Part 2 - Relationships (Acts 6-12)
Act VI - Dinner and a Show
It had been a few long seconds with David still rooted in his spot. The door of his room gaped open, just as the princess had left it.
A curious armored face peeked around the corner of the door frame. “Uh, Sir David? Are you alright, or do you need assistance?” He looked a little shaken at seeing the towering human.
David shook his head to clear his mind. “No. I mean, yes, I’m okay.” David smiled at the armored stallion. “I don’t need assistance, thank you.”
The guard gave David an unconvinced look. “As you say. The princesses have informed us that you are no longer restricted to your room, and that you have an appointment for dinner in the royal dining room at eight. Is that correct, sir?”
“Yes. I will be getting ready now. Would you show me to the room when the time comes?”
“Of course. It’s my responsibility to make sure you get there. Just let me know when you would like to go.” He straightened up, finally relaxing a bit.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, and before I forget, Princess Celestia just sent this down for you, though I’m a little confused by why you’d want it.”
“Oh,” David said, accepting the small package.
It was what seemed to be a disposable razor similar to what he had at home, except the handle was a bit longer and it was wrapped in a sterile packaging. Inside the plastic, he could also see that it was bundled with a small container of shaving foam.
David smiled genially at the guard’s curiosity. “As you can see, I don’t have a coat over my whole body, but instead hair grows in some places and not in others. Well, on one of the places it grows, on my neck and cheeks, I prefer to remove the hair for certain reasons. To do that, I usually shave it clean off with a razor.”
“Oh. Forgive me for prying, but if it grows there, why don’t you just leave it and let it fill in?”
David chuckled. “Sometimes I do, but it takes a long time and the hair is coarse and it itches while I’m waiting for it to grow. I just prefer not to have to deal with that. Some of my people do let it grow though.”
“Well thank you for answering such an odd, private question. I’ll leave you to get ready now, Sir David. Just let me know when you want to go.”
“Don’t worry about it. And I’ll be ready in a little while. I’m going to get cleaned up a bit first.”
‘I guess I should be prepared for all kinds of questions now. At least this guard is willing to talk with me, now that I’ve been accepted.’
***
David took his time getting ready. The princesses might have said that this was an informal dinner, but he wanted to look his best. He lathered and shaved, making sure to present as clean an appearance as possible. He then took another relaxing shower, putting the aromatic bath soaps to work at soothing both his skin and his restless mind. Settling down wasn’t as easy as cleaning his body, though. His thoughts raced around, barely allowing him a moment to concentrate on one before another would smash into him, taking its place.
After his shower, he proceeded back to his bedroom to pick out his finery for the evening. He put on his socks; being the only ones he had made it an easy decision. Looking at the rest of his wares though, he was unsure of what to choose. He decided to pick one of the new outfits gifted to him, mostly out of curiosity, not as trying to curry favor. Settling on the more casual, he picked up the blue and white sash-striped polo shirt and inspected it again.
He laughed a bit to himself. The clothing was masterfully made, and much his surprise, it seemed to be tailored not to just his size, but his exact measurements. He wondered to himself just how closely he had been examined.
After putting on his beautiful new shirt, he went to put on the matching white pants. They too were fitted to his form—almost. Thankfully, they were just a little loose in some areas.
‘Well… always better to be too loose than too tight,’ he thought, completing the ensemble by slipping on his shoes.
Finishing up his preparations, he went back to the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. When he looked at himself, he barely could recognize that he was in a different world rather than his own. There stood the man whose appearance he came to identify with. His mind though, he thought, wasn’t something he was sure about. Gently slapping his cheeks to bring color to his face and clarity to his thoughts, he was as ready as he ever would be.
David checked the clock. It was a quarter till eight.
He walked to his door, once a cell door, but now it was a portal to the world outside. He was still tentative though, and knocked on the door to see if he was alone.
A second later, the same guard spoke. “Yes, Sir David? Is there something I can help you with?”
“I think I’m ready to go to dinner, if you would be so kind to escort me.”
“Oh. Well, feel free to come on out and I’ll show you to the dining room.”
David opened the door, bending down slightly so as not to hit his head, and left the room under his own power for the first time.
“Hi,” David said tentatively.
