Cadence blushed and with her stress gone, her natural beautiful coloring came back into her face, giving her a radiant look. She drug a hoof on the ground in front of her, looking down shyly. “I don’t have an ‘off’ switch, as you put it. It’s just something I naturally, well, radiate,” she explained.
Coffee couldn’t help the slack-jawed look of disbelief that overcame her, but what they didn’t expect was for her to do or say what she did next. “I gotta take a nap,” she mumbled, trotting over to what had become their traditional side of the cave. Shaking her head, she did a circling, kicking sharp rocks out of her proposed bedding area, laid down and closed her eyes.
“Okay, did we finally break her?” the Princess asked, looking at Shining.
“I’ll admit I did not expect that reaction either,” her husband agreed.
A deep-throated whinny caught their attention. Kingsley had stopped parading, looking at Coffee Talk with slight confusion. He trotted back over towards them, stopping next to the royal couple. “Well, I was hoping for a bit of a dance first,” he pouted, then as quickly brightened with a barely controlled sort of glee. “But I always did like a submissive mare,” he announced, wiggling his hips, tail swishing, its luxurious, silky length almost as flowing as his evil alter-ego’s had once been. Taking a deep breath of his companion’s estrus-laden scent as it wafted in their direction, he started to canter over to Coffee. “Don’t fret, my darling, virgin mare,” he whispered. “I’ll be gen- ack!”
“‘Virgin’?” echoed Cadence, “oh no, no, NO, Mr. Amorous.”
Shining enveloped the enthusiastic stallion in a field that drug him back towards the couple and away from Coffee.
“You are not taking advantage of Coffee Talk unless she consents to this,” scolded Shining in solidarity with his wife.
Kingsley cut a comical yet endearing figure as he was drug backwards, low to the ground, forehooves trying to dig in to resist being denied his prize. “Aw...c’mon guys. You’re all about love. It’s been stressful these past few days!” he moaned, complaining. Shining ignored the whining grey stallion, turning him around, setting him on his hooves, facing them and not Coffee. “And it’s your fault, y’know.” He glared at Cadence. “You owe us, Mrs. Lovehorse!”
“I don’t owe you turning a sexual blind-eye to a helpless mare trapped in a cave just because you gave me advice on the handling of emotional blowback on being possessed by evil, sadistic Ubers!” she scolded Kingsley in turn.
“Wow,” the unicorn’s eyes widened. “That was a long sentence and helpless? Helpless?” he emphasized. “You’ve never been kicked by that ‘helpless’ earth pony mare, your Highness,” he air-quoted. Glaring at Shining, he added. “Your battalion could use a kicker like her. Damn near sent me to the hospital the last time I pissed her off!”
“Then we’re saving you a hospital visit by keeping you away when she doesn’t expect you’ll be all over her,” an amused Cadence added.
Withers slumped in frustration and defeat, Kingsley snorted.
Something about what the dark unicorn had last said bothered Shining, but he put it aside for the moment when Cadence distracted him.
“Shining, we’re all exhausted,” the Princess shook her head, moving over to the earth mare’s side of the cave. “Let’s take a break, a nap, whatever we all need and tackle getting out of here when we are all up to it.”
The Prince nodded. “Good idea. I’ll take Mr. Amorous here and hit the other side of the cave.” He began to herd Kingsley ahead of him, away from the mares.
Kingsley rolled his eyes. “Ugh, fine! Just make sure Coffee’s scent isn’t wafting over there or I’ll file a complaint with the Princesses on the mistreatment of prisoners.”
“You aren’t a prisoner,” Shining snorted. “And fine, I can do that.” A pony-sized dome sprung up around Kingsley. “This’ll keep out her scent and - “ Kingsley’s eyes widened, fighting a moment of panic. Seeing his reaction, the Prince lowered the field and opted for a magical cuff around the stallion’s hoof instead. “Sorry, I guess that wouldn’t be too pleasant after what you’ve been through, but since Cadence mentioned it, I am tired and I don’t want to drift off and leave you loose when I’m not looking.” He sniffed the air, satisfied there was no antagonizing aroma near them. “And I think the air’s clear over here, so just relax, get some rest.”
“Hrumph, whatever,” the darker unicorn snorted. “See if I call for help anytime soon, then,” he grumbled.
“What’s that?” Armor asked, laying down nearby.
“Nothing,” Kingsley muttered, purposely laying down facing away from his pseudo-jailer.