We were running pretty much on schedule during the morning session. Everything looked good to get fully caught up on petitions to the court. Of course, that’s when our carefully arranged plans went out the window.
Trixie, Raven, and I heard loud voices coming from the hallways and then movement at the rear of the line of petitioners. The ponies stepped aside to reveal six royal guards, one of whom I suspected was Sergeant Sterling, escorting two large but unarmed changelings with red chitin on their back and barrel plates. Or maybe one of the changelings was Sergeant Sterling? I was struck by the irony of the anonymizing spell on the Royal Guards’ armor making both sets of warriors impossible to identify… at least from this distance. The manes and tails of the changeling guards were cut short and showed a grayish red color.
Between the two was a red changeling queen, easily identifiable by both appearance and bearing. Her pink mane and tail flowed freely almost to the floor. Her chitin and that on her bodyguards appeared to be thicker than any I had seen on Crystal Changelings. All three showed scars doubtless earned during battles. I knew from Thorax that these would go away after a molt, so I had to conclude this hive most likely preferred not to do so or had them reapplied after each molt. Their build was also stockier than any changeling I had seen. I wondered if this hive specialized in strength, although I couldn’t imagine they could top an earth pony for sheer physical power, at least in their native forms. The queen was distinct from her warrior drones by being larger and possessing a growth on her head that resembled a spiked crown. That and the “everything I see is beneath me” attitude she was giving off.
Trixie stood up from the throne and gave what was supposed to be a convincing smile. I had to suppress an eye-roll. With changelings, there was no such thing as hiding your true emotions. She swallowed and bowed her head and neck. “Ah! Thank you for accepting our invitation, Your Majesty. On behalf of all my subjects, welcome to the Royal Court of Equestria. Let me introduce you to Sir Mark Wells, Knight of the Realm of Equestria, and my personal advisor Raven Inkwell.”
I bowed my head and neck in a similar manner to how Trixie had done, keeping my eyes on the queen the entire time. Royal protocol dictated I should keep my head bowed until acknowledged by the other monarch.
Queen Carpacia said, “You asked for a meeting. Talk. Explain why I should form an alliance with you.”
I blinked in surprise at the queen’s blunt manner. Before anypony else reacted, I raised my head and spoke to Trixie. “Your Highness, I propose we receive the changeling delegation in one of the private studies. I have no objection to beginning negotiations right away.”
I heard dissatisfied muttering from the crowd as Trixie paused, narrowing her eyes slightly. “Make it so.”
I spoke to the remaining petitioners. “Morning court is concluded for today, but please stay for the afternoon session. Take the opportunity to refresh yourselves in the dining hall and stroll the castle gardens. Afternoon court will be extended if necessary to ensure everypony is heard.” The gathered ponies started whispering and many had open smiles. Nothing like the prospect of free food to lift the spirits.
I turned to the guards near the door. “Please inform the chefs about the change in the number of ponies who will dine at the castle for lunch. Also, please ask Princess Twilight Sparkle and Ambassador Thorax to join us.” After a moment’s thought, I added, “Miss Moon Dancer will not be required.”
I turned back to the red queen and bowed my head slightly. “If you would follow me, Your Majesty.” I took her stare to be acknowledgement, stepped down off the dais, and headed for one of the exits that led deeper into the castle.
Trixie walked next to Carpacia and attempted to make small talk with her on the way. I put myself on Trixie’s other side while guards of both species escorted us from the front and behind. Raven trotted along in the rear. The changeling queen made non-committal noises in response to Trixie’s occasional questions. That is, until she decided to speak to me directly as we stopped at the entrance to the Royal Lounge closest to the throne room. “You are not yet royalty. You will not be needed.”
Trixie’s mood changed in a flash, but I cut her off before she could respond. “I am responsible for Princess Trixie’s personal safety. I will be accompanying both of you until I am satisfied you are not Queen Chrysalis in disguise.”
I heard agitated buzzing in front and behind me. The two changeling guards didn’t like that answer. For her part, Carpacia scoffed. “I am nothing like that insane betrayer of commandments. There is no resemblance.”
I smirked. “The last time a changeling queen came to the throne room, she was needlessly rude, looked down on all ponies beneath her station, and did not seem to care the effect her actions had on the perceptions of the common pony. I see no difference so far.”
Trixie lifted an eyebrow at me then looked back to the queen, whose face was unreadable. Her guards, however, moved a step closer to me and crouched. Behind them, each pair of Equestrian guards on either side took a ready stance and had their hooves on their sword hilts. From my right, I heard, “You will not speak to Her Majesty that way.” Well, that answered that. I couldn’t imagine Sterling Shield threatening me in such a manner because of the oaths he had taken as a Royal Guardsman. These two changelings were not so encumbered.
I considered my options. The four guardsponies that had accompanied us were from Trixie’s personal guard, so they already knew of my alternate form. Most likely, the Queen did as well. Was this aggression a pre-arranged test? It was the sort of thing I would expect from a hive that by all appearances had a strong warrior caste. Regardless, I wasn’t going to back down. I’d only attack if I thought there was an imminent threat. In preparation, I forced myself to relax my shoulders.
Although I was staring at Carpacia’s face, in my peripheral vision I could see Trixie fight down her worry then turn to the queen. “Well, Carpacia? What’s it going to be?” No honorific that time. Trixie was definitely angry.
The changeling queen broke the silence. “Arculus. Cubitus. Stand down. You will guard the hallway here.” She faced forward again and strode past all the guards into the room. My fiancée, Raven, and I shared a look and followed. Just before entering, Trixie told the Royal Guardsmen to likewise wait outside the chamber. For additional security, I knew the areas of the castle above, below, and outside the nearest walls would be under heavy patrol.
This particular gallery served as a relaxing place to meet and greet royal guests. Large sunburst-shaped windows ran down one wall while contemporary paintings lined the opposite. The center of the room consisted of a collection of soft couches and padded chairs spread out in a rough circle. Trixie and I settled into the couch directly across from the Queen who had taken her own. Raven stood well back, apparently considered to be an acceptable presence as long as she kept to her job as a recorder of what was said and possibly agreed to. As soon as the guardsmen had closed the door, Carpacia waved a hoof. “Your meaning is understood, Sir Wells. It was not my intention to cause offense.”
