Hard Hat squinted at the mares in front of him. He kinda remembered the unicorn, the pegasus not so much. A week of working nearly around the clock with only a little sleep each day (assuming he got any, some days it seemed like he’d just barely closed his eyes when the alarm started screaming at him) did bad things for memory, and coffee only helped so much. At that moment, he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know either of them. As much as he owed Spike, there were limits. “So, lemme get this straight, Miss—”
“Rarity,” The unicorn supplied. “Sorry, I know you must be dealing with a lot of things right now and this isn’t the news you were looking for.”
“You ain’t got the half of it, sister.” Hard Hat replied with a bitter laugh. “And no, no it ain’t. The news I was expecting was a few bags of bits and a start date. Now you want my boys to go on a wild goose chase—”
“Um,” the pegasus interrupted with a worried look. “Please, don’t do that. My geese are very nice, even if they are wild. They really wouldn’t like that at all.”
“No, darling, he’s implying that we’d be asking his men to go on a fool’s errand,” the unicorn who had called herself Rarity replied.
She turned back to Hard Hat with a frown, to which he simply shrugged, completely unrepentant. She let out an exaggerated sigh, looking at the pegasus again. “He’s wrong, of course, but he has to think of his crew first and foremost.”
“Yeah, I do. And you’re asking them to go on some kinda treasure hunt without getting paid first.” Hard Hat said with a snort. “These guys are gonna be tired as is, lady.”
“Yes, and that’s why they are being paid a premium, as we discussed.” Rarity replied patiently. “Look, I can get to enough by myself to pay them all first thing that they arrive. But I cannot emphasize enough, there is a lot to dig up, and we’ll need to transport it all to the bank.”
“Yeah, that’s another thing. It’s not like they’ll be hauling dirt or lumber around, you’re asking for guards. They’re gonna need to be paid for that.”
“And they will be. I just need you to send them over so that we can begin, then we’ll need to transport it all to the bank, at which time my royal order will be honored and the payment matter can be settled. Then we can begin on the work at my shop.”
Hard Hat pressed a hoof to his temple, trying to suppress the throbbing headache these two were giving him. “Yeah. Like you said. But then we got the issue of them having to work around wild animals, miss—”
“Um... Miss Fluttershy, Mr. Hat.” the pegasus said, smiling apologetically for interrupting him again. “And they’re really all very well-behaved. I could probably get my beaver and bear friends to help your crew if you like. They were the ones that helped me bury it all to begin with.”
Hard Hat felt a stab of pain just behind his eyes, and closed them tightly for a moment to mask his wince. He took a deep breath, reminding himself of what Doctor Stable had said about his stress levels. Then he looked at his coffee, feeling a stab of guilt that he was ignoring doctor’s orders on that one. “Yeah... let’s not do that,” he said, promising himself once again that he’d switch to decaf once he wasn’t so very busy.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“Right,” he said after a long moment. “So... listen. Getting a full crew together in an afternoon just ain’t gonna happen. Especially since I don’t have bits in hoof to pay them. I might be able to get you a couple guys who would be willing to go over and help out today, but that’s a big old if they feel like it. My advice is, go home, they’ll be around if they can spare the time. If no one shows, get over here bright and early tomorrow with enough bits to cover the labor for this little saffari you want done. Then we can finalize on the big job. Sound fair?”
“More than fair.” Rarity replied with a smile. “I really am sorry to approach you without the agreed-upon sum, but it was late in the day and I hoped we could get a jump on things.”
“Yeah, I get it,” he said dismissively. “Like I said before, if I wasn’t trying to work triple time none of this would be a problem. Heck, in another week even we should be fine.”
“In another week I’ll be disappointing a client, and I’d rather not if I can help it.” Rarity replied. “So then, this evening, if you can persuade them, tomorrow morning if not. Feel free to tell those adventurous souls that there is a bonus on top of everything else, if they do come tonight. I’ll make it worth their time and effort.”
“A’right, I’ll see. Might have a couple guys who need bits bad enough.”
“Fair enough. In either case I will see you in the morning, Hard Hat. Come along, Fluttershy.”
