A Queen's Guard

“So, how have your lessons been going?” Twilight asked, bracing herself for another one of Rarity’s tirades.

Applejack propped her hooves on the table and leaned back with a satisfied smile. “They’re a heck of a lot better than last week, that’s for sure. Instead of ignoring me all day, she’s actually paying attention and taking notes on the importance of honesty.”

Twilight’s eyes snapped open at the surprising news. Pinching her foreleg to make sure this wasn’t a dream, she said, “Are you sure you were teaching the right changeling? We are talking about Chrysalis, right? The same changeling that tried to take over Equestria multiple times and repeatedly refused to learn anything even remotely connected to friendship?”

“Ah’m just as surprised as you are,” Applejack replied, pulling a loose hair from her mane. “Her change in attitude came out of left field, but she hasn’t made any fishy moves, and the magic inhibitor is still on her horn, so there’s no funny magic business going on.”

Twilight’s muzzle curled into a frown as she rubbed her chin. Turning around, she fixed Rarity with a questioning gaze and asked, “What about you, Rarity? How is she doing in your lessons?”

Pursing her lips, Rarity gave a quiet cough and started, “Well, she’s certainly not the most pleasant creature to be around, but I’ll admit she’s gotten much better since last time. She even apologized for calling me scaly, but that’s too little too late in my opinion.”

Twilight gaped as she struggled to find words to reply. Hearing that the Changeling Queen apologized for anything felt more concerning than if she had threatened to trap them all in gooey cocoons for the rest of eternity.

Her gaze wandered to the ceiling where Pharynx was having another one of his frequent chats with Chrysalis in her room. As she listened, a faint, rhythmic thumping made its way into her sensitive alicorn ears, causing a nasty seed to plant itself inside her head.

Pushing back her chair, she turned towards the staircase and said, “Thanks for the report, girls. I’m going to keep watch for a while in case she’s planning something. Hopefully this is just me being paranoid, and Pharynx’s message is finally getting into her.”

“Aggghhh! Oooooh…”

Chrysalis moaned as Pharynx’s cock slipped out of her stuffed snatch, a wave of hatchling batter following in its wake. Resting against her bed’s headboard, she let out a chuckle and stroked his softening member. “Your skills are improving, but you’ll have to try harder than that if you want to outlast me~”

Pharynx groaned as his overworked shaft gave a twitch at her loving caress. Scooting closer to her delicate frame, he leaned against the headboard and sighed, “I always aim to please my Queen. I’m so glad you chose me to be your bed mate.”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she let out an annoyed huff. “There wasn’t much choice considering the rest of the hive won’t look at me without shrieking and running away.”

It took a moment for the weight of that sentence to settle as she stared blankly at the opposite wall. She always knew her former subjects wouldn’t have a particularly high opinion of her, but she’d always secretly hoped that they’d come to her defense out of loyalty or dedication, even as her throne was shattering to pieces around her.

Ocellus’s terrified expression flashed through her mind as a dull ache replaced her post-orgasm bliss. The sight of her changelings, her children, shrinking away from her in horror made the former queen long for her old hive back, but how could they accept each other when they were practically different species now?

Waving away the ridiculous thought, she concentrated on Pharynx just in time to hear him say, “...so it should be done by tomorrow. What do you say, your Highness?”

She blinked as his expectant grin overtook her vision. Clearing her throat to cover the momentary weakness, she pursed her lips and barked, “I don’t care about any of that nonsense! When can you get me more love energy?”

Her harsh tone cut through the air, causing him to flinch at her sudden aggression. Swallowing the nerves buzzing in his stomach, he stammered, “I just said I would visit tomorrow, but if you have other plans…”

Chrysalis felt her cheeks redden as she realized her mistake. The warmth of the covers suddenly felt like a furnace while his continued gaze only worsened her burning humiliation.