“Hello, Sir David, it’s my pleasure to guide you this evening. Please follow me so we will be on time.”
“Thank you,” David said as they begin to walk down the hall. “So, you’re one of the guards who has been with me since I arrived?”
“Yes, that is true. My squad and I were called out to retrieve you from the field. I’ve been stationed at your quarters four times during the last few days, but this is the first time we’ve spoken.”
“Well, thank you for your initial rescue and diligent service,” David said sincerely.
“You’re welcome, but you don’t have any reason to thank me. I serve the princesses, and as their guest, I will make sure you are taken care of as well. But I suppose I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Heh, it’s good to know that there are some talkative guards. From what I’ve seen, you guys almost never say a thing.”
“Huh. I suppose that might be somewhat accurate. If we’re not assigned as guides, as in your case, we don’t fraternize while on-duty.”
“Oh, I suppose that makes sense.”
“Well here we are,” the guard said, standing before a pair of tall double-doors. “I’ll open the door, then announce your arrival. After, please feel free to enter and enjoy your evening.”
“Okay. Thank you again.”
The guard nodded, then knocked on the giant doors. After clearing his throat, he opened one door and shouted, “Announcing Sir David Marshall of Earth!”
David did his best to hold his head high and walked into the dining room. The opulence of the area stunned him a bit as he attempted to focus on the new surroundings.
As he turned back to watch the door close behind him he heard hoofsteps approaching his position.
“Sir David!” It was Luna. “We are so glad to see you here. Please, come and sit at the table. Make yourself comfortable.”
Celestia greeted him from her seat. “Welcome, Sir David. I agree with my sister, it is good to see you out and about. Did you have any issues finding your way here?”
“Good evening, Princess Celestia. No, one of your capable guards guided me, so I had no opportunity to get lost.”
“That is good enough for now. I am sure you will have an opportunity to roam a bit later.”
“Come, Sir David, sit here on the bench, near my seat,” Luna called out to him.
David heeded her call and slid behind the table, sitting on the long bench seat in the middle of the table. Luna turned to him and beckoned him to come closer with her hoof. Smiling happily, he shifted his position a little to his left, closer to Princess Luna.
Unnoticed by the others, Princess Celestia was watching David and Luna closely. Noting the exchange between the two, she raised a brow at his movement toward her sister, finding herself at odds at the obvious display of favoritism.
“Sir David, it is still a few moments before we will call for dinner to begin. Would you care for a cup of tea while we chat and wait?” Celestia asked.
“Thank you, Princess, that would be nice,” he responded.
Taking a cup and saucer in her magic, she placed them before her. She then took the diminutive porcelain tea pot and poured the brew into the cup. After setting down the pot, she then levitated the cup and saucer towards David’s seat. Instead of placing the offering within his grasp, though, she carefully held it aloft at the midpoint of the table, near where David had originally sat.
David looked pensively at the cup for a moment, then the cup continued its travel to his current position. He accepted it in his hands then turned to Celestia. “Thank you very much.”
What David had failed to notice was that Luna had cast a threatening stare at her elder sister when she had failed to deliver the cup directly to him.
“You are welcome, Sir David,” Celestia replied. “So, allow me a few moments to properly update you on the results of the last few days.”
David nodded in reply.
“Again, I am very sorry for what transpired between us. Though I may have overreacted a bit, at the time, I thought it was the best course of action.”
“That’s okay, Princess Celestia. I can understand that new, stressful situations can cause anyone to overreact a bit.”
“Thank you. Now as I was saying, after the unexpected developments of the first day, Twilight and Cadance came and were able to examine my guards and myself immediately, and found no issues. As Luna was not quite feeling up to par, they waited to examine her and instead checked up on you first. Their findings were good, but also came with a new surprise.”
“What was that?” David asked.
“They determined that you had no magical power of your own at all.”
“Oh. That doesn’t seem to be very surprising to me,” David replied.
“No, perhaps not. But to us, it is a very odd occurrence,” Celestia said. Luna nodded in agreement as she took a sip of her own tea.
“Tell him the rest, sister. I would like to hear his feelings on the matter,” Luna said.
“Yes. Well, as we noted, not having any magic is not at all normal in our world. All things, creatures and inanimate objects alike, have some magical energy. For you not to have any of your own feels… unnatural. But, after being examined by Twilight, we not only found that you did not have your own magic, but that you did contain some magic. Specifically, alicorn magic is now contained within your body.”
