Author's Notes:

—Takes place during CRISIS: New World Order - Chapter 21—

The relevant lines are included in the chapter's prose itself, see below.
This is the chapter where the cover art happens, too! Full image is on derpibooru, 2405981.

It would be twenty-one years before Rarity and Zircon saw one another again.

When they did, the moment was truly magical, the sort of fairytale reunion filled with sensations that defied explanation. Time stopped for Rarity as she and Zircon locked eyes from across the snow-covered camp in the middle of nowhere, only returning to normal so that they could move to embrace one another again once she was assured that what she was seeing was real and not some figment of her imagination brought on by exhaustion.

All of her senses were completely dominated by him, as she’d wanted for so many years. She delighted in seeing her love’s handsome face once again, with hardly a wrinkle in sight; in taking in his strong, masculine scent, the sort worn by a stallion that never stopped working; in feeling his strong hooves wrap around her in an embrace, pulling her so tight she wanted to cry; in hearing his sultry baritone in her ears, pounding like a drum; and in tasting his lips upon hers, which carried just the hint of some wine he must have been drinking.

And Rarity knew that she owed everything about this moment and every moment to come to Flurry Heart—Cadence as well, but it was Flurry that had served as the real catalyst—and resolved to repay the mare with every fiber of her being when they returned home. Oh, the dresses she would make! Flurry would never go without the highest quality gowns and accessories for any occasion, the peak of fashion; mares everywhere would envy her, and stallions would desire her. Yes, that would be perfect.

And so, after a brief chance to reconnect together, and a chance for Zircon to meet the others in Rarity’s traveling party, the two were left alone again to do with their night as they wished. And after being apart from him for so long—being unsatisfied for so long—Rarity’s thoughts were on one thing and one thing only.

“Zircon, my love, I have just one question for you,” she said, pulling herself closer to him and looking him in the eyes.

“Yes?” he asked, pulling her into an embrace.

“Your tent. Would you say you have a great deal of privacy in there? Such that nobody—zebra, pony, or otherwise—would disturb you for, say… an hour or so?”

Zircon paused, then smiled and nodded. “Yes. Yes I would.”

“Good.” Rarity leaned up and kissed him again. “Very good.”

And so that was how they ended up moving to Zircon’s tent, which was a rather small affair with little in the way of accoutrements. There was a simple bed with only a couple of pillows and a warm blanket—barely big enough for one, let alone two—a single oil lamp for light, and a rack for hanging cloaks or armor on. There was no floor, just cold dirt that had been cleared of snow. There wasn't even the slightest source of satisfactory heat.

If this were any other stallion she was with, if this were any other situation, she would have wrinkled her nose and made some much-needed critiques about how anyone could expect to take a lady to such a droll little tent for even as simple as a pleasant conversation.

As it was, Rarity thought it was perfect. It was so him—so humble and rugged—that there wasn’t anything more she could ask for.

When the two entered together through the tent flat and found themselves out of sight of the rest of the camp, all pretense of being even remotely restrained around one another completely disappeared. Twenty-one years apart had made the two of them hungry for one another, desperate even. Rarity was a pony who had been lost in the desert for ages; Zircon was her oasis.

Oh, she’d shared her bed with a stallion or two in the past two decades, but that was it—just two—but neither of them had been able to hold a candle to Zircon, not by a long shot. The second of those two had even been more than eight years ago, and the only carnal pleasures Rarity had had since then were brought on by her own hooves or the assorted toys she’d collected over the years.

It just wasn’t the same.

So, Rarity knew it had taken her an enormous amount of restraint not to just leap on top of Zircon and demand he make love to her out in the open where everyone could watch, to rut her senseless until she couldn’t walk or breathe or cry, to take her like a stallion and mark her with his seed, and all sorts of other unladylike things that she'd never say aloud to anyone but her gallant knight.

And, as she stripped off her winter coat and helped Zircon remove his armor, she knew that he too had been practicing the same amount of restraint, because the moment they were unclothed he drew her over to the bed and kissed her with such passion that she was afraid she’d melt like snow. Had he taken a lover in the past twenty years? She wouldn’t judge if he did, but his heated fervor gave her an indication that he was as desperate for real release as she was.

