(Malandy)

"Cadenza Amore Alicor, will you marry me?"

"YES! YES! YES!"

"So, where did you get the money for the ring? Being a cop doesn't pay that well..."

"Well..."

(Jenna Cipher)

Chrysalis looked up from her copy of Jewelry Master as a loud, irritated knocking sounded from the front door. Sighing, she stood, walked out into the hallway, and slowly, carefully, unlocked and opened her front door.

"Listen, if this is about last night..."

A pink fist collided with her face, and the world went dark.

(Masterweaver)

Thankfully, it was only dark for five minutes. Unfortunately, she woke up to see her assailant trussed up and gagged.

"...Why is miss Cadenza our hostage?" she asked, calmly.

"Well..." Spinerette cleared her throat. "She... she attacked you, you see."

"Did any of you ask why?"

There was a couple of quiet moments.

With a sigh, Chrysalis walked up to the pink woman and ungagged her. "You have a mean right hook. If you don't mind, I'm going to leave you tied up for this conversation."

"Oh, you must really be getting off on this," Cadence spat.

"Not really. This headache I have gets in the way of enjoying, well, anything."

"I'm so sorry."

"Spinerette, would you mind getting us a couple of glasses of water?"

The young woman jumped, heading to the kitchen.

"So." Chrysalis sat across from the bound Cadence. "I'm pretty sure neither of us wants to bring this to court, but I do feel I should know exactly why you attacked me."

"Oh, you know why."

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking, you see."

Cadence rolled her eyes. "Fine. You told Shining he owed you a favor! What, are you going to have him come over and--"

"Oh, that." Chrysalis nodded as Spinerette handed her a glass. "Help miss Cadence with her drink, will you?"

Spinerette scowled, but walked over to the bound woman.

"To be quite honest I ran into him entirely by accident." Chrysalis sipped her drink. "I was helping one of my children find her own engagement ring when, well, he walked into the store. Of course there are very few reasons for people to seek jewelry, and given what he was looking at... Shining is an old friend, so I offered to purchase the rings for free. He wouldn't accept that, though. Something about honor or something." She rolled a hand. "So now, he owes me a favor to call in at some future point."

"Right. What kind of favor?"

"Oh, you know, a look through some criminal records, or maybe a rearranging of paperwork... nothing illegal, and certainly nothing sexual." Chrysalis put her glass down. "I know you don't think highly of me, miss Cadenza. My history and my current work speak to a certain... provicality, shall we say, that makes others uncomfortable. But rest assured that I do take sex and sexual relationships very seriously; I would not endanger Shining Armor's future happiness with any attempt at seduction."

Cadence glowered, the effect slightly ruined by the glass Spinerette was levering to let her drink.

Chrysalis sighed. "Honestly... Would you find it at all comforting if I promised not to attend your wedding?"

"...That might help."

"Very well, it is done. Spinerette, would you mind untying our guest?"

The young girl put down the glass with a growl. "Of course not. Let's let the woman who knocked you out run free." She worked at the knots in the ropes. "No consequences whatsoever, right? We're going to let her go, again, and--"

"Spinerette." Chrysalis held out her hands. "All things in balance."

"Hmmph." With a final twist, the ropes fell away. Spinerette pointed from her eyes to Cadance. "I'm watching you, buster."