When the two finally reached Sombra’s destination, Shining realized that they were in another high-trafficked region of the castle. Just down the hall ahead of them was the entryway for the staff kitchen, which Sombra was still forbidden to enter due to his probation for safety reasons. However, the Prince walked over towards a utility closet, which had its door slightly ajar so the security lock wouldn’t be activated. With a quick motion of his head, Sombra had his Private follow him inside as soon as the coast was clear. Shining made one last look around for any visible staff, and tried not to worry as he walked into the closet behind him.

“Oh, there you are, Shining!” chirped Cadance, who had already been waiting in the closet for her husband and their cuckold. “I told Sombra to get you ten minutes ago, but I was worried that something may have happened.”

“Oh, don’t worry Honey,” cooed Sombra as he walked up towards Cadance, and gave her a casual kiss on the lips. Since the door was still open behind them, Shining quickly tried to stand at the doorway to keep any passing ponies from seeing that. But before he could think to close the door, Shining froze when he heard Sombra say to him, “Don’t close that door, Shining Armor. There’s no knob on the inside, so we would be trapped in here if you do.”

Shining looked back at the couple with a confounded look, unsure what to do as Sombra turned his attention back towards Cadance. After making a quick flash of her horn, Cadance giggled before pulling her husband back into her hooves for another, much deeper kiss. Even though the closet door was still wide-open, the Tyrant openly started to grope his Princess as his hoof slipped beneath her tail, and his muzzle locked tightly against hers. Shining bit his lip with a deeply pronounced blush, but couldn’t pull away from the doorway since he was the only thing concealing the rowdy couple. However, the moment Shining turned back around to check on the hall, he let out a confused “Huh?” when he saw a glowing wall of blue magic just inches from his muzzle.

“Mnnnghhh... “ Cadance struggled a little under her husband’s brute strength, but finally pulled her mouth away from his with a pop so she could explain. “Th-That’s a one-way soundproofing spell,” she clarified while blushing from Sombra’s hungry eyes leering on her prone form. “Twilight showed me how to do it. It basically means they can’t see the magic wall from the other side, but they can’t hear us either. Meanwhile--Hehehe, stop it~” she giggled from that brief interruption, which was likely caused by Sombra grasping her ass tightly. After she paused for a second to give a peck to the tip of Sombra’s snout, she looked back at Shining and said, “Even though they can’t hear us, you can still hear through the magic barrier. You just have to poke your muzzle through if you need to speak to anypony.”

“Wait, what?” asked Shining as he glanced back at the horny couple, still a little unsure what he needed to do. Sombra paused his lust-addled rubbing of Cadance’s flanks to stare back at his Private with an impatient glare.

“What do you think, Private?! We need a quickie before lunch, and we don’t want to go all the way back upstairs! Just stand Guard there, and make sure nopony sees us!”

With that command set in motion, Sombra instantly lunged back in to lewdly make out with Shining’s former wife. Meanwhile, Shining quickly turned back towards that magic wall in front of him, and tried not to blush too notably as he heard Cadance’s enamored moans that were just barely muffled through Sombra’s mouth. Since he was set to stand as a Guard for the two, he wasn’t able to look as Sombra’s hoof began to rub hard against the Princess’ already wettening marehood. But due to how vigorously the Prince began to assault Cadance’s pussy with his smooth keratin, most likely due to his own horniness as judged by his still-erect cock, Shining’s ears flicked about while hearing those wet schlicks over her shaky moans.

“Mmmmnnnghhh!!~” Cadance pulled her muzzle away from Sombra’s, and held onto him tightly as he continued to rub her marehood and tease her mercilessly. Her eyes were tightly clenched while her head rested against Sombra’s shoulder, and she moaned out deeply in response to those tenacious rubs against her delicate folds. “Aaaahhhh!!~ Oh, Sombra!!~ Mmmmmm…”

Shining gulped upon hearing Cadance bellowing out Sombra’s name so shamelessly, even outside of the bedroom and so close to her castle staff. Fortunately, despite how badly his chastity cage was straining from the titillating sounds reverberating in the soundproofed closet, his training as Private seemed to be paying off from his somewhat-stoic expression. Even though he was in his Royal regalia, Shining was able to stand rather still with a casual smile, and remain inconspicuous while castle staff trotted by the open door.

“Oh, hey Shining!” said one crystal pony mare, who stopped to greet him while holding a stack of dishes on her magic. Shining nodded back at her with a friendly smile, and kept himself in the doorway as he heard her say, “Just so you know, lunch will be ready in ten minutes, alright?”

Shining nodded again, and was able to lean his head in just enough to make his muzzle peek through the invisible wall of magic. “Th-Thank you kindly, Skystream,” he said courteously, happy that he and Cadance had gotten so well with remembering all the castle staff names. “That’ll be all.”

Skystream nodded happily, and went back to walking towards the kitchen entrance. Shining pulled his head back quickly enough to shudder in invigorating dread, stunned in disbelief that he wasn’t caught. His face must’ve been blushing like mad, but the pony didn’t seem to notice Cadance being hoofed by their former Tyrant just behind Shining’s stance. And even when he was speaking to the unicorn, it was shocking his voice didn’t break while hearing Cadance’s moans growing louder right behind him.

