Unsurprisingly, Shining Armor barely managed to get any sleep on his couch that night. Despite how overwhelmingly intense the entire day had been for the Private -- from his sadistic sperm donation for Sombra, his reconciliation and immediate fallout with Cadance, and especially everything that happened involving his own Mother -- his exhaustion and fatigue didn’t amount to much when it came to getting a good night’s rest. Part of that reason was due to the couch he was sleeping on, which was still wet in a couple places from the remnants of Cadance and Twilight Velvet’s arousal. And if the familiar scent of their juices wasn’t distracting enough, Shining certainly wasn’t able to get much shuteye when he kept overhearing brief moans and giggles from the three ponies in the bed.

As for Prince Sombra, who had successfully bedded Shining’s Ex and Mother without much issue, he was able to sleep like a baby while both mares were nestled up against his chest. Both of their loosened marehoods were dribbling with remnants of Sombra’s seed, which trickled down their legs to leave stains on the bed. Sombra was tempted to wake up his Private in the middle of the night, just to make him lap up the mess he made with his tongue for his own entertainment. However, considering what he had planned for Shining Armor in the morning, he was content with letting the pathetic cuckold sleep as best as he could for now.

“Nnnnghhh…” Due to how overwhelmed and fearful he felt about everything that was happening to his life, Shining was grateful to get some semblance of sleep before the sun rose back up from the east. But alas, even in the brief moments he had where he could rest his weary head, it all ended far too suddenly when his alarm clock started blaring a couple of hours later. The clock didn’t seem to stir Sombra or his two wives too much, but the Private looked utterly miserable when he groggily hit the snooze button with his hoof. “Ughhhhh… My head…”

After turning off the alarm, Shining closed his eyes while slumped over the armrest of his couch. He took a moment to try and collect himself, but it looked like he was trying to get a few more seconds of sleep when he still could. He could still overhear Cadance and Velvet dozing off blissfully from the bed, which prompted Shining to sigh to himself in slight relief. “Well,” he muttered as silently as he could in an attempt to vocalize his thoughts for clarity, “hopefully I can take a bath before they wake up.”

“You might want to hurry up then~” said Sombra, whose deep and sultry voice caused Shining to jolt with a panicked yelp and fall off the couch. As the Private groaned painfully and rubbed his back following that fall, Sombra chuckled in delight before sitting up on the bed. Since both of the mares were still asleep, Sombra didn’t show much subtlety as he eyed Shining with a malicious grin. “Because considering what I have planned for you, you’re not going to feel too ‘clean’ for much longer~”

Shining had no idea what his Superior meant with such an ominous threat, but the fanged grin on Sombra’s muzzle made it clear that it wasn’t a threat to dismiss by any means. Because of that, the lowly Private could only slump his head lower down as he grimaced in shame, and overheard Sombra’s amused chuckling.

Even though Sombra left him scared shitless on his way to the bathroom, Shining Armor was relieved when he locked the door behind him, and found that he could actually bathe in peace. He was even able to take a legitimate bath for a change, instead of the usual quick showers he took to save time. The relaxing experience may have been short-lived, mostly because of the Private knowing exactly what was waiting outside of that bathroom door. But much to his contentment, a large portion of Shining’s fatigue and tiredness went away by the time he was fully cleaned and dried up.

When he finally exited the bathroom, Shining froze upon seeing what had restarted in the bed while he was away. Twilight Velvet, Mother of the Private and the newest addition to Sombra’s possible harem, was already awake and tending to her husband without the slightest semblance of shame. Even with her son being able to see her in such a shockingly lustful state, the older mare paid no attention to Shining while her head was buried between Sombra’s legs. In fact, it seemed like she didn’t even notice Shining’s presence while her eyes were rolled back so blissfully, and her moans were coming out muffled with every slide of Sombra’s cock between her lips. “Mmmmmphhhhh…”

“Aaaahhhhh, now this is how Royalty should be woken up~” Sombra was sitting with his legs sprawled out across the lavish bedding, and his satisfied grin was pointed down at the mare who was tentatively sucking his girthy length. Remnants of her new husband’s cum could still be seen drying over Velvet’s fur across her backside, but a small trickle of Sombra’s seed still seeped out from her loose and creampied pussy. Shining winced before looking away from his Mother’s presented stance, and wished that he had some eye-bleach to get that image out of his head. Unfortunately, his remorseful expression caught the delighted interest of Sombra as he smiled goatingly up at him. “Ah, there you are, Private! I hope that you freshened up well enough for your big day~”

Sombra’s body was still squirming in pleasure as Velvet continued to fellate him without interruption, but the Prince’s malicious smile remained unchanged as he shot a warning glare at his Private. Shining couldn’t help gulping worriedly, as his cheeks grew a tremendously heavy blush upon realizing how seriously things were getting. Now that Sombra had claimed his Mother, there was nothing that Shining could think of that might be out of his Superior’s sadistic reach. And considering how the Crystal Empire Formal was slated to happen tomorrow, the fact that Sombra called today his ‘Big Day’ was nothing short of terrifying.

Shining Armor’s legs were quivering a little as he stood stoically by the open doorway of the bathroom, his body frozen in place due to the dread he could feel intensifying with every passing second. Even though he knew that he should give some response to his Superior to avoid punishment, his muzzle couldn’t bear to open while his lips were pursed shut and trembling. Fortunately for the cuckold, it seemed that the tentative lips of Twilight Velvet’s were more than enough to keep the Prince in high spirits. So instead of scowling in disappointment at his Private’s silence, Sombra merely leaned his head back with a pleasured shudder and his hooves atop Velvet’s head. “Nnnnghhhh… Y-Yeah, show me how much you like it~”

Shining wasn’t sure if it was due to his own cowardice, or merely the fact that he knew that Sombra would want him present to watch, but he still felt compelled to refrain from walking away. As his Mom kept deep-throating the moaning Prince, and her tongue could briefly be seen between the bobs of her head to glide across Sombra’s veiny shaft, the Private tried his hardest not to squirm as his blush deepened immensely. Because of his newly-applied chastity cage, his shameful arousal from seeing such a display was leaving him in a painful state of titillation. Each distinct throb of his unusable cock caused it to strain within the tight confines of his cage, as well as try to pull the metal framing downward from the base of his balls. Those hard tugs were displeasing enough to make his legs fidget uncontrollably, but Shining couldn’t get himself flaccid enough to stop his balls from being pulled at.

