Flash stretched his wings and did his best to stifle his yawn. “Man, won’t this shift ever end?”
His fellow guard glared at him and whispered through his teeth, “Dude, shut up! We’re on duty!”
Flash spared his partner a momentary, indifferent glance. “Burner, lighten up dude. At least you haven’t had to work two shifts back-to-back today.” Flash sighed to himself as, yet again, his mind’s eye replayed the events of earlier in the day…
~~~
Flash sat outside the staff entrance to the castle and waited for Dewdrop to check in for her shift. Hearing somepony call his name, he turned around; before he could say a word, a blue crystal unicorn wrapped her hooves around him and gave him a big hug. “Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! I’m so excited about going to the Crystal Canter for dinner tonight! You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this all week, Flash!” she said while she squeezed him in a tight embrace.
Flash squinted his eyes and clenched his teeth when he heard those words. “Uhm… yeah, actually, I need to talk to you about that…” Dewdrop pulled away from the embrace and as she did her smile faltered. Flash’s ears were pinned back as he continued to look away from her.
“Flash… what’s wrong?”
“I…” Flash fidgeted his hooves as he tried to form words, but none would come out. Dewdrop’s smile continued to falter as she watched him struggle to speak. “I have to cancel tonight,” he said in the meekest of tones.
Dewdrop let go of Flash and took a step back, her eyes wide and her ears laid flat. “What?! Again! But… why, Flash?”
Flash sighed heavily. “Shining Armor stuck me with yet another back to back shift. His excuse this time was that we’re short-staffed due to Hearts And Hooves Day, and I got picked.”
“But… the Crystal Canter! That reservation required a deposit! Didn’t you tell him that?” Dewdrop said as tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.
“I did, but it didn’t change anything.” Flash looked back to Dewdrop and did his best to smile. “Look, I’ll make this up to you! I promise!”
Her ears were still wilted as she rubbed her hoof over her foreleg. Dewdrop continued to look away from him as she said, “Flash… I… I have to go.”
Flash’s smile faltered. “Dewdrop?”
Dewdrop took a few steps forward and wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. She choked back tears as best as she could, but some of them escaped onto his shoulder. A pit began to grow in his stomach as she quietly sobbed. Flash closed his eyes and nuzzled his head into her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dewdrop. I really am.” She pulled away from the hug and trotted into the building, never once looking back.
~~~
Flash was snapped out of his reverie when his ears picked up the faint sounds of hoofsteps echoing through the corridor. *Somepony’s approaching the Royal Bedchambers in the dead of night?* Flash thought to himself. “Burner, are we expecting staff this evening?”
Burner shook his head. “Not for another ten minutes.” He took a few steps back. “Check it,” he said as he assumed a defensive stance.
Flash snapped to attention and took a few steps forward, tensing up and unfurling his wings, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice if need be. As he cleared the archway, the tension drained from his body, replaced with relief. “It’s just a maid.” Both ponies let out a sigh and fell back into their respective positions.
The crystal unicorn approached the two stallions and gave a sly smile. “Hi boys!” she said cheerfully.
Flash nodded at the maid. “Evening, Ma’am.” He didn’t make eye contact, but when he caught a glimpse of her cutie mark, his eyes went wide. “Wait, Dewdrop?!” he exclaimed, taking a startled step back.
Dewdrop set the tray she carried with her magic down and smirked mischievously at him. “Well, well… if it isn’t my date, the one who ditched me to take another shift just to impress–” Dewdrop’s theatrics were cut off when Flash’s eyes widened and he started waving his hooves around frantically.
“No no no no! I had no choice, I-Hmph!?” Dewdrop had ran up to him and quickly placed her hoof on his muzzle.
“Shh! Flash, calm down! I’m kidding, alright?” Flash’s ears wilted; he blushed from embarrassment and nodded.
Dewdrop sighed and removed her hoof from his mouth. “But what about this morning?” Flash asked in a muffled tone.
Dewdrop looked at the ground for a moment. “Flash, I’m sorry about this morning. I was really looking forward to finally having a proper date with you this evening. So when you canceled again I just–” Dewdrop was cut short by an annoying sound that came from behind her.
