"Last Chance" Stopover Arc
Clovis had the staff of the mansion lined up before him in the main hallway as he strode down their formation, “Okay… Everypony is clear on tonight? You’re to go about your business as usual. Delia’s working the ball with me and some of my crew tonight, so she won’t be back until late. Our six visitors will be working the ball too. Anything Master Melchior wants… don’t dither. His business situation has him on pins-and-needles so just do your jobs and things will be fine. Understood?”
The staff knew what a crock of shit this was… “working the ball”, "visitors", “business situation”, “pins-and-needles”… Not a one of them was under any delusion as to what was going on.
The eight ponies were infiltrating the ball and had been scheming the last couple days.
The mares visiting were best described as prisoners with a long leash... aside from the tall one that executed the rainbow yawn on Melchior's "erstwhile" son's card game; she was locked up under Clovis's care. The staff that met her rather liked the young Mazan.
Melchior had a keen interest in “changing the mayor’s mind on some policies” or “making him go away” by means unknown to them. The mayor had promised “an easier time for businesses” and Melchior- mostly keeping his nose clean in his more public endeavors- tired of his more interesting endeavors being looked into as existing… though these were among the world’s worst-kept secrets.
Their master had been in a killing-mood for longer than they cared to remember… and nopony wanted to wind up like Pallo, with their reproductive glands bouncing on the dining room table… or die in some archaic fashion.
“Yes, Mr. Clovis!” the staff answered as one.
“And try to keep Master Melchior here. He isn’t on the guest list but may have an interest in party-crashing if he drinks too much. The main crew is all here tonight and a few of my guys are too so look to them if the master gets a little out of hoof.”
The shit overflowed from the crock… “party-crashing”, “out of hoof”… They were up to their ears in shit.
They knew much of the success of whatever Clovis was running relied on Melchior staying quiet and out of the way. There was a reason Clovis ran most of the show, especially in public. Melchior knew all this as well but he might allow a little liquor to persuade him otherwise.
And even the toughest ponies on the crew were terrified of the boss; not a one of them would stand in Melchior’s way if he really had it in his mind to leave the mansion. That’s where the “try” part came into play.
“Yes, Mr. Clovis!” the staff repeated.
Clovis knew what farce this was as they did but pleading obliviousness helped make the life they wound up in- however so- more bearable; he forced a smile, “Go about your tasks, everypony.”
The unicorn watched the staff file out to get on with their work. He had a few minutes before he had to meet the six mares plus Delia for the maneuver, so he chose to meet with the little company’s actual seventh mare.
Clovis walked into the little holding room; he’d dismissed the normal guard and had two of his own crew keeping an eye on Ama and seeing she had all she needed.
“Gimme a few minutes with Ama, fellas,” Clovis eyed his friends. “Go get yourselves some air or something.”
“Will do,” one of them answered.
With the two gone Clovis approached the cell, “Doing okay, Ama?”
The tall mare was lounging on her cot, munching on a pear; she sat up, “I am fine, Clovis, thank you. Your friends brought me a most pleasant dinner and some very nice fruit. Also, chatting with them has been enjoyable; Salvo is a most amusing fellow. Alfwin has been better than he was at first, but all he wants to do is play cards with himself…”
Clovis forced a smile, stiffly easing himself down in front of the bars; he still hurt from Essenta putting him through the mill, “Oh, yes… Salvo was always the funniest of the bunch. If it wasn’t for his good humor I doubt we’d be able to keep the worst of this place at bay. Helps keep things in perspective.”
Ama both understood and didn’t understand, “Perspective, Clovis?”
Clovis hoofed her some of Melchior’s favored molasses cookies through the bars, another treat to which Ama had become partial, “Might be the wrong word… It… His humor allowed us to never forget the good things; it really helped with that.”
She nodded slowly, enjoying the chewy dessert, “I think I can relate. But it was not always good humor that saw us through the things we have encountered.”
