1 Year Later

Blueblood was trotting down the hallway towards his family’s personal living spaces, having finished with Morning Court for the day. Ponies had gotten used to Blueblood being on the throne, more often than not, when his wife, Princess Twilight Sparkle, wasn’t available and they respected his wishes and orders accordingly as the co-ruler of Equestria.

Today was no different.

Fridays tended to be harder on him because Weekend Morning Court was for commoners only, so the impatient nobles tended to line up like sardines in a can trying to get their business handled as quickly as possible to avoid having to wait until Monday. Blueblood gave fair and wise rulings, which they respected. Some nobles seemed to prefer him over his wife because he understood how and why the nobles thought the way they did, whereas Twilight simply saw them as selfish or stubborn, which they honestly often were.

Opening the chamber door, his eyes caught upon his daughter, Velvet Dawn, working on homework on the floor like a typical ten-year-old filly.

Velvet had been accepted into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns as the youngest filly ever accepted, in part due to her already being an Alicorn and in part because the nobles wanted to rename the school to ‘Princess Twilight’s School for Gifted Unicorns’ now that Twilight more or less ran the school and taught one class occasionally.

Blueblood’s smile came automatically. “Hey Velvet. How was school?”

His daughter looked at him and smiled wide. “It was good. I learned about Griffon Politics today.”

Blueblood chuckled lightly. “Griffon Politics? I believe that might have been the same tutoring session that me and your mother fell asleep in all those years ago… the first time we ever cuddled. Did you have a special colt to cuddle with?”

Velvet stuck her tongue out at him. “Nope. They all smell like sweat.”

Blueblood shook his head. “Probably a side effect of having Physical Education before Politics. I’ll have to see about making sure the students have a chance to shower after P.E… I wouldn’t want you to miss out on something special like your mom almost did.”

From across the room and from behind the closed door that led to Twilight’s private office and laboratory, there came a wail of a cry causing Blueblood to frown.

“Oh dearest… she must be having a bad day. I don’t believe that I’ve heard her be that upset in a while. I should go check up on her…”

As he started to walk away, Velvet Dawn looked down and asked softly…

“Why is mommy always sad?”

Blueblood froze in his tracks. He and Twilight hadn’t come to an agreement on what to tell their daughter but as she grew older, it was becoming harder to hide that there was a problem. Something had to be said.

“Sweetheart… I would never lie to you on purpose, but this is a situation that I just don’t think you’re old enough to fully understand. Can you wait a few more years?”

The crying from behind the door got louder and Velvet Dawn fixed her father with a stare.

“No daddy… I don’t think it can wait any longer.”

Blueblood winced at the poor timing. “The truth can hurt…”

Velvet Dawn cut him off… “The truth hurts nopony. Truth simply is. And I must have it. Now.”

He sighed and motioned for her to sit down in a chair. He sat down in a chair opposite her. He took a deep breath and settled himself, the crying from behind the door more than slightly distracting.

“Velvet… Me and your mother had joked about wanting twelve foals, six colts and six fillies. We even went so far as to try to cast a spell to make the first one a colt so that the royal family would have a male heir. But… a miracle happened, and your mother had you… a beautiful Alicorn filly. I couldn’t have been happier than I was that day. I couldn’t have been prouder. A lot of tears of joy were shed and toasts were made to you and the future of Equestria. But something… tragic… also happened. You see… the magic it requires to give birth to an alicorn apparently short circuits the reproductive system of the mare that gives birth to an alicorn. That’s why me and your mother never had a second foal and why your Aunty Cadence never had a second foal either. They physically can’t conceive again.”

Velvet teared up as the words sank in. “So, it’s my…”

Blueblood cut her off. “NO! No… it’s not your fault any more than it was Flurry Heart’s fault. This must be nature’s way of controlling how many alicorns can exist since you are all so powerful. So special. Before you and Flurry, no alicorns were ever born. The magic of Equestria chose those who were worthy. You must have an amazing destiny ahead of you and I can only hope that I live long enough to see it for myself.”

Velvet looked at the laboratory door. “So… that’s what mommy’s doing in there? Trying to fix her reproductive system?”

Blueblood nodded. “She even went so far as to go back to university and become a ‘Unicorn Trained Doctor’ specializing in OBGYN and Reproductive Science, far more powerful as an Alicorn, naturally. She’s hoping to not only fix herself, but to also help Cadence and to have a treatment or a cure on standby for both you and Flurry Heart too. You fillies should never have to go through the pain that your mothers did. I wouldn’t trade you anything, but your mother still feels like she broke a promise to me. I confess that I did want at least one colt, but I love you with all my heart, my little princess.”

Velvet Dawn looked up at her father. “Thank you for the truth. I thought… that maybe you were fighting and might be getting a divorce…”

That shocked him as he moved to give his daughter a hug. “I did threaten that once, but I would never… No… I love your mother as much if not more now than I did when we first got married. However… I am mortal, and I will die someday, unlike you and your mother, but I will love her until my dying day. I will never leave you until nature forces me to.”

Velvet held him tight, and he got an idea. “How about this… if you finish your homework early tonight, I’ll let you sit on the throne with me for Morning Court tomorrow, okay?”