“Okay,” Fluttershy said quietly. She nodded to Hard Hat with a little smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hat. I just know you’ll get Rarity’s shop fixed up nicely. And I’m really looking forward to not having to find new hiding spaces for my money.”
He ushered them both out, closing and locking the office door the moment they’d gotten their tails outside. With them gone, he immediately took out his bottle of willow bark pills, taking two of them with a nice long sip of coffee. He really needed to take a long vacation after all of his jobs were done. His wife, Mae Bell, had been bugging him about a trip to Apple Wood or Las Pegasus for quite a while. Probably wasn’t a bad idea. Celestia knew he’d earned a vacation or three, and Mae deserved that and more for keeping him on his hooves for this long.
The prissy unicorn’s shop shouldn’t take too long, even as bad as it was. He still kinda marveled that so much damage had been done by a single lightning strike. All around town they had been working on jobs related to the storm, but hers was one of the worst. Fire in a room full of perfumes and fabrics burned hot and fast, not like anything he’d ever seen before. But it wouldn’t prove any harder than any other job, and easier than some.
Then there was the pegasus who needed a small (or large, if he was to believe the crazy unicorn) fortune dug up from various places around and in her home. He’d heard of ponies who hoarded their money, but not usually ones who squirrelled it away like... well, like a squirrel. Kinda made sense, since he was pretty sure she was the one who did all the fundraisers for the animal adoption service. He’d never thought about where she kept it all, though. Or for that matter, that ponies donated that much. He guessed it would take quite a lot of money to keep half of the Everfree fed, if he was to believe the rumors about her.
Both of them were nuttier than a basket of fruitcakes, as far as he was concerned. But a job was a job, and a favor repaid was important too.
He gave his head an experimental shake. When it didn’t fall off, he stood up and headed out. One or two of his guys should be kicking their heels up at the bar, drinking away half a day’s pay. Even if they were a little tipsy, they should be able to go help dig up the bits. And if need be, he’d do the job himself.
But first, he needed a stiff drink himself. He’d had a long day, and it didn’t look like it was getting any shorter anytime soon.
As they made their way to Fluttershy’s cottage, Rarity’s mind was spinning with potential ideas. She was positively giddy with excitement at the prospect of being able to work again soon. There was the order to finish, that was the first priority, but she also wanted to draw up some basic designs for a wedding dress, or possibly two, though she was dying to see Applejack in a nice tuxedo and said as much to Fluttershy in passing.
“Why wouldn’t they both wear dresses?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well, generally in such a wedding one of the pair takes up the traditionally masculine role, and while Rainbow is a tomcolt in many respects, she adores dresses, provided you can get her into one.”
“Applejack likes dresses too,” Fluttershy countered.
“While true... she abhors overly ‘frou-frou’ things, which I’m afraid a wedding dress very much is. I could more easily coax her into a tuxedo,” Rarity thought for a moment, then added: “Or even a sort of western-themed set of ‘duds’, if it came to it,” she flashed Fluttershy a rakish grin. “Besides, Rainbow adores being the center of attention and a showy gown would capture all of the eyes very easily.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Fluttershy said after thinking it over for a moment. “So, what about Pinkie and Twilight?”
“Oh, Pinkie looks smashing in a tuxedo! I’ve seen it, it’s adorable!” Rarity said, giggling into a hoof. “And Twilight is very much a traditionalist when it comes to ceremonies. When Pinkie inevitably pops the question, I shall be ready for them. Though I’m not sure what to do if it ends up being a royal wedding... that could complicate matters.”
Fluttershy smiled with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “And what about us?”
“I...” Rarity trailed off, not quite sure what to say. “I admit I’m... not sure about that one. I would very much want to make you the finest gown I’ve ever designed, however, so I suppose I’d just have to settle for designing the most elegant and beautiful tuxedo yet to be seen.”
Fluttershy smirked at her, a twinkle in her eye. “I think you’ll look wonderful in anything. But maybe you could wear a dress too.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t think of it!” Rarity replied, mirroring Fluttershy’s smirk with one of her own. “After all, I’m going to have the most beautiful bride in all Equestria, and that pony needs the most gorgeous gown.”
