Four mares sat around in Fluttershy's large bedroom. Pinkie however was bouncing on the soft bed with her exclaiming, "This is the most bounciest-bouncy-bed in the entire castle!"
Rarity scolded, "Pinkie Pie, get off of there at once! You don't want poor Fluttershy to sleep on a lumpy mattress, do you?"
"Nope!" the pink mare bounced off and sat on the floor next to Rainbow.
Fluttershy gestured, "It really has been wonderful getting to know all of you but I still don't understand how some of you ended up in the king's servitude. Rainbow told me she was tricked and Pinkie said she took her sister's place."
Applejack stated, "I grew up in the castle, that's all you need to know."
Rarity motioned, "I had to provide for my little sister. We got separated from our parents one night after a fire caught on our house and when we came to the village, I was told that work was being offered at the castle and so we came here, met with the king and he gave me a contract. Of course by the time our parents found us it was too late for me to get out so Sweetie Belle was sweet enough to stay with me until my contract is up."
However, Rarity knew this was a half-truth she was telling Fluttershy. There was a whole other reason she ended up in servitude but she did not dare tell the others this given there was no telling how they would react to it…
Rarity and Sweetie Belle wandered around the village with Sweetie telling her big sister, "I'm hungry, Rarity…"
The unicorn looked down and told her, "I know, Sweetie, but we lost everything in that fire so we cannot buy something to eat. I will simply have to get a job to make sure we're fed and then we can buy a little place of own."
Sweetie Belle gave sad eyes, "Will we ever see Mom and Dad again?"
Rarity bit her lip and admitted with sadness, "I'm… I'm not sure… Frankly, I don't know if they survived like we did…"
Sweetie retorted, "They did! I know they did! They are still alive!"
"We can only hope so, Sweetie Belle." she nuzzled her little sister.
Suddenly a grand carriage came rolling past them all while driving through a large mud puddle causing a splash to land on the girls covering them in muck. They had shouted indignantly, "Hey!"
Rarity called out, "Watch where you're going you uncouth swine!"
Upon those words the carriage stopped unexpectedly making Sweetie voice out, "Uh-oh, now you've done it…"
A tall and fit unicorn stallion wearing a monocle climbed out of the coach and approached the fillies. He said, "I daresay that's one way to make an introduction…"
Rarity started to blush the moment she saw the elegant stallion and stammered, "Oh, um… I'm sorry; I didn't think you would have heard that…"
Sweetie scoffed, "Everyone could hear you…"
Her sister made a slight glare at her before turning back to the stallion and began to bat her eyelashes, "I do apologize for that little outburst, you see we've been traveling for some time and we're tired and hungry… So if you would be so kind as to forget this ever happen we'd be ever so grateful. We certainly don't want to cause any trouble…"
The stallion smiled, "Apology accepted but I must also apologize for splashing you and your daughter."
"Daughter?!" they exclaimed.
Rarity quickly said, "Oh no, she's not my daughter! She's my little sister!"
Sweetie added, "Yeah, I can live with her as a sister, but as a mother…" she shuddered for emphasis.
Rarity glared again while the stallion chuckled, "My apologies, I only assumed…"
Rarity mentioned, "Well that makes us even, I thought you were some careless pony that liked driving through mud puddles while others were walking nearby."
"I believe proper introductions are in order here." he bowed to them while saying, "I am the Marquis de Fancy Pants."
Rarity gasped, "The Marquis?! Oh, my goodness! Had I known it was you, I never would have…"
He lifted himself to face her, "It's quite all right my dear, mistakes can happen." he smiled.
She felt herself blushing further as Sweetie Belle had been watching the exchange carefully and made a knowing smirk.
Fancy continued, "Listen, I was just on my way to the castle to see his highness, the king. If it's work you need and a place to sleep, why don't you come with me to the palace to see if his highness can give you a job?"
The mare exclaimed, "Oh my! Yes! Yes, please!"
He gestured for them to get in the carriage which made Sweetie Belle excited since she never had ridden in a Marquis's carriage. Rarity was equally as excited but she kept a cool composer given there was a handsome stallion watching her every move.
When they finally arrived at the castle Fancy presented Rarity to the king who was in one of his moods at the time.
Fancy told him, "This young mare needs a job, I figure you would have something for her."
The king started, "Well it just so happens, my last Head Maid had retired and I'm in need of a replacement," he addressed Rarity, "Tell me, pony, can you sew and keep a household on their hooves to complete their work?"
She declared proudly, "Absolutely!"
"Good, I just need you to sign here." he handed over the contract.
Fancy told Rarity, "Well it looks like you're all set."
She gave him a dreamy look, "All because of you…"
The king saw this with intrigue before a mischievous smile grew on his face.
Fancy smiled again as he bowed his head, "I hope to see you again, Miss Rarity." then he went out of the room.
Rarity found herself feeling giddy as she went back to sign the contract but saw that the king was magically holding it up.
She inquired, "Is something wrong, your highness?"