I nodded. “None taken, Your Majesty. Your guards’ zeal to protect you from all threats is admirable.”
She frowned slightly but I just stared at her. She could certainly tell my words and emotions didn’t match up, but that was fine by me until she proved herself further.
Trixie said, “I left instructions for my guards to escort you to the presiding diarch immediately upon your arrival. I take it you did not experience any unnecessary delays?” She was stalling, but realistically, the main business could not start until Twilight and Thorax arrived.
Carpacia nodded. “Your guards performed their jobs… adequately.” She shifted a bit and looked away. That’s when it occurred to me that perhaps this queen simply wasn’t very good at small talk. At least with pony royalty, which was doubtless a novelty for her.
A commotion arose in the hallway and everyone looked that direction. A few seconds later, the door was encased in a lavender field and a beaming Twilight strode in, pushing a cart ahead of her. Behind the alicorn, I saw a nervous maid wringing her hooves. Trust the Princess of Friendship to take on the role of one of the castle servants in front of this rigidly caste-based monarch. “Hi! You must be Queen Carpacia! I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, but please just call me Twilight. How do you like your tea? I think I’ve fallen in love with the chamomile we just got in.” She proceeded to levitate the teapot; sugar bowl; a plate of lemon slices; and half a dozen cups, saucers, and spoons without any apparent effort.
The queen’s ears vibrated a bit and fortunately, she looked bemused rather than scandalized. Still, she made one more attempt at proper decorum. “Ahh… a pleasure to meet you, Princess Twilight. I prefer my tea pure. But shouldn’t your Raven Inkwell do the serving?”
Twilight laughed and effortlessly performed an impressive display of magic. The stream of liquid coming from the teapot split into six equal parts on its way to the waiting cups. “Oh, I’ve got it, thanks. Just one of the duties I choose to take on as Princess of Friendship!” Ah well, that was that. Decorum had officially fled the premises via the nearest window.
Stumbling into the room a bit late was Thorax in his natural form although dressed in a well-tailored suit. His legs trembled and his ears were splayed back onto his head. He took two deep breaths to compose himself as the door was closed behind him. “Greet… greetings, Your Majesty.” And after a long pause. “I am Ambassador Thorax.”
The changeling queen seemed to get her composure back while studying the crystal changeling. “Most interesting.” Her magic took the offered cup and saucer. Carpacia took a sip, looked in the cup, then up at Twilight. “Indeed. This is most excellent tea. Chamomile is a personal favorite of mine.”
The purple alicorn smiled back. “I’ll get you some before you leave if you like.”
For the first time, Carpacia smiled. “I would like that very much, Twilight. Thank you.” Well, how about that. The stodgy queen was capable of some flexibility.
Twilight floated a cup back to Thorax, who looked up to shake his head. Twilight paused for just a moment, but that was enough. I was looking at Carpacia and saw her jaw fall open. She recovered quickly, but that was another pony secret in the possession of at least one changeling hive.
Trixie said, “As long as it is not breaking confidence, would you tell us how the other changeling hives in Equestria are reacting to their species’ unmasking?”
Queen Carpacia snorted and placed her cup and saucer down on the low table in front of her. “Like the passive fools they have always been. When they aren’t running around screaming and lamenting their fate, they are paralyzed by indecision.”
I said, “However, you do not seem to have that difficulty.”
“Certainly not. The Red Hive has been more closely involved with ponies than any other. It is our nature to face problems head on rather than to hide from them, thus why I am here. Now, back to my original question: What do you want from my hive?”
I started with an easy one. “Assistance to eliminate the threat to Equestria brought by Chrysalis.”
“Decidedly open-ended and vague, but I agree in principle.”
Twilight sat down on a chair next to our couch. Thorax remained standing, though his nerves would probably have been better suited by getting off his hooves. The alicorn said, “What is it that you want, Queen Carpacia?”
“So quickly?” the queen responded then leaned back. “As much as I would like ‘things to go back to the way they were’…” She accompanied this with a wave of her hoof. “… only a fool or time traveler would dream such a thing to be possible. No. I would live in a world where ponies and changelings live together freely. It will take many years, but that is my end goal. Until then, I require love to feed my children. The manner in which it is acquired is of lesser importance, however, minimizing disruption would be best. Many of my infiltrators are in your armed forces. I ask that those services not undergo a purging of changelings. In fact, to lessen the strain on all hives, I strongly recommend no sweeps whatsoever beyond the scans you make now for crystal changelings.”
Trixie said, “Very well. I will hold off on any such hunts for changelings. It would be better if Equestria could announce a formal treaty with your hive before you leave. Even if the agreement is limited in scope, it will demonstrate to the populace that some changelings can be their allies against Chrysalis.”
I said, “I’d like to propose something more substantial than just a mutual defense pact.” At the Red Queen’s nod, I continued. “I would like you to assign one undisguised red changeling to each company of the Equestrian Army, plus a platoon of only changelings. In addition, you provide the best tactical minds from your forces to go through a round of Shining's brainstorming sessions. We are sorely lacking a changeling perspective on how to solve military problems.”
Carpacia leaned back in her couch and regarded Trixie and me for some time. “You are both offering and asking for a great deal of trust from us.”
I said, “Which we have given implicitly for centuries up until a few years ago.”
She sipped her tea and I glanced over at Trixie. She said, “That only leaves the question of divided loyalties…”
The queen nodded. “Indeed. How can you trust a soldier whose life is dedicated to serving his queen and yet has taken oaths to serve his Equestrian Princesses? Know that our hive values loyalty above all else. The red changelings in your ranks hold their oath to Equestria to be of primary importance. The only exception being they would not carry out an order to attack me personally. This is not unlike one of your soldiers refusing to kill their own mother. If so commanded, the soldier would attack and kill other red changelings, though only with great reluctance. Also, they would likely resign their commission at the first opportunity after the battle was concluded.”
I didn’t have to look at Trixie to know that was entirely acceptable. Any Equestrian army that committed such atrocities would not be worthy of their loyalty.