Fluttershy nuzzled against Rarity’s chin, then kissed her on the cheek. “You’re wrong. I’m going to have the most beautiful bride.”
Rarity opened her mouth, then closed it again. While she wanted to disagree, there wasn’t exactly any argument that wouldn’t devolve into endless and increasingly insufferable repetition. She’d seen many couples at this stage, and hadn’t even realized she’d slipped into it herself. Having recognized it, however, she decided to do the world at large a favor and not make a nuisance of herself. “Thank you,” she said instead.
They walked together in silence for a time, watching the sun dip closer to the horizon. Around them, ponies were finishing up whatever business of the day they needed to finish. The marketplace was rather quiet, most ponies having already closed up shop for the day.
But it wasn't completely silent, as a strident voice called out from across the way: “Big sister!”
Rarity smiled as the white blur approached her, sitting down and holding out her arms for the inevitable hug that followed. She let out a brief grunt of pain as Sweetie Belle impacted into her chest with all the force that youth could muster, which was a surprising amount.
While Rarity was busy having the breath squeezed out of her, another inevitable followed along beside Sweetie Belle. Seeing Scootaloo was only surprising for the lack of the third, who was apparently busy watching the Apple family stand while her big sister prepared for her trip.
“All right, now, Sweetie. I was only gone for a day this time...” Rarity said as she gently stroked her sister’s hair.
“Yeah, I know, but I still missed you.” Sweetie replied as she looked up into her sister’s eyes. “I just got used to seeing you more often, with mom and dad gone on their trips. I keep trying to go home and then I remember it’s not safe right now.”
Rarity nodded in understanding. Sweetie Belle stayed with her often enough to consider the Boutique home as much as her parent’s house was. Truthfully, Rarity was looking forward to the return of normalcy of having Sweetie there in the guest room nearly as much as she was regaining her workspace. As much as Sweetie could be a bit trying at times, Rarity loved her sister, perhaps more than anypony else.
Her eyes flicked to Fluttershy’s, which were fixed on Sweetie and herself, a warm happy smile adorning her lips.
Maybe not more than, but easily as much, Rarity amended to herself.
“Well, give me a few more days on that, and I may be able to have you come visit again, at least. I fear I shall have to use your guest room for storage for a little while, until my top story is rebuilt.”
“Maybe we could help to make it quicker—”
“No!” Rarity said quickly, then added: “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I’ll be spending a lot of money to have the work done by professionals and it would be far too dangerous for you and your friends to be around, Sweetie.”
Sweetie Belle frowned, but thankfully didn’t look offended. “I guess that makes sense. I... I actually was hoping to ask you something, but maybe we should wait till later—”
“Sweetie,” Scootaloo interjected. “I’m gonna go keep Apple Bloom company.”
“Actually, I’m going to need some bushels of apples, Scootaloo.” Fluttershy said, following along beside her. “And would you girls be able to cart them over to my cottage?”
“Sure! How many bushels?”
“We’ll see how many you have. I’m probably going to need a lot...”
Fluttershy turned back to Rarity, giving her a little wink, and Rarity silently mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her.
“Did you get to talk to Luna?” Sweetie asked in a whisper when she was sure she wouldn’t be overheard.
“We did. We all talked like grown ups and figured things out.” Rarity replied with a little chuckle.
“That’s good! I was worried about her.”
“Yes, sometimes grown ups have silly fights too.”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at her older sister. “Yeah, sometimes.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Rarity demanded, feeling just a little miffed with her sister.
“I mean it seems like the only difference between a grown up fight and a schoolyard fight is when the grown ups fight they stop talking forever. I fight with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon all the time but I still talk to them.”
Rarity opened her mouth, intent on some retort, only to close it again in reflection. She had been about to bring up the ‘Sisterhoof’ incident, in which Sweetie Belle had very much tried to do the exact same thing she was chiding Rarity for. But they had both learned a little better since then, and it was an incident they’d both agreed never to speak of again. After a moment she said: “I’m not sure which of us is more foolish for that, but I feel like I have been soundly rebuked.”
