To most of the citizens of Equestria, the revived and thriving metropolis of the Crystal Empire was a stunning miracle in their nation’s history. Given the city’s dark past, and the inspiring revitalization it received following the vanquishment of its former tyrannical ruler, it seemed that the Crystal Empire was showing nothing but the brightest future for its citizens and beyond. Despite the fact that the Empire was nestled in the heart of Equestria’s Frozen North like some sort of reverse-snowglobe, nopony could try to dispute the city’s unbounded progress and innovation over the years. Many factors may have been noted for the Crystal Empire’s rousing success, but there were two that seemed to be more significant than any other: the Empire’s new and rightful leaders - Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and her husband, Prince Consort Shining Armor.

Of course… if anypony were to discover the truth regarding the happy couple, which laid in full view just behind their bedroom doors, chances were good that the Crystal Empire would never be the same again.

As the morning sun peeked over the eastern horizon of Equestria, the first of Celestia’s shimmering sunlight hit off the top of the Crystal Castle like a beacon to awaken the Crystal Ponies below. Slowly, that first beam of light peeked its way through the window of Cadance and Shining’s bedroom, despite how thick their curtains may have been. The space of the massive crystal abode began to take shape as the darkness dissipated with each passing second, and the furniture could slowly be seen once more. In the middle of the room, the large rounded bed stood triumphantly over the rest of the space as two figures rested soundlessly beneath the thick fur bedding; sprawled all across the floor around the bed were various articles of clothing, as well as a few personal items that a Princess should never be seen with in public.

If somepony were to peer in closer to the bed itself, the distinct scent of sweat and lingering arousal could be recognized almost instantly. It wasn’t clear whether that post-coital aroma stemmed from activities the previous night, or as a combination from all the nights spent in such indulgent bliss. But regardless of the answer, it would’ve been obvious due to the mess that Princess Cadance had quite an enjoyable night. And as soon as her head poked out from beneath the thick comforter, Cadance's face carried the deepest look of contentment and pleasure while sleeping peacefully.

However, the pink Alicorn wasn’t the only pony beneath the fur covers. As she rested, Cadance hummed sweetly in her sleep as she felt a hoof pull out from behind her to wrap around her chest. If the room were still entwined in darkness, it would’ve been easy to assume whose hoof that was while she nuzzled it sweetly in her slumber. But as the bedroom grew brighter with each passing moment, it soon became clear that the foreleg holding the Princess didn’t carry the pristine white color of her husband’s coat. In fact, the hoof could be seen as much thicker, and had an all-too familiar charcoal grey coat that didn’t belong to Shining Armor…

Just as the morning light from outside illuminated the room to make the crystal walls shimmer, the pony resting in bed with Princess Cadance pulled his head from the covers as well. Sombra, the former Tyrant and Ex-King of the Crystal Empire, was seen resting in the very bed he used to own when he was the ruler of this castle. He may have not been the leader anymore, but it would’ve been hard to claim otherwise as he laid sound-asleep with the Empire’s Princess in his grasp. Even when the dark stallion leaned his head in with a tired hum to nuzzle her neck, Cadance didn’t show any concern or discomfort as she grew a faint smile and sighed blissfully.

Meanwhile, a brief groan away from the bed revealed that a third pony was sleeping in the room as well. But unlike Cadance and Sombra, who had the entirety of the massive bed to themselves while sleeping in close embrace, the white stallion with an electric blue mane was awkwardly laying on a nearby couch that was situated close to the bathroom door. And due to the thin blanket he had which barely covered most of his body, it was easy to see that the stallion was actually the Crystal Empire’s co-leader, Prince Shining Armor.

The stallion had his head crooked at an uncomfortable angle while it laid against the armrest of the couch, and two of his hooves hung from the sides aimlessly. But despite the jarring juxtaposition between Cadance's bedding in comparison to his own, Shining seemed surprisingly content as he slept just as soundlessly as the two ponies in bed. However, unlike Cadance or Sombra, Shining was the one to experience a harsh wakeup the instant his alarm clock rung just inches from his head.

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“Mmmmmrrrrrghhhhhh…” The stallion’s eyes opened tiredly to reveal how reddened they were from a lack of sleep, as well as the heavy bags that hung notably beneath them. Without even moving his head, the unicorn made an effortless swipe of his foreleg to hit the top of the alarm clock and silence it. It was unclear just how many nights were spent for Shining Armor to acquire the hoof-coordination for such a skill, but it was definitely enough to master it without trying anymore. But alas, while Cadance and Sombra continued to spoon in each other’s embrace, Shining sat up on the couch to stretch out his back and forelegs.

