Royal Gifts

Zirconia watched as another mare left the palace’s throne room with a happy trot. She couldn’t help but try to swallow the ball of lead stuck in her throat, failing miserably as her nervousness skyrocketed and her legs trembled. Her mind screamed at her that this was a stupid idea, that she should leave quietly and without shame while she still had the chance.

Her heart, on the other hoof, begged her to stay. That no matter how embarrassing or nerve-wracking the situation was, she had to make an attempt for her own sake. That even if she was rejected she’d be at peace by knowing she at least tried.

And the burning feeling in her loins raged against her, desiring nothing more than to be extinguished by a stallion.

She glanced around the vast hallway to see several Guards standing at their posts. Under them, she could see and smell their painfully hard erections. It was rather impressive that they could retain their stoic expressions, more so when their phalluses kept slapping against their bellies whenever they moved. Deep away on a colliding hallway, she could see a mare, probably a tourist, being rutted by one of the guards and another waiting his turn with the sweet young thing.

As the saying went, during heat season, it pours. A phrase that could be interpreted in many ways. But for a lonely mare like herself, heat season was a time of torture. Then again, being a crystal shaper by trade didn’t leave a lot of time to search for romance. There were far too few around the Empire and fixing crystal structures wasn’t an easy feat, much less for a crystal earth pony mare. In fact, it was due to her profession that she was seeking an audience with the Crystal Princess that day.

What am I even thinking? She asked herself, her saddlebag suddenly weighing more than her tools. Again her brain yelled at her to leave, but her heart remembered why she was here. The reason she was standing in line.

The stallion she wished to see and be bred by.

Trying her best to ignore her aching loins and the distant grunts of the tourist mare at the end of the other hallway, she returned her gaze to the line in front of her and the three mares standing before her. She didn’t know who they were, but judging by the clothes the first two wore, they were either nobles or very wealthy. The third one was almost as naked as she was, but there was an air of authority and knowledge around her that she couldn’t shake off. Above all, the three mares were beautiful; even more so when she compared them to herself.

She was slightly taller than they were and more robust, too. She had a bulky frame packed with muscles but not well-defined like those of a true athlete, the build of a laborer. Her mane and tail were of a three-shaded browny tone, starting with a dark chocolate brown, followed in the middle by an earthy brown, and finally ending in a light brown, similar to a tan. Her eyes were pale, almost completely white were it not for a faint shade of icy blue giving them some hue. Her coat, not unkempt but certainly not treated or polished like that of most mares, was of an olive green color, basic and uninspired.

Her only saving grace was the voice she inherited from her mother, a melodious high soprano that contrasted with her rough and hard working appearance. She couldn’t hear what the first two, a unicorn and a pegasus, were talking about as they kept whispering between themselves, and the third, also an earth pony, stood silent and stoic, unflinching.

Suddenly, the gates opened to reveal a happy mare trotting her way down the hallway. A guard stepped forth and cleared his throat. “Princess Cadance regrets to inform you that she won’t be able to listen to your requests individually, as a delicate matter that requires her attention has come up. However, she has time to receive you all simultaneously if you so desire. If not, you may return tomorrow. What say you?”

“While I feel slightly spurned by being denied a private meeting with the Princess, I understand her problems and life are far more important than that of my own. I see no issue,” the mare at the front said, her voice soft but commanding and firm.

“I say the same. The faster we get out of her mane, the faster she can continue to focus on matters of greater need,” the second mare added.

“I don’t see why not,” the third sare flatly.

“S-Sure. I mean, we all came here for the same reason, didn’t we?” Zirconia offered with a small, sincere smile.

“Then follow me, please,” the guard said, stepping aside to allow the mares entry to the throne room. As she passed next to him, she could hear the faint meaty slaps of his rigid cock against his belly, an echo produced each time he smelled the scent of mares in heat. Closing the door, he guided them to the throne, stopping a few steps away from the stairway leading up to it.

