Silver Soldier's Nightmare Night

The Following Morning

Considering how eventful the previous night had been, Silver Soldier wished that he was able to take a day off from his Royal Duties. Unfortunately, due to how much cleanup was necessary after the Nightmare Night celebration, most of the assigned Guards and castle staff had to work hard to bring the castle to tip-top shape. Dozens of ponies were working tirelessly in the ballroom, cleaning up the discarded streamers and decorations after all the attendees left the previous night. Meanwhile, Silver Soldier was among the troops assigned to oversee the Royal Couple, who were both sporting fairly strong headaches from their respective hangovers.

Shining Armor spent a good portion of his morning in his personal office, using the excuse of “looking over paperwork” to ignore talking with anypony. In a moment of pure stupidity, the Prince ended up sleeping in the wine cellar with Princess Luna after their impromptu romp. It was nothing short of a miracle that nopony caught the two of them down in that basement, or that he was able to freshen himself up before anyone got suspicious. Unfortunately, when he managed to sneak upstairs to his bedroom, he was shocked to find his wife sprawled out in bed, looking rather pleased in the afterglow of something he hadn’t experienced himself. Part of him wished more than anything that he was able to confront her about it, or even wake her up to question what was dripping between her legs; but alas, since he was dealing with his own adulterous actions, all he could do was sneak into the shower and get Luna’s distinct perfume off his body.

“Urrghh!!” The Prince hunched at his desk with a frustrated scowl, growing too agitated to even browse through his smartphone like usual. He remembered how cluelessly Cadance acted by the time he exited the bathroom, with her smiling all chipper and acting like they had a great night together. Shining had no idea if she really thought they had sex that night, or if she was setting up some trap to get him to admit to something himself. Regardless of her intentions, Shining was forced to act like nothing was wrong, and even played along with the idea that they shared a lovely evening in bed together. And now as he sat alone in his office, he wasn’t sure what he should’ve been more agitated about: that somebody else fucked his wife, or the idea that she fucked someone thinking it was him.

He didn’t want to think that Cadance would fall for something that stupid, but he could recall how wasted she was during that party. Not to mention, given what happened between himself and Chrysalis before his wedding, he knew better than to doubt how easily someone could be tricked in that way. Part of him wanted to start an investigation, or show some level of concern that Cadance was taken advantage of. Unfortunately, since he was guilty of his own infidelity, all he could do was mutter under his breath, “I swear to Celestia, I’m gonna snap if somepony else touches her…”

Over on the other end of the castle, Princess Cadance was trying her hardest to quell her headache by taking some personal time in the Crystal Castle’s spa. As she laid out on a plush fainting couch with calming music playing from her phone, she was holding an ice-pack up to her head to combat her hangover. In her other hand was a tall bloody mary, which was now half-empty and void of all its olives. Cadance usually hated the drink, since it reminded her of cold tomato soup mixed with too much tabasco; but considering how badly her head was throbbing earlier, she couldn’t deny how effectively the mix was helping her now. Although, that may have also been because of the vodka she generously added first.

“Aaaaahhhhh…” Cadance sighed and leaned her head back, trying to savor the tranquility that came from having a moment to herself. However, her thoughts kept going back to how unusual Shining was acting earlier. Considering how wild and passionate he was acting last night, she was half-expecting for him to sweep her off her hooves this morning. But like some weird personality shift akin to a monster movie, Shining acted strangely cold and distant when she woke up. Sure, he kept a light smile and nodded a bit, but it was obvious he was hiding something as he stared at her. If Cadance hadn’t have known any better, she would’ve assumed that he was suspecting her of something.

Cadance didn’t want to think about it, but it was nagging at her conscience like a bad riddle she couldn’t figure out in her head. Unfortunately, that only made her hangover feel even worse, despite how much of that bloody mary she consumed. By the time she finished her glass, nearly gagging from the strong aftertaste, she groaned before sitting up from her seat. She reached over towards the button on the wall, and pressed it to call for assistance.

