Tour of The Kingdom

Sugary shook his head, and then very gently took the mare's arm and kissed the hand respectfully in gratitude. "I'll be fine from here then. Thank you for your time, Madam. Till next time, and good night!" Just like that, in his eagerness, he left the library with all the notes and books in tow... and then galloped back to have them approved by the mare again so they wouldn't be declared stolen...

Sugary's studies would go uninterrupted for the duration of his stay in the library, unless of course he were to ask questions of the librarian, who would be more than happy to answer and and all of the unicorn's inquiries. The following week would be generally uneventful, as the kirin slowly got back to their normal way of life, the hustle and bustle of the city returning and making it lively once more.

One thing that Sugary would notice would be the unusually high amount of chocolate being used by pretty much everyone, castle staff included. Apparently there was some sort of chocolate festival planned for the weekend. Nuria was happy that she was far less involved in these types of celebrations, more than willing to let the public plan their own events.

As far as studies went, Sugary really made the most of his time as he had been given. He had come to grow even more fond of Nuria during that time even, since she'd given him something he had requested without a second thought. He figured that's one reason she was so well loved both as a Queen and intimately by her kin.

By the time he had gotten back to work, he was as sharp as ever as a bodyguard and companion as could be, having a better understanding of the nation and their ways. Or rather, those of their past as the present was turning out to be more festive again, but for other reasons.

He would then find himself in a most awkward predicament one morning, time after time since the chocolate related event was coming along. However, there was a catch... No one would let him have any chocolate! "Lady Nuria! Please! Just let me have a taste! Everyone keeps saying I should wait as an honored guest, but it's driving me nuts!!" In a rare display of assertion over the ruler of the land, he was practically holding her close with a deep desire for something sweet she had in her grasp.

Nuria chuckled devilishly as she held the sweet out of Sugary's reach. "Ah ah ahh. Not until the festival." She teases, placing the piece of chocolate onto her tongue and eating it up in front of him. "You should be honored. As the guest of honor, you'll get to be the first to try the highest quality chocolate of the entire festival." She says. "That's nothing to shake a stick at. Our chocolate is the envy of the world, you know."

"You're breaking my heart..." He had actually considered sticking his tongue out or kissing her right there and then just to get a taste, but he understood they meant what they said. "This is torture...!" He held her closer, placing his ear upon her neck as she swallowed the chocolate, already drooling lightly as he could only imagine how good it must've tasted because of the sweet scent in the air. He cuddled close with her. "Lady Nuria... Please..." He nuzzled his way up her neck to her cheek, seeing eye to eye with her, lips almost touching. "... Let me have just one little taste...?"

Nuria loved when she got to show her playful side, giggling and sticking her tongue out at Sugary. "Nope." She said simply before getting up and sauntering away, her hind quarters swaying two and fro in his view. "You get to wait, like the good little guest of honor. I promise it'll be worth it. Have you never had our chocolate before? It's usually in such high demand outaide of this country, we try to export as much as we can."

Maybe it was highly unbecoming of a grown stallion, but he groaned while sliding down her luscious taunting self, laying on the ground as he stared at her swaying flanks... While others kept casually passing by them. "You're a Devil, Lady Nuria..." said he as he lightly rolled out of the way of a couple passing by for duty, forcing himself up and walking behind the Queen, deeply smelling chocolate all over. "I know you want me to have the best batch, but it's too much! Everywhere I go, it's chocolate as far as the eye can see! The rich colors, smell, and texture! A limbo of emotions as I'm constantly teetering between paradise and purgatory! When does the main event happen!?" He was passionate for sweets, as his namesake might suggest, so he yearned for that moment when he could finally attain that which now constantly remained out of his reach, due to deep respect.

Nuria rolled her eyes in amusement at Sugary's antics. Who was the queen here again? She walked through a large portal that led outside, the rich smell of chocolate was unmistakable in the air. "It's this weekend." She says, sotting down near the garden and watching the workers passively, giving one of them a kind wave as they notice her.

"I know it's painful to wait, but you know how everyone is here. They're very passionate about their celebrations. And we won't settle for anything but our best. It's why they want to make such a good impression on you." She gives the unicorn a smile, offering him a sweet. It wasn't chocolate, oc course, but maybe it would help tide him over?

Sugary's soul was in turmoil, ever more time would pass as proclaimed by the Queen. But the Queen showed his heart mercy by providing an offering; And like the loyal adjutant he was, he moved closer, stretching out his tongue with a smile as he got to take the sugary treat, nibbling on it while licking her hand gently. He hummed afterwards when he was done, nuzzling into her hand affectionately afterwards, giving a cheerful neigh... Until he stopped and stood straight with an obviously forced plain stare. "M-Much appreciated, Ma'am!" He had tears in his eyes from having something sweet nonetheless, trying to pretend like he wasn't just getting giddy over candy a mere moment ago.

