"Thank you for coming." Cadance's courtroom was empty of the usual bustle. It was her, and Umbra, and but one lone guard. She trusted that guard, both to stand watch, but to be the right level of gossiping. What they were going to say would spread. What they were discussing couldn't remain a secret. "I apologize if this sounds severe, but we must make it clear before we can continue."
Umbra nodded, a simple gesture, but stiff. Nervousness she wanted to go away, but refused to entirely. "What's on your mind?"
"What is on all of our minds." She pointed a hoof at Umbra. "You know I can see our connections. There is an adoration there, but also a timid little... desire. A fearful desire. What you want from me, I think, you are also terrified of. This connection, it's complicated. Complex enough that I couldn't predict what would happen, where I to enhance it. With Shining, I can predict fairly well what enhancing any given connection would prompt."
"And... that makes you nervous?" proposed Umbra, one hoof up. "That makes sense."
Cadance smiled gently. "I can always count on you to have a... Hm. I don't want to say 'mature'... You have a wholesome view of things. Hollistic, there's the word I was searching for. Now, if you don't mind my asking, why? Any interaction you have with me doesn't require you step into forbidden places."
"This is true, but also not." Umbra touched her hooves together, flat on flat. "You and Shining are an item. I'm trying to become part of the set, but I'm not quite there, yet. This is just me being honest. So! Anything I do with one of you, I'm doing with the other."
"Not wrong..." Cadance sat up tall on her throne. "But let me ask a very direct question. If Shining were not involved, how would you feel if I were to play my part?"
Umbra colored faintly in her already dark cheeks. "I..." She glance at that one remaining guard. "I would submit."
"No. No no." Cadance shook a hoof vigorously. "No partner of mine will 'submit'. Not happening. You are an eager participant, or we can find something else to do. I have no interest in reluctant ponies, not in that arena."
Umbra rose up, a tall pony, like Cadance. Sure, Cadance was still higher on her throne, but she was not cowering. "Forgive me. It would still be my first time. You'd be gentle?"
"As gentle as we need to be," assured Cadance swiftly. "A good stallion moves exactly as swiftly as their partner wishes and is prepared for."
"You're not a stallion." Umbra smiled despite that. "But you're ready to play the part."
"Good enough for all intents and purposes." She looked to the coloring guard. "Just for an evening. Then back to being a princess." She raised her hooves to place her chin on them. "I have no interest in any longer than that. I am rather proud and pleased with myself, as a mare, princess, and mother. Any foal that should result will gain another mother. Shining will have to be the father, the only stallion, long term, of this group."
"No arguments there." Umbra flicked an ear back. "You're diriving a point."
"Hm?"
"Sitting up there, making me address you here." Umbra waved slowly across the throneroom. "Very intentional. You are the one in charge of this. I may be a fierce shadow warrior, but who holds my leash, you are not making a thing to question."
Cadance smiled so innocently. "Me? Hmm... could I deal with such a terrific wizard warrior? Why, I've heard you've come out on top against quite a few horrible monsters in your day." She raised her brows. "That sounds like a challenge."
"Please." Umbra waved that away. "Fortunately for all involved, this isn't a battle. I know shadow--" A dark blot of purple-black appeared over her head. "I know time--" Bits of the shadow went in reverse direction. "And I've learned dreams." It all vanished in a puff. "But if we're being honest, which I hope we are, you leave me in the dust in just knowing what you want and going for it, without making a mess."
"That last part can be tricky." Cadance shook her head. "Very tricky indeed.. Now, I think we're on the same page. I have a clever little idea..."
Umbra perked. "You have my attention. What idea?"
Cadance leaned forward. "Well, you have dream magic, you just said so. That certainly seems a safer way to experiment with this before we commit, hm? A little visit, and we can see what could work, or not."
"Oh!" Umbra colored. "Technically valid... But you'll feel what you imagine. You haven't ever actually done that. Dreams can't give you whole new sensations. Not really how that works."
"You know how it feels." Cadance pointed at Umbra. "Which is why we begin with us. You are the one who is uncertain, and the one who knows what it feels like."
"Oh... dang it." Umbra listed to the side with her whole body. "Curse you and making some kinda sense."
"I do try." Cadance raised a brow. "What do you think?"
"Before I answer that, there are more pressing questions." Umbra strode up to the steps of Cadance's throne, bowing at them. "Princess Cadenza, will you marry me?"
Cadance started at that. "Oh! There you are." She reached to boop Umbra's downturned nose. "You are just as good at going for what you want. It's the mess part you're still working on."
"Is... that a no?" Umbra looked up into the hoof covering her face.
"It's not a no. It's not a yes." She sighed gently. "Do you mean it? Even just once... Loyalty can only be sworn like this once. I know you slipped, but, fortunately for you, it wasn't with me. A pony can change... But this isn't a mistake you get to do twice with me. Do you understand that?"
"Not even one." Umbra set a hoof over her own chest. "The straight and narrow... Um, as straight and narrow as our little polycule is."