A concerned frown laced his muzzle as she tried desperately to avoid eye contact. Placing a hoof on her delicate frame, he fixed her with a knowing look and asked, “Are you feeling alright, my Queen? You’re usually more alert than this after our mating sessions.”

A tense silence hung in the air as she refused to meet his gaze. His worry deepened as she brushed off his comforting hoof and made to stand up, wiping away the excess cum dribbling down her legs. Reaching forward, he rubbed her soft haunches and started, “I can tell something’s bothering you. If you’d confide your troubles to me, I could--”

“How has the hive been?”

Pharynx stumbled at the unexpected query. “I’m sorry, what?”

“The hive,” she repeated, gazing at the far wall. “How have the other changelings adjusted while I’ve been in exile?”

His eyes darted around the room as multiple answers emerged, some more honest than others. Pawing the bedsheets nervously, he cleared his throat and hissed, “It’s been terrible! Without you, the other changelings have fallen into disarray, and my brother spends more time padding after that new dragon lord like a love-sick diamond dog than properly ruling the hive. Ponies are constantly taking advantage of our weakened state, so it’s imperative that we--”

“Pharynx, tell the truth.”

His voice cut off as Chrysalis fixed him with a pointed stare, evidently seeing through his blatant lies.

After a moment of fruitless gaping, his stiff shoulders began to sag. Biting his lip, he lowered his gaze and reluctantly mumbled, “The hive has been extremely prosperous as more changelings integrate into pony society. Trade, knowledge, and general content have skyrocketed far beyond previous years, and many regard Thorax as the greatest leader in recent history.”

A shard of ice pierced her heart as he described each of Thorax’s accomplishments. New nurseries, greenhouses, and more comfortable dens were popping up left and right thanks to investments from neighboring kingdoms, and there didn’t seem to be a single changeling apart from them that disagreed with his leadership.

Sensing her growing despair, Pharynx rallied at once by adding, “But his incessant friendship-mongering has completely ruined the hive’s safety! Not only did he disband the guards and patrols, he also allowed the ponies to send troops into our territory. We need you back on the throne, or changelings as we knew them will be gone forever!”

Chrysalis glanced out her window where a group of students were playing in a nearby yard. Her eyebrows raised as she made out Ocellus’s cerulean carapace, her gleaming shell dancing brilliantly with the mass of fur, scales, and feathers.

Ocellus let out a high-pitched giggle as an orange dragon tackled her to the cool grass and began tickling her. Although Chrysalis couldn’t hear them, it was obvious they were having the time of their lives, which made her simultaneously happy for her former subjects and saddened that the source of that glee was her defeat and imprisonment.

“Pharynx, was I a good queen?”

Pharynx gave a start before prostrating himself at her hooves and ranting, “Of course you were a good queen! You gave us life and nurtured us until we were strong enough to survive. You brought the changelings from a race of negligible parasites to the most feared and respected race in all of Equestria. You even led the assault that would have claimed Canterlot for the hive if that pansy princess hadn’t--”

“Was I a good mother?”

Pharynx froze.

A dense silence filled the room as the next words died on his tongue. His heart began to race, pumping blood throughout his panicked body as his mind frantically searched for an appeasing answer. “I don’t… why...”

He bit his lip as her direct order to be honest echoed in his ears, but something in his mind forced him to disobey. His muzzle opened and closed repeatedly while the two halves of his conscience battled for dominance, each urging him in opposite directions.

Chrysalis’s face fell as the silence dragged on. Without turning to face him, she dragged herself back to bed and curled up under the blankets. Suppressing the urge to break down and cry, she whispered, “I see. You’re dismissed, Pharynx. Come back tomorrow when you have more love energy.”

Pharynx reached out to her despondent form, but pulled away as she retreated deeper into her cocoon. Seeing that nothing he could do would help now, he silently made his way towards the door, only stopping once he was outside the magical barrier keeping her in the room.

Casting one more worried look at her motionless figure, he cleared his throat and mumbled, “Goodbye, Mo-- my Queen.”