Zikel was in the royal study with a book in his hand, leaning against the wall as he sat on a pillow comfortably with his legs crossed. His eyes solely focused on the words as he read within his mind. Celestia stole a few glances of him from time to time. She loved how focused his eyes were, she wondered what it would be like to have him stare at her so...intently. It made her shudder a bit, those eyes locking into ehrs...to her very core. It excited the mare.

"I just love how his eyes look..and with that serious stare..."

She thought to herself. He flipped a page as he finished reading the first. He lifts his head up to find Celestia starring at him with wide eyes. He tilts his head a bit in confusion. She quickly looks away with a slight blush.

"Tia...you alright?"

"Erm...yes Zikel. I am fine, its just I never took you for the heavy reader type. It's amazing at how focused you are."

"Well Tia, I am not much of a heavy reader. But I enjoy a book as much as the next pony."

She nodded to him and went back to her own book for awhile. She continued to glance up at him every now and then as he read. Then an idea popped into her mind, she couldn't help but giggle at it. She stood up and shelved her current book and pulled out another that seemed to involve the lives of a pony and a dragon. She brought it over to him and placed it in his face over his other book. Zikel then looked up at her. She had a big smile on her face as she suddenly pounced on the same pillow he was on and nuzzled up close to him.

"Let's read this one together!"

Zikel arched a brow, but didn't lean away.

"Tia...are you sure you are a ruler who has lived for thousands of years and not some little school filly in disguise? I think that would be frowned upon."

He teased. She looked up at him with those pouty lips and puffed cheeks, adorable as usual.

"its not my fault! I just...feel I can be myself around you is all. Me and Lulu never had that when we were younger. I guess I am just trying to makeup for lost time."

"Tia, I never said it was a bad thing. To be honest, I prefer the real you to the  one I first met. Same thing with Lulu. I like it that you two can feel at ease around me. As I know I can do the same with you."

Celestia smiles and presses more against him as he revealed this information to her. levitating the book more in front of him.

"Sooooooo?"

He grabs the book and chuckles lightly. opening it up and beginning to read it out loud with her. She would speak the mare's parts as he would speak the dragon's, this surprisingly went on for nearly three hours straight. They were laughing and smiling the whole time they read together. It was enjoyable for the both of them. Just spending time with one another. As they neared the end of the book, There was a rather loving and romance kissing scene. They both blushed fiercely  as they locked eyes, slowly leaning in closer....and closer...

"Ahem..you kiss her, you better not leave ME out of it.."

Both Zikel and Celestia jumped as Luna was just as close as they were. looking away from one another, but Celestia glared at her sister, who was smirking

"You know the agreement big sis. He has to kiss both of us!"

Zikel quickly stood up and shoved the book back onto the shelf.

"W-we just got caught up in the moment was all!"

He said as he tried to find a way out of this situation. Luna arched a brow, the a sly smile came across her face.

"So, you aren't going to finish what you started mister?"

"You know Lulu...technically I am already one kiss ahead of you. I smooched him when I went to go talk to him behind the spa the day we all went.."

Zikel did indeed remember that. He gives a sheepish smile and looks at Luna who was now pouting up at him

"Then its only fair I get to kiss him as well. C'mere you!"

Zikel had no time to react as a leaping Luna pounces on him and locks lips with his, Zimel falling back with his hands landing on her flank. She lets out a soft moan as this happened into his mouth, Celestia's mouth agape at her sister's blod move upon Zikel. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Ask the two kissed,Zikel noticed that her lips were just as soft as Celestia's. Ooooh to feel both pairs of lips...it would be...sublime.

(*crosses his arms again* Reader...do we have to discuss this again? No..NO! Get back here!)

Zikel laid there with a goofy grin on his face after Luna had her way with his lips. He wasn't going to lie. Being kissed by Celestia and now Luna was pretty cool. Not many can brag about that. Luna couldn't help but giggle as Zikel finally shook himself back into reality.

"Well now...that certainly was...actually it was very nice. Both of you have such soft lips."

He sighs a bit, going quiet for a moment. He knew is was time to get serious. He looked up to the blushing sisters.

"Tia, Lulu, I don't know what it is you see in me. But I am still surprised that both of you want to be with me. I am still trying to wrap my mind around how that is okay with both of you."

Celestia lightly smiles to him and plopped on her rear in front of him, as did Luna.

"Remember what I told you Zikel? About us finding the right mate that could stay with us for thousands of years? Me and Lulu agreed on sharing that same mate should that ever happen. I love my sister very much to do that for her. And you seem like the perfect dragon for it all. You are kind, brave, and you put others first before yourself, that last one dragons don't normally possess."

"That's right Zikel, me and Tia aren't making this decision off the fly either. After our last mates, who...passed on in such a short time for us. If we came across anypony we both liked, we would both be his. And if our love was true. We decided to use our magic to make him ageless like us.But the good thing about you is that you are a dragon. And we have more than enough time to work things out."

Zikel looked between the two sisters. Should he keep on denying the feelings he had for both of them?he knew he had liked them from the get go, but now his bond with them has surely grown over the passing months he has been living in this world. It certainly has been a roller coaster of events. He lowers his head for a bit, then looks up to both of them with another serious stare.

"If you two really want to be with me in such a way. Then you obviously know what could happen if things should get out of control if the kingdom fell under attack. It would be like what happened back at the Crystal Empire. Are you willing to have a killer as your mate, ladies?"

Celestia and Luna looked to each other for a moment, they nodded to each other, then to him.

"We know the risks Zikel, but that isn't going to lessen our feelings for you. We know you do these things not out of evil intent or maliciousness. But simply because you wish to protect that which you hold dear. Just because we are immortal, don't mean we are invincible. Our lives could be taken from us should we fail. But knowing we may have you at our side...there is nothing we couldn't face together..."