Clovis looked at her oddly, “Nor us… But I don’t get it… You’re in a cell, your friends are going along with me on some ridiculous mission, the most dangerous stallion in the south is holding your life above our heads, and you said something about this just being a bump in the road for all of you… You speak as if this is nothing. And you still won’t tell me what it is you’ve seen on the other side of the mountains.”
Taking a moment, she soon answered, “We have been through many things on our journey, Clovis. You know the story as well as anypony, though better with your connections. This journey is farcical… It began as this outrageous thing with the princess meant to retrieve some relic, though the king of the Dale never expected anything to come of it. I believe in our hearts not a one of us cares much about some artifact in a plague-ridden place at the end of our journey… or that we may even reach it. Zyra even joked about the matter and I did not understand the humor at first. Are we even going to enter Salvatrix? I am unsure.
“Something… obliged us to follow Essenta. It is something I have not seen in some time but whenever she said she would ‘turn the world upside down’ or ‘gain fame nopony could take away’ something deep inside told me to continue going along with her; something told me she could do it. Whether it was charisma or some impulse each of us were compelled to follow her. I… want to see where it leads; I need to see. And I readily admit I do not understand it.”
Clovis looked at her oddly, “Okay… so the princess has some supernatural magnetism. I can see that… even with her temper… Still, that doesn’t explain why you’re cool as a cucumber about all this.”
Ama swallowed a mouthful of cookie; she asked without preamble, “Clovis… Do you believe in God?”
He did a take, “Where did that come from?”
She was unmoved by his puzzlement, uncharacteristically tonguing the molasses sticking to her teeth, “Do you believe in God? Heaven? …Hell?”
Watching her start on another cookie he sighed, “I don’t know, Ama… My dad… was a preacher; he was a real Hellfire and damnation type… and about the least magical unicorn you could imagine. The first thing I remember is him lecturing me about all that. But losing him… Mom… my little sister… my town… some of my friends… things like God and Heaven seem pretty far away. Hell? Dunno… All I know is the world seems a lot less miraculous when you’re magical… Kinda hard to justify it all.”
Ama sighed, “I do not know myself. I have seen nothing to convince me one way or the other as far as God or Heaven, but I am sure of one thing: Hell exists. If it is some otherworldly thing, that is yet to be seen, but it is real. It exists right here, on Earth… The things we do to one another… that is Hell enough.”
Clovis nodded solemnly; then he became direct, “I think I can see that… What’s this got to do with this unshakable faith you seem to have?”
Taking a few seconds to determine her words, Ama had plenty to tell him, “Before beginning my birth journey -even a year into it- I never spilled another’s blood. That changed the day I met Essenta. With that sword none of you could heft I killed seven bandits… and three others by various means, without suffering injury. And I am nothing when compared to Loress. Would you believe that Dechaa beat her in a match?"
Clovis couldn't believe it, "That fussy pharmacist beat a Terran...?!"
Ama smirked, fondly recalling the destruction Loress unleashed upon the landscape surrounding the gatehouse at the bridge, "Dechaa was... clever; it was enough to see her to victory... that, and the fact it was more friendly than anything. Had I not seen it with my own eyes I would have difficulty accepting it as fact. I am nothing special compared to Wilka or Orni. And Zyra… navigated Hell itself; I watched it… I bore witness to the whole miserable episode. She made it through Hell and came away with a power no mortal should ever possess.
“With Essenta leading us… this time is almost insignificant. I have not personally fought Essenta seriously but she was an even match for both Wilka and Orni; that is not something I can claim for myself and both matches were a great thing to behold. Truly, those matches were brutal... My physical strength would certainly trump Essenta's but her spirit is what got her through; I would never underestimate her, witnessing the things I have seen."
Clovis was already afraid of the princess; this didn't help, "I see..."
The tall mare went on, "We have fought and killed assassins… survived poisoning... met a stallion that took into himself some great darkness… I have seen Hell, Clovis; it is real, and Zyra was not the only one of them to endure its fire…”
Clovis was daunted by all this, especially confused that Ama had “watched” Zyra’s ordeal, “Have you… been there yourself?”