He bowed his head with the mares following suit to show their respect and fealty towards the Crystal Princess.

“That’ll be quite enough of that,” she said, ending with a giggle. “I must apologize, my dear subjects, for requesting you come to see me in this manner. If not for circumstances outside my power, I would dedicate the time you deserve in complete privacy,” she sighed tiredly. “Alas, that is not possible at the moment. Let us move past pleasantries and mount --ehem, I beg your pardon-- and do our best effort to solve this issue promptly. Now, who would like to speak first?”

“If I may be allowed the honor?” The first mare asked, glancing at her fellow petitioners to find no opposition. “Princes Cadance, I will be extremely blunt, so pardon my language. It is heat season, there is no denying that. In fact, I dare say it is the strongest season we’ve faced since the times of my grandmother if I’m told correctly. Heat season for a beautiful and healthy mare is painful and you, above all mares, maybe even more so than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna themselves, you know perfectly how insufferable this torture has been.”

Zirconia agreed with her and so did her companions. From her vantage point, if the erect nipples she could see on the Princess of Love’s belly were any indication, she was struggling as much as they were. Most certainly even more so.

“However, my Princess, it is also a time of great opportunity. Mares out of wedlock don’t have to suffer the pains of not having a stallion at home, as it is their duty. All we have to do is raise our rumps, flag our tails, and an eager stallion will fulfill his role by implanting his seed deep within our wombs, freeing us from this torture. It is of no shame to ask a stallion for their services, it is expected of them to answer the call of a mare in need, should she ask for it, and for them to agree.”

Again, Zirconia agreed though she did so reluctantly. She despised the old ideas the mare was portraying, treating stallions as livestock or as gilded pets meant to work on the fields or stay in the household like good husbands. Stallions were ponies too, no different than mares and she was glad the Princesses had taken measures to ensure gender equality. Still, she continued to listen.

“Most mares idolize romance. I do so as well, though I have yet to find my ideal husband. But with us mares outnumbering the stallions eight to one, it is quite the crowded market. That is why I, Amethyst Rust, would like to formally extend to you a petition to be bred by your husband, Prince-Consort Shining Armor, freeing myself from this heat and bearing a proud, healthy foal into my household until I find a proper stallion to take as my husband,” using one of her wings, she took a scroll out of her saddlebag and unfolded it.

“As my gift, should you accept my petition, your highness is to grant you the rights to a fine plot of land in the northern district; a perfect place to build the hospital her majesty has been planning for some time now.”

Zirconia felt as if something had sucker-punched her. J-just how many bits was that!? That’s not a gift, that’s a damn bribe! Unless she’s so rich that giving up a portion of land as a gift is nothing to her! She thought while her legs were starting to feel like jelly.

“Most excellent!” Cadance’s voice beamed, nodding to the guard. The guard approached, took the scroll with one of his wings, and climbed the stair to give her the price of parchment. “Thank you, Flash Sentry.”

“My Princess,” he replied, his cock slapping against his belly once more after getting a whiff of her scent.

“I accept your petition, Amethyst Rust. It warms my heart that we have secured the land we needed for the project. Many lives will be saved thanks to your generosity. Please, await my response tomorrow morning.” With that said, Amethyst bowed and left, guided by a mare guard. “Who’s next?”

“That would be me, my Princess. My name is Silk Touch, your highness, a friend of lady Amethyst. I may not be a noble, but I am an affluent and highly recognized and valuable citizen of our glorious Empire. I own sixty percent of the Crystal Berry and Textile businesses around the Empire, thus it leaves me with little room for romance, sad as it may be. I, however, desire a foal. That’s why I’ve come to you this day, my Princess. I wish for your husband’s fertile seed to inseminate me and give me a strong, intelligent, healthy, and strong foal,” using her magic, she levitated a check, gave it to Flash who then passed it to Cadance.

The pink alicorn’s eyes went wide, more than enough for everyone to notice her surprise.

