"Well...I suppose I should have seen that one coming."

Sunset's word's elicited a chuckle from Adagio.

"Naturally, dear."

The two had, over the course of their walk together, not headed for either of their homes, but rather a place that was pretty much the definition of comfort in Canterlot; Sugar Cube Corner. This place, despite being so late in the afternoon, was still abuzz with activity, with many of the girls' fellow students acting as patrons to the venue. And yet, in spite of how packed it was, it nevertheless maintained an air of cosiness to it, thanks in no small part to the service of Mr and Mrs Cakes. Adagio and Sunset had found a comfortable corner booth to sit in for the time being, and were, at this moment, warming themselves on a pair of cups of tea. Taking a small sip, Adagio let out a contented sigh before turning to her intrigued listener, bearing her usual smirk as she resumed speaking.

"So, as you could no doubt predict, it didn't take long before I had the boy in the palm of my hand. A few sweet words here, and few subtle bouts of body language there, and before long...well..."

Another brief chuckle escaped her.

"...let's just say he didn't have to sleep alone that night."

A small blush crept onto Sunset's face as she heard that, prompting Adagio to smile in an amused manner.

"You and your friends look so cute when you do that."

Needless to say, such comments caused Sunset to frown at her companion somewhat, but, rather than declare how irritating it was, she simply cleared her throat before speaking up again.

"So, given that your...conquest was successful, what happened then?"

Turning back to her tea, Adagio took another sip before replying.

"Well, since the deed was done, I knew it was only a matter of time before the next step of my plan came to fruition. In fact, it came earlier than expected..."

Slowly, she turned to Sunset, a devilish smile plastered on her face.

"...when his Father found us."

Immediately, Sunset looked rather concerned after hearing that, clearly expecting nothing good to come from such a statement. It wasn't long before Adagio confirmed her fears.

"The King had come to wake the prince early, to discuss the choosing of his bride. But, the moment he laid eyes on us there, together in that bed, well...I suppose you can imagine his reaction."

Adagio looked away briefly, looking ponderous as she continued.

"The King decided then and there that I was to be his son's wife, if for no other reason than to avoid a scandal like this tarnishing the image of the royal family. The wedding arrangements were made that same day."

Her expression became one of nostalgia.

"And it was indeed an impressive ceremony. Half the kingdom had turned up to witness our vows. It was quite something."

However, her smirk soon returned.

"And when I looked out into the crowd, seeing the jealous looks on all the young girls of the land, knowing that I had taken the boy so many of them had dreamed about...it was a very satisfying feeling."

Sunset rolled her eyes after hearing that, staying silent to allow Adagio her moment of vanity. But, after a suitable amount of time had passed, the former unicorn decided that it was time to get the story back on track.

"So, I'm guessing your child came soon afterwards?"

To that, Adagio scoffed.

"Hardly! Putting aside the fact that it often took a good deal of convincing to bring my still-nervous dear husband to the bedchamber at all, it took several weeks and many tries before his seed finally took. At one point I was actually somewhat concerned that my brilliant plan might actually come crashing down at that stage."

After taking another sip of her drink, Adagio turned to Sunset, bearing a small smile.

"But, in the end...the deed was done. I was carrying his child. For a while, I was treated like the most precious and valuable thing in the kingdom because of it. My sisters and I enjoyed the high life for quite some time. Had all gone to plan, such a life would have continued for quite some time."

Soon after though, her expression soured, and she looked away, staring into the reflection of herself in her tea.

"But, of course...nothing ever really goes to plan, does it?"

Sunset tilted her head, displaying clear curiosity.

"Why? What happened?"

Taking a deep breath, Adagio exhaled, before looking to her companion with a look of utter seriousness.

"What happened is that, in one night, all of my plans for that realm fell apart. For you see, mere days before I was due to give birth..."

Looking away, the Siren's eyes narrowed.

"...war came to the kingdom."

The night was, for the most part, a still and calm one, save for the occasional call of some night-time bird flying across the skies. Within the royal palace, everything was as it should be, with not a hair out of place for any who dwelt there. In one of the many towers lay the chamber of the prince, and within, the man himself was sound asleep within the confines of his large and luxurious bed. But, he was not alone this night, for there, laying beside him, was his wife, Adagio. Though covered by the same bed-sheets as her husband, her arms and shoulders rested above it, making it clear that she wore no clothing underneath. And, on top of everything else, a distinct bulge further down the sheets gave away her condition, and, more importantly, how far along she was. The whole image was that of restfulness, the silence only broken by the gentle breathing of the slumbering couple.