“Mnnnghhh… Well, at least we know that spell works~” purred Sombra with a confidently cheeky grin. He then lunged his muzzle in to nibble at Cadance’s exposed neck, and made her groan out even more while playing with her winking pussy. His hoof continuously rubbed against the pregnant mare’s clit, and kept her on edge as she spasmed and moaned against his muscular form. And as his fangs softly prodded and nipped at the Princess’ neck, his own cock was throbbing hard from the tantalized noises he was getting from Shining’s Ex.

Shining felt horrible for wishing to see how rapturously the ex-King was taking advantage of Cadance in that moment, but his diligence remained on-point as he remained at his “post” in front of the doorway. Luckily for the Private, his training over the past year proved to be paying off tremendously when it came to his first public cucking. Even as his cage continued to strain from his throbbing member, and his ears twitched from every hungry moan he heard escape from Cadance’s mouth, he was somehow able to maintain a casual smile while standing like a friendly greeter for every staff pony that passed by.

Shining could hear every lewd groan and schlick from behind him, but he still gave a courteous “Hello” and “Keep up the great work” every time one of the crystal ponies stopped to address him. It was almost unreal how well Cadance’s spell was working, since every single pony was completely oblivious to anything happening just behind the standing “Prince.” Even when he heard Sombra taking hold of Cadance to nibble somewhere else, Shining barely even flinched while standing with the faintest blush across his cheeks.

Meanwhile, it wasn’t long before Cadance was struggling to keep her hind-legs up, and her pregnant form was laying in a presented stance with her chin pressed against the cold floor. Since that magic barrier only needed a quick zap to remain in place, the Princess carried no hesitations as she moaned out with a heavy blush, and trembled against those strong hooves grasping her flanks so tightly. And while Shining stood just a couple feet away in awkward silence, Sombra was going to town on that Royal pussy as his muzzle dove in between her plump cheeks.

“AAAAHHHH!!~” Cadance couldn’t grip onto anything to control herself, and could only brace her weight against Sombra’s face while he was eating her out so ravenously. His lips repeatedly smacked against Cadance’s dripping folds, and his reptilian tongue repeatedly plunged in to devour as much of her hungry cunt as he could reach. Shining may have been fairly skilled at cunnilingus himself (even nowadays due to how often he had to clean up after the two following their sessions), but the strained cries he could hear belting out of her sounded much more profound than anything he could’ve done. He wanted to think she was just playing it up to toy with him, but he knew that wasn’t the case; but given that tongue Sombra possessed, Shining couldn’t exactly blame himself for not delivering the same bouts of pleasure that his Prince could.

“Nnnnnfffff!~” Sombra’s eyes were clenched shut while he lapped up every drop of Cadance’s arousal that he could reach, not wanting her syrupy sweet juices to dribble down her thighs and go to waste. But even when he pulled his muzzle away to lick his glossy lips, small rivulets of the Princess’ arousal could still be seen dripping down while she was panting readily for more. Her claimed marehood was continuously winking to expose the supple flesh inside, absolutely soaked due to Sombra’s tongue-lashing. But despite how deliciously alluring the sight of that pregnant cunt may have been, Sombra couldn’t resist glancing back at their stoic Guard while licking up the juices on his hoof. “Mmmm… It’s a shame, isn’t it Private?~ I get to eat out this beautiful mare you couldn’t satisfy yourself, and all you were able to do is kiss my ass! In public nonetheless~”

Since Shining was preoccupied with hearing the details of his lunch by one of the castle’s servants, the only evidence he could hear Sombra’s teasing words was a slight twitch in his left eye. Fortunately, the crystal pony he was talking to didn’t seem to hear that insultingly true remark due to the magic wall. Nor was he able to hear Cadance’s voice as she groaned out, “Hmmm? Di… Did you really do that, Shining?”

“Of course he did!” jeered Sombra as he looked back at her, and wiped his matted muzzle with his foreleg. “And he sucked on my balls in public too! You should’ve seen him, Honey~ He was a natural-born faggot!”

“HEY!” snapped Cadance, who grew serious for a split-second while glaring up at him. “What did I tell you about slurs?!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Sombra immediately waved his free hoof apologetically. “I wasn’t being homophobic, I swear.”

Shining smirked a little from hearing that exchange, happy that Cadance still had a tight leash around Sombra during instances like that. Despite how much the Prince tormented him, his wife didn’t tolerate him acting in a way that was inappropriate for modern-day behavior. Sombra’s lust for dominance may have been unchangeable, but he was trying his best to be less intolerant for the sake of social sanctity.

Unfortunately, shortly after that apology, Cadance shivered from her unquenched arousal before she grinned back at her former husband. “Although… it does sound like our Private was being a little bitch for agreeing to such a thing~”

Both she and Sombra chuckled teasingly after saying that remark, hoping to get a rise out of their blushing Guard. Shining was able to maintain his composure, but that remark still made him struggle not to cringe in embarrassment. Being called out by Sombra was one thing, but hearing it from Cadance was still hard to get used to. Nevertheless, Shining knew he couldn’t complain when that taunting jab caused his member to strain even harder inside of his chastity cage.

“Indeed he is our little bitch~” growled Sombra with a more notable shit-eating grin pointed at their Guard, with his lips still glistening from Cadance’s juices. “I bet he would lick my hooves on stage if I made him~”

“Hehehehe~ Don’t get him riled up, Honey,” purred Cadance back at her current husband. “He might like that~”

“Might?” he asked with emphasis to match his cheeky smirk. “I bet he’d enjoy any order I gave him! That’s why he’s my Private, after all~”

Shining’s expression struggled to stay casually blank while hearing the two behind him, unable to say much to really defend himself. Considering all that he had been willing to do so far, it wasn’t like Sombra’s claim wasn’t without some merit. And even with that looming request that was still plaguing his mind, Shining had to close his eyes briefly to try and ignore any subtle hints Sombra may have been throwing his way.