‘BZZZZTTT!!’

“Hmm?” Silver Soldier, who was coincidentally standing outside the spa doorway as protection, perked his head up when he overheard the buzzing inside the room. He knew that meant Cadance was needing something, most likely from one of the members of castle staff. However, when he looked up and down the hallway in wait, nopony was coming in to see what was wrong. His muzzle skewed worriedly, since he was aware of how busy most of the servants were with cleanup in the ballroom. He heard the buzzer go off a couple more times, before Cadance’s voice could be heard groaning from inside the room.

“Ughhh, come on!” Cadance covered her face and pinched the bridge of her snout, not wanting to get too agitated in her hungover state. Even though she was in dire need of a refill, or even a massage from one of the spa staff, she didn’t want to keep pressing the buzzer like some bitchy socialite. Her head may have been hurting, but she knew that there was likely a lot that castle staff were doing downstairs. She eventually stopped pressing that damn button, and groaned while rubbing her eyes with a fist. “Jeeze, how would I even make a bloody mary for myself?”

“Ummm… do you not know how?”

Cadance looked up in surprise, and saw Silver Solider standing by the doorway. He was blushing rather nervously, his eyes darting between the Princess and the post he just left from. He didn’t want to break protocol, but he couldn’t help pointing out to the hallway before saying, “Because, ummm… I’m pretty sure most of the staff are cleaning up the ballroom, and… if you want…”

Silver blushed with a worrisome skew of his muzzle, and averted his eyes from her sheepishly. The Princess tried not to huff in amusement, and smirked from how cute the bashful Guard was looking. Silver knew that his suggestion was going to break a few rules that Guards were supposed to abide by; but considering what he already did the previous night, he decided to just go for it. “I… I can probably make you a new one from that bar over there…”

Silver Soldier was pointing over at the small juice bar, which was at the far end of the spa behind Cadance. Even though the station was fully stocked, including hard liquor on request, nopony was behind the counter to make Cadance a new drink. The Princess raised a brow with intrigue, but didn’t seem offended by his offer. Instead. Cadance shrugged with a smile before handing him her glass. “If you don’t mind… that would actually be quite lovely~”

Silver smiled though his blush, and took her glass with a gracious nod. He made his way over to the bar, and snuck behind the counter to prepare a bloody mary with ease. “Ummm… do you have any specifics, your Highness?” he asked politely enough. “I-I don’t want to screw up or anything.”

“As long as it has a couple shots of the good stuff, I’ll be fine.” Cadance readjusted herself as she watched the Guard behind the bar, narrowing her eyes on him curiously. She knew quite a few of the Crystal Guards around the castle, but there was something about Silver Soldier that left her feeling intrigued. Maybe it was because he was one of the few Guards who wasn’t a Crystal Pony. Maybe it was because he had a cute face under that helmet, which looked… strangely familiar to the Princess. Or maybe it was just because he was bold enough to assist her when nopony else could. But whatever the reason was, Princess Cadance seemed rather happy to make his company by the time he returned.

“H-Here you go, your Highness~” Silver Soldier returned with a fresh bloody mary, which he placed a miniature umbrella on top to add for presentation. He was sure that his drink still looked lousy, but he gave a kind smile nonetheless.

“Thank you very much, Mister…” Cadance took the Guard’s glass without question, and waited for him to introduce himself properly as she took a sip. Her brows rose up, and she gave an approving nod to how well he prepared her drink.

“O-Oh! Umm…” The Guard stood proudly to give her a formal salute, and said, “I’m Private Silver Soldier, your Highness.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Silver Soldier~” Cadance saluted him back, and waited until he put his hand down to add, “And you can call me Cadance if you want, Private. The whole ‘Your Highness’ thing gets old after a while.”

She gave a light chuckle after that specification, which gave her smile a more humbling light from Silver’s perspective. The Guard couldn’t help smirking back, despite how intimidated he felt internally. Sure, he may have already fucked her last night, but that was back when she was drunk and assuming he was her husband. But as of now, all that she saw was a nervous-looking Guard who was trying to accommodate her.

