//------------------------------// // Bonding // Story: Date With The Queen // by Boopy Doopy //------------------------------// Chrysalis was drooling with her mouth open by the time Cadance was shaking her awake. She’d fallen asleep deeply and soundly despite her proximity to her adversary. How the alicorn didn’t attack her during her moment of weakness was beyond her, but she was grateful for it. It only showed how the princess was inferior to a queen like herself. It wouldn’t have been something Chrysalis passed up on, that was certain. Or perhaps she had, since she was suddenly finding herself being awoken with the shake of her head by a hoof. She sat up suddenly, almost forgetting where she was for a moment before remembering the events of the night before. The date and the meal and the movie and her (almost!) reformation that she managed to thwart. It was quite an active night. She had no idea how she managed to survive their attempts at friendship, except perhaps by her queenly aura. She glared at her adversary as she turned to look at the alicorn, sending an expression that told her she didn’t appreciate what Cadance had planned last night. Of course, though, the alicorn only sent back that dumb, dopey smile that she wore the whole night last night. She almost turned her own expression up at the sight, before she remembered what her plan was. Friendship was infectious like that, completely unbearably so. She could see how every creature else bought into the evilness that was their friendship, but not her! She would never, even if she did think Cadance’s smile was the most adorable thing she’d ever seen in her whole life. “Morning, missy,” the princess said to her cheerily, causing the queen’s glare to turn into a scowl. “How did you sleep?” “Acceptably,” she responded grumpily, “although I can hardly see how this would be a room even fit for a princess. In my old hive, I had servants at my beck and call at a moment’s notice. And yet here you see fit to grab things yourself. It’s a torturous way to live.” It was something she knew well, seeing as she’d been mostly living in Everfree in the months since she’d been dethroned and had her hive destroyed. It was not a way to live, she had to admit, especially for some creature of her status. She couldn’t see how any member of royalty would choose to live life like this. “Well, it’s more fun to do things for yourself sometimes,” Cadance explained. “Making your lunch, seeing how your foal’s doing- it’s something I enjoy more than telling a servant to go do for me.” “Well, of course you’d check on your own foals yourself,” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes. “I’m not that uptight as you think I am. Every foal needs the love of their mother until they’re old enough to understand how to obey and defend the hive. Until then though, love and care is what they need, as dictated by nature.” She had to say though, if she were in charge of nature, she’d change a thing or two about that. Losing that awful affection she seemed to have for her newborns would do some good in her opinion. “Oh yeah! You’re a mother, too!” Cadance exclaimed. “You know, with as tough and unforgiving as you are, it’s sometimes easy to forget something like that. I guess that even you have to have some sort of motherly love, don’t you? I bet you hate it though.” “Of course, I do. Who would want to be burdened with something like love?” she asked. “If not out of necessity for the hive, I wouldn’t have a single foal. It’s unbearable.” Even as she said it, even as she thought about how she wished she could change nature, she had to at least admit to herself that it did feel a little nice being able to nurse her newborns, if only for a little while. And sure, perhaps she still had a tiny bit of love for her old hive, but so what? Those feelings were only there to tell her who to protect. It wasn’t like she actually cared about them. She was their queen, and they were her subjects.  “Oh, I wish though I could see how adorable you would be raising foals! I bet it was precious!” “It most certainly was not!” Chrysalis argued, blushing a little bit. Of course Cadance would think motherhood was precious. That’s how these ponies were, having children because they desired to. They didn’t see how it was done by changelings for survival, as should have been the rule across the continent. These creatures were too privileged, she thought. “It was a horrible mess, that’s what,” she said firmly, crossing her hooves. “Not in the least bit cute as you think it was. Having to feed foals my own love? It was horrendous, but they can’t eat anything else. Not that you would know.” “Awwww, that sounds adooooooorable! It’s like you were nursing them! I bet you made sure they were all big and strong, didn’t you? I bet you loved them so much!” “Well, they were strong, but I didn’t love them! We take love, not give it! So no, I didn’t!” Cadance gave her a simple raised eyebrow that made her shrink back and continue, “I- well, I did, but only because it was necessary for nourishment! Newborn foals can’t eat pony love! They have to grow into that!” “It sounds absolutely precious, not very different from when I breastfed Flurry Heart. Anyway, speaking of doing things for ourselves…” A sly smile crept onto Cadance’s face as she said, “Wanna help me make breakfast? I think it’d be an amazing way to end our date.” “No, thank you very much. I consider this little event over now. A night spent with you was your final request, and that request thus far has been granted. No more is