Burner couldn’t help but snicker at the two fumbling ponies in front of him. “You two are hilarious! Seriously, has Flash even taken you on a date yet?” Both Flash and Dewdrop turned to glare at him for a moment before Flash turned back to Dewdrop with a questioning look.
“Wait… what are you even doing here? And why are you wearing that outfit?” Flash blushed as he looked over Dewdrop’s new outfit, doing his best to not stare at her plot.
“You like it? I didn’t have to wear one of these uniforms, but I wanted to surprise you. And I thought you might like how I looked in one.” She gave Flash a slow twirl as she let him gawk at her in her maid uniform. Giggling at the sight of a broken Flash, she lightly brushed her tail against his nose to snap him out of his trance. It was only partially effective. “As for why I’m here, after you told me that you had to work this shift, I talked to my supervisor and made arrangements to work a shift that lined up with yours. It turns out they needed a high-level caster this evening, and they were pretty short-staffed to begin with.”
“Ah… that makes… sense…” Flash said with a warm smile, still lost in the moment as he gazed upon her.
She rolled her eyes a little and smiled. “Anyway, I was hoping we could still do something together tonight, even though Hearts And Hooves Day is basically over and I know it’s too late to go to the Crystal Canter. So, if it’s alright with you, I was thinking we could go to the Oak and Barrel after our shifts are over?”
Flash smiled warmly at her. “I would like that.”
“Count me in too!” Burner said with a wide smile from over Flash’s shoulder. Flash just glared at him as Dewdrop giggled at his expression.
“Excellent! I thought you two might say that, so I brought something to help you stay up tonight.” She winked at Flash as she levitated a cup of coffee over to Burner, who took it with his magic, and a cup of tea over to Flash, who gripped it with his hooves. “I know you don’t like coffee, Flash, so I thought you would like this special tea I’ve been working on instead."
“Thank you, Dewdrop, you’re too kind.” The tea was a nice warm temperature that didn’t scald Flash's lips when he drank it. The pleasant sensations of the tea quickly faded when Flash’s senses were overpowered by a harsh blend of spices followed by a repulsive citrus aftertaste. Flash glanced back at Dewdrop, who smiled at him while she watched him drink.
Flash decided the best course of action was a swift end to this torture by tea, so he downed the rest of the cup in one gulp. Dewdrop’s smile faltered when she saw Flash gulp down the tea. “Flash, is everything–” Dewdrop was interrupted as Flash set the cup down and spoke.
“T-Thank you! That was d-delicious!” Flash did his best to hide the discomfort in his voice as he overcame the battle of sensations that went on in his mouth.
“Oh, okay. Well thank you, Flash! I put a lot of effort into that tea so I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said in a very sincere voice.
Flash cleared his throat before he spoke, “It was fantastic, Dewdrop. Thank you very much for sharing it with me,” he said in the warmest tone he could while he fought the tea’s terrible aftertaste. “We’ll be getting off work here in a few minutes after a shift change.”
“Me too, I just need to deliver these last two cups of tea to the Princess and I’m done for the evening!” Dewdrop said with a little bit more energy in her voice than she had before. “Just put the cups off to the side and I’ll have Cherry pick them up after my shift. Catch you boys later!” She flicked the very tip of her tail gently against Flash’s nose, which made the stallion jump slightly in surprise.
Burner glanced over at Flash as the chamber doors closed. “You know, if you’re not taking her home tonight, I will.”
Flash furrowed his brow and enunciated every word cleary to make his discontent known: “Say one more word and I swear to the Moon, I will buck you into next week.”
Burner smiled slyly at Flash. “Word.”
~~~
Dewdrop closed the doors of the Royal Suite with her magic, taking care not to slam them. The foyer was larger than most houses, and opened onto several rooms decorated in different styles. Scanning the room, she noticed the flickering of a fire that came from one of the studies. She cleared her throat to make her presence known. “Princess, I’ve brought your evening tea as requested.”
Princess Cadance closed the book she was reading and stood up. “Ah, Dewdrop, please come in,” she said in a very warm and inviting voice.
Dewdrop nodded and walked into the study where the royal couple casually spent their evening. She gently placed the tray on a nearby coffee table and smiled back at Cadance.