While in his upright and seated position, the Prince’s plastic chastity cage could be seen peeking out from between his legs. Like most stallions, Shining wasn’t one to avoid the natural occurrence of Morning Wood; unfortunately, the unforgiving restraints that wrapped tightly around his sheath ensured that his member was left to strain direly with no hope of relief. And just beneath that twitching cage, the pony’s balls looked like they may have swollen out by a third their original size; and due to his flawlessly white fur, the bluish tint of frustration and restraint could be seen clear as day as twinges of discomfort shot up and down his hind-legs.

But strangely enough, even with how morbid the Prince’s living arrangements may have appeared, there didn’t seem to be any hint of regret or disappointment on his face as he yawned with a pleased smile.

“Nnnnnnnghhhhh~” After finishing his quick stretch, the stallion pulled himself off the couch as silently as he could. Even though he was sure his alarm stirred Cadance or Sombra awake, he wanted to be careful not to disturb them too badly. Due to the crystal floors, Shining had to wear a pair of four fuzzy slippers on his hooves so they wouldn’t needlessly clack with each step he took. As he tread the floors discreetly in his embarrassing footwear, Shining lit his horn at a relatively low level while picking up the countless items strewn around the bed. Given the situation, the Prince knew that he had to clean up the bedroom himself instead of letting any staff discover the truth.

His cheeks began to blush as Cadance's clothing items floated in his pink aura to be tossed in the nearby hamper. First was the Alicorn’s stunning purple dress, which now had a pretty severe looking tear across the back from where it was ripped off of her last night. Then were her pantyhose, which he tossed in the trash due to the rips and tears it suffered from Sombra’s fangs. And then there were her panties, which were left discarded and still damp from her unrelenting arousal the previous night. As soon as Shining picked them up with his magic, he gulped upon seeing they were a pair his sister had custom-made for Cadance. He had no idea how Twilight could’ve had it engraved with such a label without raising some brows (unless she did it herself, which was unlikely), but the inscription made his cheeks burn hotly as he read the text laid atop the still-moistened crotch:

Property of King Sombra

Even though he saw those panties being worn by her multiple times, seeing that chilling reminder still made Shining shiver with a tightly-bitten lip. But alas, despite how briefly his magic made those panties clench in his grasp, the Prince kept his composure while floating it into the laundry hamper for personal scrubbing. After that, Shining’s blush only grew heavier as he picked up the other items that were scattered across the floor. Those included Sombra’s Royal cape (as well as his matching fetlock guards), a petite pink vibrator, a wooden paddle that was used for spanking, and a small rubber buttplug that Cadance was wearing for the duration of the day prior to their escapades.

With each toy and garment that Shining picked up in silence, his unused cock throbbed intensely within his chastity cage from remembering each item being used the previous night. Whether it was the primal lust stemming from Sombra as he pounced onto Cadance and ripped off her dress, or how badly she was moaning in rapture while the Ex-King toyed with her clit endlessly with the aid of that vibrator and his tongue; each memory flooded the stallion’s mind as he recalled them in vivid detail, and made him bite his tongue to keep from moaning in pleasure himself. The last item he picked up was the familiar pink collar and leash, which had the other end still attached to the bedpost that held the very Prince in place the entire night.

Instead of taking the collar to be cleaned like the other toys, Shining hung it neatly on top of the post where it belonged. In the morning light, the golden tag that read ‘CUCK’ was shining brightly while it dangled from the front of the leash. The sight made Shining exhale sharply through his nostrils, while his clenched muzzle wrinkled and blushed to the thought of when he would wear it again. Even though the sight of that collar being out in the open constantly worried him, he hoped that the secret he and Cadance shared wasn’t likely to be discovered anytime soon.

Or at least, considering how Princess Cadance was technically married to Sombra by official decree, Shining hoped to Celestia that nopony would ever know the whole truth.

“Nnnnnnnnn…~” Just as he began to walk away from the bed, Shining’s ears perked up as he overheard Cadance's soft and loving voice. The Alicorn groaned softly as she gave a light stretch beneath her bedding, and then sighed before settling deeper into the mattress. Shining was able to look back at her just as she did that, and smiled warmly upon seeing how tranquil she appeared in the morning light. Of course, the stallion’s smile was quickly accompanied with a sharp blush the instant he saw Sombra nestling in closer against Cadance's back, and hugging her tightly with both forelegs to illicit a pleased-sounding mew.

A low, and deeply audible growl came out of Sombra’s muzzle, sounding like the purr of a predator that was resting among the remains of his most recent kill. Even though the older stallion’s eyes were still closed, Shining could tell he was awake from the way he saw his lips curving up to give a sinister-looking grin. Cadance let out a stronger murmur as she began to awake as well, which prompted Sombra to open his muzzle wide to expose his glistening fangs. While Shining tensed-up from the sight of those intimidating mandibles, he could only stand in silence as Sombra lolled out his thin reptilian tongue to grace across the back of his wife’s neck.

