//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10: The Household 
// Story: Rosa 
// by awf 
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It had happened too fast. No, really. Rosa had barely slept what felt like a few minutes after her going away party on Sunday and suddenly it was Monday morning and she was getting out of the car at the Boone Manor. It was the only title that sounded appropriate. The house was a big, decorated, and imposing affair in terracotta and stone, with what looked like miles of hedges and flowerbeds.

It was two storeys tall and the few glimpses she could catch through the windows showed her the lavish decoration inside. Rosa almost felt like she was dreaming. It was a wealthy and classy place, where the decor and architecture alone inspired awe. It was lucky for her to get to live there for a while!

Instructor Martha opened the door for Rosa and the mare jumped down from the seat. She took a quick glance in the shiny metal of the car door to make sure she looked presentable. Mane was still fine, tail nice and combed, fur almost sparkling clean.

It would do nicely.

While Rosa examined herself from nose to hooves, the Instructor opened the trunk and pulled out her bags. She didn't have much stuff, but all of it was in there. Mainly a mane brush, a coat brush, a tooth brush and a few pieces of cloth she owned. A scarf and a coat for cold, wet weather and a special umbrella wide enough to cover Rosa and which she could hold in her mouth.

Practical stuff.

There was also the simple make-up kit Martha had gotten her and what was left of her perfume bottle.

"Zere. All set?" the woman asked as she laid the bags over Rosa's back.

"Mhm!" She gave the woman a quick hug around her legs. "Thank you!"

Martha ruffled her mane, but Rosa didn't mind. Most humans found a bit of a ruffle more cute than perfectly combed. "Just remember all zat you learned and you will be fine. Now come on, let's get you introduced."

The pony followed her Instructor to the front door, where Martha pressed a button on the wall. A deep, rich-sounding bell played, just once.

Even the doorbell was classy!

It wasn't long before a balding man came to open. Rosa was wondering if the Boones had a butler, but Martha shook his hand and greeted, confirming the man's identity.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Boone. I have brought ze pony."

The man looked Rosa over and stepped aside so they could enter. "Good. May I invite you for a cup of coffee, Mrs?" He left the unspoken question hanging in the air.

"Agnesha. Zank you, but I should be going. I still have some classes to teach today."

"Of course," Mr. Boone said with a nod. "Come on then, let's get you settled."

That last part was meant for Rosa and the mare scurried inside. She was not sure if she should offer to shake his hand or not, but Martha saved the moment again.

"You already know young Rosa. Please call me if she is any trouble, okay?"

Rosa's ears flopped down, but the man laughed at the good-natured joke. "I'm sure Rosa will do an exemplary job, won't you?"

"Of course, Mr. Boone," she hastily assured him.

The Instructor gave Rosa's new Master a card with her details, then said goodbye and left. Rosa imagined she felt her last scratch of her ears lingering for a while. She looked up at the man.

Luckily he knew how the situation should go. "This way. I'll show you where you'll sleep." He started walking and Rosa gratefully followed. Something to do made the situation a lot less awkward.

She still didn't like the silence, so she cleared her throat and tried to lessen it. "I u-understand I'll help out with chores around the house and with the children, sir?"

She was watching carefully and Mr. Boone nodded in approval at her initiative. "Yes. Nothing difficult, but I'll expect certain standards of behaviour from you. Benjamin is twelve, so he does most of the things for himself, but I will expect you to watch him despite that, understand?"

"Yes, sir. I'm looking forward to helping out."

Again the barest hint of a nod, before the man continued. "Then there's Lillian. I'm hoping you will get her to engage more. She's too quiet. We hardly know what she's thinking, most of the time."

By this time they had reached the top of the stairs and Rosa looked around curiously. The hallway had a purple carpet on the floor and a couple of cupboards at the end. On one side was a railing, which overlooked the living room below and on the other there were a series of doors. She wondered if one of them was hers.

Suddenly Rosa realized that she had been silent and Mr. Boone was waiting. "Oh! Of course. Most ponies are very good with children, Mr. Boone. I've had special training."

"Good. Now for some ground rules," the man continued smoothly and started walking again. "Number one: the safety of my children is far more important than yours, do you understand?"

