When Twilight made it to the kitchen, she saw Cadance washing the last dish. Cadance was the only pony inside the kitchen.
“Twilight? What are you doing in here?” Cadance said as Twilight closed the kitchen doors.
“Sister, don't worry. I just wanted to see how you are doing and if mother did something to you, did she?” said Twilight.
“Uh no, she didn't do anything to me yet.” Cadance lied, she didn't want her sister to worry.
Then the doors opened and Chrysalis walked in with an angry face. Cadance immediately bowed to the Queen and said “H-hello your highness”.
Chrysalis had a whip this time and, whipped Cadance in the flank.
“Mother! Please, it wasn't her fault. It was me” said Twilight, trying to defend her sister.
“Ugh, Twilight why are you in the kitchen with this wench?! Why was she talking to you?!” the Queen yelled.
“Mother I’m sorry, and no she wasn't, it was all me.” said Twilight.
“Twilight, will you be a dear and leave us?” Chrysalis asked calmly.
Twilight wanted to argue with her mother because she knows, she was going to hurt Cadance. But she didn't want to make matters miore worse so she said,”Yes mother” and left. As she was leaving, Twilight looked back at Cadance and quietly said “I’m sorry”.
Cadance was still bowing down to the Queen very scared and frightened.
“Why were you talking to my daughter?!” Chrysalis yelled .
“S-she was j-just a-asking me how I was doing my queen” said Cadance.
“I heard the whole conversation” said the Queen
Cadance said nothing. The Queen took her to her room and got three guards to come with her. The Queen commanded the guards to kick, stomp, punch, and whip her.
And so the guards did for a whole hour, while Chrysalis watched. The guards regretted doing this to Cadance but, it was an order from the Queen. After they were finished, Cadance had bruises everywhere. One of her eye turned red due to one of the guards accidentally whipping her in the eye.
Chrysalis laughed and said “I hope you learned your lesson”
Then she pointed to one of the three guards and said “You, take her to her room”
That guard bowed to her and took Cadance to her room.
After Cadance left with the guard, Chrysalis decided to go to the library to talk to Twilight. When she arrived, she saw Twilight reading a book and walked up to her. When Twilight looked up to her mother who was in front of her she asked, “Mother, is Cadance okay? Did your hurt her?’’
Chrysalis lifted her daughter’s chin up and said,“Twilight, darling, I promise you I didn't hurt Cadance. Why do you even care about her?”
“Mother she is my sister, of course I am going to care. And it is not fair to treat your own step daughter like that” said Twilight.
“Twilight that is enough. Now go to your room and wait for your tutors to come by. You would need this if you are going to be the future queen.” Chrysalis said, changing the subject.
Twilight sighed and said, “Yes mother” and left the room.
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Cadance and the guard had finally made it up to her room.
“Cadance I am sorry for what me and the other two guards have done to you. Especially Silver Hoof, I think he feels really bad for hurting you in the eye” said the guard.
“It’s okay, the Queen demanded you three to do it, it wasn’t like you guys wanted to, and tell Silver Hoof I forgive him. It was just an accident.” said Cadence while a hoof was covering her red eye.
The guard took off his helmet and he revealed to be a white stallion with a blue mane with two different shaded blue streaks with blue eyes. “I am Shining Armor.”
Cadance blushed and said,”It is a pleasure to meet you Shining Armor”.
Shining Armor then used his magic to heal Cadance's eye. “How did you do that? The only spell I could do is a levitation spell.” Cadance said then rubbing her eye to feel it.
“I learned it from Twily, the Queen usually sets me up to guard her” Shining Armor said.
“Twily? Oh you mean Twilight” said Cadance.
“Oh yes, sorry about that. Twily, I mean Twilight, let's me call her that. She is like a little sister to me.” said Shining Armor.
“Oh I see. Thank you for healing my eye” Cadance said.
“You welcome Cadance. Why does the Queen even do this to you?” asked Shining Armor.
Cadance sighed and said, “I don't know, she's been doing this to be ever since I was four. It became a daily routine when my father died”
Cadance’s ear and head went down because she missed bother her mother and father.
“Hey, even if you're parents are gone you still have Twilight, the cutest and sweetest sister you will have and . . . me” Shining Armor said as he lifted Cadance’s chin up.
Cadance smiled and said “Thank you, you should be going. If you stay here longer the Queen will kill you.” Then Cadance kissed him in the cheek.
Shining Armor blushed and said “As you wish” and left.
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It was the next day, Cadance was mopping the ballroom. There was going to be a gala and the Queen wants the floors spotless. Shining Armor walked by the and the ballroom and spotted Cadance.
He walked up to her and said, “Hey, do you need a little help?” and took the mop.
Cadance took back the mop and said, “ No thank you, the Queen assigned me this job. I don't want her to see you helping me”
“So are you going to the gala?” Shining Armor asked.
“No, I can't. The Queen doesn't want ponies to see me. The Queen is going to lock me in my room during that day. It is going to be the only day I am going to take a break.” said Cadance.
“What if I devise a plan so the Queen won't catch you at the gala? Then would you be my date to the gala?” Shining Armor said making a mischievous face.
Cadance chuckled and said “Maybe”.
Suddenly two guards came into the ballroom. One of them said, “The Queen needs you Cadance.”
The other guard asked, “Shining Armor? What are you doing here?”
“Oh um . . . I was just making sure she was mopping the floors, as the Queen commanded her to do” Shining Armor said after he chuckled.
“I should be going, I don't want the Queen to get angry. Will you please escort me to her?” said Cadance.
The guards nodded and escorted her to the Queen.
Shining Armor already devised a plan for Cadance to go to the gala. But first he needs to get her fairy god sister to help.