Specifically, Sombra’s wife’s neck.

Or even more specifically, Shining’s Ex-wife’s neck.

“Mmmmmmm…~” Cadance smiled more notably as she squirmed from Sombra’s tongue matting her fur, and she giggled weakly while trying to pull away from his grip. “Hehehehe… H-Honey, come ooooonnnnn… I just woke up…”

Sombra gave a deep and menacing chuckle to that response, which likely would’ve terrified the Crystal Ponies back when he was still in rule. But from Shining’s perspective, all that he saw was Cadance giving an enamored blush as she hummed even deeper to her new husband’s voice. Sombra then leaned in close to the Princess’ ear, and said more cheekily, “Oh, don’t be like that, Cadance… If anything, you should be grateful I didn’t take advantage of you in your sleep~”

“Pbbt!~” Cadance openly scoffed to that reply, and turned her head around to gaze back at Sombra with a smirk and a raised brow. “Well, I technically was asleep before you licked me!”

“Oh, it was just your neck!” Sombra retorted as he rolled his blood-red eyes. “We both know I’ve tasted far more than that~”

Cadance's eyes narrowed on Sombra the instant she saw his grin grow familiarly wide. Shining wasn’t sure if she knew he was watching the two as they snuggled in their bed, but it seemed as if Sombra’s response gave her the hint. Nevertheless, the Alicorn sighed with a small blush before she looked back at Shining and said, “Well, well, well… if I knew you were gonna be a Peeping Tom first thing in the morning, I wouldn’t have had you take off that collar~”

Shining turned his head away bashfully as his face grew a deeper shade of red, and the plethora of Cadance's toys continued to hover in his magic for the couple to see. Both of them openly giggled from seeing Shining’s sheepish response to that jab, and Sombra took advantage of that moment to pull Cadance in closer to his chest. “Soooooo…” Sombra yawned for a second before continuing to speak in a deep and already lustrous-sounding tone of voice. “... Shining, would you mind explaining why you’re peering in on me and my wife?~”

Shining’s muzzle clenched for a split second while his eyes were closed, struggling not to show much of a reaction to that reminder. Even though it’s been well over a month since Twilight officiated that “Wedding” between Sombra and Cadance, the former Tyrant seemed to enjoy rubbing that fact into the Prince’s face every chance he got. The stallion wanted to say something about how tedious or irritating it was, but he couldn’t necessarily speak up against it when he felt how strongly his chastity cage was straining between his legs. So instead of trying to defend himself, Shining let out a calming breath before reopening his eyes to say, “W-Well, I… I was just picking everything off the floor before you two woke up, that’s all…”

Shining knew how pathetic that excuse sounded, but it didn’t seem to upset Cadance as she smiled affectionately back towards him. “Aaaawwww~ That’s a really nice gesture, Shining,” cooed the Alicorn with genuine thankfulness in her voice. Shining knew that Sombra would likely stare daggers at him, but he still looked back at her to nod gratefully with a warm smile of his own.

Then without warning, Cadance leaned up from the bed to light up her horn, and catch Shining by surprise as she gripped the back of his head. The Prince was leaned in towards the bed, and his face blushed immensely as he saw her muzzle coming in with her lips pursed. Shining closed his eyes tightly in preparation, contemplating whether or not to purse out his own lips as well. Unfortunately, all that Cadance gave him was a brief, albeit very kind kiss directly on Shining’s right cheek.

Sombra didn’t say anything, but he still groaned audibly as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Oh, don’t be so jealous, Sombra,” she jeered while looking back at him with an insistent stare. “His collar is off, remember? You know the rules.”

“Yeah, I know,” he stated with his brows raised while looking upward, still looking frustrated with the odd conditions of this relationship. While Shining pulled away from the two with his lips tightly shut, the Ex-King sighed before adding with a stare back at her, “But I feel like those rules might warrant some revision sometime~”

Even when he wasn’t staring back at him, Shining could still feel the presence of Sombra’s muzzle smirking upon making that suggestion. Meanwhile, he saw Cadance huff with an odd-looking wrinkle on her muzzle while she was nestled against the Ex-King. “Sombra, you know you’re not the one to make that sort of claim.”

“Well, shouldn’t I?” Sombra asked as he peered back at her with a raised brow, and a seemingly casual expression despite his faint smile. “If you don’t mind me saying, Princess… One of the biggest reasons you and Shining insisted on those rules was because you didn’t want me to interfere with your marriage, correct?”

