It was with a fanged smile that Umbra trotted along. She was emerging from the castle, her eyes set towards the mines. Already her mind was filled with the visions of what glorious hauls of crystals she'd dredge up alongside the other workers. They'd get that arena done! She was ready! She felt great! That the previous evening had turned out... well... had only bolstered her feelings.
Could she be blamed? She got laid in the first time in, um... a while... and it was good! She felt like a fire had been kindled in her that she had forgotten all about. She had been so focused on finding herself and her place in the world that she had set it entirely aside, only for it to find her.
"Excuse me." She ducked around Shining, but he moved with her. "Hm?"
"Umbra." He dipped his head at her. "I've been thinking."
Oh no. Not those words, from him, at that moment. She could feel a dread chill down her spine, and it wasn't a work of shadow magic. "You alright?"
"I am a princess consort." He did quite the ornate bow towards Umbra.
"Yep. That's you." Umbra inclined her head, unsure where Shining was going with that.
"You are a princess."
She blinked with wide eyes. "What?! I mean, yes, but..." She glanced around hurriedly, but most ponies were moving past them, ignoring them intentionally. "Where are you going with this?"
"You and Cadance have found a new relationship, and I don't plan to object to it." He leaned in close. "But being on the side... I can't say I'm a huge fan. There was a plan, before. You could take it up now."
Umbra smiled awkwardly. "You are a handsome stallion." She reached out to poke him on his plated chest. He was wearing full and proper armor, all shining and proper. "And a fine O&O player. Blame me for being slow, but put aside the courtly double-speak and just say it plain. We're both adults."
"Both adults, right." He turned at last, starting to walk the same way she had been, allowing her progress along the way. "Right, of course. I... forget how refreshingly direct you are at times. For being an harbinger of shadows, you are not very subtle."
Umbra flashed a grin. "Well, shadows aren't very subtle half the time. You aren't confused when night falls. Someone closes the door, the shadow that comes doesn't do it stealthily. I am a fast shadow, and just as hard to turn back." She pumped a hoof along the way. "But this isn't about me, obviously. So, talk."
"Right." His favorite word of the day, clearly. "I am offering up my... consort'ness to you. Assuming you two can share, which I think you can, there shouldn't be a problem." He dipped to the side to walk along with her instead of ahead of her. "I want to be a part of things."
"One problem." She raised a hoof up. "But first, I have no problem with you, Shiny! But back to the problem." She pounced forward, landing on the rim of a fountain she hurriedly trailed along, just to hop free the instant she needed to be past it. "What Cadance did was a one time thing. She at least claims she's really happy being a lady-pony, which means she can't go plowing me on the regular."
Shining began to darken swiftly, another unsubtle shadow rushing upon him, difficult to turn away. Had Umbra spoken true?! "Cadance... She loves seeing ponies brought together. She loves being together. That meant me, before, at least... like that. Now it's me, and you."
"Yeah, I get that. But, in theory, a one time thing?"
"Is it?" He leaned in from the side. "Gonna bet she'll share some wing time." His blush only grew worse. "What was that? I... don't have wings, but I could feel that. I had wings, and they were very happy wings." If he had them, they'd be fluttering, but he didn't, so a full-body shiver would have to do. "That was something only two ponies with wings could do, and we have very few pegasi in this city."
"On the way to work?" There was Wensley, waving with a big smile. It was then that he saw Shining walking with Umbra. "O-oh, bad time? Sorry."
But Umbra accelerated towards him. "Actually, Shining, this is Wensley. Wensley, Shining Armor." The two nodded at one another, both looking awkward. "And you are both thinking of things you wouldn't want the world to know." Both stallions paled, called out! "And neither of you should be so embarrassed. Different sins lurk beneath your adorable faces, but you're both great people. Wrath in one, Lust in the other."
Shining suddenly nudged Umbra aside, taking a defensive stance between her and Wensley. "Wrath?"
Wensley wilted straight away. "Uhm... You're... married, sir. Lustful thoughts are quite improper, aren't they?"
It was Shining's turn to wilt, called out in time. Umbra nodded to either of them. "You both have a similar problem. But he hasn't hurt anyone." She waved at Wensley. "And you aren't cheating on anyone." She waved at Shining in kind. "Just thoughts, getting in your way."
Umbra kept up her walk, forcing the stallions to match her pace or be left behind, and both were doing that. "Now, just out of curiosity. Wensley? Do you know what preening is?"
Wensley blinked at that. "That thing birds do? When they look like they're nibbling their feathers?"
"That!" Umbra nodded firmly. "But instead of a bird, how about a pegasus?"
Wensley darkened all the more. "I'm not a pegasus, ma'am. Never saw one doing that. It's a private thing, I think."
Umbra flared her wings wide in either direction. "Wow. I didn't know it was that unusual. Makes sense though..." Only a third of ponies had wings that needed preening, at best, and that was skewed further in the crystal empire, where most were earth ponies who were made of gems. "Well, I have wings, which apparently need that, which I've only recently learned."