There was no room here and now for declarations or emotions. Those could wait. This was a time for raw, primal energy between two creatures who loved each other, who needed each other.

She hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to have Zircon dominate her mouth with his tongue, but it had been so long that it felt brand new. That was how she expected this whole experience to go, actually: reigniting old feelings and sensations that her body hadn’t dealt with for a long, long while, growing accustomed to his strength and vigor.

Zircon didn’t waste any time in moving his kisses down from her lips to her neck, then her chest, making his way down towards her nethers. Rarity knew what he was doing and shifted away from him briefly, teasing him as he tried to follow by pushing his head down and away.

“What is wrong, my love?” he asked, sounding as disappointed as a colt who’d had his favorite toy taken from him.

“Nothing, dear,” she replied with a coy grin, "but how about we trade places, just for a moment?"

Zircon tilted his head, then smiled, nodded, and kissed her again as he lay on his back. "Pray tell, my lady, what thoughts dwell in thy head?"

Rarity straddled him briefly so that her marehood brushed against his semi-erect shaft; she was glad to see she'd already had such an effect on him, much as he did for her. "You can service me later, my dear knight. But for now, let your lady treat you right," she purred. She paused, then giggled. "Oh, just listen to me rhyming like that."

Zircon growled, shifting his hooves to her rear and giving it a firm squeeze.

She gasped, then gave Zircon a sultry look. "Ooh, does my rhyming excite you, dearest?"

"I couldst listen to thy rhymes all night. Thou hast a talented tongue."

"Oh, just you wait~"

Without hesitation, she kissed him as he did her, first upon his lips and then his neck, down to his chest and then further below. He was breathing hard by the time Rarity's lips grazed the tip of his member.

"My lady," he said, raising an eyebrow, "surely thou dost not wish to—"

"Oh yes indeed, darling, I wish," Rarity growled as she kissed along his length and approached his sack. "Our first night together, you treated me like a queen. It wouldn't do for me to allow you to service me so without giving something in return."

She buried her muzzle into his groin, breathing in the scent of a true stallion; just one whiff was enough to ignite a fire in her gut that she couldn't ignore. The sensation was very much how she understood estrus to function: a primal, carnal, biological need to mate. Was that what this was? Mares from her world didn't go into heat likes mares in his, but she wouldn't question it if her biology had changed to acclimate to the new environment.

But those questions could wait.

She trailed her tongue along his meaty pole with a slow, deliberate pace as she found every vein and bulge on every inch of him, all the way up to his tip. She kissed his tip gently, running her tongue along that as well, never once taking her eyes off of his face.

He watched her with rapt attention, taking short, deep breaths.

But she wasn't done yet. Her horn lit up with a dim blue light, and a ring of magic grasped the base of his member and slowly made its way up to his medial ring, then went back down. Then back up again, then back down. Faster and faster each time it went, until it was moving at a smooth, steady pace.

It was enough that she kissed and licked his shaft with an admittedly-novice-but-eager skill; she'd only given fellatio a few times and that was when she was much younger, and she never really practiced since. He seemed to be enjoying her half-oral, half-magic work on him, considering that he was practically out of breath at this point, barely able to even meet her gaze. One hoof was on the back of her head, even, lovingly running through her mane.

"M-my lady—" he grunted.

She didn't need him to finish the thought. She brought her lips up to his flaring tip and set her mouth over him; her magic worked his shaft more strongly now, tightening its grip. She took a deep breath.

His hips bucked on instinct, shoving his tip up past her lips; Rarity relaxed her throat so that she could take more of him, which took a substantial amount of effort. He was, after all, bigger than any stallion she'd ever had; she had to remind herself of that.

"Rarity!" he groaned.

Hearing her name like that was music to Rarity's ears, but she hardly had the time to think on it when a thick blast of hot zebra spunk launched into the back of her throat. Then another, and another. Rarity had to focus all of her attention on breathing through her nose so she didn't choke or inhale her lover's seed down the wrong tube.

She had no idea a stallion could produce such a prodigious volume, and she had to gulp it all down quickly before the next batch was loosed, lest her mouth not be able to contain it. After all, a lady always swallows; a lady never makes a mess.

