“You, there. Loyal Protector!”
You jump in surprise at your post, not expecting the voice behind you. You whirl your head and clink your armored hooves together, standing at attention. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
Princess Luna’s startling indigo eyes gaze into yours. “I require your assistance. Please enter my chambers.”
You hesitate for just a second before your years of training kicks in. “As you wish, Your Highness.” It was unorthodox to enter the Princess’ chambers, for sure, but it was not unheard of for either Luna or her sister to make special requests of individual guards, particularly when security or esoteric information was on the line. Resolving to follow orders to the letter, you follow Princess Luna into her room as she pulls away from the doors.
You peek around inside at the pristine marble fittings and dark décor of her chambers, noting the roaring blaze in the fireplace with a degree of reserved interest.
Princess Luna trots over to a recliner on the far side of the room, on the other side of a small black coffee table, and sits. She motions to a similar chair on the other side of the table. “Please, take a seat.”
You follow her orders. Behind Princess Luna, you see the pitch black of the night outside her window punctuated by the white flakes of a heavy snowfall. “You require my assistance, Your Highness?”
“I do.” She tilts her head to the side and smiles at you softly. “Do you play chess?”
“Chess?” You crumple up your muzzle. You have played a number of games in the past, although you were not very good at the ancient game. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
Luna’s horn lights up, pulling a box off of a nearby bookshelf. “I like to play on occasion during these long winter nights. I find it calming. It so happens that I am looking for a partner. Interested in a game?”
You blink a few times. You feel as if you’re in a movie. Yes, that must be it; just like in the movies, she must be doing this for dramatic appeal as she prepared to reveal information of great importance to you. “Absolutely. Thank you for the opportunity, Your Majesty.”
“No, thank you.” With another flare of her horn, the board flops down onto the table and the pieces are rapidly assembled in place. She crosses her back hooves and tosses a questioning look in your direction. “Take white; your move.”
Frowning, and without much thought, you take your pawn on the left side of the board and move it two spaces forward.
Luna’s eyes flicker down to the board, and then back up to look at you. “Loyal protector, would you like to make this game more interesting?”
You squint. “What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Please do call me Luna,” she corrects. “I like to be, well, partners with my chess partner. What I mean, of course, is a little wager. If you lose the game, you will have to sweep my quarters before the end of your shift.”
You shrug off the thought that she could simply order you to do that anyway. “And if I win?”
“I shall give you a hug,” she declares. “That will make a good story for your future foals, no? Being on hugging terms with a Princess of Equestria?”
Your cheeks heat up just a little bit. “I suppose so. Okay, agreed.”
“Wonderful.” Princess Luna uses her horn to move one of her knights forward. “Your turn.”
“And that is checkmate,” Princess Luna states casually, having fenced your king into a corner of the board. “What fun!”
You exhale. Princess Luna had absolutely decimated you in that game. In fact, you would go so far as to say she practically hustled you. “Very impressive. You win the game, and our bet.”
Luna’s ears perk up. “What do you say about a rematch? Double or nothing!”
You furrow your brow. “Double or nothing?”
“Yes!” Luna declares, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “If you win, I’ll cuddle with you.”
Your muzzle scrunches up. “…And if I lose?”
“Then you will be fired.”
Your heart skips a beat in your chest. “Fired?”
“Yes, terminated immediately.”
“No way!” Your legs instinctively curl into your body. “I need my job in the guard.”
“Such an emphatic rejection!” she notes. “My my, I thought we had stronger stallions in the Royal Guard.”
You scowl slightly. “We’re talking about my job, here.”
“Be that as it may, I can’t help but note your cowardice.”
You puff your cheeks out. “I’m no coward! I threw a changeling out of a window during the Battle of Canterlot!”
“Prove it.” Luna’s horn lights up and the board spins around. Taking a pawn in her magic, she moves it two spaces forward. “Your move.”
You furiously scratch the underside of your muzzle. If you move your knight, then…yes, that’s it!
“Checkmate!” You explode with confidence, standing up from your chair. “Hah HAH!”
Luna quietly hums to herself for a moment. “Well done. I was outplayed.” She grins coyly at you. “Your job is safe.”
“Yes!” you hoof-pump.
“Now then,” Luna sighs, standing up from her chair as well. “I suppose I owe you some affection, now.”
