//------------------------------//
// The Dutchess and the Princess 
// Story: The Magic Lamp 
// by Silver Butcher 
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Cozy found herself sitting on a throne elevated above a large room with a staircase on either side leading up to her. The room was large and had no windows or doors in her line of sight. Sitting at the bottom was a very angry Chrysalis, who had a shackle around her neck.
"You tried to make a run for it," Cozy noted when she saw the shackle, Chrysalis didn't say anything and opted to not look at Cozy "Unfortunately for you by agreeing to work for me you've sighed a magical contract, so until I release you you're stuck in my service,"
"I hate you," Chrysalis responded "I'll find a way out, and when I do..."
"I'll have Spike turn you to stone," Cozy bluffed casually, "Now then on to more important matters, Spike I wish for you to send three of your duplicates to slow down the members of Starswirls team who have yet to arrive for as long as you can, Pweety Pweese"
"Llama, Breezie, and Kirin you're up," Dragon Spike decided, The three alternate Spikes instantly ceased to exist in the room, off to do their task.
"Spike I wish for Chrysalises magic to be sealed until I saw otherwise Pweety Pweese,"
"Can do," Changling Spike confirmed with a casual salute.
"Alright, you three follow me. try your best to get comfortably Chrysalis, but not too comfy since your trapped her with no way out," Cozy got up and walked towards Chrysalis in silence.
"What that's it?" Chrysalis demanded, "you Free me, then you enslave me, and now you send me to my room without supper?"
"Not gonna lie," Cozy said, lying her ass off as she spoke to Chrysalis "The Genie may have jumped the gun of freeing you, by like a month or so, not even sure I need you yet, so just sit around and get comfy, your basically plan c, and plan A is still going strong,"
Chrysalis was about to retort when a magic chain forced her mouth shut, she gave muffled protests as the chains around her limps moved her like a puppet and made her walk away.
"I have a lot to do, so go hang out in your room, if you get hungry or thirsty the Changling Spike will get you something to nibble on, see you later. I wish to be in my Room Peety Pweese," Cozy and her three remaining Spikes dissipated out of the small room while Chrysalis marched unwillingly to a lavish room situated directly beneath the throne, snuffly placed between the staircases.



Cozy appeared in the room she slept in as the Dutchess with Changling, Dragon, and Diamond Dog Spike all standing around her, Cozy pressed on her nose and became the Dutchess once again, with the three Spikes taking on their glamors.
"Alright, Diamond Dog with me, Changling creep around and be a slight jerk, Dragon go to the kitchen and complain about being an amphibian trapped in the desert," Spike mumbled something as he snapped and disappeared, Changling casually opened the Window and walked down the outside wall to begin spying on random members of The Duchesses staff and spread gossip.
The Dutchess and Diamond Dog walked causally out of the room and barely made it down the hall before Flurry heart turned the Corner and slid to a halt.
"Why hello again," The Dutchess said in a casual tone of voice "How goes your hunt for that convict?"
"Oh, not too good," Flurry replied casually "We found her, but she made it rain, and now..."
"Oh wonderful," The Dutchess cut in with a smile as she looked out the window, her plan slowly beginning to fall into place "I'd make an announcement about the drought coming to an end but I'm sure all the townsfolk have noticed," Flurry looked out the window and saw a fair amount of celebration as Horses of different shapes and sized all held out different kinds of containers to catch the rain in. 
"How long have you been in a drought?" Flurry asked with as casual of a tone as she could pull off.
"Nearly a month now, quit the predicament, since we're so deep in the desert, The town has managed thanks to the reserves, but they were beginning to get dangerously low, we had two weeks left at best," The Dutchess chuckled before adding "Maybe don't tell the town your convict made it rain, I understand your hear to capture them, but I'm a politician so if the masses want her to stay I'll have to grant her amnesty in order to avoid problems in the future, assassins are surprisingly cheap when you hire them to go after some creature they don't personally like so I'd prefer to stay on everyone's good side,"
"It's a tad too late for that," Flurry heart groaned "My Dad went around telling everyone Cozy caused the storm and not to attempt to teleport, What more if he attempts to leave your town limits he'll destroy your wind barrier,"
"He'll do what!?" The Dutchess demanded "Well you tell him that barrier requires a lot of alchemy, magic, and thousands of coins to craft, It's Sandstorm season, and believe me when I tell you they can last upwards of weeks without the barrier,"
"Don't worry, he won't leave unless he's forced to," Flurry assured her "Once we catch Cozy we can use...what she used to curse him to uncurse him," The Dutchess took note of Flurry's care to not mention Spike and made sure to remember it to see if it could be used for anything later.
"Well, you best tell him if he does break it he better run his ass all the way back to Equestria, Saddle Arabians are not all too forgiving when faced with the threat of Sandstorms,"
"I'll make sure to tell him," Flurry assured her "But for the time being I've been tasted with guarding you personally.
"This is working well," The Dutchess decided before saying aloud "very well, I lack any real power to stop you, either way, so follow if you must, if you need anything my Dog will happily fetch it for you," Flurry looked back at the Dimond dog and she quickly spoke up.
"I don't have a name," She informed her "And I don't want one so please don't try to name me, you ponies all come up with the most demening names," Flurry pursued the matter no further and walked alongside the Dutchess and Dimond Dog as they headed to the judgment room to prepare for the day's trials.
"So...do you have a name or..."
"Dutchess will do," The Dutchess replied simply "Names are a formality, and I'd rather not get too attached, I doubt you'll be returning once you catch your prisoner,"
"Hey, I could come back," Flurry replied with a huff "I can go wherever I want to if I feel like taking a vacation,"