Later that day Spike followed Twilight and her friends around as they tried to solve various riddles Shining Armor left all over town for their latest scavenger hunt. They hadn't done anything like this in years and Spike was bubbling with excitement the entire time. Although their friend Pinkie Pie seemed to be handling the excitement much worse then he was but she'd been acting really weird for the last couple of days (even by Pinkie Pie standards).
When they figured out the last of the riddles they arrived at Sugar Cube Corner like they were instructed to by the notes. Shining Armor and Cadence were waiting for them and happily announced the prize for this scavenger hunt wasn't a book but news that the royal couple were having a baby. When Spike asked where it was they explained it was in Cadence's belly but refused to explain how it got there. Spike could always ask Twilight later.
Spike grinned happily as he stood next to the table with the baby themed cake. The shop owner, Mrs Cake, cut off a slice before hoofing it to him.
She had closed the shop early today for the private event. She was hosting royalty after all, even if it was a very small party. Only Apple Jack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity had come. Spike knew each of them had hung out with Cadence at some point and they wrote each other letters but it was kind of weird that only Twilight's friends were invited to their party.
Although it was pretty cool that the scavenger hunt led to Cadence's baby shower. It was a pretty small shower with none of the guest having brought presents since it had been a surprise for them instead of the mother.
Cadence kept assuring everypony that Shining had already bought everything they would need for the baby and this was more just a party to celebrate her pregnancy. She said this had all been Shining's idea, further proof he was the nerd king. ALL PRAISES BE TO THE NERD KING!
"So how's it feel to be an uncle," Shining smiled at Spike well getting a slice of cake for himself.
"Awesome!" Spike grinned, "I can't wait for the baby to be born. I hope it's a boy. There are way too many girls in Equestria,"
Shining Armor chuckled, "If it was a boy we'd probably have to marry him off to some Noble as soon as he was of age. The Crystal Empire has a lot more... traditional traditions about gender roles. I guess it comes from being gone for a thousand years"
Shining happily accepted his slice of cake and used his magic to hold it. He even used his magic to hold his fork like many unicorns do, "They've been making a stink about me still being Captain of the royal guard instead of retiring after I got married. They want me to just be a homemaker like they expect all boys to be. They're even more upset now that Cadence is pregnant and I still haven't stepped down. They say I should focus on taking care of the baby and the household and leave matters of the Empire to Cadence,"
"That's... kind of weird." Spike frowned.
"Tell me about it. They also don't like that Cadence has allowed colts to join their guard either as they believe it is far too dangerous for boys. According to them, boys shouldn't even be allowed to work at all. They should be married off when they come of age and focus on raising the foals."
"Seriously!?"
"Well it kind of makes sense. Only one in 6 births are male so back then keeping boys safe and sheltered was done for practical reasons. After all, with the few number of colts there are it was important they get married and give their wife babies or there would be no future generations.
"Then since it was so important to protect colts it became common for their parents and eventually their wives to keep them at home as much as possible. So it became boys who were in charge of taking care of the house and the children well the fillies worked to earn money. This may have started as practical but it became expected and eventually a cultural Taboo for boys to have any other lifestyle,"
Spike nodded, "Twilight taught me about all the equal rights stuff they had during the beginning of Celestia's rule."
Shining grinned, "Of course she did. Thing is the Crystal Empire disappeared when tensions were high but no big names had appeared to actually start fighting for equal rights yet. So the Crystal Ponies are having trouble adjusting to the idea that it is now normal for boys to work and even vote.
"Cadence is trying to slowly ease them into modern concepts like that but she also needs to respect their traditions and beliefs to avoid the riots that occurred when this kind of stuff originally happened. Strangely that means I need to present myself in a very specific way. I have to act really submissive around Cadence and let her boss me around.
"We also have these formal dinners with the noble Crystal Ponies once a month where I have to just sit there quietly and even ask Cadence permission to speak when I'm interested in a topic. These dinners are more then just hosting a party though.
"The nobles of the Crystal Empire make up a board of governesses who legally have a say in how the city is run. As Cadence must respect these traditions instead of having a plane old meeting once a month she host a royal dinner and the meeting takes place after it.
"Technically when it's time to discuss politics me and the other husbands are supposed to be sent out of the room, 'to not trouble ourselves with such things' as one of the governesses said to me, but Cadence has made it where we can stay and listen and even participate in the talks during these dinners. We still have to ask our wives permission to put in our two bits and sometimes that's not given but at least it's a step in the right direction.
"However after the dinner the boys are still sent out as the noble fillies start working on policy based on earlier discussions. Although Cadence would like for the colt nobles to have a say in that to, being allowed to talk politics is very different then being allowed to actually dictate them and the fillies aren't willing to do that yet. It's too big a step for them at the moment.
"Well they talk business I take the guys to my game room where we talk ourselves but not about anything important. They enjoy playing my videogames and watching my movies and seeing the various advancements ponies have made over the years. I have even become good friends with all the male nobles. Honestly the part where we are sent out of the room is probably the best part of these formal dinners for me as I'm allowed to be myself when it's just me and the other husbands.
"Unfortunately after the governesses found out that Cadence is pregnant they kind of ruined the merriment. As per tradition we set up a large Festival where Cadence announced at the beginning of it that she was pregnant. All her subjects cheered and spent the day celebrating the future birth of royalty but many of the governesses took Cadence to the side and asked who was going to replace me as Guard Captain. They didn't take it well when she told them I'd still be handling it.
