> A Royal Burden
>  by Winter Quill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Worthy of a Queen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunburst couldn’t help smiling as he walked into the banquet hall of the Crystal Palace. Cadence and Shining Armor had gone all out to decorate it for Nightmare Night, covering the normally brightly lit room in dark black tapestries, with floating candles for light. A layer of fetlock-high fog hugged the ground, swishing around his hooves as he walked towards the royal couple.
 
This year’s theme was ‘famous leaders’, which had brought quite a few interesting costumes. Princess Cadence was dressed as a sexier version of Princess Luna, with a tight bodice that gave her even more cleavage and a dark blue dress that hugged the wide curves of her hips. Shining Armor was dressed as Commander Hurricane, with heavy plate armor and a helmet with a tall crest on top. He was currently struggling with his wings, trying to keep them under control.
 
“Good evening!” Sunburst said as he walked up to the couple. He had missed quite a few celebrations in the four years since he had moved to Ponyville, so he had gone all out for this one, dressing as King Gaskin the Great, the stallion who had unified most of Saddle Arabia centuries before. He had even hand stitched most of it himself (with a little help from Rarity), leaving him in a red shirt that hung to his knees, a golden vest with a matching belt and black pants. He even had a sword tucked into the belt, though it wasn’t the right sword for the period and made from wood.
 
Shining Armor smiled as he saw him. “Sunburst, I’m glad you could make it,” he said. A moment later his wing snapped out and smacked against his wife. He let out a growl, and reached back for the wayward appendage. “How do you control these things?”
 
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Cadence replied, leaning in to kiss him on the side of his muzzle.
 
“I’m sure you’ll work it out,” Sunburst said, reaching out to pat the prince consort on his shoulder. It had only been a week since the disastrous storm in Yakyakinstan, and he doubted anypony could adapt to such a massive change that quickly. He glanced around the bouquet hall, which was filled with much of the palace staff, all wearing costumes of some sort or another. “Where’s Flurry Heart?” he asked. It had been months since the last time he got to see the filly.
 
Cadence smiled. “She’s off with a few of her friends to get candy. She’s decided to dress up as me tonight.”
 
“Oh, that’s adorable,” he replied.
 
They said something in response, but he didn’t hear it. Instead his eyes went to the entrance of the hall as the doors opened and his marefriend walked into the room. She was dressed as King Sombra, wearing a silver crown and a dark red cloak over a pair of black pants and a crop top, her gravid belly dominating her thin frame, even more so than her full breasts did. She was only carrying one foal, yet on her slim body it looked like it could have been triplets. The black clothing stood against the gray of her fur, matching her thick black mane, which was as curly and unruly as ever, the crown doing nothing to control it.
 
It really wasn’t much of a costume for her, as the mare—whom everypony called Umbra—had once been King Sombra.
 
The evil king had prepared for the eventuality of being killed, leaving several powerfully enchanted books hidden around the Crystal Empire. Any pony who found one after his death would be compelled to find three more, then bring them together to perform the ritual that had been burnt into the pages. A ritual that was meant to return Sombra back to life.
 
Sunburst had been the first pony to complete the task, finding the first book in Canterlot and the very last one in the royal library of the Crystal Palace. Maybe it was because the spell had never been tested, or maybe because it was cast too close to the crystal heart, but it hadn’t worked the way it was intended.
 
While it had returned the evil unicorn back to life, it was with two incredible differences. The first, and most obvious (as she had returned standing anew in the middle of Princess Cadence’s throne room) was that the king was now a queen. The second was that the madness that had clouded the mind of the king was gone, leaving her clear headed for the first time in years.
 
Once reborn, she hadn’t broken into evil laugher, started gloating about her return, or go on about reclaiming the throne. The very first thing Umbra had done was surrender herself to the royal guards. She could remember every terrible thing she had done, and all of the pain and suffering that Sombra had reveled in. She was horrified by it all, and had asked Princess Cadence to send her to prison for her crimes.
 
