Shining darted his head around in a panic, hopeful that no castle staff were around to hear him being called a Private by Sombra. Fortunately, the hallway was still empty as he immediately followed his Prince, and tried his hardest not to shudder in dreadful curiosity. He had no idea where Sombra was leading him, or even how long this order would take before lunch. But due to his own obligations, Shining swallowed whatever pride he may have still had while he walked behind Sombra, and let him take the lead outside of the bedroom.

As they walked, Shining’s eyes couldn’t stop peering down at the plump, hefty pair of balls Sombra possessed between his muscular legs. Even though Shining knew his own pair weren’t that measly, he couldn’t bear to show them off as flauntingly as his Prince did; of course, that was more to do with how swollen his balls may have looked from his constant blue-balling, as well as to keep ponies from seeing his chastity cage. Nevertheless, it seemed that Sombra had taken notice of his Private’s wandering eyes, and glanced back at him with a wide and knowing smirk.

“You should be a little more subtle with your staring, Private~” he purred before he narrowed his eyes on Shining, causing the white stallion to blush in embarrassment. Sombra then grinned a little wider, and added more menacingly, “It must be devastating to know that my balls are the only ones being used, hmm?~”

Shining lowered his head with a more guilty blush, and tried to avert his eyes from those dangling orbs hanging so tauntingly before his face. “I… I’d rather not have this conversation in public, Sombra,” he tried to mutter worriedly.

“Then I order you to converse with me,” Sombra stated in a much firmer tone, which made Shining wince before nodding his head. Despite knowing Sombra had no authority to order him around, Shining felt that metaphorical leash tightening around his neck. He also felt an even stronger strain from his chastity cage, which he tried his hardest to conceal from Sombra’s prying eyes. Fortunately for the two of them, the hallway remained vacant of any ponies as Sombra spoke more casually back towards his Private. “Now then… How does it feel knowing how worthless your balls have become, Private?~”

Shining cringed from how openly Sombra asked such an inappropriate question, and hoped that the Prince ensured they weren’t being listened to by any castle staff or Guards. After looking around again, Shining sighed faintly before he answered with, “It… It’s not exactly something I try to think about, my Prince…”

Shining closed his eyes with a small wince, still feeling paranoid about referring to Sombra by that title out in the open. Unfortunately, the obvious look of apprehension on the Private’s face only made Sombra grin even wider. “Well, perhaps you should, Private,” he said in a sterner tone that matched the taunting smirk pointed at Shining. “Because I’d rather not be tempted to give any orders regarding that too~”

Even with how respectful Sombra had been about keeping things Shining’s choice, the Private gulped upon seeing how seriously Sombra made that threat. His steps behind the Prince faltered a bit as he felt how tightly his hind-legs tensed up; however, it was hard for the Private to tell how much that response was stemmed from the fear of such a thing happening, or from some other feeling he wasn’t prepared to think about too deeply. But whichever reason it was, he still overheard Sombra chuckling evilly while leading him to his duties

Or at least, that was what Shining thought, before Sombra stopped in the middle of a T-intersection in the hallway. The hall that lead towards the grand ballroom was just to the right, while a near-endless row of doors were spread out in front and behind the two stallions. Shining knew this palace fairly well, and grew worried when he realized he and Sombra were in a high-trafficked region of the castle. But when he looked back at his Prince, Shining’s paranoia only grew stronger as he saw Sombra lift up his tail rather shamelessly.

The former King looked back at him with a domineering grin, and narrowed his eyes on Shining while the two were by themselves for that brief window of time. The Private couldn’t say a word while getting an up-close view of Sombra’s exposed backside, since he was too flustered with a heavy blush. But before he could try to ask what his Prince was doing, Sombra gave a cheekier grin and said firmly, “How about you give your Prince’s tail a little kiss, Private? And yes, that’s an order~”

Shining’s blush grew even heavier as he tensed up from such a bold order, and it took everything in him not to freeze up in hesitance. His head darted around the three different directions the hallways lead, making sure that no ponies have appeared out of nowhere to catch the two in such a compromising position. Unfortunately, since the two were still all alone, Shining shuddered worriedly as he realized he couldn’t disobey his Prince. So after closing his eyes to hold his breath, Shining quickly leaned in to give the bare dock of Sombra’s tail a brief, split-second peck with his lips.

Unfortunately, just as he pulled his muzzle back, Shining’s fur stood on end as he heard Sombra ask, “Did I tell you to stop, Private?~”

Shining’s pupils shrunk, and he froze up while his face was still a few inches from his Prince’s waiting rump. As he looked back up at Sombra’s stern expression, he tried not to shiver in dread as he saw those red eyes narrowing even more on him. “I’m ordering you to keep your lips and tongue where they belong, Private~” he growled while growing a more devilish smirk. “And you’re forbidden to stop until I say otherwise.”

