The Queen of Canterlot

Changelings were insects. They did not have pair bonding instincts. Though they could love, and formed lifelong relationships, their language had no words for boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife. Romantic love was not a thing to be had with changelings, but with ponies, be it given freely or stolen.

Cadence gave it freely.

One night, on the way to tag the new concrete utility building next to the park, Chrysalis caught Cadence staring at her pony form -- eyeing up the mare with the grey coat and the green eyes.

“See something you like, Princess?” she teased, voice coy, flush with intonations that implied she was ever so much more mature and experienced than Cadence would ever be.

“Yeah,” Cadence said. “You.”

Chrysalis had so many memories of kissing Cadence, that when Cadence put a leg around her she acted on instinct. She didn’t pull away, or interpose a hoof. She leaned her head forward, as once she had been commanded to do.

And Cadence kissed her.

The next morning, Cadence showed up at Twilight and Shining’s house, with a picnic blanket and a lunch and a day full of romantic activities planned. Which if it had been a Saturday and not a Thursday, would have been normal enough.

“I’m a princess,” she said to Shining, in a voice that he couldn’t help but notice had a slight uncomfortable rigidity to it, a brittleness he could not recall before hearing. “I mean, I can excuse you from the academy if I want. For a day. Love is important.”

The guilt on her face was plain enough that even ponies who had no connection to the previous nights events commented upon it. Twilight asked if Cadence had done something to be in “the dog house,” and Cadence said that little fillies who want to stay up late the next time they’re babysat need to mind their own business.

Shining went with her, and she doted upon him, and said all the right things and reminded them both that she loved him. And Shining said, whatever it was it was fine. And he thought, it was fine. It wasn’t cheating. Even if Chrysalis had been another mare, all they’d done was make out a bit.

Which, from a certain perspective, made it okay.

They were on one of the grass hills overlooking Canterlot staring up at the sky when she asked him: “After you graduate, you want to get married?”