Zebrican Life

Chapter 10

The daily routine of life was something every zebra found great pleasure in. That was a truth that was impossible to deny. Granted, the mares were more predisposed to enjoy the drudgery of everyday life but stallions also found enjoyment in it. However, everyone was capable of finding themselves simply bored, be they peasants or kings, no creature was exempt from this one rule.

Zhulka found himself precisely in that position. He had to fight the urge to yawn as he heard the petty squabbles of two feuding tribes. He really could not care less about their problems but he was bound to serve his subjects. The discussion was getting heated as subtle insults began to thrown by both sides when a messenger rushed from the side to him, the guard letting him pass after a quick inspection.

“My king, Prince Zhamir and his wife, Zainabu, desire to speak to you and the Queen,” the messenger said.

“Tell them that I’m busy and that they must first schedule a royal audience,” he replied with all the enthusiasm of a warthog sunbathing.

“That’s… the issue, my King. It is not for royal business but rather a family matter,” the messenger continued.

“Hmmmm,” the King hummed, thinking deeply for a few seconds before standing up. “Cease your running mouths!” He ordered, having no idea what in the name of the Gods the two sides were even talking about anymore. But his command was heard and obeyed instantly. “The Royal Court is meant to be a place to solve issues that plague our beloved nation, not a place for petty squabbles. Before I allow you to run your mouths again, I must hear a petition that my son, Zhamir, has for me. Unlike your issues, I am sure it is of dire necessity… or news of such magnitude that will bring me joy this day.”

With a nod, the messenger ran out to inform Zhamir that he could enter. Moments later, the doors opened to reveal the Prince and his wife walking side by side with Zecora standing a step behind her husband, as it was only right and proper for any wife to show their submissiveness.

“Father,” Zhamir began, bowing his head to the King. “We’ve come bearing excellent news!”

“Welcome, my son! My daughter! Tell me, what news do you have to say?” Zhulka asked, eager to hear the answer.

“Zainabu, tell them all the good news!” Zhamir ordered, stepping back to give her the chance to speak directly at the King.

Zecora felt all eyes on her but this time she didn’t felt nervous. She felt happy, content, and ready. “My King, I am pleased to announce that my words are as true as my posterior is smelly. It is my pleasure to inform you and the rest of the royal family that there is a foal growing inside my belly.”

“WONDERFUL NEWS INDEED!” Zhulka jumped from his throne and landed a few steps in front of her. “My wonderful daughter-in-law, to know that a new grand foal is on the way fills me with joy! Go to my wife, she will instruct you further. Now, Zhamir, join me in solving this debacle between these two tribes.”

“Of course, father,” he replied and went along with him, pausing only briefly to see Zecora being surrounded by his sisters and mother, congratulating her for her pregnancy.

“Zainabu, I trust that you know how important the role of a mother is. There is no greater joy for a mare and no role more sacred than that of being a mother. Are you ready for such a responsibility?” Velia asked sternly.

“My role as a mother shall be the most important, even more than that of a Shaman. For a new life is now growing inside me and nothing can be more important, just as the sky is to a raven. I will be a good mother and raise my children as is expected. For a mare is destined to raise foals and have them protected.”

“Wise words indeed, Zainabu. You will be an excellent mother,” Velia praised.

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Of course, the entirety of Zebrica knew in just a matter of days that the Prince heir-Apparent was going to be a father and that Zainabu, the great Shaman, was pregnant. Zecora told her parents and family the following day via letters and they there were all happy for her. Her parents, in particular, were proud of her latest achievement and overjoyed that they were becoming grandparents yet again.

She also told all of her friends back in Equestria and Spike went out of his way to personally hand her all of their letters and gifts, congratulating her for her pregnancy and wishing her the best.

Of course, there was one thing she didn’t like as the months progressed and that was that the servants assigned to her slowly but surely began to tend her for everything. She could barely do her work as a Shaman because of it but she did not abscond them. She knew it was their job and that Zhamir had placed them there to make sure she would be safe along with their unborn foal. But aside from that, everything else was progressing splendidly.

But something unexpected did happen during the first months of her pregnancy. As her belly grew in size, more and more other mares revered her. She was already highly looked upon because of her knowledge and power, but her pregnancy had sparked something within many mares across the kingdom. The reports flooded of several mares getting married earlier than expected at sixteen or even at fifteen years old. Many of them got pregnant during their first month and countless other married mares also got pregnant. It was as if her pregnancy had caused a tsunami of new marriages and future lives to come into Zebrica.

