The public bath house of the Wilds was a sprawling building that looked deceptively like the many other buildings surrounding it at it’s entrance, but which spread out to fill a space the size of a city block behind the other buildings.
It was approaching sunset as Prim entered, and she could see pegusi flying up to large lanterns all around the inside of the cavernous building and lighting them with burning torches. The interior of the building was coated on every surface in shimmering tile. It was clear that it had all been decorated as an homage to the Solar Princess, as it was all gold and sun-themed, along with a mural of Princess Celestia taking flight on one wall.
Prim spotted an earth pony stallion that was waiting nearby, and he smiled and stepped closer once she looked at him. She walked up to him and nodded to him.
“I have… never used a public bath before,” she admitted.
“No need to worry, Madam,” he said gently. “Tis a simple thing, I’d happily guide thee through it all for a silver, pays for brushing and oils,” he offered.
Prim bit her lip, looking the stallion over before looking to the pools of steaming water that gleamed invitingly.
“Can I not just… bathe?”
The stallion looked her over with sympathy, but shook his head.
“The water would quickly be muddy if every traveler stepped directly into the baths. There are two brushings of the coat before one enters the baths.”
Prim hung her head before nodding. “Very well, but may I brush my own coat?”
Again, the stallion shook his head.
“Though I respect thy magic, Madam, it is simply not thorough enough.”
“Lead on, then,” Prim groaned.
She was guided to a room to the side of the pools. The room had woven hay mats on the floor that seemed designed to allow dust and dirt to filter onto the floor below. She placed her bags next to the door before standing stiffly on the mats while the stallion fetched a pair of brushes from a shelf and sat next to her.
The first brush had many rows of metal teeth. As he ran them along her back, it pulled free dead hairs and shifted dust and dirt to the surface. Despite her discomfort at the contact, she admitted to herself that it was a pleasant feeling to have that extra coat scraped away. An extra layer between herself and the world that she hadn’t even noticed she was carrying.
“What is thy name?” Prim asked curiously.
“Fleet Hoof.”
As he walked around Prim to get her other side, she looked at his cutie mark, which was a set of horse-shoe marks on a dirt path.
“Why work at a bathhouse if thy Mark is in running?”
The stallion didn’t answer, focusing on properly cleaning every inch of her coat, including her cheeks and legs. His thoroughness was professional, but made Prim nervous. She might have upset him or something, and she was somewhat at his mercy.
“Dost thou enjoy working here?” she asked.
He finished with the first brush and began gently brushing the dead hair and dust off with the second brush.
“It is a good job,” he said quietly.
“Wouldst thou like the be a runner or messenger if the work was available?”
He looked at her mark curiously, as though it could tell him what position she held, but her crest of flowers and a scroll gave him no insight.
“I suppose. But please, relax. We will be going into the baths soon.”
She sighed and tried to stay calm as he cleared the last of the dust from her stomach, before he finally put the brushes down and gestured her forward. She hesitated and grabbed her bags in her magic before following his lead back into the main room. Though her bags were cheap and dirty, she was carrying enough gold that she couldn’t trust even the nicest of ponies to watch over them.
She was led to one of the smaller pools, which was steaming hot. He had her undo the braid in her mane before she took the shallow steps down until the pool covered her up to her back.
Fleet helpfully supplied a cylindrical scrubber, when she looked at it curiously he chuckled before offering an explanation.
“Made from a vine. It is good at revitalizing the bare skin.”
Prim nodded and began scrubbing every part of her body that her coat did not cover. Once she was done, he gestured for her to walk out of the pool and into another. This second pool was cool, the same temperature as the night air. She flinched away from the water for a moment, but slowly edged into it, until she was fully submerged.
Fleet then had her move close to the edge of the pool, and he began to brush out her mane, having her duck her head under the water a few times. He then brushed out her tail, though she rushed him to finish so she could get out of the cool water.
“Oh look, the new Chamberlain is learning how to use a bath. Don’t worry dear, thou shalt never have the opportunity to do so again.”
Prim quickly looked up, to see who had spoken.
For a moment, Prim did not recognize the mare, or any of the group she was with. But as the mare smirked and started to speak again, Prim placed her voice to a memory. She had been one of the mares that had been speaking with Princess Celestia when she passed by to go to the treasury.