After a long pause, it was apparent that the Queen would not commit to any such agreement right away. Twilight said, “Queen Carpacia, would you like to stay as our guest for the royal wedding tomorrow? It will also allow you to meet the other Element Bearers, Princess Cadance, Prince Shining Armor, and many more of the ponies of our kingdom.”
The queen smiled and stood. “I would like that very much, Your Highness. I have never attended a pony wedding, much less a royal one. I trust it will be an interesting experience.”
Trixie and I shared a fearful glance. Did we just get jinxed?
Carpacia frowned and looked between us. “Was it something I said?”
Anyone who thinks two weeks to organize a wedding is plenty of time obviously has never gotten formally married. Even with a retinue of servants to delegate the majority of the responsibilities to, both Trixie and I had found every spare moment tied up with some detail that needed our personal attention. In hindsight, insisting on getting married in a fortnight wasn’t my best idea, but I didn’t really regret it. The day was finally here and I was excited and full of nervous energy. For that reason and one other, I was currently flying around the airspace above the valley that Canterlot overlooked.
The fresh air was doing wonders for clearing my head and the relative solitude was helping calm the butterflies in my stomach. Only my diligent bodyguard shared the local skies with me, and Penumbra was keeping her distance to give me this precious chance to relax. Strange how I now thought of flying as a way to take a breather considering my inauspicious start to learning how to be a pegasus. You could hardly see the remnants of the damage I’d done to the castle gardens anymore. I’d probably never be a great flier, at least in my normal form, but after nearly two years in my new home, I was now confidently competent. I could enjoy the wind in my feathers and an unobstructed view of the ground a very long distance below me.
Right now, though, it was Canterlot that was the more interesting sight. The palace remained a magnificent and breathtaking structure in the way it defied gravity as it hung off the side of the mountain. The engineering and magic skills of its builders were remarkable even centuries after it had been built. The city that had grown around it was beautiful in normal times, but it was currently adorned in flowers and bunting for the royal wedding and looked quite spectacular. The citizens of Equestria’s capital loved their special occasions and threw themselves into them with great enthusiasm. It reminded me of Britain’s monarchy and the public’s obsession with the royal family. I can’t say that I wasn’t caught up in the spirit of it a little bit too. When ponies wanted to celebrate, it was very contagious.
Eventually, I stopped both my sightseeing and introspection to head off to a very particular destination which had been my excuse to get out of the palace for a while. It wasn’t long before I alighted before a very familiar boutique where a smiling unicorn awaited to let me into the premises which were closed to the public today.
“Good morning, Rarity. Ready for the big day?”
Rarity chuckled and replied, “Shouldn’t I be asking that of you, darling?”
“I’m not the one who insisted on designing the wedding outfits for both Trixie and me with just two weeks to prepare.”
Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “You talk as if I haven’t been planning for this occasion for months.”
I blinked and stared for a moment. “You figured out that Trixie and I would get married that long ago?”
She laughed gaily. “Darling, I knew from soon after I met you that some mare would catch your eye. You certainly caught mine. I’ve had your wedding ensemble planned for simply ages! And as for your bride-to-be, well, a lady would have to be blind to not see how you two mesh so well.” She sighed daintily. “I must admit that Princess Trixie was the better mare on this occasion.”
I gave Rarity a kiss on the cheek, making her blush. “I haven’t forgotten what we mean to each other, Rares. There’s no such thing as second place as far as I’m concerned. I’ve made promises that I intend to keep. Right now, however, I need my clothes. Some ponies will get very annoyed with me if I dawdle too much.”
“Quite rightly too,” the fashionista replied as she lit up her horn. A collection of clothing floated over in her magic and she proceeded to dress me. First came a silk shirt with jewel-encrusted cufflinks and pearl buttons both up front and for the wing slits. Then a tie the same shade of blue as my fiancée’s fur. Next came the coat which was a dark chocolate brown that went better with my green fur than black would have. Nice color sense, Rarity! The mare tucked a single red rose into its breast pocket. Last of all were spats for my hind legs. A few tasteful bits of costume jewelry and the outfit was complete.
Rarity had made the final adjustments yesterday and now the entire ensemble fit me so perfectly, I hardly noticed it when I flexed my legs or wings. I admired myself in the full-length mirror and whistled appreciatively. “Rarity – you’ve outdone yourself. I think I’m going to be the envy of every stallion at the wedding.”
The unicorn laughed delightedly. “Such high praise. I’m so happy that my silent partner approves.”
“Not to mention the business this will drum up from the elite,” I added with a wink.
“Well, I am a business mare,” she replied demurely.
I chuckled. “I can hardly wait to see the outfit you’ve made for Trixie.”
“You’ll have to wait until the wedding like everypony else. And if my ears don’t deceive me, that’s the royal carriage arriving with your fiancée for her final fitting.”
“And my ride back to the castle so I don’t muss my clothes.”
“Do try not to fall down any stairs in the meantime, darling.”
“C’mon, Rares! I haven’t done that in months.” After the skeptical look she gave me, I added, “Would you believe weeks?”
A knock on the shop door forestalled further comment from my dear friend. We walked over to the entrance and Rarity opened the door where Penumbra had been standing guard. Penny stepped aside to allow Trixie to enter. She paused to admire me before giving me a quick kiss on the lips.
“Run along, Skylark Bluebells, before Trixie gets too distracted by her hunky stallion.”
“As my Empress commands,” I replied with a grin.
She blushed faintly in recollection of our first meeting. Who would have believed then that one day we would be lovers?
I bid farewell to both mares and headed for the carriage, flanked by two of the Royal Guards who had escorted Trixie here. Four others stayed behind to provide security until the vehicle returned. Penny joined me in the carriage and grinned smugly when the door closed behind us.
“What’s so amusing?” I asked the bat-pony.
“You two are acting like a colt and a filly on a first date.”
I shrugged. “It’s not like either of us have done this before. It’s both exciting and scary.”
“Serves you right for marrying royalty. Weddings are for the birds. I plan to shack up with some cute mare someday without all this fuss.”
I smirked. “Are you sure about that? I was a confirmed bachelor before I came here. Wouldn’t catch me dead at a wedding.”
