A pale pink unicorn with a blue mane ambled along the curved ramp that connected the second and third floors. She wore a custom tailored red taffeta dress styled in an early tenth century fashion, with a matching hat. Using the map as a guide, she made her way along the second story hallways. She easily located the mansion's reading room, then entered.
A couple of dozen tall bookcases lined the walls, showing off the various books and scrolls that the family had accumulated. There were some padded benches and reading tables spread out through the room. One bench was already occupied by a caramel colored earth pony with a black mane. He was wearing ruffle-chested white shirt with a black suit-coat. Around his neck was a black lace bowtie, and a silver chain, holding a large pendant, made of silver and ebony wood discs.
A pair of dark sunglasses covered his eyes, and a gray flat-cap was angled to cover his forehead. He had a rather large tome propped open on the table in front of him, and though he was facing in the direction of the entrance, he appeared to be focused on the book.
What drew the unicorn's attention however, was the earth pony's cutie mark. An apple with a missing piece, and a sickly green interior. Quickly turning her attention to a nearby shelf, the unicorn tried to appear disinterested. She had started on the third bookcase, when she heard a familiar voice. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"
The unicorn thought for a moment. "A tale that be bold and adventurous, with mystery, intrigue and of course, a charming hero."
The earth pony snickered. "Sounds like the story of my life."
The unicorn turned and trotted over. "Thy life be full of adventure, mystery and intrigue?" The stallion turned a page in his book.
"Maybe I should write a book." He mused. "It would make a rather riveting story. Much like the traveler tales of the 8th and 9th centuries."
"Might thou be the Patrons brother, Udan Ibai?" The unicorn inquired.
The stallion smiled to her. "So you've met Gilbert already." He stood up and stretched. "Yeah, That's my name here." Settling down again, he held out a hoof. "And it's not polite for a lady to hide her name from a gentlestallion."
The unicorn blushed, raising her own hoof and accepting the shake. "Lady Cynthia La Sombra." She slid up onto the bench next to him. "Perhaps a gentlestallion such as thyself can share your tale in private, with a lady such as myself." She batted her eyelashes playfully.
Udan held up a hoof. "Whoa there Lady La Sombra." He slid off the bench. "Adventure, mystery and intrigue I have no problem with. Breaking hearts and oaths however, is not a habit I want to get into."
Cynthia frowned. "What oaths wouldst thou be breaking?"
"Number one, I've already given my heart to another mare." Udan replied. "And secondly, even if I was inclined to break such a promise, it would be disrespectful to do so in my brother's home."
Cynthia watched as he walked out of the room, then looked down at her own hooves. "Well Sister." She muttered to herself. "I know now where his heart lies." She chuckled to herself, sliding off the bench and going back to the shelves.
- - -
Cynthia closed the novel she had just finished, then set it atop the small stack on the table in front of her. "What hour be it?" She wondered aloud. She got up off the bench, stretched out, then headed out. In the second floor lobby, she noticed that the sky outside was lightening. A brief moment of panic passed through her as she felt for the moon with her magic. She found it under the horizon. "Ohohoho, just where it should be. Thank you Sister." She chuckled to herself, breathing a sigh of relief. She walked over to the nearest window, peering out to watch the dawn.
"Oh there she is!" She heard a voice call out a short while later. Looking over, she saw her companions led by a pegasus in a red vest. Lemon waved a hoof. Cynthia trotted over. "My lady, we're getting an early morning tour of the estate." The green unicorn beamed.
"Early morn?" Cynthia inquired as the group headed down to the first floor.
"Concierge Toola put the historical tour at the top of the list." The pegasus replied. "Both so you can learn about the history of the family, and of the land as well." He lead the trio through a hallway that ran behind the casino, leading to the main foyer of the mansion. "Incidentally, Your retainer paid for your part of the tour, Lady Cynthia.".
They entered the through an archway in the rear of the main lobby. The front door of the mansion was a pair of hoof-carved wooden doors with ornate brass handles. On either side of the doors, were trapezoidal window bays that were projected forward of the main wall. Along the sides of the room were broad curved ramps that led up to the second story.
Five open archways on the first floor lead to other rooms. One in front of the base of each ramp, one under the top landing of each ramp, and a wide archway at the back of the room that lead to a parlor. The room extended upwards to the top floor, with light provided by the large window panes, or enchanted orbs placed on pillars lining the ramps.
Walking to the center of the room, the tour guide began his lecture. "The Name 'LaRoulette' dates back to the mid 8th century, when Zabela Dendari took an interest in games of chance. With financial backing from her family and some generous benefactors, she opened a casino in Larrun, the first of what would eventually become a lucrative franchise."
"And this Dendari Family; be it still in existence?" Cynthia asked.
