Author's Note
Just a little fluff piece I wrote in-between a few other projects.
As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!
And Why She Eepy 😂
You place the quill down next to you as you let out a contented sigh. You've been doing paperwork for a few hours now, and that was the last document you needed to finish going over today. With a quick nod to nobody in particular, you grab the stack of legal documents and make your way out of the small Canterlot Castle office.
When you were younger, you never would have imagined that you would one day marry into royalty in a world full of colorful ponies. And yet, one morning you woke up in the middle of a field surrounded by said ponies, befriended them, and spent the next twenty or so years learning about "the magic of friendship" with them (and saving the world a couple of times in the process, no biggie). One of those ponies was a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, and she quickly became the closest friend you'd ever had. As the years went on, a lot happened. She grew wings, became a princess, and generally ended up being a really important figurehead in Equestria. Meanwhile, you... got by, you suppose. Both of you had feelings for each other all the while, but it took a very long time for either of you to admit that. And yet, here you are, happily married years later. Now, Twilight is the ruler of Equestria, and as her husband, that technically makes you a prince.
For better or for worse.
You were never really into politics. That was true for your old world, and it's especially true in Equestria. After all, there are more than a few ponies that still aren't cool with the idea of Princess Twilight Sparkle's husband being an alien. Twilight does whatever she can to help your public image, but even she can only do so much. It's a good thing you have some thick skin then, huh?
Your footsteps echo throughout the massive marble hallways as you walk through them. It's getting pretty late, so much so that the usual daytime Royal Guard members have been swapped out for their nighttime counterparts. Equestria may only have one princess now, but Twilight wasn't going to just lay off Luna's guardsponies. That said, apart from the guards, the hallways are almost completely empty. Most of the castle's staff have already gone home or retired to their quarters, and those that are working are keeping it quiet. It makes the whole castle feel really big. Or, maybe it just makes you feel really small. You never really felt like you belong here, after all. Dissenters or otherwise.
Finally coming to an unassuming wooden door at the end of the hall, you give it a gentle knock.
"It's open," you hear a voice say from the other side.
You gently turn the knob and let yourself in. Inside is a small office, not unlike your own. This office is a bit neater, and definitely older, but also a bit less grandiose. You suppose that's what happens when you inherit Luna's old office.
"Ms. Inkwell? I have the documents you asked for."
"Ah, thank you, Prince Anon." Raven Inkwell, Twilight's aide, takes the papers out of your hands with a smile and places them onto her desk next to another pile of papers. "Your timing is impeccable."
"The first dozen or so are all ready to be filed, the rest still need a signature from Twilight."
"I'll let the princess know tomorrow morning."
You notice a bit of strain in her voice when she speaks. Looking closer, you also notice that bags are beginning to form under her eyes. Her mane is frazzled in a few places, and there is a sluggishness to the way she moves.
"Er, Ms. Inkwell?"
"Yes, Prince Anon?"
"Are you doing okay? You look... tired."
She lets out a nervous chuckle and glances away.
"Yes, I am fine. Thank you for your concern."
"You sure about that?"
For as long as you've known her, she has always been a workaholic. On top of that, humble though she may be, you know that she isn't the type to admit when she is worn out.
"I-I am okay."
"...Go home, Raven."
"Huh?!" She looks up at you in surprise.
"You're gonna run yourself ragged at this rate. There is no paperwork in here that can't wait until tomorrow."
"B-but I-"
"And..." You interrupt her, placing a hand on her desk and giving her a smile. "There is nothing in here that's worth more than your health."
"But what if Princess Twilight needs something from me that I didn't finish?"
"Do you really think she's the type to get mad that something didn't get signed or filed because you're overworked and went to bed before you passed out on your desk?"
"Well, no, but-"
"In the worst-case scenario, I'll stick up for you. Go home, Raven. You've earned some rest."
"..." She continues to avoid your gaze, but eventually sighs. "Very well. Th-thank you, Prince Anon."
