//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Courtesans // by GaPJaxie //------------------------------// The servants had shown Double into the royal suite. They said Cadence needed to talk to her about caring for the grubs. Shining had left the castle about an hour previously, and Double presumed that everything had been fine when he left. He wouldn’t have left his wife in distress. And yet, when she arrived, she found Cadence curled up on her couch, sobbing into the pillows. She didn’t realize Double was there. Tears streamed down her face. Her nose filled with snot. Neither Shining nor Flurry were home, and her wail echoed off the crystal walls and through the empty rooms. Finally, Double cleared her throat. Cadence’s head shot up, and she whirled to face the intruder in her living room. Her crying stopped instantly. She stared at Double with wide, bloodshot eyes. Her makeup ran in streaks down her face. Double stared back. Her own eyes were a uniform pale blue, lacking iris or pupil. “A princess,” Double finally said, “should not be seen in this state. May I bring tissues and tell the servants to cancel your appointments this afternoon?” Cadence nodded, and so Double brought her a stack of handkerchiefs from the linen closet, then told the servants up the hall that the princess was occupied for the next several hours. When she returned to the royal suite, Cadence had vanished, and the sound of running water carried from the bathroom. When Cadence emerged, she was more coherent than she’d been. Blowing her nose and scrubbing off her makeup did wonders to restore her dignity, though the hot water and hard scrubbing left her mane and coat sticking up in awkward tufts. “Thank you,” she said to Double, and though her voice was hoarse, she kept it free of emotion. She sounded dignified. “That was very kind. I’d like you to go now, please.” “With your permission, Princess, I would like to stay to see if I can offer any useful advice,” Double Time kept her tone neutral and defferent, like a proper servant. “Assuming that it is Queen Amaryllis’s actions that have hurt you so much.” Cadence sniffled. With a hoof, she brushed down a stray hair that her harsh scrubbing had disturbed. “Yes. Very well,” she said. She sat back down on her couch, and Double sat beside her. After a long silence, Double asked: “What happened?” “Amaryllis said the grubs…” Cadence trailed off, and needed a moment to find her words. She swallowed a hard lump in her throat, and lifted a tissue to blow her nose. “Are a gift to Shining and I. So we can raise some of his daughters personally. And so Flurry can have sisters. Changeling sisters are probably all she’ll ever have, since Shining and I have been going at it like newlyweds for years and only have one foal, so I probably can’t have more children. And she’s really looking forward to seeing Flurry and her siblings playing together the next time she visits.” A smile split Cadence’s face, and the lines around her eyes reappeared. “Of course, I don’t want to raise six changelings. I don’t want to raise any changelings. And if they have to be in the palace, they’re not sharing a nursery with Flurry. They’re not. They can stay up the hall where they are now. And I said that, and Amaryllis asked, so politely, ‘Are you saying my bloodline isn’t legitimate?’ And I don’t know how much you know about the nobility. But in noble circles, that’s…” Cadence punched one hoof into the other. “Those are fighting words. That’s how a noble screams, ‘oh, it’s on now.’ That if Amaryllis doesn’t see Flurry and her half-sisters playing blocks, there’ll be consequences.” “Mmmph.” Double nodded. “Are you going to comply with her demands?” “We weren’t.” Cadence shook her head. “Shining gave a big speech and everything. About how… about love and our marriage and ridiculous sentiments. About how this was my house and no creature could tell me how to raise my foal. And he held me and it felt like our wedding all over again. And he said that if we were going to war, the second round would be different. There would be time for Twilight and Celestia and Luna to come and help us. And Amaryllis is afraid of those three. Last time she caught us by surprise, but who wouldn’t be afraid of all four alicorns?” “You could even get Thorax to help,” Double suggested. “Thorax offered,” Cadence agreed. “He said he and his brother and all their volunteers would rush to our aid any time we asked. But he’s the only one.” She stared down at the couch, her hooves wrapped up tight around her. “Luna and Celestia feel that… they can’t justify starting a war over a few children playing together. And Twilight wants to help, but doesn’t want to go against Celestia. And so I asked Shining, we can still win without them, right? We learned from the last war, and the army is better now.” She pointed at her eyes with a hoof, and her voice cracked: “And he looked me right in the eyes and he lied to me.” Cadence had to stop for a time, pulling another tissue from the box and blowing into it. “I never wanted to be a princess. I was a matchmaker. I flitted around and helped ponies fall in love and giggled in the bushes when they had their first kiss. Then suddenly, I had a horn and magic, and everypony is telling me how lucky I am. That I have all this power. So powerful I can’t even decide how to raise my only child.” For a time, Double didn’t speak. The silence was broken by Cadence blowing her nose again. “We called the griffons for help too,” she mumbled. “They said we should surrender now and get it over with.” “There’s an obvious solution,” Double finally said, speakingly firmly and clearly. “You could let the grubs share a nursery with Flurry, and then treat them badly. Shuffle them off into a closet. Tell them they’re not to speak except when spoken to. Comply with the letter of the demand, but make it clear it's your house, and your daughter is the only one who deserves love.” Cadence’s face twisted into a frown, and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Double. Double interrupted whatever she was about to say: “But I don’t think you can do that.” Double circled a hoof in the air to make it clear she wasn’t done speaking. “I mean, I honestly think you’re incapable of that. For all your flaws, I don’t think you could hate a child because of the actions of their mother. And that’s why this burns so bad. Because you know once you spend time with them, you’ll see six little creatures just trying to grow up and make you happy. And you’ll love them, and then you’ll be raising Amaryllis’s children as your own.” Then Double said: “And, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Not being able to hate a child. It’s good that being an Equestrian princess still means something. Still means something good. You’re not the goddesses everypony thinks you are, but you’re still…” She trailed off, turning to stare into the corner. Cadence looked at the other corner. “Sometimes,” Double continued, “I wish I could hate like I used too. Then I could hate you. You took my children away. You took the two little foals I loved and cared for, and who I was going to give up everything for, and you gave them away to two ponies whose only claim to them was having a working reproductive system. You tore my heart out, and you think so little of me it didn’t even occur to you you were doing it.” Double’s compound eyes could not water. Her wings buzzed instead, flicking back and forth inside their covers. “But it’s okay. Because they really will be happier being raised by two ponies. You know, creatures who actually know what their lives are like, or whose advice for dealing with schoolyard bullies doesn’t involve garotte wire. So even if you had thought of me, you wouldn’t have done anything differently. You shouldn’t have. So I can’t hate you. But I really want to. “And that makes me feel helpless too.” Cadence’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes darted back and forth over Double. “You’re making that up.” “Yup. It’s a great act.” Double snorted. When Cadence continued to stare, Double pointed with a hoof. “But see? This is what I mean about you being special. You realize you screwed up and you instantly feel bad. Most ponies have these things called ‘grudges,’ or ‘pride.’ It takes them a while to admit they were wrong.” “I have pride.” “Not like other ponies have pride.” Double’s wings buzzed, and she folded back her ears. “And, another thing? I think if you were a stallion, and you slept with Queen Amaryllis, and she had your children? I think you’d fall in love with her. At least a little. I think you couldn’t stop yourself from seeing the good in her. But Shining isn’t like you, and I swear, all he feels for her is a mild affection.” Cadence’s eyes traveled over Double again, then went down to the couch. In hesitant tones, she answered: “You make me sound like a lovestruck teenager.” “I make you sound like somepony who physically embodies love and affection to the point they became another species.” Double pointed at Cadence’s hindquarters. “Have you ever slept with anypony other than Shining? Ever?” “Heh.” Cadence looked at the couch. “You’ll ruin my reputation as the easiest mare in Equestria.” Fiddling with her hooves, she added: “I’m sorry I called you a whore.” “I am a whore.” “So? I’m a whore. Shining’s a whore. He and Amaryllis do it and the Princess of Love watches. It’s a great rate though. I get paid with a whole kingdom.” “Actually, if whores get paid enough, they’re called courtesans. That’s the fancy term.” A small smile appeared on Cadence’s face. It didn’t last long, but when it faded, she at least wasn’t frowning anymore. “Fine. I’m a courtesan. With a fancy dress and a fan and too much makeup.” “Light tells me you like