Love Grows

by Shadowblade93

Chapter 1

Knuckles groaned at his desk in the room which served as a study, in front of him sat a mountain of paperwork to read and books about the country's laws sat. In front of stood a maid waiting for her orders. She was just hired by my Redheart to be his side. She was a tiny little creature with a button nosed muzzle and she kept eying his basket of fruit.............he had been munching on a mango, and the bat mare's eyes were bugging out.

"Miss.........."

"My name is Honey Crisp..........your majesty, pardon me......... I spoke out of term." She gave a bow and didn't move.
"Rise Honey Crispy, can you fetch my daughter Demeter, she loves filing paperwork.......she may be a help to me..........please don't rush, I'm in no hurry. Before you go, have an apple." Honey Crisp gingerly lifted a bright red apple and trotted off smiling. Knuckles saw the other maids look at her with jealousy. Knuckles felt something brush past and he looked up and saw a bat pony stallion hanging from a chandelier polishing his crown. The poor guy looked embarrassed and smiled nervously. Knuckles happened to notice several cobwebs at the top of the ceiling and he sent the pony to get them off the ceiling.

His grandfather Almandine walked into the room, "Grandfather, why do you have an armed entourage when you're just in the castle? " Almandine looked behind him and face hoofed.
"Before I moved to Equestria, we were at war and I became a war hero in a war we were fighting. I guess became a legend." Almandine looked at the young guards and he snapped to attention and barked an order for roll call. The guards snapped to attention and responded with a hearty 'Here sir' as their names were called. One guard Knuckles made him smirk, she was tiny! Her armor fit smugly to her frame but the helmet was a tad too large.

Almandine also noticed and walked up to her. "Name and rank soldier!"
The mare lifted her helmet so she could see and replied trembling because her armor was scuffed and dented from a skirmish she broke up in the streets the night before. "Private Sunflower sir!"
"Why is your armor scuffed and dented? That's a one-week kitchen detail, before I assign it let me hear why your armor is in the state it's in? "

" Well sir, I broke up a street fight last night and hadn't had the chance today to mend it."
"I see, well I'll let your mend the armor then four days of being my wife's servant. No fear though, you'll still have your rank."

"Thank you, sir" as she walked to the room where Amathyst slept she heaved a sigh of relief, her father told her that he was proud that she followed in his steps. She didn't want to have to tell him she lost her rank just because of the condition of her armor. Death Grip would have had her raped by her whole battalion then all the nobles in the country.

Sunflower had received her first task as she trudged to the post office and was escorted by Knuckles sons, Almandine II and Snare she couldn't help but flirt a little with the duo. A playful jab here and there and a slight wink and brushing up against them. The two stallions who were still young enough to be called colts and yet mature enough to be called stallions both were vying for their charge's attention. When they lunged for the door and they managed to nail Sunflower's muzzle with the double doors and she recovered and gave each of them a kiss on the wheel and smirked flirtatiously, "You boys will pay later" she purred in their ears and flicked her mane in their face and they caught a whiff of her fruit-scented conditioner. Once the task was done they had time to stop for a milkshake, she decided to pull a Rarity and flirt with the stallion at the counter to reduce the total cost. It didn't work.

As they sipped their shakes Sunflower tried to land the boys down gently. "Boys you're both really cute and sweet, but I'm a lesbian. I have someone in the palace I'm interested in; I can't pursue it because of politics but my sister Mango Breeze will love ya...she's a little crazy but she has a good heart. I'll introduce you to her sometime. When they returned to the palace, Sunflower awkwardly told Amathyst why she took so long to return. She blushed when her queen jabbed her shoulder and winked, " Feel free to wander to their room when you feel any urges." She knew what Amethyst meant, if anything she'd rather sleep with her crush than the boys, but hey she would if she got desperate.

Meanwhile

"Dude, why did she have to flirt so hard? I know she wasn't trying to lead us on; but too bad she's lesbian."

"I know bro, at least she is letting attempt to get her sister's attention." The brothers talked a bit and all the while Mango Breeze was dusting the bedroom of Tethys, Demeter, and Coeus.

Mango Breeze nervously waited in the stance of attention waiting for a new order. "Mango Breeze" Tethys began, "Do you have a love interest? You've heard all us girls talk about ours and Hibiscus even has opened up."

"Well, ma'am I do have my eyes set on your brothers and don't know which would be a preference for me. I fear saying so now is out of place but your brothers are some of the nicest stallions I know."

"You're not out of place, our brothers have tried for your sister Sunflower on a few occasions. I assure you you won't get fired for having feelings for those crazy colts. Snare has an interest in one of the maids and I'm sure you've seen him occasionally because he doesn't hide it."