Blueblood let go of her and Velvet hopped up and down on the chair, clearly happy.

“Yay! I love going to Morning Court… because…”

Blueblood groaned… “Here it comes…”

Velvet Dawn struck a pose. “For instead of a Prince, you shall have a Queen, as bright and terrible as the Dawn. All shall love me and despair…”

Blueblood sighed. “…Every. Single. Time. Sweetheart… I think you may have watched The Prince of the Rings one too many times.”

Velvet Dawn gasped. “But it’s movie night! Mommy promised…”

Blueblood smiled wryly. “I’m sure she did. Now, hurry up and finish your homework before dinner.”

Velvet Dawn gathered her homework in her magic and took it to her room to finish, giving Blueblood more privacy with his wife. He opened the doors to her laboratory and closed them behind him. He walked up to the crying alicorn princess and wrapped his hooves around her and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Twilight spoke raspy words through her tears… “Ten years… ten long years… I’ve been working on this…”

Blueblood sighed into her back. “I know… Velvet Dawn heard you crying, and I finally had to tell her the truth. She knows. I’m sorry…”

Twilight gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry to have forced you to have that conversation with her alone. How did she take it?”

Blueblood wiped a tear from his own face. “Better than I did when the doctors told us that first time. She’s a smart filly… she definitely has your intelligence and study ethic.”

Twilight snorted. “And she has your outgoing personality and charisma. We’re going to be beating off suitors with a stick.”

Blueblood chuckled. “Nah. I have a whole army for that. The Anti-Suitor Squad.”

Twilight looked behind herself to look him in the eyes. “I’d bet anything that you’re not joking about that one.”

He laughed but raised his hooves in surrender. “I have been encouraging her to cuddle with colts. I don’t mind returned affection... but for the ones that get too pushy… they will have royal guards to answer to. It’s a voluntary assignment. I was shocked how quickly it filled up. Lots of mares willing to defend their little princess.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Mares only?”

Blueblood grinned. “Of course, dearest. She’s too cute and I’m not stupid enough to leave her in the company of horny stallions… even if they are our own guards.”

Twilight laughed, wiping the last of her tears off her face. “Starlight wants to retire, and I can’t do the research alone. We’ve created a total of eight fertility potions, five for mares and three for stallions, and I just don’t think there is any other aspect of infertility that we can fix with potions. If I… wanted to stop this research… would you be upset?”

Blueblood went back to her and kissed her gently on the lips. “Of course not. I love you and I love our daughter. I think we both knew that promising to have twelve foals was a joke and not a promise that was going to be kept. In a way… I’m glad this worked out like this.”

That peaked Twilight’s interest. “Oh? And why is that?”

Blueblood lowered his gaze. “Because I’m mortal. I’m going to die someday. But you’ll always have Velvet Dawn. You’ll always have our daughter. And when you look at her, you’ll always see a piece of me. And that gives me solace… knowing that even once I’m gone… you won’t be alone.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Umm. Velvet Dawn kinda accidentally invented a spell that can make a unicorn immortal like an alicorn, and I learned how to cast it. It only works on unicorns… but, if you’re willing, I can make you as ageless as myself. I’ve already cast it on my brother and parents in secret. Do you want me to cast the spell on you?”

Blueblood stilled. “Is it reversable?”

She nodded. “Yes… but why would you want it to be?”

Blueblood looked deeply into her eyes. “Because… I would only want to be immortal if I was by your side forever. I’ve seen how lonely my Auntie is. I don’t want that for myself any more than I would have wanted it for you. You may make me immortal as long as you stay by my side.”

Twilight smiled. “You have a deal. We shall have all the tomorrows…”

Blueblood nodded slowly. “What do I need to do?”

Twilight was reminded of how he tried to fix her ‘Dark Sparkle’ incident and closed the distance and whispered.

“Kiss me.”

He leaned in and as their lips touched, he felt a powerful magic course through his body. Once it was done, he felt ten years younger again.

“Wow.”

Twilight giggled. “Now, we have forever.”

Blueblood smiled. “I love you.”

Twilight kissed him again. “I love you more.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s movie night.”

Twilight groaned. “Not Prince of the Rings again…”

Blueblood kissed her back. “It wouldn’t be movie night without a happy daughter.”

She nodded, suddenly a little timid. “I have a surprise for you.”

He smiled at her warmly. “I always did love your surprises. Do you want to give it to me now or wait until after dinner?”

Twilight leaned into him, letting him lead her out of her laboratory, eyes closed, guided by love.

“I’ll give it to you during dinner. It’s an announcement and a surprise both. And it’s as much for you as it is for our daughter.”

Blueblood cocked an eyebrow. “I’m intrigued. I can’t wait.”

Twilight giggled. “I think you’ll like this one.”

They closed the door to the laboratory and fetched their daughter for dinner. On Twilight’s desk, beside the laboratory equipment, was the proof of the surprise announcement to come.

A positive pregnancy test.

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Author's Note

Finished

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I'm still toying with the idea of a sequel/Side-Story with Spike and Sweetie Belle as outlined in Chapter 6.

As always... all comments are welcome.