The king shook his head, "Not at all, unless you count the fact that you've been giving a renowned and sophisticated marquis strange looks that one would think you were crushing on him!"
She felt her cheeks going red, "Oh, um, well I…"
The king got up from his throne and moved around her, "It's never going to happen you know. A marquis and a maid… it simply isn't done."
"I-I-I know that! I was just admiring him for all he's done for me and my sister!"
He scoffed, "Please… I know the looks you give him all too well… You've have fallen for him already…"
She lowered her head in defeat. He had her.
"So what if I told you there was a way that you can get what you want?"
Her head shot up in surprise, "I can?"
He made a slight grin, "Of course… as a king I have the authority to make you either a lady or duchess or countess if you like!"
She gasped, "You can?!"
"My dear sweet little pony… it's what I do I best in this castle of mine." he held up the contract he was going to make her sign and pointed to the fine print, "It says here that you have to serve me for twenty some odd years however, we can change that…" he magically got an ink pen and started writing down, "Instead it will say that you will serve me in the time that you have to earn Marquis Fancy Pants' love and he will have to ask for your hoof in marriage in order for you to be free and then I will bestow upon you the greatest honor of having a noble title of your own."
She slowly started, "So… to be clear I must gain his love and he has to marry me…"
"While you're still a maid." he stated.
Rarity pondered on it, this deal seem like a risky thing to do given if she couldn't get Fancy to return her love and she would be stuck living as a maid for the rest of her life… But she had to think of her sister and if this job was the only thing available to her, she had to take it. She then took the king's pen and slowly moved to the paper when Sweetie Belle suddenly burst into the room!
"Rarity! Mom and Dad are here!"
The unicorn gasped and asked, "Are you sure?!"
"Yes!" the filly replied, "I was waiting outside by the carriage when I spotted them by the castle gates! They were just about to walk into the village when I ran to them and then I had to come in to get you so you can see for them for yourself!"
Rarity was overjoyed to hear that her parents were alive and well after all but then she started to feel conflicted. She had not yet sign the contract so she was free to go with her family but at the same time… she had fallen for the marquis and the chances of seeing him again was very slim if she went with them. She had to choose.
Keeping on a straight face as best as she could, she told her sister, "That's wonderful, Sweetie! But… I'm afraid there's a slight problem…"
"What?"
"I'm afraid I'm already on contract and I cannot get out of it."
Sweetie voiced in concern, "So what should I tell Mom and Dad?"
"Tell them that I'll be working for the king now and that I love them both so much."
Sweetie nodded and left.
The king addressed her with a smirk, "Well, well… I do believe you just lied to your own sister…"
Rarity looked down in shame and said, "Let's just get on with it…" she magically lifted the pen and quickly wrote her name in perfect cursive at the bottom of the contract.
It was her deepest darkest secret and she could never tell anyone about it. Thankfully over time she had managed to catch Fancy's interest and the two of them slowly fell in love now all she needed was his proposal and she would finally have her freedom and happy ending.
Capper sat across from the king and Twilight Sparkle in their carriage as they were making their way through some woods away from Canterlot.
Twilight addressed the cat, "Abyssina is known for trading catnip, milk, yarn, and kibble."
"That's correct, little pony." the cat stated.
"So I'm assuming that you're reaching out to Equestria to heighten your profits. That's why Celestia added you into the summit."
"You're very smart."
She smiled, "Thanks."
"But that can either be a good thing or a bad thing."
She frowned, "What are you saying? That I would use my smarts for evil?"
The king exclaimed in excitement, "Now that's something I would like to see! Then maybe you would finally understand I did what I did a long time ago."
Capper told him, "Yes, I was told by the princess that you don't normally look like this, so what are you if you're not a pony like Miss Smarty-Pants here."
"That's N.O.Y.B. As in 'none of your business'."
Twilight mentioned, "He's a bit touchy on the subject."
"That's fine, as long as we don't talk about my past, I won't press for yours. Sound fair?"
The king stated, "Fine."
There was an awkward pause between them until Twilight slowly asked the count, "So… Count Capper, is there a countess that's waiting for you back home?"
"Nope. Fortunately for the ladies this kitty-cat is untied right now and is planning to stay that way for a long time."
"Not the settling down sort?" Twilight inquired.
"Right again, little pony." he took a load off and crossed his legs.
The king questioned, "So what will happen if you do find the right one?"
Capper responded, "Oh, I'll know. Without a doubt it'll just, bam, hit me, like lightning."
The king mulled over the cat's words thinking there was some truth to them. When Fluttershy first walked through his doors, something in him made him feel he was struck by some unnatural force and given who he really was that came as an actual surprise to him. This mare just suddenly showed up into his life and already he wanted to make her his. He had decided he was going to do everything he can but now that he had agreed to this bet, he knew he was going to have to do more than that or else he was going to lose both Fluttershy and his crown.
I refuse to lose this bet… I'll show them, Fluttershy will be my queen and to see the looks on their faces when they lose will make it all worth it.