Chapter Four - Pot Shine
“Pot Shine, this duty is yours.” Kettle gestured to the silver tea set on the table. A sadistic grin was painted on her black muzzle. The other maids released their held breath as they were relieved of the potential burden.
“Of course it would be mine,” thought Shine as she went over and carefully maneuvered the heavy tray onto her back. Kettle always gave poor little Shine the toughest jobs in the hope that she would fail them, just so she could reprimand her afterwards. Kettle was a right mule that way.
“Just make sure you don’t slobber all over the tray this time, Pot,” remarked Kettle as she made her way out of the kitchen. Several of the cooks giggled at that.
Shine gave them an angry glare. “No Ma’am.” She wondered what it would feel like to buck the tea set up into the air and fire one or two of the heavy pieces of silver right into the back of Black Kettle’s head. It was enough to make Shine smile imagining a fork jammed right next to her stunted horn.
But then she remembered just how important these bits were to her and her father. That stayed her hoof, just as it always did. Food was so expensive even now that the rations had ended. The war was over, and trade between the growers had opened again, but that didn’t make the trek up the mountain any easier. Even with the both of them working, it was tough to scrape enough together to pay the landlord at the end of the month. The bright red apples the cooks were peeling for a pie must have cost the crown at least 20 bits each!
Shine carefully made her way up the thin spiraling staircase of the servants’ east hallway. It was a tight fit, given the ornate tray being easily twice as wide as she was, luckily this section of the castle was evacuated right now. Unluckily, the reason it was abandoned was the same reason she was heading this way.
The Fire Mare.
Pot Shine had heard all the stories about her from the other maid’s gossip. They said she was a giant with great bloodthirsty fangs and fire for a mane. She had killed a whole mess of ponies during the signing ceremony with just her eyes, shooting out great gouts of fire and crisping them to cinders. They said she had decorated herself with terrible tattoos and had the giant wings of a griffin. Of course she hadn’t gotten to see the creature herself since she wasn’t allowed to be there. Instead she was scrubbing pans in the kitchen. Shine thought that was a far better place to be in hindsight.
The creature had demanded a place in the castle and so she had been given the east tower. A whole tower all to herself. Then of course, Shine could easily see how nopony would want to be near her. The last day had been a rush of servants moving valuables and the stuck up noble’s possessions. Even without their fancy magic, Shine was sure she had moved twice what those other maids did. All on her back. They hadn’t insulted her then. Well, they hadn’t insulted her that much.
When Shine pushed open the small doorway out of the servant’s corridor and into the east stair, the latch scratched her ear. She cursed the blacksmith who had forged the blasted thing and the Pinheads who would never have minded that the latch was sharp. The entire palace was filled with things with sharp edges, barbs and splinters that Shine was endlessly cutting herself on. Then of course, they would never notice would they? They never had to carry those things. Only she did. “Stupid Magic.” Shine found herself cursing under her breath.
More and more she found herself muttering that curse, above all others. She cursed her fate of being born without a horn. Her father told her over and over that she was special and had wonderful gifts of her own, but she couldn’t see it. If she had magic they wouldn’t be living from hoof to mouth. These stuffy nobles sit in their gilded thrones and use ponies like her and Father without ever doing an honest day’s work themselves.
It wasn’t like they had any real choice but to live under the horn of the aristocracy. What other choice was there? Go hide in the hovels with the farmers, where pegasus brigands would harass them? Her father couldn’t live like that, she knew. There was so much blood out there, outside the city’s walls. She had heard the soldiers speak of it during the great feasts, from the guards who patrolled the walls. Perhaps some abuse was better than death. Barely.
After traveling for what had felt like forever, she arrived at the entrance to the Fire Mare’s chambers. She wondered what had happened to Goblet, the last servant to go in there. All Shine knew was that he had wheeled the Mare her breakfast this morning and she had sent him to the infirmary. Rumor said she had broken all his legs when she sneezed from the pepper grinder. Idle Gossip had said she had drained all his blood, but Shine knew that then he wouldn’t be in the infirmary, he’d just be dead. Knowing Goblet, Shine thought he had probably shown up drunk again and slipped climbing up the stairs. In any case, it was now her duty to serve the mare.
Shine took a moment to straighten out her uniform. The black skirt clashed horribly with her white coat and was always riding up. The massive frilly bow on her back always caught on things and made balancing objects a chore. Finally the tiny cap made her head look huge. At least she wasn’t the only one who had to wear it. The hallway had endless amounts of reflective surfaces for her to straighten herself up in. She brushed at the thin trickle of dried blood coming from her ear. “Stupid latch.” When she had made herself presentable, she moved up the the great oaken door.
Just in time to dodge out of the way as it swung open and hit the wall, the latch driving itself into the marble.
“Just where do you think you’re goin’?”
“I have been in this room long enough.” She was huge, having to stoop below the door jam as she passed Shine and continued down the stairs. She was followed by three other regular sized ponies.
“We are not done here yet!” the Purple one called.
The great white one replied, “Oh I do believe we are done here.”
And just like that, they had turned down the stairs and left Shine blinking in their dust. “Who was that? What was that? She was huge and white and... had wings... and a... oh horse-apples that was the Fire Mare wasn’t it?” A cursory glance into the chamber confirmed it, the room was now empty.
For a moment, Shine considered just leaving the set there and fleeing back to kitchens. It would be simple and nopony would know the difference. With the Fire Mare loose wandering the grounds, one unserved tea would easily go unnoticed. Shine sighed as she took off after the four down the stairs, moving as fast as the tray would allow. Her orders were to serve tea to the Fire Mare, and by gum she was going to follow through with them.
Shine moved into step behind the strange herd as they continued to argue. “I still have questions to ask you,” a purple unicorn sternly spoke. Her scholars robes fluttered as she hurried to get ahead of the mare.
“Nay, you do not have more questions, just the same ones thou have asked for a day and a half.” The large white mare moved quickly despite her slower strides. Her voice was eerily clear, like the song given off by ringing crystals.
“Couldn’t we talk about this?” a timid pegasus soldier requested. His armor clinked with his tremors whenever the Fire Mare spoke.
“Is that really her?” thought Shine as she followed. “She doesn't appear at all on fire. Maybe she’s only on fire when she’s angry.”
“Nay, the talk has gone on for long enough.” Shine was certain if the pegasus retreated any further back into his armor, it would be left standing there empty. “I will survey my kingdom now. If I am to rule this sorry state I must see what sorry state the state that I rule is in.”
“Wait, what?” The unicorn seemed confused.
“I will begin with this castle.” Then, with a crash of broken glass, she lept out the window.
Shine had been fairly certain that they were still several stories up, and that the side they were on looked out over the cliff edge. Even so she gasped as she looked through the open hole and only saw the distant valley floor below. Then suddenly the great mare flew past, startling Shine into nearly dropping the tea set once more.
“Oh fer Landsakes! Pansy git after her. Clover you’re with me,” the naked farmer ordered to the other two.
“Where are we going?”
“We got to tell your soldiers not to be takin’ shots at her! I’d hate to see how’d that turn out.”
The pegasus, apparently Pansy, nodded and followed after the great white hawk working her way over the parapets and castellations. For a moment, Shine stood there gawking as the Fire Mare sailed off. How was she to get the tea to her now? Instead of backing off as as any normal pony would do, Pot Shine gritted her teeth. “So you’re gonna do this the hard way, huh? I can do this the hard way.” Shine threw off the cap and set off at a gallop down the staircase. She needed to get outside.