“Hmmm… you know what?” said Sombra before he paused his impromptu session with the Princess, and decided to do something for their standing Guard. “I might not be allowed to pressure you, Shining Armor… But I can still help you understand what it might feel like in advance~”

During that momentary pause in speech, Sombra went and picked up a spool of string that was resting on one of the closet shelves. He was quick to unfurl a sizeable length before snipping it free with his fangs, and making a small knotted loop at one end of it. Then while Shining remained standing for attention with his back turned to the two, Sombra leaned in close and whispered sultrily, “Don’t move an inch, Private~”

Before Shining could ask what his Prince was doing, a sharp gasp came out of his mouth the moment he felt that loop of string wrapping around the base of his balls. And with a hard tug, Sombra’s knot pulled inward to give a tight grip around the Private’s sac, binding his balls tightly together. A sharp and high-pitched whinny broke free from Shining’s clenched muzzle, but he was able to stand rigidly and keep from moving during that sudden action by his Superior. While Shining struggled to stand with a straight face in response to that sharp bout of pain, Sombra leaned in close to his ear to add insistently, “Don’t worry, I’ll undo that string as soon as we finish up. Consider this a test-run of what I wish to do with you~”

Cadance looked back at the two with her muzzle clenched in trepidation, but she wasn’t too alarmed by Sombra’s decision to try and stop him. Since she was able to hear that it was temporary, the Princess remained in her sprawled-out stance with her pussy still winking in wait. Meanwhile, Sombra returned to his voluptuous wife while holding that string in his hoof, keeping a strong grip on Shining’s balls like a leash for an unruly pet. By the time Shining could hear his Prince mounting Cadance, which elicited a strained moan from her mouth, his body tensed up as he felt a light tug of that string to send a sharp jolt of pain to his balls.

“Focus on that pain, Private~” ordered Sombra in a low and brooding tone, while his own cock was pointed directly at Cadance’s waiting cunt. “Trust in your Superior, and think about how easily I can change things for you~”

With that, Sombra returned his attention onto Cadance as he pushed his thick, crowned cockhead against the supple folds of his wife’s needy pussy. The sudden yelp that came out of her mouth was quick to turn into a deeply enamored groan, and she shivered in delight at feeling that hot piece of cockmeat cramming its way inside of her again. Shining was having a harder time staying inconspicuous while he stood by the door, but that was mostly due to the throbbing pain that Sombra was giving to his balls. While the Prince had one of his hooves grasping Cadance’s soft flank to squeeze tightly, his other hoof held onto the string to keep some tension on the Private’s binded nuts.

“Nnnnnnn…” Shining let out a pained whimper as he tried his hardest to remain discreet, but his widening eyes were enough to indicate that Sombra wasn’t taking this “test” lightly. But despite how uncomfortable the Private was getting from every tug his nuts were being given by Sombra’s string, his chastity cage remained highly-tensioned from his member desperately wanting to get hard throughout the ordeal. Of course, the sounds of his Prince’s hard grunts against his wife, combined with Cadance’s lustful moans as she allowed that thick cock to slide inside of her, were likely bigger reasons for the Private remaining aroused in his painful position. Or at least, that was what he was really wanting to believe for the sake of his conflicted thoughts.

“Aaaaahhhhh… theeeerrrrrrrrreeee we go~” With one especially hard push inside of his moaning mare, Sombra’s cock was once again met with the tight and comforting confines of Cadance’s velvety pussy wrapped around his shaft. Even with how long that pathetic cuck tried to pleasure her over the years, the Prince was certain that his Princess’ enticingly supple form was meant for his own cock alone. Her moans reverberated strongly within the confined space they were in, which combined wonderfully with the strained groans Sombra was able to coax out of Shining with each tug of his string. That Private may have already been his puppet, but it was fun to have such a fitting metaphor in play for the more literal interpretation.

Since Sombra and Cadance were running on limited time, the Prince didn’t savor the moment for too long before he began his fun. Unfortunately for Shining Armor, who was forced to remain at the doorway to help conceal the Royal couple’s little romp, he wasn’t allowed to even look back to see Cadance being ravished by their Bull. Instead, the Private was left to keep a fake smile for any ponies who walked by him in the hallway, while overhearing Cadance’s hearty moans that came with each thrust her husband gave. And since Sombra was still holding onto that string tightly latched by his balls, Shining was able to feel every movement his Prince gave by the jolting tugs that caused his testicles to sting incessantly.

“Nnnghh… Nnnnffff… Ahh!” Shining was fortunate enough to have pulled his muzzle back behind the magic wall, so that none of the Crystal ponies could overhear the pained grunts that came out each time Sombra pulled on his balls while fucking the Princess behind his back. Even as his muzzle started to contort more notably, Shining didn’t receive any second-glances from any of the ponies that trotted by for their duties. The Private’s hind-legs started to buckle a little each time his balls were tugged at by his fiendish Bull, but he remained in place to ensure Sombra wouldn’t be caught. And given how loudly Cadance was moaning from her husband’s rampant thrusts, it was beyond necessary for her to have put up that magic wall in the first place.

