The stagecoach jerked once again and Krystal quietly moaned from pain as the tight dress she wore tightened for a second. She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the pain and annoyance.
It was her most favorite dress: light blue corset with flowing, green skirt, and a light blue collar. She loved the composition of colors it created for her, but, just as usual, her mother had laced the corset too tight. The poor girl could barely breathe in this thing.
Mother and father were in the front cabin of the stagecoach, thankfully, so Krystal wrapped the highest lace with her magic and untied it. She felt heavenly pleasure when the air touched her fur, refreshing her and making her shudder a bit. She should tie it back up when they arrived; if anypony noticed her like that, they would think of her as a young harlot.
“Get ready, ma fille, we're almost there!” her mother, the beautiful mare with light green mane and grey coat, Celene, said, mixing Unicornian words weirdly between her speech as did many Imperial nobles. Unicornian was widely considered a noble language and was commonly used at galas, among nobles, and royalty. She looked serious for a moment, but then smiled warmly.
"How are you doing, Krystal? Is the dress not too tight?" Krystal nodded thereto, smiling.
"I'm fine, maman. It's a bit hot here, that's all," she replied and Celene returned to her place and resumed talking with Lazarus, Krystal's father. They were surely having a conversation about the upcoming event — whom they should meet, and whom to avoid. If it were Krystal's decision, they wouldn't have gone at all.
Krystal turned to the window and looked outside. It was already night, the sun was gone from the sky, and the streets were empty, lit by occasional lamps. Small drops of water formed on the window and Krystal used them as toys, magically forming figures.
The stagecoach stopped in front of a large manor. Noise and laughter could be heard whence they stood and Krystal sighed heavily; at last, they had arrived. She couldn't stand being in the stagecoach anymore, she felt like a fruit in the bag.
Two servants approached the stagecoach and opened the door first for Celene, second for Lazarus, then for Krystal. When the girl stepped outside, she felt such relief to finally breathe in the cold night air.
"I swear if I forgot my brooch, I'll eat my hat!" Lazarus grumbled as he inspected the deepest pocket of his black coat for his favorite golden brooch. After finally finding it, he smiled and levitated it onto the side of his front pocket. "Perfect!"
He fixed his fancy hat and swiped the little dust off his black moustache, then glanced at his family: his beautiful wife and blindingly beautiful daughter.
"Be very polite, we are guests in this house after all. That goes double for you, Krystal," he noted and looked at the girl with a little bit of scorn. "Please, this time, don't overdo."
"Sorry, father," Krystal replied, looking down. Her father was hinting at the last time they went to such a party and the incident that happened during the occasion…
Lazarus lead the charge with Celene walking right beside him, trying to stick as close as she could, and Krystal walking slowly behind them. She wasn't too eager to attend this party; she found the company of nobles a boring one, especially after hooking up with Sombra. With all his downsides and strange behavior, he was the only pony like this she ever had known, and she loved him therefore. Though, he certainly wouldn't enjoy these parties either and would probably flip some tables and shout obscenities after hearing how much rules he had to follow.
She looked at the exterior of the mansion; it looked far too expensive. If the owner spent even more money, you could just replace the walls with solid gold; this kind of rare wood you could only buy if you had somepony as a relative in the very palace. Lazarus was amazed at such a sight as was his wife. Krystal only sneered.
Hopefully, the food would be just as expensive and fancy as the house.
As the massive doors opened before them, Krystal was greeted by blinding light and warm, almost hot air. There were dozens of ponies at the party, all laughing, talking and drinking, some already having fondled the bottle a bit too much. Krystal's father looked around and breathed in.
"Here we are," he drawled, enjoying the smell of a perfect banquet. "Let's set our priorities first: we're here to enjoy the evening, and also find a few of our old friends — your relatives, by the way, Krystal."