She did have a moment to relish the taste of him, and she couldn't think of a word to describe it; other partners had been salty or bland, the texture either greasy or slimy. Zircon's seed was... well, she hated to be trite and say delicious, because that was hardly the case, but it was certainly pleasant as she rolled it around on her tongue.

Once the last spurt of his semen was past Rarity's lips, she gulped it all down and drew herself up and off of Zircon's shaft, sucking in a breath of air as she did so.

Zircon twitched, his member softening, and let out a sigh of pleasure. "By the gods..."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, love," she purred. She drew herself up to him and gave him a fierce, hungry look as her eyes met his. "Now... my turn."

Zircon smirked and rolled on top of her, kissing her neck as he did so. He trailed kisses down her chest and stomach again, moving down in eager anticipation of what was to come.

But again, Rarity stopped him, teasing him as she pushed his head away from her nethers.

The look of hunger and disappointment on Zircon's face made Rarity laugh. "My lady, please—"

"Now now, dear," she tutted; she'd never heard him beg before, and it made her clench up with excitement. She turned over so that she was on her stomach, hindquarters raised, displaying herself for him and giving her derriere an inviting shake. She looked back at him and gave a sultry little grin. “I just thought you’d enjoy a different view.”

Zircon smirked and shifted up so that he was right behind her, then buried his muzzle into her nethers, his hooves on her flanks. He quickly returned to his original intentions, his tongue and lips working on her marehood with all the practiced skill of a professional. Twenty-one years had not only failed to dull his talented tongue one bit, but he still seemed to remember every little spot that drove Rarity wild.

The only moment of protest came when she heard him breathe in her scent. She remembered to her great embarrassment that she hadn't bathed properly in three days, and that over those three days she had been marching non-stop alongside an army that took few breaks and didn't stop for fashion designers that couldn't keep up.

She could tell he hadn't had a proper bath recently, either, but that was different, and she'd already acknowledged his pleasant musk earlier; it wasn't the same for a lady.

"D-darling, don't do that," she groaned as his nose tickled her rear. "I smell simply awful. It's been days since I had a proper bath."

Zircon gave a low growl that sent a shiver down Rarity's spine. "My love, whether thy scent is that of the freshest jasmine in all the land or like the sweat of a hard day's work, it maketh no difference to me, for 'tis thy scent." To emphasize his point, he made a grand showing and pressing his nose right against the spot right between Rarity's pink folds and her tailhole.

Rarity groaned again, shuddering in excitement. The fact that he didn't care was just so dirty and raunchy and... well, hot. He loved everything about her even at her worst.

"I love every inch of thy body," her knight said, kissing the tender spot he'd just inhaled. "Thou art a delicacy." Then he licked her from the bottom up, grazing her tailhole and not drawing back whatsoever. "A dish I hath not sampled in so long that I feared I wouldst forget the flavor."

Rarity moaned into the pillow. "Then don't stop, dear. Devour me."

He did as his lady commanded, his mouth returning to her nethers to suck and lick her glistening slit like a starving pony who'd just been given a wedding cake.

Between her knight's oral machinations upon her precious flower, the new, pleasant sensation of his cold nose unashamedly pressing against her puckered tailhole, and two decades of not having a real stallion between her legs, Rarity didn’t last long before she was mewling with pleasure, moaning his name and panting and hissing as her orgasm began to build.

But Zircon was ever the tease, and he knew exactly when Rarity was about to cum. That’s when he stopped working his magic on her nethers with his mouth, and prepared to do it with that monster stallionhood of his, which was back at full mast. She didn’t even have to ask why he’d stopped, she knew what was coming.

She’d been looking forward to this the instant that she found out Zircon was alive and well; having his love was more important, absolutely, but part of the package was, well, having his prodigious package deep inside her, quenching the absolute need she had for him.

So, Rarity lifted her luscious derriere up to give him a better angle, grabbed onto one of his pillows to both rest her head on and to grip onto, and turned her head towards him. With a flutter of eyelashes and a sultry grin, she said, “Take me. No need to be gentle.”

“As thou wishest, my love,” Zircon grunted as he mounted her.

