Cadence CYOA p2 by Escapade https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/26802143/#q26852759 https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/27279370/#q27279507 --- >Your staff all stands before filing out of the room. >You give each a small goodbye and wish them a good evening as they walk past your seat toward the exit. >Shining Armor stays seated at the far end of the table for a few moments, once again scanning the folder in front of him, flipping swiftly through the pages. >You take the moment to consider what what happened. >The new of Arctic Timber Wolves is at the forefront of your thoughts. >Of course, you knew that the North was more prone to having dangerous monsters, given it’s brutal environment. >This isn’t the first time that Timber Wolves have been spotted either; a few months ago a similar incident happened, with Timber Wolves being spotted east of the Empire’s border. >That time however, you weren’t forced into closing the Empire, or restricting travel. >You look across the table to Shining Armor. >Why did he restrict travel? >You certainly didn’t authorize him, and while the general security and safety of your Empire /is/ his area of expertise, making such restrictions does not fall into the strict definition of his role. >… >A tinge of doubt sneaks into your mind. >To be perfectly honest, you don’t know to much about Timber Wolves at all. >Even if he /had/ deferred to your judgement on this particular topic, you wouldn’t have been able to make an informed decision, and likely would have taken his advise. >Although that doesn’t make what he did “right” strictly speaking, it /does/ somewhat explain his stance. >Perhaps he knew that you didn’t know, and assumed you’d defer to him. >… >Seemingly finished with whatever reading he was doing, Shining Armor stands, closes his folder before tossing it into his saddle bag, and makes his way toward the door. >You briefly look over your shoulder to make sure you’re alone. >Fortunately, you are. >As he approaches you stand. “Shiny, could we talk for a minute?” >He continues to walking toward the door. >”I’d really like to honey, but I have to meet with my lieutenants, and make sure they’re setting up the convoys properly…” >”Last time they did this was… less than optimal; it took them two hours to decide how to arrange the carts for transport.” >His tone in the latter half of his sentence makes his displeasure clear. >You persist. “It will only take a moment, it’s about the meeting…” >He stops, and looks toward the clock on the wall, before turning to face you. >”I guess I have few minutes, but I don’t want to be late.” >”What do you want to talk about?” >You nod. >Shining Armor has always been the punctual type, and being late to /anything/ bothers him quite a bit. >You suppose that’s what the Royal Equestrian Military Academy does to ponies... “At the meeting today, you said that we’ve started to restrict traveling to the rail depot because of the Timber Wolves…” >He nods. >”Yes, there is a risk that ponies might be hurt, and I wanted to make sure we took precautions.” “But you never told me, or anyone else about these restrictions before you implemented them…” >You see him shift slightly, likely not expecting such a charge. >He takes a small pause. >”Well… no, I didn’t. But when I saw the report, I didn’t want to wait until the meeting to start to make this change, in case something happened.” >”My scouts saw a pack of fifteen Wolves standing /on/ the primary snow road to the rail yard, this was a pressing safety concern.” >You raise an eyebrow. >/On/ the road? >That… is definitely a real concern. >You raise your hoof, and brush away an astray hair on his chest. “I’m not upset at you, I just wish you’d inform me about these types of situations before making any decisions…” “You know you can send an assistant to find me, or come to me yourself if a problem like this arrises…” >You drop your hoof, and look at him again. “I care about my ponies, and want to know the moment any of them are in danger like this, ok?” “I don’t like not knowing about things like this.” >He nods. >”I understand. I’ll let you know next time. >You continue. “Also, are you sure there is nothing you can do for Ms. Market? She was /really/ looking forward to her event, and I’d hate to see her cancel it.” >He sighs, and looks at the ceiling in thought. >”Not really, no. I /could/ try to send an additional convoy for her, but again, I really don’t want to put my ponies in harm’s