Rosa gulped, but forced a nod. It was no different than what Instructor Martha had always taught her ponies, but she didn't expect a client to say it that bluntly.

Still, he had every right to be concerned, of course.

"Fully, sir. You can trust me with their care," she said meekly.

"Second, you are to do everything I or my wife tell you, without question or delay."

That one was also reasonable. When someone got a pony to help out, they had to be sure they could trust her to follow instructions. It was a little strange Boone didn't include his children in the list of people who could give Rosa orders, though.

"Yes. W-What about the children?"

For the first time, Mr. Boone smiled approvingly. "Nicely spotted. The answer to that is rather complicated. I want you to humor Benjamin and Lillian as much as you can, but use your common sense. If you're not sure, come to me or their mother, okay?"

"Fully understood, sir."

They had reached the last door and the man pushed it open. Rosa craned her head around the frame to peer curiously inside.

"One last thing," Boone said.

It was a luxurious room, at least compared to the School. The bed was a bit high, since it was no doubt made for a human, but the mattress looked a lot thicker than the ones in Rosa's dorm, even compared to Iskra's.

There was a lot of pristine, white furniture around - wardrobes, dressers, a writing desk, bedside table. Rosa looked down and noted with relief that at least the carpet was the same dark purple as in the hall. It would have been tricky if it was white. Humans could take their shoes off, but she didn't have that luxury with hooves, and every trace of dirt would have been instantly visible.

The bedclothes were, once again, white, but that was okay. Rosa looked around for a bathroom, but there was no door out of her room except to the hallway. She could ask about that later, though.

All those things paled in comparison when her eyes landed on the window. She couldn't stifle a small gasp of shock. It covered almost the entire wall! At the top there was a bit of a frame, but at the bottom it reached all the way to the floor.

Rosa wondered if it could open at all, but she couldn't see a handle or any hinges. Even if it didn't, the view was more than worth it! The window overlooked the back yard which seemed very green and inviting. There were a few clumps of trees with reclining chairs under them. There was a small, tiled roof with a barbecue pit under it. Strangely, there was no pool, but that was alright.

There were so many flowers, though. Either Mr. Boone or his wife must really enjoy gardening, Rosa decided. It had taken her a few seconds to take it all in, and Boone was already standing in the room and waiting for her to join him. The mare quickly scurried inside.

"Shut the door, please."

It sounded ominous, but Rosa was so happy with what she was seeing that she hardly noticed. She nudged the door with a hoof and it silently closed.

"Now, this is a very delicate matter and I will expect the utmost discretion from you, understand?

Her ears folded down and Rosa swallowed again. It sounded scary, but she steeled her resolve and nodded. "I promise, sir."

"Benjamin is at that... sensitive age for a boy. Lillian is younger, so it's even even more important with her, if you understand."

Rosa didn't but she hoped she would pick up more clues as he continued talking, so she just bobbed her head.

Mr. Boone opened a wardrobe and brought out a hanger with a small dress. Rosa tried to picture it in her head and suddenly realized it was shaped for a pony.

"You will wear this at all times, understand?" The man laid the cloth over the bed and Rosa looked it over. It was a maid's uniform, all black and white. The sleeves were lacy and there was a pattern of frills on the hem.

There were even black hoofguards! Rosa wondered how much it had cost, since all pony clothes she had seen so far were utilitarian, and this was a beautiful one! Another item landed on the pile.

White panties.

She looked up at Boone in confusion.

"At all times. You will cover yourself, do you understand? This is a polite house and I will not have my children exposed to any smut."

Rosa suddenly understood. A memory of Martin flashed into her mind and she couldn't help but blush. At least Mr. Boone was strictly against that sort of thing and Rosa was very grateful for that. True, wearing clothes all the time was going to feel strange, but she'd get used to it.

"Of course, sir. I completely understand."

He pulled out something else and laid it beside the maid uniform. It looked like a towel, except it was shaped like a coat.

"You can use this when you have to shower. The bathroom is two doors down. And-" He added yet another thing to the pile. This time it was something thin and silk and almost translucent.