“Oh,” David replied in mild shock.
“Yes. Well, we did confirm before Twilight and Cadance came that you had absorbed some magic from Luna, and that there was a connection between you. That connection initially seemed to be limited by range, as Twilight did not detect it during your initial exam. However, later in our investigations we found that it was Luna that seemed to initiate the connection between you. Since then, the connection feeding your body with magic has become… somewhat permanent.”
“Oh no.” David turned to face Luna. “I’m not hurting you am I?”
“No, not at all. I have quite the magical potential, and the exchange between us is small enough that it does not diminish my reserves,” Luna answered.
“Yes. So far, Luna is not negatively affected. That was the main reason we decided to lift your restrictions. The other was that since Luna initiating the flow of magic to you, it was not by your own actions that the connection was established.”
“But what about the discomfort you suffered when we discovered the connection?” David prodded.
“Well, through a rather interesting experiment, Twilight and Cadance were able to reproduce the situation without your interference. It seems the act of breaching our wards from the inside is what gave the unpleasurable feedback.”
“So, all of this was found out while I was unconscious, huh?”
Luna offered to field that question. “Well, yes. Initially, Twilight put you in a deep sleep as a precaution, but I continued to allow her use it for further examinations. I am sorry, Sir David, the fault lies with me.”
“That’s okay, Princess Luna. I actually received a letter from Princess Twilight explaining what transpired. It was a little shocking at first, but I think I can be okay with it, considering the circumstances.”
The three continued to chat, doing their best to inform David of their conclusions and the decisions of the council. While Celestia was talking with David though, Luna felt a little left out. In a random bit of mischievousness, she decided to play a game with the currently engrossed man.
Luna watched as David sat enrapt by Celestia’s words, and with as much stealth as she could, she removed a shoe, then reached out toward his seat under the table with her right hind-hoof. The hoof twitched slightly as she carefully maneuvered the limb over to its destination. It took a bit of stretching, but finally, she was in position to strike.
There David sat, listening intently as Celestia droned on, not noticing the dark blue appendage nearing his seat. Suddenly, Luna let the outstretched limb go limp, and it unceremoniously plopped onto his lap.
David’s eyes went wide and he stiffened reflexively. Reaching down with his hand, he immediately recognized what had invaded his personal space. He ran his fingers over the naked hoof and tried fruitlessly to restrain its movement by grasping it around the fetlock. He did a surprisingly good job of keeping his composure, considering, and continued to listen to Celestia to the best of his ability.
“Are you alright, Sir David? Did I say something you didn’t understand?” Celestia asked.
“No, no. Please continue.” David smiled nervously.
“Well, as I was saying, we originally surmised that the connection was limited by range and Twilight tried to calculate exactly how far it should be able to extend considering the amount of magic that was being expended…”
Much to David’s chagrin, he could no longer pay attention to Celestia’s explanation or restrain the powerful aggressor below. Now having pried free from his grip, the invader had started exploring. It proceeded to run up and down the length of his leg, stopping every few inches to carefully massage the spot where it had landed. It would soon grow tired tired of that, and gradually worked its way back up north. Its new choice was now to spend quite a long time in his lap proper, pressing in very sensitive areas as it resisted against David’s hold.
David had started sweating slightly as the pressure somewhat aroused his body. He soon fought to keep control and he closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate. Unfortunately, another side effect of his current distractions was that he did not notice that the ruler addressing him had stopped talking a few seconds ago.
“Luna, please!” Celestia chided.
“Oh, sister. I was only having a little fun,” she retorted.
“You should not be having fun with a royal guest.”
“He is no longer only a ‘royal guest’, sister. We have entered into a romantic arrangement.”
“What!? Is this true, Sir David?” Celestia questioned.
David thought quickly to himself for a moment, ‘Okay, it’s true that we both have expressed our feelings to each other, but am I ready to both accept and share this relatively fresh news with others, with Princess Celestia? …I suppose I don’t have a choice. I have to do it for Luna, for both of us.’
“Yes, but Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, please be calm. I know this is unexpected, but let’s be civil.”
