“This is completely insane; he just shows up whimpering at the front gate of the castle and we let him right in like he has an appointment.”
“He's locked up just like you wanted, Cadance.”
“You say that like it's not a perfectly reasonable precaution.”
“Can we please just sort this all out and come to agreeable terms.”
“Of course. He can stay down here until he's willing to tell us the real story. Then we can decide what happens next.”
“What's wrong with his story?”
“How can you not see that this is a trick?”
“Look at him, Cay! He’s the right age. He’s the most pony-looking Changeling I’ve come across. Have you ever seen such a thing?”
“He's a Changeling, Shining; that's what they do. They take different forms to deceive you. This is how he's infiltrating the castle. It's a plot.”
She has a point there. Who’s to say that this is his true form?
“Remember how I was a guard and then I was Captain of the Guard, the most high profile security job in the country? I can read creatures like an open book. His behavior, body language and story haven't raised any red flags for me. And if he was really a spy, why come as a Changeling begging for help and not just be a literal fly on the wall?”
“Because he's playing a role and he's committed to it. It's the same reason he hasn't tried to transform into something small and slip out through the bars of his cell to escape.”
“I can't even change.”
“Excuse me?”
“I- I can fly but I can't shapeshift.”
“Well, you have no way of proving that to anyone, do you?”
“Can we at least be civil about this?”
“I am being civil about this.”
“Your tone just sounds really angry.”
“It's because I'm really angry. You seem to have omitted significant details about what happened when that harpy imprisoned me in Canterlot.”
“What? No, that's not true at all! This changes nothing about my story. I was completely clear with you about everything that happened because I respect you and I didn't want our marriage starting out with a lie. This is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you.”
“Uh-huh. I'm not too familiar with Changeling biology. So how do we know you don't have a whole swarm of bastards over there?”
“Okay, first of all let's maybe not use that word and second, I don't know what else to say about that except that we already had that conversation years ago.”
“That's what they called me in the Hive too… bastard… or halfling.”
“Wait a minute, you can't both reject the claim of his identity and resent his existence as my illegitimate offspring. Which is it?”
“...I was being facetious.”
“No you weren't.”
“He can be both your biological… son and a spy or saboteur. An assassin even.”
“How old are you?”
“Seven, sir.”
“Okay, let's just take his story at face value for argument’s sake. Doesn't taking him in, a Changeling prince, put a big target on our backs?”
“With Chrysalis? We already have targets on our backs.”
“I’m not a prince and I don't think anyone is going to miss me.”
“I'm not going to let some no-account stranger from an enemy nation live under the same roof as my family.”
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here but I didn't know where else to go; I don't belong anywhere.”
“Can I talk to you in private in the upstairs office?”
“Ugh… fine.”
“Excuse us a minute.”
“I know this is an emotional minefield but I can't believe you right now. That kid has probably never had a real parental figure in his life or anyone who even cared. Can you see that he's half me?”
“And he's half Chrysalis.”
“And that's the half he left behind. He flew all the way here alone, risking death and he looks sick. He's reaching out not just to me but to us. We're the only hope he has; how can we just lock him up or turn him away?”
“My heart is open to everyone but I'm not naive. I'm trying to be a responsible ruler and mother to our daughter, Shining.”
“I’m trying to be responsible too; none of us asked for this but it's what happened. I know it feels like he just pulled the rug out from under us but you're angry at Queen Chrysalis right now, not me and not him. All three of us have been hurt by her. Can we maybe rally around that common ground? You strive to be everything she's not, so do it here and now. I'm not going to ask you to be a mother to him but at least don't be cruel.”
He's right, I don't hate him. I hate the unhealing wound he embodies.
“I understand your desire to help your newfound progeny despite his sordid origin but what if he's a threat? We just can't be sure and is it really worth the-”
“How much of a threat could he be?”
“If he is who he says he is and he's older than Flurry, that makes him next in line for the Crystal Empire throne if we acknowledge him. What if that's the long game she's playing here?”
“He was conceived before I was even technically a prince.”
“I'll have to refresh my memory of the laws.”
“Please, Cadance.”
“What is it you're planning on doing here? You want to just raise him in the castle like he's one of our family?”
“If it's possible… why not?”
“I wish that I could say that's fine but part of me is still wary of the situation. I would like to give him a chance and have him prove me wrong but what if? I don't want him to just have free reign of the castle.”
“We can keep him under secret twenty-four hour surveillance for a time if it would make you feel better. What are your conditions? I’ll do anything; I’ll bend over backwards to make this work out.”
“I don't have any conditions right now. I need to carefully consider this and while I'm carefully considering this, I need him to remain in lockup... I'm sorry.”
“I… don't like that but I understand and accept it.”
“Why are you so adamant about this? Two hours ago you didn't even know he existed and before that you probably never even thought about the possibility that he might.”
“I don't know. Call it an instinct but seeing him felt like finding a flower growing out of an ugly crack in the cement. I know if we switched places you'd do the same thing.”
“Is it fair for me to say the same about you?”
“...Maybe.”
