//------------------------------//
// 233 - First Wife 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Silver trotted through the halls, frowning faintly. He saw two exits, and predicted Night would like neither of them. He found her in her own office. They had books, scrolls, and other papers out and she was sorting through it.

He smiled a little as he entered, closing the door behind him. "We need to talk."

She raised a brow. "I don't like the way you say that."

"You won't like much of what else I say, I wager."

"But you'll say it anyway." She slipped from her chair and approached him. "Out with it."

Silver reached out a hoof and she hesitated a moment, but advanced into it and they hugged. "It's time we talked, about us, and our place."

Night sagged a bit against him. "Almost every word you say makes me less happy." She nuzzled his chest softly. "But tell me anyway."

He licked his lips before continuing, "Did you read my journal?" She nodded. "Completely?" She nodded again. "Then why do you think I'm here?"

She let out a slow sigh. "I've tried so hard to ignore it..." She slipped away a few inches. "Are you leaving? Is Celestia or something else taking you away?"

"In a matter... I'm not physically leaving, but everything around us is, so... I need to say a few things." He rose to his hooves. "First, I love you, completely and deeply. I want you at my side, to love and to help me keep my sense."

She smiled thinly. "But...?"

"But... you can't be First Wife."

She blinked at him. "I... am trying really hard to stay calm. Please explain that."

"My life has become political, and crowded. I'd love you to be at my side, giving advice, but I will be with people you don't like, even intimately."

"There's an overwhelming 60% chance this is about Nefertari." Her ears perked up as she sat up. "Do those swells mean so much?"

He flushed darkly. "No!" Well a little... "Look... I want you two to be bigger about this. Forgive her, please, and we'll work to bring her around."

"We shouldn't have to bring her around!" she hissed out, fur going up.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you." He'd be very sad, he knew that. "We'll... be adults, I hope, and see the foals are well cared for and loved--"

"Stop that!" She raised a hoof and it hovered in the air before it lowered and she crashed to the ground. "I miss how it used to be."

Silver got a wry smile. "That's how we know we're alive, things change." He moved forward and kissed her cheek. "I still love you."

"What does that mean?" She slowly sat up. "That isn't a fair question... Look, if I'm not First Wife, who is? Nefertari?"

Silver snorted at that. "I should hope not."

"Then who? Celestia, Luna, Fast?"

Silver touched his nose to hers. "Is it wrong that I decide myself?"

She blinked at him owlishly. "Are you really ready to accept that? That means people will march right up to you and make the question. No filters."

"I'll learn." He looked back at the door long enough to flick its lock as he advanced on Night. "Now, I plan to show my love, if you still accept it. I will gladly be your stallion, will you be my mare?"

"But not your First Wife?" She watched him evenly a moment before she sighed slowly. "Stupid stallion..."

She didn't rage or run, and he did show his love for her, holding her and doing as married people do. He left her, satisfied and leaving her satisfied, but their relationship changed. He had no First Wife.

"I shall join then?" Nefertari appeared beside Silver.

"Not so fast." Silver frowned faintly. "She will apologize to you when she is ready, and we're not moving faster than that, besides, you're the last."

"Last?"

"I have to accept Celestia and Luna officially, then Fast, then you, and that order is not negotiable."

Nefertari rolled a hand in the air. "That's fine. The rulers of the land, then following the order of your conquests, but that makes your finding of an umbrum all the more pressing."

Silver sat up, blinking. Nefer was acting as a sort of First Wife, but was she really? She was speaking her own wisdom without filter with him. "I'll think about it..." He trotted past her, at least that settled.

She watched him and smirked. Her future husband needed nudging. She vanished and appeared atop Samantha, stroking her mane gently. "Hello Sammy."

"NefNef!" Samantha had no resentment at the sudden appearance of her regained friend. "I was just about to get to work. Have you seen my new office?"

"I have not." She gently nudged Samantha's sides like a rider would a horse. "Show me. Tell me, Sammy, do you know any Umbrum?"

"Hmm?"

"The shadow pixies. They are quite noticeable."

"Ah! Yes, I met one. She seemed nice."

"Is she?" Nefer leaned in from above. "Do you think she'd get along with Silver?"

"Of course." She couldn't imagine many ponies that wouldn't get along with Silver. "She likes foals, and so does he. She's a teacher."

"A teacher you say..." Nefertari smiled as she scratched at Samantha's back. "Have you considered introducing them?"