"Pajamas. You are to sleep in them. Got all that?"

Rosa wondered why Boone was so strict. No other human she had ever known had commented on the ponies' nakedness. The ponies themselves hardly even noticed it, since it was just how they were. Ponies had fur to keep them warm and tails to keep them modest, after all.

On the other hand, it was his house, so Rosa guessed she would simply have to abide by his rules. If those were the worst demands he could make, then she should have no problems living there.

"Yes, Mr. Boone. I will follow your instructions to the letter," she vowed.

That earned her another approving nod. "Good. Make sure you don't expose my little girl to any... smut, and we will all get along very well."

She slid the pajamas aside and examined the panties. There was a hole deftly sewn into the back, a place for her tail to poke through. That was good. Rosa had been starting to worry just how uncomfortable it would be to have it bunched up against her rump all the time.

"Can I meet the children?"

"Soon. They are at school and will be returning after lunch. I suggest you get dressed and then familiarize yourself with the house. I have to go back to work, so you will be on your own for a while."

Rosa didn't mind that. It would give her a chance to explore a little and memorize the layout of the house in peace. "Is there anything I should do?"

"You can sweep the living room floor," Mr. Boone said with definite approval in his voice. "The brooms are in a closet downstairs - I don't doubt you'll find them."

She inclined her head and focused her attention on the dress again. A thought struck her. "Um, may I ask, sir, what if the dress doesn't fit?"

The man looked blank for a moment, but then shrugged. "I asked the school for your measurements and then had a tailor put it together. If it's not right, tell me and I will take you to get it altered."

It appeared as if the man had been really determined to get exactly her, and no other pony. That, and he had been very confident his request would be met. Obviously Mr. Boone had a lot of pull at the School.

"Thank you, Mr. Boone," Rosa said and inclined her head. "I will get dressed now."

For some reason, it would feel incredibly weird and uncomfortable if he was in the room to watch it, even though Rosa was currently wearing nothing except her saddlebags.

Strange how quickly she had started thinking about modesty after Mr. Boone had told her. Maybe he was right? Perhaps walking around with nothing on was very rude out in the world?

She wondered why no one at the School had ever mentioned it, though. Or maybe it was something for the final year. They couldn't expect fillies and colts to understand human sensibilities right away. Possibly, the teachers were just waiting until she had turned into a proper and polite young mare before telling her all the nuances of socially acceptable behaviour among humans. A mystery to ponder for another time, or maybe something to ask Martha in her letter.

Rosa's gaze strayed to the writing desk. She could see a cup with pencils and she had no doubt Mr. Boone would let her have some paper to write her friends, if she asked politely. Despite the confusion about the dress, it was still going to be a wonderful and exciting time for her!

Oh! Hopefully Mr. Boone or his wife would agree to take a photo of her in her maid's uniform, so she could show her roommates back at the School. Just imagining the look on Valentina's face made Rosa smile.

With the man gone, she carefully wiped her hooves on the carpet, then jumped up on the bed. She sank nearly to her ankles, then waded her way closer to the window. Yes, with a large garden like that, she was bound to have a nice time. Rosa could almost imagine curling up under one of those trees with a good book on a summer afternoon.

After she had done all her chores, of course!

Oh! And maybe with little Lillian leaning against her. She would read to her, Rosa decided. Some of her favourite stories. She clapped her hooves together and barely suppressed a squeal of excitement. She couldn't wait to meet the children!





Rosa ended up sweeping most of the downstairs, simply because she had nothing better to do and she already had the broom in her hooves anyway. It was weird to try and hold it with her fancy shoes, and the handle kept snagging on the uniform. The sooner she got used to it, the better, though. She tried to pay it no mind, other than pushing it out of the way every now and then.

On the other hand, the house was amazing and Rosa kept finding new wonders! She'd thought there was no pool? Wrong! It just wasn't visible from her room. On the side of the house there was a bit of overhanging roof with a pool under it, open to the outside. There were grooves along the floor and Rosa wondered if the walls could somehow be removed and then put back. That would be totally amazing.

