James was panicking, he knew that he was meant to be levelheaded about his situation, he was trained to do so but... you would do the same if you were being dragged through a hallway by the enemy’s General. The only thing that scared him more was when the General told him that the Queen wished to speak with him, which couldn’t possibly go well.

He had revealed too much during his interrogation... Gods how long ago was that?! They weren’t allowing for the prisoners to know the date or time, as if keeping them as separate from the outside world as they could.

Without warning, he was thrown into a room, a bedroom to be exact. He looked around wildly, hyperventilating as he saw the large female that was laying on a Queen-sized bed. She looked pleased to see him, giving him a smile that made a chill run down his spine, something was wrong with it.

It was the Rogue Queen, the one being that every Changeling outside her Kingdom feared...

“General Mantis,” her voice cut through the air like a knife, “leave us be, I want to speak to this... Jung-ho alone.”

General Mantis nodded, bowing before saying, “yes, my Queen.” Then he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Chrysalis gestured for James to come forward, “come sweet child, I don’t bite,” she flashed her sharp fangs as she said this.

“I-I doubt that,” James stammered out, trying to look intimidating against the tall female.

“I just want to ask a few questions, I promise that I won’t harm you. All I need from you is complete, utter honesty.”

The young Changeling knew that he couldn’t trust her, but what choice did he have right now? “Alright, b-but know this. I don’t trust you, and you don’t have to trust my words,” he shakily said as he pointed to himself.

“Fair enough,” she said with a tight smile.

Then slid off the bed, showing off her true height, James just barely reached the top half of her leg. For some reason, he felt any sort of confidence he tried to have shrivel and die in that moment.

“Who are you really, child?” She asked.

He grinned nervously, “didn’t they tell you? My name is Jung-ho—“

“Oh I know that, but I can tell that you aren’t used to being called that.”

He bit back his gasp, “wh-what do you mean?” She cackled in amusement, “we Changelings can sense every type of emotion, or is it still forbidden to take advantage of that ability where you come from?”

She tapped her chin, nodding as she suddenly remembered, “oh right! That’s what’s getting some poor souls banished from their kingdoms nowadays. But I don’t think that’s what happened to you, so tell the truth.”

Her eyes glowed a dangerous green, seeming to light up like her horn, James didn’t understand what was happening before his mouth obediently answered, “I go under James Bridges now.”

He slapped a hoof over his mouth, not believing that he just gave that information away. She placed her hoof under his chin, the glowing increased as she asked, “what were you doing the day of the massacre, and why were you there in the first place?”

“I was trying to save my friend Odonata, and I was attempting to stop my fellow soldiers,” oh Gods! Why was he talking, how can his mouth be moving on it’s own?!

She looked surprised, “‘fellow soldiers’, you say? I get it, you’re working with the Equestrian soldiers aren’t you?”

He nodded, “yes, for a year now.”

He finally understood what she was doing, mind-control, he thought it had just been a myth. “And about your friend Odonata, is he doing the same? What is his connection to the Equestrian soldiers?”

“He’s not a soldier, he’s an ex bar-boy, and is in a monogamous relationship with one of the soldiers.”

“Interesting! Just what I’ve been hoping for, now for you...” she seemed to consider her next action, before deciding to do so.

James coughed out in pain, feeling his chest begin to burn as a strange pink light beamed out from it, going towards Chrysalis’s mouth. She was feeding on his love, and he couldn’t do a thing about it.

His legs fell underneath him, and he turned pale, beginning to feel sick. His mind was fuzzy for a few seconds before it stopped, “y-you won’t get away with this,” he weakly said, not even being able to move his head.

“Of course I will, it’s not like you have the power to stop me!” She giggled, stepping over his still body as she trotted over to her door.

She opened the door, calling out, “Katydid, be a dear and bring the prisoner back to his cell, we have some business to attend to!”

She left the doorway and replacing her was a small male with basil green eyes, he fluttered over to James with a sympathetic look on his face, “forgive her, she’s not usually like this. I’m sure you’ll be welcomed into our Kingdom once the war is done!”

He picked James up, he was lighter than usual due to his weak state, “the effects will wear off in a week or so, the first day is always the worst,” he gently explained.

James could only groan in return, his vision going blurry as he passed out.

“My Queen, there is an Equestrian soldier outside, he’s attempting to bribe the guards,” General Mantis reported upon finding Chrysalis laying on the grass outside.

She lifted her head, “bribe them out of what?” She let out a sweet giggle that made Mantis’s heart skip a beat.

“To release two of our prisoners,” he said, setting his helmet down as he joined his lover.

“He wouldn’t be happening to request...” she started to say, her guess being confirmed by Mantis’s nod.

Then she clapped her hooves, joyfully laughing as he exclaimed, “luck really is on our side, my dearest!” Before Mantis could question what she meant, she threw her arms around his neck.

She leaned forward to whisper, “have them tell that soldier that they will release those two in exchange for whatever he’s offering...”

Mantis raised an eyebrow, “I-I don’t quite understand what your plan is—“ he was interrupted with a soft kiss on the lips, and his love grinning deviously once she pulled away.

She then said in his native language, “何が彼らを襲ったのか彼らは知らないだろう”

‘They won’t know what hit them’

Author's Note

I compare these two to the historical romance between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley
Also this was a short chapter since I’m planning on having a bit of fun with the next one