I was awakened by the stirring of one of my bedmates. I opened my eyes and turned my head to see a white unicorn with a disheveled purple mane gazing fondly down at me. Even with a bad case of bedhead, she was still the picture of elegance.
“Sorry to disturb you, darling, but I must prepare myself for a busy morning.” Rarity leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek before getting off our bed and heading for the bathroom. The fashionista always spent extra time ensuring that she looked perfect before starting her day, so she got up before most of us. However, she was never the first.
Looking around, I saw that Penumbra was absent from our herd-size bed as usual. My bodyguard wife made it her mission to be on duty before I got up. How she always managed to get out of the bed without disturbing me remained a mystery because I was a light sleeper.
Celestia had been away on one of her jaunts for the past couple of weeks, so that just left my first wife and dearest companion under the covers with me. If Chrysalis was still in her sleeping nest at the foot of the bed, she made no indication. That gave me a little private time with Trixie, and I gently nibbled on her neck.
The blue alicorn groaned before turning over to look at me with mild irritation. “Can’t you let Trixie sleep in for once, Dowser?”
“You have the morning shift for Day Court, love. No time to dawdle.” I kissed her on the lips before she could complain, and she quickly responded. After a long and satisfying exchange of affection, she drew back with a smile. My darling was frequently grumpy when she woke, but I had found out long ago that her mood would quickly improve with moments like these.
Trixie got to her hooves and jumped off the bed. She then stretched her limbs, including her wings, in a manner similar to cats while I watched in admiration. When she finished, she smirked at me and said, “I expect that you will take your own advice and not go back to sleep while I freshen up.” She then headed for the bathroom, nodding to someone unseen. “Good morning, Chrysalis.”
“Good morning, Lead Mare,” came the reply. Seconds later, I saw the changeling queen rise and walk over to the side of the bed. “I shall go feed our nymphs that delightful love now, husband.” I moved over to meet her.
“Here’s a little more,” I said before I kissed her.
Chrysalis had a faint smile on her face as she left the room that, for her, was quite an overt display of pleasure. My bug queen’s day was off to a good start. Speaking of which, I needed to do the same.
My valet and best pony friend, Steady Flight, entered the bedroom just as I rolled off the bed, apparently let in by Chrysalis as she headed for our hive. She normally did that if my wives were up already and the stallion wouldn’t walk in at some awkward moment. I greeted him with a grin.
“Good morning, Mark,” Steady said as he laid a freshly laundered royal vest on my bed with his agile wing. “Ready for another week of ruling an empire?”
“As ready as ever,” I replied as I walked over to the dresser. I picked up a brush in my magic to start taming my mane.
Steady used a currycomb to get my coat into shape while I was occupied with my hair. “I have good news. Celestia arrived at the castle a short time ago. She will see you at breakfast.”
“That’s great news,” I replied. “I’m looking forward to hearing what she got up to during her latest trip.”
“I’ll bet that’s not all you’ll be anticipating,” Steady said with a sly grin.
I gave him a light clip over the ears with a wing. “Mind out of the bedroom… especially in my bedroom!”
He just chuckled knowingly. He was not too wrong after all. Eventually, he finished with my coat and my mane was no longer a disaster. I donned my vest and, when my wives were finished in the bathroom, I completed my morning routine.
We all headed out for breakfast, joined at the entrance to our quarters by Penny. I bade good morning to the Royal Guards stationed there before we made our way to the dining room. Celestia was already seated there, but she got up and came over to give me a kiss and hugs for her herdmates.
“How went your trip?” I asked as we seated ourselves.
“It was both fun and enlightening,” the sun alicorn replied. “Torch sends his regards, by the way.”
“How is the old dragon doing?”
“Smugly counting the profits from his bank, as usual,” Celestia replied with a grin. “I still wish that I had thought of that idea long ago.”
“Never underestimate the power of enlightened self-interest,” I replied. “Now – what are we having for breakfast today?”
We made small talk as we ate the Zebrican vegetable omelets and muesli yogurt that were the chef’s special for that day, washing it all down with a glass of cider – from Sweet Apple Acres, of course. Rarity soon made her farewells to head off to Ponyville. My businessmare wife had a busy week ahead of her and she was eager to get off to an early start. At least, the permanent portal between there and Canterlot made commuting a breeze.
Trixie was the next to depart for her office, there to consult with her advisor, Raven Inkwell, in preparation for Day Court. Celestia, Penny, Steady, and I lingered over coffee (or tea in Celly’s case) until Chrysalis returned from her hive and then we all went to my office.
Steady Flight might officially be my valet, but he still did his old Royal Courier job for me, and I had a number of important and confidential missives for him to deliver. After he departed, my office door was closed with instructions to the changeling secretary that we weren’t to be disturbed except for emergencies. Then Celestia, Chrysalis, and I got down to serious matters with Penny stationed by the door.