Cadence hadn’t been so quick to condemn Umbra, instead taking time to consider what she was going to do and even consulting with Princess Twilight before making the decision. As the newly made mare was repentant of all her past actions, and she was quite literally no longer the stallion she had once been, the princesses had decided not to send Umbra to tartarus. Instead, she was given community service.
 
While Sunburst had been found innocent for his part in restoring her to life, he still felt guilty for what he had done. So, he had taken a sabbatical as the vice-headpony of the School of Friendship to aid Umbra in her task. They had worked their way across the Crystal Empire, seeking out and destroying all the dark magic artifacts that Sombra had left lying in wait for an unsuspecting pony to discover.
 
As time went on, the pair had found themselves growing closer to each other. After one extremely bad night, where they had been nearly killed by an evil golem, they ended up celebrating their survival by having some mind-blowing sex. It had been Sunburst’s first time with anypony, and Umbra’s first time as a mare. After that, she had moved into the cramped little house he still owned on the edge of the city. A few weeks later, they discovered that their first time together had resulted in her current condition.
 
Sunburst had simply decided that his life was crazy, even for Equestria, but it was the sort of crazy he enjoyed.
 
Cadence and Shining Armor continued talking, but none of the words broke through his focus on Umbra as she walked across the room, her cloak billowing out behind her. She had a slight waddle to her gait, giving her walk a nice roll of her hips each time her hoof touched the ground.
 
“Prince, Princess,” she said, smiling at the royals. Her red eyes flicked over towards Sunburst, her smile growing wide enough to show off the fangs that she still had. “Oh, you look wonderful,” she said, stepping towards him.
 
He reached out, gently placing his hands on her belly, stroking across it. She was only eight months along, but with her thin body, she looked closer to eleven. It gave her a glow, something that everypony seemed to notice about her, and it had allowed her to accept being a mare… although she was still a tomcolt through and through.
 
“You look lovely, your majesty,” he said, leaning down to kiss her, their lips brushing for a moment. This close, he could see the slight hint of green in the sclera around her irises, even though there was no longer any dark magic inside of them. The magic had permanently stained her eyes, but the effect was subtle, and he thought it gave her character.
 
Umbra gently bit the edge of his lips, pulling slightly before letting it go, her hand squeezing his hip. “Thank you, Sunburst.”
 
Shining Armor laughed beside them. “You don’t have to be the princess of love to see that,” he said, only to be nudged by his wife.
 
For a second, Sunburst considered protesting, but decided that it would have been pointless, as the prince was completely right. He kind of melted around the mare whenever they were together, and she got all touchy-feely on him, her hands always somewhere on his body.
 
There had been a part of him that had thought he might get together with Starlight Glimmer after moving to Ponyville, but it was soon obvious that she and Trixie were a couple—even if neither of them noticed it for a couple years. 
 
“Now, while I have the both of you here, I have something I want to give you,” Cadence said, taking a step closer to them, a smile shining over her face.
 
Sunburst and Umbra shared a look. “Yes?” the former queen asked.
 
She nodded, snapping her fingers and teleporting a scroll into the palm of her hand. “After careful examination, there is no indication that any dark magic artifacts remain in the Crystal Empire. So, it’s my pleasure as the princess of the Crystal Empire to declare your community service completed. As such you are officially pardoned,” she said, offering out the scroll.
 
Umbra’s eyes went wide, taking the scroll from Cadence’s, breaking the seal and unrolling as she quickly read it over. It was exactly what the princess had said it was, an official pardon, signed by both Cadence and Twilight Sparkle. “Are… are you sure? Do you really think I’ve done enough?”
 
“I’m sure of it,” the princess replied, stepping back and pressing her plot up against Shining Armor, which resulted in his wings snapping open again. “That also means you are free to go anywhere in Equestria that you wish.”
 
She closed her eyes, taking in a short breath before rolling the scroll up, holding it tightly in her hands. “Thank you, though if there is anything else I can do for you, or the Empire...”
 
“If there’s anything else, I will call you,” the princess replied with a smile. “Now, why don’t you two go off and have a good time. You’ve earned it.”
 
