Chapter Sixty

A Promise for the Future

When the sun rose the next morning, the chill of the night refused to leave the streets of Marescow. It filtered through every crack, seemingly intent on giving every inhabitant of the land a case of the shivers. Even in the palace of the Tsar, there was coolness in the morning air, despite the bedpans and countless fireplaces throwing heat throughout the many rooms.

Eutropia didn’t feel the chill, though: she was sweating too much. “Excellent jab, but you need to tighten your steps when you throw a punch,” she said, hastily dodging another strike. “Otherwise you could trip over your own feet or overswing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Spike replied, using his elbow to block a side strike from the griffin. Morning training was a great way to work out, especially since today wasn’t going to be very different from others. The Tsar was busy with some meetings, private ones at that, and the Tsarina had invited his family to join her for a relaxing time in the royal gardens.

He didn’t know what they were going to talk about, but he felt like it wouldn’t be that bad if he wasn’t there. Besides, training with Eutropia was more important, or, at least, that was what his wives were telling him. Maybe they just wanted to talk about “women stuff” or something.

Spike dodged another blow and landed a glancing blow of his own on Eutropia’s shoulder. “Ha!”

“Nice,” she said with a smirk, before delivering a swift kick to one of his shins, knocking his leg out from under him.

Spike learned to counter this from before, and quickly balanced himself with his tail by using it as a third leg, allowing him to kick backwards with his raised foot, driving her back a pace or two before rebalancing on both of his feet.

Both of them were panting rather heavily, but that was because this bout was no simple run. Spike learned that rather quickly, much to Eutropia’s surprise and pride. It paid to have a good pupil, especially if they actually listened to you.

“Ready to give up?” She asked.

“Nah, just getting started. You?”

“No, was just thinking you’d want to spend some time with your family today.”

“Some space is good, if only for a while. Besides, I think they can handle themselves today. They’re going with the Tsarina for a while in the greenhouse before lunch is ready.”

“Asalah told me as much. Still, why? You love them, right?” The griffin asked, dodging a quick swipe from the dragon.

“Of course, more than anything. But we need space every now and then, or else things would get...”

“Stale?”

“Routine was more in line with what I was thinking, but both are wrong. More like... it’d get old. I’m in this for the long haul, being a dragon: till death do us part, and knowing how long any of us might live to be, I don’t want it to become the same old thing. I love them so much, I can’t bear the thought of them and I growing distant from one another. Day in, day out, moving across the world. I’d really like to just keep them safe somewhere, even if it meant having to part for a while.” He explained while dodging a series of quick strikes, only missing the last one, which sent him skidding backwards a good pace or two.

“Why?” Eutropia asked in not quite a casual tone, but one that seemed almost... genuinely curious.

“Being apart from them would hurt, yes, but it would also keep them safe,” Spike said. “I don’t want anything to happen to them, even if they are more than capable of defending themselves with their magic. I just... I don’t know, it must be the part of me that’s really possessive and protective, is all. Just wait until the foals are born, I’ll probably be the most overprotective father of all time.”

“Not a bad thing to be, as far as fathers go,” Eutropia said as she threw a haymaker, which the dragon narrowly avoided. “I bet you’d make a great dad.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said, before sending him flat on his ass with a sudden flurry of strikes. “Still got some ways to go before you can call yourself their protector, though. But not bad; it took a while for me to beat you today.”

“I’m getting better every time we spar,” Spike wheezed as he slowly pulled himself back up.

“True, but that’s only because we practice so much every day,” the griffin replied. “We’ll go again in a little while, be sure to stretch right this time. I don’t want to have to bend you out of that knot you somehow got yourself into last time.”

“You’re on,” he muttered in reply, rotating his arms.

Meanwhile…

“So, Chrysalis, tell me, what do you expect to do after the foals are born?” Tsarina Alexandra asked. The gardens were filled with the soft music of the flowering plants, and the blind Campanula gently walked this way and that, ensuring no cold from outside worked its way into the greenhouse. The children of the Tsar played over in a small area or were reading books, leaving the ladies to lounge around on chairs or couches.