However, the peace of the moment was soon shattered by a sudden and unexpected noise. Both sleepers woke, sitting up in their bed soon afterwards and looked ahead. There, before them, was the large window at the end of their chamber, and beyond, far in the distance, there was a strange orange glow, almost like the kind that usually heralded a sunrise. But it was far too early for that. In addition, there was that noise again, far away, and yet nevertheless unnerving. It sounded like people. Lots of people. A terrifying number of people. One looked at this combination of sights and sounds, and they felt only one thing; Fear. The prince looked, understandably, disturbed by this.

"Wha...what is going on?!"

Adagio remained silent, her eyes narrowing in a display of both annoyance and concern. But, before she had a chance to respond to the prince, the door of their chambers burst open. Immediately, Adagio resumed her well-practised role of the demure maiden, letting out a feigned gasp of surprise while clutching her bed-sheets to her chest, lest anyone see her lack of modesty. To the relief of both her and the prince, it was only the King, who, for reasons that were about to become clear, was garbed in full battle armour, with him even carrying a sword in hand. The towering man bowed his head slightly at the sight of Adagio in her bed.

"Apologies, my girl, but my son is required elsewhere."

Hearing that, the prince leapt out of his side of the bed. Unlike his wife, he had seen fit to actually wear simple garments as he slept, but, as he made his way from the bedside, he reached over for his own armour, albeit a set far less used than that of his Father, all while regarding the man with confusion.

"Father?! What in the name of the Gods is going on out there?!"

The King frowned at that, raising a hand and pointing to the window.

"We are invaded, my son! Our enemies have gathered and are at our gates!"

The prince darted his head towards the window, before looking back to his Father.

"What do we do?"

To that, the King lifted his sword, staring at it as he answered his son.

"What we must do; Fight!"

He turned, looking his son right in the eye before bellowing out his next command.

"I wish your first taste of battle had been under better circumstances, my lad, but it seems we have little choice now. You must prepare and meet me at the gates. We will rally what forces we have and deal with this incursion!"

The prince nodded, already having adorned most of his armour. For a moment, he turned to look upon his wife, who regarded him with that look of fear and concern that she had so often practised. But, before either of them had a chance to say anything to one another, the king stepped aside, revealing a pair of figures behind him. To the surprise of both the prince and Adagio, it was her sisters, Aria and Sonata. Like Adagio, they too were looking fearful, wearing just as much of an expertly-crafted look of timidity as their elder sister wore. The King ushered them in, after which he looked to his daughter-in-law.

"I took the liberty of finding your sisters. I believe you would want them close during this difficult time."

Adagio nodded, and her sisters entered the room in earnest soon afterwards. Without another word, the king looked to his son, giving him a commanding nod, which was promptly returned by the boy. With a single motion, the monarch left the chamber, the doors remaining open to allow his son to follow. And speaking of whom, the boy turned to his wife, walking to her side of the bed and getting down on one knee.

"My love, I must leave you now. Please, remain here. It will be safe for you."

Adagio nodded, raising a hand and gently caressing the side of her husband's face.

"Return to me, my prince."

The boy smiled at her touch, his eyes slowly moving down to her swollen belly, wherein he carefully placed a hand upon it. Feeling the movement within, he took on a thoughtful look, before looking Adagio in the eye.

"I will try, dear Lady."

Leaning closer, he pressed his lips against hers, and together they took this moment to enjoy that tender kiss, all while Aria and Sonata stood silent nearby. When the kiss broke, the prince gave his wife one final look, before standing tall and walking with all haste after his Father, closing the chamber door behind him. The moment he was gone, however, Adagio's face changed to one of utter seriousness, as she narrowed her eyes at the window nearby.

"This...this makes things difficult."

With one motion of her hands, Adagio threw the sheets off herself at last, and swiftly left the bed entirely. She cared not for the fact that she was completely bare before her sisters, nor did she care for how cold the stone floor was on her feet as she walked. Her focus was on the window, and the bright orange glow in the distance. She rested one hand upon the windowsill, looking intently at the horizon. Even from this distance, she could see them. Hundreds, if not thousands of people beyond the city walls. Whether soldiers or simply some barbarian horde, she cared not. They were here, and they meant harm upon this place. But Aria, who now stood beside her, chuckled at the sight of it all.