“Nnnfff!!~” Shining’s face was notably strained as he grunted to himself in discomfort, and his sights on Sombra and Velvet’s fun diverted down towards his hooves. But even with how obviously distressed he was looking, as well as how contentedly Sombra was enjoying his second wife’s muzzlework, that involuntary response caused the Prince to narrow his eyes on him with a warning scowl. And to make matters worse, Shining wasn’t able to see that look from his Superior as he groaned with his eyes clenched shut. “Mmmph… C-Come on, come on… Q-Quit straining…”

“Are you seriously trying to talk to your penis, Private?” asked Sombra with a flat and unamused stare on him. “It’s not like it has ears to hear you.”

“Mmmphh!” Velvet may have been fine with slathering her drooling maw all over Sombra’s lengthy cock, but that statement prompted her to pull back with a wet pop of her lips. She clenched her eyes while giggling with a hoof over her mouth, clearly amused by her new husband’s retort. Even though it was meant to humiliate her tormented son, Velvet didn’t even look back to see how badly Shining was cringing in response. Luckily for the Private, she was able to smack Sombra’s side lightly with her hoof. “Hehehe, Sombra! You don’t need to be so hard on him like that! He just got his cage on last night, remember?”

Even with her chastising, Sombra was able to hear enough playfulness in her voice to keep from looking offended. Instead, he glanced down at her with a smirk before saying, “Oh, believe me, Ms. Velvet. I haven’t even started to go ‘hard’ on him just yet~”

That comment made both of them chuckle with knowing grins on their muzzles, while Shining just stood there with a look of unrelenting dread on his paling face. His heart was growing heavier in his chest as it thundered fearfully from the hypotheticals rushing through his head; but despite how much blood was pumping through his system, his erection was still receiving enough to continue testing the strength of his new metal cage as hard as it could. So even when Velvet wasn’t sucking on the Prince’s cock like a newly-divorced harlot, her son was still left squirming within Sombra’s clutches.

“Well, before anything too severe might occur…”

The sound of Cadance’s voice caught the attention of all three ponies, who turned towards the now open bedroom door. The pregnant Princess trotted into the room casually while closing the door behind her, and had her horn brightly lit to hold a clipboard in her aura. Shining may have been grateful for his Ex coming in to interrupt Sombra’s teasing, but his expression seemed rather wary since Cadance hadn’t taken a shower yet. And considering how she was just outside of the bedroom with her fur matted in sweat and lingering sex, he could only imagine what any ponies might’ve thought if they saw her in such a state. But for the Princess herself, she seemed completely fine as she looked between her Private and husband respectfully. “... Unless I’m interrupting anything, I’d like to speak with Shining in private, please.”

Shining’s brows rose up immensely, not expecting for his Ex to want to talk with him this early in the morning. However, since the Princess already mentioned she was leaving Shining alone with her sadist husband for the majority of the day, the Private wasn’t one to complain about her briefly intervening. Not to mention, after the emotional rollercoaster both of them went through from the events of the previous day, Shining really wanted to talk with her in private as well. Fortunately for the cuck, Sombra gave an assuring wafe of his hoof to his wife and said, “Cadance, you don’t ever need to ask my permission. I know a lot of things have changed between all of us, but you’ll always be my Princess. If you want to talk with Shining, then be my guest, your Highness.”

Shining had no idea if Sombra's polite response was meant to be a ruse or some sort of trap, but he couldn’t help smiling thankfully to the Prince’s genuine assurance. Cadance seemed equally as happy with her husband’s response, and walked up to him to say, “Well, while I appreciate you telling me that detail, I’ll still thank you for letting me have Shining regardless~”

With that, Cadance leaned into the bed to give Sombra a kind and casual peck on the lips. Sombra closed his eyes to kiss her in return, even though his cock was still standing rigidly and coated in Velvet’s saliva. The older mare’s muzzle skewed the tiniest bit from seeing that display between husband and wife, but she wasn’t one to really complain while wiping some drool from her lips. Meanwhile, Shining remained silent while looking away from their embrace and waiting patiently.

After that little kiss, Cadance looked back at her Private with a flatter expression and stated, “Shining, follow me.” She then walked past Shining without even looking at him, and went straight towards the bathroom. Sombra and Velvet seemed surprised that she was able to change her demeanor so effortlessly, but Shining’s ears lowered upon realizing why she was acting that way. And after closing his eyes to let out a brief sigh, the Private walked away from the bed to comply with his Princess’ order.

“Well, as long as they’re in there…” Sombra went right back to pleasuring Twilight Velvet, even when the mare’s son was within earshot. Shining winced painfully as he heard his Mom’s enamored giggles, as well as the lustful growl that her new husband made in response to it. “... how about we make sure the little Private has a new step-sibling?~”

Shining wished he would be able to say something, but it was obvious that his resolve was nearly gone after spending a year under Sombra’s thrall. So even as he heard Velvet’s laughter quickly morph to a lustful moan, the Private couldn’t look back at them while walking into the bathroom. Luckily for the Private’s already overwhelmed state, his Ex made sure to use her magic to envelop the bathroom in a sound-proofing spell, which muffled all noises outside while the walls were glowing in her blue aura. Shining was quick to lock the door behind him, and mentally prepared himself when he turned back to face his stoic-faced Princess.

“Ummm…” Shining was worried to try and speak first, but that awkward stammer came out of his muzzle after a couple seconds of silence passed between them. Cadance said nothing, but her brows rose in interest as her Ex tried to ask the first question. “So, uhhh… about everything that happened yesterday…”

Cadance closed her eyes and sighed, not seeming too keen on revisiting certain events that occurred between them. Her reaction caused the Private to cringe worriedly, but he managed to take a breath before clarifying, “How… How much has Sombra actually told you?”