“No, Clovis,” Ama considered him, “I… have been most fortunate in life. A filly could not ask for better than that which I had.”
He quickly shuffled the company around in his mind. “Not the only one of them to endure its fire”? To which of them was Ama referring? Not herself, given her words. Was it Dechaa? Loress? Wilka? Orni? Who…?
Clovis decided not to ask any further on the subject; he was convinced. He was convinced the princess and her friends were no ordinary mares. He was sure they could tear the place apart and fuck off at any time; going through the motions of his stupid task was just… easier.
But he did have a question, “So… what’s the point of this journey?”
Ama smiled deeply, “I do not know… but I look forward to continuing… once this is done with. Essenta is looking for something nopony can give her… and I want to see what it is.”
Clovis was bemused, “…”
Ama allowed a little smirk at his muddled expression, “I think it is time you got moving, Clovis. Please take care of my friends.”
As if waking from a doze, he blinked and shook his head a little, “Oh… yes. I’ll try.”
“I know you will. And I will miss your hospitality, but not that much,” Ama giggled as she went back to her bunk.
Her giggle- a sound unexpected of her- hit him like a snootful of ammonia. Wowza! It took a few seconds to find his hooves. She missed her flooring him with her back to him.
Regardless Clovis wouldn’t let the dialogue end there; he wasn’t so very sure of himself lately, “The princess and the girls seem pretty put off by all this; they’re putting on a lot of bluster, but I know it when I see it. They’re scared… and I don’t know how to convince them to be otherwise.”
Ama flopped onto the bunk, simpering, “Just remind them they have been through quite a bit before this. You knew that even before I told you…”
Still not feeling all that bold Clovis left Ama to her own devices, hoping nothing bad would happen to her while he was away. His own crew he trusted; those more faithful- or rather, those especially terrified of him- to Melchior… he was less sure of.
Clovis stood before the six mares with Delia at his side, “Okay… this is it. We’ll be taking three carriages. The princess and Loress go with me on the first, Dechaa and Orni go on the second, and Wilka, Zyra, and Delia go on the third. Delia, you’ll be ‘stowing away’ out of sight; don’t get your outfit dirty and slip out shy of the mansion. You know what to do once you’re there.”
Delia gazed back to him, looking stunning as a cocktail waitress, “Of course… It’s not my first time doing this kind of thing…”
Clovis turned to Loress, “Now… what’s your story?”
Loress put on the air of a Terrow belle; it didn’t seem at all foreign to her, “I am Miss Resso, the eldest daughter of the Strawhouse family. Our business is on the rise and we mostly deal in small grains…”
Loress’s real last name was Claystable; it was universally held for Terrans- keeping with their ancestry- to hold family names that combined some building material and some structure. With names such as “Mudhut”, “Pineshed”, “Oakhovel”, and others, “Strawhouse” was a very believable name.
She pointed to Essenta, taking on an even more pretentious manner, “This is my lowly mareservent, Sen. Please ignore her sour expression; the stick up her butt is such a length it tickles her brain.”
Essenta grumbled, “Suck my twat, Miss.”
“Oh, you’ve sullied my ears! Apologize for your insolence!” Loress put a hoof to her brow, looking scandalized.
Essenta couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore and allowed a little, “Fine… I’m sorry I proposed you ought to part my curtains…”
At this, the rest of the girls- apart from Dechaa- guffawed; the anxious unicorn’s sense of humor, now that she was faced with the actual task given them, had died a death worthy of Pallo’s sweetmeats.
Clovis shook his head at the silliness, “Princess, you give Delia’s foul mouth a run for its money…”
“Piss up a rope, Clovis,” Delia scratched herself in a way most unladylike.
Not heeding her call to vertical urination, Clovis turned to Orni and Dechaa, “And?”