“W-Well, ummm…” Silver looked back at the doorway, which was left open to reveal an empty hallway. Since it didn’t look like anypony was coming, he glanced back at her to ask, “Is there anything else you need? Because I was just about to head back outside if--”

“Actually, ummm…” With that interruption, Cadance began to blush before averting her eyes from him. She seemed embarrassed about what she was going to ask, but her pause was ended with a brief huff. “Listen, I… I know this is inappropriate to ask of a Guard, but… could you maybe give my shoulders a rub? I’ve been tense all morning, and the masseuse isn’t here.”

Silver’s eyes shot wide-open, not expecting Cadance to ask for something that upfront. Even though his heart was racing from such a golden opportunity, he had to keep himself from smiling too giddily. He knew how risky it’d be to accept such a request, especially if somepony came in and saw the two. But at the same time, his thoughts went back to those pictures he took of the Princess the previous night… and with that, Silver knew that he had to take this opportunity to heart if he really wanted things to happen in the near future.

“W-Well, ummm…” The Guard blushed sheepishly, but eventually nodded with a smile. “If you’re the one asking for it, then… who am I to turn down a Royal request?~”

Cadance smiled a little wider, happy to see the Guard shrugging so quickly in agreement. Since she was wearing a plush bathrobe with nothing underneath, the Princess was careful as she turned around with her back facing Silver. She kept a posh posture while seated on the fainting couch, and slowly pulled down her robe enough for her bare shoulders to be exposed. She kept the rest of her body tightly covered, which was perfectly fine for Silver Soldier as he got up behind her. He may have not been the most skilled in massages, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders to start rubbing.

“Nnnnnnnn…” In a matter of seconds, Cadance was able to close her eyes and let out a relaxed sigh. Silver tried not to blush too profusely, but that was easier said than done as he began to rub her shoulders sensually. He didn’t dare veer his hands down further, just in case Cadance got any assumptions about his intentions. In Silver’s head, he was trying to think of something to say while getting Cadance relaxed -- more specifically, he was hoping he could say something to spark more interest between them. As Cadance took a couple more sips from her bloody mary, Silver dug his fingers into the crook of her neck while asking, “So, ummm… you have a good time last night?~”

“Hmm?” Cadance didn’t show much in her tone, but her eyes widened when he heard that question being asked so suggestively.

“I-I mean,” he blurted quickly after, realizing how that must’ve sounded without context. “I mean, uhhh… did you enjoy the party?”

“Oh! Ummm…” Cadance breathed out with a relieved smile, and said, “Yeah, it was a wonderful celebration. I’m really grateful to have enjoyed it as it was… Although I’m a little embarrassed how much I had to drink…”

“Hey, don’t blame yourself for that, your High--I mean, Cadance…” Silver continued to rub her shoulders while she softened in his hands. He gave her a genuine smile and added, “Considering how much you deal with as Princess, I think you deserve some personal fun every now and then~”

“Hmph…” Cadance shrugged with a cheeky smirk. “Well, I’m certainly not going to argue with that.”

“Yeah, no doubt…” Silver pondered what else he could say, since he could tell that she was growing less tense the more he massaged her. His muzzle skewed worriedly, since he knew it was too soon to try anything too upfront with the Princess. But in an effort to get a little closer, he tried to say lightheartedly, “So, I was curious… What gave you the idea to dress up as Chrysalis for Nightmar--”

“HEY!!!”

Silver and Cadance yelped out in shock, and turned to see Shining Armor standing at the doorway with a livid scowl. He stormed into the spa, making a beeline straight towards Silver in rage. Cadance tried to get up and stand between them, but Shining wasn’t even looking at her. His eyes were pinned straight at Silver, who’s mortified face paled in unrelenting fear.

