After insisting on being alone, Gregory decided to roam around the castle and just explore. Such walks helped to clear his head, he told his friends, and they left him be. Presently he found himself in the gardens, specifically in the hedge maze as he made his tenth left turn. It proved a pleasant distraction, but also afforded him the time to think and consider his situation, the show, his cutie mark, and his life.

“Not an adult till I got my mark,” he said to himself, glancing over his shoulder at his pants covered flank. It was a big deal in this society and he’d decided it made sense in its own right, in so far as it was within the context of magical candy colored talking horses who got offended when you called them horses and not ponies.

Then he recalled how freaked out the cotton candy, er, Pinkie was at finding his flank blank. “Guess she’s already decided me and her sister would make for a perfect couple.”

As he reflected on the matter, he couldn’t find any real fault with the conclusion. Maud was pretty, had a dry sense of humor to match his own, she was a geological prodigy of sorts, a great listener, smelled nice, he just liked being around her, and there was the latest bonus of the budding sexual attraction. The more he thought, the less reason he found that they shouldn’t be together. Not right away, mind you, as he’d prefer they get to know each other a bit longer before making any major decisions. However, there were still matters weighing heavily on his mind.

“Oof!” Gregory grunted as he collided with something, falling back on his haunches. He righted himself and looked up, expecting a wall but instead finding a white alicorn. “Celestia!”

“I hope so,” the queen tittered and offered her hoof. “I’d hate to suffer the inconvenience of another changeling invasion.”

“Right,” Gregory said through a half smile, appreciative of the queen’s good humor as he took her hoof and stood.

“Speaking of invasions, I heard you had quite the encounter with the Element of Laughter the other day,” she grinned playfully.

“Luna tell you?”

“Yes, but not before Pinkie did,” Celestia corrected. “Seems she ran straight to me with urgent news, upon which she went into excessive detail about all that had happened.”

“How excessive?” Gregory asked uneasily.

“Lulu corroborated her story,” Celestia said evenly. “It seems you are doing Equestria a disservice by hoarding your flanks where none can see.”

“Not a problem you’ve ever had, I imagine.” He smirked.

Celestia gave a neighing chortle. “Certainly not, though it continues to be a burden to find a tailor with the nerve to not faint at the prospect of tending the most glorious plot in the land.” She turned to the side and gave her rump a gentle wiggle, to which she and her friend found terribly amusing. The queen, like the other royals, was happy to have found someone not of their inner circle with whom she could be more open. If nothing else, it was an immense relief to just cut loose and be yourself with a good friend.

“And what, might I ask, is the glorious sun doing out here?” Gregory waved a hoof indicating the maze. “Shouldn’t you be holding court right now?”

“I have this hour free,” she said serenely as she gazed about. “So I thought I’d come out here for a walk. It helps put things in perspective, I think.”

“Well, you are a queen.” Gregory grinned as he followed her line of sight and spotted a nest of baby birds at the top of the hedge. “I imagine your opinion counts for something.”

“True enough, such as it is. Countless ponies make the long journey across the empire just to hear a bit of this old alicorn’s wisdom. I do what I can, and it usually works. But, with as much power and authority as I have, I often find that my failures are even more spectacular than my triumphs.”

“And yet you bear it,” Gregory said, earning the queen’s gaze. “I’ve read a few opinion articles in the paper.”

“I read all of them,” Celestia said evenly. “Sometimes they actually bring up valid criticisms.”

“And most of the time it’s just click bait, inflammatory headlines meant to sell papers at the expense of truth or common sense,” Gregory said with a flat smile. “Unless you really do pick your teeth with the bones of the poor when I’m not looking?”

“If I did, I’d be foolish to admit it out loud,” Celestia beamed.

“But you still endure it because you need to.” Gregory smiled more warmly. “You get things done in a way leaders back home would probably have a heart attack over.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow in inttriuge. “Truly?”

“No. That’s just me being optimistic,” Gregory admitted. “They’d probably let it all go to their heads and turn corrupt faster than it takes Blue to pretty himself up.”

“Well that’s not very nice.” Celestia frowned. “Blueblood doesn’t take that long.” They shared in another laugh. “By the most sacred plot, this is proving a most relaxing jaunt. Thank you, Sir Gregory.”

“Sir?”