“Well, I’m not sure,” the queen replied. “Other than either returning to my own realm or staying in Equestria, the future isn’t exactly clear. Besides, being a mother is new for me. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Yes,” Alexandra said. “I would recommend a wet nurse if you have them in your own homeland. Nursing in and of itself is very rewarding, but if you have to balance foal-rearing with both running the state and household, then it can become quite the hassle. Plus, how long it takes to wean them off can be considerably longer if they are nursed by you personally, and the sleep you’ll have it immeasurably beneficial in the long run.”

“Well, I think I’d like to nurse my own,” Maria said. “The bond between mother and children should remain strong, and from what my mother told me, that is one way to strengthen it in the very early years.” She paused, rubbing one of her tender breasts, her cup size having increased slightly from months before. “Besides, why waste all that milk?”

“A good point. The bond between a mare and her foals should be a strong one, though it does depend on how many foals you have,” the Tsarina replied. “After as many as myself, I could not see myself breastfeeding another one, if we were to have one. I do not think we will, however. Life and ruling is hectic enough that bringing another foal into the world would undoubtedly bring as much trouble and difficulty as it would joy, and both Nicholas and i are getting on in our years. Have you given thought to how many you would have?”

The four mares shook their heads. “I’d like a lot of foals, to be honest,” Maria said. “I love big families, and would like one of my own.”

“I’ve always thought one or two would be best, given my kind’s background,” Chrysalis said. “Besides, too many, and there’d be trouble of all kinds.”

“I’d like just a few, so I could focus on them more than if I had a lot,” Trixie said. “What about you, Asalah?”

The zebra was silent for a few moments. “Should I be blessed with foals, I would be happy with however many I have.”

“So, if you had just one, you’d be happy?”

“Of course. I had not expected to find love under my father’s care. I would have been practically sold off to the highest bidder, should one come calling, and likely not have been able to love our children as our husband would allow it. I am beyond glad I find myself married to someone who loves me.” She paused. “In time, I believe Spike and I will be blessed with a foal. I have waited this long, I can stand to be patient for a little while longer.”

“The sounds rather unfair,” Maria said. “I know that, where I’m from, mares of nobility are often simply used for alliances and political tools, but at least we do have a say in it. Being practically sold off… that’s just awful.”

“It is the way of my culture, though that doesn’t mean I like it,” Asalah replied. “I am just glad my own foals, especially if they are daughters, will not be subject to that sort of thing.”

“I’m pretty sure Spike would rather beat the living snot out of the first bachelor to propose buying any of our daughters,” Trixie said with a laugh.

“Assuming I didn’t beat him to it first,” Chrysalis said with a low chuckle of her own.

“Your husband seems intent on protecting you all from the dangers of this world,” Alexandra said with a slight sigh. “Such youthful spirit, he has. I do hope he will not lose it too soon, it’s a shame such passion for family withers in the later years.”

“What do you mean?” Maria asked. “Spike may be young, and by most standards, we all are, but what does that have to do with families withering?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really, it’s just… Nicholas and I are not the same as we once were,” the Tsarina said simply. “We love each other very much, but with the weight of our empire on our shoulders, as well as raising our children, and dealing with all manner of foreign and domestic issues that crop up far too often… it can get lonely at times. On the worst of nights, we often do not speak to one another out of sheer exhaustion.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Chrysalis said. “Spike usually talks with us, even when he’s been in sad or angry moods. Or is that just his “youthful spirit” coming into play?”

“I do not know, but I can tell you ladies this, do not let yourselves grow apart,” the Tsarina said. “It’s not always the big things that tear couples apart, it’s the little things here and there that build up to a terrible time. Not telling somepony “I love you” before going to bed every night, forgetting a birthday because you were so busy, even just calling you a pet name like “sweetheart” or “my love” instead of your real name… the little things can cut just as deep.”

“Is that-,”

“No, it’s not between myself and Nicholas, but… I’ve seen it happen before,” Alexandra said. “Between servants, between nobles, and even between my own parents. The little things count for far more than most would think.” She paused. “The same goes for parents and their children.”

“How so?” Asalah asked. She had only known her mother for a short time before her passing. Her father… well, she knew he loved her, but he had become withdrawn after her mother’s passing, that was certain.