Nuria looks awkwardly at Sugary as he takes the treat in a most peculiar way. She painfully resists the urge to laugh at the display, holding it back for his sake. "N-no *snrk* No problem." She says, before taking a deep breath and calming herself. "I'm honestly surprised though. I would have thought you wpuld have had some at some point. Ours is the beat in thw whole world I imagine." She holds herself with pride at the statement.

"Who would have guessed that our ancestors would happen upon a field of cocoa trees. Much less that they would be able to do what they did with them. The riches, best chocolate known on this earth..."

Sugary was giving Nuria a somewhat pleading stern look by now. "... Lady Nuria, unless you have more sweets for me, please refrain from telling me how great all the chocolate is?"  He sighed lightly, and continued. "... But, I'd happily hear more about the cultivation efforts nonetheless." He also glanced at her hands briefly, actually hoping she did have more candy with her. He hadn't quite had the chance to appreciate it as much till recently, but the local sweets very delicious.

Nuria gave Sugary a teasing pat on the head. "Hmm, well, I'm no farmer, but the fields where they grow the beans are well taken care of. Only the best for the best, am I right?" She chuckles and walks over to a set of trees further out in the castle's large garden. Lo and behold, they were cocoa trees, being gently tended to by the gardeners. "We make sure they're well fertilized and I've seen them trim some branches to make way for the stronger ones. And they're watered regularly, keeping in mind the weather of course."

Despite the bemused face he kept on, her petting was rewarded with a content tail waving if she looked well enough; Her hand was gentle, and warm on his head after all.

He followed closely, making mental notes about the farmwork, both while listening about it and watching the farmers work. He even waved to a couple of them he recognized from that night with a cheeky smile. "There's gonna be much fruit to bear alright... Er, I mean, I'm sure the harvest will be plentiful!" He already knew where his mind had gone, and he wasn't quite saying things that made it any better as he rubbed his face with a chuckle. He took a calm breath however, and stared all over the gardens to admire the trees and soil; It all looked marvelously fertile and clean. "... Lady Nuria... I think I'm starting to see the real treasures of the land... Everything, everyone, is so lively. It's insulting how greedy others got over all this... But hey, it's their loss!" He looked to the Queen with a smirk. "If they'd actually tried not to mess with you, they'd be waiting patiently just as bad as I was for a rich taste of the land too, right?"

Nuria's smile flattened out, not quite a solemn look, nor one of amusement. More like she was thinking about how it sucked to be those guys. "Greed is a powerful motivator. Unfortunately, it means that you're blinded and will eventually be knocked back into reality. One way or another." She shrugs the topic off. That was all over now and they came out on the winning side. As far as she was concerned, that was a good day.

The queen happened to miss the implications of Sugary's statement(though if he looked, he might see that at least one of the females was a little bit bigger around the midsection), getting her smile back and looking at the trees themselves. "There certainly is. And these are just the castle's trees. There's an entire field dedicated to them."

"With everyone in such good spirits again, greed is just gonna have to take a backseat. Lady Nuria, if you're still serious about opening up more to others, generosity will spread instead." His smirk turned to a bright smile, showing his true colors once more on what he really cared for the most at the moment; Changes for the better.

He didn't particularly pay mind to one of the mares looking a bit fatter, but something at the back of his mind would begin to nag him after looking their way once more; Something about the number 5 all of a sudden until he registered what he was being told. "Hm..... Oh! Yes, I don't believe I ever quite got around to learning how far the nation really spreads. All I remember was keeping fortifications in mind... Don't suppose we could go for a walk?" He sounded rather casual about it, especially for a bodyguard, but he slowly came to learn she liked leisure a lot outside her usual responsibilities, so he figured she'd be up for it.

Nuria chuckled at Sugary's suggestion. "It would be a long walk, Mr. Market. It would be a long walk..." She gave the unicorn a complementary kiss on the cheek before walking off again, heading to another part of the garden to continue her usual sightseeing.

That following weekend, all the city was in a tizy over the start of their chocolate festival. Everyone was giddily awaiting the opportunity to sample all of the different kinds, flavors, and types of chocolate to be found. But first, something very special for the guest of honor! He was presented with a small tray that held little squares that had been dubbed the best chocolate to be found in the whole city. Everyone watched Sugary curiously, waiting for his judgement before they would start the festivities officially.

((Quetzalcóatl's blessing.))

Sugary was shaking and trembling in place, for several good reasons he was sure; He had a sudden epiphany in which he feared the chocolate might not be all that great despite the smell! He was also finally incredibly happy that he could have chocolate again in but a mere moment! He was also trembling because he was on a sugar high from all the other sweets he'd been eating to make up for the wait.

And then he just went and grabbed a piece, and placed it in his mouth. It only took one lick, one little bit of the flavor finally running down his tongue and mouth. Time slowed down all around him; Everything seemed more peaceful and shimmering; He no longer felt a sense of self but one of all.