Swimming in the pool and looking out at winter? The mere thought made her giddy with excitement. Too bad there was still the spring, the summer and the autumn to wait before she could give that a try. Oh, and she would also need permission from Mr. Boone. Maybe if she was a good worker...

Then there was the huge fireplace in the living room. Unused at this time of year, of course, but Rosa just couldn't wait for those long, cozy winter evenings, sitting around it and idly watching the big TV, or reading. The floor was mostly stone, which might be a little cold, but with the fire roaring all day Rosa thought it should warm up nicely. Anyway, she could get a blanket or something to lie on. There was a couple of big, comfy-looking couches under the huge, wall-covering TV, but but she would prefer to be near the fire simply because she had never had a chance to do that before. The kitchen, again done in dark marble, seemed to have all the modern conveniences without shoving all the appliances in her face. Rosa had carefully opened a few cupboards and found the fridge and the dishwasher, cleverly built into the counter itself. Other than the spacious living room, she also found a garage, which was empty at the moment, but spacious enough for two cars, at least if she was any judge. Once the mare was done with the sweeping, she put the broom and dustpan back where she found them and wandered upstairs to take a look around there, too. Unlike the bare stone tiles of the lower floor, most of the rooms upstairs had deep, soft carpets. She easily identified the children's rooms, as well as the master bedroom. There were two bathrooms, apparently so the family members didn't have to wait on one another. That was about it, except for another guest room. Everything seemed nice and clean, with the only real bit of clutter in young Benjamin's room. For a moment Rosa considered tidying up, but since Mr. Boone hadn't said anything about that, she thought it wiser not to disturb things. The layout of the place was pretty straightforward, so she didn't need more time to explore. Instead, she headed out to inspect the outside.

A sliding door from the living room led to the pool and the backyard. The first thing Rosa noticed was an almost overpowering smell of chlorine and she took a moment to scent it more closely. Until now, she had only smelled a bit here and there after the cleaning ponies were done with the bathrooms in the School dorms. The sharp tang of it made her sneeze and she turned away from the pool and headed properly outside. The air wasn't quite as warm as she'd like yet, but it was very pleasant in the sun and Rosa happily trotted around to take in all the sights. She really had to remember to tell the Mistress how nice her flowers were! She was just in the process of sniffing a yellow chrysanthemum when Rosa heard a car stop on the other side of the house. She smiled to herself and made her hasty way past the pool and back inside. There were voices as the people disembarked and the mare cast a quick glance down at herself to make sure her dress was straight and her shoes were clean. Of course she had been careful not to step in any mud, but she wanted to make extra sure.

Rosa waited in the middle of the living room for her new family to enter. Mr. Boone opened the front door, looking around and then giving her a slight smile when he spotted her. He ushered in the daughter, first.

It was probably love at first sight, Rosa thought. The child, a pale, fair-haired little girl stared at the pony in wonder. Rosa smiled extra sweetly, but remained still, so as not to startle her. Mr. Boone had said she was shy.

"Go on, sweetie," the man urged his daughter forward. "Say hello to the pony."

That woke her up and the little miss walked over, staring at Rosa. The mare couldn't help but admire her blue dress. She didn't know much about fashion, but it looked expensive and suited her quite well.

The training kicked in and Rosa sat on her haunches and inclined her head, just like she had been taught. Ears splayed a little for that extra welcoming pony look.

"Hello, young miss! My name is 'Rosa'!"

The girl mouthed the unfamiliar word to herself, then graced Rosa with a slight smile.

"Bah, what a stupid name!" a boy complained as he pushed past his father. Rosa guessed it was Benjamin. As humans went, he wasn't too remarkable. A little pudgy, with slightly messy, dark hair and wearing a sports jacket with blue jeans. He also had a thin, silver phone in his hand.

"Benjamin," his father said with a note of warning in his voice. The boy just shrugged, lifted his phone back to his face and calmly walked upstairs, apparently quite disinterested at the newest member of the household.

Mr. Boone was looking after his son with a very dark expression. Rosa had to defuse the situation before there was a row! She didn't want shouting in the first five minutes she got to spend with those kids!

"Ahem. Excuse me, Mr. Boone. I've swept the entire downstairs and I've familiarized myself with the house. Is there anything further you'd like me to do?"