“Nah, we bat-ponies are too practical for that.”
“S-u-u-r-e!” I replied.
She just stuck her tongue out and razzed me.
We rode in silence the rest of the way back to the castle, enjoying the peace before the madness that was ensuing inside. All our friends had insisted on doing their bit to make our day special, and it was all that the palace staff could do to keep Pinkie from covering the castle in streamers and balloons. I had to firmly remind her that she was in charge of the after-nuptials party, not the whole wedding.
Several of the guests had already arrived and more were pulling up at the castle gates every few minutes. Access to the more private section of the palace was much more exclusive, so it was a bit of a surprise when I saw Twilight accompanied by a vaguely familiar red griffon and gray earth pony with a two-tone green mane. My memory was jolted when the griffon came over and slapped me on the back and cheerfully said, “Congrats, buddy! Great to see you stop pussyfooting around and marry the mare!”
I blinked and gaped. “Free Agent? Don’t get me wrong, but what are you and Long Path doing here?”
The griffon grinned. “When your Twi told us that you were getting hitched, we begged an invite. We had to see for ourselves what your world and your Trixie were like.”
I glared accusingly at Twilight. “With all the stuff keeping us busy these past two weeks, when did you find the time to set up a portal and go visiting other universes?”
The alicorn rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Well… you know how fascinating I found their world. I just had to go back and make a quick arrangement for further studies.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Quick arrangement, hey?” I turned to our guests. “How many visits?”
“Six,” Path replied, barely holding back a grin.
“Uh-huh. Thought as much.” I sighed in resignation. “Oh well, it’s good to see you again. Where are your wives?”
Path replied, “Roseclaw and Twilight are chatting with some of the other guests, especially your version of Carpacia. You won’t recognize our Twilight because she’s wearing an illusion so that she and your Twilight don’t get mixed up. Just look out for a unicorn that matches Free’s coloration. She thought it was a cute idea.”
“It’s romantic!” objected my Twilight.
“Careful, Twi,” Free said with a grin. “If you act too much like my wife, I might go home with the wrong alicorn.”
Twilight blushed and retorted, “My fiancé might have something to say about that!”
The griffon’s smile grew broader. “Oho! So, who’s the lucky stallion? Or did you wise up and go for a dashing griffon like me?”
Knowing Free Agent’s heritage, I murmured, “You’re half right, anyway.”
Twilight still heard me and gave me a glare before replying, “I’ll introduce you to him soon. Right now, though, both Mark and I need to attend to our other guests. Please enjoy yourselves.”
Schmoozing with the guests was interrupted by the arrival of Cadance and Shining Armor. Upon spying me, the pink alicorn hastened over to give me a hug. Actually, waddled over would be more accurate. She was so gravid by now that she probably would have been better off flying rather than trying to walk. It was hard to tell, but she seemed a little strained.
“It’s great that you’re officiating, Cadance,” I said after we disengaged from the hug, “but are you going to be okay doing the entire ceremony while you’re like this?”
Cadance frowned at me. “You’re not trying to take this away from me, are you?”
I raised my forehooves defensively. “No, no! Just trying to be considerate. I wouldn’t dream of denying you the privilege. Both Trixie and I have been looking forward to having you preside over the wedding ceremony. Besides, changing things around now would be a royal pain, if you’ll pardon the pun.”
The alicorn’s smile returned. “So – are you ready for the big moment?”
“I’ve been trying not to think about it too much because it just sets off another flock of butterflies in my belly, but yeah, I reckon I am.”
Shining Armor chuckled. “Take it from me, Mark – it’ll get worse when you get up on the dais with Trixie, but it’ll all be worth it.”
“That’s the one thing that I don’t doubt, Shining. Marrying Trixie is going to be one of the best events of my life.”
“When do you plan to have foals?” Cadance asked.
I gave her a flat look. “I know a trick question when I hear it. We’ll have them when Trixie says we will.”
The pink Princess giggled. “Sounds like you already have a good idea how to be an acceptable husband.”
“I like to think that I’m wise enough to know when to shut my mouth and let my future wife make those decisions.”
Shining added with a grin, “And if you want the benefit of my experience, just ask. Being the husband of the Alicorn of Love has a lot of perks.”
Cadance punched Shining Armor in the shoulder but despite her earth pony strength, she barely moved the heavily toned former Captain of the Royal Guard. The stallion had not let his elevation to princedom affect his exercise regime, and he remained at peak readiness to lead an army if necessary. I wonder if he was as ready for fatherhood though.
“Those subjects can wait until after the ceremony,” I replied with a grin. “We have about half an hour before it’s due to start, so let me introduce you to some of the other guests whom you haven’t met before.”
Cadance replied, “Shining and I spoke with Carpacia over breakfast… or should I say I spoke to Carpacia while Shining talked changeling battle tactics with her guards? The queen shared with me a variety of smoked fish that can only be caught deep underground. It happens to be one of her favorite delicacies and now mine as well! We’re making arrangements for her to visit the Crystal Empire, where she can sample our crystal berry wine and smoked salmon I had brought in from Vanhoover. So, you see, I’ve already met your surprise wedding guests.”
I smirked. “I dunno – some of them are out of this world!”
The moment came when according to Twilight’s checklist, we had to make our way out to the castle gardens to begin the ceremony.
Along the way, Steady gave me one final pep talk. “You ready for this, Mark? It’s my job as best stallion to provide a diversion if you get frozen hooves or need more time to be comfortable with throwing the rest of your life away.” He tried to keep a straight face but grinned almost immediately.
I laughed. “A distraction, huh? What did you have in mind that would dissuade the Great and Powerful monarch?”
He waved a hoof. “Oh, I don’t know… something along the lines of ‘Blah, blah, blah… you caught us that one time in Mark’s room… blah, blah, blah… declared our true love for each other… blah, blah, blah.’ Something along those lines.”
I shook my head. “She would see through your poor stage show in a second. Thanks but no thanks, buddy.”
My valet and best friend threw a foreleg around my withers. “Maybe you’re right, Mark. Your future is going to be different from here on out, you realize. Becoming actual royalty. I mean, when was the last time you saw a stallion leading Equestria?”