“I am terrible at picking gifts, or so my family and friends tell me. That’s why instead of giving a physical object, my gift is bits. Two million bits to be precise. Your highness may use that check to fund any Royal Charity funds.”

Two million bits as a gift!? I hardly have half a million on my life savings and my job pays really well! Seriously, what the hay!? She thought, absolutely flabbergasted, her eyes wide and her heart beating harder than a drum in a marching band. H-How can my gift possibly be accepted after that!? M-Maybe I should leave…

Despite her courage dwindling by the second, her legs refused to move.

“A most generous and heartfelt gift, Miss Silk. I’m sure many foals and those in need will be quite happy to have received a substantial donation,” Cadance assured, beaming at the mare. “I shall inform you of my response tomorrow morning.” Similarly to Amethyst, Silk nodded and was happily guided out of the throne room. “Who shall come forth next?”

“Assuming that my flushed fellow mare is currently incapable of voicing her thoughts, I shall take the next spot,” the earth pony mare said. “Your highness, I am a simple mare. I love the Crystal Empire, hence the reason I became a scholar. Your highness may have heard of me, I dare expect?”

Cadance nodded. “Miss Point Check, how could I not? My husband admires your work, especially after your latest publication.”

“I will be quite clear then, my Princess. I’m a dirty fucking slut. I jump on a cock at every chance I get. I willingly bend over for any stallion that as much as glances at me. I may be a whore in the guise of a scholar, your highness, but I’m also brilliant,” she admitted without hesitation or shame. If anything, there was pride in her words.

Zirconia’s jaw, however, was threatening to detach itself from her skull at the language, straightforwardness, and shameless attitude employed by the deceitfully elegant, poise, and educated mare. Cadance, however, seemed entirely unphased by it.

“I wish not to sire a bastard nor to accept anything but the highest quality of sperm to fertilize my eggs. That’s why I wish your highness’ blessing to take your husband’s thick, virile cock up my tight, slutty cunt and have him fill me up with his potent foal batter,” smirking, she continued. “I do not offer land, for what is a piece of land but something to be gained and lost on a whim? I do not offer monetary compensation. Useful, but ultimately finite and with little reach. No, my Princess. I, Doctor Point Check, shall give you the most valuable thing there is, even more so than a stallion’s cock: knowledge! I did not bring it with me, but I have a certificate of a book under my possession, legal, real, quintuplicate verified as authentic. This book depicts the ancient history of the Crystal Empire before the coming and rule of Sombra. Foundation, establishment, the creation of the Crystal Heart, memoirs of the ancient Princess Amore, battle tactics, historical events, and so much more.”

Taking a confident step forward, nevermind she was now leaking her arousal on the polished crystal floor. “That is what my gift is. An incalculable treasure trove of historical value regarding our glorious Empire in exchange for the best dick there is and a healthy, strong foal to grow in my womb.”

“If this is indeed correct, Miss Point Check, I will personally ensure my husband does not unmount you until you are properly and thoroughly fertilized. I shall have Sunburst examine the book after I receive it. After his confirmation, we shall schedule the date, Miss Point. Thank you,” she ended with a little bow of her head.

By the time Point Check was escorted out of the throne room, Zirconia wanted nothing more than to run away. Compared to the previous gifts presented, hers were laughable. She still had enough reason to see that she was far too deep into it now and that by fleeing, she’d be causing a scene and be the laughing stock of the Empire the next day.

Now, whether she was prepared for it or not, she was going to face Princess Cadance on her own. Looking up, whatever courage she had left went up in smoke. “Hi!” She said loudly, her voice cracking. “I, uhh, I… m-m-my name is Zirconia. Lovely weather we have, heh? I was wondering, ‘cause I’m in heat andallifIcouldborrowyourhusbandwhATAMISAYING!?” She slumped a little, her legs quivering, threatening to buckle under the pressure.