Umbra just nodded as Sunburst slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her up against his side. “Want to go over and get a drink?” he asked, motioning to the back of the banquet hall, ignoring the fact they were plenty of drinks only a couple steps away.
 
“I would like that,” she replied with a smile.
 
He nodded, and together they started walking through the room. Across the hall, a local DJ was putting on some light music as he set up for his full set.
 
“Now that you can leave the Empire, would you like to move in with me in Ponyville?” Sunburst asked as the neared the drinks table.
 
A wide grin danced over Umbra’s muzzle, her ears perking up. “I would love that.”
 
He grinned, then pulled her into another kiss, this one lasting a little longer. As he started to pull away, she reached up and cupped his face in her hands, pulling him back into a much deeper kiss, her lips parting as her tongue pressed into his mouth.
 
For a moment Sunburst considered protesting that they were in the middle of the palace, but quickly decided that it was far too nice to stop with such silly concerns. He started returning the kiss, his tongue pressing back to twist and tease around hers while he pressed himself up against the curve of her belly, feeling the warmth radiating from it.
 
Love was never a word he had liked to use, not since his time in school. He thought it was one of those things that was always meant for other ponies, and he had been okay with that. That was just the way life was. But now… now he knew that even he could find love in the most unlikely of places.
 
She finally pulled away from the kiss, but so she could rest his forehead against hers, the curved edge of her horn just touching the spiral of his. They shared a few breaths together, looking into each other’s eyes as his hands stroked down the side of her hips, holding her against him, the feeling of her body causing his shaft to bulge against his tight pants.
 
She noticed instantly, shifting her body so her hip was rubbing against his crotch. “You know, we probably should stay for the party,” she said.
 
That made him chuckle. “We could always come back.”
 
There was a glimmer in Umbra’s eyes as she smirked, her fangs peeking out from under her lips. “Maybe we don’t have to go that far,” she said, then grabbed his wrist and started pulling him across the floor, her cape billowing out behind her. She might have been smaller than most mares, but she was as strong as any stallion.
 
He just followed along with her, wondering what she was planning.
 
She took them to the very back of the banquet hall, all the way up to the black tapestries that covered the walls. Grabbing the edge of one, she pulled it away, revealing the curved wall of the room. It created a small space between the fabric and the crystal wall. It was only a few feet wide, hardly enough for two ponies unless they were careful.
 
Sunburst looked at the small space, then back to his marefriend. A second later his horn glowed as he cast a someone-else’s-problem spell over the hidden space, smirking as he did so. Reaching out, he unhooked the cape from her shoulders, only to bend down and spread it out on the floor behind the tapestry. He then pulled her behind the black fabric, allowing it to close behind them.
 
The tapestry was thick enough to block out all the outside light, leaving only the slight glow of his horn to see by. The sound of the party was muffled by the fabric, then with a soft flash of red magic even that faded away, leaving them hidden from the outside world.
 
Umbra kissed him again, before she slipped away and pulled her crop top up over her breasts, allowing them to fall free. Her nipples were almost pure black on her grey fur, starting to harden now free in the air. Each breast was just a bit more than a handful, giving her some nice cleavage. It was nothing compared to the princesses, not that he minded. After all, she wasn’t a princess, but a queen.
 
The sight made his shaft swell tight in his pants, his hands quickly reaching down to fumble with them, trying to get them off as quickly as he could. It took a moment for them to finally open, and he pushed them down off his hips to reveal his black silk boxers, tenting out over his dick.
 
She licked her lips, reaching down to slip a hand into the boxers, grabbing his cock with her long fingers and gently stroking along the length of it to squeeze at the base. Her other hand was groping at her breasts, teasing them while rubbing her thumb against one of her nipples.
 
That left Sunburst free to reached down and undo her own pants, which came open much easier than his own had. They easily slid over her hips, revealing her own silk boxers, the exact twin of the pair he was wearing. She might have accepted becoming a mare, but she still instead on wearing her old underwear instead of something more feminine. It was something he found very hot.
 