Blushing and looking like the 12-year-old colt she was meant to be, she muttered, “I’m Nior, a son of the Goldbrick family… We hit it big out west some years ago.”
Dechaa didn’t look at all happy to be part of this, “I’m Ren. I watch over Nior.”
Clovis nodded, “And finally… Zyra and Wilka.”
Wilka, possibly enjoying this more than most would, did a curtsy, “I’m Willi from out east! Everypony has to do exactly as I say!”
Nopony was keen on doing that, but Wilka had certainly been cultivating her spoiled brat persona.
Zyra came in, looking dandy in her tunic, “And I’m Aryz, Willi’s constant companion and traveling guardian! It takes a lot to keep this little lady amused. I can do tricks! And pull candy from all sorts of places!”
She demonstrated her talents by goosing Loress- causing the Terran to squee and just about jump out of her skin- and coming out from under the ruffled gown with licorice sticks, which she magicked to everypony.
Clovis was unsure about the offered treat and put it aside for later, probably not, “Okay… Everypony just follow the plan. We’ll be in constant communication and with Delia scoping the place out, we'll likely have an easy time with this… I just hope we can find something.”
Wilka raised a hoof, “Uh… Clovis?”
He looked towards her, “Yes, Wilka?”
She looked uncomfortable, shuffling her hooves, “Just why does Melchior think we’ll find anything?”
The girls had wondered this, but most were content to not think about it; they knew it probably wasn’t anything pleasant… Hell, they were confident it was something awful.
“Well,” Clovis hoofed the back of his still-bruised neck, not looking happy about telling them. “The mayor used to be a teacher at the all-colts’ school in town… Pallo was enrolled at the time. There was an incident four years ago… where all the colts drank punch at a party the mayor put on and they… couldn’t remember the afternoon.”
This was probably enough information but nopony shut Clovis up, leading to him finishing his story. Delia looked sourer than she had when Clovis had informed her of her involvement with the mission and the other girls didn’t like where this was headed.
Clovis worked his jaw before going on, “The only thing Pallo remembered was somepony screaming ‘hide the teacup, hide the teacup’ over and over again and that his ass really hurt the next day…”
Most jaws dropped (Orni’s the furthest), besides Zyra’s and Delia’s. Zyra, her eyes darting about, gave an uncomfortable guffaw that soon petered out like a stallion’s dick in a cold-water spring.
The maid grimaced, “Yup… and that shit’s nothing… There are things that go on in this town would shake you so badly you wouldn’t know whether to shit or go blind…”
“Jesus Christ on a surfboard! Let’s get the fuck outta here!” Essenta tried to bolt, stopped by Loress hoofing her wimple.
“Who?” Loress cocked her head, wondering who this fellow might be. “And what in the world is a surfboard…?”
Nopony knew. The princess worked in profanity the way other ponies work in oils or clay.
But they did know Essenta wasn’t putting on some charade; she’d simply reached her breaking point, determining it was best to not be involved with such things. She believed Delia’s words. If introducing dishware to a 12-year-old colt’s rectum and then gelding him when he was 16 were “normal” then she wasn’t keen on knowing what passed for “messed-up” in “Last Chance” City…
Delia actually laughed, tickled by the collective shock seen in the company, “No dice, Essenta. We’re committed.”
Orni blanched, not reveling in any of it, “You gotta be shittin’ me…”
The others were in the same territory but were still sold on the idea this would be easier than fighting their way out of the city.
Loress still held the princess fast, “Okay, Clovis… I guess we’re ready…”
Essenta spouted, “Fuck this!! I saw where they hid our gear! Let’s scram!”
None of the girls were laughing; the princess’s notion was not cast aside lightly…
Clovis took all this in… It was rather difficult to believe these mares were as tough as Ama boasted. He didn’t even have it in him to remind them of how dangerous this dynamic group of mares was supposed to be.