“That’s because you have been, darling,” Sweetie replied back in a bad mockery of Rarity’s accent.
Rarity gritted her teeth, counted to ten, and added another little bundle of anger to a safe place in her mind. Rarity’s frustration aside, Sweetie did have a good point, which only made it more frustrating. “I suppose it’s easier to avoid one’s adult friends if it comes to it. But I take your meaning. If you can manage to be civil with those two—”
“I never said anything about being ‘civil’,” Sweetie said with a frown. “But I still talk to them. Sometimes they’re even okay to be around.”
“Yes, well, as you said, sometimes.” Rarity replied with a wince. “In any case, we won’t need to worry about avoidance with regards to Luna. We just had to discuss a few adult matters and lay down some ground rules. She’ll be fine.”
“Good!” Sweetie replied with a smile. “So... how long till they fix the Boutique?”
“With any luck, work starts tomorrow, and from there I suspect it to progress quickly.”
“So, then... maybe could they make my room bigger?” Sweetie asked, fluttering her eyes at Rarity.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible without severely altering the shape of my shop, Sweetie.” Rarity replied with a chuckle. “I could perhaps get them to do some fresh wallpaper or paint, if you would like that.”
Sweetie Belle seemed immediately cheered by the thought after looking disheartened about not being able to expand her room. “Yeah! I... I don’t know what I want yet, though.”
“Well, give it some thought. They have to make the Boutique livable, first. Then they must rebuild the second story, then the kitchen.”
“Okay!” Sweetie replied, giving Rarity a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let you know. And I wanna come visit as soon as you can work in your house again.”
“Count on it, little sister.”
“And when your kitchen is fixed, I can make you lunch!”
Rarity’s heart skipped a beat. “Um... that is... perhaps we’ll just order out.”
“Relax!” Sweetie said, skipping back to the Apple stall. “I got this! We’ll have a nice salad, and some soup, and sandwiches!”
Rarity laughed nervously, making a mental note to have her fire extinguisher refilled and tested. “I look forward to it!” she said, congratulating herself for not choking on that sentence as she said it.
Celestia only knew what she might have to choke down later.
Fluttershy returned a moment or two later, and behind her the three fillies were packing up every apple bushel available and placing them on the cart normally used to bring them into the market. Fluttershy smiled sheepishly. “I used what I had leftover. It made Apple Bloom happy. How was your talk with Sweetie?”
“Just fine, darling.” Rarity replied. “She just needed to remind me that I’m not the only one anxious for me to get my shop in working order.”
“You know you could have her come visit us at my cottage. I do have a couch,” Fluttershy said.
“Not a bad notion, but it’s not the same. We have our little rituals, she and I. I try to work, she pesters me, then she runs off with her friends after breaking something...”
“You could work in my cottage?” Fluttershy suggested.
“Again, not the same. My workspace is carefully organized, everything just so. I can’t work just anywhere, and I don’t feel right when I can’t work.” Rarity patted her saddlebags, wherein she had the stacks of dress designs done while she was magically out of her mind. “And apparently I get full of horrid ideas.”
“They weren’t all bad...”
“Oh? Did you see them?”
“A few of them.” Fluttershy admitted. “We had to go very quickly after Luna figured out what was wrong with you.”
“And what did you think of them?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.
“They... they were nice?” Fluttershy offered.
Rarity sighed heavily. “Right, of course they were ‘nice’. But just because something looks nice and sounds like a good idea doesn’t make it good fashion.”
Fluttershy winced. “Like the gala dresses...”
“Well, yes, though you girls weren’t totally off in your design choices. They were just a little busy to have together all at once. Though... that bird nest, and the balloons...” Rarity stopped before she drove herself into a stress headache. “Suffice to say, I am more than capable of bad ideas myself. That’s why I need my own space. It helps keep me centered.”
Fluttershy frowned unhappily, but nodded. “I just hoped for a little longer with you before we... No, sorry. We can’t just ignore our lives, can we?”
“Sadly not, but we can make lots of time for each other, I promise.” Rarity replied with a smile, kissing Fluttershy lightly on the cheek.