She felt the familiar sensation of his huge member rubbing against her entrance, lubricating itself with her juices, and she decided to lend a hoof—or rather, her magic—to the cause. Her horn ignited dimly and she parted her folds open to ease his entry inside, not because he was unskilled or inaccurate, but because he was so big that he needed all the help he could get to push inside Rarity’s tight slit. It had been awhile, after all.

And as that monstrous weapon of his pushed its way inside her, Rarity arched her back and let out a hearty and rather unladylike moan of pleasure as he stretched her out just a little. Twenty-one years without anything so big inside her had rendered Rarity’s body unaccustomed to such girth—even her largest toys didn’t match Zircon's mighty blade—and she knew it would take a moment to become reacquainted with the only stallion that would ever—could ever—touch her like this again.

Neither Rarity nor Zircon wanted to take things slow. They had two decades worth of emotions, stories, and experiences to catch up on together, and if everything went as planned Rarity knew they’d have many years to make up for every last second that they spent apart. Tonight, they had two decades worth of longing, lust, and loneliness to deal with, and they were going to do just that.

So yes, Zircon was purposeful and careful with his thrusts as he pushed inch after inch of heavenly raw stallionhood into Rarity’s tight tunnel, but between Rarity pushing herself backwards to meet him and Zircon’s clear urge to take his mare like she’d demanded, he lacked the resolve take his time as she’d remembered him doing their first time together. They knew each other’s bodies now better than they did then, even so long apart; he knew what she could take, and she knew he would never hurt her.

She let out another groan of pleasure as his medial ring forced its way into her, stretching her to her limits, then another as he shoved the rest of his length as far in as he could go, the tip of his tool kissing her cervix. Oh, how she missed that sensation. When Zircon pulled out until the medial ring just threatened to escape from inside her, she bit into the pillow like her life depended on it, preparing for the powerful thrusts that followed.

Her knight was a strong stallion, she knew that, and she’d expected some degree of lustful energy to manifest in him as they made love tonight. She was surprised at just how primal he was, pistoning himself into her like a machine on overdrive, or rather, like a stallion half his age. The last time a stallion had been this overeager with her, she was still earning her business license and hadn’t even met Twilight Sparkle, and that poor colt was not the physical specimen that Zircon was in any sense of the word.

If she hadn’t been wanting—needing—this just as badly as he did, she’d have accosted him for being too rough with her delicate flower and treating a lady like some sort of harlot. As it was, she just wanted him to pound her senseless, a want that he was delivering on exceedingly well. Rarity had to use every last ounce of willpower not to cum all over her lover with every powerful thrust. She desperately wanted to cum together with him, to cement their bond, but knew that Zircon had an enviable endurance and that she'd never last without... interference.

So, since clenching her vaginal walls on him would only slow him down, she did the only thing she could actually do to usher his own orgasm along without interfering with his pace: she used her magic to stimulate him. Her magical field, as hard as it was to maintain with Zircon plunging into her, managed to latch itself onto the hefty orbs that dangled between his legs. She was able to stay focused enough to be delicate as she fondled them, rolling them around in her magical grip and giving them a gentle tug.

Zircon clearly wasn’t expecting this and let out a groan of pleasure, his pace quickening all the more. He was close, Rarity could feel it because he started to pull out, much as he’d done before all those years ago, his medial ring forcing itself against the inside of her slit’s entrance in an attempt to escape.

And, much as she’d done then, Rarity ensured that he couldn’t, this time using her magic to slide up along his shaft and stroke him roughly, while also pushing her rear back against him. “Don’t you dare pull out,” she hissed, trying not to sound desperate but failing miserably. “I’ve waited twenty years for this! Make me yours!”

Zircon didn’t hesitate or even acknowledge her decision. He just thrust himself back into her depths as far as he could go, again, and again, and again, until Rarity felt him tense up. He threw his head back and let out a long, throaty groan as he buried himself all the way inside, and she felt his tip flare against her cervix and spurt thick blasts of his hot seed into her womb. Rarity came just before he did, letting out a throaty groan of her own that was very unladylike.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to her that Zircon still had a lot of stored up semen to flood her with, but it was still surprising that there was so much especially after he'd already cum once. Rarity set a hoof to her stomach, where she could feel every spurt adding to the load inside her, and was thankful it wasn’t causing an unsightly bulge. She used her magic to push his testes up against her nethers so that she could feel them pulse each time another load of zebra spunk was released.