Cadance narrowed her eyes faintly. "This 'polycule' is having very strict rules. No coming, no going. Until the very last day in us. Can you commit to that?"
Umbra nodded firmly. "That is the least I can offer, not just to you, and Shining, but any children that come between us." She folded an ear back. "I wasn't... why she happened, but Flurry already has this promise of loyalty. I will be hers even if you say no."
"That you are a loving aunt is not even in question." She settled, chin on hooves. "But how are you at being a mother? There is no time out for that task."
"No... No... Look, I promise. You two are it. Done." She crossed her arms in an X. "That's it. Even when I was being a ninny, you two put up with me and chased me back onto the reasonable path. Let's keep walking on it, together, alright?"
"And a father, apparently." Cadance glanced at the poor darkening guard. "Do you accept us, the good and the bad? The good? It will get better. The bad, it will get worse. That's how... That's the way of things. If you're thinking, 'I can fix it!' Well, then you're in the wrong head space. Do you accept us, turned up to 11/10?"
Umbra considered the two, their quirks, somehow magnified. "Are we going to do something exciting together? That sounds... actually kind of fun. I'm up for that."
Cadance had her turn blushing briefly. "What? I never--"
"I'm not blind." Umbra poked her tongue out. "Miss Perfect Princess. We'll sneak you away for a fun adventure."
Cadance lowered her hooves to her chair. "Awful temptress... Very well." She turned to the guard. "Let it be known; Princess Umbra of the Shadowhearts seeks the hooves of Princess Cadance." She half-lidded her eyes. "Assuming all goes well, she will become wed with her, and the prince consort Shining Armor. Only the future can determine that."
"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted sharply. "Um, Your Highness?"
"Hm?" Cadance cocked a brow at the guard.
"Ma'am... Were you... joking or are you actually going to--"
Cadance raised a hoof for quiet. "I may jest about many things, but this is about family, and love, and foals. There's very little room for joking here. Do you understand?"
"Crystal clear!" He saluted anew. "Ma'am. Sorry for the question, ma'am!"
"You are forgiven. Go." She made a little shooing motion, sending him off to spread the news. "And it is done. I expect most of the city to be aware by tomorrow."
Umbra almost flopped over. "So that's a yes?"
"If it wasn't, I have a lot of confused ponies to correct late." She huffed softly. "Don't make me regret this. Your heart, I've seen it. Bruised, battered, scarred... But I think something wonderful hides under it. No more hiding. No more deceits. Between us, there is none of that. The crystal heart said as much." She tapped herself on her chest, not hiding it, letting it echo to the other two. "There is no room for anything but the truth."
Umbra reached up for her tiara. "Should I get rid of this?"
"No! No... It does more than that, and even the most intimate of partners may want a moment alone. That isn't what I meant." Cadance stepped down from her throne, stretching as she went. "I think you know what I mean."
"Yes! Yes, I get that." Umbra brought her hooves down without moving her tiara. "Alright. So... This is awkward... but I want to get closer. I want to learn you." She tapped at her own head. "I want to get in here. I want you to visit mine. Let's do stuff!"
Cadance stepped up towards Umbra. "I appreciate the thought, but you know most of what I do. I'm a princess. That occupies... quite a bit of the average day."
"Great, but there's time when you're not doing that." Umbra's eyes flashed with dread power. "Let me in there a little. I'll be the best playmate I can be."
"No." Cadance raised a hoof. "First... you will visit during that bigger portion." She brought the hoof down in a slow wave with a twitch of her tail. "You're a princess. Time to start acting like it. A princess married to a princess that doesn't know how to princess? No. That just won't work. I hope you're ready to fill the horseshoes you're courting."
Umbra went still a moment, but a smile returned viciously. "Clever... I become your break."
"I would never," sang out Cadance, not sounding convincing. "Seriously, if we're of equal rank, we should do equal effort. That's just fair."
"I can't really argue that," figured Umbra, wagging a hoof with each word. "Alright. You'll have to show me the ropes." Her ears were perked and alert. "Then I'll show this town what it means to be under a shadow princess!"
"How intimidating." Cadance didn't look intimidated, touching noses with Umbra. "Be gentle."
"Gentle as the sunset," assured Umbra, rubbing those noses in contact. "Peaceful as the night that follows. This is good! The umbrum won't feel as awkward, knowing there's a princess they can petition for things."
"Good idea!" Cadance sat to clap her hooves. "Now you're thinking. But you have many fans, umbrum or not. Some umbrum don't like you much. Two choices, they can pick whichever princess works best for them. However... If one of us makes a decree, we can't have the other overriding them. That will mess everything up."
"I can imagine..." Umbra nuzzled right past the nose, across Cadance's face, nipping at her whiskers, a thing ponies and horses had, on to her rounded cheek. "I am so looking forward to learning you."
"You sound like Twilight considering a spell," laughed out Cadance. "Am I your new obsession?"
"Is that bad?"