“Okay. We should get home and start getting the money together, then.” Fluttershy said with a firm nod. “We’ll get your home all fixed. Then... well, then we’ll see.”
Luna spat out the remainder of what was in her mouth with distaste.
She had been gratified to see that breakfast was in fact not something she needed to order (apparently she’d been pestering the staff for no reason), but had been curious about some of the dishes normally laid out for her sister. Since nopony else was around to consume any of it, she had happily filched from her sister’s side.
Her sister’s taste in beverages lacked the bite of her coffee. Luna had never had much of a taste for tea and the orange juice struck her as being too sour with so much sweet to choose from. And there was quite the variety of sweets. She’d tried the donuts and fruit pastries, finding them delightful enough. This one had been a mistake, however.
In her defense, it had looked much like a donut, save that it was cut in half, and covered with some vaguely sour spread that looked a bit like the frosting she was so fond of. The taste, on the other hoof, was nothing like it.
She wondered if perhaps it would prove more palatable with some of the jams and jellies laid out for use with the flat disc-things stacked up on another plate. The point was moot, however, as the sour spread was on all of these not-donut things.
Tia would know what I am meant to do now, Luna thought glumly, pushing the other half of the thing around on her plate. Not about breakfast, of course, that was a simple affair; the cook that had come up with this infernal confectionary would need to be beaten as an example to the others.
Although Celestia wouldn’t like that, so perhaps a sternly worded reprimand instead.
The donuts and pastries were quite nice, though, she thought, torn with indecision.
In the end she decided that perhaps she would simply take more care when picking through her sister’s breakfast as opposed to blaming the staff for making it. Doing otherwise might make future breakfasts more difficult to obtain, and she couldn’t afford to deal with a revolt amongst the help when she was already potentially having to deal with a very important deserter.
Much as she was wanting advice, Tia was enough of a distance away to make it slightly inconvenient to see her in person (especially since if she pulled another disappearing act she was certain the guards would uniformly have a nervous breakdown). She could send Celestia a missive, but there was no guarantee of a timely response. If she even got one at all. Tia was supposed to be resting, after all, not having to concern herself with matters of state until she was both physically and mentally sound.
Perhaps physically is enough, Luna amended.
She would have loved to ask Middy what he thought of the matter, save that he was the cause for her concern. It was a most vexing problem. She’d never had a pony that she depended on as much as she had come to depend on him (save for her sister), and at the peak of his usefulness it seemed he had succumbed to the basest of all failings of ponykind.
To be fair, she is a comely mare, if one favors maturity. If he must abandon me, at least he has good taste. It was a small comfort, but Luna would take it.
She sighed, picking up several of the real donuts in her magic and transferring them to her own plate. They were very good. She decided that she wouldn’t reprimand the cooks after all.
To a being with an indefinite lifespan, there was no such thing as a waste of her own time. Rather, she tended to focus on wasting time that could be spent with others whose time was far shorter, of late. But when she was feeling a little sad for herself it was very difficult to think about such things.
As such, she wasn’t sure how long she sat there before she was disturbed, but she was eventually interrupted.
“Majesty, I have the diplomat of Scoltland asking for an audience.”
She looked up to see one of the guards who had been standing watch at the entry in front of her, his posture perfect as he waited silently for an answer. She frowned, asking: “Is Midnight Oil with her?”
“She comes alone,” he replied. “Shall I send her away?”
Luna hesitated for a moment, but decided against her first impulse, which was to send the little trollop to a nice cell until she was ready to talk to her. “Send her in, but nopony else. If Midnight chose not to accompany her I will not have him interrupting while I speak to her.”
The guard bowed respectfully, leaving the room with a well-practiced aboutface which almost made Luna clap her hooves together in delight.
In a few moments the trollop entered, her posture speaking volumes to Luna. This mare was brave, Luna gave her that much. She held herself straight and true, she was groomed immaculately, and her gaze did not waiver from Luna’s own.