Luna would simply nod in agreement at her sister's words. Zikel looks between them both once more. He was about to make the biggest decision in his life, and it weighed heavily on his back. He was about to accept not one, but TWO hearts that seemed to beat only for him.

"And you two won't regret this decision you have made?"

They both shook their heads in sync.

""Very well then. I am willing to take on this relationship with you two. Even though it seems a bit...unreal, I would be happy to be called your mate. I have gotten to know you so much over the time we have been friends. I just really hope...this doesn't turn into a feud between sisters and their lover. That's the last thing I need."

They both gasp in delight and pounce him instantly, nuzzling into him, happy as can be.both of their tail swaying rather excitedly

"He said yes Tia!"

"He sure did Lulu! He is all ours now!"

Zikel laid there with the two alicorns in his arms, thinking back to the twins back at the spa and chuckled lightly. Looks like they won't be getting any sexy time from him after all. What a shame. He held them closely in his arms, not letting go. For the first time, he has finally accepted a little bit of happiness in his life. He wasn't going to fear it any longer. Instead, he was going to fight, even kill for it. Why should he be denied it when he has suffered enough? Zikel looked down at the two alicorns who starred up at him with eyes filled with love and hope for him. He couldn't help but lean in and press his forehead against both of theirs.

"I won't lie to you ladies...but I am rather excited about this. My first real relationship..with TWO beautiful mares. I honestly don't know how lucky I am do I?"

"Oh you are extremely lucky Zikel...don't worry. Me and Lulu will take good care of you. We would fight to the end of Equestria to make sure you are safe and loved...."

"That's right, no one will take you from us Zikel. Your heart belongs to royalty now. And anyone who tries to take you from us will suffer the consequences."

Zikel couldn't help but chuckles.

"You two really are like a couple of school fillies who have just found the stallion of their dreams. its quite adorable really."

They could care less about Zikel's teasing and prodding at the moment, for they were in pure happiness and bliss right now. They both had the male of their hearts now, in his arms and resting against him.Nope, they didn't care one bit.

"Well now, I think this calls for a celebratory bath time. Don't you Lulu?"

"I agree, Tia."

They both pick him up with their magic and drag him along.

:Let's go mister. You are coming with us to get all scrubbed down and pampered again!"

"Oh gods, come on girls you known how I feel about that!"

He latches onto the threshold of the door with his claws, like a dog who knows bath time is on its way. Eventually he is pried from the wood, which now had five claws marks in it.

"NOOOOOooooo!"

His voice trailed off as they got further down the hall.

--Royal Baths--

SPLASH!!

Zikel was thrown in after being stripped down, he rises up from the water as the two sisters joined in shortly by jumping in after they removed their regalia. He spat out some water that had gotten in his mouth and looked at the two with a rather unamused stare towards them. They both giggled at him and walked over, sitting next to him and nuzzling into him lovingly. they looked up at him with those big lovely eyes...damnit he couldn't be mad at that.

"You are lucky I find you two absolutely adorable..."

They bopth laughed and pressed closer to him, wrapping their forearms around his torso.

"And we are lucky that you are such a kind and loving dragon...our last mates didn't take things like these lightly...they would get so upset when we wanted to just play around and have some fun. But you seem to take it in stride. Its one thing we admire about you."

Zikel sighed and just smiled. She was right after all, he would never get angry at such a thing, especially since it wasn't really meant to upset him. He brings his arms around them both and hugs them closely, they both wraps their wings around him as they rest against him. After a few minutes of that, they grab the soap and the brush, looking at him with those big eyes again.

"Alright alright...fine."

They giggled and began scrubbing his body and combing his hair. They looked at all the scars that adorned his body from the last battle he had and frowned a bit.

"Zikel...those changelings really hurt you didn't they..?"

Celestia asked. He nodded to her.

"Well, when it's twenty oversized bugs against one shadowmancer with a dagger. I can't exactly slip passed them all without getting bit, cut, or anything else they threw at me. If it weren't for my determination to save Cadence, probably wouldn't have made it out alive."

They both lowered the ears a bit at his words, the both leaned in and started kissing at his healed over wounds. This made Zikel feel...oddly better. And he didn't know why. They continued peppering his body with kisses, finally one of them catching the last scar their soft lips hadn't touched> Zikel was really starting to enjoy their attention now. Could it be that their feelings truly are so strong for him, that they would treat him this way? Being his first relationship, his was a bit confused. then again, it could also be their maternal instinct taking over. Zikel was eighteen after all. And these two were thousands of years old. Could that be one of the reason why they wish to do these things for him? Maybe so. And to be honest, It was starting to grow on Zikel. In his mind, he remembers how his own mother used to be like that when he was younger. But their bonding was cut short by her death, as was his father's as well. He decided he would let these two do this then. If it made them happy to pamper their mate in such a way, he wasn't going to stop them.

"You ladies are too good to me. You know that don't you?"

"With what you have been through Zikel..you deserve all the love and affection in the world. And me and Lulu plan on giving it to you>"

"You bet your scaley rump we will."

Zikel smiles warmly and just relaxes, enjoying the attention for once. though something in his mind was bothering him, that last little peace of paranoia was nagging at him and telling him to be on guard. And when his mind is still fighting to tell him that, it usually mean something was going to happen in the future. Near or far though, he couldn't tell.

"I sense a malicious darkness creeping upon the land Zikel. Be alert, as events in the world are about to unfold. keep your friends and your lovers close...you will need them."

Zikel simply nodded as the princesses were too busy doing what they were doing Next Chapter: Act 19: Love Of The Sun, Moon And Shadow Estimated time remaining: 34 Minutes