Octavia paced as she looked Trixie up and down. They were trying on a fitting for Trixie's new dress. It had taken a lot of cajoling, begging, and even a veiled threat or two to make sure that Rarity didn't spill the beans about their engagement early. She was a gossip, but also a well-respected fashionista, and a friend. So she could be trusted to make a stunning dress, and keep her mouth shut. After it was thoroughly impressed upon her that this secret was important to keep.
It had been two weeks, and, without any ceremony, Octavia had given Trixie an engagement necklace. She wouldn't wear it in public until the two of them went up to meet Octavia's parents in Canterlot and announce it officially to her parents. It was to be a formal affair where Trixie could show off what she had learned about etiquette over the past month and, hopefully, pass muster with Gilded Gold. If that all went according to plan then there would be a wedding later in the year, and Octavia could finally relax. Her familial duty done... At least for a while, she'd definitely need to broach the subject of foals with Trixie sometime.
Octavia's musing was interrupted by Trixie tugging st the collar of the dress. “Octavia? It’s a little tight.”
Octavia frowned and raised a hoof, smacking Trixie’s hoof away from the collar. “Ok, we’ll get that fixed. But don’t act so uncouth Trixie. Don’t tug at your clothes.”
Trixie whined a little but did stop tugging. “Trixie does...” Her sentence was interrupted by Octavia clearing her throat. “I do not appreciate being hit.”
Octavia started to retort quickly. “It wasn’t anything to complain about Trixie! It was...” taking a deep breath Octavia let it out slowly. “My apologies, Trixie. I am just... Nervous.”
Trixie blinked, her next complaint dying in her throat. After a few moments, Trixie awkwardly raised a hoof to pat Octavia on the shoulder, though the pat was as awkward as the rest of the action. “We’ll be fine.”
Octavia looked at Trixie, pausing a moment before taking a step away. “You’re right, of course. You have really put in the effort to learn everything. Thank you, Trixie.”
Trixie shifted a bit, smiling and bobbing her head gently to Octavia. “I told you I was great and powerful.”
Octavia chuckled as she helped Trixie out of the dress. Raising an eyebrow, frowning for a moment. “Trixie, you look different.”
Trixie smiled a ran her hooves over her coat, grinning as she nodded. “Oh, yes. Trixie’s coat has been more healthy recently.”
Octavia eyes her up and down. “It looks like you’ve filled out a bit more as well.”
Trixie grinned, nodding. “Oh yes, because Trixie has been ea...” Trixie trailed off and sighed at Octavia's raised eyebrow. “Trixie has been eating better.”
Octavia stared at Trixie, pausing for a long moment before she nodded. “On that note how is your food doing?”
Trixie blinked, squirming from one leg to the other... She’d saved up quite a bit. “Uh... Trixie’s ok.” Half of her mentally yelled at her for not asking for more bits. She could always use more savings. The other half said she didn’t need to take even more of Octavia’s bits.
Octavia smiled and hummed to herself as she hung the dress up. "That's good. We'll want you to look your best next week. We need to sell this to my parents."
Trixie nodded a bit. "Don't worry Octavia! Trixie is an expert performer! She will have them eating out of her hoof in no time!" She smiled, grinning, unaware of the glazed look in her eyes. "And you'll be able to take us out to a fancy restaurant."
Octavia chuckled gently as she watched Trixie almost salivating at the concept of a fancy restaurant. "Well, I can't if you look like that. It will give the game away."
Trixie giggled and straightened slightly. "Well of course, but this is just the two of us. In public, I will of course be far more controlled. As you said, I am a performer."
Octavia nodded happily at that. She eyed the performer up and down. "You did look good in the dress as well, that will please mother."
Trixie smiled a bit but motioned around questioningly. "So, we just need to tell Rarity to make a few changes. Shouldn't she have been here?"
"Yes, but she was busy today so I just wanted to see if there was anything major that needed changing. We'll have her take measurements again when she's free."
Trixie scowled slightly at the other pony. "You know I don't appreciate being played dress up when there's not a point to it."
Octavia clicked her tongue in irritation. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is a few times of putting on a dress too much to ask f..." Octavia stopped herself and sighed. "You're right."
Trixie grinned for a long moment before lowering her head in return. They were still what Trixie would call distant friends or close acquaintances. But Trixie had already learned that Octavia really did have a habit of being snappish when she was irritated. "Sorry, I shouldn't poke, you're... Really helping me out."
Octavia took a moment but smiled at the other pony, nodding. "Well, that would be rather gouache for me to mention now wouldn't it?" They both snickered slightly as they both knew that was exactly where Octavia's insult had been going before she stopped herself. "Though you do need some acting lessons too, Octavia."
"Oh?" Octavia wasn't sure if it was serious or a joke, but she was guessing Trixie was going somewhere with it, whether it was a joke, or a serious criticism.
"Yes! Your insults are way too blunt for the nobility. They're all about backhanded compliments and veiled insults."
Octavia couldn't help but let out a small snort. "Only with you, because you're my beloved wife, so you get the straight talk."