“Well, maybe not yet, but eventually.” Celestia turned and motioned for him to follow as they continued through the maze. “As a crown sanctioned stud, you will be elevated to the rank of minor nobility, with all the privileges and responsibilities that come with the title. However,” her smile softened, “I sense that such prospects do not agree with you.”

“Yup,” he sighed.

“Which parts?”

“All of it,” Gregory admitted with a shrug. “My responsibilities basically mean I’ve got to whore myself out to anyone who asks. The titles mean people are going to treat me all fancy, again, just because I’m whoring myself out. Although the privileges are something I’m not entirely clear on,” he added optimistically.

Celestia grinned. “It will not be to just any who ask,” she assured. “You still have the innate right of choice, but it will be expected of you to uphold your civic duty.”

“Civic duty?” Gregory asked. “First time I heard it called that.”

“A crown sanctioned task carried out for the good of the citizenry,” Celestia lectured. “What would you call it?”

“I think the word is whorse?” He asked, and Celestia tittered. “Also, exactly how common is this particular duty?”

“It was more common back in the days of old. The tribes were greatly weakened after the migration to Equestria and the suffering they endured under he who must not be named.”

Gregory chuckled under his breath. He’d told Celestia what the phrase meant in his world, but she still insisted on using it in place of the name which rarely failed to invite its owner.

“My sister and I selected among the ponies mares and stallions of exceptional breeding stock and tasked them to replenish the populace. The role of stud or brood mare continues to be administered from time to time, either as reward for exceptional service or simply when we encounter a pony of such exceptionally gifted stock that we feel it a shame to let such bloodlines diminish. This, naturally, has extended to human ponies from the start.”

“Why? I mean, why human ponies exactly? I kind of get that we bring ideas, but why does that make us good breeders? And how did all this stuff start to begin with?”

Celestia hummed thoughtfully. “Such has been the subject of considerable debate among scholars for generations. The most popular conclusion is that all races have their strengths. For ponies, it is our magic and inclination towards harmony. For humans, it is your aggression and innovation. However, when these particular strengths are combined, they form something truly amazing.”

“Amazing how?”

“Hybrids are fairly common, especially along border regions. A pony and a griffon might make a hypogryph, but this being will likely be no more exceptional than their parents. But there is something about human innovation which tempers the spirits of other races. If allowed, ponies would exist in harmony forever, stagnant and unchanging. But when introduced to the human spirit, it is as though human strengths are magnified tenfold within their offspring, be they pony or any other race.” Celestia smiled wryly at her human friend. “You might think yourself to be little more than ordinary by your people’s standards, but it is a virtual promise that your offspring will be anything but. The foals of ponies and human ponies are most comparable to dragons in the passion with which they attack and triumph over life. That, my dear Gregory, is why humans make for desirable breeding stock.”

Gregory’s ears folded back as he turned to look forward. That was a hell of a weight that had been placed on his shoulders, especially being compared to a dragon like that. “Why is any of this even happening, and to me of all people?”

“Fate is a thing ponies have been studying since the beginning, learning little other than to accept it’s whims. Starswirl built many stable portals to other worlds. In his explorations and studies he concluded that there must be some naturally occurring portal between yours and mine. However, this door is fickle, rarely there and only swinging one way, as no human has ever told conclusive stories of Gaians finding their way to earth, save for myth.”

“Probably for the best,” Gregory sighed dispassionately. “Pretty sure ponies wouldn’t have had nearly as warm a welcome as I got.”

Sensing his continued discomfort, Celestia lowered her head and gave his cheek a soft nuzzle. “Others may say that you should feel honored to bear such a task for both its meaningful contribution and associated privileges, but I will not.” He brightened a bit, grateful for her sympathy. “Instead, I would like to talk about Maud.”

“Maud?” Gregory perked up.

“I may not be my niece,” Celestia giggled, “but I can still spot a pony in love several miles out.” She batted his tail with hers. “Am I wrong, Mr. Grimory?”

Gregory hesitated a moment, but only because the question surprised him. “Nope. Alicorn queen opinion strikes again.”

“And you worry how this task will affect your relationship with her, yes?”

Gregory nodded.

“I understand how your cultural notions of monogamy would make this difficult, but, if I may be so bold, I cannot fathom a reason why your fillyfriend would hold any misgivings.”

“Really?” Gregory raised an eyebrow. “She wouldn’t have any issue with her guy sleeping around with a bunch of strange girls?”