Shining that way.” “Light is a nosey bitch who needs to mind her own business.” Double laughed. “Yeah.” After a moment, she straightened up. “I’m sorry. I promised practical advice, but I’m not an officer or a politician. I have no idea what might make Amaryllis back down. All I can say is, please don’t feel ashamed that you’re a good pony. And, you’re not weak. And your husband isn’t incompetent. When I said that, I was angry.” “I know. I know. It’s okay. I’m sorry I was so thoughtless.” Cadence sniffled but her voice was not so ragged as it had been. “I’ll figure out a way to get out of this. I’ll think of something.” “Good. And don’t worry about the grubs. I’ll take perfect care of them until you and Shining decide what you’re going to do.” Double rose from where she sat. “You want me to tell the servants you’re okay again?” “Wait.” Cadence reached out a hoof to rest it over Double’s. For a moment, they each looked down at that point of physical contact. “You could stay,” she said. Hesitantly, Double Time sat back down. “Okay,” she said. “What did you want to talk about?” “I don’t know. I’ve been keeping you as a servant, haven’t I? Involuntarily. I suppose that makes you a slave.” “Probably,” Double agreed. “I was hoping to ask for time served though. You know. At the end.” “Sure. But I’m supposed to be… judging you, I suppose. And I don’t know anything about you. Other than that you wanted to adopt two foals in Canterlot, and that I messed that up.” “I’m not complicated. I’m an art student, a veteran, and an expensive whore. Pick one.” “Tell me…” Cadence bit her lip. “Tell me about the war?” “Don’t want to talk about the war.” Double locked eyes with Cadence. “You want to talk about art?” They talked for another hour. Cadence had three stiff drinks from a liquor cabinet. “What is it with mares in this family and being uncomfortable with sex?” Double asked. He was a he, and for the moment, had eyes that could roll. He took the opportunity to roll them. “I’m not uncomfortable,” Cadence blushed. “You’re… hot. I like the way this body looks. You are objectively physically attractive.” In truth, Double looked not entirely unlike Shining Armor, had he been born a mare. Bishonen was the term. He had a smaller, more feminine body, flowing green hair, and wide expressive eyes. He also wore entirely too much makeup, with his whole face painted white and black lines added around his eyes. He could pass for a mare in public, so long as nopony looked between his legs. “‘Objectively physically attractive.’” The sarcasm was implicit. “I’ve never slept with a pony I didn’t love before.” Cadence frowned. “Sex is supposed to be spontaneous. Something that happens because I see Shining and I feel that way about him. Making it happen is… different.” “You could get started slow. Nibble on my ears.” “You don’t actually like having your ears nibbled. Do you?” “I’ve seen Shining’s ears. I know you like it.” The blush on Cadence’s face deepend. Shining wore makeup to hide the marks, but he wasn’t as good as he thought he was. “That’s not the point. That’s sexy because he likes it. Hearing him moan or gasp or cry out is fun because I know he means it. If the other pony is faking it, what’s the point?” After a moment, Cadence added: “But I guess you can’t really mean it. Except that one time with Shining.” “Eh. It wasn’t that great. Psychic-gestalt secondhoof sex is highly overrated.” Double mulled the matter over for a moment, then stepped up to Cadence. “But, you feel some affection for me? I mean, I assume.” “A little, I guess.” Cadence rubbed the back of her head. “It’s complicated.” “Sure. But do you think you could work your magic?” “Oh. You’re running low again. Right.” Cadence’s horn glowed a soft pink, and a thin trail of the same color connected her and Double. “How’s that?” “Weak. Your feelings on me must be complicated.” Double grinned. But he stepped up to her, and put a hoof on her neck. She was so much taller than him, he barely came up past her shoulder. “Lean down?” Slowly, hesitantly, Cadence leaned down. Double put his teeth around the tip of her horn. “Ready?” Cadence mumbled in the affirmative. The flow of color and light between them, once a slow and lazy stream, quickened into a fast-moving brook. Double drank in Cadence’s energy, and she let out an involuntary moan. Spots appeared in her vision. She went weak at the knees, her tail lashing behind her. “Stop. Stop!” she finally cried out. Double stopped, pulling his head away from her. Shivers traveled up and down Cadence’s body, like ripples echoing around a pond. Around another groan, she managed to speak: “That felt so much like being Queen Chrysalis's prisoner again.” “Do you want me to stop?” After a moment, Cadence licked her lips. “No. But go more slowly.” Double kissed Cadence first. She kissed him back. Then they did it like it was the old days all over again.