Letting out a soft growl, Umbra leaned forward. “I want you inside me. Now,” she ordered, continuing to stroke along his shaft.
 
“Of course, your majesty,” he replied, kissing her firmly.
 
She returned the kiss, pressing her body against his, the curve of her belly rubbing over his soft abs. Her prominent navel teased against his fur and sent a jolt of pleasure through him. It only lasted for a few seconds before she broke away, pushing her pants all the way off her legs, her boxers following a moment later. Once that was done, she carefully lowered herself down until she was on her knees, so she could pull Sunburst’s boxers off. It allowed his shaft to bounce free and smack against his belly.
 
Umbra licked her lips. “I love how big stallions are now,” she almost purred out the words, her voice like silk against his horn. He could feel her breath washing over his shaft as her hands reached out to cup his orange furred balls, teasing the heavy orbs for a moment before pulling away.
 
She turned herself around on the cloak, her tail rising high over her ass as she bent down onto hands and knees, her pussy just visible under the long black hair of her tail. Even in the dim light, he could see a hint of moisture starting to drip over the thick lips.
 
Sunburst smiled and dropped down behind her, his hands squeezing her blank hips, sinking his fingertips into the soft flesh. She looked good from this angle, the way her hips flared out over her waist, the edges of her belly just visible from where he was. Her hair was piled up over her shoulders and across her back, the silver crown still held in place with a little bit of magic.
 
He brought his shaft up between her legs, the pale yellow flesh standing out brightly against the mare’s grey fur. One hand pulled away from her hips, just so he could grab her tail and push it out of the way, giving him an unobstructed view of her cunt. It winked eagerly at him, her clitoris pulsing softly between the wet folds.
 
Squeezing her hips a bit more, he shifted his body weight to bring his shaft up to slide against her nether lips. It was a familiar motion to make, as Umbra liked being mounted from behind and he was very happy to oblige her. The touch brought a gasp from her, and caused her hips to rock back against him, her pregnant belly swaying under her.
 
Sunburst slowly slid one hand down to stroke across the curve of her belly, feeling it stretching out under his fingers. He loved just touching her like this, feeling the warmth of the foal growing inside of her. Their foal. Feeling the child shift and kick a bit, or the point of the still developing horn poking against the skin. Getting Umbra pregnant might have been the most amazing thing he had done in his life.
 
It only lasted a few moments until he pulled his hand away, grabbing her hips again, holding her steady as he started to press forward, the blunt head of his shaft sliding into her warmth. The wet folds parted easily for him, but the passage behind them was tight, pulling greedily at his cock.
 
He was tempted to take it slow, to tease the mare and keep her on the edge for as long as he could, but the slight shift of the tapestries around them reminded him of exactly where they were. No pony was going to notice them, at least not right now, but he only had so much thaumic flow. The longer the spell went on, the weaker it would become.
 
Sunburst gripped tightly at her hips, then leaned down until his muzzle was pressed up against the tip of her ear. The ear flicked, smacking him right on the nose. He couldn’t help but laugh at that, then thrust his shaft forward, sinking almost his full length into her until he bottomed out, the head of his cock hitting against her cervix.
 
With a gasp, Umbra’s body stiffened at the penetration. “Oh, fuck me!” she moaned, her tail twitching between their bodies, the dock rubbing against his pudgy belly.
 
“Yes, my queen,” he replied, squeezing her hips once more, holding her tightly as he started to ride her, thrusting into her warmth, his hips pulling back then slamming against her firm ass. His cock slid inside of her, her arousal starting to drip down over his balls.
 
Sunburst found himself closing his eyes as he fucked his marefriend, feeling her body moving back against his, starting to press against him to meet him almost thrust for thrust. Umbra’s pussy clenched and pulled at his shaft, teasing along the length of it, tugging against the medial ring every time it slipped out of her.
 
Pulling his hands off her hips, he reached down with one to rub and tease her belly as he fucked her, feeling it rolling against his fingers. His other hand went higher, grabbing her full breasts and starting to grope at them, teasing her nipples even as his fucking picked up speed.
 