“AAAHHH!! Mmmmm… That’s right, Sombra!!~” Cadance was completely shameless as she remained lying on the ground with her ass up, and her pregnant belly bobbed back and forth from each hard thrust Sombra delivered to her backside. His cock repeatedly speared in and out of her gushing pussy, which caused more drops of her arousal to dribble down her legs and leave a small puddle on the crystal floor. But despite how messy the Princess was getting in such a public setting, her voice remained loud and strained as she continued to belt out for her husband’s cock. “Right there!! RIGHT THERE!!!~ AAAHHHH!~”

Sombra’s growling breaths grew more primal as the fucking intensified, and his thrusts collided with Cadance’s pregnant plot to elicit continuous audible, meaty smacks between their bodies. His breaths came out more rapidly through his flaring nostrils like an enraged beast, but they weren’t nearly as loud as the heated moans his wife let out each time he filled her with his throbbing cock. His pounding thrusts soon smacked against her multiple times per second, and he was losing track of the positioning of his hooves while grasping Cadance with both of them. And because of his lustrous state, Sombra didn’t seem to overhear the strained whinnies that were coming from behind as the tension of his string grew tighter.

“GNNNNGHHH!!” Even with his months of “training,” Shining had to grit his teeth with a deeply uncomfortable grimace as the burning pain on his balls grew much more intense. Due to how hard Sombra was pulling on his crown jewels, his face clenched in badly enough to show some obvious pain in his expression. He tried to keep a friendly smile for whomever was oblivious enough to walk by without a second glance, but tears were starting to bead at the corners of his narrowing eyes. Even though the sounds of Sombra and Cadance’s passionate fucking still made his chastity cage strain, it was hard to really focus on that pressure when his balls were being pulled back so hard by that thin noose, and the sensation was growing more unbearable with each passing second.

If there was any solace for the poor Private’s agonizing position, the sounds of Sombra’s animalistic groans were indicating that he was growing close to climax. Cadance was already reeling in blissful rapture as she took every thrust he had to give, and was moaning out in dire need of him to give her a good filling. Even if Shining’s balls weren’t being put to good use, the Princess was feeling more than enough satisfaction from those thick, heavy orbs of Sombra’s that were constantly smacking hard against her clit. The sensation was hot enough to leave her eyes rolling back in an absolute frenzy, and she braced herself for that hot, gushing orgasm that was about to flood her like it had countless times before. “THAT’S IT, SOMBRA!!” she bellowed out within the safety of her soundproofing spell, placing her absolute trust in the Guard who was struggling to keep the two lovebirds out of sight. “AAAHHHH!!! RIGHT THERE!!! RIGHT THERE!!!”

“NNNNNFFFFFFFF!!!~” Sombra bore down hard on his fruitful wife as he shoved his length as deeply as he could inside of her hungry cunt, which also tugged on Shining’s strained balls with an intensity that didn’t let up for the duration of his orgasm. While Shining was left with a profusely heavy shade of red across his agonized-looking face, the pain was near indescribable while hearing Cadance’s euphoric cries from just behind him. Multiple thick, heavy ropes of Sombra’s virile cum erupted inside of the shrieking mare, flooding her with his seed as it claimed every inch of her spasming depths once again. The sensation caused Cadance’s eyes to clench shut while she cried out in elation, absolutely loving the sensation of being filled by such a rampantly powerful beast like Sombra.

As for poor Shining, who nearly passed out from the searing pain that was given to his aching balls, his legs were wobbling hard by the time most of the staff ponies were away from the closet, just in time for his tormented appearance to really show. Pained gasps were shooting in and out of his nostrils, and his teeth were badly clenched while tears were streaming down his face. Fortunately, just as Sombra gave a couple last-second thrusts into Cadance to milk out every drop he had, his grip on the string finally relented to free Shining of his torment. The instant that string fell to the ground, and Cadance let out the last of her contented moans in response to her much-needed filling, Shining slumped against the side of the doorway while sighing in sweet, sweet relief.

All the while, Sombra kept a tight grip of his wife while he remained braced atop her back, and savored her warmth as her folds continued to hug his softening length for just a moment more. By the time he finally pulled out of her, a heavy gushing of his cum immediately started to drool out from her loosened cunny, and caused Cadance to shiver as she felt his load tricking down the inside of her thighs. Shining could smell the musk from where he was at, and shivered with a heavy blush himself. Unfortunately, due to the massive strain that was lingering around his balls (which still had a rather tight knot from the string that remained around the base), the Private could barely even move while processing that heated session he just stood as Guard for.

“Aaaaaahhhhhh… Good show, Private! Good show indeed…” True to his word, Sombra only needed a quick moment to collect himself before he reached over towards Shining, and undid that string binding his balls so tightly. An even sharper sigh escaped Shining’s muzzle, which caused Sombra to chuckle pridefully while patting him on the flank. “Impressive work, soldier! I apologize for the overexertion there, but I’m happy you held up so well~”

Shining had his eyes tightly strained while he remained leaning against the open doorway, but he was able to nod thankfully to Sombra’s kind words.

“Okay, let me clean up Cadance here,” said Sombra as he looked back at his wife, who was still sprawled-out on the floor with her ass raised and leaking steadily with cum. The mare still needed a moment before she could get back up, but her dopey grin made it clear the cravings from her pregnancy were sated for the time being. Satisfied with how well that public outing went, Sombra was smiling wide as he turned back to Shining and said, “and when I finish up, I won’t bother you for the rest of the day. I promise.”