way over a festival.” “Couldn’t you just make a bigger convoy? It shouldn’t be that hard…” >”A group too big might draw the Wolves’ attention, especially if we’re carrying food…” >You take a moment. >While he does raise good points, you can’t help but feel that /something/ could be done. >It shouldn’t be too hard to get another convoy, or just add a few carts to each team as they leave. >You glance at the clock, and realize the time. “Give me some time to think about this, and let me know if anything changes; I really don’t want to put Ms. Market’s work to waste…” >He nods. >”That’s ok, I’ll let you know. >He begins to turn toward the door, but you stop him by placing your hoof on his chest. >He turns to look at you, as you slowly draw small circles in his coat. >Taking a step forward, you bring your mouth to his ear. “And please try to finish up soon… I don’t want to be all alone in our room with those big, bad, /scary/ wolves outside…” >You feel the muscles under his coat shift. >Narrowing your eyes slightly, you draw back and plant a gentle kiss on his lips before quickly drawing away. >Dropping your hoof, you retreat a step before pivoting and walking toward the door, making sure to put a playfully small sway in your stride. >… >Within a few minutes, you arrive back in your bedroom. >You walk toward your small bed-side table, and place your folder on top. >As you lower it, our attention is caught once again by the midnight blue lace tail wrap resting nearby. >… >Luna’s letter. >Your mind wanders back to its content, and in particular, the suggested use for this particular piece of fabric. >It’s… unusual. >While you’ve /read/ the odd blurb in your magazines suggesting games like this, you’ve never actually considered it. >It simply never even crossed your mind. >You and Shining aren’t normally very… adventurous in the bedroom, with or without each other’s company. >In fact, you’ve never even owned anything beyond the odd piece of lingerie. >They weren’t shabby or tattered by any means; in fact, they never saw much use at all. >For a stallion to wear a tail wrap… >… >Why would Luna suggest it? >She doesn’t even /have/ a stallion, let alone know about relationships. >… >Yet the idea lingers. >As crazy as her letter’s advice sounded, it almost, /almost/ made sense. >Mares are, traditionally at least, the more submissive party in the bedroom. >Most of the magazines you read, and most of the advice given to mares suggest to build his ego the bedroom. >Stallions like to be /stallions/ and feel like strong, masculine ponies in front of their mares. >Shining Armor is no exception to the rule. >In fact, if public perception is anything to go by, Shining Armor is the /stallion’s stallion./ >Former Captain of the Celestia’s Royal Guard, Prince of the Crystal Empire, and Captain of the Crystal Empire’s Equestrian Games team. >He’s the only stallion alive to be married to an alicorn Princess. >He is the pony that every colt in Equestria grows up wanting to be. >… >Maybe his ego /has/ gotten a little inflated. >Nothing extraordinary by any means; certainly not to the extent of Prince Blueblood, but definitely bigger than it initially was. >Maybe… maybe some playful bedroom antics /would/ help bring him in line. >The fact the idea came from Princess Luna makes you almost want to gag, especially knowing what else she said in that letter, but you can’t help seeing her logic. >It… makes sense. >… >Subconsciously you lift the tail wrap up in your magic, and look at it, almost mesmerized by it’s intricate patterns. >This… certainly wasn’t cheap by any means. >Why does Luna have something like this lying around at all? >She certainly doesn’t have a use for things like this. >... >Did she have one specially made for you? >… >A suddenly, a knock at your door breaks your focus. >Startled, and embarrassed by the wrap your holding, you quickly fold it up, and tuck it into the top drawer of the table, before slamming it shut. “One moment Shining!” >Instantly, you regret replying to the knock. >So much for being the /seductive Princess of Love./ >Sighing, you being to quickly trot toward the door, trying your best to brush your mane and coat with your magic. >He /can’t/ be done that quick! >There’s no way he went to the barracks and back, let alone organized an entire convoy of ponies! >Drawing close to the door, you give up trying to make any last minute adjustments to your looks. >… >You take a brief moment to collect yourself, staring at the two