owed by me on your part, except to Shining Armor.” They were still lucky she was granting their wishes when she didn’t have to. She only did it because she was just that gracious. It certainly didn’t have anything to do with the fact that she liked the company of them, not in the slightest. Their friendship wasn’t rubbing off on her at all. “Aw, come on,” Cadence pressed. “You’re saying you don’t want to help me make pancakes and hashbrowns? You have to be hungry after all that snuggling you did to me last night while you slept.” “I did not snuggle! You know that’s not true! I was only looking for warmth, and found it the easiest by pressing our bodies together!” “You absolutely snuggled, and it was the cutest thing ever,” she replied. “Now get up and help me make pancakes and hashbrowns for breakfast. It’ll be fun.” Reluctantly, she sighed and stood up to follow her to the kitchen. She did have to admit, she was hungry, both for sustenance and love, and would take both if she could. And it might have sounded a little fun to prepare pancakes and hashbrowns with Cadance. It wasn’t a meal she had very often at least. “So what do we do?” she asked, following the alicorn in. “I want to make this as quickly as possible so we can end this event as quickly as possible.” “If you say so, Chryssi,” Cadance smiled. “First thing’s first: we need flour. And this time, go get the flour that’s in the bin, not flowers from outside, silly.” “I understand that now,” the changeling blushed. “You can’t fault me for not knowing something my servants did for me.” “Oh, of course not! Never! I just think it was very adorable,” she said. “The salad you made with those flowers was very tasty, don’t you think?” “I guess, no more good than any other salad in my opinion,” she said. “Although I still wonder if you put something else in it.” “I promise, I didn’t add anything to any of the food. You were with me the whole time while we were cooking! Did you see me put anything in?” “No, but I still wouldn’t put it past you to try and pull a fast one,” Chrysalis said. “That’s just the kind of pony you are.” “If you say so, sweetie. Now why don’t you go get me that flour, please? I’ll show you how to make pancakes in a second.” She did as she was requested, grabbing the flour and helping Cadance make the meal. She had to admit, it might have been a little bit fun to make breakfast with her, but only because there wasn’t anything else to do. Certainly not because she could feel the affection coming off of the alicorn. And even if it was, affection was naturally the tastiest emotion. Nothing more. No other reason, certainly not because she was feeling affection for Cadance in return. After they finished, they sat down to eat, Cadance staring at her with that adorably dopey smile the whole time they did, watching her. It got her to return a smile back to her, holding the expression until she realized what she was doing. When she did, she frowned and looked back down at her food, embarrassed. “You know, it’s adorable when you smile like that, Chrysalis,” Cadance told her. “It makes me happy to see.” That made her hide her face in her hooves so she couldn’t see the next smile she wore. She kept herself hidden, doing everything she could to wipe the smile off her face, but had a hard time. It didn’t make any sense why she was, and she found herself almost frustrated by it. “You’re absolutely adorable, Chryssi,” the pink pony continued. “If we can, I’d love to do this again. I bet Shining Armor will think so next week when you see him.” “Argh, stop it!” she demanded, her ears now flattening against her head as she kept her face hidden. “I know what you’re trying to do, and I’m not going to fall for it! I won’t fall victim to your friendship!” Even as she said it, she knew she probably was. She could feel herself almost enjoying the idea of spending more time with these two, as ridiculous as it was. She was a queen! Queens like her shouldn’t have wanted to spend time with their lessers. And yet, here she was, having to hide her smile at the thought of another date. “You’re adorable, Chryssi,” Cadance told her again. “For someone who acts so tough, you really do have a soft gooey center. You’re like that thing everyone talks about in the mirror world, a tsundere.” “I don’t know what that is, but that’s not me,” she said defiantly. “It’s probably something you think is adorable, but doesn’t fit me at all.” “There it is, you acting like a tsundere,” the princess laughed. “I love you.” She stomped a hoof, still keeping her face hidden in her hooves for a second longer. When she finally did look up, her cheeks were bright red in shy embarrassment. She tried to wear a threatening expression, but it only made Cadance laugh lightly. Even still, she tried to assert her dominance. “This date is officially over,” she declared. “I will admit, it was… satisfactory, but nothing more. Certainly not enjoyable like you think it was. Now let me know when I’m to see Shining Armor so I can take the Crystal Empire for my own.” “Oh, I think that’ll be in a week or so. That way you can have some time to recover from all the love and affection I’ve been feeding you. Was it tasty?” “I- it was- I’m leaving!” she told her, almost yelling. “I’ll be back in one week to spend time with your husband, and then nothing more! Your tactics will not work on me! I will never accept your friendship!” “Okay, miss I-almost-reformed-while-being-cuddled,” Cadance teased. “I’m sure you won’t.” “Gaaah!” the bug yelled angrily, stomping out of the castle in a huff.