A Queen's Guard

“It’s not too late to run.”

Pharynx tapped the floor with a hoof, glancing around the empty meeting room. Fixing his queen with a worried frown, he pressed, “We can both teleport, and I know a place in the Everfree Forest where we could escape--”

Chrysalis placed a hoof on his muzzle and sighed, “There’s no point. Even if we could avoid them for the rest of our lives, we’d never be able to see the hive again. I’d rather be trapped in Tartarus forever if it meant I could see you and my children, even through the cold bars of hell.”

Her green eyes narrowed with fear, but the conviction behind them never faltered. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she resolved, “No matter what the ponies have in store for me, I’ll accept it with a raised chin like a real queen should.”

Pharynx broke off as her burning determination gave no room for negotiation. Grasping her hoof with his, he shifted closer to her trembling frame and comforted, “You truly are a queen worthy of praise. No matter what happens, know that I will always stand by your side.”

Before she could return the gesture, the door to the room burst open. Breaking apart, Pharynx swiftly returned to his seat while Chrysalis turned to stare at Twilight’s approaching form. “Princess Twilight, I--”

She froze as another pony followed close behind. A pony whose face had haunted her darkest, most twisted fantasies ever since her throne’s untimely destruction. “Starlight Glimmer…”

Starlight glanced at her seething face before taking a step forward. “Hello, Chrysalis.”

“Why is she here?” Chrysalis barked, turning away with a resentful huff.

Twilight took a seat at the table and explained, “I’ve invited Starlight because she’s the one that convinced me to give you another chance instead of throwing you in Tartarus right away.”

Chrysalis’s eyes widened as she sat up straight. Shooting her a disbelieving snort, she hissed, “Why would Starlight give a rat’s tail about reforming me? She’s the one that destroyed my throne and turned my hive against me!”

“I did it because I know exactly what it’s like to control and manipulate other creatures, and I wanted to help you before it was too late,” Starlight said, fixing her with an apologetic stare. “I’m sorry for exiling you from your family, but I had to save my friends and show the changelings that there are better ways to get love than stealing it by force.”

She pointed to Chrysalis’s light coat and flowing mane with a smile and added, “And it looks like your subjects weren’t the only ones I managed to convince.”

Chrysalis gaped for several seconds before relapsing into embarrassed silence. Once Starlight’s chuckles died down, she stared into the ceiling and asked, “So, what happens now? I’m guessing you already know what we were planning to do, so how am I being punished this time?”

The two ponies glanced at each other before Twilight grabbed a quill and began scribbling on a piece of parchment. “Before I hand down any punishment, do either of you have anything to say in your defense?”

Pharynx shook his head, unwilling to distance himself from his queen. Chrysalis gave him a kind smile before turning to look Twilight right in the eyes. Taking what could be her final free breaths, she licked her cracked lips and whispered, “Only that everything I said in the vault was the absolute truth and nothing more. I don’t expect any mercy after betraying your trust, but please allow the changelings to visit me wherever I end up going.”

Twilight stared back into her pleading eyes with an unreadable expression before writing down one final line. Dotting the last period with a sense of finality, she rolled up the scroll and sealed it with her royal stamp. “Very well. Queen Chrysalis and Pharynx, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, hereby find you guilty of destruction of royal property, improper use of deadly magic, and conspiracy to overthrow the government.”

They both flinched as the weight of their crimes came crashing down. Any one of those would be enough to land them in jail, but all three would surely earn a life sentence in Tartarus.

Chrysalis felt a hoof grasp her own and turned to see Pharynx peering at her with unflinching courage. Feeling her heart melt at the sight, she wrapped him in a loving embrace and whispered, “Thank you, Pharynx. Your devotion and loyalty mean more to me than any prize I’ve ever sought. I hope we will see each other in another--”

“As such, I sentence you both to mandatory friendship lessons at the School of Friendship beginning next fall and house arrest at the Castle of Friendship starting now.”

They both gaped as she finished her speech, convinced they must have heard her wrong. Rubbing her ears to clear away any blockage, Chrysalis turned her stunned expression and stuttered, “I’m sorry, could you repeat that again, Princess? I don’t think I heard you right that time.”

Twilight let out a small chuckle and answered, “You heard me perfectly, Chrysalis. I’m sentencing you and Pharynx to mandatory friendship lessons at my school, and you won’t be allowed to leave the castle until you finish them, so you’d better work hard if you want to leave any time soon.”

“B-But that’s so lenient!” she cried, standing up at once. “After everything I said, after everything I’ve done, how can you just let it go without punishing me first!?”

Starlight gave her a knowing look and explained, “You’ve already endured your punishment in the form of exile from your hive. Despite what you said, I know you miss your changelings, and I know how much it hurts to lose those you care about.”

“Besides,” Twilight supplied, pointing at their reformed carapaces, “you’ve proven that you reflected on your past mistakes and learned your lesson. The fact that you stopped before going through with your plan and even tried to turn yourself in shows how much you’ve changed far more than any physical alterations possibly could.”

She flashed them a teasing grin and finished, “However, that doesn’t mean you get off scot-free. If you think the School of Friendship’s curriculum is a joke, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.”

Chrysalis sat in stunned silence as Pharynx’s ears perked up. Speaking for the first time since they entered, he asked, “If we’re both receiving the same sentence, does that mean we can still be together while we complete these lessons?”

The two ponies glanced at each other before Twilight unfurled the royal decree and started writing an amendment. “Yes, I think you've earned that much. After all, it would be cruel to separate you two so soon after your extravagant confession.”

Pharynx gave a sigh of relief as he and Chrysalis resumed their tight hug, only letting go once Twilight cleared her throat to get their attention. “Regarding your living conditions, I already have a room set up for Chrysalis, but you’ll need accommodations of your own. We can set up another room for you by tonight, or you can simply stay with her for the duration of your sentence. Which would you prefer?”

Chrysalis wrapped a wing around his hesitant frame, nodding to assure him of her choice. Pharynx smiled at her answer and returned the affectionate gesture, planting a quick kiss on her beautiful cheek.

“No need, Princess. I’d prefer to stay by my love’s side.”