“After all, thou shalt either be worked to death by Her Highness, or sent packing in short order.”
Prim grit her teeth, but decided that she could not try to fight back against the mare. She did not know how powerful she was in court, and Prim barely had any standing besides her title and the fickle favor of Princess Luna.
She turned away and checked her bag before following Fleet into a smaller room off to the back of the building. He drew a curtain and began lightly brushing her mane with a tiny bit of oil.
“So what does a Chamberlain do?” Fleet asked curiously.
“By my brief reckoning? Paperwork and cleaning a room used for important meetings,” Prim sighed and shook her head a little. “I’m new to it, I’m sure there’s more.”
“If Filigree is so cruel to you, surely thou art in the Lunar court?”
Prim laughed, looking at him, curious and surprised.
“She’s known for disliking anypony in the Lunar court? Truly? What a relief. I had thought she just didn’t like me personally. But yes, I serve Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna.”
Fleet brushed her mane and tail silently for a while before sighing.
“I’ve always been frightened of Her Highness,” he admitted as he laid her tail over his foreleg and brushed it out in long smooth motions. “Even when she came to me in a dream to help quell my terrors, I still feared her.”
Prim wasn’t sure what to say in reply. As a pony that had grown up outside of the domain of the Princesses, she had never experienced Princess Luna coming to her in dreams, or Princess Celestia granting some gift to her town. They were just distant rulers.
“Is she frightening up close?”
“As frightening as any other equine capable of ordering one’s execution, I suppose,” Prim shrugged. “I’m more frightened of Princess Celestia. She’s powerful, and revered. Not that I think she’d do anything untoward, but giving any pony that much power seems liable to cause some catastrophe.”
Fleet chuckled a little, smiling for the first time since Prim had walked in.
“True enough. Thou seem too young and thoughtful for a member of the court.”
Prim thought briefly to ask Fleet’s age, but decided it would be impolite.
“I hadn’t planned it. I was nought but a farmer’s daughter. But the position needed to be filled, and I was there to fill it. Besides, I’ve been told that I am wise beyond my years,” she said with a self effacing smile.
“Aren’t we all,” Fleet said, rolling his eyes.
He finished brushing her tail and laid it over a slotted wooden bench to dry as he used a smooth-edged blade of wood to scrape the water off her coat.
Prim relaxed, and soon she was mostly dry. Fleet laid a thin cloth over her back, gesturing that she could sit.
She rebraided her mane, and her tail naturally fell into a tousled mess once it was dry.
Floating her bags closer, Prim took a silver coin out, along with two coppers. She gave them all to Fleet.
“I assume I am allowed to pay thee a gratuity?”
He nodded with a smile.
“I appreciate it. Wouldst thee prefer to use the back door to avoid Filigree?”
“No. I shall have to endure her eventually regardless. Many thanks to thee, Fleet. If I have work for a messenger, can I contact you here?”
He nodded, and Prim smiled. She decided to carry her bags in her magic rather than put them on, now that she was cleaner than they were. She then ducked through the curtain and into the main room.
There were more ponies in the bath house than just the group she was avoiding, but if she had hoped to avoid them, her hopes were in vain.
“Oh look there! She’s nearly unrecognizable,” someone called as she was halfway through the room.
“Just goes to show, if thou takest any vagrant off the street and give it a wash, it may seem like a proper pony! Though still, I can’t believe that Her Royal Sadness chose such a… a pathetic example of the unicorn race.”
Prim stopped mid step. Her hooves were shaking in anger, and she knew she couldn’t react. Any reaction would give the nobility more reason to hate her. She took another step, but stumbled slightly.
“Aw, is she scared?” a taunting voice joined in.
Prim finally turned to look at them. Filigree was a smug looking white unicorn with a gold and lilac mane. Her friends were not important to Prim.
“Treason,” Prim whispered.
“I’m sorry dear, thou shalt have to speak up!” one of the others jeered.
“It is treason to mock Her Royal Highness. It is improper and shameful for somepony meant to be a noble to spend their evenings cajoling a member of court. It is pathetic and shameful for thee to verbally attack me repeatedly for being… what, for being a normal pony? For not having my head as far up my flank as thee? For getting a position thou couldst never obtain?”