“C-Captain!” blurted Silver while taking a couple steps back. “I-I-It’s not what it looks li--”

“BULLSHIT!!” Shining’s enraged roar really caught Silver off-guard, as he could tell the Prince was already on edge since last night. “You think you come in here, abandon your post, AND TRY TO FUCK MY WIFE AGAIN?!”

Before Silver could even gasp in horror, Shining threw a suckerpunch that knocked the stallion off his hooves. With a sickening ‘POW!’, Silver crumpled to the ground and clutched his cheek. “GAHHH!!”

“SHINING, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Cadance instantly pushed her husband back, causing Shining to stumble a little before looking back at her. His expression instantly morphed to regret when he saw how furiously she was glaring at him. She was still holding her bloody mary, which proved to be the perfect weapon as she shouted, “And what did you mean by ‘again?!’ Oh my gosh, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU RIGHT NOW!!”

Shining couldn’t even get a word in before she threw the rest of her drink right in her husband’s face. While his fur was stained with tomato juice and hot sauce, Cadance got behind the stallion and forcefully pushed him out of the room. “I asked him to give me a massage, you jealous creep! And until you come up with an apology for BOTH of us for such an assumption, I don’t want to see you for the rest of the day!!”

As soon as Shining stumbled back out into the hall, Cadance slammed the door shut and locked it tightly. Shining tried to knock a couple times, but his guilt overtook him as he stood alone in the hallway. He tried to sigh in remorse as he held his hands over his face; unfortunately, all that did was make him wince painfully, and stumble down the hall for a water fountain. “GAHHH!! Hot sauce in my eye!!”

Cadance paid no attention to her husband’s strained cries disappearing down the hall, and rushed over to pick Silver up from the floor. “Ohmigosh, I’m so sorry, Private! I promise you, I’m going to make sure he doesn’t give you any reprimand for this! He was completely out of line!”

“Urrghhh… I-It’s alright…” Silver Soldier had to keep himself from saying anything else, since he was still worried whether or not Shining actually knew anything about them. Fortunately, Cadance was quick to hand him the ice pack she was using earlier. He didn’t have a black eye, but he still placed the pack up against his cheek to avoid swelling. “Ummm… thanks, Cadance.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. It’s the least I could do…” She led him back to the couch, ignoring the fact that her robe was partially undone. She sat him down beside her, and helped keep that ice pack in place. “I cannot believe the nerve of him! I swear, he’s acting totally different from last night! It’s like I dealt with a completely different person!”

Silver Soldier’s eyes grew wide-open in fear, although he tried to hide it with a nervous smile. “Uhhh… Y-You don’t say? Heh heh…”

“Oh, what am I doing? I shouldn’t be telling you about this…” After huffing to herself disappointedly, she said to the Guard, “Please don’t say anything about this, Silver Soldier. I can’t deal with any drama or rumors.”

“H-Hey, don’t worry!” he put up his hands in assurance while smiling. “I swear, this is staying between us. Trust me, I don’t want to deal with trying to file a complaint against a Prince…”

Cadance smiled back, and tried not to giggle from that truthful remark. “Well, thank you…” Her eyes eventually peered back at the door, which made her groan with a shake of her head. “Still though, I never saw him like that before. It’s unreal…”

Silver nodded his head, his thoughts going towards what he witnessed the previous night. Part of him wanted to mention what he heard between Shining and Luna; partially to get the Prince in hotter water, but also for Cadance’s sake. But since they were the only ones to witness them in that moment (and she was too drunk then to recall who her aunt was with), he decided to keep a cork on that bombshell. Instead, he tried to say with a sympathetic shrug, “Who knows? Maybe… Maybe it was some weird form of projection or something…”

Cadance looked back at him with a raised brow. “Projection?” she asked confusedly. “Like… what, you think he might be assuming an affair from experience or something?”

“I have no idea!” he said with fake sincerity. “I just mean, like… it’s just a guess, okay? If anything, you know way more about him than I do.”

