It had been quite a while since Umbra had sat in that manner since they had transported her to the vibrant and cheery country of ponies. They perched her more as a two-legged creature with her legs dangling and her back resting against the comfortable chair behind her. The gem stallion had his hooves deep in her mane and was producing a great deal of tinkling and shaking. "What is even going on up there?"
"I'm not the expert," admitted the stallion. "But this is just a trial run, and the more practice I get, the closer I get to doing it. You get to learn what it's like, and how long it takes." He resumed working busily in Umbra's mane. "You will look fantastic! The royal headdress is a sight to see! A living symbol of the royal's sway over the crystal empire itself." He sighed with fond memories of it even as he worked to bring it into life. "Unfortunately, it isn't a quick thing. Even our most trained ponies can't do it quickly, just dazzlingly."
"Uh huh..." Umbra raised her eyes and felt silly. Like most salons, there were mirrors, a lot of them. An entire wall of them, meaning she just has to look into it to see all the jewels being woven into her mane. "Woah..." She wasn't just wearing jewelry, she was basically becoming the jewel, with each one woven in one at a time into her mane under the busy work of that stallion. "That looks... like a lot of work."
"It is." With a bustle, he got the next gem into place and wove it carefully. "Worth it, for our special ponies to look right. Especially... compared to our last... leader... That..."
"Jerk?"
"Good word for it. That jerk didn't even know romance." He moved to get a jewel in from a new angle. "I thought I'd never get to help a royal wedding happen... And with two princesses! What luck! And not even just royal princesses, but proper alicorns on top of that. My mind feels like a storm." Which was reason enough for him to hasten his efforts. "This time won't count. You're not being married today, of course... But we both need the practice, ma'am."
"Right..." She reached up to one of the lower baubles in reach, tapping it. "But my part is mostly just... sitting here."
"And being still." He went right on to the next one. "And, I think you'll already say that this is a skill, and not one a pony is born with, ma'am. If you'd like something to read, I'll call somepony over to fetch something for you."
That was a chastisement, and Umbra got it with a sigh. "Right right... Hm... Send them over, please." She could get a magazine at least, to pass the time with.
"I have a few questions." Pinkie pronked around Umbra with unlimited energy. "Just a few, promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep." Umbra smiled at Pinkie's antics, more amused than irritated at the pink earth pony. "What's the first one?"
"Okay!" She landed next to Umbra. "I heard you weren't always a pony, which is kinda cool... What were you?"
Umbra angled an ear. "I didn't... expect that to be the question. Will that help you plan the wedding?"
"Duh! I want it to be great for all of you." She giggled and pranced in place, even as she walked. "Which means I'd love to get something from your home if I can. So, tell me about it!"
Umbra thought back there, to her past life. "It had its ups and its downs... I miss some of it, but I like this world a lot." She was thinking it through even as she said it. "When you take 'the big things' into view, it's hardly a contest. I'm allowed to be me here."
"Allowed to be me." Pinkie wrote this down with a pencil held in her mane on a notepad she hadn't been wielding a moment before. "Got it. So what's 'me' and why couldn't you be that before?"
"I'm a lady." Umbra shook herself out. "But they didn't agree, and were really grumpy about it."
"The worst." Pinkie made a new note diligently. "So, girly stuff, you got it! But what speaks of home, besides girly stuff, or just girly stuff? Nothing wrong with girly stuff. I'm not a super girly girl myself, but I have my moments." She giggled, thinking back on her past and her girlier moments. "I don't think anypony is all girl or all guy all the time, except maybe Rarity? But even she's had a time or two..."
Umbra had met the fancy mare before. "She is pretty girly... Girlier than me," admitted Umbra, thinking on it. "But I did spend like almost all day the other day just having my mane done."
"Wow, you're in the running," barely got out Pinkie between the giggles. "Seriously though, she does that for fun. You aren't outgirling Rarity. It's her thing." She hopped over Umbra to the other side. "Back to home! Tell me some good parts about it."
"We had a lot of... gadgets. I'm not even sure if ponies have those." She struggled to describe it, but realized she had magic. She fashioned a cellphone with her shadow magic, twirling it in the air as it went from app to app, showing off its powers, ending with a Youtube™️ video playing showing a pony bonking another pony with a cheap laugh track playing behind it. "We had a gizmo for almost every use. Cooking, cleaning, being bored, trying to relax." She shaped an air fryer and a portable dishwasher. She showed a human playing a video-game intentently and another laying on a bed with a music playing nearby from another phone.
Pinkie clapped wildly at the whole thing. "Neatarooni! We have some of those, but not all of those. You're like.... at least a generation ahead of us." She rubbed her chin with her eyes cast forward past the normal line of things. "Yep, a generation. I can't make all of that... But I can get the best gizmos ponies got! Cadance gave me a budget." She leaned in, brows wagging with meaning. "And I can use it."
Umbra threw one arm around Pinkie, squeezing her. "You are a lovely pony, just so you know."