Essenta leaned bitterly out a window on the carriage as it bounced along. A couple of Clovis’s trusted crew were supplying the horsepower. She thought of the fact ponies pulled around other ponies, having never made sense of it ever since she was a little filly. Every jostle of the carriage brought them closer to the mayor’s estate.
Clovis noted the princess, fully recognizing her unhappiness; he'd changed into a suit with a high collar, covering his injured neck, “Try to be a little more civil, Princess… The kind of folks show up at this shindig aren’t all that sharp but there’s no reason to give them a reason to think you’re anything other than a maidservant.”
She glared at him, “A slave, you mean…”
Clovis’s eyes cast over to Loress; her uncomfortable shrug and lack of eye-contact showed she had no defense of Essenta’s statement.
His eyes returned to the princess, wanting the night to finish up as much as she did, “Yes, Princess… You’re meant to be a slave, so behave yourself. And don’t give me that look. The world isn’t all on par with your precious breadbasket, the Dale. Indentured servitude exists here and Terrow still practices slavery, among many others. The Terrans make their own laws, Essenta… Save your crusading for them if your adventures take you there.”
She regarded him as she would an oozing scab on her lady-parts, “I promise you, Clovis… If things go south, nothing on Earth is keeping us from leaving. I’d keep out of the way, if I were you… Your crew would be wise to do the same."
Her expression had his balls hiding up near his bladder.
Loress, sitting beside Essenta, eased her way to the middle of the carriage, “Okay… that’s enough.”
Her friend’s anxious look did little to sway Essenta’s manner. The princess’s scowl had some clout, to be certain.
Loress tried a different approach, “Essenta.”
The princess’s ears perked up at hearing her name from Loress; what followed was always something worth hearing. This notion wasn’t lost of Clovis, either; he’d been around the girls enough to notice at least a hoofful of things.
“I’m… sorry, Essenta… For making light of your donning the guise of a… slave. We all laughed about it but… it’s wrong. You’re a princess. You don’t always act like one, but it’s something to never forget. But I do forget it. I know things are very different in your part of the world… and I need to remember that. But you need to remember most of the world’s a messed-up place; it’s the cold, hard truth. You’ve already seen plenty of it… alongside all of us.”
This at least appeased Essenta’s tang. Having gladly worked together with ponies of all backgrounds her whole life she had never given a rat’s ass about servitude or slavery; it didn’t occur to her. But seeing and hearing what she had in the last few days… It really began to sting. Clovis admired Loress’s ability to talk ponies down; it was obvious why she was “advisor” for the princess. Ama was definitely something but her lack of knowledge of many things on the continent likely kept her out of the number two spot.
Essenta sighed, “I’m… sorry, too.”
It was obvious she was; sometimes a whole monologue wasn’t necessary to apologize.
But Essenta twiddled her hooves, “Clovis…?”
His balls had just about descended but her asking his name had them halt abruptly; he wasn’t afraid to admit to himself he was scared of her, “Yes, Princess?”
Recognizing his uneasiness, she blushed… and felt very stupid, “Please just call me Essenta. I… really owe you an apology. What I did to you… I can’t just ask for your forgiveness. So, I’ll really try to help this succeed. I know you’re not a bad stallion. You follow one, but I can see you’re the one that keeps him under control. Your friends seem like they’d do anything for you; fear doesn’t merit that kind of loyalty. I don’t know what Melchior plans to do or what we’ll find… but I’m trusting you to help see my girls through this…”
Loress was occasionally wowed by Essenta- not as often as she’d like- but this definitely impressed her. Clovis felt the same.
“Thank you, Essenta… That means an awful lot,” he managed to say. “I’ll try.”
It took a moment but Essenta warmed up. Loress decided to sit back and watch.
“Clovis?” the princess murmured.
No longer feeling the sensation of hurty-balls, he felt better, “Yes, Essenta?”
“You’ve known Delia for a decade, right? Are you… just friends?”
Loress didn’t expect this but would enjoy the show.
Clovis looked bemused; he didn’t blush or fluster but smiled as he shook his head, “I’d say we’re… ‘frienemies’… You could say we have a longstanding love-hate thing going on.”