But Luna could smell her fear despite it all. It spoke to her, awakening dark feelings. For all that she could be cruel in her dispensement of justice, it was not pointless cruelty. To her mind, those who acted with cruelty deserved it in kind. It was the oldest form of justice, after all, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
This mare with her carefully styled hair and a face that spoke of bland passivity made her wish to do pointlessly cruel things.
“Princess,” the pony said, sweeping down into a low curtsey. “May I sit with you?”
Luna said nothing for a long moment, feeling very uncomfortable with this situation. This mare had done her no real wrong. She had, in fact, been wronged by Luna, unwitting though she might have been. Yet Luna seethed with anger at her very presence, and could think of no acceptable reason for it. If she’d met this mare under different circumstances, she supposed she would have found the mare dull, but tolerable. While she didn’t seem the type to be fun at parties (though in her experience most ponies weren’t, judging by Fancy’s usual guests), she was pleasing to look upon, which counted for something.
Middy has very, very good taste, she admitted to herself grudgingly.
“Thou mayest,” Luna intoned airily, expressing outward indifference. Inside, however, she was beginning to feel angry with herself for feeling the way she did. Middy had more than earned any happiness he could have in life, after all. Just because this mare had come to Middy of her own accord instead of being bathed and dressed in fine gowns and delivered to him by Luna didn’t mean she couldn’t be happy for him.
“Majesty, I feel we... got off on the wrong hoof, so to speak,” the mare said as she took a seat. “Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Eriskay of Scoltland, Ambassador to the Queen of Scoltland and representative of the Scoltish Trading Empire.”
Luna raised a single eyebrow at her guest. “Scoltland? And they have a ‘Queen’, no less?”
Eriskay returned Luna’s gaze, looking nonplused by her reaction. “Err, yes?”
“My, things really have changed!” Luna replied with a laugh. “The last I knew of Scoltland they were still painting themselves blue. Tell me, have you settled things with the Great Danes?”
“The Great Danes have not attacked in over five centuries,” Eriskay said faintly.
“Ah, that’s nice then. So, a shipping empire! Quite a feat in a mere thousand years. And you represent them along with your ‘Queen’?”
“I... do, yes. Please understand, Her Majesty acknowledges ties to Celestia the Eternal and would never think to hold the title of Queen over Princess! Indeed, in our land even the daughter of the Queen is simply called Heir, as the title of Princess is held in as high a regard as Queen, if not higher. Celestia herself is something of a figure of legend—”
“Yes, I wouldn’t doubt it,” Luna said, growing impatient with mere banter, and feeling just a little bitter that apparently there were no legends of Luna herself in this Scoltland. “Very well, ambassador. Tell me what you would.”
Eriskay didn’t speak for a moment or two, taking a napkin from the table setting and using it to dab at her brow. “Yes, well, that is... I’m afraid conditions in Chineigh have necessitated in their increasing the prices of certain goods—”
“Stop,” Luna said, having reached the end of what patience she had left to her. It was clear whatever this mare wanted was going to be important, but very little she was saying was actually helping Luna, beyond informing her that the odd savages that had lived on the isles near Prance had apparently gotten very civilized in a mere thousand years or so.
Eriskay did as she was told, closing her mouth with a snap and waiting for Luna to speak.
“Madam, I am not my sister.” Luna said, leveling her gaze at the other mare. “She would know what goods are shipped from Chineigh, or for that matter that there is a Chineigh, and how much said goods would normally cost and what increases would be acceptable. I’m going to need some more details for this conversation to be of any use to either of us.”
“Yes! Yes of course!” Eriskay said, reaching into a satchel with her magic and pulling forth a report. “I have it all here. Normally I would have given this to the Princess prior to our meeting, but...”
Luna took a long look at Eriskay, her report held forth as if it were a shield. Luna took a deep breath, letting it out noisily. “But she is not here, and I am. And I clearly make you nervous.” Luna supplied. “Perhaps, before I look at that, we should look at the elephant.”
“The... elephant?” Eriskay asked, looking confused.
“Aye, he waits for us to address him. We both know his name. Shall I say it, or would you like to?”