Shining finally let out a weak and shaky breath, and it took everything in him to actually nod his head back at Sombra. Even though he knew how unbelievably dangerous it would be to comply at a place like this, Shining closed his eyes before saying, “Y… Yes, my Prince…”

With that, Shining tried his hardest to ignore his overwhelming paranoia while he leaned his muzzle back in, and planted his lips against Sombra’s dock once more.

“Mmmmmm…~” Sombra shivered in delight as he felt those light, sensual pecks of the Private’s lips against the underside of his tail, and heard the soft smooches clear as day within the empty halls. Even with how risky his choice of location may have been, Sombra groaned in pleasure before he said, “That’s a gooooodddddd Private~ Keep going…”

Shining’s muzzle trembled a little while he did just that, hoping to everything holy that he wouldn’t be caught kissing Sombra’s tail in such a public space. As his ears flicked constantly to hear for any suspicious noises, his lips continued to smack against Sombra’s meaty dock to show his fortitude to the Prince. The experience felt beyond embarrassing, but Shining still groaned a little under his breath as he felt his member straining hard within his chastity cage. With every soft kiss he planted underneath Sombra’s tail, his hind-legs twitched more incessantly due to the shameful arousal he was feeling. His conscience may have been screaming how wrong it was to follow Sombra’s order, but the poor Private’s body seemed to be reacting like it was the exact opposite.

Just as Shining Armor let out a shakier breath after almost a full minute of tail-kissing, Sombra stopped him when he said in a more brooding tone, “Lower~”

Shining’s eyes shot wide-open, and he glanced up at Sombra while his muzzle was still between the Prince’s cheeks. “W… What?”

“Did I stutter, Private?~” Sombra grew a more gloatingly mean grin, and nodded his head in clarification. “I’m ordering you to kiss me lower. I don’t think I need to explain where I’m referring to~”

Shining’s heart nearly skipped a beat upon realizing what Sombra meant, and he tried not to pull away due to his growing fears. Even though he understood his Prince’s order perfectly, the idea of being seen doing that was extremely mortifying. If even one Guard or staff member witnessed it, his life would be irreparably destroyed. But alas, since his face was already just inches from Sombra’s exposed rear, Shining wasn’t able to pull back while looking down at that thick, meaty pucker that was sitting in wait.

And once again, Shining Armor closed his eyes before leaning back in, and planting another kiss right atop of his Prince’s hole.

“Nnnnnghhh~” Sombra actually shuddered with an antsy grin upon feeling that sensation, and had to keep himself from cackling out loud from what he got Shining to do. “K-Keep going~” he purred while smiling evilly down at his Private. “Just like my tail, Private. Don’t stop until I tell you to~”

Shining winced with a defeated sigh, but swallowed his pride before doing as he was told. Since he already went this far, he decided he was already in too deep to complain about it now. His eyes clenched shut while he planted a couple more kisses against that meaty ring of flesh, all while struggling not to overthink what he was actually doing out in public.

“Nnnnffffff… Just look at you right now~” growled Sombra in a taunting whisper while grinning from ear-to-ear, looking absolutely elated as he stared down at Shining with glee. Even as the stallion’s blushing face clenched up throughout his soft and audible smooches, he didn’t try to pull back from his Prince’s rear. Not even when Sombra said with a teasing smile, “Heh~ And you really think you should call yourself a ‘Prince’ within these halls? You’re literally kissing my ass right now~”

A brief, shameful groan could be heard from Shining as he continued to kiss that thick pucker, with the smacks of his lips lingering a little longer each time as the session continued. His hind-legs trembled more notably for Sombra to see, but the Private was hopeful he wouldn’t try to glance at his cage straining hard while nestled between them. It felt unbelievably shameful to even consider the idea that he was wanting to get hard from this, but his face still winced with a heavy blush while he felt himself doing just that.

“Ooooooohhhhh, I’m going to bring this up whenever I can~” purred Sombra with a more mischievously deviant tone, making it clear to Shining that he meant that as a promise. However, even though having the “Prince” of the Crystal Empire kissing his ass was rewarding enough, Sombra decided to keep pushing their luck as he commanded, “Alright, move your muzzle down lower, Private. I think you need to give proper worship to a pair of balls that work for a change~”

Shining laid one last, lingering kiss directly on his Prince’s tailhole, and pulled back with an audible peck while that wrinkly pucker was glistening with the Private’s saliva. His lips pursed tightly shut upon seeing that unsettling sight, but he mostly felt grateful that nopony saw him doing such an unforgivable thing outside of the safety of his bedroom. But even with that brief moment of relief, his heart was still racing after he took another breath, and moved his muzzle down to continue his order.