That question made her reopen her eyes in surprise, and blink a couple times as she glanced back at him. “You… mean about that dream you had the other night?”

Despite how unnerving it was to know that she was aware of such a dark and unsettling dream, Shining couldn’t keep from nodding his head weakly. “Well… that’s the biggest thing at least, yeah…”

After another soft exhale, Cadance nodded her head and said, “You don’t have to worry, Shining. Sombra may have told me what you were dreaming about, but he also emphasized that it was most likely triggered by his treatment of you that day. And… to be perfectly honest, I have to agree. I mean, I seriously doubt that you would actually want any of those things to happen to you.”

Cadance may have tried to say that last part optimistically, but neither of them could really react in a positive manner. In fact, Shining had to look away from her with a shameful expression on his face. “Y-Yeah, I… I really didn’t want any of that either…”

Even though his statement sounded sincere, Cadance’s muzzle pursed tightly as she recalled what happened the previous day with those custody papers. And while she definitely believed his excuses for signing them, it was hard to tell if his morose reaction now was out of guilt, or merely a means to conceal his true feelings on the matter.

“... Shining?” Cadance waited until her Ex could pull his head back up and look at her directly. But when he finally did so, her expression remained firmly neutral as she spoke in a more authoritative tone. “You know that I don’t want to intervene in whatever it is that’s making you happy. And while I do appreciate that you and Sombra are both making the efforts to keep me involved, I need to ask you a serious question regarding all of this…”

Before Shining could get the chance to prepare himself, Cadance leaned forward and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Her eyes peered into Shining’s with an intense look reminiscent of Fluttershy’s notorious Stare, which instantly made the Private lock up with his fur rising across his back. Because of his frozen state, Cadance was confident she could get a clear answer as she asked, “Shining… Is this what you actually want?”

His eyes widened quite a bit, and his pupils shrank as he tried to clarify, “Wh… Wh-What do you--”

“You know what I’m talking about,” she said in a sharply-inflected tone, not wanting him to even try and bullshit his way out of answering her. “Shining, unless you want me to enact a Royal Order on you as Private, I am insisting you answer me honestly.”

Even though he wanted to think he’d remain honest no matter what, Shining wasn’t sure how he would’ve responded to his Ex’s insistence if she asked him such a question the previous few days. But as of now, the Private couldn’t even think of lying to her after committing such an unforgivable act without her say on the matter. And while she technically did some things behind his back as well (particularly with Velvet, which was especially terrible given how dangerously things could’ve ended), Shining wasn’t even going to try and compare her betrayal to his own abhorrent actions. Instead, the stallion had to struggle to keep himself from lowering his head pathetically again.

“W… W-Well, I…” Shining’s eyes averted from Cadance so he could contemplate his feelings on the matter, even though he knew he had very little time to really think over his answer. Fortunately, he was able to continue speaking before his Ex could try and implement her title against his own. “... I… I know that I should say no…”

Shining clenched his eyes shut following that pause in his words, which left the implications of his statement hanging in the air like a metaphorical noose. Even though she didn’t want him to answer her so vaguely, Cadance was left with a skewed muzzle while processing her Ex’s partial reply. It was obvious that Shining was wary about saying anything else, but his muzzle trembled a bit as he tried to work himself into finishing his answer. But before any words could escape his mouth, his eyes reopened when he heard Cadance speak first:

“... but you don’t want to say no, do you?”

Shining’s ears slumped down lower against the sides of his head, and his silence gave a more confirming answer than any words he could’ve said. But alas, even though his response should’ve been obvious from there, Cadance watched her Ex’s head lower shamefully before he took a breath, and nodded his head in clarification. “... N… N-No, I don’t…”

Shining Armor couldn’t bear to look up at Cadance, and shuddered to himself guiltily as he realized how badly his conscience was trying to pull him away from the only salvation he could’ve gotten. All he had to do was tell her he wasn’t happy, and she would likely do everything in her power to bring things back to where they used to be; or at least, she could’ve possibly put a tighter leash on Sombra to ensure that Shining wouldn’t be completely dominated by his sadistic bull. But despite how horrified he may have felt about the intensity of Sombra’s treatment over him, he couldn’t ignore what he had told Cadance and her husband the previous day. Shining may have been a ‘Prince’ outside of the bedroom doors, but his desire to remain challenged by a greater force showed just how much his treatment as a ‘Private’ was pressing his buttons.

Cadance didn’t reply to her Ex’s answer, but she didn’t show any negative reactions towards it either. Instead, the Princess sighed with a more understanding smile, and nodded before pulling in Shining for a strong and supportive hug. “Oh, Shining… Shining, it’s okay. No matter what happens, just know that I’ll always be there for you when you need me, alright?”

Shining had no way of knowing if Cadance actually meant such a statement, or even if her promise was something that could remain in place if Sombra’s dominance grew any stronger. But at the same time, the Private’s muzzle trembled a bit as it crooked into a whimpering smile, and he was able to hug Cadance back with his eyes tightly shut. Even though his emotional state left him feeling as weak as he did underneath Sombra’s hooves, he also felt completely secure as he let Cadance hold him in such a deep and personal embrace.

“Th… Th-Thanks, honey,” mumbled Shining by the time he was able to slowly pull back from the Princess. He quickly wiped his cheeks with a hoof, but his eyes were still a little red when he looked up at her with a thankful smile. “Seriously, I… I really appreciate hearing that from you.”