As happy as she was to learn more about herself, the two males with her were busy looking awkward in different ways. Neither wanted to talk to her with the other there. "Stop being like that. You two have more in common than you give credit for." She thumped sidelong into Shining, just to give Wensley a turn. "Besides, here we are." She gestured with a toss of her head at what was ultimately a hole in the ground, framed with supporting stone and crystal. "I have to get mining. So unless you want to mine too?" She looked to each of them.
Neither of them took her up on that offer, and she vanished into darkness, off into the depths to get some crystals.
Shining turned to Wensley. "She did that on purpose."
"Guess she didn't really want to talk to either of us right now." Wensley rubbed behind his head. "Shoot."
"Yeah... I feel bad too." He suddenly smiled. "Wanna go get something to eat? My treat."
"Really?" Wensley's gloomy expression brightened. "You want to?"
"You're a friend of hers. She doesn't usually make bad friends, so it's just up to me to figure it out. C'mon. I think we could both use something tasty right now." He lead the way off to get some lunch.
"Ma'am."
Cadance nodded at the guard. "Is something the matter?"
"Nothing severe. I think somepony was poking around the mirror." He pointed the way. "The cloth over it was disturbed."
Cadance snorted softly. "There are ponies cleaning the area. One of them could have even taken it off."
The guard nodded at the idea. "Possible, ma'am. I just wanted to let you know."
"And you have." She was smiling gently. "Thank you. Perhaps a sign would be best, to inform ponies to not disturb it?"
"Right away." He marched away to see it done.
"Aunty..." Why she was given that big ornate mirror to watch was still something of a mystery. At least it wasn't a very difficult task, overall.
"A letter arrived for you." Purple had an envelope in her lips. "While you were occupied, ma'am."
"Oh? Wonder who--"
"--It's from Shining Armor," cut in Purple, answering before the question was finished.
"Oh." Umbra waved it over, her magic taking hold and floating it before her eyes. Yep, there was his name. The back had his seal on it, which she broke with a swish of a hoof and some dark magic. "Why is he mailing me? We live in the same place."
Hello Umbra,
Our conversation was cut short before. I know you are a very busy mare. Wensley's an alright pony, by the way. But that's off topic. My instincts are very sure that you have not seen the last of Cadance. I just want to be a part of that. Is that such an unusual request for her husband?
Umbra cringed at the words. "No..." She was sleeping with the guy's wife! She was the one being a jerk. She read on.
But I get it! I do. You're worried about upsetting her, and being a bad pony. That's why you pointed me at Wensley. We all have our naughty thoughts, and you're not an exception. You're trying to be good too, and you know what? You have a point! It wasn't a point you said, but one you implied. This is a conversation all three of us should have. Trying to do it quietly between us was wrong. Cadance got my permission before she had that evening. I owe her at least that courtesy.
Besides, I want her involved too. I love her, dearly. I want her to be happy. I just don't want to be left behind.Sorry About Earlier,
Shining Armor, princess consort
Umbra sank back on her haunches. "Huh..." She began to tap at the floating paper. "Good! Good..."
"You don't look like it's good," noted Purple. "Is it something I can assist with?"
"No... Oh, actually..." She fixed her eyes on her loyal servant. "If two princesses shared a consort, what would you think of that?"
Purple colored, a disease that was making the rounds. "O-oh! I... That would be between the princesses. It isn't up to me to decide the policies of the ruling class, ma'am. If they can share without fighting, that's a good thing, I suppose?" She rubbed at her cheek awkwardly. "Poor consort."
Umbra blinked, not imagining that response. "Why is the consort put out by this?"
"They have to be at both their sides." Purple flashed a renewed smile. "Have to dress in coordination with them both. That'd be quite the task, matching schedules and outfits and... It's hard enough for any pony to get that right with any one pony, let alone two."
"Huh..." Umbra raised a hoof to her chin. "You have a point. That would be work. What if only one of the princesses was a specifically 'royal function' sort?"
"That'd make it easier." Purple nodded slowly, thinking of it. "Avoids having to be beside two ponies at the same function. Can you imagine that? Glad I'm not their servant. They'd need some good ones to keep them up for such a thing." She leaned forward, smiling at Umbra. "You're much easier. Your needs are straight forward, and I fulfill them well, I do hope?"
Umbra clapped down a hoof on either of Purple's shoulders. "You are a treat from start to end." Her magic crumpled up the paper as dark magic spilled from her, causing it to fall to dust, withering under her assault. "And that's private."
Purple watched the bits of paper fall to nothing. "I could have thrown that out, ma'am."
"I don't need any other eyes on that besides my own." She turned towards her books. "But I will be responding. You can deliver a letter to Shining, yeah?"
"Without delay." Purple saluted sharply, ready to be a mail courier for her lady.