That question was simple enough to warrant a brief nod from Cadance, but the truthfulness of the matter carried enough implications to make Shining look back at them worriedly. While the Prince’s blush deepened and his ears twitched, he studied the mare’s face as Sombra continued to speak honestly. “Well… given the fact that you and Shining are technically divorced, I truthfully have to question if we should even have limits anymore. I mean… do we really have to assume that Shining would say no to anything we might try from now on? Or if his opinion would even matter otherwise?~”

Shining’s lips tightened with a fretful look growing on his face. Despite the fact that Sombra made that claim as factually as he could, the Prince couldn’t deny that the implications made his heart race a little. Of course, Shining’s own feelings on the matter seemed to take up the least of his worries, as he caught sight of how Cadance reacted to the question. The Princess had a split-second moment where Shining could see her muzzle pursing shut, and her cheeks redden like she wanted to think that fact over. Or more specifically… the stallion assumed that Cadance's expression hinted that she already had thought about it some time before…

But like an involuntary twitch, Cadance sighed pertly as her expression relaxed to a more neutral look. Meanwhile, Sombra waited a moment before he exhaled and spoke in a more sympathetic tone. “Listen… I’m fully aware that you and Shining have a bond that can never be broken, alright? And I’m sure that if you were to choose who you’d want as a soul-partner, you’d pick Shining every single time. I completely understand, and I don’t want to break that connection any more than you do.”

After that sincere assurance, Sombra closed his eyes for a moment as he took a breath. “However… the fact remains that your relationship has drastically changed since I became involved. You’re not the same couple you used to be, and I’m sure that both of you are just as aware of that fact as I am. And considering all that happened so far, I just have to ask. Do… you really think either of you would regret fully embracing this lifestyle?”

Shining and Cadance both looked back at him with widened eyes, as well as notable blushes across their cheeks. Cadance appeared especially flustered, and actually had to gulp a little before clarifying, “When… When you say fully…”

Sombra merely shot a devilish grin back at the Princess, and gave an affirming nod of his head while narrowing his eyes. “I think you know exactly what I mean, Cadance~”

The Alicorn quickly turned her head away, and breathed out sharply to try and extinguish the burning blush she now had. Shining’s face was growing redder as well, but his eyes were locked onto Cadance's appearance upon hearing Sombra’s response. Seemingly without thinking, one of Cadance's hooves came down to absentmindedly run across her belly. That action caused Shining’s eyes to grow especially wide, which then made Sombra’s mischievous grin do the same.

“You know I’m right, Shining~” purred the former Tyrant as he stared directly at him with an almost charming smile on his fanged muzzle. “You haven’t shared your bed with Cadance for months now, correct?~ And during that time, you can’t deny that I’ve satisfied her far better than you ever have…”

Shining’s head lowered sheepishly as he tied to look away from those truthful accusations. Meanwhile, Sombra kept his eyes on the blushed Prince while Cadance turned towards him and said, “Sombra, I’d prefer to discuss that with him myself. In private?”

“I’m just being honest,” retorted the Ex-King as he nodded towards her respectfully, before looking right back at Shining to finish his case. “Shining… I know that she loves you far more than me. And to be perfectly honest, I actually kinda admire the fact that you take her happiness into account more than your own pleasure. But considering the circumstances, which you consented to entirely, I really just want you to think of two important questions:”

Despite the lack of digits on his hooves, Sombra brought up both forelegs as he sat upright on the bed. “One… How far would you be willing to go in regards to continuing this relationship? And two… not putting love into the equation, who do you think Cadance actually wants?~”

Both of those questions were rather heavy to consider before breakfast, but that second one made the Prince gulp with a look of worry on his face. Cadance seemed troubled as well, but it seemed that her blush was indicating her own conflictions were different from her Ex’s. Sombra didn’t say anything else, and just slumped back into bed after noting both of their uneasy expressions. “You know what?” he said as he backed away from Cadance and brought up his hooves in innocence. “If you two want, you can discuss it in private during breakfast or something. I won’t be down in the dining hall anyway, so you know I won’t try to interfere. I normally wouldn’t do that, but… I have a feeling you two might need it.”

Even though the looming worry of such a conversation was awkward for both parties, Cadance and Shining both nodded back at Sombra while their muzzles were closed in thought.

A couple hours later, Shining and Cadance were finally alone in the dining hall following their Royal breakfasts. Despite how diligently both ponies tried to eat as much as they could to avoid waste (mostly as a means to delay their discussion outside of any staff ears), there was still a figurative mountain of food that was carted away while the Prince and Princess were left stuffed. Fortunately, their spent states were obvious enough to warrant the castle staff to leave them alone in private. And as soon as the doors were closed behind them, Shining and Cadance looked across the large table towards each other.

Cadance made sure nopony was listening to them as she looked around the room and asked, “So… the midwife is tending to Flurry right now, correct?”

“Ummm, yeah,” said Shining with a confirming nod. “She said we can pick her up as soon as we’re finished here.”