“Hey, you know I’ll always love you.” To prove her point, Cadance leaned in to give her Ex a familiarly loving kiss on the lips. Shining was quick to kiss her back, which helped the two to feel more like a married couple again. Of course, after their lovingly long kiss came to a close, Cadance’s smile turned a bit sterner when she repeated her earlier question. “So, Shining… Are you alright with me leaving you alone with Sombra for the day?~”

Shining’s body tensed up again, and he tried not to squirm while blushing profusely. But alas, even though he knew it was a horrible decision, his Ex’s reassurances helped the Private to close his eyes and nod with an affirming breath. “I… I think so, yeah…”

His answer may have not carried the most confidence, but the Princess nodded in response before speaking authoritatively again. “Alright then. Unless there’s anything else to discuss, I won’t intervene any further than I already have. Private Shining Armor, I hereby order you to service your Prince for the entirety of this day, and to refrain from contacting me in any way until dinner. Is that understood?~”

Shining felt a strong looming sense of dread in his very soul, but it was only a fraction as notable as the distinct straining he experienced from his chastity cage. And with a pathetically evident whimper, Shining had to gulp before straightening up his pose, and giving the Princess a reluctantly firm salute. “I-I understand, your Highness…”

Shining looked fairly worried as judged by his blush, but Cadance saw that as a green light for herself to loomin even closer, and add with a more ominous-looking grin, “And if you disobey my husband in any way, I gave him permission to immediately inform me so I can reorganize tomorrow’s events to his liking~”

The Private’s eyes widened in shock, and he was left frozen in place when Cadance gave him a teasing kiss on the cheek. “Alright, you’re dismissed,” she then said with a smirk as she pointed to the bathroom door. “Sombra will likely be expecting you anyway, so have fun~”

Before he could even give his Ex a suitable goodbye, Shining found himself enveloped in Cadance’s magic so she could push him out of the bathroom herself. Since her sound-proofing spell was still intact, there wasn’t even a slamming of the door by the time Shining was floated back out into the bedroom, and she locked herself back inside to freshen up in peace. And as if things couldn’t get more unfortunate, Shining instantly winced when he heard his Mother’s rapturous moans from the bed.

“Aaaaahhhhh!!~ Oh… Oh, SOMBRA!!~”

Twilight Velvet was now fully bent-over in the middle of the bed, with her chin touching the mattress while her voluptuous ass was being railed hard by the Prince mounting her. Sombra’s powerful hips repeatedly collided with her supple flanks, and caused her flesh to ripple each time he plunged inside of her deepest depths. His cock could be seen very briefly between his hard and relentless thrusts, but Shining could still catch the bright sheen that came off from how much his shaft was glistening in Velvet’s juices. The sight of his Mother being railed should’ve been mortifying all on its own -- especially when it was happening at the hooves of a stallion who got her to sign divorce papers just the previous night -- but despite how unpleasant the sight may have been, the Private felt compelled to stand in place without interrupting his Superior.

“Nnnnghhhhh!!” Sombra was panting like a hungry dog as he pounded into Velvet’s hungry pussy with all his might, but that didn’t keep him from looking over at Shining with a wide and boastful grin. “You better have a good reason for being out of your armor, Private~”

Shining closed his eyes in shame, and sighed to himself before turning away from the bed. He walked towards his Private armor, which was already laid out with the metal looking particularly dingy from usage. But even with how gaudy the equipment looked, Shining began to don his issued plating while hearing his Superior from behind. “Nnnnfffff… And one more thing, Private. You’re being ordered to continue wearing that armor until I say otherwise~”

That addition made the Private cringe hard without Sombra being able to see it. Even though he didn’t say anything direct about his implications, Shining already had a good feeling his armor was going to be given some use outside of the bedroom as well. Nevertheless, even with the knowledge of how drastically things could go from good to bad by complying with such an order, Shining didn’t feel like he had any choice on the matter. All he could do was swallow whatever pride he may have had left, and continue to put on his Private armor while saying, “Y… Y-Yes, Sir…”

Princess Cadance may have taken her sweet time in the bathroom to clean herself up, but she wasn’t too surprised to find Sombra still going at it with Velvet by the time she was ready to start her own errands. Since she had a lot to do when it came to finalizing the details for the Crystal Empire Formal, she was quick to leave the ponies behind while Velvet was riding her new husband cowgirl style. And all the while, Shining was left standing in his usual Guard stance at the foot of the bed, and wearing his armor to better suit his status among them; Cadance didn’t even look back at her Ex, and merely chuckled in amusement as she left him alone with his sadist.

Shining Armor ended up spending over an hour in that same position, and was forced to watch Velvet being reamed mercilessly as ordered by his Prince. By the time Sombra finally finished unloading multiple times inside of the moaning mare, she was left an incoherent wreck while sprawled on the bed with her ass hanging in the air. If there was any reprieve for Shining, it was the fact that his Superior wasn’t ordering him to eat out his Mother’s wrecked pussy while it was overflowing with the high volume of Sombra’s loads. Unfortunately though, the position of Velvet’s was the last he was able to see of her before Sombra issued his next order:

Leaving the bedroom to go up to Shining’s office. In full armor.

Even though the idea was absolutely mortifying to think about, Shining knew that he had no means to defend himself or object to the order. Not only would Sombra and Cadance have him over a proverbial fire if he refused, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t already done a similar order just the other day. If he was able to be covered in body-writing, and literally be leashed by his Prince like a humiliated pet, then wearing some dingy armor should’ve been seen as a somewhat lighter duty to oblige with. Of course, even though the outside hallway was vacant of any ponies to gawk at his appearance, Shining was still blushing beyond belief as he went towards the elevator in his Private attire.

Sombra was right behind him during their little trip, as he decided to leave Velvet alone in the bedroom to recuperate and freshen up by the time they returned. The Prince was grinning lewdly in delight, and was peering at Shining’s appearance with his eyes narrowing in contemplation. He kept himself silent while following him to the elevator, and didn’t try anything too ominous to fluster Shining any more than he already was. Instead, Sombra waited until the two were in the elevator, and the doors closed to start their descent before beginning some discussion.

“So, Shining…”

After enduring so much of Sombra’s torment, Shining’s brows rose up in surprise when he was referred to by his name instead of his title. When he looked up at him with a faint blush, he was surprised to see the Prince carrying an oddly genuine-looking smile. Sombra looked back at his Private curiously, and tilted his head when he asked, “If you’re alright with the two of us talking stallion-to-stallion for a change, might it be alright if I asked you something personal?”