“Oh?” Essenta’s eyes lit up.
Clovis chuckled at Essenta’s demeanor, “Yes… We showed up in town around the same time. My friends and I ran food and goods deliveries for Melchior and cleaned his restaurants. Delia… Has Delia said much about herself?”
Essenta realized he wouldn’t know; he hadn’t been privy to everything said amongst the girls, “Yes… She told us about her father and her servitude… and about her father dying laughing.”
Clovis snorked a little, “Oh, yes… That was… a bittersweet day. It was great seeing Delia and her dad getting along, despite his stupid shit landed them here. What a way to go…”
Essenta remembered Delia’s words, “And Delia will be free in two years?”
Clovis leaned back, “She gets a tiny stipend for what the maid job and room and board don’t cover. You see, the thing with Delia… she’s smart. Her dad’s tricks? She knows all of them. Hell, she’s improved upon them. She knows better than to tangle with those running the games in the city. And if she didn’t bring it up herself she doesn’t drink; she’s a teetotaler… doesn’t touch anything. She’s just biding her time. And she will be free in a couple years. As I said she’s smart. She won’t find herself in debt like that which her dad pinned on her. Not to mention her skills... This isn't the first time she's been called on to perform such a task; the fact she's available for this kind of stuff knocked a whole decade off what her servitude called for.”
“That’s... good to hear,” Essenta said, forcing the words..
She wasn't entirely sure it was; Delia wasn't just some clever maid, she'd realized...
“Mel might even try to keep her on with a proper job; she does rather well with everything, but I doubt she’ll stick around.”
“Would you?” Essenta cocked her head.
The question caught him a little off-guard, “Would I what?”
She leaned forward, “Clovis… you practically run commerce in town. What is it, 50% of the city’s goods? I don’t know what’s legit and what’s not but I’m sure you keep your nose clean enough. Why stay and work for Melchior?! You have a crew that all but worships you! You could leave this fucking place and go do something good!”
He sat a moment. Loress had remained silent and had little to say; she still listened.
“Leave the city…” Clovis put his chin on his hooves. “Essenta… I led my friends here when we were seven, eight, nine-years old… I’d… tell you the story but I already told Ama; it’s not something I want to drop again, not now… When we got to town… Mel wasn’t as bad as you know him to be, at least on the surface. I… still don’t know about half the stuff he gets up to… and I try not to think about it.
“But I do know he’s not the simple merchant he was 20 years ago; something changed in him. And it’s taken a lot to keep him in check. I don’t know how many tried to keep a lid on the legit operations before me, but I’ve been running the show since I was 15-years-old.”
Essenta was shocked, “You were in charge of half the city’s commerce when you were 15?!”
He couldn’t suppress a grin, “I told you… I get results.”
It was a simple answer but one Essenta could take.
But still, “Why, though? Why work for him?”
He didn’t hesitate, “I’m under no delusion that I owe Mel anything. We’ve more than payed for his giving us some menial jobs as colts so we wouldn’t starve. My friends vowed to follow me- it’s not something I’m holding them too; they did it on their own. And me…? Imagine for a moment that somepony wasn’t holding Mel’s leash.”
Essenta and Loress could imagine this; it wasn’t pretty. They were a little reluctant to feel it but Clovis was actually… noble, in his way.
“What a burden that must be,” Loress finally spoke, staring out the open window.
Clovis nodded, “I’m so sorry for all this, girls… I got cocky… I thought I had a handle on things. But I’m still just a stupid kid.”
Essenta and Loress wouldn’t argue this point; Essenta giggled, “You’re a stallion, Clovis… You’re 18-years-old, right?”
Clovis let out a bark of laughter, “I suppose.”
The girls joined him in a brief laugh. The mayor’s mansion was minutes away.