The man blinked and forgot his rude son for the moment. "Oh. That- that's good," he mumbled. "Just stay with Lillian while I go change..." After that he walked up the stairs and turned toward the master bedroom to Rosa's immense relief. She had been worried for a bit he might go after the boy and scold him.

Meanwhile, the girl, Lillian, was looking at the mare with barely disguised wonder in her eyes.

"What is your name?" Rosa rallied, quickly bringing her smile back.

The way she blushed and looked modestly down was utterly adorable. "Ll'an," she mumbled, not remembering that her father had said it not ten seconds ago.

"Such a pretty name. And my, what a beautiful dress you have, Lillian!"

Her blush deepened, which just made Rosa smile some more. She shuffled closer to the girl and brought her muzzle near her hand. As she had predicted, Lillian laid her palm on Rosa's nose almost without conscious control. She didn't say anything, but her delighted stare spoke volumes. The child might have been shy and quiet, but she was not uncommunicative. One just had to know how to listen.

"I'll be staying with you for a while. Would you like that? A nice pony to talk to?"

This time the girl nodded and even flashed Rosa a small smile.

Victory!

Rosa already adored her ward and she swore to herself she would make her the happiest little girl in the world! For a while the mare was content to let Lillian pet her muzzle and mane, before she lifted her head and let the hand slide away.

"Let me take that heavy backpack from you and get you up to your room, okay?" Rosa offered.

The girl wasn't sure, but Rosa stepped beside her and with gentle urging Lillian slipped the backpack free of its straps. It wasn't a heavy pack, despite her words, and Rosa balanced it easily on her back. Lillian didn't move, so Rosa tried a different tact.

"Would you like to show me your room? I'd very much like to meet your plushy friends, you know?" She had seen the row of colorful cloth animals on Lillian's bed, but even if she hadn't that would have been a nearly certain guess.

Another nod and this time the young miss started walking. Rosa followed her easily, making sure Lillian could comfortably keep her hand on her withers. At the top of the stairs she looked both ways, but Mr. Boone was in the master bedroom, undoubtedly changing out of his work clothes, and Benjamin also seemed to have closed his door.

Lillian led the mare to her room where Rosa slipped the backpack on the chair by the desk.

The girl climbed up on her bed, but Rosa noticed she was careful to keep her shoes off the sheets. Very commendable! She reached for a bright blue teddy with a yellow muzzle and a black dot for a nose. Rosa was starting to think that blue was her favourite color.

"Um, this is, um, Mr. Fuzzbot," the girl said quietly. She had a very soft voice, one Rosa found very easy to listen to and which reminded her very much of Felicity. That just made her smile wider as she booped the toy's nose with her own.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Fuzzbot!" Rosa giggled at the unusual name.

The girl seemed comfortable just sitting there, holding on to the familiar plush and keeping her shoes well away from the bed.

"Oh, let me help you with that, sweetie." Rosa slipped down and deftly tugged Lillian's shoes off. By now she was good enough even with her black maid hoofguards. The girl didn't seem to mind and she smiled a little at the gesture.

Yes, Rosa thought to herself, they were going to get along famously.

Hearing a noise from the door, the mare looked up to see Mr. Boone watching them carefully. She kept her wide smile. "Hello. We were just getting introduced," Rosa explained.

The man gave her a single, approving nod, then spoke up: "Jennifer will be home in about an hour. Have both children down for lunch, okay?"

"Of course, Mr. Boone," Rosa said and inclined her head.

He left the mare to take care of Lillian and stepped out of the room. Rosa wondered if he was going to cook lunch, or maybe he was paying someone to do it. There hadn't been anyone in the house while she had been cleaning, but maybe the cook only came to prepare the meals and didn't stick around?

Whatever the case, she returned her focus to the little girl. "Oh, tell me about that one!" Rosa pointed a hoof at another stuffed toy - a pink rabbit, it looked like.

Obediently, Lillian reached for it so she could make the introductions.

At some point Rosa would have to go clear the air with Benjamin, but for now the little girl needed a lot of attention and encouragement.