half-heart shaped door handles. >There is another knock at the door. >With a small sigh, you grasp a handle in your magic and throw on the most seductive stare you can muster. >As the door swings open, your eyes are met with… a crystal mane? >Quickly your look down, and see a petite mare in a guard uniform standing in the doorway. >Instantly your expression changes, as you try to maintain your composure. >Internally however, you can’t help but curse yourself. >Of course this wasn’t Shining Armor! >He wouldn’t knock on his /own/ bedroom door! >You look at the mare standing before you. >Fortunately she doesn’t seem to notice that you were startled. >Either that, or she /did,/ and is simply saving your dignity by playing ignorant. >… >Probably the latter. >… >Deciding to end the increasingly awkward pause, you speak. “Yes?” >She is quick and to-the-point. >”Sorry for the interruption Princess, is the Prince here?” >You shake your head. ”I’m afraid he isn’t, why?” >”I was instructed by his Chief of Staff to locate him since he’s not currently in his office.” >She reaches into her saddle bag, and draws out a small white envelope. >”I have an important letter that is addressed to him, do you happen to know where he’s at right now?” >Your eyes quickly scan the item in question. >It /looks/ generic enough… >Taking it into your magical grasp, you lift it before you, and stare at the blank white cover. >It’s not addressed to /anypony/. >But then how… >You flip the envelope over, and look at the back. >Your heart stops. >The wax stamp is instantly recognizable. >… >The letter is from Princess Luna. >With a small sigh, you grasp a handle in your magic and throw on the most seductive stare you can muster. >As the door swings open, your eyes are met with… a crystal mane? >Quickly your look down, and see a petite mare in a guard uniform standing in the doorway. >Instantly your expression changes, as you try to maintain your composure. >Internally however, you can’t help but curse yourself. >Of course this wasn’t Shining Armor! >He wouldn’t knock on his /own/ bedroom door! >You look at the mare standing before you. >Fortunately she doesn’t seem to notice that you were startled. >Either that, or she /did,/ and is simply saving your dignity by playing ignorant. >… >Probably the latter. >… >Deciding to end the increasingly awkward pause, you speak. “Yes?” >She is quick and to-the-point. >”Sorry for the interruption Princess, is the Prince here?” >You shake your head. ”I’m afraid he isn’t, why?” >”I was instructed by his Chief of Staff to locate him since he’s not currently in his office.” >She reaches into her saddle bag, and draws out a small white envelope. >”I have an important letter that is addressed to him, do you happen to know where he’s at right now?” >Your eyes quickly scan the item in question. >It /looks/ generic enough… >Taking it into your magical grasp, you lift it before you, and stare at the blank white cover. >It’s not addressed to /anypony/. >But then how… >You flip the envelope over, and look at the back. >Your heart stops. >The wax stamp is instantly recognizable. >… >It’s from Princess Luna. >You take a moment, and stare at the letter in shock. >She sent one to Shining Armor too? >The question is almost automatic. “Where did you get this from?” >The mare quickly replies. >”Your Highness, I was on my way past Prince Shining Armor’s office in the barracks when Lieutenant Tact stopped me… >She gestures toward the letter. >”He told me to find the Prince, and deliver this immediately.” >The answer isn’t particularly helpful. >”Do you know where /he/ got it from?” >She shakes her head, and gives a small shrug of her withers. >”I’m not sure your Highness; mail is normally delivered earlier in the morning, but the Prince was in his office then, so I’m not sure how he missed this…” >The obvious explanation jumps to the forefront of your mind. >Luna probably teleported his letter immediately after yours, and left it somewhere in is office for him to find. >He /was/ early to the meeting, or at least on-time, so he wouldn’t have been there when it arrived. >Flipping the letter once again, you look at the seal. >If this letter is anything like the one she sent you… >… >You’d rather not have to consider that possibility. >… >Maybe you could break the seal to take a look? >Once again, the rebuttal comes to the forefront of your mind. >If Luna is anything like her sister, the wax, seal, and even the envelope itself are all magically enchanted against