Krystal sighed, clearly showing her displeasure. She hated meeting with her relatives — her uncles and aunts, mother's cousins and others. They all spoke too loud and always wanted to touch Krystal, pat her cheeks, or fondle her mane, which was infuriating. She was a grown up girl and they went around like she were a newborn filly!
"Lazarus? Lazarus, ye dirty ol' bastard!" a loud basso with eastern Crystallian accent pierced Krystal's eardrums when a huge pony, wearing a fancy coat and a monocle, sporting a sleek black mane and lovely green coat, hugged her father. Lazarus could barely hold his balance.
"Arkh... alright, Celiph, I'm glad to see you too, friend!" he uttered, patting his cousin on the back. "I see you are doing well?"
"More than that!" Celiph replied and pulled away from Lazarus. He wanted to say something else, but then he noticed Krystal.
"Oh my! ‘s that Krystal? That's really Krystal! Holy smokes, she's grown so much!" the big pony exclaimed, quickly approaching the girl and patting her cheeks the instant he was in reach. He was quite warm and smelled of alcohol.
"Y- yes... Bonsoir..." Krystal replied with a traditional noble greeting and moved a bit from him.
"Ye taught her well, Lazarus! And her clothes are just perfect! She'll be the shtar of this party, no doubt about that!" he spoke to Lazarus who nodded with polite smile.
"I am pleased to hear that."
"Hey Krystal, d’ye want to meet my son? I'm sure ye'll be great friends!" Celiph said, pointing towards one of the big tables where a sickly looking stallion with grey mane and coat was sitting and peacefully eating cupcakes.
"Excusez-moi, but I have some… other matters to attend to... Père, may I be excused for now?" Krystal asked whereto her father nodded. With grace, she left the increasing circle of ponies, which all wanted to speak to Lazarus, and went to the wine table.
Her father meant exactly that when he told her not to overdo it. Krystal had a little weakness: wine, especially western spiced one. Whenever she and her family visited a party, she would not miss a chance to take a sip of the delicious treat.
Last time, she took just a little too many sips and the whole next day she had to spend in bed with horrible headaches and nausea. Her mother had been too embarrassed to let Krystal be treated against the truly low-class condition called intoxication. Krystal would still blush when looking at her mother, for she could guess what she had had to endure.
"Just a few sips. Nothing more," she whispered to herself and approached the table whereupon dozens of bottles filled with delicious, red wine stood. The smell of rare and expensive spices hit her nostrils and she smiled, levitating a glass towards herself.
After grabbing a random bottle and filling her glass, she took a few small sips and sighed with pleasure. How long had it been since that dreadful incident — two weeks? She missed the wine more than any other drink in the world. As she drank, she felt renewed and refreshed, the stale air of this house feeling much lighter and easier to breathe now.
"I'm sorry, missus, do you mind if I stand here?" Krystal heard a high pitched voice and turned around. She was faced with a thin pony with a nice hat and necktie. He smiled, looking at her with his unsteady eyes, blushing.
"No, no, I don't mind. Go ahead," Krystal replied and resumed drinking. Suddenly, she was approached by another pony that was much older than the one who had approached her first.
"You are Lady Krystal, I presume?" he said. "I've heard a lot about you from your father and would like to introduce you to..."
Krystal didn't listen any further after that. She knew what was going on: courtiers, the bane of her existence.
Ever since she had turned fifteen, her father had been searching for a perfect groom for her. He spoke to his many friends, and now they, like conquerors attacking a castle, tried to woo her with their sons. But each time, these offsprings were either complete losers or worse.
Besides, why did she need any other colt in the world when she had Sombra? Krystal sighed dreamily and poured herself some more wine. At times, when the stallion of her dreams would visit her mind, he would never leave. Just like now, even after she had emptied the third glass, she could not stop thinking about him.
It was a cursed circle, really. As a lady, she wasn't supposed to actively love like this; that was how commoners loved. Instead, she was supposed to be unreachable, an unattainable prize, a collector of each stallions' hearts. But she couldn't stand trying any tricks on Sombra. He was like an open book, so trusting, so pure, so active. Even now, when he had this attitude of his, he was still the same Sombra she had met all these years ago.