That question caused Shining’s brow to rise in suspicion, mostly due to how odd it was for Sombra to suddenly act like this while in private. For all the Private knew, this could just be another lead-in for some horrible trap that would make his life worse than it already was. However, Shining was also aware that in certain rare circumstances, Sombra had shown a strange amount of friendship, and even respect to the Private when the two were alone. So after breathing out shakily to quell his nerves, Shining nodded his head and said, “I, uhhh… I’m fine with that, Prince Sombra…”

Shining had to struggle not to wince after making that statement, mostly due to how easily it was for him to address the former Tyrant as a ‘Prince’ outside the bedroom doors. Fortunately, Sombra’s smile remained gracious as he nodded back at him and said, “Thank you, Private.”

He then pressed the emergency stop button on the panel of buttons, which abruptly stopped the two and left them completely isolated from the outside world. Considering what happened the last time Sombra implemented that kind of measure, Shining’s face grew redder in fear of another “game” involving his reputation. But despite how tempting such an idea may have been, the Prince seemed more curious about something else while staring at his Private with an intrigued expression. “Shining, I know that a lot had been said yesterday between the two of us and Cadance. And I’m also aware that given the circumstances, I placed you in a rather... precarious position with that choice~”

Shining tried not to show much discomfort in his expression, but he was sure that his Superior could see how tightly his muzzle tensed up with that reminder. It didn’t help that Sombra was carrying the briefest smirk upon saying that last sentence, almost as if he was proud of what he got his Private to do. But regardless of how he may have felt about his actions, Sombra was able to maintain a more neutral look on his face as he said, “However… I also can’t help but think back to what you said while explaining your choice to the both of us…”

That was when Sombra’s expression began to soften, and he bit his bottom lip with his massive fangs peeking out like a sabertooth tiger. Shining’s other brow rose up to match the first one, as he grew more surprised by how differently his Superior’s demeanor had changed. The Prince actually looked away from Shining briefly, and took a breath before asking, “And I just want to know, from one stallion to another… Did… Did you really mean what you said about me being a good father?”

Shining’s eyes widened while peering back at Sombra, and it took him a few seconds before he could clarify, “Ummm… Do you mean about… I-If something ever happened to me?”

Sombra nodded his head silently, and took a breath before returning his sights to the Private himself. “I’m fully aware of how I may seem from how I treat you, and I don’t think I need to clarify why both of us are continuing things the way we are. But I…” Sombra had to pause for a moment to clarify his thoughts, and huffed through his nostrils so he could speak more directly. “I just wanted to make sure that you understood I would never… EVER do anything like that to my son, or to Flurry Heart.”

“Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Shining instantly threw his hooves up, which caused his dingy armor to creak incessantly as he interrupted his Superior with great insistence. “Hold it right there, Sombra! I… I never assumed that you would try anything like that, okay!? And I certainly understand that the relationship we have… I mean… w-what the two of us personally have…”

Shining hated himself for trying to make that detail clear, despite the fact that it was fairly obvious without the added context. Nevertheless, he only paused for a second before breathing out firmly to add, “I know that you wouldn’t treat anypony else in the same way you treat me. And I… I really do trust you with that…”

From the way Sombra’s red eyes grew wider below his rising brow, it was clear that his Private’s answer was something he wasn’t expecting to hear spoken so genuinely. But before he could try to respond, Shining huffed once more through his nostrils and closed his eyes shut. “A-And… And I wasn’t just trying to save face with Cadance when I said you could be a Father too. I mean… w-well…”

Shining looked like whatever he had to say next was leaving him extremely hesitant, and his head lowered a bit so Sombra couldn’t see his conflicted wince. However, Sombra still took enough notice of how quickly the Private’s words trailed off, and only waited a moment before asking, “Well, what?”

Given how curious Sombra was looking, and how difficult the admission may have been for the masochist to admit, Shining decided to bite the bullet by sighing sharply, and then lifting his head back up to stare up at his Superior:

“W-Well, I… I’m pretty sure that by this point in our lives… You might be just as important in our relationship as Cadance and I are for each other.”

Despite how reluctantly Shining made such an admission, it was still jarring enough to make the Prince reel back in shock. Sombra’s eyes became as wide as dinner plates, and his jaw was struggling not to drop while gawking at his lowly Private. “W… W-Wait, what?!”

Shining may have been rightfully worried about telling his Superior something that personal; but at the same time, he couldn’t help huffing to himself as he gave a retort. “Is it really that much of a surprise? Like, you’ve been living with us intimately for over a year now, and you’ve been doing just as much for Cadance as I have. And given all of our personal stuff, I mean… can you honestly say you haven’t felt anything similar?”

Given how unexpected it was to be met with such a question, Sombra blinked a couple times as he tried to process the Private’s point. After looking down at his hooves in thought, Sombra’s muzzle could be seen skewing a bit when he said, “Well, I mean… I read about those sorts of things in books, but… I wouldn’t have expected for this kind of relationship to result in a triplet.”

Shining tilted his head and blinked a few times in confusion. Fortunately, Sombra immediately caught that reaction, and tried to ask, “Ummm… is that the right term? I wasn’t sure if it was that, or triad, or uhhhh…”

It may have taken him a few seconds, but Shining was able to realize what his Superior was trying to clarify. Given how the Prince had been frozen for over a millennium, it wasn’t too much of a shock that some terms were still new to his vernacular. “Ummm… Do you mean a Truple?”

Sombra’s muzzle wrinkled from that question, and he stared at Shining for a second before asking, “Wait, is that what you guys call it?” Even though three-pony relationships weren’t unheard of for Sombra, he still had to scoff in disappointment and mutter, “Jeeze, talk about a lack of creativity.”

Shining didn’t take any offense to the Prince’s opinion, and merely rolled his eyes with a smile in response. “W-Well, I… I hope you can still understand where I’m coming from here, you know?”