"Good. Have a nice evening, okay Ms. Inkwell?"
"Yes. You too, prince."
With that, you turn around and exit the office. With your business concluded, you finally begin to head towards your quarters. Unfortunately, those quarters are on the other side of the castle.
Oh, well. You could use the exercise.
You take a quick look at yourself in the mirror. You're in your robe and just finished brushing your teeth. All in all, you're looking pretty good, and now you're comfortable and ready for bed. There's just oooooooone little thing missing.
You hear the sound of a creaking door accompanied by a long, drawn-out yawn. You smile as you exit the bathroom into your bedroom.
"Hey, Twi."
"Hm? Oh, good evening, Nonny."
There she is. Princess Twilight Sparkle, alicorn extraordinaire. Once much shorter, she now reaches up to about your chest. Her purple coat is looking silky and soft, though the seemingly ever-increasing amount of floof on her chest stands out a little bit. Her mane and tail are getting longer, too. They sparkle (heh) when they move, which as of a few months ago, they seem to do on their own. Yeah, whatever it is that's in that alicorn magic is definitely making Twilight look more and more like the retired Celestia every day. And yet, those beautiful violet eyes of hers are the same as they've always been. Despite all of this, she is looking a bit ragged, with her coat and mane sticking up all over the place.
This is your sleepy wife, and you love her dearly.
"How was your day?"
Twilight walks further into the bedroom and begins removing her regalia as she speaks. She's smiling, though you don't miss the fact that her words are a bit wearier than normal.
"Long. Court lasted longer than usual thanks to some bickering bureaucrats, my appearance at the elementary school had to be delayed due to, and I quote, 'somepony pulling a zoomer,' and the paperwork I spent hours working on met an untimely demise due to the very unfortunate timing of Spike and a sudden bout of the sniffles."
"Jeez, you really went through the wringer today."
"Eh, it could have been worse."
Twilight, now free from what little clothing she typically wears, makes her way to the bathroom to clean up much like you just did. In the meantime, you head over to a nearby vanity and begin digging through one of the drawers.
A couple of minutes later, you climb into bed right as Twilight does the same on the opposite side of the mattress. However, before she can get too comfortable, you yank her side of the covers away from her, causing her to look at you with confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"Turn around, Twi."
"O-okay." She does as you ask, giving you a good view of her back. With a chuckle, you reach to your bedside table and grab a brush that you were digging for in the vanity just a bit ago. Then, without warning, you begin to brush out the imperfections in her coat, causing her to let out a tired chuckle. "Oh come on, Nonny, really? Now?"
"The day took its toll on you. The least I can do is help you get it out of your system."
"Before bed, though? Wouldn't it be better to do this in the morning?"
"You sleep better when there aren't knots in your mane or fur and you know it. Not to mention that I know this feels good."
"Hmhm, alright, alright. Fine~."
You've been through this routine before, and this conversation is little more than lighthearted banter. It doesn't take long for you to finish brushing her back. You choose to move on to her tail, which is resting in your lap. You have to actively hold it still to make it stop waving in a nonexistent wind. Sure enough, it's full of knots and tangles.
"You really need to learn to relax a bit more out there, Twi."
"I can't afford to relax too much, Anon. You know that."
"Still, I hate seeing you end the day like this. You're barely conscious, aren't you?"
"Haha, I'll never te-LL!" She is interrupted by you accidentally catching your brush on a particularly large knot.
"Oops! Sorry!"
"Well, I'm definitely awake now."
"Yeah, that's my bad." You continue your brushing, though you make an effort to be a bit more gentle. "Anyway, there are a few documents that Ms. Inkwell is gonna be sending your way in the morning. I need your signature on articles seven through twenty."
"Wow, not that many for this week, huh?"
"I already took care of quite a few for you."
"Thank you, Nonny. Hah, I'm sure Raven is going to be stressing out over those things for hours regardless of how few there are."
"Actually, I sent her home for the night."
"You did? Why?"