Cadance nodded back at him, and then looked down at the table while her muzzle skewed slightly. “Hmmm… well, alright then…”

Several seconds of awkward silence passed between the two, both of them clearly hung up over Sombra’s earlier words. Even though they knew he was right about them discussing things as a couple, the fact remained that neither of them were ultimately sure if they still were. But alas, Shining was the first to try and speak up while fidgeting with his hooves a little. “So, ummm… How… How should we start to talk about this?”

Given how uneasy Shining sounded from that question, Cadance tried not to cringe while her muzzle remained tightly shut. She had to breathe out through her nostrils before reluctantly speaking herself. “Well... I hate to say this, but… it’s not like Sombra is completely wrong about some things…”

Even though he nodded back at her, Shining seemed troubled by hearing such a response. He may have agreed with her notion, but the Prince couldn’t help but ponder what she meant by ‘some’ things. He wasn’t sure if he should dwell on the detail too much, but that belly-rub he saw earlier kept coming back to his mind to make his face flush hotly. “Yeah, I suppose,” he replied in a meek tone of voice, which made him wince a little upon hearing how pathetic he may have sounded. But considering what he had been doing (or more specifically, not doing) for the past few months, he doubted he could deny such an adjective to describe him nowadays. “But, ummm… Honestly, I… I kinda wanted to ask something about… about this.”

Even if they were in private, Shining seemed beyond apprehensive to say anything too incriminating outside the bedroom walls. Cadance didn’t seem to feel too differently on the matter, and just nodded in confirmation for him to continue. Because of that, the stallion was able to take a breath before looking back at her with a strong blush atop his timid face. “Cadance, how… How seriously do you consider you and Sombra’s, well… you know…”

Once again, Cadance softly sighed before nodding once more. She put down her cup of tea as she breathed out in contemplation. “Well… technically speaking, you and I are still legally binding on paper, so… I think it’s more to do with whether we take Twilight’s Officiation more seriously than that…”

Even though he understood why Cadance would give a response like that, part of him wished she didn’t make a comment so neutral on the matter. However, he wasn’t able to relax too soon after that statement as he heard Cadance ask him, “So, ummm… Shining? Considering how you mentioned it, do… Do you consider it a legible thing?”

His muzzle wrinkled sharply upon hearing that question, and he had to look down at his hooves as he processed it internally. Without looking up at Cadance's face, he tried to speak through his shivering breaths as he said, “Well… I… I mean… I know that I shouldn’t…”

Cadance waited a few seconds to see if the stallion would say more than that, but she knew that he was wanting to add a “But” to that statement. After a while, Cadance breathed out and decided to complete the response herself. “But… you do consider it real, don’t you?”

Shining peeked up at her briefly as a look of guilt could be seen in his stunning blue eyes. He didn’t give a nod of his head, but he didn’t shake his head either. Instead, he just looked down with a sigh and muttered, “I… I don’t know…”

Cadance wanted to say she was surprised by hearing such an answer, but she couldn’t deny that she likely would’ve replied the same way. Even though she was profoundly worried about where this discussion would lead them, the Princess could feel her heart racing as she tried to move the discussion elsewhere. “Shining? Do… Do you remember when we first agreed to try this in the beginning?”

Shining brought his head back up, and bashfully nodded while his blush remained. “Y-Yeah. I… I think we both had the idea to try it together, didn’t we?”

“That’s right,” she said with a blush of her own as she nodded. “And… And I think it’s safe to say that despite it being a small idea at first, we… we both ended up enjoying it far more than expected, didn’t we?~”

Shining knew he could’ve tried to claim otherwise, but spending almost four months sleeping on a couch while a former villain rutted his spouse made that option seem fruitless. Not to mention, the Prince couldn’t help blushing even heavier while a shameful smile grew across his muzzle. “W-Well, ummm… Yeah, I… I guess we both really have. Heh heh…”

Seeing how nervously Shining giggled following that answer, Cadance smiled a bit more naturally while studying her Ex’s appearance. Upon seeing that blushed and beaming smile, the Princess knew deep in her heart that he was her ultimate soulmate. And regardless of sexual desires, there was no way the two would ever truly break apart. Even though the idea of contemplating such taboo ideas made her question her mindset, Cadance knew it was proper to ask the stallion, “So, ummm… If it’s not too much to ask, I… I was wanting to know what it was that you really want. Like… more than anything else..”