“Luna. You shall call us only ‘Luna,’ ” she huffed.
“No, Luna, that would not be proper. Surely you understand, Sir David?” Celestia protested.
David frowned. “Perhaps Princess Celestia is correct.”
“No. We have established that you will courting me, and I will have you address me as I see fit, not as my sister does. If you must, you can address me formally when not in polite company.”
“Yes, Princess,” David acquiesced.
“LUUUNAAAA,” she drew out dramatically.
“Yes, Luna, as you wish.”
Celestia looked on, displeasure written on her face. “Why do you insist so strongly, sister? For what reason do you have?”
“I think I have fallen for him,” Luna said with a smile.
“YES!” a voice cheered from behind a collection of foliage across the room.
Out stepped a beautiful, young pink alicorn.
“Princess Cadance!?” David exclaimed.
“At your service,” Cadance said, bowing politely.
“Cadance, my niece, what brings you here?” Princess Celestia said with a pleased, but surprised look on her face.
“Well, Aunty, I heard you had invited Sir David to dinner tonight, and I couldn’t help but do a bit more investigation!”
“Oh, Cady,” Celestia sighed.
“Well, I’m glad that I came. Congratulations on making it official, Luna!”
“Thank you, Cadance. We appreciate your well-wishings.”
“You’re welcome. I’m also glad to hear of it because it means I can test my theory about the magical connection between you two.”
“Oh really?” Luna asked. “How so?”
“Well, after we reproduced the ill-effects of the breach of the wards on Aunty, Twilight and I discussed her unusual methods during the test.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I really understood that part,” David said.
“Oh, right. Well, Sir David, you see… Twilight tried to establish a magical connection between herself and me but failed. She then pulled a dirty little trick which made me open up to her a bit.”
“What was that?” David asked.
“Oh, well apparently she and Shiny kiss almost exactly the same,” she blushed. “Anyway, when she did that I became a little more receptive and allowed her magic to enter. This formed the connection. So it is my hypothesis that there must be some mutual emotional component before a connection can be established.”
Cadance continued, “And after I started observing you two together, I noticed that there were shared feelings and can confirm that they are genuine. My affinity to the magic of love assures this.”
“Well, that is an interesting supposition, but I am afraid I have one bit of evidence that might change your mind,” Celestia said.
“What would that be?” Cadance asked.
“I was hesitant to put this in the report, as it seemed an anomaly, but I believe during the original event where Luna established her connection to Sir David, I too felt my magic being drawn away, but it never completed the transfer.”
“What!?” Luna exclaimed.
“Yes. Well, it stopped immediately, and never happened again. You yourself did not see any magical connection between David and myself, but I felt it. After the ward was penetrated and your magic was being pulled into him, I felt magic from my ward try to follow yours and enter him as well.”
“Did that also happen when Twilight and I performed our experiment?” Cadance asked.
“No, it did not.”
Cadance looked from one royal sister to the other and, letting her head fall slightly, she sighed. She then closed her eyes and began to channel magic into her horn. Soon at her full power, she opened her magic-whitened eyes to view the room.
“I may not be as good as Twilight, but this warrants more testing,” she explained. “From what I can see, the connection is still stable between Luna and Sir David, but there is nothing from you, Aunty. Why didn’t you report this?”
“It was a minor omission as the connection never formed. It was my assumption that there was a magical draw from Sir David and we were both being equally subjected to it. However, that has been proven to be false,” Celestia said as Cadance recovered from her magical rush.
“I don’t think there is anything to worry about, but I will take what you’ve said under consideration and present it to Twilight as well,” Cadance stated.
Celestia looked on with a somewhat vacant expression, but regaining her composure, she spoke, “Well, thank you, Cadance, for you expert opinion. Now that this hurdle has passed, and since you are here, why don’t you join us for dinner?”
“Thank you, Aunty, I would love to! Luna, would you mind if I joined?” Cadance asked.
“No, not at all. Please feel free to sit next to my David.”
Cadance sidled in on the bench next to David and smiled coyly. “Thank you for not holding the examinations against Twilight and me. Though you may have a different conversation when you finally meet with her.”
“Oh?” David said, confusion on his face.
“Oh my, yes. Even though you were unconscious, your first impression on her was quite memorable.”
“What do you mean?” David asked.