Long before I arrived in Equestria, the Solar Princess had built and maintained an intelligence network that had kept her informed of potential problems both inside and outside the realm. This had been one of the major factors that had allowed her to successfully rule Equestria for a millennium. After returning from her long absence, she revived her many connections to assist in our conflict with Grogar. Once peace had been restored and Celestia had ostensibly gone on holidays or on adventures with Daring Do, many of those jaunts had actually been cover for contacting her agents and recruiting more. It seemed that the alicorn and retirement simply didn’t mix.
“I am immortal,” she had told me. “What am I going to do with my time? I got bored after only a few weeks of vacation.”
So now, she and Chrysalis ran the most sophisticated intelligence and infiltration network in this and several other worlds. Celestia had started coordinating with many of her counterparts in other universes, as well as a couple of Lunas who had similar networks. Due to the slightly differing timelines, one realm had been able to shut down the future threat of Starlight Glimmer, and for two others, the Storm King.
I began our meeting. “Have you uncovered any potential threats to our world this time?”
“Not as such,” my alicorn wife replied. “However, three worlds have brought up rumors of a dark violet alicorn mare with an off-white and aqua mane and tail. If it had been only one world, I would have been prepared to dismiss it, but the identical description from three different universes makes this noteworthy.”
“Nothing besides what she looks like? No hints of where or what she’s up to?” I queried.
“No. The only reliable recent sighting was in the Dragonlands in the former plague dimension. That’s why I decided to look in on Torch and Dragon Lord Ember to find out if there had been any similar sightings here. There have been none so far.”
Chrysalis scowled. “The furtive nature of this alleged alicorn is concerning. If she truly does exist, why is she concealing her presence? What is her aspect or affinity? Why was she spotted in the Dragonlands? Most importantly, what are her intentions and how do the dragons tie into them?”
“Or is she a recently ascended alicorn who wants nothing to do with ruling and is a recluse?” Celestia added.
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Your ponies adulate alicorns so much that they insist on having them rule, even to the point of turning a blind eye to a fake in the absence of a real one. At the very least, this hypothetical alicorn could look forward to a life of ease. Instead, she willfully chooses to stay hidden. No, you are fooling yourself if you believe that this furtive mare has good intentions.”
“I’m with Chrysalis on this one,” said my batpony mate.
I nodded. “I’m inclined to agree. I’ve felt first-hoof the compulsion to lead that came with my ascension. I can’t imagine this alicorn feels differently. Keep investigating this mare. If she proves to be a threat, we need to nip her plans in the bud. If not, at least we’ll be able to set minds at ease.”
Penny’s smile had been growing over the last minute. I found out why. “Not just your mind, my apprentice in pranks. This has the potential to satisfy your other frustrations on the matter.” After everyone turned to face her, she continued. “You’ve been thoroughly shut down from adding the resident purple alicorn to your growing collection of wives. Perhaps this is your chance to fill that void in your universe.”
The three mares turned back to look at me, all wearing smug expressions I had seen many times before.
Chrysalis stood up. “Let me see … something like …” With a blast of green flame, she transformed into a copy of Twilight Sparkle, but with a darker purple coat and differently colored mane and tail.
I ignored her fluttering eyelashes and kissing noises – and the mares’ chuckles – when a thought struck me. My eyes widened as I looked at Penny. “You’re suggesting we send a changeling to each of these dimensions so we can replicate her appearance from the eyewitnesses.” My bodyguard’s smile now showed her fangs. “But why didn’t you just say that?”
“And miss this chance to discover how must you lust after our co-ruler? Your perceptions, fourth wife?”
“You can always ask me to take this form, my stallion.” Chrysalis showed off her unlikely hoofcuffs cutie mark and cocked an eyebrow. “Hmmm…” With a blast of green fire, she returned to her normal form, but with the fake cutie mark still applied. “Considerably less than for my true self, which pleases me greatly. Also, less ardor than what Twilight feels toward his body.”
Penny and Celestia pointed their muzzles and ears toward Chrysalis. “Really?”
As often happened, this meeting had gone completely off the rails. I had to get it back on topic. “If there’s nothing else world-shaking to discuss, let’s get to the mundane. Is there any more information about the uptick in smuggling operations in Trottingham?” The mares gave each other looks that promised to continue the discussion at a later time. Chrysalis lay down and summarized the results of her investigations.
Princess Gilda had complained about illegal imports into the Griffish Isles impacting her efforts to grow local businesses. These and other matters were just some of the many concerns that we dealt with constantly to keep up good relations with our allies. Running an empire certainly wasn’t as simple as sitting on a throne and making regal pronouncements. Luckily, Trixie, Twilight, and I had an unsurpassed team to support us. That was more than enough to keep us busy all morning until we broke for lunch.