Shining blinked a couple times, and could see the insistence in Cadance's tone while she stared back at him warmly. It was that same kind of smile Shining would see from the mare when she truly wanted to make sure he was happy, and when she considered his feelings about something important. Even with Sombra’s consensual interference between them, Shining could tell that the Alicorn would never stop loving him regardless. Because of that, the Prince’s cheeks blushed vibrantly as he took a breath, and answered in an honest tone, “I… I honestly want you more than anything else. I mean… I think my current, errrr... situation is keeping me from thinking about much else aside from you, you know?~”

Shining made a brief notion downward to emphasize what he meant, which made Cadance giggle with an affirming nod. She may have not been a stallion, but she could only imagine how pent-up Shining had become since this taboo arrangement began. Even if she granted him a much-needed release at her “wedding,” Cadance was sure that he was still more riled-up than ever because of that unrelenting chastity cage. However, before she could give a suitable response to that mention, Cadance couldn’t open her muzzle before hearing Shining continue.

“B-But, ummm…” The Prince looked down towards his fidgeting hooves once more, and tried to maintain steady breathing despite the deepening blush burning across his cheeks. “But… Even if I wanted you for myself, I… I can’t deny how… how much I absolutely love seeing you so happy. And… And even with how I’ve been lately, I… I can’t help but see you as being more important than myself. S… S-So…”

The stallion was growing more nervous with each passing word he tried to sputter out, and was too focused on his own feelings to notice how much Cadance was blushing as well. While the Princess tried to keep a neutral expression, Shining wasn’t able to conceal a guilty smile as he said with a shrug, “So, I… I kinda feel like when… when you say what I want, I… I mostly want you to have what you want…”

One of Cadance's hooves came up to cover her quivering muzzle, and she blinked a couple times while staring at Shining with stunned admiration. Even with how he had been treated over the past few months, Shining was still gracious enough to sacrifice his own fulfillment for the sake of hers. If it wasn’t for her own feelings on the matter, Cadance would’ve likely remarried him right there to show how much she appreciated him. But alas, all the Alicorn could do was breathe out shakily before saying, “I… W-Wow, I… I wouldn’t have expected you to say that…”

After a brief huff with a nervous chuckle, Shining scratched the back of his head with a hoof and tried to add meagerly, “I-I mean, I… I wouldn’t hold it against you if you didn’t like the idea of continuing. I just… I want you to know right now, that I… I feel a lot happier myself, when I see how happy you are~”

Even with the Prince’s brief assurance, Cadance could tell from his tone that he likely wasn’t wanting to stop this relationship himself. She knew that would’ve been a controversial thing for many wives to hear from their husbands, but for Cadance it made her feel… different somehow. She wasn’t sure how to describe it, but she certainly felt like a notable weight had been lifted from her shoulders upon realizing Shining still wanted this. Despite all that he had to witness and endure for the sake of his wife’s newfound pleasures, he wasn’t against continuing being a cuckold for the sake of her. In fact… the Alicorn had a feeling that Shining wouldn’t want to go back if she gave him that choice right now…

And it was in that moment that Cadance realized what the feeling inside of her really was: Relief.

She… She was relieved that Shining wasn’t against continuing. Because deep down herself, she knew that she wanted to keep going too.

Regardless, it still took Cadance a moment to collect her breath while she blushed hard to that quivering realization. After that, she breathed out hard before looking back at Shining with a nervous smile herself. “So, ummm… so that’s… that’s what you really want, Shining?”

She put her hoof out to rest in the middle of the table, offering it for Shining to take. While she smiled kindly with that gesture, she watched as Shining meekly nodded his head, and then took her hoof with his own. “Of… Of course I do, Cadance. I mean… no matter what Sombra may have, I… I know I’ll always have you in my heart. And… and I truly want what makes you happiest. And… I want what you want…”

With that, Shining tightened his grip on Cadance's hoof as he gazed lovingly back at her, and tried not to appear too sheepish while he asked, “So, ummm… With that being said, I really want to ask you something…”

Cadance seemed a bit worried as to what Shining may ask, mostly since she still didn’t want to hurt him too badly if she needed to be honest. However, even the deepest breath couldn’t prepare her for what Shining decided to ask with insistence. “Cadance, if… If you had to choose, ummm… which one of us you wanted to be with… Like, not romantically, but purely sexually…”

Cadance bit her lips shut upon hearing the beginning of that question, and could feel her heart thundering in an unsteady mixture of anxiousness and honesty. Even though she already knew her answer, her nerves tensed-up the instant she looked back at the loving stallion who asked, “Which… which stallion do you want, Cadance? Do… Do you want me more? Or… D-Do you want Sombra…”

The Princess remained silent for a few seconds, and took a quick sip from her tea as she thought about how to answer. Even though she knew it should’ve been easy to say (especially with Shining’s consent), her breath quivered a bit by the time she put her teacup down. She closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply, and waited until she exhaled to look back at that loving stallion still holding her hoof. As she saw the love-stricken admiration in his eyes, and the kindness in his smile, she knew that her answer might not be what he wanted to hear. But at the same time, she had a feeling that the answer she gave would be one he needed to hear her confirm.