“Don’t stop,” Umbra moaned, her silver crown starting to slip down from her head, only to catch on her horn. It held there for a few moments until it was taken by her hornshine, lifting it from her head to set it down between her hands.
 
He had no plans of stopping, at least not any time soon. He kept pawing at her tits, grabbing one of her nipples between his fingers and gently starting to tug at it, squeezing the tips of his fingers over the firm flesh then rubbing his thumb over the very tip. At the same time, he kept thrusting into her, feeling his own arousal growing stronger by the moment.
 
Umbra’s curved horn glowed for a moment, and he felt the warm tingle of magic washing over his shaft. It wasn’t a spell he was familiar with, and part of him wanted to slow down so he could look closer at it, but that was only a very small part of him. The rest of him was telling him to keep fucking her!
 
His analytical mind was quickly outvoted by his cock, and started to pick up speed, his hands pawing and groping over her breasts and large belly. The feeling of her body against his was amazing, as was the way her slick pussy held tight around his cock, squeezing and stroking him as he rode her like they were both feral.
 
Sunburst couldn’t help himself, he let out a soft whinny in her ear as he felt his balls churning, pulling tightly against his crotch as the head of his shaft started to flare out inside of her cunt.
 
A moment later, she thrust back hard against him, one of her hands whipping up to cover her muzzle as she started to cum. She was a screamer, though her hand muffled the sound and the silence spell around them took care of the rest. Her pussy tightened around him even as her juices gushed around his shaft as she climaxed.
 
It was too much for him to take, and thrusting one last time into his marefriend, he let out a low groan and started to cum as well, blasting a heavy load of his seed into her already impregnated cleft. The strength of their combined climax was enough to force some of their mingled lust back out around his shaft to soak into the fur of his crotch.
 
Neither Sunburst or Umbra cared, riding out the combined orgasm as their bodies shook in time. Waves of pleasure crashed down over them both. The spells hiding them were starting to waver, but would still hold for a few more moments.
 
Finally he had to pull himself free of her. His cock slid out with a wet pop, followed by a thick trail of cum that dribbled over her clit and pooled onto the fabric of her cloak.
 
Umbra dropped onto her side, panting hard, hands going back to rub at her belly as her legs pressed tightly together, like she was trying to hold his cum inside of her.
 
Panting, Sunburst crawled up behind her, spooning against her body for a few moments. “Trying to get even more pregnant?”
 
The pink of her blush was easily visible on her grey cheeks. “If I could,” she admitted.
 
He kissed the side her cheek. “Well, when this one is born, we can try for more,” he teased, rubbing a hand over her belly.
 
Umbra paused for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh. “I would really like that,” she said. It was a strange thing to hear from her; when she had first gotten pregnant, she had declared it was the only time it would ever happen. Of course, that had changed as the foal grew. He was sure once it was born, she would be a bit more reluctant to have a second, but he was hoping. Growing up an only child, he had always wanted to have a lot of children of his own.
 
They stayed that way for a few more moments before pulling apart. “We should clean up,” he said, grabbing his boxers and using them to wipe the mess off of both of them. They then quickly dressed, not really minding the feeling of the dirty boxers as he pulled them on. 
 
Finally, the pair of them stood up and slipped back out of the tapestry, sure that they had gotten away without being caught.
 
The fact that Shining Armor was standing a couple of feet away made it clear that they were wrong. A slight shine of his own magic covering the three of them. The prince consort just gave them a wink, then dropped the spell as he turned and walked back to his wife, the pair of them sharing a quick kiss.
 
“So, my dearest Queen Umbra,” Sunburst said, adjusting the crown on top of her head. “Would you care to dance with me?”
 
“I would love that,” she replied, grabbing gently at his hands. “But I’m going to lead,” she added with a wink, then spun him around and out onto the dance floor, her cloak billowing out in her wake. He went along with her, allowing himself to be swept off his hooves all over again.