Shining Armor was still too thrown off by that tugging session to really show his appreciation, but he was very grateful he’d have the rest of the day to recuperate before encountering his twisted Prince for that decision. He couldn’t say he was a hundred percent sure what his answer would still be, but that experience certainly gave him a little more insight of what he might expect; unfortunately, the fact that his cage was still straining made that detail all the more confusing for the poor Private.

After a quick cleanup in that closet, and a much longer bout of nursing an ice-pack over his crotch, Shining Armor could say that he was in higher spirits by the time the afternoon passed. Fortunately for the stallion, he was able to complete most of his duties behind his desk in his office, so no ponies were able to see him dealing with that embarrassing aftercare. Cadance stopped by a couple times to make sure he was okay, which he was able to appreciate following how she was acting in the closet earlier. But for the rest of the afternoon he had to himself, Shining could safely say he had more than enough time to fully encompass that option which Sombra was insistent on hearing his opinion on.

But even with that being said, Shining carried a hesitant look on his face by the time he returned to his living quarters later that evening; and his expression wasn’t just because of that lingering pain that left him walking a little bow-legged. After processing everything that both Sombra and Cadance had told him, Shining felt like he was able to think through the trial with far more contemplation than any sane stallion should’ve. He was fully aware of how messed-up it was for him to just think over such a severe idea, even if he were to refuse it at the end. However, since he had promised Sombra he would give it some thought, he wasn’t too ashamed to have done exactly that. And at the same time, the Prince Consort wasn’t too ashamed of the decision that was resting at the back of his conscience.

However, before he could stallion up and give his answer to his Superior, Shining was intent on hearing one last thing from Sombra first.

Shining undid his Royal regalia as soon as he entered his bedroom, and carefully hung it up on the wall over his futon. As for Sombra and Cadance, the couple were happily resting atop their large and luxurious bed. The Prince was spooning Cadance lovingly from behind, and rubbing at her large belly-bump to feel for his foal. Despite how horribly shocking that view may have looked just over a year ago, Shining was able to see the two with a contented state of mind; the two were happy, and if he were to be perfectly honest, so was he.

“Ah, there you are,” said Sombra the moment he took notice of Shining hanging up that large golden plating. He pulled himself up from the bed, and carefully helped Cadance up so she could get back on her hooves as well. Meanwhile, Shining Armor took a breath before returning towards them, leaving his body bare of any armor for the time being. Sombra raised a brow upon seeing the Private without his standard armor, but he could tell from Shining’s reluctant expression that something may have been up. So instead of chastising the stallion, Sombra stepped away from the bed before he addressed his Guard. “So… are you feeling better since this afternoon, Private?”

Shining was quick to nod assuredly up to his Prince, and said with a meager smile, “Yeah, I’m not as sore as I was before. Ummm… thank you for asking.”

“Well, what did you expect?” Sombra scoffed with a more playful smirk, and added, “I may have some taboo intentions, but that doesn’t mean I want to physically hurt you.”

Despite wanting to question the legitimacy of that statement, Shining kept his muzzle shut while nodding in understanding back at him. Meanwhile, Sombra looked over towards the Guard’s Private-issued armor, which was still laid out untouched beside the futon. Shining could tell he saw that, but remained silent before Sombra looked back at him. “Well… Should I be the first to address the elephant in the room, or should you?”

Shining closed his eyes to sigh sharply, but was quick to speak up before his Superior could. “A-Actually, I… I was needing to ask you one last thing before I give my answer, Sombra.”

Sombra’s brows raised for a second in surprise, and he glanced back at Cadance as she came up to stand beside him. “Is that so?” he asked before returning his attention to the Private. “Well, I suppose that’ll be alright. Whatever will help you make a sound decision.”

Shining nodded with a thankful look, but his expression grew more serious after taking a moment to breathe in deeply. When he stared up at the Prince, Shining tried his hardest to carry a firm glance on him as he asked, “Okay, so… I know you said you wanted to have me… h-have me gelded because I was such a good Guard. And… And I also know from Cadance that you believe I would agree to it if asked. But… th-there’s one thing I need to know from you before I give an answer. And…”

Shining closed his eyes for a second to recompose himself, and let out a sharp huff before looking back up at him. “A-And I’m not asking this as your Private, or even as the Prince of this Empire. I’m asking you this question as a friend. As an equal. One stallion to another…”

Sombra blinked a couple times, but remained stone-faced while studying the Private’s firm clarification. While the Prince stood in silence, Shining breathed out slowly before he was able to ask, “Sombra… Why is it that you want me to undergo that kind of procedure? And don’t tell me it’s because you want me to be a better Guard, because I already heard that from you. I need to know… why is this such an important thing for you to do to me? Why now, after everything else I’ve done for you?”

Cadance looked between the two stallions during a brief moment of silence, but didn’t try to intervene following that question her Ex gave. Surprisingly enough though, Sombra didn’t let his Private’s insistence go unnoticed. After processing the depth of Shining’s question, Sombra nodded respectfully before saying, “Alright, Shining Armor. If you really insist on knowing my intentions, stallion to stallion, then I’ll do just that. I respect your friendship greatly, and it seems only fair for me abide if it gives you some solace.”

Shining’s brows rose up for a second, clearly not expecting Sombra to comply so easily. Cadance seemed surprised as well, and stepped away from Sombra so he could have the room to speak more genuinely. Meanwhile, the Prince took a quick breath while looking back at Shining, and swallowed some excess saliva before beginning his answer.