"It is about time we saw some strife in this land! I have been waiting for a meal like this for far too long!"

Adagio nodded as she took in her sister's words, but kept a stoic look as she regarded the enemies at the gates. Her keen Siren senses, as always, let her see what these mere humans could not. A cloud of green magic, massive in scope, rising above the mob. Her instincts yearned for that negative energy, screaming at her to go forth and take it all in. It was everything she'd hoped to create since coming here. And yet, her face was not one of hunger, nor anticipation, but of concern and calculation. Her eyes drifted downwards, to her swollen middle, and for a moment, she placed a hand upon it. Thoughtfulness was plastered all over her face, and as she looked back up, she narrowed her eyes.

"...No."

Her words were brief and to-the-point, and they yielded the expected result, as Aria looked to her with confusion, as did Sonata, who had likewise walked beside her. It took a few moments of silence, but eventually, the purple-haired Siren finally spoke.

"Wha...what do you mean no? Sister, this is everything we've been wanting since we came here! There is negative energy out there the likes of which we haven't seen since Equestria! How can you not want this?!"

Turning to her angry sister, Adagio frowned somewhat.

"Think, Aria! We may need negative energy, but what now forms out there beyond the walls is not of our making! It is born of the anger and hate of one nation against another. It is raw, wild, untamed. It is...beyond our control."

A sigh escaped her as she turned to the window once more.

"This is not like some riot or brawl that we have engineered, sister. It is not slow, built-up and calculated, like we planned. This...this brutality will overflow here. It will consume this kingdom and leave nothing in it's wake. Not even our magic will be able to rein in that kind of aggression now that it has been unleashed."

Looking up to Sonata, and then to Aria, Adagio's next words were spoken with grim seriousness.

"We will perish if we remain."

To say that Aria and Sonata were shocked to hear this would have been a great understatement, as they now looked to one another with uncertainty. It took a few moments, but eventually, Aria let out a sigh, looking out to the green energy out on the horizon with resentment in her eyes.

"Such a waste."

Adagio nodded in agreement, but soon afterwards, she turned, walking over to a nearby dressing cabinet. Opening up it's doors, she looked through the wide selection of clothes on display before her, before finally settling on a simple purple dress. With a swift motion on her part, she clad herself in the garment, tying it closed and making sure she looked at least moderately presentable, before looking to her sisters.

"We need to leave, and quickly."

Aria and Sonata nodded to her, staying quiet as their elder walked over to a nearby wall. Raising a hand, Adagio grabbed hold of one of the wall's candle-holders, giving it a strong tug. Immediately, there was a cracking sound, causing all three to turn their attention to the side. There, a small section of the wall gave way, opening up before them and revealing a darkened stairway within. Looking upon it, Adagio gained a slight smirk.

"Always ensure a way out."

But, before she or the others made their way out of the place, Adagio turned, looking upon a nearby table. There, there was a stand, and upon it was an ornate-looking sword, it's blade shining even in the dim light of the room. Regarding it carefully, Adagio strolled towards it, reaching out and picking it up. As she felt the sharp blade in her hands, a small-yet-sly smile grew on her.

"Dear husband...how very forgetful of you."

She turned to Aria, handing her the sword.

"We should not leave unprotected."

The middle Siren sister nodded, grabbing the handle of the sword and giving it a moment's attention, before looking instead to the secret passageway. As the only one among them now armed, Aria took the lead, being the first to step within the passage. Sonata went next, and Adagio quickly behind her. But, the elder Siren regarded her bedchambers one final time, frowning and letting out a sigh.

"What a disappointment."

And with that, she looked within, pressing a brick on the inside of the passage, which cased the thing to close up behind her. The room was now as it was not so long ago, and not a moment too soon, for it was mere seconds later that the official door of the chamber opened, revealing none other than the prince himself. He entered the room swiftly, almost in a panicked state, panting as he did so.

"Apologies...my love. I forgot...forgot my sword, and..."

But, as he finally stopped panting, he looked up, soon realising, to his shock, that he had been speaking to nobody.

"Ad...Adagio?"