She could see it clearly. When left alone with her, he would change completely, showing just how much he loved her. So young, so in love, how could she ever play any tricks on him?
Because of that, because she had tasted how sweet love should be, these courtiers started to annoy her greatly. Instead of inviting her to a fair or theater, they sent forth their moms and dads while they themselves were just pointing at her figure and whimpered, ‘me want that!’
It was strange how a commoner could be worthy of a greater love than a noble.
"No, I am sorry, I am not in the mood right now," Krystal interrupted the speaker, grabbed a bottle of wine with her magic and moved to another table. She just wanted to drink in peace.
"Krystal, wait!" she heard a voice and could barely hold back all the insults when she saw an elderly mare who was being accompanied by some colt her age.
She quickly dashed upstairs, wishing to lose her unwanted groom. She just hoped there wouldn't be any of these upstairs. Sometimes, she despised her father because of his eagerness to find her a stallion. Shouldn't she have some freedom of choice?
After a short walk, Krystal reached the balcony and closed the doors behind her. She was immediately wrapped in cold air, making her shudder. She quickly warmed herself with another sip of the delicious wine.
She looked at the sky and enjoyed the pleasant view of endless stars and clouds as well as a huge disk of moon. She was often baffled by the beauty of the night sky, taking long walks under the white cowl of the moon. At times, she dreamed of taking a night walk with Sombra so he could behold such beauty for himself.
They spent quite a lot of time together recently, though, Krystal was greatly worried about his way of life. He had become more aggressive lately, even dangerously so. Though around her, he was just as amiable as ever. Krystal enjoyed resting her head on his side, knowing that she had somepony who could protect her. She also just enjoyed being next to him as close as possible.
She took another small sip of wine and thought for a second. Mayhap they could get even closer. Maybe she should invite him over for a romantic dinner! Though, the difficult part was her parents; they would never approve of her relationship. They wouldn't even listen.
It was horrible to think that she and Sombra were forever stuck in this endless circle of dates. They were nice, of course, but Krystal wanted more.
She noticed that her glass was empty and wanted to pour herself some more wine, only to find out that the bottle was empty as well.
"Urgh, merde!" she cussed, realizing that she would have to go back to that hall filled with 'potential grooms'. Suddenly,a dark grey hoof, holding a bottle of wine, appeared from behind her, moved to her glass and filled it with the crimson drink.
"My, my, what an unpleasant sight a lady, all alone, and without a drink is," a soft, suave voice pronounced. Krystal turned around and saw a moderately aged pony, with very attractive face. His mane was dark grey and his coat was purple, enhanced by a nice coat he was wearing.
"Umm... thank you," Krystal said and the stranger bowed before her.
"It was not that difficult, my lady. I just poured you a drink," he said, approaching her. "Do you mind if I accompany you here? It's not a good sign — drinking alone. You have to have company therefor."
"Oh... alright... I suppose you may stay," Krystal replied whereupon the stranger quickly approached the fencing of the balcony and inhaled the cold night air.
"It's beautiful... simply gorgeous," he said. "Oh, forgive my rudeness. My name is Matvey," he bowed before Krystal once again, holding his hoof under his heart, a sign of respect towards a mare. "May I ask your name?"
"Krystal... It's Krystal," she replied, extending her hoof forwards, expecting him to kiss it. This was how their community worked; this was what she was supposed to do, and, just as she had expected, he gracefully kissed it.
"A beautiful name, indeed," he said and looked at her with a smile. "You may think of me as a rude pony, but please, answer me, why is such a beautiful mare drinking alone on the balcony, looking so sad and lonely?"
"Umm... It's nothing... I just... got tired of the stale air. Wanted to refresh myself," Krystal lied, a bit surprised by such interest from Matvey's side. It wasn't every day an adult stallion would approach her at such banquets. Though being in a company of such a grown up made her feel a little bit... uncomfortable.