“Oh! Y-Yes, absolutely!” Despite what he may have personally thought of the term itself, the meaning of Shining’s gesture still said far more that the Prince was unable to criticize. And even with everything he may have done to his lowly Private, Sombra still looked absolutely smitten as he blinked repeatedly and stared at Shining in awe. “So, you… you guys actually see me as a… a third?”

Shining’s muzzle tensed up the tiniest bit, mostly due to how worried he felt about Sombra learning such a personal detail upfront. But after closing his eyes to breathe out calmly, the Private was able to reaffirm his statement with a nod of his head. “I, uhhh… H-Honestly, I would’ve expected you to have felt that way before either of us would.”

Sombra may have been rightfully floored, but he was able to sigh before replying, “Well, it’s not like I had the pre-started marriage and foal between the two of us. I mean…” The Prince then looked away from Shining as he thought over his words, and eventually skewed his head in an attempt to make his response feel less awkward. “I, uhhh… heh heh heh… I’m not going to lie, Private. I honestly sorta assumed that if I was going to be that involved in you and Cadance’s lives, it wouldn’t have been so much me coming in as an ‘addition’ and more like… replacing you~”

Shining wasn’t sure which part of that statement scared him more: that Sombra openly said such a hypothetical that horrified the Private for months on end, or the fact that Sombra openly grinned when he said that last part. For the longest time, the idea of that former villain being able to completely overthrow his life was one of the most mortifying outcomes Shining could’ve pondered; but while that idea technically has been taking some effect as of now, the Private was hopeful that his Superior wasn’t too curious about that idea as well. Unfortunately, as judged by how menacingly his eyes were narrowing on poor Shining, it was obvious that it was at the forefront of his mind as of now.

Sombra kept his ominously thoughtful grin on Shining as he pressed the emergency brake on the elevator again, which caused it to resume its descent towards the office hallway. Shining squirmed with a terrified look on his face, which caused his dingy armor to creak and remind him of its presence. But despite how ridiculous Shining may have looked in his Private armor, Sombra kept a casually thoughtful smirk while looking between his Private and the elevator doors. “Now, before you start to get all paranoid,” said Sombra without glancing back at Shining’s petrified expression, “I’m pretty sure that I can’t actually replace you. But don’t worry, I fully accept the idea of a ‘truple’, as you choose to put it. And as far as I’m concerned...”

With that pause, the elevator made its stop so the doors could reopen. Much like the last time the two stallions came up to the castle’s work hall, there was nopony within sight to catch Shining in his embarrassing getup. The Private wanted to sigh in relief from that brief moment of optimism; but much to Shining’s dismay, any feelings of ease he could’ve experienced were instantly muted the moment he looked up at Sombra, and he saw that domineering stare on his grinning face.

“If you truly wish for me to stay that badly, allow me to make sure you can never leave yourself~”

Sombra then took hold of the collar of Shining’s armor, and pushed him out into the hallway without warning. His dingy plating creaked and clackled loudly, and even echoed down the hallway while Shining stood by himself in terror. His pupils shrunk to exassivate his look of dread, and his tail tried to tuck into his armor like a turtle sinking into its shell. But as the seconds passed, and none of those office doors opened up to catch Shining in the act, it wasn’t until Sombra walked right past him that Shining was able to learn the truth. “Keep up, Private! Nopony is in the office today, remember?”

Shining had to do a double-take as Sombra trotted away from him, and he was left alone to realize his Superior was actually right. The Crystal Empire Formal may have been the next day, but that didn’t change the fact that today was a national holiday. Sure, Yakyakistan Appreciation Day wasn’t the most popular holiday of the year, but Shining wasn’t going to complain when it meant his perverted secrets were left unexposed for the time being. Of course, even with how deeply thankful he was for that detail he completely forgot about, Shining still stumbled a bit as he tried to jolt himself back in focus and follow Sombra. “O-Oh! Uhh… Y-Yes, Sir!”

Luckily for the Private, it seemed that Sombra’s point about the office being empty was completely true. Shining rushed down the hallway to keep pace with his Superior, which caused his Private armor to continue clanging loudly for anypony to hear. But since they were the only ponies on that floor, Shining was fortunate to keep from being discovered as he and Sombra went into his office. But even after locking the door behind them, the stallion couldn’t feel too relieved when he realized he was left alone with his sadistic Superior again.

Meanwhile, Sombra was already grinning evilly as he walked through his Private’s lavish office, and sat himself down in Shining’s plush office chair. “Aaaaahhhhh… I must say, you have excellent taste in comfortable furniture~”

When Shining looked back at Sombra, he had to struggle not to sudder from the sight of him seated at his desk. The former villain was sitting upright with his forelegs resting on top of the aged wood, and his intimidating grin was pointed right at Shining in wait. He motioned his head to the two basic chairs in front of the desk, and said in a professional tone, “Private? I need you to take a seat so we can discuss some very important things~”

Shining didn’t try to ask for specifics, since the Prince’s tone and smile made it obvious that this wasn’t meant to be good. After all, since Cadance allowed for her husband to have his way with Shining for the day, the poor Private was aware of how screwed he was likely going to be. He had no idea what his Superior may have been planning, but the implications from their conversations were severe enough to leave his heart pounding in his chest. And worst of all, as he went to sit down in one of the chairs, Shining could feel his chastity cage straining badly as well.

“Nnnnghhhhh…” Shining had to readjust himself due to the armor he was required to keep on, but he was able to sit somewhat comfortably in the chair before Sombra could begin.