“Parents are there to look after their children, to keep them safe, but also to guide them,” Alexandra said. “Knowing and maintaining boundaries, the right amount of aloofness and protectiveness, all the while trying to help them with their problems, but also helping them to grow up. It’s not an easy job, and it can feel hard or even impossible at times…”

“But?” Trixie asked.

“Seeing the love in their eyes, and hearing it in their voices, the way they hug you when they’re scared or happy… then, you know it is all worth it.” She smiled, looking over at little Alexei, who was busy reading a book. “I can’t tell you how many times I was worried over him.”

“Why is that?” Chrysalis asked.

“We almost lost him several times when he was younger,” the Tsarina said simply. “He was born with a genetic disorder, hemophilia, where his blood is thinner than others. Even a little cut can be life-threatening, and in his infancy, any kind of cut could have been fatal. So, naturally, Nicholas and I were extremely protective. Nowadays, though, we do sleep easier at night, knowing he is in good hands.”

“He is? I thought you said his condition was life threatening?” Maria asked.

“Oh, it is, but we’ve found a means of combating it. A monk from the remote regions of our empire came to us with a solution, a unicorn by the name of Raspy Hooftin. He possessed the means to thicken our son’s blood, a process developed to aid mares who suffered from blood loss during difficult births. So far, little Alexei hasn’t had a problem thanks to it, but it must be administered every week, much like a medicine.”

“Being heir to throne would certainly have it dangers, I just… I just didn’t know some of them could be from himself,” Maria said. “My father’s line has been a favorite of the people for many generations because of his firm but kind rule and penchant for putting them first in many decisions. I heard rumors some of my father’s more distant relatives suffered from maladies of the mind or body, but never something like this.”

“It is a sickness only mothers can pass to their children, so Alexei, should he have foals of his own in the future, will not give them such a cursed problem,” Alexandra said simply. “We do not know if any of his sisters have inherited it from me as well, but only time will tell. It can skip generations, or even not be passed on, in some cases.”

“Then I can only wish none of us possess some means of sickness that our children could inherit,” Chrysalis said to the others, who nodded in agreement.

“A good thing to hope for,” the Tsarina said with a nod. “Now, tell me, have any of you been giving any thought to names?”

“Well, we have discussed it before, but we’ve always thought that planning things out this early might backfire on us,” Trixie said. “For all we know, one of us could be carrying twins, so coming up with a colt name and delivering two fillies would make things a bit strange, or vice versa.”

“No doubt,” Maria said with a nod. “However, Spike told us naming would be a general tossup between him and us, depending on the gender of the foal and how much they look like either him or us. You wouldn’t want to name a dragon-pony foal “Firebrand” if he can’t even breathe fire and looks far more pony than dragon.”

“I suppose you are right,” Alexandra said, before retrieving a platter from the table beside her. “Tea?”

The four other mares thankfully accepted it, just as Campanula slowly walked into the room. “Your Majesty, I believe I have found a leak in the roof above our heads, I instructed a pair of servants to go and attempt to fix it, they should be almost done by now,” he said, as several thumps could be heard on the roof above. “It shouldn’t be too distracting, but if so, I can have the plants sing louder, should you wish.”

“Thank you, Campanula, that is very kind of you,” the Tsarina said with a smile. “You can go now, I am sure Miss Talon is waiting for you over by the stores.”

“She… I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?”

“Just go, Campanula, we will be fine,” she replied, taking a sip of her tea. “Run along now, or at least, walk briskly.”

With a staggered bow, as if confused, he left them alone.

“So… is there something between the two of them?” Maria asked, the atmosphere going from serious business to girly gossip in almost an instant.
“I’ve suspected for some time now that Miss Talon has had a crush on a certain gardener,” Alexandra said. “Being blind must not be able to help either, or else he might have picked up on subtle clues before.”

“Is this common amongst staff?”

“Oh, occasionally, though they usually try and keep it as low-key as possible. However, seeing as Talon is not exactly staff, I am sure she is entirely unaware of how well-trained Campanula is. He does not let his emotions get the best of him, so it would take a rather brazen or outlandish act to get him to open up, I would assume. Part of that might be because of how we found him, after all.”