Trixie told us the highlights of her morning session while we all had a light meal of daisy salad sandwiches, fruit salad, and tea. Except for Chrysalis who only drank coffee to which she seemed to have become addicted. To be fair, the castle barista was a master of her trade and was paid accordingly.
“Court is now in session – Prince Mark Wells presiding!” the Sergeant-at-Arms bellowed, silencing the murmur of conversation among the spectators. “First petitioner – step forth!”
And so started my afternoon of audiences with members of the public who wished to petition the crown. As usual, Chrysalis had already given me a summation of the petitions to be heard this session. If the Crown intended to come down in favor of the petitioner, we had already started preparations to fulfill that request. It had the benefit of making the Crown look decisive and swift to act. Some would be denied despite halfway decent reasons, but that also gave us the opportunity to publicly explain why we were rejecting their plea so that our decision would be seen as fair. Those who submitted a petition for ridiculous or selfish reasons were generally weeded out before ever getting granted an audience. Sometimes we let one slip in if it had the potential to entertain whoever was presiding and the citizens gathered to watch the proceedings. This first applicant was a bit of both.
A pink earth pony stallion with a light green mane stepped up to the dais and bowed. “Your Highness, I am Powder Snow, president of the Canterhorn Skiing Association. Due to the growing popularity of the sport, we wish to extend our existing ski fields to the south slope to cater to the crowds. However, the Department of Environment has vetoed our application. We would like the opportunity to persuade you about the benefits to the economy that could be made with just some small compromises.”
“I see. Mister Snow – are you aware that it is snowmelt from the southern slopes that feeds the waterfalls that flow into the streams and ponds within Canterlot?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Good. Then you should know that it is also the source of drinking water for the entire city. The Canterlot weather team works hard to ensure that the right amount of snow is deposited on the peak to sustain the required daily quantity of water for our needs. The creation of ski slopes, the required weather control, and the infrastructure for your project would affect this balance and inevitably cause pollution issues. The Department of Environment’s decision to reject your application is sensible and its ruling stands. Have a good day, my little pony.”
The dejected stallion was ushered out by a Royal Guard and the next applicant was called.
An aged yellow unicorn mare approached with a pleasant smile and bowed.
I returned the smile. “What can I do for you, ma’am?” This one was going to be a lot more satisfying to grant…
After Day Court concluded satisfactorily, Chrysalis, Penumbra, and I headed to the sun room to unwind before dinner. It was only with mild surprise that I found an older teen hippogriff already there, apparently waiting for us.
“Hi, Yoyo,” I said with a grin.
Yolanda flew over from the couch to give me a hug. “Hi, Uncle Mark. Hi, Aunt Sally,” she said as she repeated the hug with my changeling wife who smiled fondly back. Then Penny got the same treatment.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“As I was just telling Aunt Trixie, I’m graduating and the ceremony is in five days. Fortunately, it lands on a Saturday here. So, I’m inviting you all to attend. I’d love it if you could be there.”
I looked over to Trixie who was seated next to Celestia. My lead mare nodded, apparently having made her decision already. Unless I had specific plans scheduled, my weekends were otherwise freeform and this coming one was open. I nodded. “We’d love to come. In fact, why not make a family day of it? I’ll let Rarity and Loopy know; hopefully they will both be able to join us.”
As Lace Doily rolled in her tea cart, we made ourselves comfortable.
“So – tell us what you and your parents have planned already,” I asked my godchild.
The conversation continued until dinner was announced.
Yolanda stayed for dinner and we chatted some more afterward. The young mare had almost complete autonomy nowadays, her parents only asking that she let them know where she was going. With the cell phone relay from Earth in operation, she was only ever a call or text away. She made good use of it now that her exams were over and she had the time to gossip with my wives.
Nevertheless, Celestia and I said our goodbyes early and headed up to our suite. With the solar alicorn absent so often due to her missions, we always liked to make up for lost time with some lovemaking when she returned. For a short while, we two could devote ourselves to just one another. We were almost done with a third round when Trixie, Chrysalis, and Penny arrived. They prepared for bed while we ignored them. They politely waited for us to finish before joining us.
Getting used to the fact that the herd did everything private together had been a shock back when Rarity had joined my herd. Nowadays, I thought nothing of making love to one of my mares while the others either waited their turn, joined in, or paid us no attention. My mares couldn’t even conceive of why we would do otherwise. I was a pony through and through now and I would hardly remember what it was like to be a human if it wasn’t for the occasional trips that I made to Earth.
I spooned up with Trixie in front of me, Celestia, behind me, and Penny cuddling up to the solar alicorn. The batpony loved being able to do that! Chrysalis settled in her nest at the foot of the bed as usual. I sighed happily.
“It’s good to be the king,” I quoted.
“Prince!” my wives chorused.
I chuckled. One day, they would get it.
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