She didn’t care one bit that as Zircon pulled out, their mixed sexual fluids leaked out of her entrance and dripped all over the bed, making a veritable mess. She still quivered and shook as she rode out the last throes of her own incredible climax, unable to clench herself shut to stop the flow and not really putting any effort in to try.

In her state of orgasmic high, she set a hoof beneath her to catch the dripping liquids in a horribly futile attempt to prevent a mess. Finding that impossible, she brought her cum-drenched hoof up to her lips to give it a taste. Even though it was somewhat unpleasant—there was definitely some three-day-old sweat mixed in, definitely hers—it might as well have been honey.

She collapsed onto her stomach, completely spent, and Zircon descended on her with gentle ease. He wasn’t exhausted, she knew that much—he was the ideal physical specimen of a stallion and hadn’t just spent the entire day marching non-stop to get here like she had—but he lay with her like a true lover should when their partner was spent, kissing her neck and embracing her gently.

“That… was the most wonderful experience… of my life…” Rarity breathed, tilting her head so that Zircon could have more of her neck to kiss. “You… are terrific.”

“It hath been many moons since I hath experienced such pleasure,” Zircon breathed in her ear, his husky voice sending shivers down her spine. “Thou art an amazing mare, my love. My Rarity…”

Rarity groaned and pressed her hooves and his to her stomach. “Mmm, darling, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed this… feeling so full…”

Zircon paused as he looked to where their hooves were, then nodded in misunderstanding. “Ah, yes… I believe we brought some Tears of Layk with our supplies, in case the soldiers grew restless. I shall procureth some—”

Rarity abruptly grabbed him before he could get out of bed. “No, that won’t be necessary, sweetheart. Just stay here with me. Please.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But… what if—”

She rolled her eyes. “Darling, this isn't like before. Things have changed, here and at home. If I get pregnant after this, then I will be happy."

"Aye?"

"I told you before that I would be happy to bear your foals, if only I was not so young then, or that I would have raised them alone. Now… now, I am nearly too old, so I'd very much like to have a foal of my own before it's too late. Plus, I certainly hope not to be alone when I return home this time, hmm?” She gave him a look that she knew he would understand.

Zircon paused, then smiled and nodded. “Very well, love. But we must speaketh on that subject later, after this war with the wendigos hath been won.” He cozied back up against her and kissed her neck again. “And that talk we shall save for the morning. For now… let us revel in this moment… just the two of us, as things should be.”

She pressed herself against him and sighed, content to be in his embrace again after so long. “Yes, let’s.” She giggled lightly and whispered up in his ear, “You know, darling, I can’t help but notice just how much you filled me. More than last time, certainly, enough to make a frightful mess. When’s the last time you… released?”

“Dost thou mean hath I been with a mare?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He paused, then sighed, as though ashamed. “I hath lain with three mares since our time together, my love. My spirit was weak and my flesh eager, and I couldst not restrain myself in my darkest hours…”

Rarity frowned and set a hoof to his cheek. “Oh… oh, darling, no need to be upset. Neither of us thought we’d ever see each other again. It’s perfectly natural to have felt the… need for the touch of another. If I’m being honest, I also succumbed to the weakness of loneliness, and took two partners since you. Neither of them even held a candle to you, of course,” she added with a huff.

“One was a photographer from a magazine that I was advertising my dresses in,” she continued, wanting to be honest and true with Zircon—they would never hide anything from one another, ever. “He was charming, I suppose, and good-looking, but… he just wasn’t you. My heart just couldn’t fathom the thought of spending the rest of my life with him, especially since he, ah... lacked certain physical qualities you do.

“The other… well, I’ll admit he… ah… was an… escort,” she sheepishly admitted, pressing her hooves together. "I was in Las Pegasus for a fashion show and just had the most dreadful need to be satisfied and, well... word is that Las Pegasus has the best escorts in all of Equestria."

“Escort?” he asked.

“Yes, an escort.” Noting his confusion, she realized his culture didn’t call them that. “Ah. Um… a concubine, only male?”