Just then, a small splash of water came down from the glass ceiling, drenching Asalah and the chair she sat upon. With a shriek of surprise, she dropped her teacup onto the chair and jumped up, clutching at herself as the cold water instantly seeped into her bones.

“Sorry!” a voice called from above, as a pair of faces patched up a sudden hole. “Bunch of water condensed in some tray up here, didn’t think anypony was down there.”

“It is quite all right, just make sure the repairs are in order,” the Tsarina called up, before turning back to the zebra. “My dear, are you alright?”

“N-n-n-no, I’m f-f-freezing,” she shuddered. “My k-k-k-kind aren’t-t-t-t built-t-t-t for the c-c-c-cold.” The thin dress she wore, while built for cooler palace temperatures, wasn't helping at all when soaking wet.

“Oh dear, then you should go to the guest bath house straight away to warm up,” Tsarina said. “Do you remember that large door we passed on the way here? It’s right in there, and no servant should be in there at this hour. Go now, before you catch a cold. I will have a servant send a set of replacement clothes as soon as you finish.”

Nodding in thanks, and with chattering teeth clicking away, Asalah stumbled as fast as she could out of the greenhouse, leaving her fellow wives to discuss other matters with Alexandra. Going down two large hallways, dripping cold water from her now-soaking mane and tail the entire way, she rushed up to the door in question and entered as fast as she could.

The rush of hot air hit her like another bucket of water, only this time very warm and soothing. Steam filled the lower half of the room, almost like a sauna, with a large shower system the current culprit.

Why was the shower running? “Hello?” she called out, teeth still chattering intermittently as she approached the large crystal door. She couldn’t totally see through it, but somepony was in there. “Who is there?”

The door slid open partially, and a familiar head stuck itself out. “Asalah? What are you doing here?”

“Spike!” Asalah said with a mixture of surprise and relief, wringing her hands in an attempt to get some blood flowing back into them. That water had been really, really cold, near freezing in fact. “What are y-y-you doing in there?”

“I’m taking a shower, working out and sparring with Eutropia was tough today, she already took hers and now it’s my turn,” he said, looking her up and down. “Why are you soaking wet and shivering?”

“I got d-d-drenched by some c-c-cold water in the greenhouse, the p-p-ponies fixing a hole in the roof accidentally d-d-dumped it on m-m-me.”

“Well, get out of those soaked clothes, you’ll catch a cold,” Spike said. “Here, I’m almost done, and I-,”

“Can I j-j-join you?” Asalah asked as she stripped out of the dress as fast as she could. She didn’t mean to sound slightly playful, but given how cold she was, getting into a nice, warm, steaming shower was the first thing on her mind.

There was a pause on the other side of the crystal. “Sure.”

Opening the door, the cold wet dress on the floor behind her, Asalah immediately relished in the warmth of the steam caressing her pelt and skin. However, before she could fully begin to enjoy it, she felt another heat against her.

“Mmm, you’re nice and warm,” she muttered as Spike pulled her close, the warmth of his chest a soothing feeling against her back. “Been in here long?”

“Sorta,” he replied. “You’re really cold, Asalah, and I don’t want to turn this shower up any hotter, or you might get scalded.”

“Then what do you propose we do? I’m getting warmer, but I still feel cold.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to warm you up as well,” Spike replied, his voice dropping an octave and taking on a rather husky tone.

Asalah shivered, but not from the cold this time, as something else rather warm was starting to slide up against her. “So you got all worked up from sparring with Eutropia, but don’t have an outlet?” she asked softly, pulling him in for a kiss.

“Nope, or at least, I didn’t until now,” he replied after they pulled apart. “Guess I’ll just have to solve both of our problems.”

“Two birds, one stone?”

“Something like that,” he replied, his hands beginning to roam over her body. “How long has it been?”

“Weeks, but it feels like months,” Asalah murmured, her heart beginning to race as her husband’s hands crept up to the swell of her large breasts.

“Feels even longer than that,” Spike said, his hot breath washing over her neck. “I think the last time any of us did anything was back in Saddle Arabia.”

“Yeah, Maria and you got stuck afterwards,” the zebra said with a slight giggle, the memory of the incident a favorite of hers. “After that she set the ground rules for no more sex if any of us were pregnant.”