“Aaaaaahhhhh~” Sombra’s head reeled back with a deep and satisfying hiss as he felt the Private’s tongue finally getting to work, and slowly dragging down the bare and wrinkly flesh of his taint. Meanwhile, Shining Armor continued to listen out for any foreign hoofsteps or opening doors, while also keeping his tongue against his Prince’s backside in accordance with his order. The terrifying thought of being caught kept his face a heavy shade of crimson, but also made his chastity cage begin to leak from the shameful pre that was seeping through the vents. But eventually, just as the taste of Sombra’s bitter and salty musk started to really sting the Private’s taste-buds, his eyes reopened when the bottom of his chin graced against those plump, hefty balls.

“Mmmnnnghhh… K-Keep going!~” moaned Sombra while he tried to stand still, even though his stallionhood was starting to slip out of his sheath and grow erect. “I’ve been in the Guard for years before becoming King, I know how to stand Guard for both of us.”

Shining should’ve known how fruitless that sort of claim was, since even one opened door would’ve instantly exposed the two due to their compromising positions, Shining had to trust Sombra’s confident claim before he went down to plant his lips against that loose and wrinkly sac.

Sombra let out a more pronounced moan, which caused his brooding voice to nearly echo down the vacant hallways. But despite that dangerously exposing response, Shining only whimpered the tiniest bit in fear while he wrapped his lips around one of his Prince’s thick, heavy balls. His tongue slipped out from between his lips to drag across that wrinkly patch of flesh, which tasted just as strongly of Sombra’s musk as his taint did. The bitter, heady flavor of unwashed sweat and testosterone-laden flesh caused the Private’s muzzle to wrinkle up in trepidation, but his lips continued to purse around that plumb orb before pulling his tongue back inward. The suckling motion that resulted from that caused one of Sombra’s balls to slowly, and carefully peek through Shining lips before it sunk into his obedient muzzle. And like the good Private he was, Shining began to suck on his Prince’s balls while out in the open in his castle.

“Nnnnnghhhh~” Sombra clenched his eyes shut for a split-second, and shuddered with a contently wide grin as he savored that taboo sensation. Even though he preferred his wife’s muzzle when it came to this kind of worship, the fact that he was getting the Crystal Empire’s “Prince” to suck on his balls so obediently was equally as alluring. Sombra wouldn’t have even considered himself to be bi-curious, but the stallion’s tenative suckles and licks against his balls were still enough to make him grow to full-mast between his fidgeting legs. And even as his focus grew less attentive with each added moment of titillation, the Prince didn’t seem to care about getting caught while Shining continued his work without interruption. “Aaaahhhh… That’s right, you little bitch~ Keep sucking…”

Eventually, Shining’s composure really began to deplete as he let out a brief, but audible moan while his muzzle was pressed in hard between Sombra’s heavy balls. His nostrils flared out as he got a strong hit of his Prince’s overwhelming musk, and his mouth watered to add more saliva across Sombra’s wrinkly sac. Shining’s front hooves came off the ground, and rested atop Sombra’s back as he held himself firmly in place. While both of those plump orbs began to glisten brightly with the Private’s drool, Shining’s tongue-lashing became more fervently intense as he succumbed to his Prince’s twisted whims. Even if one of those doors were to open at that very moment, it was unclear whether or not Shining would’ve had the time or diligence to stop before being exposed as Sombra’s cuckolded bitch.

And even worse, considering how Sombra was able to hear those muffled moans beneath the heavy sac draped over the Private’s muzzle, perhaps he wouldn’t have been too upset by such an outcome either.

“Mmmmph~” Shining took his time as he alternated between suckling both of those thick balls one at a time, not being able to hold both of them due to the sheer girth each of them possessed. As the seconds passed indulging in his Prince’s manly musk out in the open, the dangerously public setting they were in was sinking further and further back within Shining’s clouded mindset. Even when he heard Sombra’s tauntingly deep voice calling out to him, the words barely registered much of a negative response in his mind. Of course, considering how he was literally worshipping his Prince’s balls like some lust-addled slave, it was doubtful any insults he heard would’ve been perceived as being untrue.