“Well, let’s just say you were a new experience in studying anatomy,” Cadance said plainly.
“Crap,” David muttered under his breath.
“Oh, don’t be that way,” she reassured him. “I think it was a positive encounter for her,” Cadance said as she giggled.
‘Yup. Definitely another apology needed there,’ David thought to himself.
“Please forgive me, Princess Cadance, for exposing such a side to you.”
“Oh no, that’s quite alright. Do not be ashamed either, you measured up quite nicely.”
“Cadance!” Celestia said in a shocked tone.
“Sorry, Aunty. I was just having some fun with him,” Cadance said, smiling.
“It’s okay, Princess Celestia. I’m actually a little relieved Princess Cadance is so friendly,” David said.
“Yes, she is quite the pranking partner,” Luna added. “I would be glad if you two became friends.”
***
With the experiments, introductions and gentle ribbings now passed, it was time to eat. David watched eagerly as the eldest princess gently lifted a silver bell and rang it to signify the beginning of the meal.
A door on the side popped open and several mares dressed in chef’s whites came forth, each carrying platters of food. In a choreographed dance, they placed their wares at the table and then returned through the door, leaving David mesmerized by the procession. After looking over the food, he noticed that the last chef pony was speaking to Princess Celestia, then bowed and returned through the kitchen door herself.
Celestia turned to David. “Please, eat up. Sir David, is there anything you would like?”
“At the moment, I think I will start with the soup I have. It smells amazing,” David replied.
“Please take some bread, David.” Luna offered in her magical grasp.
“Thank you,” he replied, accepting the savory-looking roll.
The meal continued with little chatter, with the most prominent discussion being about the delicious cuisine.
After the main portions were consumed, Luna spoke up with a smile. “So, David, are you ready for dessert?”
“What? There’s more?”
“Of course, how could we not complete our meal with a little sweet?” Luna said, beaming.
Celestia rang the bell again and the same chef pony David saw talking to Celestia appeared with a giant cake frosted in white. She placed the cake in the center of the table with fresh plates and flatware, then left again for the kitchen.
“Ooh, carrot cake!” Luna exclaimed. “It is my sister’s favorite,” she whispered into David’s ear.
“Ahh, we have carrot cake from where I come from as well. I’m curious of how the two compare,” David said.
“As I believe my little sister just told you, it is one of my favorite treats. I am glad that you are here to try it,” Celestia said. “It serves as a fitting tribute for your clean bill of health and as an introduction to our world. Would you please do us the honor of cutting the cake?”
“Certainly. Thank you, Princess,” David replied.
He made his way from behind the table and approached the open side. Placing the platter before him, he took the sizable cake knife into his hands.
The princesses all studied his deft movements and articulate fingers as he worked.
David looked at the cake for a moment, then made his first slice, making a cut from the center down to the edge.
David stayed silent; he had formed a plan in his mind. Raising the knife again, he carved out a disproportionately large slice, almost one-third of the cake in size. Without fully removing the knife, he took the cake server in his other hand and carefully lifted the enormous slice from the cake and placed it on a plate.
Setting the implements aside, he lifted the plate and placed a clean fork at its edge. He then turned to face Celestia and walked over to her side.
“Princess,” he began, “though I know it has been a trying time with me here, you have been very accommodating and understanding through it all. Though it be a small offering, I wish to honor you with this slice,“ David said as he placed the plate before the stunned princess.
“Thank you, Sir David, though you need not show any deference to me,” Celestia said with a grin.
“It is my pleasure to,” David said, bowing before returning to the cake.
There, he continued to carve the cake expertly. He used his first cut as a guide to carve the cake in half, then divided that half into two equal portions for the remaining princesses, leaving a slightly smaller portion for himself.
He then plated the first quarter, and offered it to Princess Cadance, which she took with thanks.
The other quarter went on a plate for his paramour and he walked to her side.
“I wish to thank you, too. You showed me kindness and opened up to me. I am forever grateful to you, my princess.”
Luna sat there and smiled sweetly at David, then nodded in acceptance with a fierce blush on her muzzle.
David retrieved the last slice of cake for himself and went back to his seat. With everyone served, they all dug in.
