"So I wanted you to know." That little habit hadn't changed. They were gathered for breakfast around the same table, enjoying food prepared by the palace staff. They had been doing it before they became a thing, Umbra realized. That was fine, she enjoyed the breakfast routine. "She's very nice, but she isn't trying to be involved with you, unless she approaches, but I want to handle this maturely, which means letting you know what's going on instead of you tripping over it."
Shining sipped from some dark stuff. Coffee? Tea? "Are you... Sorry. This is a little awkward."
Cadance set a hoof over one of his. "I think what he's trying to ask is if you're taking fully to polyamory. Should we expect other ponies to appear?"
Umbra's brows came down together in quite the scowl. Her breath caught, rage burning a hot moment. She was not a slut! But the more reasoning parts came online a moment later. She already was in a poly relationship. One that involved them even! It was... Not an unfair question. She let that tension out with a slow exhale. "I have no urge and no desire to be involved with more than one person, really. You two are the extra." She waggled a hoof between the. "And while I imagine you'll both be fun, neither of you can give me a proper romance. You two got each other for romance."
Shining burst into a sudden laugh. "Harsh. We're the extras."
"That does hurt a little." But Cadance was smiling. "But you're not entirely wrong. As romantic partners... we have lacked. You spend more time with Shining than I, with your game, but that isn't really 'romantic', is it..." She sat back with a soft hm. "Do you want a little more romance? You deserve to be loved."
Umbra squeaked. She didn't mean to, but that's what came out. "I just got a romantic partner to try out!"
"Try out?" Shining took a fresh sip and his magic brought over a slice of toast to nibble on. "That's a curious phrase."
Umbra rolled he eyes at that. "We're not married. We've only just opened to the idea of dating. What is dating if not a trial period, to see if you want to take that next step, or not?" She leaned in over the table, snapping a sweet thing that tempted her on the way. "If it helps, we have done nothing untoward, and I plan on wearing this." She thrust a hoof up to her sensation-blocking tiara. "So I won't be bothering either of you."
Cadance reached for the thread only she could see, plucking at it with a hoof in little motions. "Our connection is crystal. Unique, and striking, but also very hard to read compared to others... I can't tell at a glance what you want, Umbra. It's disconcerting in a way, and now I learn that I have not been providing."
Umbra wagged a hoof at Cadance. "Funny thing about that, most people have no clue what other people want. You couldn't use your cheat, but that just means you have to do what everyone else would do. Ask. Adult." That was a trick her little bat got right! Just out and asked her. What a good bat-that-was-also-a-changeling. "Side note, huge not a fan of the 'people should know me well enough to read my mind' camp of relationships. Ask."
"Then I will ask." Cadance set her hooves on the table, her food lowering to rest where they started, her horn ceasing its glow. "I had... assumptions, but they were just that. What is it you want, Umbra, exactly?"
"That's a big question!" Umbra gulped up the second half of the sweet treat, swallowing it down with a smile. "Mmm, good. What do I want from what? From you? I want you to keep right on being the princess the, uh, kingdom? Empire? You know this isn't much of an empire, right?"
Shining blinked at that. "What? It's a perfectly good empire." He crossed his arms, looking a bit put out at the Crystal Empire's empire status being questioned. "How is it not?"
Umbra snickered at that response, sitting back. "Empires are empires because they own things." She brought her hooves together. "The Crystal Empire owns itself, and nothing else. There are no other countries or lands under its control. Equestria is technically more of an empire, having the Crystal Empire under it." She locked eyes on Shining's drink. "Is that coffee?"
Cadance was just smiling as the two argued that. As soon as Umbra finished her statement of her case, Cadance leaned forward. "There is a reason it's called that." Both looked towards her. "And it's not a kind reason. The Crystal kingdom became the crystal empire when a certain jerk--"
"Sombra!" blurted Umbra instantly.
"--That one." Cadance nodded to Umbra. "He had empire dreams, so he renamed it as he started mobilizing for war. The citizens got used to that name... And forcing the issue on them feels... cruel, so it remains." She hiked a brow at Umbra. "Is that sufficient reason?"
Umbra let out a little huh. "Wow, that's actually a good reason... Re-traumatizing an entire nation of ponies sounds like a bad tradeoff for having a more accurate name. Jerk!" She punched the air in front of her. "Even gone, he's still a jerk and ruining the good times."
Shining rubbed at his cheek softly. "This is coffee," he noted a bit quietly. Perhaps that had been news for him too. "Why?"
"Gimmie!" She quickly poured herself a cup. "I didn't know you had any!" And soon she was sipping away at it. "Oh! Oh... Oh..." Coffee, yes, but a different bean. From a different world. That made sense. But it was good. Full bodied, like a punch, but given with love. "Mmm...."
Cadance snickered at Umbra's reaction. "I don't need to see your lines to know you're having a good time with that. I had no idea you were a coffee drinker."