"Aw! I do my best." She bounced within the grip of Umbra, as if that arm couldn't entirely still her. "Okay! Gizmos. Anything else, or will girly gizmos be enough?"
"That's already more than I planned for..." Umbra clucked her tongue against her teeth. "Nothing else immediately comes to mind. I'm here, in the pony world, and I plan to do things the pony way. I'm still learning how to do my part in this wedding. Speaking of that, where's--" Oh, there he was, Cheese right in front of them, smiling widely. "--crazy timing." She released Pinkie. "Time for more lessons?"
"You know it!" He nodded to Pinkie. "I got it from here. Good luck with the shopping."
"All over it!" Pinkie bounced away to get started on her supply gathering.
Umbra flopped against her bed. "Today was... very busy."
"Would you like a snack, ma'am?" Her maid stood stoically, ready to serve. "You look fatigued."
"Very." Umbra rolled onto her side. "I think I want a fizzy drink."
"Right away, ma'am." She trotted out and returned at the same light jog to bring the bubbling bottle to Umbra's reach. "Still preparing for the wedding, ma'am?"
"That reminds me." Umbra took the bottle in her magic and her hooves, capturing it between both hooves. "When the wedding's done, you'll be mine too, right?"
"That is correct, ma'am." She smiled, a mild gesture. "I already know we get along, ma'am. There should be little day to day change." But, like that, she was reminded of things. "Unless you move in with Shining Armor and Cadance. In that case, I am likely to be reassigned. They have enough personal waitstaff to see to your needs, ma'am. I would be extra."
Umbra sipped at the fizzing soda, enjoying the tingling sting of the sweet beverage. "But I like you." She thought over things. "But it'd... be a little odd to be married and living in seperate rooms. Hm." Umbra tapped at her soft bedding. "Mmm... Well, let's start here; do you like working for me?"
"You are a most agreeable assignment, ma'am." She dipped her head low. "But I suppose that's not fair. If I could even consider saying otherwise, I'd be a low quality maid."
"True..." It was her job to be pleasant. "Still... you're not being fired from the castle either way. We're just discussing assignments inside the castle." She waved a hoof at the wide castle before returning to cradle her bottle. "So where do you want to work, in the castle?"
"The palace is a large place." Purple leaned forward. "But, where one to ask me..." Which one had done. "I enjoy working for the Shadowheart family. Forgive me, ma'am, but watching your... endeavors has..." She struggled for words. "I am being improper."
"Go on," Umbra noisily drew a good bit of her drink. "Mmm, you have good taste... Go on, really."
"You allow for too much, ma'am." Purple sat down slowly. "Ma'am... You have become something... of a serial novel for me. Watching your life unfold as a passive audience? It is captivating for me. I want to see where it leads. I am rooting for you, ma'am. I hope this hasn't insulted you."
Umbra inclined her head. "I'm... learning a lot recently... What is it you're wishing me hope against?"
"There are many, ma'am. I wish you hope with the tsuki. I wish you hope with your adopted daughter." She tapped with each thing as she went over them. "I wish you hope against the dread lord, Sombra--"
"--Jerk."
"--That one, ma'am. I wish you luck in your marriage, that you all have a wonderful and enduring connection. I have spoken enough... I hope that answers it all?"
"I have a fan... And one that doesn't gush about me on sight." Umbra floated the emptied bottle down. "Yep, I like you. I'll talk to Cadance. She probably hasn't developed a parasocial attachment to all her maids and butlers. She can send one of them off to somewhere in the castle."
"Parasubtle?" Purple Polish inclined her head. "What is that?"
"Fancy term from where I come from." Umbra frowned with thought. "Not even appropriate. You know people who see something in the newspaper or play and they act like they're a friend, but they're not? That person never met, and wouldn't even know who they were."
"Ah, yes... That can happen." Purple waved at Umbra. "But I do know you, ma'am. You know me. We have a connection aside of my admiration."
"Exactly why I changed my mind." She flopped on the bed. "Still, tired... I'll talk with Cadie and Shinie tomorrow." She rolled over onto her side and pulled up the blanket with her magic. "Thanks for being great."
Purple didn't reply, instead just being quiet until she was sure Umbra had faded away to sleep. She approached on quiet hooves, taking the discarded bottle in her mouth and walking from the room. She dropped it in the trash and clapped her hooves, pleased with her work. "She's far too distracted..."
Umbra had so much on her plate. Being another on that crowded list of things to do felt wrong, so Purple went to handle that herself. She went to the courtroom, but it was largely empty. Cadance had retired for the day, much as Umbra had done. "Hm." So Purple got a paper and a quill and wrote a letter instead. She informed Shining Armor of Umbra's wishes. "But we don't mean to impose. If this would be burdensome, I stand ready to serve wherever you wish me to be." She stamped a hoof and her mark on the paper and folded it neatly.
"This will have to do." She dropped it in a mailbox for Shining the following day.