“Yes, she did,” he muttered, pinching and rolled her sensitive nipples, the large areolas stretching taut under his not-so-gentle touch.

His wife let out a low moan, almost like a grunt. “Well, that rule should only apply to them,” she whispered back as the warm water cascaded over them both. “I’m not pregnant, so we can have all the fun we want.”

“My my, a little excited today, aren’t we?” Spike said, clutching and kneading the large mounds of flesh beneath his strong hands. “What gotten into you?”

“It’s not what’s gotten into me,” Asalah said, sliding her firm backside up and over his now-erect shaft. “It’s what’s going about to get into… mph!”

With a quick motion, Spike pulled her down, sending his warm, pulsing length deep inside Asalah’s now-soaked pussy, her muscles clenching as the very tip of her husband’s large cock kissed the very entrance to her womb, as it had many times before, and would hopefully do many, many more times in their lives. Moaning at the sudden fullness stretching her deliciously wide, the mare didn’t move, his ridges pressing at all the right places within her.

“Mmm, I missed this,” Spike whispered into her ear, his hands tweaking her nipples hard enough to make his wife squeak. “You have no idea just how much I missed this. This training, while good, has kept me busy, kept me away from you, from your body, from that tight little quim you so lovingly let me plunder. The little way you sway your hips from side to side when I’m inside you, the… guttural noises you make when I work you over. Your nipples, pert and puffy, begging to be teased and suckled, your beautiful butt, begging me to slap it, to caress it, to grab hold and use it as a handle as I batter your marehood insensate. I may be your husband, Asalah, but you are my mate, and sometimes, you don’t need a round of lovemaking, you need a good rutting, and today is that day!”

With that, he partially withdrew from her warm, sopping marehood, only to plunge back in with a sudden fervor that made Asalah cry out in surprise and ecstasy. His hands fully grabbing hold of the zebra’s large breasts, he mercilessly pounded her in an upright position, her gloriously muscled derriere making lewd smacking noises against his hard stomach. Fast and powerful, with his hips pressing fully against her own with every thrust, her insides squelching loudly around his throbbing cock.

“I love you, Spike!” Asalah called out, her body begging him to mark her, brand her as his, make it so that nothing else in the world could compare to their lovemaking. “Do it! Plow me like a field! Shove that meat deep inside me, I want it, I NEED it!”

“Oh, you’re gonna get it, all right,” he replied with a playful snarl. With one hand snaking from her tender breasts and down to her trim waist, the other pushed Asalah forward, to where she had to reach out and hold onto one of the shower’s railings for support, gripping it as tight as she could. The mare gasped as her husband continued his pounding, with his other free hand reaching up and twining her undone mane into a singular braid, before pulling on it.

Despite the slight wince from having her mane pulled, all Asalah felt was rapturous pleasure coursing through her veins. Tongue lolling out, with water splashing down on her, spread hooves and a massive cock plunging in and out of her… she was in heaven, or at least, she hoped heaven, if it were real, was something like this. She couldn’t even properly focus: all that mattered was her steady grip on that handle, and that magnificent hunk of meat probing her depths with utter abandon. This was no tender lovemaking, this was primal, bestial, a position of dominance of a male over his mate. It awoke a deep, inner pleasure that bordered on pure, animalistic need. The need to be dominated, the need to be protected, the need to be bred.

The thought of hot cum filling her, plastering her insides, filling her womb until bursting, so that she would undoubtedly quicken and carry her mate’s child, drove her wild. Her belly would swell, her thighs thicken, and breasts grow, full with milk, to be milked by her mate and child as an example of female fertility, become so by her husband’s large example of dragon virility.

Almost crying with happiness at the thought of such a fate, of her heat coming and ending with her filled with the child of her beloved husband, of a future filled with the love and lives of foals of her own, Asalah felt the hand on her waist move, and with sudden force, she felt it slam against the meatiest part of her thigh.

SMACK

“Ow!” she moaned, though for every little bit of it that stung, it multiplied her feelings of euphoric bliss. This was not something they had done before, but back in Maredagascar, when the orgy between her, Spike, Maria and Chrysalis had spun out of control, she’d reverted to a near-primal state, a state where she sought to be dominated by her mate. What better way than to show her who was boss in the bedroom, or in this case, the shower, where she could get dirty and clean at the same time?