“I’m sorry, Majesty—”
“Very well. We both know him as Midnight Oil, Madam. Though it seems you might be on a more intimate basis with him than I.” Luna said, crossing her forelegs in front of her. “And now I am forced to ask a difficult question, perhaps for us both. What are your intentions with my Middy?”
“Y-yours?”
“Aye, mine. He was given to me by my sister upon my return, and has served faithfully and well since then. Indeed, he has served well above and beyond his original capacity, and ever proves himself able for any challenge set upon him. I need him, Madam. So I must ask, do you intend to take him from me?”
Eriskay stared at Luna for a long, long time, struck speechless. When she finally opened her mouth, it was to let out a hysterical giggle which was immediately stifled by one of her own hooves being shoved in her mouth.
“Are... are you mocking me?” Luna asked, her visage growing dark and ominous. At the edges of the room, the shadows grew from every corner.
“No!” Eriskay said quickly. “I... I just don’t know what to say! I honestly thought this was something else entirely and to be honest it's been worrying me to the point of sickness.”
Luna’s anger slowly receded, to be replaced with consternation. “What... what did you suppose was the ‘something else’, Madam? I spoke in earnest, I care not for your dalliance, but I have no wish for Midnight to be whisked away from me. He is very much needed here.”
Eriskay simply shook her head, looking more than a little relieved to Luna’s continued confusion. “I had supposed there was something Midnight wasn’t telling me. I trust him not to cheat on me but there was the possibility of sexual tension, one-sided though it may be—”
Luna’s eyes grew wide, and she felt the bile from her stomach (along with sundries pastries and coffee) trying to make its way up her throat. “What?! No, madam! Never my Middy! That... that would be abhorrent!”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far...” Eriskay replied, looking mildly offended.
“I do not mean Middy himself is unattractive, Madam.” Luna said, taking the cup of orange juice and swallowing it to wash down the horrid taste in her mouth. “He is certainly a very handsome specimen of stallion and I commend you on your taste. I simply mean... I would not pursue him romantically for myself.”
“I’m glad for that much.” Eriskay said, her gaze dropping from Luna’s own to the table for a moment. “I wasn’t entirely certain what to do if it were otherwise.”
They regarded each other over the table for a long while before Luna spoke. “You still haven’t answered my question, Madam. Is it your intention to take Midnight with you when you go?”
Eriskay looked genuinely surprised at the question. “Well, no. He’s needed here, as you said, and I am needed in my own position.”
It was with a palpable sense of relief that Luna replied: “Ah, so... this was a ‘fling’? It must be very lonely, traveling all of the time.”
“It is lonely, actually, there are times I wish I’d decided on a different career.” Eriskay replied. She poured a glass of the orange juice for herself and sipped at it demurely. “But it’s well worth it when I come home to him. We try to spend as much time as possible together when I am in Equestria.”
“Ah, so a committed relationship of sorts, but separated by time and distance.” Luna nodded in understanding, pouring herself another mug of coffee and taking a sip. She was beginning to feel more comfortable with Eriskay now that the air had been cleared, and was even beginning to like her now that she knew what the mare was to her Middy.
“Yes, I suppose you could say we’re committed.” Eriskay replied. “We’re married.”
Luna nearly choked on her coffee as she heard the revelation, “Married?” she sputtered out after managing to get a gasp of air into her lungs.
“Yes, for some time now, actually.” Eriskay said. “It seemed only right, even if we’re more married to career and country than to each other. But I love him dearly, and he feels the same.”
“Middy never mentioned—” Luna stopped herself, her face scrunched up in thought. “Actually, Middy never speaks of himself. He just does what I ask. And he listens to me, no matter what I say.”
“Exactly!” the other mare said with a warm smile that cracked the staid exterior she normally presented. “He’s a wonderful conversationalist, but he’s especially good at getting ponies to open up and relax around him. It’s a little harder to get him to talk about himself, he considers it... rude. It was rather fun picking away at him, though.” she sighed in a manner that could only be described as dreamily, which was incredibly odd-looking coming from a mare that was otherwise so very composed.