"Yes, The Dendari are still around, and the LaRoulettes maintain close ties with their cousins." The pegasus replied. "However, the Dendari deal mainly in trade and commerce. The LaRoulettes on the other hoof, have diversified their business."
"So they don't just buy and sell things?" Lemon inquired.
The pegasus walked over to one of the large windows, then motioned to the outside. "The Chateau is a very profitable business with specialty crops and goods. But those aren't the only means of revenue."
"How else does The Patron make money?" Bouton asked.
"Hospitality is part of it." The pegasus replied. "And then there are generous donations from ponies, zebras, or gryphons that the family has aided."
"So they get income from many different sources." Lemon said.
The pegasus nodded. "Anyways, back on topic." He motioned for the three to follow him into one of the side rooms. "The Chateau itself was founded by Merkanzia LaRoulette." He indicated a large portrait that hung on the wall near the entrance. "In the wake of the Percheron revolution and the following Neighpoleanic era, Merkanzia emigrated to Greater Canterlot and acquired this plot of land in the year eight hundred eleven."
"So the Chateau dates from that time?" Cynthia inquired.
"Yes. Even though the Chateau concept was out of fashion at the time, and small community towns were the new thing." He went over to a small model of the local area. "Merkanzia wanted to provide a taste of the past, a tradition that the LaRoulettes continue today." He indicated the mansion and a few of the surrounding buildings. "As you can see here, this Chateau closely resembles the ones found in Southeast Perch and Northern Caballo."
"I see that." Lemon stated. "So the hotel and casino are just part of the experience. The real draw is an old-world charm that's more accessible to the general populace."
"Exactly." The pegasus grinned. "And situated as we are close to the railroad, and between Canterlot and Manehattan, we provide a unique experience for guests who would otherwise never have an opportunity to visit such a place."
He lead them into another room that had a display case. Lemon, Bouton and Cynthia followed, looking at the artifacts inside. "During the ninth century, the LaRoulette family took an interest in many technological developments." He indicated one of the display pieces "This tapper is the same one that the family used prior to the invention of the wiretalker." He opened the case, and retrieved the device for them to inspect.
The unicorns examined the weather-worn wood and copper construct. Cynthia tested it, finding that the tapper was still operable. "Canst this be used today?"
"It can be connected to a wire, and send messages, provided there's another such device to receive them." The pegasus replied. "Merkanzia's third daughter, Felicity LaRoulette, invested in E.D.D., which later became E.C.I., the number one communications company in Equestria."
"So they became one of the stock-holders, interesting." Bouton stated.
"They still are." The pegasus replied. "Felicity's branch of the family later moved to eastern Manetana, Their home, the LaRoulette ranch, maintains peaceful relations with the buffalo."
"Ranching and stock-trading. That must make for an interesting lifestyle." Lemon mused.
The pegasus put the tapper back in the case, then walked over to another case that held models. Taking out miniature replicas of steamship and a locomotive, the pegasus passed them around for inspection. "During the eight-hundreds, steam-powered transport provided a faster alternative to sailing ships and manually powered carriages. Not only did the LaRoulettes make extensive use of these vessels, but they also used their wealth to finance companies that manufactured these ships and trains."
"Curious." Cynthia began. "Might the family be considered as codfish aristocracy?"
The pegasus chuckled. "There are some that would agree with that assessment, but the family consider themselves as merchants and businessponies first. They invest their wealth in hospitality, gaming, agriculture, finance, and tech development."
"How are they able to act as benefactors for all of these?" Cynthia asked.
"Some of their wealth comes from direct ownership, such as the ranch and this chateau. Some of it comes from banking and the stock market. The family itself has grown and spread out amongst the land, with holdings in many regions." He placed the models back in the case, then went over to another one.
"So Patron isn't an actual noble title." Bouton began. "It's more of an affectation. He acts as a patron to others, by using his wealth."
"They may not be nobility, but the family has earned the right and respect to use the title." The pegasus replied.
"Just out of curiosity." Lemon began. "When did the titles of 'Patron' and 'Matron' start coming into use?"
"The practice started with Zabela. She originally called herself the Matron of Roulette. It was later shortened to Matron LaRoulette, and that's how the surname came about."
"The family has a special affinity for the game, then?" Bouton asked. The pegasus nodded.
"In the mid seven hundreds, roulette was a new novelty, and many well-to-do ponies would go to such places to socialize and be seen. Roulette then was viewed as a high society game, much like Baccarat today."
"So Zabela did see the potential of the game, and aquired her own parlour?" Cynthia asked.
"Correct, Lady Cynthia." The pegasus motioned back towards the main hall. "But just as a pony can't live on hay alone, a casino doesn't do well with just one game. Zabela did allow cards, dice, darts and billiards. Roulette took place in private rooms and V.I.P. lounges."