"Oh, that's understandable. I can relate thereto," Matvey nodded. "Though the fact that you are alone... ‘tis a shame, really; was nopony bright enough to approach you yet? I won't be lying when I say that you look..." he suddenly touched Krystal's cheek with his hoof.
"Stunning!"
"Umm... this is getting a bit uncomfortable, actually," she replied. "I'm just not looking for company at the moment..."
"Yes, I would presume so, but excuse my ignorance; you fooled me with the way you dress. I thought you were definitely looking for company," he interrupted her and pointed at her chest.
Krystal just now noticed that she forgot to tie the lace on her dress. Her cheeks assumed a bright red shading.
“I’m… sorry,” she said, desperately trying to tie the lace with magic, but her worry and irritation prevent her from concentrating.
“Oh, please, let me help you,” Matvey spoke calmly. Krystal was surprised at first; he was no unicorn, how could he help? The answer should have been left unknown.
Matvey leaned towards Krystal and grabbed the lace with his teeth. His nose was buried in her soft fur, prompting a quiet squeak from Krystal. For her, that was too close for comfort, and for him, it was like he just buried his face in cotton candy.
“Jusht a little mowr,” he uttered, slowly moving his muzzle, this time rubbing his cheek against her chest. Krystal backed away, freeing her lace from his grasp.
"I think I need to go. Now!" Krystal hastily excused herself, thinking that this meeting just took a wrong turn. But before she could even move, Matvey grabbed her from behind and pressed her hard against his chest, sniffing her mane.
"Aaah....whaaa..." Krystal exclaimed in shock, her soul slowly filling with fear.
"I didn't want to mention it... but out of all your suitors... might you consider me as a possible groom?" he asked. "I just find your perfume just too addicting to let go."
Krystal screamed and he finally let her go. She quickly stormed out of the balcony and proceeded downstairs. Some ponies approached her, some mares, some stallions, but she ignored all of them, concerned only with running away, with getting out of here as fast as she could.
She had finally met face to face with one of the sickest traditions of Crystal Empire's nobility, which persisted since times long forgotten; taking a mare's virginity among male nobility was considered a great honor. That way, he could earn much respect, and to the parents', their child's innocence was the greatest of treasures. So giving it away for free would be a waste.
Krystal didn't want to think of the day when she might share a bed with a stallion, but she couldn't stomach an idea of doing it with a full adult whom she barely knew.
"I'll wait for you outside! I think I might be sick," she said to her parents and left the building, making her way to the stagecoaches. She didn't know how long she'd have to wait, nor did she care. She just wanted to be away from all of them.
Matvey approached Lazarus, almost completely unnoticed, startling the aging diplomat.
"Verily, yours is a strange girl," he stated and Lazarus turned to him in surprise.
"Oh, Lord Matvey! I- Sorry, I didn't notice you," he greeted Lord Matvey, the distant relative of the Emperor Lux, and thus, a high authority. "You meant... Krystal, right?"
"Oh, yes, her. I have to stay: you have a very beautiful daughter," he noted with a sly smile, fondling the thought of the young girl being in his possession.
"Thank you... though, for what reason you are telling me this?"
"I had a chance to talk with her and," he inhaled, hoping that the aroma of her mane still persisted. "I think I'm quite fond of her. You might expect to see some of my servants to your house, Lazarus. I would like to organize the Match Off".
"Oh-oh! Yes, yes, we are certainly ready," Lazarus replied, looking around. Celene hadn't heard him, thankfully. She would have bashed his brains out if she heard even a word.
"Very good. Keep the girl just as beautiful and clean and you might get a share of bread, Lazarus," Matvey half threatened, half promised and then proudly walked away. Lazarus almost jumped from joy — finally, a perfect suitor! Rich, attractive, but most importantly, with connections in high places!