"They kept insisting that since we would have children I needed to quit my job and focus on them. They even claimed, with a strange amount of genuine concern, that once the baby was born it would be 'far too much to ask' of me to have such a demanding career and take care of a foal. Once the baby is born I need to prove to the Crystal ponies that I can take care of the foal and not neglect my duties as Guard Captain. For political reasons Cadence will only be able to help me so much as she's expected to focus most of her attention on work. We need to prove we are honoring the traditions of the Empire and that our modern age beliefs won't conflict with them.
"Don't get me wrong, the Crystal Empire is great and all the ponies are really friendly and they love their new princess but we have to maintain a certain image to the public. It just goes with the territory of being royalty. It's nice to come out here and visit family and get away from all that. Twilight has it really easy being Ponyville's princess. The ponies here are much more laid back...
"If I fail to show I can handle working and taking care of the baby like I'm supposed to the nobles of the Crystal Empire will most likely demand boys be forced back into their subservient roles to fillies, but if I prove I can handle it... Well it be a big step for colts in the Empire... Pretty weird to think I'm the face of an equal rights campaign hundreds of years after the problem was put to rest for most of the world,"
"You got to take care of the baby all by yourself?" Spike stared.
Shining smiled, "Well not ALL by myself, just during the day when Cadence is working and if the baby makes a fuss at night I need to get out of bed to handle it instead of us taking turns. But well Cadence is off work she can help me a bit and give me a break. We read up on the customs of the Empire a while ago including how their family dynamic works. I can't even get the staff to help me with the baby when I'm working as that would be a sign of shirking my responsibilities in favor of my career,"
"Wow,"
"I'm sure I can manage," Shining looked confident then it seemed a light bulb went off in his head.
"Hey Twily," Shining called or her, from across the room. She and Cadence, who she was talking to, came over.
"Yeah?" Twilight smiled.
"Well Spike and I were talking about how I have to portray a certain image now that my wife is ruler of the Crystal Empire and all and I realized... why isn't Spike in school?"
Twilight blinked, "I home school him, you know that, I have since he was a baby,"
"I know that Twily," Shining admitted, "But that was before you became a princess, of friendship no less. Don't you think your ward should be mingling with foals his own age and making friendships of his own,"
"He mingles plenty. We go out and talk to ponies all the time,"
"But what about on his own? Does he even have any friends his own age?"
"Of course he does" Twilight looked offended well Spike looked uncomfortable. He hated it when they talked about him as if he wasn't there, "He hangs out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders all the time."
"Only when they're hanging out with you," Spike mumbled, unfortunately Twilight heard him.
"What are you talking about" Twilight waved off, "You go to Apple Jack's or Rarity's all the time,"
"That's to hang out with Apple Jack or Rarity," Spike rolled his eyes, "I've never even been to the CMC's clubhouse."
Twilight's eyes widened and she screamed, "AJ! Rarity!" all her friends gathered instead of just those two. They could tell Twilight was seconds away from her 'panicking over nothing' mode, "Why are your sisters excluding Spike from their club!?"
Spike groaned, Twilight could be so over dramatic, "It's called the 'Cutie Mark' Crusaders. I don't know if you realize this Twi but dragons can't get Cutie Marks."
"That doesn't mean they can't still play with you," Twilight insisted.
"They aren't excluding me Twilight. Just because you, Rarity, and Apple Jack are friends doesn't mean all your siblings have to be to!"
"THERE NOT EVEN YOUR FRIENDS!?" was all Twilight heard, "But you talk to them all the time."
Spike shrugged "Well we know each other but it's not like they ever invited me to one of their sleepovers or camping trips or anything. We're friendly but we're not exactly friends,"
Twilight continued to gape before glaring at Apple Jack and Rarity.
AJ rolled her eyes, "I'll talk to Apple Bloom and see to it that she invites Spike to hang out with them more often. That better?"
"No!" Spike frantically waved his arms to get their attention. "Look I appreciate it but I don't want to get them in trouble. Besides I DO have friends outside you guys, I hang out with Big Mac all the time." They talked a lot of hoof ball.
AJ rolled her eyes again, "Well although Big Mac is an overgrown child ya'll need friends your own age."
"You can't force someone to be friends," Spike insisted.
Shining got their attention again, "Twily, I think school would really help Spike make friends his own age. He might be a good deal more advanced then them academically thanks to your teachings but he needs to socialize more. If he was in school you wouldn't just be forcing the kids you know to accept him. You know that could never work. They're far too old for playdates,"
Twilight sighed, "I know... this is all my fault,"
Spike rolled his eyes, "How exactly do you figure that?"
"I never use to care about friendship before and I made you stay inside and study with me. Now you don't even have any friends"
"I have LOTS of friends!" Spike snapped getting tired of this, "Big Mac is my friend, half the townsfolk are my friends, YOU'RE all my friends!"
Rarity smiled, "Of course we are sweetie but it's really not the same thing. We're all grownups. It's just not healthy spending all your time with us and not foals your own age. You'll have a different kind of friendship with them. I think school is a marvelous idea Twilight. I'll ask Sweetie Belle to look after Spike well he's there."
And with that the conversation permanently changed from babies to setting up Spike for school.