You pause for a moment, not sure what Luna is thinking about. After a moment, it dawns on you and you feel your cheeks heat up. “O-oh, yeah. Um, Your Highness-“
“Luna,” she corrects.
“…Luna,” you restart your statement. “T-there is no need for that. I was just happy to-“
“Nonsense. I keep my bargains.” Luna approaches you. “Unless you feel uncomfortable, and don’t want to spend more time with me?”
“N-no, not at all!” you quickly assuage.
Luna smiles sweetly. “Oh, good then!” Stepping forward quickly, she wraps a hoof around you, pulling you into a hug. Quickly, she unsnaps the anchoring on the back of your chest armor, causing it to clink to the ground. “Wonderful! That is much better.” She nuzzles your cheek as she pulls away, but nabs one of your hooves in hers. “Come with me.”
You try your best to stabilize your breathing as Luna pulls you over toward her bed.
“Now…” Luna begins, sliding her slippers off at the foot of her bed. “Let’s get you more comfortable.” Lighting up her horn, she removes your helmet, placing it on an empty night table. She hops up onto her ornate, moon-shaped bed, seating herself against the backboard. “Now, take off your shoes and come join me.”
You follow Luna’s orders, carefully removing and arranging your armored shoes before carefully climbing onto the bed. You freeze in place, unsure of what to do next.
Luna’s horn lights up and presses you gently forward, eventually arranging your body in between her back hooves. Her front legs wrap around you in a hug, pressing you back into her fluffy chest. She hums happily.
Shaking just a bit from fright, you place your forelegs on either side of Luna’s hindlegs. She responds by pressing them into you, squeezing your flanks affectionately.
Luna’s muzzle rests against your neck. “Ahh,” she breathes, tickling your fur. “You know, I do so enjoy playing chess during these long winter nights. I especially enjoy the company in the quiet.”
“I-it was my pleasure, Y…Luna.”
“I’m glad. Of course, I also enjoy the intellectual challenge.” She leans her muzzle more firmly into the side of your neck, and rubs your chest floof with one of her hooves. “Knight to B2, King to B4, Queen to A4.”
Your mind buzzes with thought as you process the directions. “…You could have won.”
“Of course I could have,” she whispers in your ear. Her hooves squeeze you in a tight hug. “But that wouldn’t have been very nice, and I would have lost a chess partner.”
You turn your head to the side to view Luna’s face.
She’s smiling teasingly at you. Using her magic, she removes her crown and places it on your head. “But, for now, you are the Princess of Chess. Thank you for providing me with more of your company on this cold evening, Your Highness.”
You blush darkly, unable to find any words to say in response.
Luna pulls her hind hoof on the right away from you, fidgeting her body to lie on her left side, facing the snowy night outside of her chambers’ windows. With her magic, she pulls your right hoof over her tummy, pulling you into a spooning position. “Look how pretty the snow is, friend,” she muses. “Beautiful.”
“It very much is.” Biting your lip, you work up the courage to continue speaking. “You are too, Luna.”
Immediately, she presses her body more tightly against yours. “What a charmer you are! Thank you.” She brings up a hoof to yours, pulling it more deeply against her soft, fluffy chest. This also has the effect of pulling your hips closer in contact with hers.
“Do you, uh, do this often with your night guards?”
“Chess, or cuddling?”
“Both, I guess.”
“Not often, but sometimes. Chess slightly more so.”
You squeeze Luna in a hug, and she responds by leaning her head back and humming softly.
Taking the opening, your allow your muzzle to press into Luna’s neck. You inhale deeply, taking in her soothing scent, before nuzzling back and forth.
Luna giggles. “Mmmm, that tickles, somewhat.”
You lie with Luna under the thick, warm covers, relishing her presence, warmth, softness, and smell for several minutes before speaking again. “Luna, would it be okay for us to switch positions?”
“Of course it would. How would you like to cuddle?”
You clear your throat. “Just like this, but, uh, with you holding me.”
“Climb over me,” she orders. “I’d still like to look at the snow.”
You oblige Luna, clambering over her. Her crown falls off of your head in the process.
Luna chuckles, using her magic to place her black crown on the side table next to your helmet. Then, she wraps three of her legs extremely tightly around your body, evidently not concerned about being too touchy. Hugging you closely against her, she sighs happily. “I like you. And chess.”
“Do you want to play another game?”
Author's Note
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