They passed back the models, and the pegasus put them back in the case. He then lead them into the next room. "While business was good during the early eight hundreds, things really took off with the discovery of gold in the frontier lands."
"The Neighvadian gold rush." Lemon exclaimed with a smile. "That's one of the more well-known historical events."
"With a sudden influx of money, the LaRoulettes and their cousins were more than happy to provide goods and services to spend it on. The City of Las Pegasus went from a small settler town, to a large metropolis, in the span of a few years, with LaRoulette providing many of the casinos and businesses." He indicated models showing the development of the town by year.
"Why didn't they buy out the town, and call it 'LaRoulette City?'" Lemon asked with a smirk.
The pegasus smiled. "Because proclaiming their ownership of it would be bad for business." He pointed out a few buildings. "While the family didn't lock out ponies who wanted to start up their own enterprises, the LaRoulettes certainly didn't want the city to become a chaotic mess. And buying out homes and businesses one by one would be expensive and time consuming."
"My goodness, how didst they maintain order?" Cynthia asked.
"The entire family pooled their available resources together, and bankrolled both the Las Pegasus city council, and the police force."
"That is absolutely brilliant!" Lemon exclaimed, snickering. "They don't have to control every business. With access to the lawmakers and the enforcers, they can keep the town harmonious." Lemon looked to the tour guide. "So did they do this with any other towns?"
"The Las Pegasus experiment exceeded all expectations. Not only were ponies more inclined to behave, but the family earned themselves a reputation of awe. However, repeating this practice in other cities had the risk of drawing Celestia's attention, and that's something that no-pony wanted. They'd certainly never try it in Canterlot. And anyways, the LaRoulette's business is business, not power and influence."
"It does explain a few things though, like how the city is so quick to come down on disharmonious conduct." Bouton said. "And why cheating is unheard of in a place with so many casinos."
- - -
The rest of the tour went by without incident, and Cynthia found the discussions to be very informative. The lectures and displays detailed events up to nine-sixty, including a brief history about the current Patron, Gilbert.
With one tour completed, the trio stopped at the outdoor restaurant to fill their bellies and complete their tickets. Returning to the casino afterwards, they presented the scrolls. "I do believe that we have fulfilled the necessary requirements." Cynthia proclaimed as she handed the scrolls to the clerk.
The mare opened each scroll and verified all the marks. "Excellent." She stated. The mare quickly filled out three cards, then handed one each to Lemon, Bouton, and Cynthia. "Just take these to the hotel desk, and they'll give you the free night."
On their way to the hotel desk, they noticed a group gathered in front of the fireplace. The focus of the group seemed to be a light brown unicorn stallion with a golden brown mane. He wore a tuxedo and his cutiemark appeared to be a pink doughnut. A few mares were gathered around him, one even draping herself over him.
"How now?" Cynthia began. "Be that Doughnut Joe?"
Bouton excused herself to handle the vouchers, while Lemon and Cynthia trotted over to investigate. "Hey." The stallion greeted them. "How may I help you ladies?"
"We were curious. Art thou Doughnut Joe, the proprietor of the establishment close on Canterlot castle?"
"Yes ma'am" Doughnut Joe replied. "But I'm off the clock right now, and I didn't bring any free samples with me unfortunately." He levitated a martini glass from the nearby table, and took a sip.
"Curious. Art though present at thy leisure?" Cynthia inquired.
"I'm here on a business trip." Doughnut Joe replied. "Today and Tomorrow are going to be momentous occasions, and I came down here to pay my respects."
"How momentous are we talking?" Lemon inquired.
Doughnut Joe took another sip of his drink before answering. "Let's just say that today is a good day to make new alliances, partnerships, and enterprises."
- - -
Cynthia and Lemon excused themselves then headed up to their room. Dropping her disguise, Luna did her bedtime preparations while Lime set up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door-handle. Once Luna had settled in, Lime bid her a good day and promised to wake her up for the next tour. The unicorn maid lowered the shades of the bedroom, then left. Alone, Luna mulled over the events of the evening, soon drifting off into slumber.
Outside the room, Lemon met with Bouton. The white unicorn was coming out of her own room. "Oh, Dame Lime." She greeted, then realized her mistake. "Lemon Lime. I meant." She blushed in embarrassment.
Lemon chuckled. "Nice save, Miss Rose." She replied.
Bouton nodded, then looked down the hall. "So, what shall we do for the next ten hours?"
"You didn't happen to pack a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen. and other such supplies, did you?" Lemon asked.
"I'd rather not go swimming in the ocean." Bouton stated. "The salt water is just harsh on my coat."
"Wait a moment. Didn't Princess Celestia say that there was a river around here."
"Rivier Verte. Of course!" Bouton beamed. Both unicorns went back into their rooms, and retrieved their swimming gear.