“Ah. A whore.”

Rarity coughed into her hoof; she hated the term but then, it was the one his culture would use. “Yes, well… he was a zebra like yourself, and was certainly good at what he did but… there was obviously no love there, and he was too… clean. Not like you.”

Noticing his look of confusion and slight offense, she shook her head. “Sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. I mean… you’re not the pampered sort who wears cologne and keeps your mane trimmed in the latest fashion. You’re… raw. You’re you. There isn’t a comparison between an honest-to-goodness stallion and someone that tries his best to appease as many mares' desires as possible.”

“Well… I believe that that was a compliment, then?” Zircon chuckled, breathing in her ear. “I am glad that thou dost enjoy my… rawness.”

“Very much so, darling.” She ran her hoof along his foreleg. “So? What about your three mares? Tell me about them.”

Zircon pressed his chin against her neck and sighed. “Three times didst I visit Utopia in these past twenty years. Three times didst I see the embassy where mine eyes first gazed upon the goddess that calleth herself Rarity. And three times didst my sentiment lead me to both remember thee and try to forget… with what thou hast called ‘escorts’.”

“Ah… I see. There’s no shame in that, darling. Our bodies need release, after all.”

“Aye, I suppose they do.” He nuzzled her neck and smiled. “All three mares were unicorns, like thou art. All three had coats of white, though none were whiter than the southern snows. All three had manes of purple or violet but not quite as regal as thy mane, in color nor in style. Worst of all, none possessed thy charm or etiquette. They spoke with harsh tongues, wielding language unbefitting a mare of thy stature. They were but pale imitations of a goddess… false idols."

"What sort of language?" Rarity asked. If they swore like it was going out of fashion, like dear Havocwing had been known to do when younger, then she could understand his dislike.

"Hmm... well, take for instance that thou dost refer to thy nethers as such, as 'nethers'. Or sometimes as 'flower'. These are terms fit for a lady. These other mares used terms that I would rather not share—"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "You mean like 'pussy', darling?"

"Well... yes?"

"Zircon, dear, I have lived long enough to hear plenty of mares and stallions use the term. I'm certain they complimented the size of your 'cock' or 'dick' or something of the sort?"

"Ah... yes, that they did. On both accounts."

"Oh, I'm certain they did, darling," she tittered. "Would you enjoy it if I—"

Zircon nibbled her ear. "Not really. Such vocabulary just soundeth vulgar coming from thy lips, my lady. Thou art elegant and refined; 'twould be unbecoming of thee. Unless... thou wouldst prefer—"

She smiled at that and snuggled tighter against him. "No, I think I can agree on that, but I figured I'd ask. If you and I are to be together, we must be open and honest with each other." She chuckled lightly. "Though you needn't take such measure to protect my ears from such off-color language, hmm?"

"Ha! Very well." He rubbed her hoof with his. "So thou art not unhappy that I hath been with other mares?"

Rarity smiled and turned to kiss his cheek. “Not any more than you seem to be that I was with other stallions. We were both lonely, my love. But now… we don’t need to be…” She shifted in his embrace so that they were closer together than ever. “I’m here now, Zircon. I’m here for you…”

“And I for thee, my Rarity.”

As they cuddled together for a long while, Rarity eventually felt a burning question rise up in her mind. She’d had this question many, many times, but for twenty-one long years, she’d never been able to ask it. Now she had a chance.

“Zircon… darling…?” she asked, turning so they were facing each other.

“Yes, love?”

“If… if things had been different… would you have come with me back then? Like Flathoof did for Applejack?”

Zircon went quiet for a moment, then set his chin against her neck. “My love… my Rarity. If thou hadst asked me then what thou asketh me now… then yes. A thousand times, yes. I would hath forsaken my vows to the Order and gone with thee to wherever thou desired. I wouldst fight e'ry zebra in the kingdom if they tried to stop me.”

She sighed. “I knew you would… even then, I knew you would.” She nuzzled his neck with her muzzle, kissing him softly. “But I could never have asked that of you. Look at all that would have happened if I did.”

“Yes… I suppose so…”

He then abruptly pulled back from her and rose from the bed.