“First off… I don’t know how aware you and Cadance may be about my living situation nowadays, but… Considering how well things have been going for me alongside you two in this relationship, I can safely say that I have never… ever… felt as contented with my life as I have right now.

Both of the ponies’ eyes widened upon hearing that remark, not detecting a shred of dishonesty in Sombra’s voice. The two glanced back at each other briefly in befuddlement, before Shining turned back to Sombra and asked, “Wait, really? I mean… you used to be a King, remember?”

“Of course I remember! How could I not!?” scoffed Sombra with a confounded stare back at him. “But back when I was in rule, I was an overstressed wreck before I discovered dark magic. I wasn’t able to enjoy a single minute of my rule due to how taxing my schedule had been. That was one of the big reasons I respect the two of you for handling this Empire so well. I’ve been there before, and it never ceases to amaze me how much better you guys are at the job than I was.”

Despite hearing that fact from him already, Shining still shrugged with a blushed smile after hearing that reminder. Cadance giggled with a flattered smile, and gave a cheerful “Thank you,” to her husband.

“You’re welcome. But to continue my response,” continued Sombra as he returned his stare over at Shining, “even when I was using dark magic to rule as a Tyrant, that life wasn’t exactly satisfying. I was absolutely insane with power, committed atrocious war crimes against ponykind, and I ended up getting my ass handed to me by a group of fillies and a baby dragon! Twice! I’m sure that even back then, I would’ve instantly jumped on the opportunity to fuck a Princess every night, while somepony else did all of my Royal duties as a personal servant. I mean, can you really blame me for thinking the life I have now is better than that?”

Despite some of the crude wording he used, both Shining and Cadance shrugged with more understanding looks on their faces. Shining even huffed with a small blush while smirking to himself, and replied, “Well, ummm… okay yeah. Fair point.”

“Exactly!” stated Sombra with a firm nod of his head. “Guys, I… I never felt as satisfied in my life as I had when you two invited me to join into this relationship. You gave me my old room back, you gave me a sense of power without any judgement or negative repercussions, and…” Sombra paused for a second to keep his emotional state in check, but his muzzle still trembled a bit as he looked back at the pregnant Princess with a truly thankful smile. “... and you even gave me a son. I mean… that alone is worth more than my crown ever did…”

While Cadance gave a warm smile back at Sombra with a nod, the Prince turned back towards Shining and said, “And… and I guess to answer your question, Shining Armor… I think the reason I want this is because it’s… it’s the one thing that can’t be undone between us.”

Sombra may have carried some strong sentiment in his tone and his smile, but that last remark made both Shining and Cadance turn confused. “Wait, what do you mean by that?” asked the Princess with a slightly offended tone, placing a hoof over her belly for emphasis. ‘What makes you think any of this can be undone?”

“I don’t mean the foal specifically,” noted Sombra with insistence as he addressed both of them, “but the other things we’ve done could easily be undone if the situation arose. I mean… technically speaking, our marriage isn’t exactly the most valid, even with a Royal Decree. You two are still married on paper, and it’s not like any ponies could take ours seriously.”

Shining and Cadance looked back at each other with uneasy expressions, unsure how to take that detail Sombra addressed. Even though both of them saw their relationship with Sombra as being more a fantasy during that “wedding,” it was clear that things have drastically changed since then. And technically speaking, Sombra’s statement wasn’t that inaccurate. Unless the two actually went all the way with official paperwork (which would likely cause a huge stir if it got into public records), Shining would always be the legal husband to Princess Cadance. While the two thought over that fact, Sombra kept going with a more disheartened tone.

“Not to mention, it’s not like any ponies outside us three would see me as a King again, let alone a Prince. So even with that ‘marriage’ being taken seriously, it’s not like I’m really a Royal outside of our relationship. That’s something that Shining will likely always have. And…”

After another pause, Sombra sighed before lowering his head with a more saddened look on his face. “... and… Shining will always be seen as the father to my son… even to him…”

Cadance and Shining’s ears lowered after hearing that last point, which was honestly a sad truth all three of them had to face. Aside from Twilight Sparkle, everypony else still thought that Shining Armor was the father to Cadance’s second foal. And shortly after her pregnancy was confirmed, the three made the reluctant choice to treat Shining as the father, even to the son himself. While there was possibly a chance to let him know of Sombra’s patronage when he was an adult, they all knew it was best for the foal’s safety if he was left unaware of the truth while growing up. Even Sombra agreed that was for the best, even though it was obvious how much that hurt him to do.

Shining almost wanted to apologize after that was said, since he knew that Sombra was still basically a prisoner to everyone besides him and Cadance. However, the stallion kept himself silent so Sombra could finish speaking, which came after the Prince took a final breath to recollect himself. “... So… I think what I’m saying is… the reason I want you to be gelded is because I… I want to know for a fact that I can’t be replaced or overthrown in this relationship. And after everything else we’ve done, I… I figure you agreeing to such a thing would show how much you trust me to maintain that position from now on.”

A long, pregnant bout of silence lasted between the three ponies after that answer was given. Cadance couldn’t stop staring at Sombra with a more thoughtful look on her face, since she was able to see a new level of sensitivity that he had been so reluctant to expose before. As for Shining, who needed a moment to process the pure sincerity and weakness his Superior had admitted towards him, he finally responded with a firm nod after taking a breath, and then said meekly, “Th… Thank you, Sombra. I… I really appreciate you opening up to me like that.”