A short investigation revealed the cause. She was well-known as a mare that had rejected the old traditions for the sake of uncovering the secrets of the world, the Spirits, and the Gods. Her power was unmatched and her knowledge priceless. But now that she was married and her belly was growing gravid with foal, somehow by popular belief, her tale had been twisted around slightly to make her leaving Zebrica as a personal sacrifice to further the knowledge of all Shamans.

That’s why she had picked Zainabu as her new given name, to honor the highly revered Shaman of old. Furthermore, her turning around to embrace the traditions she once rejected in order to embrace her destiny, inspiring countless mares into following in her hoofsteps. Some even taking the road of the Shaman themselves.

It wasn’t exactly what Zecora wanted but it produced the same results she desired. In light of that, she embraced going to a relatively harmless reunion regularly. Royal mares had no obligation of attending since they were noble mares. But Zecora, in light of her unexpected success, decided to exploit it.

She attended regular religious ceremonies in which to-be mothers still early in their pregnancy would show off their growing bellies while a priest talked about the beauty of pregnancy.

“A mare’s worth can be found in the stench of her shaven head, tail, asshole, and vagina. But it glows when she is pregnant and carrying a foal. A mare reaches the ultimate form of beauty there can be, for the Gods blessed them with the ability to bring forth more foals to this world. Zebrica needs more foals and you are the ones providing it with those blessings. Be proud, mares, for this is your greatest achievement!” The Priest always said a variant of the same speech but never the same.

And it worked. Every mare, including her, felt better knowing that their pregnancies were blessings from the Gods and carried by the Spirits. At first, Zecora found herself out of place during those sessions since she was eight to nine years older than most of the mares attending the sermon. But after a few sessions, she grew accustomed to it, especially when all of the young mares praised her for joining them, giving them strength, and the priest treated her coming as a signal that the Spirits themselves guided his words.

Surprisingly, Zecora felt incredibly welcome and good during the sermons, not just with herself but with the other attending mares. They were younger, yes, but that just meant they had embraced their roles as mothers and housewives earlier; her presence causing them to take great pride in it. Commonly, most mares got pregnant during their late teens or early twenties, but it was common for younger mares, such as the ones in her group, to also get pregnant and raise a family soon. It was something that Zebrica highly encouraged and supported wholeheartedly, unlike Equestria that, while young marriages were also common, most mares waited until they were in their late twenties to bear foals, as being a mother and a housewife wasn’t as venerated there.

This time, however, the dynamic was a bit different. As always, the mares sat in a circle to expose their growing bellies so that everyone could admire them. But this time, their husbands were behind them and they were on the outside, facing a large group of young mares, little more than fillies in all due reality, while the priest rambled on about the privilege of motherhood and the beauty of carrying a foal. But then, suddenly, he turned to her.

“Princess Zainabu, please, expose your belly to the crowd if your husband permits it?” He asked not her, but Zhamir.

She looked at her husband and he nodded in approval. Standing on her back legs, her growing belly was exposed for all to see. Gasps and stomping hooves were heard instantly after.

“Our beloved Princess Zainabu has embraced the destiny of all mares: to be mothers and obedient housewives. Mares, embrace the role the Gods have given to you in your life, seek out your happiness if you can, but never forget that you were meant to be mothers!” The priest announced.

Zhamir nuzzled her lovingly, uncaring that his display of affection was seen by several dozens of fillies and young mares. He loved his wife and he was not going to reprieve himself from the joy of showing her affection. But most of all, he was proud that she had embraced her motherhood with open hooves, making her an even greater beacon for all the mares in Zebrica to look up to and for stallions to admire.

“My Princess?” A mare around thirty-something years old stepped forward along with her husband and another young couple of around sixteen years old. “May we rob you a few moments of your time?”

“Please, speak your mind, dutiful mother,” Zhamir replied, hinting that he gave his permission to his wife.

“Princess Zainabu, I thank you for inspiring my daughter-” she said as the younger mare took a step forth and bowed her head respectfully, a wild blush appearing on her cheeks. “-to follow the path of motherhood. I’ve been trying to install on her the beauty of being a mother. She’s my oldest yet refused to marry young and instead try to look into pursuing the path of a Shaman. Now, my daughter has seen and finally come to understand that a mare is meant to be a mother, get pregnant, raise foals, take care of the household, do chores, be submissive to one’s husband, and accept her fate and be happy with it!”

“My mother is correct, Princess Zainabu!” The daughter added. “Ever since the announcement of your wedding was public, I looked more into your history and I can’t help but admire you! I even tried to be a Shaman myself, to see if I had the skills. But I don’t have the cut of a Shaman,” she apologized somewhat embarrassingly. “But I can be a good mother! After all, that’s the only thing mares are good at and should be doing! But not all mares are the same. Just look at you! You were able to achieve great things because the Gods gifted you with your blessings! The rest of us will do what we were meant to you… and… and even you, a great Shaman, are now pregnant and ready to be a proud mother. How could I not follow your example, my Princess?”