Something was a bit off in his voice, but I quickly answered, “You mean besides Prince Shining Armor?”
“Doesn’t count. He’s royalty of a neighboring empire.”
I thought back to Twilight’s slideshow. “I guess that would be… all the way back to Commander Hurricane, then.”
“Yeah, but didn’t you see a stallion ruling part of Equestria in one of the first alternate worlds you visited?”
“Oh, you’re right! The self-styled King Sombra.”
Steady Flight stopped walking, forcing me to stop as well. After a short pause, he said, “How did things turn out for him?”
I grimaced. “He got impaled by a horn then his neck was broken.”
Steady froze, then carefully lifted his foreleg from across my back and took two deliberate steps to the side to put some distance between us. “Uh… yeah. You’ll be fine… yeah.”
I sighed and shook my head. He had set me up well for that one. Regardless, we had arrived.
The garden’s largest open space had been decorated with garlands, banners, and a heart-shaped archway festooned with blooming vines. Fluttershy encouraged a mixture of different bird species to sing a tune while Octavia Melody provided a melodious counterpoint in a lower octave. I picked out the Element Bearers, Spike, several ponies from Ponyville, and numerous members of the Canterlot nobility who had likely decided they just had to be seen at the social event of the year.
A low platform had been set up in front of the archway and rows of chairs placed in front of it with a wide aisle between them down the center. After the guests were ushered to their seats, Cadance, Steady, and I made our way up to the dais. Penny and my Ponyville friends took their places on the right side of the aisle, while Trixie’s family and friends occupied the chairs on the left. The various nobles and celebrities filled the rest of the seating. The ceremony began with music played by the Equestrian Royal Guard Band which culminated with the flower fillies entering the room and scattering rose petals along the path leading up to the dais. Against Twilight’s better judgement, I had insisted that the Crusaders play that role, now with a fourth member. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Nyx got along like a house on fire... don't ask exactly why I put it that way. Suffice it to say that the fillies in each universe did not have the same adventures and these four were determined to fix that, regardless of the collateral damage. While I was a bit worried they would not be calm enough to do the job right, they were perfectly behaved with not a sign of tree sap anywhere. Belatedly, I realized I did not have anypony check their manes for slingshots or other contraband, but it was too late to do anything about my suspicions now.
Then my bride appeared in the castle’s doorway, gliding gracefully out onto the manicured lawn to make her way down the aisle, a bouquet of flowers held in her magic in front of her. My heart skipped a beat. I knew that Rarity was good, but the wedding dress that she had designed for Trixie was heavenly. Without a doubt, the gown emphasized how she was every inch a princess without excessive gaudiness. Rarity had created a fitted bodice from light ivory-colored silk that accentuated Trixie’s beautiful form. The wide, full skirt consisted of breezy chiffon, over which rested a layer of lace with patterns hinting of stars and moons. Trixie’s eyes met mine and we wordlessly exchanged our joy at this moment. She was flanked by her father who had come from Las Pegasus to give away his daughter.
I had met Jack Pot for the first time mere days ago and I was taken aback by how closely he resembled the male Trixie I’d met during my inter-universal travels. His cutie mark was different, of course, but there was absolutely no doubt that he was Trixie’s sire. And while he and Trixie had been estranged for a long while, they had reconciled for this moment and the pride in his daughter shone from his face. The only warning I got from my bride was to keep him away from Spectacle. Trixie’s mom had come to Canterlot via the Royal Guard pegasus chariot two days earlier and was a delightfully effervescent pony. The orange unicorn mare with two-tone yellow mane and tail had a sunny outlook that matched her sunflower cutie mark. Unfortunately, she and Jack Pot got along like lighter fluid and matches. The best way to avoid drama was to keep them separated. I barely glanced at him though because my attention was riveted by the most beautiful mare in the world as she paced down the path to the dais. Twilight took up the rear, holding up the train of Trixie’s dress in her magic.
Trixie mounted the steps of the dais to come to a stop by my side. I held out my hoof and her father passed hers to me with a smile as happy tears started to leak from his eyes. “Take good care of my little Starbeam,” he whispered. Next to us, Twilight and Steady took their places as best mare and stallion.
“You look gorgeous,” I said softly to Trixie.
“You’re looking mighty fine yourself,” she purred before she turned to face Cadance.
I did likewise and the alicorn took that as her cue.
Smiling indulgently, Cadance magically enhanced her voice so that everyone could hear her clearly. “My ladies, lords, mares, gentlestallions, friends, and relatives of the bride and groom – we are ahh… gathered here to bind in wedlock these two ponies in the sight of you all as witnesses to their love. As the Alicorn of Love, I know oooh… and understand the depth of their feelings toward each other. I declare that ohhh… their love is true and their union will be blessed by Harmony.”
While Cadance’s voice was strong, she was shifting around uncomfortably and I could see beads of sweat on her forehead. I was now worried that her breakfast was not agreeing with her. Nevertheless, she soldiered on.
“Sir Mark Wells, you have chosen this mare as your bride. You may make your vows to her.”
I turned to gaze lovingly at my fiancée. “Beatrix Lulamoon – I have said this before but I will say it again for the entire world to hear: you complete me. You made this bachelor pony see that life will be much better with you than without you. I never knew what true love was like until you showed me. I promise that I will love you and do my very best to make every moment in your life a joy. I will be your partner in all things and I look forward to the future that we will shape together.”
I looked at Cadance and she nodded, acknowledging my vows. “Thank you, Sir Wells. Unggh… Princess Beatrix Lulamoon, you have chosen this stallion as your husbaaaaah… husband. You may make your vows to him.”
I don’t think Trixie’s gaze had ever left me. She smiled that glorious smile of hers before saying, “Dowser, Trixie had… I had never felt the need for a stallion in my life until I met you. From the day we met, you amused and intrigued me. Your wit and intelligence attracted me. Your caring and love captured me. You made me realize that I was missing something in my life and you filled that hole in my heart. I love you, Mark Wells, and I promise to cherish you and be your partner in life. And give you lots of foals!”