"Me neither. We have a few blends to choose from." He waved to the pot Umbra had just attacked. "That one's from Saddle Arabia, good stuff, but there are others that are just as good in their own ways." A smile began to return to him. "Seriously though, even if you aren't married to us, you are involved. We care about you, Umbra."
"We do," quickly joined Cadance. "You want us to ask, but I posit that we will not be upset if you tell us either. We don't always know what to ask. I'd tell you to ask, but..."
"--You're pretty good at asking." Shining brought forward his floating cup, it met with Umbra's in a union of coffee. "Still, uh, sorry. I feel I've been a little jealous today."
"Me too," admitted Cadance with a little deflating.
"Wow, welcome to poly 101 right there." Umbra waved a hoof at the two. "I told you this gets complicated. This is why I rushed here and told you right away. No secrets. Secrets ruins a relationship, poly or not. You felt jealous, fine. That's hu---normal! It's what you do with it. Don't feel bad just 'cause you had the emotion." She leaned forward, hooves clasped under her chin. "Now imagine if the first you heard of it was seeing me in a heated kiss with her?"
Both colored at the mental image. Cadance raised a hoof slowly. "That would have been quite a bit worse."
Shining coughed into a hoof softly. "Thank you for sparing us that possibility. So... tell us about her?"
"Yes." Cadance was suddenly grinning. "I would know of this pony that stole your heart right from under us. She's your crystal-crafting tutor, isn't she?" She giggled softly. "How romantic, when a teacher and a student realize their connection is deeper than they thought." It was little surprise that the consent problems with that didn't register in her mind. "What do you two like in common, besides crystals?"
"Hm." A fair question... "I feel relaxed around her. We can talk about all kinds of things, big and small. She's a good listener. She trusts me, a lot." Umbra thought of Shifting's secret. That was quite a thing to trust her with! "She bakes really good cookies."
Shining burst into laughter. "Outdone by cookies. If it helps, a really good cookie might win me over too."
"Shining!" Cadance swatted at her husband, the both laughing at the joke. "Anything else?"
"Well..." Umbra considered with a frown. "It's not fair to entirely cut out crystals, because that's involved... When I shape crystals, I feel... alive, and she's super involved in that. She isn't just a teacher, she's my partner! She helps make what I make even better, and she does it with passion. I can appreciate that, and I like her even more because of it."
Cadance nodded quickly. "Mmhmm, that makes sense. A common passion can be just the thing to get things started." She burst into little giggles. "How delightful! Me and Shining were about the opposite to start."
Shining laughed awkwardly. "We were on complete opposites..."
"But we found a way. It's nice to hear you don't even have to go through that step." Cadance leaned in closer to Umbra. "Well, how does it feel?"
"To...?"
"Find somepony special, of course." Cadance nodded just a little. "You were a stranger here. You must have felt so isolated. You weren't even a pony, if I understood correctly, and now you're comfortable enough to consider welcoming one into a relationship with you. That's quite a step, and I am both proud and happy for you."
Oh, right... "That was a thing..." Umbra inclined her head slowly with thought. "You're all aliens." Reminded, the differences came to the front. Their twitchy noses, their flicking ears. the way their eyes... They were not human, but then, neither was she. "So... Wow, that's odd to think about." But a smile came. "And I'm willing to get cozy with an alien. Call me a xenophile if you have to."
Shining pointed at Umbra accusingly. "Xenophile, whatever that is. Seriously, what is that? Phile means to like, right?"
"Xeno, other, outsider? Alien, in this case." Umbra pointed to herself. "I was born on two legs, with a flat face, and now I'm involved with four-legged snouted people, with tails! That's pretty xeno, and I'm alright with it."
"Ah!" Cadance looked suddenly relieved. "Some ponies are having similar experiences. Our world is slowly becoming more... connected, and exposure to other races means a chance for love to blossom across those lines." She trailed a hoof across the imagined line on the table. "Which leaves everyone involved a little awkward, but, I hope, still satisfied." She seemed to look past Umbra. "Is it still new, having a tail? I would imagine not having one being more distracting..."
"That's assuming." But it was Shining, not Umbra, that noted that, wagging a hoof at his wife. "Not like some ponies don't have a tail, and they survive somehow." He finished his coffee, setting the cup down in his magic. "Now, I should get back to work. The guards won't watch themselves, no matter how hard I try to get them in the habit."
Cadance snickered softly. "One of these days you'll get that trick down. Best of luck." The two met for a gently nuzzling departure.
Shining circled around to Umbra. "I'm sorry for assuming so much. May I get a kiss before I go?"
Umbra's ears danced atop her head. "Oh! Well... Since you're asking nicely." She leaned in and they nuzzled. It wasn't a kiss at all, and she was happy with that. "If anything scary shows up, you know I'm there to spook them back."
"At any time," agreed Shining. With a final salute, he got to trotting off.
They all had work to do, but at least their relationship was a touch more clear between them, and no feelings had been hurt, in the end.
Adulting!