“That’s it, Private~” groaned Sombra through his gritted teeth, clearly enjoying how tenaciously Shining lips and tongue were savoring every inch of his heavy sac to pay tribute to the virile lineage within them. “G… Give those balls the proper respect they deserve, Shining~ Be… Because if you say yes to my deal… they’ll be the ONLY ones you’ll ever be this close to again~”

A long, and even deeper moan escaped Shining’s mouth as it pulled away from Sombra’s balls for a moment, with a couple strings of his saliva connecting his tongue to that wrinkly flesh. His eyes were half-lidded in compromised pleasure, and the looming threat of Sombra’s words weren’t enough for him to keep from lunging his muzzle back in. His snout pushed in deeply between Sombra’s plump balls, and his nostrils flared while trying to suck in as much of that thick musk as he could. Even if Cadance was the one more worthy of those magnificent orbs, Shining wasn’t too upset about being caught up in such a--

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“Oh, shit!” Sombra reached down to glance at the electronic pocket-watch he had stashed within his chest fluff, and quickly stepped forward so that Shining could be pulled off of him. “Shining, stop! Stop!”

“Hmm?~” Shining fell back onto his hooves with a dazed expression, almost looking like had just taken a bong hit from how glazed his eyes became. Fortunately, since he was standing upright, the only proof that something suggestive had occurred was the slightly matted fur around his slacked-open muzzle. Because of that, the Private had just enough time to come back to reality by the time he heard the doors from the main ballroom open up. Shining’s body jolted in a panic, and he desperately wiped his muzzle clean with a hoof as the first of the castle staff began to walk down the crystal halls.

“Gentlemen~” purred Sombra with a friendly smile, which caused the first few crystal ponies to look away from him and the blushed Shining with awkward expressions. If anything, Sombra’s intimidating presence proved to be a great detractor of any wandering eyes, and helped to give Shining some more time to recompose himself. Just as the hallway started to grow more trafficked with other staff and Guards roaming down from the other ends, Sombra made his leave while motioning for his Private to follow.

Aside from a few brief nods and smiles here and there, Shining was grateful for the limited social interactions as he went back to walking in tow behind Sombra’s brooding form. Even though the Prince’s cock was still out and rock-hard, it wasn’t like any of the crystal ponies were looking over at him long enough to take notice. As for Shining, whose heavy blush made him feel like the hallway was over a hundred degrees, he almost wanted to feel impressed at how shamelessly Sombra was able to present himself in that moment.

After the two trotted down the remainder of the hallway and rounded another corner, Sombra made sure the two were alone again before he spoke. “Just so you know,” he said in a more withheld tone as he glanced back at Shining, “I had Cadance section off that part of the hallway so no castle staff would come by and interrupt us. I purposely kept that information from you to test your resolve, and to see how well you can perform under pressure~”

Shining’s eyes widened in shock, not having expected his Prince to pull a move like that. Even though that explained why the halls were empty for so long (not to mention that hidden watch Sombra had to track the time), the Private had to shake his head in befuddlement before asking, “W-What!?”

“What do you mean, ‘What?’,” he jeered back at Shining with a slyer smirk on his face. “Did you really think I’d have you do that out of the blue? With my reputation around here!? I might be confident with myself, but I’m not crazy!”

Despite still feeling jarred by Sombra’s deception, Shining had to shrug his head after thinking it over for a second. Considering how badly the stakes would be for Sombra as opposed to him or Cadance, the Private couldn’t deny that his Superior had a point. Shining’s life may be ruined if he was caught as Sombra’s cuck, but his Bull would likely be executed or lynched for the same thing.

Fortunately, Shining’s thoughts regarding that hypothetical were thankfully muted when Sombra added in a more confident tone, “Honestly though, you did an excellent job displaying your worth as my Private, Shining! You showed how much you were able to trust me as your Superior, which was what I was hoping to see from you~”

Despite his mouth still tasting strongly of Sombra’s ballsack, Shining was still able to smile and nod meekly back at his Prince. “Ummm… Well, it’s good to know I can do that,” he muttered with an embarrassed blush, grateful he didn’t add an unconfident “I guess” to that statement. Receiving Sombra’s praise was one thing, but he didn’t think he’d get that by literally kissing his ass.

“Indeed it is good,” remarked Sombra, whose tone was just as genuinely kind as his smile back at him. “You might be a ‘Prince’ in legal terms, but you still manage to show a lot of trust and devotion for your Prince. And at the end of the day, a good Private should always place their trust in whatever their Superior asks of them~”

Shining’s jaw clenched up as he tried to keep a neutral expression, but he was able to nod back at Sombra in silent apprehension. Unfortunately, his conflicted feelings only grew harder to avoid when Sombra added more cheekily, “Even when it comes to something like what’s on your mind right now~”

Sombra didn’t wait to take notice of Shining’s attempt to conceal a tensed-up wince, and looked back ahead of him to let that comment sink in. Shining looked down to the crystal floors as he walked behind his Prince, and blushed profusely from that unnecessarily prodding remark. Luckily for the compromised stallion, Sombra kept himself silent for the rest of their trek through the castle, and only allowed a subtly sly smirk to creep across his muzzle.