He teared up a bit as he looked far towards the crowd, and began to speak gently towards whoever was nearby, Nuria or otherwise; It no longer mattered who heard him, they all mattered to him more than ever. "... I love you all so much..."

The crowd seemed pleased at Sugary's "judgement" getting excited and happy at his reaction. He got a random hug from someone and then the festivities began and Sugary would be free to sample all the chocolate he wanted from the various stalls, and booths. Needless to say, they loved him very much as well. And so they would show it over the next few months. After which, the unicorn would discover another miracle of this land.
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"Another birth this week m'lady." Someone reported to Nuria, handing her a copy of medical records. The queen had expressed interest in the events after the reportedly high number of pregnancies had been discovered. It was quite the baby boom. "Another one?!" She took the record and observed it, reading in detail. "Litter of three... Oh my... The nurseries are going to be absolutely overflowing. Erm, put up a flyer for volunteers. That should help them out."

As the months had gone by, Sugary grew to become both more affectionate and loyal in general to the Kirins, especially after the chocolate event showing him one of the greatest of treasures. Normally, he'd be one to seek out adventure to gain experience, but something about the land just felt very homely. Even after he'd gotten back his airship, he remained working as Nuria's bodyguard still. Even when she slowly also got more passionate for one of her longest companions, he remained ever close by at a moments notice as a comrade and good friend.

Bearing his old red armor now reworked to have a few engraved designs that affiliate him with the Kirins, he stood watching the records along with Nuria, waiting to say a particular thing with a raised brow to her. "... I blame you for this. I am completely certain this was all your doing back then." He was referring to that particular party night where celebration and bonding was at its peak. He also seemed to have something weighing on his mind, almost anxious even.

Nuria looked at Sugary, like he was one to talk. He coaxed her into it. "Oh really? I seem to remember it differently." She says with an accusatory tone. "In any case, this is... Actually good news." She says with a slight smile. "After all that, to have all this new life brought into the world. It really lifts the spirits." She gave the report back to the courier and turns to the unicorn, noting something off in his stature. "Is something bothering you?" She asks.

He remained briefly quiet afterwards, neither confirming nor denying his part in that wonderful night. He blinked. "... It's just that. All the new life..." He then realized what he actually said, and looked to Nuria with a weak smile. "Ah, not like that, I mean... I got this feeling... All those foals being born? Some of them might be mine... Know what I mean?" In truth, even he wasn't quite sure what he meant. He wasn't even sure if he even had to do something about it or not.

Nuria looked curiously at Sugary. He was worried about something like that? If it were her, she would be happy. "Well... It's definitely a possibility." She says, matter of factly. "Does that worry you?" She asks, looking at him with a bit of concern. "I understand if it would. I don't think very many of these births were planned but... Everyone seems so happy about them. And really, when you think about it, it'll be better this way. Many of them may never know who their fathers are, and that gives them all something in common, whether sad or not."

She smiles at Sugary and starts walking. "Why don't we visit one of the nurseries? I'm sure they could use all the help they can get."

Sugary's weak smile brightened up a little at Nuria's lecture. He had some doubts still, but he nodded to her at least. "I... No, you're right. This is good news... I'd very much like to try that, actually. The community made the foals, the community should help raise them then." He began to walk, slowly coming to terms with one possibility.

Nuria was pleased with Sugary's answer and so led him into the city to the nearest nursery. It was quite nice inside, and the chirping cries of newborn fledglings as the kirin called them were heard clearly through the white-painted walls. Many of the mothers were here to help watch their children, but some still were awaiting to be released by their doctors. "Oh! Lady Nuria!" A tender voice calls frantically as it rounds the corner. She was a younger mare, barely older than a kirin standard adult. Her almost pink scales reflected a bit of light from the crystals that shone from the ceiling. "Thank goodness you're here! I can't get them to settle down at all and the den mother is far too tired to help!"

Nuria looked from the mare to Sugary. "Well, looks like we got here just in time." She says. "Just tell us what we need to do, miss." She says, following through the nursery to a room absolutely packed with carriages and nest-cribs. Many volunteers were helping out already, changing diapers or helping to feed the youngest and newest of them.

"They need to be fed, burped, changed and finally nestled in to sleep!" The mare says, franically handing both Nuria and Sugary a little... fluffy baby? While Nuria knew they were supposed to be this way, it may have come as a surprise to Sugary.

The sounds of the little fledglings admittedly got him to be a little on edge, still imagining himself meeting his own offspring if they were actually there. He felt oddly at ease as well of course, the sounds of lively youth filling him with glee.

But nothing filled him with glee quite like being given one little baby to hold. He looked to the baby, then Nuria, then the caretaker, and back to the baby again before smiling and nuzzling the warm and fuzzy little foal before getting started on their duties for the day...