A Queen for My Castle

As Fluttershy grabbed some goods on her gait back to her cottage, she admired the rose-red Hearth's Warming flyers hung above every street in Ponyville. She gave a positive sigh to remembrance of Sombra because after all the trouble he caused in the past, he made a clear one eighty in his morals and manners and it was all because of how Fluttershy treated him with care and kindness.

He used to be such a menacing and daunting stallion, but now he held himself like a true regal king even if he didn't rule anything besides a castle for now. Sadly, Fluttershy thought, it could take years for anypony in Equestria to learn to trust him so much as to populate his own kingdom, but that standard was something she teached Sombra: patience. They even agreed on certain subjects such as that darkness does not always mean evil.

She couldn't recall the moment her heart connected with his, but one quiet night in his castle as he let her tell him all about the creatures of Equestria he went on his own behalf to lean over and daringly kiss her on the lips. She was surprised, but she leaned in anyway. Like she told herself over and over, she never knew when she fell in love, but that kiss seemed to make her realize just how much before she came to love him.

As her daydream bubble was popped by a filly whining to her mother for a cherry chocolate bar, she recollected her thoughts and decided to head over to Sombra's castle tonight instead. Their love seemed ironic to the common eye of course, a gentle and kind mare with a big and sturdy dark stallion, but at times it felt like a fairy tale in itself. A beastly heart and a beautiful one too.

As she made her way toward the castle in the distance, she thought about the twelve months they had been together since he became the open-minded stallion he was today. A blush came to her face, remembering all the times they picnicked in the surrounding forestry and all the nights they spent simply enjoying each other's company. Eventually, the thoughts of all the times he asked to give her more intimate affection came to mind. She was never yet comfortable and, after all, she'd never done it and her first time was a big decision to make, but tonight she felt differently thinking it over.

She guessed, now, she had become very close to Sombra as he seemed with her and maybe it wasn't such a hard decision anymore, but how would she even go about asking him instead. Before, he would've probably asked her again, but after being told "not yet" five times he stopped asking altogether and just being content with a special somepony without sex. Could she even ask him. The more she thought about that, the more she began to regret her decisions in the first place, but they were the right things to do.

She stopped in her tracks, "Get a hold of yourself, Fluttershy." She took a deep breath to calm down. Maybe she should just let tonight happen naturally and see where things go. Yeah, that's what she'll do.

Once Fluttershy made it up the steps to the castle doors, she opened one with a creak and spoke, "Sombra, sweetie?" Her tone was quiet, but it reverberated against the walls that seemed to amplify the noise until it was cut off by Sombra's.

"Coming right down," his tone was deep and loud, how it always has been, only difference was the genuine undertone of it. Fluttershy could hear his hoof greaves shingling and clamping onto the stone steps as he made his way from the tallest tower of the castle before coming out from behind a wall to see Fluttershy bashfully holding a rose in her mouth with a pair of saddlebags on her back. "What this, Fluttershy? A rose for me?" His tone was a mix of flattery and confusion.

"Yes. Well, um, I saw it and thought of you."

He smiled and asked, "Why did you get me this on such a day, though. It's Hearth's Warming Eve. I shouldn't be the one getting a gift here."

"Oh, I don't mind. I'm quite alright just ha-" she had almost said having you which would've revealed her intent on asking him the important question to soon. She corrected it midway, "b-being here with you."

Sombra didn't think much of the stutter and replied, "What did you have in mind, tonight?"

She gave it some thought, then more, then way more until she couldn't come up with anything. She guessed they'd done just about everything they could do in his kingdom. "I need a moment to think," she said troubledly, turning away. She didn't know what to do. They could have a nice picnic, oh but what would they even eat? She didn't want Sombra making anything for her and she didn't pick up anything besides food for her animals at home.

Sombra, then, placed a hoof on one of her shoulders, catching her attention and making her turn back, "Did you come hear on a whim, dear?"

She felt her heart beat against her chest at those words along with the look he held on his face. A softly raised eyebrow, a smirking smile... He had somewhat of an idea of her plans, but she was still too reticent to share them completely.

It felt like the castle was getting hotter as she gulped and put on a smile. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her or force her to do anything. It was only how he spoke that sent chills of odd excitement up her spine and a sense of anticipation though her mind. "I, um," her smile turned wriggly as she spoke, "Yeah."

Sombra noticed the affect he was having on Fluttershy's mental state and turned his expression to concern as he took a step back, "Sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to come off strong."

She took a breath to calm down. It wasn't his fault, her own imaginings were getting the best of her. She blushed harsher as she told him, "I-It's alright. I actually did come here out of the blue. I'm sorry."

"Why did you come here, then?"

"I, uh... I'm..." She didn't know how to put it and that's exactly what she told him.

"Put what?" He asked.

"Let me beat around the bush for a moment, please..." She asked reluctantly.

"Alright," He smiled again in his regal fashion.

"It's about today and how everyone's with their special somepony." Her eyes look side to side to avoid choking on her words by his gaze.

"Yes?"

A smile began returning to her face as well, but her blush only became harsher as she continued, "Well, we've been together for a year now and I thought..." she brushed one of her fore hooves against the cobblestone floor beneath them.

His stature seemed to perk up a moment after she paused, but his tone stayed the same, "Are you ready now?"

"I... I think so," she said with hope in her voice, "I want to try it, if that's okay with you."

Sombra's brows raised a little and he said, "Well, uh, should we head upstairs to the bedroom?"

She smiled back at him, "Yes."

He picked her up with his large head and slid her down his back to sit as he took them upstairs. She was surprised at first, but giggled as her big knight in dark armor carried her.