While the other pairs would just trickle in, their names conveniently on the guest list, Clovis would be bringing Loress and Essenta- Resso and Sen- to the ball as his guests. Well, Loress was his guest; Essenta was her servant. Being who he was Clovis’s arrival was announced.
While the “normal guests” filtered in, a unicorn announced, “Now presenting Mr. Clovis and his companion, Miss Resso Strawhouse!”
Clovis walked in, Loress’s front leg entwined with his; Loress made sure to smile and Essenta just followed calmly. About 10 ponies, obviously well-to-do, immediately came up to kiss his ass. It was apparent they all had stock in Clovis’s goods distribution.
A Pegasus stallion draped in gold chains jostled Clovis with a smile that at least looked genuine, “Good evening, young fella! How are ya?!”
Clovis shook hooves, “Good evening, Jaska. I’m fine… and you’re looking well-fed these days.”
Jaska laughed; he wasn’t a lard-ass by any means but obviously fed on a rich diet, “My chef’s been working on improving his sauces… How’s the hydroponics operation going?”
“Oh, like clockwork… A batch of tomatoes should be ready for your distribution by next Monday. It’s great! With the rotation we set up we can put out a harvest every five days.”
Jaska grinned, “Melchior sure knew what he was doing when he let you take over his affairs. Can’t imagine we’ll be seeing him tonight.”
Clovis shook his head, “After last time? No way…”
The Pegasus turned his attention elsewhere… to the Terran mare, “My word! I heard Clovis’s guest tonight was a mare of Terrow, but wowza! You, my dear, must be about the prettiest little thing I’ve ever encountered. And that gown is to die for!”
Essenta could easily see the eyes drawn to Loress; she was stunningly beautiful in the gown she wore, almost transcending words. The princess didn't think it was possible for the Terran to look any better than she already did. She expected many a stallion would be begging the belle for a dance. And this was fine, her serving as a beacon. As the planning unfolded, it was clear Essenta and Loress weren’t simply “directing the operation” alongside Clovis; they were the distraction.
Loress knew how beautiful she was but was always genuinely pleased to hear it; she flushed a little, “Oh, thank you, Mr. Jaska. I love this gown! Mr. Clovis had a few of his mares pick it out and help me with it. It surely beats the tunic I came here in…”
Jaska took her offered hoof and kissed it, “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Strawhouse! I would love to have a dance with you, later.”
Decorum called for Loress to stay beside Clovis a time; she wasn’t supposed to be his date, just his guest. But once things got into full swing Essenta imagined about 80% of the stallion partygoers would be fawning after Loress… A lot of mares wouldn’t be able to turn away, either; the envy in their faces was palpable.
Loress giggled at him, “Oh, I’d be delighted, sir… but you’d better be quick about asking. I expect there to be a line…”
Both Essenta and Clovis were impressed with Loress’s manner: she exuded just enough sass to balance out her politeness; she was positively charming.
“Oh, you are a peach, Miss Strawhouse!” Jaska gushed. “I’d be honored to have a dance with you once Clovis has.”
Jaska wasn’t the only stallion drooling after Loress; Essenta saw no less than 30 sets of eyes cast her way.
Clovis grinned at the Pegasus, “Hell, Jaska, you can have the first dance. Once dinner’s over I have a matter to tend to, so I’ll be in and out the whole night.”
“Why, that’d be dandy,” Jaska beamed and then turned to Loress. “Miss, it’s been a delight meeting you; I’ll see you in a while.”
Loress curtsied, “Likewise, Mr. Jaska.”
Jaska walked off to other relationships but not before giving a discreet yet polite nod Essenta’s way. Essenta could see the pity in his eyes; he knew what she was- or rather, what she was supposed to be.
Essenta followed closely behind Loress and Clovis. She herself would stay near Loress, serving her and whomever was attempting to entertain her. Knowing she wouldn’t give into temptation and drink she still envied Loress as she saw that her “master” was hoofed fine liquor worth a gold coin per glass. Watching Loress sip primly, still hanging on Clovis, the princess kept an eye out for their friends.