So with a pert sigh, Princess Cadance held Shining’s hoof just as tightly as she gave her response. “Well, I… I guess if you mean from a purely sexual standpoint, I… I can’t really deny it, should I?~”

Shining blushed a little deeper over his smile, and merely shook his head so she could say it. And despite how lovingly the two stared at one another with nothing but the deepest trust and affection in their smiles, Cadance didn’t feel any hesitation as she answered, “I… I guess I would choose my husband then…”

She then relaxed herself the tiniest bit, just so she could add with the slightest glimmer of mischief in her smile, “My… current husband~”

Shining was frozen for a second, most likely as a means for him to process what she actually said. But as soon as he breathed out shakily, his relieved smile looked just as natural as his flustered blush. “W… W-Wow!~ I… I honestly wasn’t sure if you actually felt that way, but ummm… I’m… I’m glad I know…”

Despite how pathetically his head lowered upon making that truthful reply, Cadance didn’t feel any less love for him than she had before. Actual attraction may be debatable, but she knew she was beyond lucky to have found somepony as accepting and humble as Shining Armor. But with that being said, Cadance only needed a sharp breath before she pulled her hoof away from Shining’s and said, “Well… Okay then! I… I suppose we’re… We’re actually doing this, aren’t we?~”

Cadance tried not to giggle nervously, but Shining could tell she seemed rather anxious upon smiling widely with that question. He knew it was wrong to feel happy for her, but the Princess’ enthusiasm to continue prompted him to breathe out peacefully, and accept his fate with one final nod. “Well, if… if you want to revise your rules with Sombra, then… Th-Then I won’t stop you~”

Cadance may have been happy to hear that assurance from her Ex, but her muzzle soon crept into a more confident smirk as she shook her head. “Actually,” she replied as she eyed the stallion, and caused his brows to raise in surprise. “... considering how you’re so alright with accepting what I want… perhaps I don’t want any rules anymore~”

Shining’s eyes widened immensely, and he breathed in sharply through his nostrils while his body tensed up. While the Prince blushed profusely, Cadance giggled as she rolled her eyes and said, “I mean… if I consider Sombra to be my legal husband now, then… it’s not like I should follow any limits my Ex-husband may have, should I?~”

Shining sunk low into his chair, and squirmed with a wrinkled muzzle while his former wife smirked at him devilishly. “Mnnnghhh…” The stallion looked more than a little uncomfortable, but Cadance didn’t detect any signs that he wanted her to stop either. Instead, Shining took a quick breath before trying to speak up, “W-Well, I… I suppose that… That makes some sense, I guess~”

Despite his discomfort, the Prince still shot a meager-looking smile back at her to show he wasn’t going to let up. Because of that, Cadance grew a more lustrous grin while seeing just how much she was getting to him. “Because if I were to be honest, Shining… I kinda have been holding back a bit with Sombra. There were a lot of things I really… really wanted to do with him~ But at the same time, I knew it would be wrong to try anything without my husband’s consent. However… that might not be the case now, is it?~”

Shining knew what she was getting at, but his own afflictions didn’t keep him from nodding his head in confirmation. After letting out a soft whinny, the stallion looked up at her timidly and said, “I… I suppose you don’t need my permission anymore... do you?”

Cadance shook her head, and narrowed her eyes on him as she said, “That’s right, Shining… And I think you can tell me why~”

Shining winced with his eyes closed upon hearing that statement. Even if she didn’t make it a Royal order, he knew that Cadance expected him to answer her properly. Even though the realization still stung after weeks later, the stallion took a breath before replying weakly, “Be… B-Because… Because due to Official Decree… you and I are no longer married…”

“That’s right,” stated the Alicorn with a newfound glimmer in her eyes, and a seductive smirk on her face that made Shining shudder in his hidden restraints. Cadance then pulled herself up from the table, and said, “And with that being said, I think it’s only best to go upstairs, and let Sombra know there are no rules anymore. From now on, he’ll be my Husband, while you stay by my side as my personal Guard.”

Even though Cadance had a lovingly sweet smile on her face while saying those things, Shining gulped when he heard just how confidently sinister she said them. He wasn’t sure if she was doing that for his own shameful enjoyment, or if that was how she really wanted to act from that moment on. But either way, the Prince could only sit shakily in his seat while she slowly trotted towards the door. “As soon as I leave this room, I’ll take your silence as confirmation for me to continue with what I want to do~ Of course…”

Cadance paused just as she was a few feet from the door, and smirked back at him as she asked, “... given the circumstances, do you want to know what I specifically want?~”

Shining may have looked scared shitless, but he still nodded his head firmly while remaining silent.