tampering. >While you haven’t taken to that habit yet, since the spells are difficult to master, you suppose that for the sisters, who deal with major political and military issues, such security might be warranted. >But would she go that far for a personal letter? >… >You flip it, now starring at the blank front side. >The mare speaks. >”Princess?” >Her voice is crisp and clear. >”What would you like me to do?” >Unfortunately the answer is all too obvious. >Even if you don’t know what’s exactly in this letter, you know it’s nothing good. >Letting Shining Armor read it without at least /some/ forewarning would be an absolute disaster. >You can’t let that happen. “I’ll keep the letter and give it too him…” “I’m sure that’d be easier than having you run around the Empire for the next few hours to find him anyways…” >Fortunately, the mare doesn’t contest you. >”Very well Princess…” >She drops into a small curtsy. >You nod your head. >”Thank you — Have a good evening…” >You offer a small smile as you turn away, and close the door behind you. >… >Your eyes come back to the letter, as you begin to walk randomly around the room. >Ideas about how to deal with the situation race through your mind. >Even if you /can’t/ open it before he does, you could make sure neither of you open it. >After all, while she may be able to teleport it into your room, there's no way she'd ever be able to find out if you destroyed it. >... >Unless she ask about it. >The scenario is clear as day in your mind. >Luna and Shining Armor are talking, and she ask if he received his letter... >... >That would raise more questions than it's worth, and given Luna's personality, you wouldn't doubt she'd try it. >So where exactly does that leave you? >You sigh, and walk over to your desk. >Perhaps... perhaps you don't need to make this decision right now. >With the Timberwolves, and this evening with Shining to plan for, this isn't something you want on your plate. >Opening a drawer to your dresser, you quickly slide the note underneath a few papers, before closing it once again. >As you do, your eyes once again fall upon the tail wrap resting atop the table. >... >Annoyingly, Luna's idea comes back into your mind. >Sexually dominating Shining Armor in order to improve his behavior outside of the bedroom... >Had you not read the idea in a few of your magazines for yourself, you would have thought she was /entirely/ crazy. >But even if it did appear in discount cart publications, you're shocked to think of Luna suggesting it. >You know that, at least since her return, she hasn't so much as kissed a stallion. >You're certain even if Luna didn't like you, Celestia would have told you about a Princess falling in love, especially given your talent in relationships. >... >Yet the idea persist. >... >It wouldn't hurt to try, would it? >Of course making him wrap his tail is insane, but perhaps if you were subtle enough, you could experiment with it a little bit. >Again, the Cosmomare comes to mind. >Putting /him/ on his back while you're on top... >Teasing him - making him beg for it... >Sure, it would be a break from the usual, but it shouldn't be extreme enough to draw any undue attention. >Then you could see if it /did/ have any effect on his behavior. >It's a low-risk gamble for both of you. >After all, he'll enough it -- he's getting laid. >And you... >Your tail twitches. >Well... you're getting to spend some time with your stallion. >You take a look back at the wrap. >You suppose you /could/ wear it, if you wanted. >There aren't many other options. >The only other "seductive" items you have are a few small saddles, one or two other tail wraps, and a small choker necklace. >Besides that, there isn't anything else. >Unless your husband was a sexually crazed animal, and you /somehow/ missed it, he has nothing of any significance. >... >That doesn't leave too many options. >The idea runs through your mind yet again. >You suppose that, if you /are/ going to try something a little unusual tonight, then perhaps it would be best to keep it mellow - at least for now. >If /somehow/ Luna was right, and this /does/ have some effect on him, then you could slowly step it up. >For now however, you don't want to go /too far/ outside of your comfort zone; if he gets the feeling your faking or are uncomfortable with the situation it could undermine the idea experiment. >... >Taking a unroll the wrap and give one final glance at it. >Then, for the first time in a while, you lift your tail.