The last question caused Filigree’s grin to turn to a scowl, but before she could offer up a retort, Prim lit up her horn and shoved the other mare’s head under the water. She didn’t hold her down, but used the moment of confusion and shock to leave the bath house.
Her heart was pounding as she trotted down the street. She'd just assaulted a member of court, possibly a noble, and run away.
Putting it out of her mind and trying to calm her racing heart, she wandered back to Sali's shop in a bit of a daze.
“I'm almost finished, dear. You look wonderful,” Sali said as Prim came in and sat down, gaze distant. “Art thou alright?”
“I'm fine,” Prim sighed. “Do you have saddle bags?”
Sali nodded as she folded the hem of the cloak and began sewing it shut.
“Many kinds. Wouldst thou desire something like what thou carries now?”
Prim looked at her bags and thought it over. She could have anything, practically.
“What about black with silver?”
“That, I can do.”
She finished her stitching and stood, picking out a dark grey set of bags with silver clasps.
“This is the darkest I have, if it shall suffice?”
Prim nodded and began moving her things over, leaving out five gold coins and a few silver.
“Thanks to thee,” Prim said, drooping against the wall she was sitting next to.
Sali waited for a bit and finished the cloak before walking over to Prim. As she helped her into her new blouse, vest, and cloak.
“What happened?” Sali asked as she straightened the cloak on Prim's back.
“I encountered a noble that taunted me… until I shoved her head under water in the bath house.”
Sali chuckled a little. “It sounds like she deserved it.”
“Isn't the chamberlain supposed to be more professional?”
“Why?” Sali asked. “Thou hast been given power, they should respect thee,” she said as she stepped back and took in Prim. “And now thou art clothed befitting thy position.”
Prim looked herself over, and stood before pacing across the shop.
“Incredible… they fit so well,” she marveled. “I've never had such fine clothing. Surely, thou has earned thy pay.”
Prim picked up the coins and turned toward Sali. But as she held up the coins, Sali was immediately in front of her, gently placing a necklace over her head.
She chuckled at Prim's nervous smile, as she adjusted the moonstone pendant to hang at the hem of her collar.
“No need to be so nervous. I'm just putting on thy jewelry thee had purchased. It's not… improper.”
“Thou art just a little close, is all,” Prim whispered as she averted her eyes.
Sali slipped a silver bracelet around Prim's foreleg and leaned in so her head was right next to Prim's.
“Please… come back if thou art in need of anything. Anything at all, Madam Chamberlain.”
“Of… c-course,” Prim said as she gathered her new bag and backed away, bowing a little. “I'll be sure to.”
She then slipped back onto the dark streets, catching her breath and trying to gather her wits.
She slipped her bags onto her back under her cloak and she closed her eyes, letting the cool wind calm her, brushing her bangs across her brow.
“She didn't know. She was not trying to be attractive to thee… she's just a clothier,” she muttered to herself before standing and cantering towards the castle.
The gatehouse guards let her pass without question, and she crossed the long wooden bridge across the moat at the same speed.
She didn't want to think about Sali's breath on her cheek, or the way she smiled at Prim in an almost predatory way. She wanted to be in the castle, focus on her job, and forget.
She entered the yard inside the castle walls and slowed, catching her breath before entering the great hall. Princess Luna was sitting on her throne, and her gaze snapped to Prim as she entered. A smile slowly grew on her lips as Prim approached and bowed low in front of her Princess.
“Your Royal Highness. I have a meeting with thy sister shortly, then I shall be available to serve thee. Shall I take any commands at this time?”
Princess Luna tilted her head to the side, taking in her chamberlain.
“Thou hast cleaned up most admirably. Is that moonstone?”
“Yes, it is your Highness,” Prim said with a smile. “I do hope it pleases thee.”
Luna sighed and shook her head.
“Do not try so hard to please us. We appreciate our ponies for their spirit, not their attempts to gain our favor.”
Prim hesitated at that, and looked at what she was wearing. Most of it she liked, the clothes she felt at home in. But the jewelry?
She took the bracelet and necklace off and tucked them into her bags, before smiling up at Princess Luna.
“Any commands at this time, your Highness?”
“No. Meet with our sister then return to us. We shall discuss thy new responsibilities then.”
“Of course, your Highness.”
Prim bowed as she backed away, before she trotted off into the solar wing of the castle.