“Darling? Is something the matter?” she asked, concerned that she’d hit a sour spot.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, my love, ‘tis just a matter I wouldst rather discuss upon the morrow. I wisheth not to dwell on such sorrows at present, not during such a marvelous evening in thy embrace. We must think of joyous things, for our reunion is an occasion to celebrate.”

Rarity put a hoof to her lips. “Yes, yes of course. Forgive me, dear, I didn’t mean anything by it. But then, where are you going?”

“I am just going to procure a tub and some hot water for us, and some perfumes or incense if I can. I do believe a bath is in order, for… both of us, if I might be so bold to suggest it?”

She wrinkled her nose in understanding. “Yes, I agree. Your poor little tent absolutely reeks of sex and sweat. We reek of sex and sweat.” She put a hoof to her cheeks, embarrassed. "Oh my goodness, you sniffed my derriere, licked it even! Yes, a bath is definitely in order."

"Wouldst thou preferest me to pleasure thy derriere once it is clean?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"Absolutely." A moment passed. She froze, staring at him, unamused. "Ohhh, you must think you're pretty clever."

"I must be as Lord-Commander of the Order," came his simple, smiling reply. "But is thy answer 'aye' or 'nay'? I hath heard that many a mare enjoyeth the sensation, but I wouldst ne'er dream of doing so without thy blessing."

Rarity paused moment, her face red as she thought of doing something with him that she'd never dared consider with any other partner despite being asked a few times; each time, she'd denied them, for it simply wasn't proper. According to some ponies she knew—she'd never say who, but she shared a name with a popular confection flavor—it was an uniquely different experience than more vanilla vaginal sex and one worth trying with someone special at least once.

"Yes... that might be something we could try," she murmured, tapping her hooves together. She cleared her throat, then glanced at the stains on the bed and smirked. “Oh, and perhaps a change of sheets would be in order as well? I don’t think either of us want to sleep on our own, ah… secretions.”

“Naturally.”

“Oh, and some food! I’m positively famished. I shouldn’t have skipped dinner, but I was a little more hungry for you," she said with a grin. "Irresponsible, I know, but a lady mustn’t be kept wanting for the touch of her lover.”

“Of course, my love. Truth be told, I am feeling peckish myself, for I hath skipped my evening meal to meet with Lady Snowstorm on our plans for the morrow. ‘Twould be delightful to sup with thee again.”

“Hmm… in that case, perhaps you should find us some wine as well, if there is any? We should make a romantic evening of this.” She nodded, assured in her thinking. “Yes, some wine would be lovely, and some candles perhaps? Just a few. Ah, and maybe some roses?”

Zircon laughed. “As thou wishest, my lady,” he said with a bow. “As ever, thine every desire is mine to grant. But if there is nothing else my lady craves, then I must depart post haste to gather these things if we have them. The wine and candles, yes; the roses... perhaps not?”

“Hmm... right. I doubt there would be many roses in an army camp out in the snow…” Rarity pondered this a moment, then gave him a sultry look and crawled to the edge of the bed. “Well, you could give your lady a kiss before you leave, brave sir knight.”

Zircon leaned down and kissed her full on the lips, deeply, and she hungrily returned it. “Dost that satisfy my lady’s wishes?” he huskily asked as he pulled away just barely, enough that their lips still touched.

Rarity licked her lips and nodded. “Yes, I think so. For now. I shall be wanting more kisses, of course, and perhaps another round of love-making.” She bit her lip and shuddered in anticipation. “Or perhaps two… or three. So don’t dally good sir.” And she dismissed him with a wave of her hoof.

“Of course, my lady.” He set out to leave the tent.

“And darling?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

Zircon smiled. “And I, thee, my lady.”

And with that, he was gone from the tent and out into the camp, a pep in his step that made Rarity smile. She knew she was the only one that could make him that happy.

Rarity leaned back onto the bed and sighed, content at last, satisfied at last. She rubbed her stomach again, wondering if perhaps she was already pregnant. Well, she thought, if I’m not now, then we’ll just have to keep working on that, won’t we? Maybe then Mother won’t keep pestering me and Sweetie about wanting to be a grandmother.

Yes, that would be just the Best. Possible. Thing.