“Alright then.” Sombra nodded in appreciation of Shining’s quick seating, and then turned his attention towards one of the lower drawers of Shining’s desk. As he opened up the drawers and began to invade Shining’s privacy, he made sure to ask, “So, how are you feeling about your Formal tomorrow? Are you still nervous?~”

Sombra didn’t look up at Shining while rifling through his things, but he could hear those distinct creaks from the armor to indicate his question got him squirming. After a shuddering exhale, Shining closed his eyes before addressing his Superior, “W-Well, I… I’m fairly sure it would be weird if I wasn’t a little nervous, you know? Heh heh heh…”

Even though Shining’s nervous chuckle was weaker than one-ply toilet paper, it got Sombra to chuckle with a shrug of his head. “Yes, I suppose I can understand that mentality. After all…” Sombra then grabbed a single sheet of paper that he found in one of the drawers, and placed it face-down on the desk so Shining couldn’t see what it was. Instead, the Prince returned his sights onto Shining so he could say with a gloatingly wide smile, “it’s not too often that a stallion is made aware of their incoming castration~”

Shining’s muzzle promptly wrinkled up as he averted his eyes from Sombra’s teasing grin. His head lowered sheepishly before he tried to mutter in response, “I, uhhh… I-I suppose not, Sir…”

While his muzzle was turned elsewhere, Shining overheard Sombra picking that sheet of paper back up to place on a clipboard. By the time he tried to look back at his Superior, he saw that Sombra was already writing something down with a pen in his mouth. Several minutes passed while Shining sat patiently, and Sombra filled out his form without any interruption. The Superior stallion eventually pulled the paper back to gloss through his entries, and smirked in satisfaction before looking back at Shining. “So if I may ask, Shining Armor… Do you feel like your position as a Private is more appropriate than the rank you formerly possessed?~”

Shining’s head sunk down so he could take another breath, which came out as more of a flustered huff than anything. Even though he knew he had to give his Superior a direct answer, Shining couldn’t help looking back up at Sombra to ask flatly, “You mean as Prince?”

“Yes, precisely,” stated Sombra as his shit-eating grin remained visible. “I know it’s been a while since I gave you that demotion, so I was hopeful you can give me some honest feedback on how you’re taking your proper rank~”

Shining was already on edge for whatever it was Sombra was planning to do, but the words ‘Honest Feedback’ just made him even more worried than before. And before Sombra could try to say anything else, Shining’s eyes remained warily wide as he asked, “W… W-What do you mean by ‘honest feedback’?”

Sombra blinked a couple times, and shrugged his shoulders to say, “What do you think? I’m allowing you to speak freely, Private. Isn’t that what you want?”

Despite the insistence in Sombra’s voice, Shining wasn’t one to try falling for another twisted trap of his design. And while he was certain that something bad would be waiting, Shining’s muzzle pursed tightly as he looked away from his Superior in contemplation. “W-Well, I… I’m just not sure what to say, that’s all…”

Sombra nodded silently, and brought the pen back into his mouth so he could write some more in the clipboard. After another minute or two, Sombra looked back at Shining and asked, “So… You’re saying that you don’t wish to say anything about your demotion?”

Shining closed his eyes, and let out a weak exhale before shaking his head. “I… I’d rather not…”

Sombra shrugged again, and wrote a little bit more on his paper behind the clipboard. “Alright then. That’s perfectly fine for today…” Shining could overhear a few quick swipes of Sombra’s pen, almost as if he was checking down boxes in a form of some kind. He then heard his Prince ask him, “So, do you have any complaints about your rank, at least? Or would you just wish to stay subservient like before?~”

Since he knew there was no way for him to be un-demoted, Shining took a breath while his eyes remained closed. In an attempt to save his resolve, Shining tried to go the path of least resistance as he nodded his head weakly, and said in confirmation, “I… I’d rather remain silent on the matter…”

Sombra narrowed his eyes on Shining with a warm smile, and nodded his head affirmatively. “Wonderful. I must say, I’m rather glad you’re not trying to defend yourself. If anything, that only justifies my thoughts on what kind of stallion you’re meant to be…”

When Shining finally looked up at him with a confused expression, Sombra didn’t hesitate to unhook the form from his clipboard, and push it across the desk for his Private to read. “And since you’re obviously not one to complain about your rank as Private, it seems only fair that I give you something I should’ve done a long time ago~”

Shining picked up the form with his hooves, and instantly gasped in horror with his eyes wide-open. Sombra’s grin widened while sitting across from the Private, and he leaned back in his chair rather cockily while his hooves were behind his head. Shining didn’t take notice of his Superior’s look, and continued to read through the document that was handed to him as his face grew paler. This may have not been the first document he was being given to sign, but the boldly fonted title at the top struck Shining much harder than he would’ve ever expected:

Shining’s breath grew weak, and his expression showed pure terror as he read through the long dissertation that Sombra had left on that notarized paperwork. All of Shining Armor’s personal info was already listed alongside his rank, which was written to be a direct demotion from Prince to a Private. His eyes flicked across the lengthy text Sombra wrote down in perfect cursive, which revealed a very sanitized statement about his demotion in the Crystal Guard; it also gave a brief mention of how poorly it reflected on his position in the Royal Guard in Canterlot, with high recommendations for his rank to be demoted there as well. Sombra even made sure to list a number of Shining’s failures, which included his inability to protect his wife or daughter in the presence of a former Tyrant, as well as numerous mentions of adultery. He also included comments regarding Shining's “Gross dereliction of duty in protecting the Empire,” and “Failing to maintain the Royal honor,” with the ink only just having dried.

Shining was at an absolute loss for words, and was struggling not to cry while re-reading the passages that listed his inabilities to remain as Prince. The paperwork may have not been processed or sent anywhere as of yet, but the stallion still looked just as mortified as he would’ve been if he was standing before an official trial. Much like those divorce papers the other day, as well as the custody papers he was roped into signing the previous day, Shining could tell that these demotion papers were completely legal, and had the capability to ruin his life if Sombra ever sent them out. And to make things even more unfortunate, Shining only held that paper for a moment before Sombra snatched it back from his Private’s hooves.