“Your words are kind and filled with wisdom. Not all mares should find solace in motherhood, but all mares are meant to be mothers; you learned your lesson with the wit of a clandom,” she then smiled before kissing her husband’s cheek. “The fruit of our love is growing in my belly and is the one of your husband doing in your womb. Be happy, for I also discovered the joys of motherhood and I wish to be a proper wife; now go and let that new life bloom.”

The two couples thanked her for her time and moved away before Zhamir kissed her lips in full display of the audience. “You are absolutely beautiful, Zainabu.”

“And I love that you made me a mother, my husband,” she replied without rhyming.

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The months crawled by slowly but Zecora could definitely feel the changes time made on her body as her pregnancy continued. Her belly grew more and more, walking became difficult though not impossible, her bottom became even stinkier, though that was normal in all mares as the gestation period advanced and their bodies reacted to said changes. Her teats also began to enlarge as she started to produce milk and oftentimes they would leak wherever she traveled to.

During a pregnancy, the husband is expected though not bound to assist his wife during those times by helping her walk around, do minor chores, and get things ready for when the foal’s eventual arrival. Sadly, his position and schedule prohibited him from playing his part as much as he wished to though he regularly bathed and tucked her in for the night. But there was nothing to worry as for the rest of the time the servants he assigned to her since the start of her pregnancy took care of most everything not related to her Shaman work.

Everywhere she went to, though, she was the talk of the party and all eyes landed on her. Some with envy but the vast majority of those gazing eyes were of admiration.

It was during one of her regular trips to the market to find the supplies she needed that she met a young couple of fifteen-year olds. The mare said she had almost married a year prior because of the inspiration she was to her, but refrained until she was fifteen to fulfill her destiny as a mother and live the housewife life. Zecora felt her heart touched when the mare showed her the gravid belly she was carrying and confined in her that if the foal born were to be a filly, she’d name her Zecora in her honor.

“I am happy that you have taken that route; humbled beyond measure that you would honor me by naming your daughter after me. To see that mares have taken inspiration from my actions, not only accepting the ways of the Shaman but that of motherhood, too, at an early age makes the Spirits rattle in delight; for the purpose of a mare is to bear children and commune with that which lies beyond the veil of the mind.”

That had been her answer. It surely confused the mare a little but she left more reassured than before of getting pregnant over and over again for the future of Zebrica.

Her family, especially her siblings and parents, were incredibly happy that her pregnancy was going along smoothly and all of them grateful that she finally took root and her proper role as a mare. A favorite pastime they all shared when she came by to visit them was that they enjoyed rubbing her stout stomach. Of course, there weren't the only ones happy. Zhamir was especially filled with mirth as her bottom became stinkier and smellier even with her regular baths; thus ended up spending entire afternoons smelling, licking, and kissing her posterior.

She giggled as that was what he was currently doing at the same time he rubbed her bloated belly carrying his first foal.

“You’re going to be the first of many foals. You’ll have many siblings to play with and look after soon enough, yes you will! Your mother is a proud mare and will be happy to fulfill her role eagerly,” he said and cooed as he kissed Zecora’s flanks and rubbed her belly. “Ah, my love, I can’t wait until our first foal is with us.”

“Eager and virile you are, my beloved husband,” she hummed and giggled as she watched him pamper her flank and belly. “Already thinking on the second of our progeny, can you not wait until--” she froze instantly as a lightning pain spread across her belly and up her spine. “Z-Zhamir! Zhamir! I think… I think I’m starting labor!”

Before the prince could utter a word, Zecora’s stinky bottom released a torrent of smelly sweat that even he found to be too powerful to fully enjoy. It was the telltale sign that the final stage of pregnancy had concluded and now the foal was ready to come out into the world.

“CALL THE MEDICS IMMEDIATELY!” He screamed his order. The guards and servants standing ready to serve them scampered to fetch the medics. “Breathe, my love, breathe.”

The following hours were excruciating for Zecora, the same it was for all first-time mothers. But the pain and the effort were all worth it when she finally got to hold her little foal, a colt, in her forelegs.

“I am a mother…” Zecora said tiredly, not hearing the congratulatory words of the medics and servants around her. “I’m truly a mother now…”

“The best one, my love.”

Looking at her foal sleeping peacefully, breathing quietly, she smiled and cried from the flooding joy threatening to burst her heart apart.

Chapter 10 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone who read this!