I’m sure Trixie improvised that last bit. Nice to know her intentions anyway. We faced Cadance whose eyes were sparkling and her face reflecting the love between Trixie and me. She gave us a happy but slightly quivering smile. She had promised to make the next part of this ceremony interesting with some ancient rites from the time of the Three Kingdoms, but she wanted them to be a surprise so we didn’t know exactly what to expect. ‘Trust me,’ she had said.
“Beatrix and Mark – your vows have been heard and your commitment is acknowledged,” the pink alicorn said formally even as the sweat continued to drip off her face. “Now, both repeat after me… Oh my goodness, I think my water just broke!”
I furrowed my brow but dutifully repeated, “Oh my goodness, I think my water just broke.” I heard Trixie echoing the words in a puzzled tone.
“No, no! I mean it. I think the foal is coming!” Cadance gasped as she collapsed on the dais.
Now I admit that my mind had been stuck on one track, but this jolted my thoughts out of marriage mode. Cadance had gone into labor… no. She had already been in labor earlier, but she’d obviously been suppressing it somehow so that she could perform the ceremony. Either that or the first-time mother didn’t know the signs well enough to recognize what was happening. No wonder she was so short with me earlier. Unfortunately, the baby didn’t want to follow its mother’s schedule.
Twilight turned to the nearest Royal Guard. “Fetch the palace physician immediately!”
The Guard saluted and hastened away.
Cadance started moaning and writhing uncomfortably. I looked at the audience. “Has anypony had any experience being a midwife?”
My bride sighed and passed her bouquet to Twilight. “Trixie’s license is still current.” She hiked up her skirts and moved around to kneel down behind Cadance. In response to my questioning glance, she said, “Trixie took great pride in making her shows stressful and exciting for the audience. After the first time that Trixie had to fake her way through helping a mare deliver, she swore never to be caught flat-hooved again.” She smiled. “If you encounter a young mare named Beatrix anywhere around Equestria, there is a good chance Trixie delivered her and the grateful parents named her after me.”
I gave that a moment’s thought and asked, “And if it was a colt?”
“Ah. That only happened once. His name is Bernard. Now take this veil and get it out of Trixie’s way.”
I did as she asked and then organized some Guards to gather around Cadance to give her some privacy. That then left a very confused audience to deal with. I raised my hooves to gain everyone’s attention.
“Ladies and Gentlestallions, Princess Cadance has gone into labor and the ceremony is on hold. I ask that you make your way back into the palace. Everypony is welcome to await us in the dining hall. Thank you.”
With the help of the Royal Guards, the guests were herded out of the garden. I stood by Trixie offering moral support if nothing else. The Element Bearers also stayed, ready to provide assistance if needed.
Shining literally danced on his hooves and stared at his wife. Either he was beside himself or really, really had to go to the stallions’ room. “Our baby? Now?! Cadance, can’t you just wait until we’re in the hospital? There are all sorts of nurses and doctors and everything there!”
A very un-princess-like growl escaped his wife. “No, Shiny. The baby won’t wait.”
He swung his head to stare all around the gardens. “What do I do? How can I do? I don’t know what to do!” I suppose I couldn’t blame him. Aside from being his first child and having zero experience, he was virtually useless in this situation. A stallion like him needed structure, and this unplanned event was far from that.
Trixie said, “Shining Armor, pull yourself together. If you must feel useful, bring me a large bowl with lukewarm water.”
“On it!” he cried happily and disappeared in a flash of horseshoes.
I noticed Fluttershy give a level glare at her Plus One Discord, who was vibrating in his attempts to keep in his mirth. After one last skeptical look caused him to just shrug his shoulders, the mare came up to Cadance’s side and took hold of a foreleg. The pegasus softly offered a comforting voice to distract and soothe the gasping alicorn.
In less time than I thought physically possible without teleportation, Shining Armor returned with the punch bowl from the reception area. The bright red liquid inside boiled and steam rose from its surface. The soon-to-be-father’s expression reminded me of a foal hoping to hear from his parents that he did good. Twilight levitated the bowl away from him, which I silently applauded. “What else? What else? What else?” he said.
Fluttershy hesitated then said, “We’ll need delivery blankets.” She blushed and glanced for just a moment at Trixie. “I brought some in my gift.”
“Got it!” Shining yelled and galloped off again.
Fluttershy called after him. “It’s in a wicker basket that’s not wrapped!”
I didn’t think he heard her. That was confirmed when I saw tissue paper, empty bags, and wrapping paper fly out of the corner of the dining hall where gifts were received. Well. Unwrapping was one less chore Trixie and I would have to worry about. I decided to not inform her of the ‘good news’ for the moment. She had enough to be concerned with.
“Can we help?”
I turned around to see Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Nyx, and Scootaloo beaming up at me. Oh, why not?
“A large bowl with lukewarm water, please. And some washcloths.”
The four fillies gasped and clopped their hooves together as they chanted, “Cutie Mark Crusaders: Princess Deliverers, yay!”
They disappeared in a cloud of dust. Just then, a very pleased Shining Armor came up with the requested blankets. “It wasn’t in the gift boxes after all! It was in a basket!”
I decided to take charge. “Well done, Shining. Please stand right over there and keep quiet until Trixie asks for them.”
He slumped in relief, probably because he had finally received orders that he knew he could follow.
I had no idea how long labor lasted for a pony, but I was determined to be there for both mares if needed. When the Royal Physician arrived, he observed what Trixie was doing, declared that he couldn’t do anything better than she, but would stand by in case he was needed.
Suddenly, I became aware of someone standing beside me. I looked up into the face of Discord who was grinning ear to ear. The eye-hurtingly awful suit that he had worn to the ceremony now had a conspicuous badge pinned to it that read: “Official Event Videographer”.
Discord held up a movie camera and said to me, “Such glorious chaos! You never disappoint me, Mark Wells.”
I rolled my eyes. “As if I’m to blame for this.”
The draconequus tutted and murmured in my ear. “My dear former human, you are a veritable chaos magnet; a catalyst if you will. It’s one of the reasons that I like you so much.”
“You’re not going to win more friends if you wave that camera around here right now.”