Sombra had a slight blush of embarrassment on his face, but he was able to nod back at his Private with a weak smile to show his appreciation. Without saying a word, Shining walked away from the Prince to head towards his clunky Private armor. Sombra smiled as he saw the stallion beginning to put it on, once again not needing to be asked to do so. While Shining did that, Cadance came up to her husband to kiss him on the cheek, and said, “That was really big of you, Sombra. I think Twilight would really appreciate it if you wrote to her about that.”

“Psh~” Sombra rolled his eyes with a scoff, and tried to act more confident as he said in dismissal, “Oh, please! It’s one thing to be that honest with you two, but to her? No thank you!”

Cadance giggled a little as she shrugged her shoulders, and replied cheekily, “Oh, come on! If she can keep our secrets, she can certainly keep yours too.”

“Well, let’s save that topic for another day,” he suggested before gesturing his head away from Cadance. Both she and Sombra looked back at Shining, who was fully re-donned in his Private armor like it was made for him. While his Royal regalia was left hanging on the wall unnoticed, Shining walked back up towards Sombra with a more determined look on his face. Any trepidations or worries he may have carried before were long gone, and it was clear that whatever answer he had was now confirmed in his head. And due to the diligent look Shining carried underneath his clunky helmet, Sombra felt a lot better about himself following that big admission.

“So, Private Armor,” he said with a more satisfied grin on his face. Even though Shining’s blush was rather prevalent, the Prince looked rather pleased at how quickly his Private presented himself before him and his wife. Cadance took a couple steps back from the two, not wanting to intervene as Sombra asked the stallion, “I’m hoping by your quick change that you came to a decision?”

Shining Armor closed his eyes to take a deep breath, needing a moment to collect himself before he could face his Prince. Even though he knew how severely things could change from then on, the Private was determined to stand his ground by the time he reopened his eyes, and looked up at Sombra’s waiting expression. “Y… Yes I did, my Prince,” he replied in a somewhat confident tone, refusing to avert his eyes from Sombra as he nodded his head. “And… And I have to say...”

Shining paused for only a couple seconds, his muzzle tensing up during that brief moment of contemplation. But eventually, the stallion closed his eyes again before breathing out slowly, and he spoke in a more withheld tone of voice. “... I… I’m sorry, Sombra. But I… I can’t accept your request under any good conscience…”

Princess Cadance maintained a weak, but still optimistic smile as she nodded in acceptance of that answer. Sombra closed his eyes, and let out a slow sigh in disappointment. “I… I understand, Shining,” he said in a solemn, but genuinely unoffended tone. “And I promise you, I won’t try to ask you about it any--”

“B-Because…”

Shining’s unexpected addition caught both of them by surprise, and Sombra paused his interrupted response while staring back at his Private. Meanwhile, Shining’s hooves braced hard against the crystal floors while he kept his eyes shut, and he mustered up all of his courage to continue his response. “... Because I… I know it wouldn’t be right for a Guard to… to accept any requests from his Superior…”

After taking another deep breath, Shining tried to ignore how hotly his blush was burning his cheeks when he finally looked back at Sombra. Both the Prince and his wife stared back at Shining with their heads tilted confusedly, unsure where he was going with his continuation. But alas, Shining kept his sights solely on his Prince as he paused for only a second, before stating with as much authority as he could give, “I… I’m supposed to be your Private, Prince Sombra. And that means that I… I shouldn’t need to take requests from you…”

Sombra’s brows rose as the realization of Shining’s words began to dawn on him. Cadance's eyes widened immensely while covering her muzzle with a hoof, seemingly figuring it out before her husband did. Meanwhile, Shining swallowed some excess saliva before he stood his ground, and finished his response with a fateful clarification. “I… I should only follow by order, Prince Sombra. Because… that’s how a Private is meant to show his trust for his Superior.”

Cadance gasped in complete shock, never having expected for her Ex to make a decision that bold to be his answer. Sombra looked equally as stunned by Shining’s admission, and had to blink a couple times while staring at him wide-eyed. “... You… You mean that you…”

“Shining, wait!” Cadance finally intervened as she rushed in between the two stallions, and caught Shining’s attention by staring at him intently. “Are you… Are you sure you want that?”

Despite how sheepish the Private’s expression became by the time he made his statement, he still nodded his head firmly back at the Princess. “You said that it was my decision, remember?” he asked while giving Cadance a faint smile, indicating that he had already given his answer enough thought. “I just… I decided to pick the one that makes me happy…”

Cadance had no idea how to respond to her Ex’s insistent response, but she still had enough pride in his decision to smile back at him with an understanding nod. After breathing out pertly to allow herself to accept the notion, she bent in to give Shining a much-deserved kiss on the cheek. “A-Alright, Shiny… As long as you feel like it’s a decision you want to make, then… Then I won’t stop you.”

“Thank you,” said Shining as he hugged Cadance affectionately. Sombra was still standing wide-eyed while processing what was happening, and didn’t stop his wife from hugging the Private back just as tightly. After the two pulled away though, Shining returned his attention towards Sombra as he added with a blush, “A-And I… I don’t want you to stop either, my Prince.”

Somba’s red eyes widened even more, and he had to ask a preemptive, “Excuse me?”