“Have you talked to her about this,” Celestia smirked, “or did you simply jump to the worst case scenario and sink into self-pity? Because I feel safe in saying she will not be pleased to learn of the latter.”

Gregory cleared his throat guiltily.

“Healthy communication is a necessary part of any relationship, especially if one means to become an adult.” Celestia let her gaze linger on his flank before meeting his eyes once more. “The Crusaders have already come to me with their intentions for a show. I accepted, of course, and now we only wait for a date as you make your final preparations.”

“Because that doesn’t build up the pressure,” Gregory said with a roll of his eyes.

“A little pressure now and then is good,” Celestia said. “It keeps us focused, and it can be most pleasurable when applied properly.” Her eyebrows bounced suggestively. “I know your mare will attest to that.”

“Probably gonna regret this, but I’ll ask anyway,” Gregory muttered. “How, exactly, do you know that?”

“She’s a mare,” Celestia tittered. “I’ll leave her to explain the rest, as you two really do have much to discuss. I’d also recommend doing so quickly, as it will leave your mind clear and free to focus on more immediate concerns.” She once more glanced back at his flank.

Gregory glanced as well and met Celestia’s gaze with a warm smile. “Thanks. I think I needed to hear that.”

“Any time,” Celestia cheered as they finally emerged from the maze.

***

It wasn’t until the next day that Gregory had worked up the nerve to finally talk to Maud, ignorant of the notes she’d been reviewing all night long.

“Of course I wouldn’t mind,” Maud said evenly as she sat atop his bed while he lay beside her. “It’s actually rather sexy to know I’ve got such a desirable stallion.”

“Is it really that simple?” Gregory asked. “I mean, you don’t think you’d get, ya know, jealous?”

“Of course not,” Maud said, remembering what Twilight had written. “My father studded for several mares in his youth, and many are still family friends. It’s perfectly normal.”

“It’s normal for guys to just sleep around with any mare that comes their way?”

“Well first they have to pay the stud fee,” Maud corrected patiently. “But before that they have to meet the approval of your lead mare, which is me.” She gestured to herself.

Gregory chuckled. He felt he should say something against the way Maud talked as though they were already married, but found her gestures just too cute and endearing for him to care. “So… what? Are you, like, my assistant?”

“More like landlord,” Maud said as she leaned against the stallion’s side. “It’ll be my responsibility to run background checks to ensure your precious seed is given out only to those I deem worthy.”

“Landlord?” While Gregory found Maud’s weight to be a pleasant sensation, he still frowned. “That makes it sound like I’m just a piece of property.”

“Your seed is property,” Maud said flatly. “It’s a valuable commodity meant to be sold. It’s yours, but as lead mare, I’ll get a say in that property’s use and distribution.” She glanced up at her stallion’s dower expression. “Am I upsetting you?”

“No. I mean… I don’t know,” Gregory admitted as he rested his chin atop Maud’s head. It still amazed him how much her contact affected him. “If you’re not bothered, then I guess I shouldn’t be either.”

“I don’t accept that,” Maud said bluntly. “If my stallion isn’t happy, then I can’t be happy either. And if I’m not happy, my sister might shoot us both out of her party cannon until we figure things out.” She snorted. “If it’s all the same with you, I’d rather we just skip to the last part.”

“Agreed,” Gregory answered with a yawn. Maud was proving dangerously comfortable.

“Before we go any further, there’s something I need to know,” Maud said sternly. “Humans don’t have sex before marriage, correct?”

“Yeah,” Gregory confirmed skeptically. “I mean, it happens, but you’re supposed to wait.”

Maud swallowed. “Does that mean… you’re a virgin?”

Gregory averted his gaze, giving Maud her answer. This had been one of the main reasons why he’d feared taking his relationship to the next level. He had no experience in a world where sex was something ponies freely engaged in in their early teens. She’s gonna laugh, he thought in dread.

“It’s alright.” She nuzzled under his chin.

“Is it?” he asked hesitantly. “I mean, I’ve never…”

“You held onto the values of your culture, treating sex as a precious thing not to be squandered,” Maud whispered soothingly. “I think I finally get why studding bothers you so. Sex isn’t just a friendly gesture, but something almost sacred, to be shared only with those you truly love. It’s actually rather romantic, when you think about it.”

Gregory chuckled to himself. “That’s a nice way of putting it. But the truth is I just never had the guts to ask a girl.”

“You never found a girl worth asking,” Maud corrected.