SMACK

“You like that?” Spike asked, a snarl on his lips and his jaw clenched as he smacked his wife’s ass again. “You like it when I spank you, Asalah?”

SMACK

“Ow!” she cried out again, lust filling her voice. She had no idea she could have been so turned on by such physical lovemaking, having only really experienced tender, slow acts before. It was… exciting, to say the least. “Yes, yes! I love it when you spank my ass, Spike! Do it again!”

SMACK

“Again!” If this was how he’d make love to her when her heat came, then she was looking forward to it all the more.

SMACK

“Again!”

With every few pumps of his hips, the dragon would continuously slam his open palm against the side of his wife’s beautiful ass, watching in delight as the muscles rolled and jiggled in time with his own thrusts. Every few sets, he’d swap out hands, one pulling on her mane to keep her head up, and the other to slap her other ass cheek, the reddish hue of his handprints a subtle tone against her pelt.

“Call me daddy, Asalah, call me daddy.”

Asalah’s mental state, combined with such intense arousal, brought about a state of mind where any suggestion would serve to give her a greater state of pleasure. “Oh daddy!” she cried out, flexing her abdominals so her husband’s huge, ridged cock would grind against every facet of her insides. “Spank me, daddy, I’ve been a bad mare, spank me!”

Spike pulled her mane even harder, the thrusting making her firm ass bounce even wilder with every slap. “Daddy’s gotta punish you, sweetie, you’ve been a bad mare, getting all wet in your nice dress,” he said, his voice hoarse from the strain.

“Yes daddy, I’ve been so bad!” she cried out, water continuing to cascade all over the pair as steam continued to billow. “Put that cock deep inside me, punish me, fill me with your seed! Give me a baby daddy, I want one, I need one!”

It was all too much for the pair. Just then, as Spike dropped both hands to her waist and pushed extra deep into her, the very tip of his cockhead poking the entrance to her womb, Asalah screamed out in ecstasy and clamped down on him with all her might, shuddering as if having a seizure. Spike, in return, grunted, and held her close, as he felt his balls finally begin to tingle.

Yet, as the seconds and then minutes ticked by, he did not find release. As she loosened up around him, and stumbled away to a small built-in seat in the shower, Spike realized he had not achieved climax. Her breathing ragged, and her legs weak, Asalah looked up to see Spike’s raging hard-on staring her right in the face, bobbing slightly in time with his heavy breathing.

“S-S-Sorry,” she mumbled, stroking her mane in an almost childish manner. “I guess I finished a little too early, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Spike said, sounding a bit surprised. The two of them usually climaxed as near the same time, sometimes right before, or sometimes right after. He not finishing even close to her own time was, well, unusual. Maybe all that training with Eutropia had really increased his overall stamina. “That was… new.”

“I have no idea where that came from, I never thought I could enjoy such foul language. Yet, part of me… it… I liked it,” she said, as steam continued to billow around them. Her eyes were glued to his erection, a tad upset he hadn’t finished with her. It had been amazing, but she could not, would not rest, until he too finished. “Well… I don’t feel cold anymore, if that’s any consolation.”

“Glad to have helped,” Spike said, playfully making to turn away, but stopped as soon as he felt a soft hand wrap around his slowly-softening member.

“I think it’s time you earned yourself a reward,” the zebra said, kneeling on front of her husband and flicking the tip of his cock with her soft tongue. “A real reward, for helping a lady in need. Besides… I’m feeling a tad hungry after that.”

It throbbed suddenly in her hand, returning to full attention in an instant.

Meanwhile…

Eutropia moaned as she stripped out of her sweat-laden clothes, her bouts with Spike having earned her a fair number of bruises all over her body. She had to admit she was impressed at his progress, but kept herself on track, so as not to let her guard down. Eutropia knew Spike would need more training and guidance, especially in the more advanced stuff, though at this rate, he’d master that in a matter of months.

“Good thing too,” she muttered, stretching out a kink in her back. “Not looking forward to training him for five years.”