“I just don’t understand how it is I have not met you before, Madam.” Luna said, shaking her head. She was coming to some unfortunate conclusions about herself as a sovereign, and as a pony, the latest was that she was not nearly as knowledgeable about her Middy as she should be.
“It’s not terribly surprising, to be honest. During previous occasions when I was in-country Midnight simply did without sleep for the most part to spend time with me and not interrupt his work schedule with you. He’d spoken of you, of course, but...” Eriskay hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry, this may be imposition, but I admit to being very curious. He seemed to imply you were... considerably younger, or at the least shorter.”
“Ah, age is... different, for my sister and I.” Luna replied. “She would have the accounting of it better than I.”
“I see, so, you are nearly as old as Celestia herself?”
“Aye, and as Middy said, I was considerably smaller when he first entered my employ, having been cured of a great affliction and left in a weakened state.”
“An affliction?” Eriskay asked, looking surprised.
Luna nodded. Their initial awkwardness having been gotten past, she had decided she rather liked Eriskay. Words that normally could not be spoken came freely from Luna, and she found it oddly cathartic just to say them. “Powerful magical artifacts were used to cleanse me of it.”
“That sounds quite horrible!” Eriskay replied. “And that was why you could not be at your sister’s side? I had wondered about that.”
“Yes, I was quite literally mad, and words were had. I tried to overpower her to take the throne, but she banished me. I broke free of my shackles after a thousand years and in my rage I placed my sister under similar circumstances, then I was beaten soundly by six heroes. I lay defeated, my power stripped from me, my mind my own again after having been consumed by rage. And my sister... she forgave me. After so long, and so much...”
There was a long silence between the two, eventually broken by Eriskay asking: “So, you are better, now?”
“I strive to be.” Luna said with a little laugh.
The Middy matter having solved itself to her satisfaction, Luna picked up the proposal in her magic, opening it to find a detailed analysis of past pricing of several major imports. Many seemed to be unchanged from previous years, some costs were even reduced. The only major changes she could discern were in the imports from the aforementioned Chineigh, and amongst those the largest increase was in the cost of tea, which had nearly doubled in price.
“Wait!” Eriskay said from the other side of the table. “Not that one, let me get the others...”
Luna looked up from the document, confused. “Is something wrong with the information therein?”
“No, it’s all accurate, but that one is a proposal that essentially passes on all additional costs plus the standard profit margin and a bit of a markup besides. I wanted to show it to your sister because I thought she’d have a chuckle at it. Obviously it’s the one favored by the shipping empire.” Eriskay held a new report up in her magic. “This one is more fair. Just give the other one back, please.”
Luna took the new proposal, holding it beside the first. The only difference she could see was a marked decrease in the cost per unit of tea shipments and a similar reduction in rice and other sundries from Chineigh. She stroked her chin thoughtfully with the silver-shod tip of her hoof. “Is this how you and my sister normally negotiate? You give her progressively lower bids for no reason?”
“No, it’s usually several meetings over the course of weeks discussing the situations of each country over tea, then we begin talking about prices for shipments.”
“And those prices go down as you have these discussions?” Luna prompted.
“Some do, some go up,” Eriskay replied with a frown. “It varies.”
Princess Luna leaned forward, laying both documents down. “Let us cut to the quick of it, Madam. You came because you need to reach a new agreement with our nation. You have certain needs that must be met. You are beholden to multiple entities with interests in said agreements, and will receive acclaim from one or the other or both depending on how we decide, yes?”
“That... is a very simplistic way of putting it...”
“But not an incorrect one?” Luna asked pointedly.
“That is true.” Eriskay admitted.
“So then, tell me of the disaster that befell this land of Chineigh. Then we shall discuss how best to satisfy your superiors.”
Eriskay considered for a long moment, then nodded. “Fine, but we’re going to need fresh tea.”
“I’ve no taste for it,” Luna replied. “I much prefer my coffee.”
“That’s because you’ve never had a proper cup, I suspect.” Eriskay replied, already getting up and taking a tea kettle with her to get water from the kitchen. “Give me a moment.”
Luna raised a hoof in protest, letting it fall as it became apparent that Eriskay was not listening. “Very well, Madam.”