“Oh, pshaw! Every mother wants to preserve these precious moments for posterity. Isn’t that right, Princess Cadance? You won’t mind if I film the arrival of your bundle of joy? I'm sure Fluttershy and Miss Cheerilee would find it wonderfully educational for the foals.”
Cadance responded with a snarl and a gout of flame from her horn which covered Discord's upper half with soot.
He blinked and said, “Still pregnant, I see. I'll come back later.” He then packed the camera into a bag that hadn’t been there a moment ago and then dived inside it. The bag and its contents then disappeared in a flash of magic.
I think it was about a quarter hour or so later that Cadance delivered a crying foal into the world. I saw that Shining Armor’s blue was the accent color for her mane and tail. The filly got her pink coat and purple mane and tail color from her mother, but that wasn’t all. The fact that it was a filly was barely noted as her horn and wings drew most of the attention.
I broke the shocked silence. “Ladies and gentlestallions, we have ourselves an alicorn foal. Now what?”
While most of us stood around like stunned mullets, Fluttershy apologetically asked ponies to move aside so Shining could bring over the baby blankets. The Cutie Mark Crusaders brought over washcloths along with the basin of warm water. Trixie relieved them of the bowl and started washing the foal.
With the baby all cleaned up, she was swaddled in one of the blankets. Fluttershy helped Trixie deal with the afterbirth. I’m glad that those mares had so much experience with birthing because I sure didn’t expect that mess! Fortunately, another wing of the castle bordered the side of the gardens opposite the dining hall. Shining Armor and Cadance were staying in the ground floor guest suite and we all entered through a set of Prench doors. Shining levitated his tired wife in the glow of his magic. Twilight carried her new niece as if she was made of the most delicate glass. Rather than going to bed, Cadance insisted on staying with us and her husband laid her on the couch. We did our best to make the pink alicorn comfortable and the doctor gave her a final check before declaring her in good condition.
Shining stayed next to Cadance who had their child tucked into the crook of her foreleg. The rest of us gathered at the other side of the living room to discuss this twist. I saw Pinkie Pie crying profusely and Twilight came up to her and pulled her into a wing hug.
“There, there, Pinkie. It's just fine. Lots of ponies cry at weddings.”
The pink mare pulled herself together for just a moment. “It's not that. It's just... I ONLY BROUGHT ONE CAKE! WAHHHHHHH!”
Twilight was left with her mouth hanging open and tilting her head so as not to drown in the cascade of tears coming from her friend.
“Now what happens?” I asked the room in general.
“We have to name the baby, of course, darling,” Rarity immediately piped up.
I blinked and stared for a moment. “We have a palace full of guests expecting to celebrate Trixie’s and my wedding, and you want us to come up with baby names?”
“Well, naturally, dear. You don’t think that you’ll be able to go out there and not bring along the foal, do you? Of course, the ponies will demand to know the name of their newest princess.”
“I wasn’t planning on taking the baby at all!”
Rarity shook her head pityingly. “Mark, darling, the moment that you explain that the wedding was interrupted by Cadance giving birth, you will be bombarded by questions about her. It wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that she’s an alicorn. I may be mistaken, but that has never happened before. All alicorns have ascended, just as Twilight was once a unicorn and Cadance was a pegasus. This is a watershed event and you must be ready to deal with it.”
I gave in to her relentless logic even though I figured that it could have waited for a little while longer. “Okay, let’s have some suggestions for names. Cadance – any preferences?”
“I always wanted Heart to be part of the name if I had a filly to emphasize her position as Princess of the Crystal Empire. I suppose that may be moot now that she’s an alicorn, but I still like it.”
“Alright, we have a Heart starter. Any ideas, anyone?”
“Every filly that I have delivered has been named Beatrix in my honor,” Trixie pointed out, which I knew had to be a slight exaggeration.
There were murmurs of dissent and Twilight shook her head. “We’re not naming my niece Beatrix Heart. How about Friendship Heart?”
To her disappointment, she was shot down even harder than Trixie.
“You've got friendship on the brain, Sparkles,” I said.
Discord stepped out from behind a lamp stand that would have been hard-pressed to conceal an anorexic ferret and said, “Obviously, her name should be Chaos Heart.”
Applejack gave him the stink eye and replied, “Now why would we be goin’ and doin’ somethin’ like that fer?”
He gestured to the dining hall on the other side of the gardens. The news of the successful delivery must have reached those ponies because the wine was flowing freely, ponies were dancing about, and at least three or four songs were being belted out by the room’s occupants. The only exceptions to the universal happy mood were Jack Pot and Spectacle, who had both stepped into the gardens and were yelling at each other with lots of hoof waving. We had not noticed them because one of the Royal Guards had erected a soundproofing hemisphere around them. I could also faintly hear DJ Pon3’s music coming from the grand ballroom adjacent to the dining room. Discord’s expression dared the farm mare to refute the obvious.
Cadance spoke up. “Perhaps some reminder of the circumstances of her birth would be appropriate. Wedding Heart... Heart Royale... Betrothal Heart...”
Discord’s gagging sounds grew louder with each suggestion.
“What about something else that represents the Crystal Empire?” Shining offered. I suspected that was an attempt to diplomatically get away from that line of thought without outright telling his wife he didn’t like the names either. I needed to start taking notes.
“Compromise!” Discord replied. “Considering her brand of chaos, Blizzard Heart sounds appropriate.”
That actually got some quiet contemplation from everyone. Eventually, Cadance nixed it, deciding that it sounded too ominous of a fate to try to live up to. “How about something smaller?”
Twilight tried again. “Like Flurry Heart?”
Long pause.
“Yer first idea was better,” said Applejack.
“Isn't that the name of a blended drink?” Rarity asked.
“Nah! More like an ice cream soda with sprinkles on top!” declared Pinkie enthusiastically.
“Sounds like the name of a foal’s book,” Rainbow Dash complained.
“Flurry is a nice, gentle name,” Fluttershy quietly opined.
“Too fru-fru fer my likin’,” Applejack declared.
“Well, I think it’s cute!” Twilight persevered.
“Chaos Flurry!” Discord suggested.