“Now, you don’t have to sign this paper,” noted Sombra, who made sure to provide his own signature at the bottom of the paper which read, ‘Sincerely, King Sombra.’ He then rolled the document up neatly, and placed it aside before pointing out, “Since demotion papers are meant to be handled by an unruly Guard’s Superior, I’ll just hold onto this as verified proof that you’re no longer a Prince~”

Since Shining was still visibly stunned by the sight of that officiated notary, Sombra wasn’t interrupted as he reached back into the Private’s desk for his next item. Meanwhile, Shiningcontinued to stare at that folded-up form, which seemed to have hit him way harder than expected. “I… I never thought I’d see a paper like that about me…”

Sombra huffed in amusement, and didn’t look up from the desk as he said, “Well, I doubt the Crystal Ponies would think to see you in such a way either…” By the time he finally found what he was looking for, Sombra made sure to look back at his Private and say through his evil grin, “Of course, they’ll all be seeing you in a much different way soon enough~”

Shining was too overwhelmed with fear to even respond to that statement, and he was left frozen in his armor as it kept creaking against the chair. Since the Private wasn’t able to say much about that official demotion, Sombra was able to write down something new on a clean sheet of paper. He made sure to use Shining’s personal quill and ink set, which was tucked in the very rear of his drawer due to how valuable it was as an antique. But despite how pristine the aged wood looked across the display case, and how much Shining’s muzzle skewed when he saw Sombra using the item gifted to him by Celestia herself, the Private remained silent while his Superior wrote across from him so eloquently.

“Hmmmm…” Sombra spent about ten minutes writing something down on that paper, and was fortunate to leave Shining too stunned to interrupt him. By the time he finished, Sombra smiled while reading through his calligraphy pridefully. “Yes, yes… This seems to be fairly accurate~”

Sombra then looked back at Shining again, and asked, “Private? Are you able to hear me?~”

Shining may have looked distraught, but he still nodded his head weakly. Despite the Private’s silence, Sombra kept his smile as he pushed his newly-written document towards him. “That’s good to know, because this document is something I do require your signature for~”

Shining looked like he was running on autopilot when he took that paper with the weakest grasp, and turned it around so the content could be pointed at his defeated face. Sombra sat with a grin as he watched studiously, with his Private’s eyes darting back and forth to read through the form handed to him. Of course, it didn’t take long for Shining’s brows to rise up immensely again, and for his panicked expression to return in full force. His pupils went to the size of pin-pricks, which didn’t seem to faze Sombra at all as his smile widened across from him. “Well, Shining?” asked Sombra, his delighted tone of voice playing a perfect contrast against his Private’s look of terror. “What do you think? It’s been over a millennium since I made paperwork of that variety, but I’m fairly pleased with how much I still remember~”

Shining didn’t even try to look up at his Superior, as his eyes were glued solely on the horrifying document Sombra just wrote for him to sign:

Certificate of Surrender and Ownership

Master: King Sombra of the Crystal Empire
Slave: Private Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire

This document is written on legal tender provided by Prince Shining Armor, which designates it as official notary under Equestrian law. As such, this form confirms that the pony Private Shining Armor, shall have all their personal freedoms and identity under ownership of their designated Master King Sombra. This document will remain legally active for the remainder of both ponies’ lives, and shall not be altered or ignored in any way.

By signing this royal decree, I am hereby officiating the withdrawl of my personal rights, as well as all personal properties under my name, in exchange of free lodging and guardianship under my legal Owner, King Sombra. I no longer see myself as Prince of the Crystal Empire, and wish to reside in the Crystal Empire as Sombra’s personal slave for now on.

Right underneath that shockingly dark passage was a blank line, which was waiting for Shining’s personal signature. The Private wasn’t able to read through the document a second time, as his attention was brought back to his Superior across the desk from him. The Prince kept his obscenely malicious smile as he handed Shining one of those prized quills, and said in a brooding voice, “Private Shining Armor, since my wife ordered you to abide by anything I desire today… I’m ordering you to sign that document to make yourself my legal Slave~”

Shining’s hoof quivered while it held the quill as weakly as it could without falling from his grasp. Even though he had already signed many horrifying forms before, nothing seemed to carry the same weight as the paper waiting in front of him. Unlike the divorce, the demotion, or even those custody papers that turned out to be a trap, Shining was fully aware that this document would basically be him signing his life away. The moment his quill touched that paper, all that Shining would be was Sombra’s personal possession; and from the way Sombra sat in wait without saying a word, he knew that his bitch would comply sooner or later.

“... ughhhh…” With a long and forlorn sigh, Shining Armor hung his head in shame while his eyes clenched tightly shut. Meanwhile, his hoof slowly went down to touch the paper with his quill, before he made those distinct swipes to sign his name on the provided line.

“Oh, wonderful!” Sombra snatched up the paper before the ink could even dry, and cackled in absolute delight as he leaned back in his seat. “Aaaahhhhh… How nostalgic~”

Shining didn’t try to look up at Sombra while he stewed in guilt within his armor, and instead tried to ignore the fact that he just allowed the villain to be his newly-officiated Owner. No matter what happened next, Shining knew that there was very little hope for him from then on. Of course, given how things have been going prior to those papers being notarized, the Private-turned-Slave couldn’t deny that this was likely going to happen eventually.

Sombra took his sweet time as he sat in Shining’s lavish chair, and spun around a few times while admiring the sheer amount of control he now possessed over him. Even though any ideas of conquest are likely dismissed from the Prince’s mindset (mostly due to common sense), Sombra still looked elated to have a little slice of Tyranny on the side from his newly-appointed slave. Fortunately for the sadist, his masochistic pet remained silent for the majority of his joyous laughter to avoid interruption. And by the time he finally pulled himself up from his chair, he needed to tap Shining’s helmet to get him to pull his head back up. “Up, Shining! We still have a lot to do today, and I intend to take full advantage of it~”

Even though he felt completely miserable, Shining grunted to himself in disdain as he began to get up from his uncomfortable chair. Meanwhile, Sombra was already waiting at the door as he looked back at him with a grin and said, “Oh, and thank you for signing that document, Shining. I’ll be sure to keep it on me at all times, just in case you try anything funny~”

As he begrudgingly trotted over to his new Owner, Shining had to keep himself from muttering anything too upsetting under his breath. And while his armor continued to creak and clatter incessantly with each step, it was hard for him to really think about it while he followed Sombra’s twisted whims like the slave he was. “Y… Y-Yes, Sir…”