Gregory inhaled through his nose, detecting a very unusual odor. It stunk, but not in a bad way as he looked at Maud and gently smiled. “Ya know, I think I love the way you look at the world.”

“You do?”

Gregory had only just realized what he’d said. He felt as though he should panic, but instead only felt a wave of serenity at the confession. “I do,” he sighed. “I also love the mare who looks at the world like you do, and who likes me for me.”

“And I love the stallion who makes me feel like I can just be myself whenever he’s around.”

“I’ve been accused of worse,” Gregory chuckled.

“Hush, you.” Maud chided. “I’m trying to have a moment. One wrong word and I’ll hold you in contempt.”

“Will you, now?” Gregory asked as he nuzzled her ear, earning a soft moan from the mare. “How will you hold me?”

“Tightly,” Maud grunted as she pressed herself harder against him. “I’ll never let you go.”

“The jury finds these terms acceptable,” Gregory chuckled as they lay contentedly against one another.

“If it makes you feel better,” Maud began. “I’ve never really been with a stallion either.”

Gregory pulled back and gave her a curious look as this confession didn’t seem to match with what she’d been telling him.

Maud nodded in confirmation. “I’ve been on dates with stallions, sure, but things always fell apart for one reason or another,” she said despondently. “Sometimes they’d stick around for the more intense kissing and cuddling, but they usually left before we got to any actual sex stuff.” The earth mare was broken from her revelry at all her past disappointments as she found her forelegs pinned to her sides as Gregory enveloped her in a hug.

“Bunch of jackasses,” he said under his breath. “They didn’t know what a great thing they had in you.”

“I know,” Maud said proudly. “I never really liked them anyway.”

“Really?” Gregory pulled back to look his mare in the eye. “Then…?”

“That’s just how it goes,” Maud deadpanned. “You date around when you’re young. Sometimes you’d find a special somepony, but mostly it was just experimenting.

“Huh,” Gregory said flatly at seeing this new side of Maud and pony views. “Sounds like American high schools, only without all the teen pregnancies.”

“Human mares go into heat once a month, right? Fun is one thing, but how could they be so irresponsible and get themselves pregnant before their ready for a proper relationship?”

“You don’t wanna know,” Gregory said with a disappointed smile as he shook his head. “You really don’t.”

Maud reached up and turned his face towards hers, closed her eyes, and began leaning forward. Gregory followed suit until the distance closed. The touch of their lips was light and brief, but it still sent jolts of electricity through the both of them.

“In that case, I say we put off all this stud stuff for now. Let’s figure us out first and then just take things one step at a time. Sound good?”

“Sounds good.” Maud cozied up to her stallion’s side. “Besides, I was planning to keep most of your thick, syrupy stallion seed for myself, anyway.”

***

It was another two weeks before Gregory decided he was ready for the show. The Crusaders had managed to secure reservations in the royal auditorium. They’d agreed to hold the show just after sunset where both queens had a break between duties.

Gregory peaked out from behind the makeshift curtain to behold his audience. Using the full auditorium would have been overkill, so a small sitting area was set up on the stage across from a performing area cobbled together by the Crusaders. Queens Luna and Celestia sat in the back row, each munching from a tub of popcorn. In front of them sat Kibitz, the royal aid, and a few other ponies who were regularly seen in the royals’ company. Prince Blueblood, who was wearing trousers for some odd reason, kept fidgeting in obvious discomfort. Maud sat still as a rock, but Gregory still managed to spot the slightest twitch in her tail betraying her anxiousness. In contrast, the pink pony, which Gregory had decided was actually made of bubblegum, could not sit still as she bounced around the booth. The Crusaders occupied the front.

Satisfied that all were present, Gregory looked back at the ponies who would be helping him. Somehow the Crusaders had wrangled several of the castle staff eager to live their dreams as actors. No doubt mentioning that this show would be performed for the royal family had had some influence. The script was easy enough to write as it was something he’d committed to memory since before he was ten. The would-be-actors adapted quickly to their respective rolls and the props and costume ponies did a stellar job producing all they needed. He’d been open to constructive criticism and made many changes where advised, but overall the story was left largely intact.