‘Oohs’ ‘ahh’s’ and ‘mmms’ filled the room as the dinner party enjoyed their dessert. David noticed a particularly warm smile on Celestia’s face while she enjoyed her treat. He turned from the eldest to view his new lover’s countenance.
Luna was locked in battle with an enemy it seemed she couldn’t defeat. She sat there, tongue out slightly, reaching for the tip of her muzzle where a bit of the cream cheese icing taunted her. She caught sight of David as he watched the peculiar display.
“Would you like me to get that for you?” David asked playfully.
“No,” Luna said as she blushed. “I am a big pony who can handle this herself,” she added, and then turned away from the man. Unceremoniously, her tongue stuck out as far as it could and licked from the side of her mouth up and over her nose, snatching the offending sweet, and then back into her mouth again.
David laughed at the particularly un-princess-like display.
“What is funny?” Luna asked with a stern voice.
“Nothing,” David replied, “I just thought it was cute.”
“Hmmph!” Luna huffed jokingly.
***
Now that their bellies were filled and the conversation grew quiet, they all were ready to retire for the night.
“Thank you, Princess Celestia, that was a wonderful dinner,” David said.
“You are most welcome, and I will pass your compliments on to the staff. I think it is time for us all to adjourn for the evening. Luna, I hear you have a particularly full court waiting to hear your rulings.”
“Oh, yes. There are many that would seek our guidance tonight. I cannot wait until it is over.”
“You do not have to play with me, Lulu, I know you love helping out our subjects.”
“Yes. You are correct, dear sister. It is the least I can do for them, but it is still important.”
“Well, I for one need to get my sleep,” said Cadance. “I have to catch the early train back to the Crystal Empire tomorrow morning. It wouldn’t be fair to make Shining handle all the work for too long.”
“Will I be able to see you off tomorrow?” Celestia asked.
“No. I’m sorry, Aunty. I should be gone long before you normally get up to raise the sun.”
“Well I suppose I should say my goodbyes here as well, then,” David said.
“Yes. It was very nice meeting you, Sir David. I hope to have the chance to see you again. Perhaps you and Shining would hit it off as well! In my opinion, you have some similar qualities.”
“That would be nice, Princess. From what I’ve heard he’s a super nice guy.”
“Yup! That’s my Shiny!” Cadance beamed.
The three mares stood from their places at the table, and David stood as well to show his respects. Celestia, Luna and Cadance all huddled together and shared warm embraces as they said their goodbyes. David looked on from the side and marveled at the display.
‘I don’t think I have such good friends at home. It makes me just a bit jealous,’ he thought to himself.
After a moment, the three parted, and Luna beckoned David to join them as they headed back through the doors leading to the royal halls. Coming to the first intersection, Cadance once again said her goodbyes, then trotted down the main hall, while Celestia, Luna and David proceeded down the secondary hall towards the guest quarters where he was staying.
Approaching his quarters, the two regal sisters opened his door and parted to allow his access first. He bent down slightly to make it through the door frame and then turned around when inside.
Celestia and Luna came through the door and stopped in front of his bed.
“Are you comfortable here, Sir David?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, quite comfy. I’m really glad the bed is as long as it is. If it was any shorter, I don’t think I’d fit!”
“Well, when we saw your size, we requested a bed similar to ours be placed for you. There are not many beds in Equestria much bigger than this,” Celestia said.
“Wow. Thank you, Princess.”
“And I made sure it was of sufficient comfort. As you know, size is not everything and good sleep is very important,” Luna added.
“Thank you, Luna. I appreciate your concern.”
“It was nothing. But I am glad I did it, for now it is comfortable enough for us both.” Luna smirked.
“Now, Luna,” Celestia chided.
“Oh, sister, lighten up! We will be a good little filly and colt, I assure you. But with that, I must bid you a farewell for now, my David. I have court to hold.”
Luna walked in front of her sister and approached David. She walked directly up to him, and looked up to his face.
David sensed what was needed and bent down a bit, allowing the princess access.
Now within reach, she nuzzled against his cheek and neck, then pulled away and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Goodnight, my dear. Sweet dreams,” she said as she pulled away.
Luna turned away from David, casually stroking his sides with her ethereal tail. She proceeded past her sister, turned and bid her goodnight. “Goodnight, sister. Be well,” she said as she left the two in the room.
***