Rarity slowly opened her eyes. Blinking, she made out the room she was in. Dark blue walls were slowly revealed all around her. Some plants seated on the other side of the room, away from the bed. A bed that was definitely not the one she used to sleep in when coming to Canterlot. This one was bigger than any other bed she slept in. Round, it was covered by a marvellous purple sheet. An exquisite fabric, soft and slightly elastic. She was sure it was some kind of Saddle Arabian silk. It was a waste that such a wonderful textile was used for mere bed sheets. She could surely make a truly splendid dress with it.
Stop there, darling. As beautiful as they were, now wasn’t the time to get lost in textile consideration. She turned her head, looking around her. To her left was a well ordered cabinet. To the right was a beautiful tapestry of deep blue with a shooting star. But another object, just next to her, caught her eye.
Thin and elegant body, perfectly white coat, long neck supporting a finely carved muzzle, long and perfectly trimmed eyelashes, multicolour mane. The exquisite face of a resting Celestia was but a few inches away from her. She froze, memories of yesterday coming to her all at once.
The party. Celestia coming to her, and being more familiar than she would have expected. Even inviting her to go to a more private place to talk. Actually, inviting her to the most high end restaurant in Canterlot. Finishing the evening in the Castle’s truly marvelous gardens. Celestia kissing her, getting more into the kiss than she’d like to admit. And then… A sudden blush took her cheeks.
And then, she had definitely gone all the way with Celestia. Princess Celestia. She had been kind and attentive the entire time, as anyone would expect from the princess. It had been an incredible night following a perfect evening. But Princess Celestia had courted her. Princess Celestia had tried and succeeded to actually gain her favor. And Princess Celestia had wanted to sleep with her. That had been… unexpected, to say the least.
While her brain was still trying to process the information, Celestia opened her eyes. Her magnificent magenta eyes quickly scanned across the bed before landing on Rarity. Slowly, the alicorn unfolded her own body as she was getting up, stretching all of her limbs. She let out a yawn, turning back toward the pony sharing her bed.
“Good morning, love,” she said with a smile.
“Did we- Did I- Did- Buwah?” stammered the unicorn.
“I believe we did, dearest,” answered the Herald of the Sun, nuzzling the muzzle of her new lover.
Rarity blinked for a few moments, eyes fixed in the void, far past Celestia or the wall behind her, allowing some time for her brain to catch up.
“But… Your Majesty, how? Why?!”
“I believe I told you to call me Celestia,” answered the alicorn with a kind smile.
“But I am just a fashion designer. I’m nothing special,” weakly countered the young mare.
“And that is where you are sorely mistaken,” softly answered her centuries old lover, leaning to gently kiss her lips.
When their lips connected, Rarity could feel butterflies fluttering all throughout her body. Closing her eyes, the rest of the world fell away. She almost didn’t feel Celestia’s wing closing around her withers, pulling her into a tight hug. How long it lasted, she couldn’t say. When she felt Celestia's tongue brush against her lips, she happily granted the request and met it with her own. Rarity let herself get pulled into the kiss, leaning toward her lover. Celestia’s wing enveloped her body and pulled Rarity tightly against her as the kiss deepened.
For a few moments after the kiss ended, she wished it hadn’t, feeling an insufferable void on her lips. Without thinking, she leaned slightly forward, trying to catch up her lover. She stopped quickly. That is definitely not a lady-like attitude. Licking her lips, she sat back, a bit more comfortably, the alicorn’s wing still wrapped around her. She stayed a few moments, cuddling against the white coat of her lover. Before realizing she hadn’t answered her question at all. A small scowl on her face, she was going to ask it once more when Celestia spoke.
“I know there are many questions you want to ask, but should we first go to breakfast? I also have a duty I must attend to before that.”
When the princess had spoken about her obligation, Rarity hadn’t thought of the raising of the Sun. Of course, in hindsight, it was obvious, but she was expecting something more mundane until they reached the balcony. She understood as soon as Celestia stepped outside and her horn began to shine. She closed her eyes and lowered her head in deference. It was like the bearer of the Sun wasn’t controlling it, rather only asking for it to show every morning. Slowly, the incandescent sphere rose through the pristine sky Luna had left for her sister. The request was heard and granted.