Trixie grinned a bit. "I'm your wife? And you're talking about 'straight' talk?" She snickered at her terrible pun and Octavia could only groan in response, shaking her head
"Not only was that terrible, but it also wasn't even original Trixie. I mean really, that has to be one of the oldest jokes in the book."
Trixie shrugged and set the dress aside. "Well I still like it, and you're stuck with me. Who else are you going to find to impress your parents?"
Octavia pretended to consider, tapping her mouth absently with her hoof. "Well... I could fake a pedigree for Rarity... That'd be a pretty easy sell to get her accepted..."
Trixie rolled her eyes and made her own suggestion. "I mean you could just skip the middle man and ask Twilight to marry you, she's already a princess."
Octavia nodded slowly, obviously in imitation of a thoughtful, deep thinking nod. "There's also Rainbow Dash, she's no noble but she is a Wonderbolt. Sometimes heroic feats can make up for lack of noble blood."
Trixie gasped and Octavia looked up and over quickly, but it was just due to her devious idea. "I hear Prince Rutherford is single..." Octavia couldn't stop a genuine laugh and more head shaking.
"You're terrible Trixie!" She trotted over and pushed Trixie slightly, who grinned and pushed her back.
"Hey, I'm stronger now that I've gotten more to eat, don't think you can push me around!"
Octavia grinned and motioned around the house. "Soon, all this will be yours my wife, but you will be expected to perform your wifely duties!" Trixie had only a moment to let her eyes widen at the implications before Octavia took away her apprehensions way completing her jokes. "Of spending my money on new shoes and designer bags!"
Trixie chortled, the two of them were getting along fairly well. Trixie had to admit that she might have been too conservative in her earlier judgment, they weren't distant friends, just... New friends. She would be marrying a friend she supposed. That'd be a nice little surprise from how this all started. "You know Octavia, I thought you were such a creep when you showed up outside my door to talk about this entire arrangement."
Octavia nodded. "Yeah, I can see how that'd come across to a stranger, but I mean, I didn't have much choice!" She waved a hoof. "There's not really an etiquette for asking a stranger to marry you, Trixie!"
Trixie nodded a bit and chortled. "Though we should talk a bit more about our life after the wedding?" Octavia nodded and Trixie did her best to give a nonchalant shrug, but really she did think this was important. "I think that... Well, unless you already own another house?" Octavia shook her head at the question. "I think I'd be fine with moving in here, if you'd be ok with that as well?
Octavia smiled and nodded, that would look better after all. And would get fewer sideways comments from her mother. "That'd be great Trixie. It is technically what is expected of us after all, so that'll make it an easier sell. You'll have your own room of course." She motioned up the stairs. "I have a few spare ones, you can take your pick." Then she had an idea and smiled a mischievous smile. "Actually, I think that we can have an extension built onto it so you can store your wagon in an enclosed storage area." Trixie was nodding before Octavia dropped the other shoe. Or rather, would have, except she wasn't serious. "Then we'll have you sleep out in your wagon. Nothing will have changed"
Trixie snickered and stuck her tongue out at Octavia. "Oh no, you don't! If I have a house available to me I'm not going to be sleeping in my wagon unless I'm on the road."
Octavia grimaced a short time before saying something she'd kind of forgotten. "Oh... Trixie... About being on the road..."
Trixie's eyes instantly narrowed as she looked at the other pony. "Yes...?"
Octavia huffed a bit, but there was no avoiding it. She'd purposely put off addressing the issue. "Uh... For about... Six months or so it'll be expected that you don't go on any long trips, it would... Look bad." Octavia braced herself for the doubtlessly coming tirade...
"Well, duh." Trixie was rolling her eyes, seemingly mildly insulted that the other pony hadn't realized she'd already figured it out. "To be frank I was afraid you were going to say like, a year or something. Six months is easy." Octavia stared at Trixie and she snickered. "Come on Octavia. my entire job is selling the audience a lie. You need to do the proper workup and groundwork to get them to believe it! It'd be like... Uh... Octavia? Why're you staring at me like that?"
Octavia was grinning gently as she stared at the other mare. "Oh... Just... I'm flattered."
Trixie tilted her head to the side "Uh-huh?"
Octavia smiled a little wider. "Well, you could be putting in the bare minimum of effort to get by, but you have thought up issues ahead of time to make it just work better. Thank you, Trixie."
Trixie coughed awkwardly into her hoof and decided that maybe it was time for her to go. "Uh... Well, if we want this business venture to work we need to both cover all our bases, don't we?" She started to head over to the door. "I have plans with Starlight Is should be getting to."
Octavia shook her head to clear it and nodded in agreement. "Right! Right!" Octavia walked her to the door. "I will see you tomorrow, Trixie."
Trixie nodded and glanced back over her shoulder. "Starlight's kind of my best friend... Can I tell her yet? If I keep her sworn to secrecy?"
Octavia nodded, she was certain Starlight wouldn't spill the beans. "Certainly. Just remember, it's secret." Octavia shut the door, smiling as she turned away.