“No!” everypony chorused.
Frustrated, he said, “Well, make up your minds! It's either that or Beatrix.”
“Her name is Flurry Heart,” Cadance decided firmly.
Rarity smiled. “Now that that’s been decided, there’s one last thing to take care of. Trixie dear, I simply cannot let you walk around like that for one moment longer. Fortunately, I know an excellent cleaning spell to restore your gown to pristine condition.”
“Does Trixie need to take it off first?” my bride asked.
“No, although it might tickle a bit. Hold still, please.”
Without waiting for permission, Rarity cast her cleaning spell. Trixie burst into a fit of giggles that only ceased when the spell was done.
“That was like bathing in a sea of bubbles,” Trixie said as she looked over her restored dress. She nodded with satisfaction. “Trixie supposes we shall need to placate our little ponies now. Is the foal ready?”
Cadance reluctantly allowed Shining Armor to take Flurry from her grasp and the stallion stepped into the outer room to join us.
Twilight gave her niece a gentle nuzzle. “You’re going to be a beautiful mare one day, but right now, Equestria waits to see you.”
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” I said before realizing something. “Wait... Are we actually married or not? Cadance didn’t complete the ceremony, after all.”
Twilight grimaced and said, “By my authority as Princess of Equestria, if you're not already married, I pronounce you husband and wife. Now kiss and get out there with the baby!”
I’d heard worse suggestions and kissed my wife. She ardently returned it. We only broke it with a laugh as Cadance was heard whining from behind us, “But I wanted to say that!”
“You’ll have to save it for Twi’s wedding!” I replied.
Twilight blushed and started herding us out of the room and down the hall to the second floor balcony which overlooked the public courtyard. Along the way, Trixie retrieved her crown from Raven’s safekeeping. Raven also pulled out a necklace, confiding that she had made a quick scan of the wreckage of Shining Armor’s passage through the wedding presents. The gift was from the ponies of the Crystal Empire and consisted of a large carved pink crystal star suspended from a tight-fitting choker. Trixie hugged her advisor, saying it was wonderfully appropriate. My wife (I get to say that now!) swapped her pearl necklace for the new one.
A herald stood at the ready next to the balcony doors. At a nod from Trixie, he stepped out and we heard the crowd hush in anticipation. When it was nearly silent, the herald began.
“Citizens, friends, and allies of Equestria, we present to you for the first time Princess Beatrix Lulamoon and Prince Mark Wells, joined this day in royal matrimony.”
Prince! In all the craziness, I’d forgotten that I would be automatically raised to that rank upon being wed to Trixie. They had even made a crown for me, although I had strenuously insisted that it be a simple gold circlet – a token really. I felt no need for anything more than something symbolic of my new station. Right this moment, I think I could have used that as a reassurance that I wasn’t a fraud with delusions of grandeur, but it had been left behind in the confusion. It took a nudge from Trixie to make me stumble out onto the balcony.
The crowd roared and we waved as streamers and tinsel rained down upon us. Trixie lapped it up while I struggled to maintain my composure. Not even the busiest session of Day Court had made me feel this uncomfortable. I just waved to the crowd until the cheers died down. Then Trixie magically amplified her voice to address the spectators.
“My little ponies, it is with much joy that I can now say that Mark Wells is my husband. We look forward to serving you as your prince and princess for many years to come. However, we also have an amazing announcement. You may be aware of the delay caused by an interruption to the wedding ceremony due to Princess Cadance unexpectedly going into labor. She has given birth to a beautiful filly whom the parents have named Flurry Heart. But this foal is special – something never seen before. Princess Flurry Heart is an alicorn!”
The spectators gasped and started murmuring to each other, shocked by the announcement. Shining Armor stepped up with the little filly and, to my surprise, unwrapped her from the blanket and passed her to me.
“This should be your and Trixie’s moment,” he said. “Please show Flurry to the crowd.”
I was hesitant but Trixie told me to go ahead. I took the foal in my forehooves and carefully raised her into the air. She started squirming while spreading her wings and shaking her head. Her tiny horn flickered and flashed with magic but didn’t seem to do anything at first. The ponies began to cheer which grew into a roar as I lifted above the balcony. Although I had my wings spread, it wasn’t my flight magic that was at work. Looking around, I saw neither Trixie’s nor Shining’s horns were glowing – only little Flurry’s. Hooboy! Her parents were going to have their work cut out for them with this foal!
The reception was a relief. Some food and drink helped smooth down my jitters while Trixie and I mingled and chatted with our guests. We were with Queen Carpacia when Twilight brought over a piece of cake for her.
“So what did you think of the wedding, Your Majesty?” Twilight asked.
The changeling queen gave the alicorn a flat stare as if asking if the mare was serious. Eventually, she sighed and levitated the offered plate and fork in her magic. “With the Lord of Chaos in attendance, I should have set my expectations accordingly.”
A miniature Discord popped out of Carpacia's slice of cake, raised his arms and grinned. “But I didn't do anything!”
Carpacia put on a long face and arched a brow. Discord's smile slipped and his arms lowered. “Well, until right now, that is. I promised I wouldn't do anything to disrupt the wedding. Nope! All my pony friends are tiny little Deputies of Chaos. They do this without even trying!”
At the queen's continued stare, Discord sighed and jumped out of the cake. “Fine, fine. I'll get you a new slice.”
Carpacia floated the plate back to Twilight with the slightest of grins. “How do you stay sane, Your Highness?”
Twilight chuckled and waved a hoof. “Oh, I've found sanity to be overrated lately.” At the return of the queen's unamused expression, she quickly added, “But the honest answer is 'friendship', Your Majesty. We're all there for each other, no matter what.”
“I can vouch for that,” I said. “If it wasn’t for all the friends that I made here in… um… Canterlot and Ponyville, I very much doubt that I would be married to this wonderful mare today.”
Trixie gave me a smooch for that.
Carpacia replied, “I see. While I was happy with the status quo, the winds of change are blowing strongly, and I would be a fool not to see how the world is changing. You will have the alliance you sought, Your Highnesses. We shall speak more of this at a more appropriate moment. Now – where is that annoying chimera with my cake?!”
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