The Prince's Predicament 2: The Princess's Predicament

Cadance yawned and stretched as she picked herself up from the bed. She'd had a good night with the maid, who was still passed out and twitching beside her. She was a real cutie, and Cadance would have loved to spend more time exploring her internal workings, but there were more important things to do right now. She had a husband to track down.

After a quick shower and brushing, Cadance went to Shining's second favourite bedchamber; the one where he would regularly have guests stay. And if those guests should be hot, he'd be more than happy to keep them warm through the night. Another maid was already in the room, dressing the bed. She looked up as Cadance entered. "Morning, ma'am."

"Good morning. Was my husband in here last night?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Where is he?"

"He and his guests went to breakfast, ma'am."

Cadance nodded. "Thank you." As she left, she wondered who Shining had brought as his guests. Whoever it was, Cadance would have gladly invited them into her bed last night. There was no reason for him to keep his guests to himself. Cadance was tired, sure, but she could entertain.

When she arrived in the dining room, Shining was there with four guards, all sitting at one end of the table, laughing amongst each other. Shining's plate was mostly clear, with just a bit of fried potato remaining.

"Oh, we all know who can take the biggest load," chuckled the largest stallion. "Shining was practically carrying us all last night."

"You know, size isn't everything," added one of the smaller ones. "Stamina's important, too. Even if it's a big load, you're not going to put it anywhere if you can't hold onto it."

"Girls, you're both pretty," snarked Shining. "You'll both find dates for your balls."

An uproar erupted from the stallions as they laughed to themselves. Shining had always been able to inspire loyalty among his guards. They loved him dearly and would do anything to keep him safe.

Cadance stepped up behind him, wrapping her hooves around his shoulders. "Good morning, everypony," Cadance smiled, kissing Shining's cheek. "How are we this morning?"

The guards all stood and saluted. "Ma'am."

"At ease," commanded Shining, waving for them to sit back down and finish their eggs. "Sleep well?" he asked.

"I'd have slept better if a certain big, strong stallion had taken me to bed," she flirted. "Why didn't you join me last night?"

"I thought you'd be in such comfort upon returning to your mattress that you'd fall right asleep," he shrugged, "and I didn't want to wake you without cause."

"Well, I thank you for your concern," she cooed, "but I'll not be kicking you out of bed. If the maid you sent weren't still a mess, I'd take you back there right now."

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No."

Shining stood up and called over a member of the kitchen staff. "I need a big plate with eggs, hash browns, parsnips, oatmeal, grapefruit, toasted pastries, crystalberry pancakes and a big bowl of strawberries and bananas."

The server ran off, and within less than a minute, came back with Cadance's breakfast.

"Shining, I really don't need all of this food..."

"Nonsense," he insisted. "You've been outside of the hospitality of the Crystal Empire for a few years. Come, avail yourself of our delicious and bountiful food. I'll go inspect the guards, and we can meet up later for the tour."

With a kiss on her forehead, Shining left the room, not quite finishing his potatoes. Sensing the sudden discomfort in the room, the guards continued eating silently.

After about a minute of nothing but forks clinking against plates, Cadance cleared her throat. "Did something happen while I was away?"

The largest guard nodded. "A great many things, ma'am."

"I mean, did something happen to Shining Armor?"

"Well, you were gone for three years," noted another guard. "I mean, if you stopped a war between the dragons and gryphons, it's possible, even probable, that your husband might have changed a bit, too."

"I had a six-year absence from my wife," added another. "I'd been on a campaign for four years, and three weeks before I was supposed to be sent back home, I was captured and held prisoner by the opposing force until my rescue. I thought those dragons were going to eat me for sure, but they didn't. When I came home, my wife barely recognised me. And when she finally figured out who I was, she was scared to touch me, for fear that she'd touch my scars the wrong way and drive me into unending agony. But now we're fine."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Cadance.

"He's saying he'll come around," explained the big guard. "Prince Shining Armor has been running the Crystal Empire on his own for a long time, so he's probably still running that at full strength. It'll be awhile before he remembers how to relax and take things slow again. Give him some time to settle."

Cadance poked at her parsnips. "He was working that hard without me, huh?"

"The Empire looks great, though," added the small guard. "I don't think it'd be nearly as great as it is now if he hadn't taken the reins. It would have destroyed a lesser stallion, I think. That, or whoever was put in charge would take the opinions of the citizens a bit less seriously. Served his own agenda, you know?"

"So, he helped the citizens first?"

"Yes, ma'am. He's a better stallion than most. You're lucky to have him."

"I think you might have that wrong," corrected the big one. "We're lucky that she picked him as her husband. We're the ones reaping the benefits of having such a benevolent and strong leader."

Cadance nodded. "We're all very lucky to have him. Especially the special guests from last night."

Two of the guards blushed. Cadance took note, quite ready to use their bodies to reward her husband for his good work. If they were stallions he was interested in, she'd do her best to make sure he had what he wanted. If Shining was trying to make everypony else in the empire happy, somepony had to make sure he was made happy. But first...

"I have a task for you boys," she pointed to the four of them. "After breakfast, I want to see you all in my chambers. I'd like to do my own "guard inspection" this morning..."