"I hadn't..." She opened the door to her office and stepped inside. "Should I? I trust Silver to know more about social contracts than I."

"He has... renegotiated his contracts."

"With who?" She arrived at her chair and hopped up onto it, settling down with Nefertari still on her back.

"Night Watch is no longer First Wife," she explained. "Silver will pick his own wives, but he needs help. Just because he will pick doesn't mean he'll look, and you found a nice umbrum..."

"Oh!" She got it and nodded. "I'll make sure they meet then, in an ideal environment for such decisions to be made."

"I knew I could count on you, Sammy. He's to have a wife of every race he's shown love to, and he has yet to decide on an umbrum wife. You'll fix that, yes?"

"Yes!" Samantha was smiling brilliantly as she considered plans to bring the two together. She had successfully courted him, before, surely it wouldn't be hard to help someone else do it.

"Good luck." Nefertari was gone, leaving her minion to work.





Moonbeam sat in the nursery, doing his homework as he kept an eye on the foals who were to be his adopted uncle and aunt, though the idea of accepting foals as that... He snorted softly as he glanced up just to see Morning Glory smiling at him just a foot away. He had teleported out but wasn't doing anything bad.

"Hey there."

Morning waved a hoof before coming closer and sitting down next to Moonbeam. Moon smiled a little. Sure, he hadn't asked to go back to school, or get homework, or foalsit! At least his new uncle was pretty cool, for a foal. He wrapped a wing around the small pony and Morning remained quiet as he worked, almost as if he was watching the work, or just hanging out with him. Either way was acceptable to Moonbeam.

A crash startled him out of his work and he looked up to see Clear Twilight had knocked over her pen and was trotting over to them. He blinked at her, but in she came, setting up shop at his other side and cuddling in close. "Don't want to be left out, huh?" He could understand that at least, and he reached out his other wing to gently hold her. They didn't stop him from getting his schoolwork done, they just insisted on being beside him as he worked.





Celestia entered the room with a little smile. The prince looked up at her. "Auntie. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

"Thank you." She came closer. "You made this far less painful than it had to be."

"You know I'd do anything for my Auntie-dearest." They exchanged a hug gently. "Are you certain he'll make you happy?"

"No, but I think so." Celestia shook her head. "You know the closer to myself, the less certain my visions can be. I'm almost certain though... He'll try."

"I imagine he will... but you are a lot of mare to keep up with." She raised a brow. "I'm not referring to your love of cake, Auntie."

She swatted him gently with a wing. "It's not my fault my subjects are such exemplary bakers, and it would hardly do to snub them."

"Of course not, Auntie. He's still growing, you know. He may become larger than even you eventually."

Celestia trembled faintly. "I would not object to this..." To have to look up to somepony that she did not also hate or fear would be nice. She was always the large guardian for her ponies. She wanted that. "I will accept him even if he stops growing soon."

"That ball is rolling," Blue Blood advised. "Stopping it would require quite some effort. I hope the two of you will be happy."

"I think we'll get along." She sat up. "I read his journal. He admires me, just the way I am. He sees a hard-working benevolent ruler that he wants to be close to."

"Then he sees the truth." He nodded. "A shame so many see an unfeeling goddess, Auntie."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Yes... Did you have to suggest so... He is going to have quite the herd."

He flashed a smile. "Good. That will keep eyes off of you. You will be one among many, but I doubt you will have much difficulty commanding his attention when you want it."

She rolled her eyes at that. "If I had it my way, we'd keep it small and personal... But my sister had eyes on him long before I was involved, to say nothing of Princess Fast Change."

"And his current wife."

"And her." Celestia quirked a smile. "I can soothe myself knowing this is a positive step for Equestria as a whole. We couldn't very well marry off the princesses, that would involve them leaving, and none of the ones we have would be happy at all, not even physically. No, we need to keep the royalty here, so a prince serves better. It's not so unusual for a prince to bring potential wives home and not move." She perked her ears. "Besides, a prince with a selection of wives? Decadent at worst, but understandable. A princess with a selection of husbands, of the other hoof..."

"Unthinkable." The prince shook his head. "Except for a few nations we wouldn't want to emulate, and most of those don't mind a prince doing it, provided he has the finances and strength. No, this way will work best."

He brought up two glasses of bubbling wine and Celestia took one in her magic before they clinked together and drank. It was not an ideal solution, but it was one.