It was a calm moment, where the ruler of all Equestria and master of the Sun was one with her star.
Without thinking, Rarity had taken a quill and several sheets of paper in her magical aura, and she was already filling them with sketches for a new dress. Moving to the table out on the balcony, muzzle in her drawings, she couldn’t see the princess looking back to her, smiling slightly before joining her marefriend and taking her under her wing. Looking with interest to the design she was drawing, she spoke after a few minutes had passed.
“Maybe you could wait until after breakfast before losing yourself in your designs? I asked the chef for the best breakfast they could prepare.”
“Ah… Yes,” answered the unicorn. “I just need a few seconds…”
She turned back to her design, adding a line there, erasing one here. She was already so absorbed in her art that she couldn’t hear Celestia’s pristine laugh at her side. The princess took a moment to look at her designs. The dress looked really promising. Even with a glance at her rough sketches, it was obvious that the dress was meant to be regal. It hugged tightly to her barrel. A wide collar opened, starting at the withers, forming a large V that united low on her chest. However, the skirt would flow loosely along her back and flank and down her hind legs, contrasting by its lightness with the formality of the front part. The warm colours Rarity had chosen left her with a smile. The reflection of the sunrise was evident in the whole design. She looked at her lover’s art a few more minutes before gently nuzzling her neck.
“You really should finish up, dear,” the alicorn said gently, “or the food will get cold.”
The young mare blushed slightly at the reminder, putting her quill down.
“Sorry, Celestia. Let’s get this breakfast started.”
Lighting her horn, she rolled up her sketches and set them aside, offering Celestia an apologetic smile. The princess took her seat at Rarity’s side and motioned for her servant to enter. He entered the balcony with a tray and wasted no time serving the mares. Tea, coffee, fruits, and the castle’s famous pancakes were aligned before the two mares.
Rarity couldn’t help but eye them with barely contained desire. Only after the food had been served did she realize how hungry she was after the eventful night she just lived. But seeing all this food before her, given by a royal figure, was still a bit intimidating, even for her. She did her best to not show her uneasiness, but she still quickly glanced at Celestia for confirmation. It was the polite things to do, after all.
“Can I really?” asked the unicorn.
“Of course. Anything to keep such a beautiful mare in this castle a bit longer.”
Blushing slightly, the unicorn poured herself a cup of coffee and prepared a plate of fruits and some pancakes. She had just experienced a pretty unique night and started a relationship with the embodiment of the Sun. Today was a day special enough for her to allow herself an exception in her diet. A comfortable silence came over the balcony while the two mares were eating. Finally, Rarity turned to Celestia, looking up at her with prying eyes.
“So… You know exactly what I want to ask, don’t you?”
“In fact, I do. But I’d like to hear it from you, dearest.”
“Why me? Are you really saying you want to date me?”
The princess took her sweet time answering the question, instead opting to take a sip from her teacup and glance at the sun for a moment. Finally, she looked back at the unicorn seated by her side.
“The first one is a silly question,” she finally answered. “Because you are you, dearest. But I believe the answer to your second question might be more satisfying. I was first drawn by your beauty at the gala. You were radiant in that gown. But that is also when I realized how special you were. I have always admired you. You are amazingly successful in your business, while being an Element of Harmony. And you never shy from helping anypony in need. Generosity is something I value deeply. You managed to keep a wonderful balance between all your obligations and who you truly are. You are truly an amazing pony and I would be a fool to not fall for you. After spending time with you last night, I realized I would like to have you by my side. And you did not seems to be against the attention,” she finished with a smile. She took a sip of her tea and looked her right in the eyes. “So yes, dear Rarity, I was, and I am, entirely serious here.”
Rarity was silent a few moments, her cheeks tinted a cute, deep red. Hearing all those compliments from a pony she admired deeply… no, from a pony she was loving more each passing minute. Hearing all that praise, all those kind, loving words left her speechless. Never had she been this happy.