Finally the hour had come and the signal was given. All last minute adjustments were wrapped up as the curtain rose and the volunteer musicians began with the strings. The scene was a living area with a hill of grass above. The narrator, a soft spoken stallion began: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Gregory watched from his spot just off stage, his eyes darting between the audience and performers as his mind racked over every little detail. Gandalf’s stilts made him look too tall and he looked far too much like Starswirl. The dwarves’ beards had been cut just enough to keep their wearers from tripping. Their singing was well practiced, but Gregory felt they really should have had one more go. Large and elaborate puppets were used for the trolls, spiders, and dragon. The role of the goblins was given to diamond dogs, who were very pleased to have not been relegated to the role of extra and stage hand. Any mention of horses and ponies were omitted entirely from the performance as it raised too many uncomfortable questions. And so on and so forth.

The audience, much to Gregory’s elation, did not seem to be confused by the introduction of all these mythical creatures. They’d caught on quickly enough what was what, where, and why, and seemed on the edge of their seats in numerous parts. Gregory caught himself silently mouthing the lines during the game of riddles, which marked the first intermission. Although he wanted to go out and seek his friends’ opinions, Gregory was called back for further last minute consultations.

All ran smoothly through the second act until they came to the most dreaded part of all. The puppet for Smaug, though beautifully frightening, had proven infamously difficult to handle, so they’d adjusted it to hold several unicorns to keep it moving in the event of complications. The moment of reckoning was finally upon them and, to the shock of all, nothing exploded. The dragon moved with relative realism, the effects were convincing, and many of the audience, namely Blueblood, shrieked in terror when Smaug became angry.

Even so, Gregory found himself unable to stop thinking about the budget. It had proven quite upsetting for him when he learned that the show was all being paid for at the Queens’ personal expense, especially with the added knowledge that this had proven a lot more expensive than he’d have liked. He’d tried to stop it in favor of something smaller and more manageable, but he’d been reassured that the volunteers were happy to donate their time. Not to mention that everyone had already gotten into the swing of things and wanted to see it through to the end.

Finally the last curtain fell. The audience sprang to their hooves, stamping them to the ground in applause. They liked it. This revelation was followed by a breath Gregory hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. It may have been the most refreshing breath he’d ever taken. Then came the moment he’d really been dreading. The actors had herded him out with the rest of them to take their bows.

They’d practiced this, going in order of their rank in the show. The stage help, extras, the secondary characters, the villains, and then he had to go out with the main characters, all still in full makeup. Gregory’s eyes darted between the stallion playing Bilbo and his own hooves, never daring to actually look at the audience. He bowed, along with the others, and the roar of the small audience boomed all the louder. The human pony bore an incredibly stupid looking grin as he trotted alongside the other actors. They then stood in a row and bowed as one, eliciting the loudest roar yet, threatening to blow them all away.

When it was over and the curtain fell and the crew was exchanging congratulations, Gregory felt the need to check his hearing to make sure he hadn’t been rendered deaf. This moment of piece only lasted a further few seconds before Gregory was tackled to the ground by a gray blur. Maud was hugging him tightly around the middle, nearly unleashing almost half the might of her earth pony strength. But the most devastating thing of all was the soft smile she gave as she met his eyes with her sparkling turquoise orbs.

“That was amazing,” she whispered.

“Th-thanks,” Gregory stuttered as he felt his cheeks and ears turn hot under Maud’s gaze.

“Did it work?” she asked.

It took a moment for Gregory to understand the question and he darted off behind a curtain. The others gathered around, eager for the good news. They were rewarded with a somber half smile as he emerged from behind the curtain and he was rewarded with the blunt force of their disappointment.

“It’s alright,” Maud said as she nuzzled under his chin, pressing her chest against his. Her touch was welcome. “Roam wasn’t built in a day.”

Gregory laughed softly. He knew the city she referred to was a pony one. “I know,” he sighed. In truth, he was more saddened by not meeting his friends’ expectations than his failure to get his cutie mark, which still held little value to him. Words of reassurance from the Crusaders, royals, and even the staff helped a little, but it only drilled in the point that he’d failed.

Author's Notes:

Celestia, after having little presence in the story thus far, decides to step in and do something. Some might consider this a little out of character for her, but this is an alternate and future reality, so I’m free to do with her as I like. Mwahahaha!

Gregory learns more of his role as a stud, its history, and what that means for him and his sexy lady. I’m also trying to bring back the court themed humor of this story’s original form, before I rebooted due to poor reception. Hopefully it’s working here.

Shame all that effort and build up didn’t amount to much in the end. I wonder if Maud will be able to lift her stallion’s mood at all.