"Because she looked about as worn out as you do now."
"She pushes herself way too hard. Sending her home was probably a good call. Due to my schedule I never really get a chance to speak to her in the evening. I can only imagine how exhausted she must be."
"Just like somepony else I know."
"I-I'm not that tired!"
Twilight looks away with a pout. It's adorable.
"Hehe, she said something similar. I swear, I'll never understand you guys. Is it really that hard to just admit you need some rest?"
"It's less about not wanting rest and more about wanting to be productive, Nonny."
"You do so much already, though. It sounds to me like you're just never satisfied."
"Hah! Welcome to the world of workaholics, we're happy to meet you."
You chuckle as you finish up her tail. With a deep breath, you gently grasp her mane and begin the monumental task of trying to make it stay still while you brush. She lets out a tiny moan when you do so.
"Heh, come to think of it, it's been quite some time since I've brushed your mane, hasn't it?"
"It's been a few months, I suppose. You say that like it's your job."
"Isn't it?"
"Pfft. No, Nonny. Stop being silly."
"I'll call it a fun hobby, then."
"You don't have to fuss over me like this."
"You say that like I don't want to. It's a gesture of love, dear."
She chuckles again.
"I know, Nonny. You've always been... 'hands-on' when it comes to affection."
"Is that a double entendre I'm hearing?"
Twilight blushes.
"N-no! Dang it Anon, stop teasing me!"
"Haha!" It takes some time, but you eventually finish brushing her mane. When you do so, you place the brush at your side. "Unfurl your wings for me, Twi."
"You're really going the whole nine yards, aren't you?" You notice that she's looking more and more drowsy as you go, causing you to smile to yourself. Regardless, she does unfurl her wings for you. They just keep getting bigger as the years go on. More and more feathers for you to massage and preen for her. You get to work doing just that, your experienced fingers expertly weaving between her many purple feathers. She coos at your touch. "I haven't done this in a while."
"You could always just ask~."
"And I'm sure you would oblige, even if all of your fingers were broken. That's why I don't ask."
"Hah. How dare I be a loving and affectionate husband, right?"
She sighs, feigning annoyance.
"I just feel like I'm bad at returning the favor."
"Oh come on, Twilight. You're a big, important princess that's always in the limelight. The least I can do is support you wherever possible. I don't need you to return the favor."
You finish up one of her wings and begin your work on the other.
"And if I wasn't a princess?"
You lean forward slightly and kiss the back of her neck.
"Then you'd still be my favorite mare, deserving of all the attention I can give you."
"Sweet Celestia, you're corny."
"I'd rather be corny than insincere."
She doesn't respond, but you see her cheeks grow even redder. As you wrap up your work on her second wing, you notice that the poor girl is barely conscious at this point.
"Alright, get on your back."
"Mmm."
She's barely even awake enough to give you a proper response, but she listens all the same and finally gets onto her back, resting her head on a big, fluffy pillow. Retrieving the brush once again, you pause to give her a once-over. You catch yourself smiling as you do so.
You love this mare so much.
Twilight closes her eyes, clearly moments away from falling asleep. Before she can do so, however, you lean down to steal a quick kiss from her. She smiles, though she says nothing. You take that as a silent sign to finish what you started. Using your brush, you gently work on her chest floof, doing your best to be as gentle as possible. Within seconds, a quiet snore starts coming from your lovely wife.
She really was sleepy.
Once you finish brushing her floof, you look her over once more. The only place you haven't brushed is her belly, and doing so would probably tickle too much and wake her up. Instead, you set the brush back down on the bedside table and grab the covers. In one motion, you throw said covers over the both of you. With a silent contentedness, you wrap your arms around your sleeping wife and pull her in close. Even in her unconscious state, she still gently squeezes you back and nuzzles her face into your neck a little bit. She's soft, warm, and all-around pleasant to hold. With one final sigh, you close your eyes and allow your thoughts to drift away from you.
Nights like these never get old.