It had taken her nearly a year to reach where Spike was at, so as much as she was happy that her student was learning quickly, she was a bit upset that it came so easy to him. Dragons were known to be the fiercest of combatants, though their numbers had greatly dwindled from many ages ago, according to her mother. Personally, she didn’t find that a bad thing, but it wasn’t necessarily a good one.

“Mother,” she whispered, suddenly feeling tears in her eyes at the mention. Sniffling, she wiped them away, forcing herself to regain focus. No, she had been sent away for her own safety, she knew that, and despite the gaping hole in her life, she would have to move on.

“Madam, lunch is served,” a voice said from the doorway. A young servant, her mane done in a long, singular braid. She reminded Eutropia almost of a mouse, meek and very plain. “The others in your company have been informed as well.”

“Guess I’ll have to take my shower after,” the griffin muttered as she dressed in cleaner clothes. “Hope they don’t mind the smell of sweaty feathers.”

Meanwhile…

“Miss Talon, I am not entirely sure how this happened,” Campanula Monkshood said from his chair.

“What do you mean?” the large griffon asked, moving a disheveled feathers out of the way as she sat back down.

“I came in here for tea.”

“Yes?”

“After that, we began discussing our work, our schedules, and business.”

“Of course.”

“Then, out of the blue, we transition into talking about our feelings, our dreams, fears, hopes, and many other private things.”

“Yes…?”

“Then, out of the blue, I remark how I do not wish to be alone in my life, and that I find your company very soothing whenever I am feeling stressed, despite my condition keeping me from ever looking you in the eyes, and you just walk over-,”

“-and kiss you?”

The blind unicorn nodded. “I did not expect it at all.”

“Was… was it bad?” she asked. “I… I don’t have a lot of experience.”

“Myself even less, so I wouldn’t know,” he replied. “However… it was not unenjoyable.”

“Sorry, I just… I just don’t know what came over me,” Talon muttered, feeling embarrassed. “I can go if you want.”

“Why?”

“I… I just kissed you, like that,” she said, snapping a pair of her talons in emphasis. “No warning, I didn’t ask you, I just…”

“You made a simple mistake,” Campanula said simply. “It’s quite alright, Talon. Like I said, the kiss, while unexpected, wasn’t bad.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, content with simply trying to keep their focus on their tea. Off in the distance, the bell for lunch rang, and at that, the unicorn looked up.

“Miss Talon?”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, Campy?”

He shook his head. “Fine, if you must call me that, then we’ll have to make a deal.”

“What kind of deal?” she asked.

“From now on, if you are going to kiss me, or hug me, or anything of that nature, please, let me know first,” he said. “Also, from now on, when in private, I think I’ll call you… Tal.”

“Tal?” the griffon snorted. “What kind of nickname is that?”

“What kind of nickname is Campy?”

Unseen by him, she shrugged as she sipped her tea. “Touche, I guess.”

Later…

“Asalah?”

The zebra looked up from her plate. “Yes, Your Highness?”

The tsarina looked a tad concerned. “You’ve barely touched your meal, is everything alright? Do you feel sick?”

“Oh, no, everything’s fine,” Asalah said. “I’m just… not that hungry right now, I guess.”

“May I ask why?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really,” she replied, before glancing over at Spike, who was trying his hardest not to grin. “I had a large snack after my shower, before lunch was served. I asked one of the servants for some hot soup to help warm me up.”

“Was it good?” Alexandra asked, completely oblivious to the dragon’s sudden wheeze.

Asalah nodded. “Thick and creamy, and my favorite flavor too, just the way I like it. There was a lot of it too, I’m surprised there was any room left for any of this lunch, I was just so hungry...”

Maria, Trixie and Chrysalis exchanged looks. “Was… was there any left?” Maria asked, sounding a tad hopeful.

“Mmm, I’m not sure,” the zebra said simply. “You might have to ask nicely.”

Author's Notes:

Good news: new chapter, new inspiration derived from reworking all I had planned for this story, and a lot of good stuff to come.

Bad news: technical problems, summer job, and lack of internet at future place of residence means any and all writing will have to be done without proofreaders. I am sorry to those who have helped with the story thus far, but I hope you understand.