“Well… alright then~” Cadance took a breath as she walked back towards the table for a moment, and made a quick glance around before speaking openly about her plans. “First off… if both of us are in agreement that we’re divorced, I’ll see to it that Sombra and I follow our technically lawful roles. Both inside, AND outside the bedroom~. I obviously won’t make that detail public knowledge, but I’ll be sure to treat him as my husband however… and wherever I can get away with it~”

Shining could tell from Cadance's widening grin that she truly meant that, even though he was worried just how she’d actually pull something like that off. The idea of Cadance treating Sombra as her husband in public set off countless red flags in his head, but his muzzle remained tightly shut while she continued to list off what she wanted from this new arrangement.

“Secondly… I’ll be taking Sombra’s advice about what to do when I become pregnant. Not if I get pregnant, Shining… When~” Her smile turned wickedly wide after saying that part, and seeing how much it made the Prince squirm with nothing but a pained groan. Part of her wanted to feel bad, but his refusal to make her stop prompted the Alicorn to add cheekily, “And when that happens… I’ll make sure to fulfill my husband’s promise regarding your key~”

Shining tensed up strongly as soon as she said that, not needing any context as to what she meant. Even though he remembered agreeing to that measure when Sombra first fucked her in front of him, the idea of her agreeing to such a measure made his heart sink down to his stomach. But regardless of the looming threat to his stallionhood, that didn’t seem to keep it from straining tightly inside of his tiny chastity cage. In fact… it seemed like his body was almost wanting her to go through with it…

“And finally…” Cadance leaned over the dining table to get in close to Shining’s frazzled face, and grinned with a menacing sneer more reminiscent to her current husband’s. “Considering how Sombra is now technically my husband, that would make him the true Prince-Consort. Because of that, the instant I leave this room, you’ll be obligated to follow any and all orders he gives you. If he wants you to do something, no matter how embarrassing or demeaning, you will be ordered to do it. You will treat him as your superior, which he is. You will acknowledge him as the better stallion, which he is. And no matter how the Crystal Empire and Equestria may see you officially, you will acknowledge Sombra as your Prince and my own~”

Of all the things Cadance could’ve ordered from him, that one seemed the most controversial somehow. Even if Sombra wasn’t an actual member of Royalty, the idea of him having that kind of power rightfully scared Shining. However, the stallion also knew from his conversations with Sombra that he had no intentions to ever return to politics, nor to ever try to rule as a leader again. So even though the idea of submitting to him as a Prince (and at any time nonetheless) made him worried about his reputation, he couldn’t help but think back to that first time Sombra walked him on his leash down that hallway. That moment was beyond mortifying, but he was still able to trust Sombra enough to know he would never actively ruin his public status. And despite Cadance's new devilish demeanor, he highly doubted that she would risk that either; at least, not without the chance of being run out of town by a mob of angry Crystal Ponies.

Shining wasn’t sure how long he thought about that final measure in front of his Ex, but it was apparently long enough to know his response when she leaned in closer and asked, “Do you understand, Shining Armor?~”

Shining closed his eyes for a second as he took one final breath, and exhaled confidently before looking back up towards Cadance. “Y… Yes, Princess,” he said with a tremendously fretful blush, and a bashful smile as he nodded his head. “I… I understand completely~”

“Alright then!~” With that, Cadance leaned in and gave him a proper kiss on the lips. Shining was wide-eyed for a second, but instantly shuddered in her embrace as he kissed her back with an enamored peck. As soon as the two pulled away, Cadance smiled affectionately at the stallion she loved so deeply. Even with the knowledge both of them had in regards to what might happen next, neither of them seemed too worried as the Princess trotted back towards that door. “So… Any closing statements, Shining Armor?~”

Shining knew he could’ve easily stopped her, or said anything to keep her from leaving that room. However, even as she opened that door and glanced back at him, the “Prince” kept his muzzle tightly shut to keep from speaking up. All that he did was breathe out softly through his nostrils, and smiled lovingly back at her as he shook his head and said, “... Have fun~”

Cadance grinned happily back at her former husband, and made that first step out of the dining room to confirm their agreement. “Alright then. It’s settled~”

As soon as Princess Cadance left the room to find her husband, the door closed completely before Shining collapsed on top of the table. “O-O-Ohhhhhhhhmigosh…” Despite knowing just how badly this could turn out, Shining couldn‘t have looked more turned on as he writhed helplessly in his chair, and bit his hoof to keep himself in control. “Ohmigosh… This is happening… This is really happening…”

By the time he finally pulled his head back up, Shining’s smile looked just as scared as it did excited. His hooves were shaking like mad, but he could barely contain himself as he got up from his chair, and struggled to walk normally out of the dining room by himself...