Shining closed his eyes as he internally confirmed his stance, and spoke more confidently after breathing out. “I… I don’t want you to ask for requests from me anymore,” he said, before looking up at Sombra with a kind and trusting smile. “I… I chose to be your Private, my Prince. A-And I… I feel like at this point, I… I should only take orders from you from now on.”

Shining blushed hard after giving that insistent request, but didn’t show any apprehension or worry in his expression that Sombra could see. Cadance could tell that he was being serious too, and had to look between the stallions to make sure this wasn’t taking things too far. Unfortunately, as soon as the realization truly settled in, it wasn’t long before Sombra narrowed his eyes on Shining, and he grew a very wide and evil looking grin. “Sooooo…”

Sombra stepped forward towards his Private, and began to loom over him more dominantly while his grin grew further out to expose his glistening fangs. Meanwhile, Shining stood his ground while looking up at him with an eager blush, and hearing him say more sadistically, “You’re telling me that from now on… I can order you around wherever I want… however I want… and you’ll follow them to the letter? Without any consequences on my own end?~”

With the way Sombra was leering down at Shining with his chest just inches from the Private’s snout, it wouldn’t have been surprising if ponies assumed this was a revitalization of his evil ways. Fortunately, Princess Cadance was quick to speak up. “Sombra,” she said warningly. “You better--”

“Let him answer my question first~” His piercing gaze on Shining widened while his pupils shrunk, almost as if he was gazing into the Private’s very soul to ensure he was telling the truth. And even as Shining’s expression grew more wary behind his blush, the stallion didn’t back down as he heard Sombra ask, “Shining… is that what you really want?~”

Shining Armor knew how absolutely insane it was to make such a severe request, especially from a former villain who had already attained so much from his life behind closed doors. But at the same time, considering how much Sombra had already amassed control of him, it didn’t even take the Private a second before he nodded his head, and gave a timid-sounding “Yes” up at his Prince.

Sombra’s face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree, and he was just about to let out a satisfied hiss through his fangs before hearing Cadance’s voice from behind him. “SOMBRA!”

Luckily, the Prince wasn’t one to ignore his wife, and he was quick to settle himself down before glancing back at her. “Yes, Cadance?”

The Princess may have not been planning to cancel Shining’s request, but she did carry a deathly glare on Sombra as she said with the utmost conviction in her voice, “You better not do anything that’ll affect the Crystal Empire’s safety, Sombra. Or any of our lives.”

Shining winced upon seeing the seriousness in Cadance’s tone, knowing she would likely do much worse to Sombra than what the Prince could do to him. Luckily, Sombra was quick to raise a hoof in sincerity as he said, “My Princess, I would never even think of reclaiming my throne as King. You and Shining are much better leaders than I ever was, and I would be an absolute idiot to interfere with your leadership skills. I promise you, I won’t do anything to jeopardize our lives as they are.”

Due to how genuinely the Prince gave that proclamation, it didn’t take long for Cadance to nod with a satisfied smile. Shining seemed grateful by that promise as well, but his expression quickly turned fearful the moment Sombra looked back at him with a firm, unrelenting stare. “However…”

Sombra turned his attention back towards Shining, and kept a lustrously dominant grin as he stood before him with absolute authority. “Private Shining Armor… Are you ready to prove yourself as one of my most diligent Guards?~”

Despite the looming weight of trepidation that was anchoring his heart down into the pit of his stomach, Shining nodded his head before giving the Prince a confident salute. “Yes, my Prince,” he said with unabashed conviction. “I’m ready.”

Cadance may have been content with her Ex’s decision, but she turned herself away from the two before she could see what would happen next. Meanwhile, Sombra gave an unbridled grin down at Shining before he growled out, “Bow your head, Private~”

Despite all of the horrifying things Sombra may have done in his past, both to the Crystal Empire and the very pony standing before him, Shining Armor felt no remorse as he took a breath, and lowered his head at Sombra’s hooves. Shining wasn’t able to look up at his Superior’s grin while that clunky helmet was atop his head, but he tensed up in anticipation as he felt Sombra’s hoof resting atop his shoulder.

“Private Shining Armor,” he said with a deep and mercilessly intimidating voice, “As your Prince, I am honored to have you undergo a timeless tradition, and to establish your place as our personal Private…”

After taking a moment to savor the power he had missed for the longest time, Sombra narrowed his eyes down at his Private before saying, “Shining Armor… I hereby order you to have you confirm your standing as our personal Guard, and allow yourself to be publically gelded at the Crystal Empire formal this Friday~”

“WHAT?!?”

Shining jolted up from his bowed stance, and looked just as shocked by Sombra’s order as Cadance did. The two ponies gawked at Sombra after giving that shared response, but it didn’t seem to faze Sombra’s confident stare at all. Even after several seconds of deep, awkward silence passed within the room, the Prince kept his eyes narrowed on Shining while grinning evilly.

“... S… Sombra?” asked Cadance with a deeply scared look on her face. “... Please tell me that was a joke.”

“Y-Yeah,” added Shining with an equally disturbed expression of his own. “You… You don’t mean that, right? I-I mean… this is like when you did that joke after Cadance's pregnancy… R-Right?”

“No, Private,” said Sombra without hesitation. As his grin remained as wide and menacing as ever, neither of the Royal ponies had any idea how to respond as their Bull clarified his order to Shining. “This Friday, at the Crystal Empire Formal…”

He leaned in to get his face less than an inch from Shining’s mortified expression, and said with unrelenting dominance, “I’m going to literally have you by the balls, Shining Armor~”