“Yeah…” Cadance looked down at her robe with uncertainty. “Or at least… I feel like I should…”

“Hey, come on…” Silver wasn’t thinking when he reached out, and placed a hand atop her bare shoulder. When she looked up at him, she didn’t look surprised or offended by his gesture. If anything, she looked more curious about what he might have to say. He shot her a light smirk as he shrugged his head, and said reassuringly, “If there’s anyone knows what to do in cases like this, it would be the Princess of Love~”

Cadance smiled back at him thankfully, and nodded in response. She brought up her own hand, resting it on top of Silver’s. With her other hand, she reached out to gently touch the side of Silver’s face where Shining punched him. Part of him wanted to think that she was just inspecting the damage; but as her eyes narrowed on him more intensely, Silver started to worry that she was starting to recognize him from last night.

“Hmmm… It doesn’t look too bad…” Cadance looked back at Silver thoughtfully, and asked, “How do you feel, Private?”

“W-Well, uhhh… having you here certainly helps~” Silver hoped that his remark wasn’t too corny, but he stuck by it with a nervous smile. “And, uhhh… You can call me Silver, if you want.”

Cadance shot him a warmer smile, and said, “You know what? I think I will…”

The two smiled more naturally after that, even when Silver brought his other hand to rest atop the Princess’ against his face. Silver and Cadance sat like that for a moment, appreciating each other’s kind smiles while in that oddly wholesome moment. Cadance eventually let go of Silver’s hand, and leaned in towards his face. The Guard instantly blushed heavily from her close proximity, not knowing what was happening until she gave a gentle peck to his bruised cheek.

“Muah~” Cadance looked at him with a cheeky smile, and said, ‘There you go. That seems rather fitting of a Princess of Love, don’t you think?~”

“Y… Y-Yeah…” Silver kept blushing while so close to those lips, which no longer reeked of alcohol like last night. But still, her beautifully calm smile shone just as well as it had back underneath that tablecloth. Part of him wanted to lean in, and kiss the Princess with as much passion as he had before. But at the same time, he knew that it would be unbelievably stupid to even try such a thing…

However, despite Silver’s conflicting thoughts, he couldn’t keep his head from leaning in regardless.

“Muah~” Just like Cadance, Silver Soldier reciprocated her gesture by giving a light peck to her cheek. Cadance was left wide-eyed in shock, not expecting for a Guard to do something that bold. The moment his brain came back in sync with his body, he gasped and pulled back with a horrified look. “Ohmigosh, I’m so sorry!” He covered his muzzle with a hand, not that it did anything to counteract his actions. He then pulled it away to blurt out, “I-I just… I wasn’t thinking, and I just--”

“Sssssshhhhh…” Cadance interrupted his thoughts by pressing a finger up against his lips, silencing him briefly. Despite her surprised blush, she kept a non-judgmental smile and said, “It’s alright, Silver Soldier. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Nothing has to leave this room.”

Silver wanted to sigh in relief, but all he could do was smile before nodding. Cadance pulled her hand back, and reached to grab the collar of her robe as it hung from her midsection. But instead of pulling it up, her hand remained there for a moment. Silver looked back up at the Princess, his eyes widening when he saw a contemplative look on her face.

Was she… Was she considering it?

Silver’s eyes darted between Cadance’s pursed muzzle, and the way her eyes were averting away from him; and down towards those plump, voluptuous breasts that were just barely being hidden behind her robe. With just a single motion, she could either redress herself, or undo it completely while the two were alone. Silver didn’t want to think such a choice would be available to him so soon; but when he saw how deeply she was blushing, it seemed obvious that she was at a crossroads herself. Especially after that awkward moment between herself and Shining Armor…

“Nothing…” Upon hearing his voice, Cadance glanced back at the Guard. Her eyes widened as well, as she saw him with a hand against his chest-plating. He was holding onto the latch that would undo his armor, and was trying his hardest to look confident as he asked with a smirk, “Nothing has to leave this room… right?~”