Redder than ever, the unicorn searched for something to stop the lascivious thoughts running through her mind. Her eyes fell on the design in progress that was lying on the table. Oh yes, I still need to finish this. She took a quill in her aura again and tried to focus on the dress and not the fact that one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria had taken a liking to her. That the princess who ruled over Equestria alone for a thousand years wanted to start a relationship with her. That Princess Celestia had actually seduced her. And that she didn’t really have anything against it.
Oh sweet Celest… No! She chewed her quills, trying to focus on the design again, while a wing was once again draped over her withers.
Hoofsteps behind them knocked her out of her concentration, a known voice quickly following.
“Good morning, sister,” said the Princess of the Night and Stars. “I see you have brought a guest to breakfast today.” she added looking in the direction of Rarity.
“Why yes, sister, I have.” Celestia let a small smirk creep onto her muzzle. “I do hope it isn’t a problem, as I seem to remember you informing me of your relationship with my protégé in the same manner at dinner”
The designer had just enough time to place a small, “Good morning, Princess Luna, Twilight.” before the dark blue alicorn answered her sister. Twilight gave her a reassuring and sympathetic smile, which she returned. But nothing could come between the royal sisters’ verbal joust.
“Should I assume, then, that your night went well?” asked Luna, passing the door to the balcony.
“Very,” answered Celestia matter-of-factly, taking a sip of tea.
The the white unicorn’s cheeks quickly took on a beautiful crimson colour while she tried to disappear into her lover’s wing. A mix of joy and shame fought in her gut. Butterflies danced in her stomach hearing her company had been agreeable, even for the centuries old alicorn. But did she really feel it was necessary to say it to her sister and her student? Taking a quick look toward her friend, she saw her looking at her with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
“I know I stole your precious student,” said the younger alicorn, “but you didn't have to seduce another Element of Harmony to get even.”
“I am not as obsessed with competition as you are. Perhaps I was drawn to her by her Element at first, but only because I’m always interested in learning how to be more generous.”
Reaching under her wing, the white alicorn nuzzled the blushing unicorn, smiling and gently stroking her neck. Answering her smile with a smile, the young mare relaxed a bit and leaned into the cuddle, brushing her cheek against her lover’s muzzle. Getting to her seat, Twilight smiled at the couple.
Sitting at Twilight’s side, Luna put a wing around her own marefriend’s withers, rolling her eyes at the other couple with a playful smile. Delicately pouring herself a cup of hot cocoa, she continued with clearly false seriousness, “Dear sister, this is not a laughing matter. Doth not thou think such amounts of white would blind the attendants of thy court?”
“Thou art right, dear sister,” she answered with a wry smile. “We should warn our attendants to wear adequate protection when we present this resplendent mare to our court. Such radiant beauty would cause damage for sure.”
New shades of red appeared on Rarity’s cheeks. She retreated deeper into Celestia’s wings, trying vainly to vanish into the shadows. She knew getting in a relationship with one of Equestria’s ruler wasn’t without difficulties, but she wouldn’t have thought the teasing from Celestia’s sibling would have been one of the most difficult parts. She had somehow forgotten they had centuries to practice.
The smile on Twilight’s lips slowly changed as her mentor and her lover were playing their usual verbal joust. She was searching an opening in the already flustered unicorn, and as she found it, her smile went from reassuring to snarky.
“To think I was worried about speaking to all of you about my relationship with Luna,” said Twilight. “If I had known what you were after…”
“Darling, you know well that one cannot simply plan this kind of thing,” answered the designer, trying to regain some composure, taking an elegant sip from her cup of coffee.
“Oh please, Rarity. Be honest: You’re one-upping me, aren’t you?” replied her friend without hesitation.
She almost choked on her coffee. Incredibly, she manage to not send a single droplet of it flying all over the table. She somehow manage to swallow her drink, but not without difficulty, before being taken by a coughing fit. On her side, Celestia had to repress a laugh but couldn’t really hide the smile on her side, tightening her wing around her lover.
“Twilight! I would never-”
“Welcome to the family,” said her friend, cutting her off with a warm smile.