Cadance giggled. “My, what a lovely voice you have, Miss Zirconia,” standing up from her throne and spreading her wings, she leaped into the sky and glided easily down the stairs to meet her. “Here, dear, do as I do, okay?”

“O-Okay, Princess,” she replied, slurring the words together.

“Breathe. Exhale. Breathe. Exhale. In. Out. In. Out. Do it slowly, calmly. Breathe. Exhale,” she instructed as she performed her relaxation exercise. It took a few minutes, but it worked as the earth pony was now almost back to normal. “See? It works wonders, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed it does, my Princess. Thank you,” repeating the motion again, she bowed her head. “Sorry for taking your time, my Princess. I simply wanted to p-present my appreciation for you, your highness,” she said, nearly stammering before pulling a small chest from her saddlebag and giving it to her. Cadance took it with her magic and she turned around. “I-I’ll be leaving now.”

“I’m not blind… or nose blind for that matter, Miss Zirconia,” Cadance replied in a gentle tone. “I can see and smell how hard this heat season has been on you, my beloved subject. Please, tell me your desire.”

“...” Turning around to face the pink alicorn once more, she felt her throat trying to betray her, tears threatening to form in her eyes. “I… I wish for a strong foal, my Princess. A foal conceived through the seed of your husband, Shining Armor.”

“And why is that?” She asked, her smile never fading.

“B-Because, two months ago I was here, in the Palace, fixing the Central Hallway, your majesty,” Cadance nodded in understanding. “While I was doing my job, Princess Flurry Heart flew by and Prince-Consort Shining Armor was after her, playing with his daughter. W-We spoke a few times, nothing more than reports and when orders were issued. But time and time again I was impressed by his kindness, his humbleness. Unlike many noble or rich officers, he never put himself above those around him. He treated everypony kindly and with respect. He treated me with respect. Me, a mere commoner and Crystal Shaper.”

“But?” Cadance pressed gently.

Zirconia blushed, impressed and baffled how it was possible the Princess seemingly knew everything about her from the get-go. She is the Princess of Love for a reason, she reminded herself before continuing with her tale. “When I saw him play with your daughter I… I knew I'd found the ideal stallion to sire me a foal, my Princess,” she went silent for a moment, eyeing her gift with disdain. “But… after hearing the magnificent gifts you’ve received, mine is nothing more than petty shining rocks.”

Cadance opened the chest to find three beautifully and masterfully shaped figurines detailing her, her husband, and her daughter as a loving, perfect family.

“Most that come soliciting my husband’s seed leave empty-hooved,” Cadance began, her eyes watering as she continued to admire the figurines. “While the nobles and other influential figures can make offerings that make it difficult or impossible for me to refuse them, less powerful ponies are denied. Not because they are poorer or their gifts are unbecoming. Hardly, my dear Zirconia.”

“I reject those that have shallow ideas, that only care for what they can gain, or do it just for prestige. Take for example the previous mares. I couldn’t say no to them due to their gifts and my husband knows it. You, however, are different. I can see the truth, the love, and the burning desire to be happy, raise a family, and love your foal in your eyes,” a tear flowed down her cheek. “More than that, you’ve seen my husband for what he truly is: a wonderful stallion and not a foal maker.”

“What I seek in the gifts is one of two things, Miss Zirconia. They have to be so great they provide aid to the Empire in a meaningful way or be true and sincere, a gift brought with the heart and soul of the petitioner. And your figurines are overqualified, my dear Zirconia,” she said before hugging the similarly crying earth pony.

Zirconia could hardly believe she was being hugged and praised by the Princess herself, but her moment of doubt passed quickly as she returned the hug.

“I accept your beautiful gift with open hooves, my dear,” breaking their hug, she pulled back to give the mare a warm smile. “Now, follow me, Zirconia. You’re precisely the kind of mare I wanted to encounter today.”

“Of course, my Princess… uhhmm, why though?”

“You’ll see~”

Chapter 1 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone who read this!