“Thank you my dear, your services this evening in preparing this delightful tea are most welcome.” Dewdrop glanced over to Shining Armor, who looked more tense than he should for this hour of night.
“You may take your leave now,” said Cadance in the warm tone she used to address all of her subjects.
Dewdrop shifted her hooves in place. “Um… Milady?”
Cadance paused and looked at Dewdrop. “Yes, Dewdrop?”
“I was wondering, Your Highness… you had me brew and prepare this tea for most of today. With all the effort that went into it, why did you instruct me to discard the rest of the batch after I prepared only two cups? I just don’t understand.”
Cadance said nothing and took a step closer to the maid. *Has she taken some for herself?* Cadance wondered.
Dewdrop’s ears wilted ever so slightly as Cadance approached. “Y–You told me this morning that this tea had special sensual properties that stimulated and aroused the senses.” said Dewdrop in an inquisitive tone.
“Yes, I did say that. It is a very special tea that I enjoy on very special occasions. It’s extremely soothing, causing those who drink it to experience heightened sensations in a very sensual way. And if taken with the right company,” Cadance glanced at her husband, “it makes for the most breathtaking of evenings. Truly a night to remember for the rest of your life.”
“Yes Milady, that’s why I just don’t understand why you would instruct me to throw out all but two cups’ worth instead of sharing it with others?”
Cadance was taken aback. “I suppose that is a fair question. Let me just say that this tea is not for everyone.” She tilted her head ever so slightly. “You did dispose of the extra tea, did you not?”
Dewdrop’s voice shook slightly as she answered. “Yes, Princess. I disposed of the extra. I did not take any for myself.” She had told the truth, mostly. She took some for her special somepony—well, soon to be special somepony—but none for herself.
Princess Cadance did her best to hide her smirk. “I know a lie when I see one. I think you’ll soon discover first-hoof what this tea really does.”
A thought crossed Dewdrop’s mind that made her tense up; her eyes betrayed her uneasiness. “There isn’t anything,” she swallowed nervously, “harmful about the tea, is there, Your Highness?” She suddenly felt afraid for Flash’s well-being.
“Relax, my dear. The tea isn’t harmful. Let’s just say this tea makes some social interactions a bit awkward when your senses are so aroused.” Dewdrop sighed in relief, but noticed Shining Armor flinch out of the corner of her eye. Cadance raised an eyebrow. “Now I know you drank some.” She smiled secretively. “Thank you very much for preparing this for us, my little pony. You may leave now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Dewdrop raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have a shift tomorrow, Your Highness.”
“Oh, my mistake.” Cadance smiled ever so slightly. “Have a good evening, then.”
“T-Thank you Your Highness,” Dewdrop said hesitantly as she left the room. *What was that about?*
Cadance’s smile only grew as she waited for the doors to close before turning to her husband. Shining Armor lowered the papers that obscured his frown. “Are you sure it was a wise idea, not telling her what the tea actually does?”
Cadance smirked as she brought a hoof up to her chest. “My dear husband, are you insinuating that I lied to her?” she asked theatrically.
Shining Armor set the papers down and settled deeper into his cushion. “No, dear. What you told her was the truth, but it wasn’t the whole truth. If she has a lover, things could get awkward fast.”
“Oh, Shiny, you worry too much. In an hour’s time she’ll be in bed fast asleep.” Shining Armor still continued to frown despite his wife’s reassurances. Cadance rolled her eyes and brought a hoof to her forehead. ”Ugh… Shiny! She worked an extra shift on Hearts And Hooves Day. Couples don’t do that!”
“She might go out tonight…”
“Shiny, stop! She’ll be fine! It’s just a little lesson in following directions and I doubt anything bad will come of it. Tomorrow morning I’ll tell the staff we have a new employee and insist she is to see me immediately upon arrival. Then when she’s here I’ll trigger the reversal spell and everything will be back to normal.” Cadance picked up her cup of tea with her magic and brought the cup to her lips, drinking deeply from the cup and savoring every last drop of the magical brew. “Mmm… I do enjoy the taste of this tea… but that’s not why we drink it, isn’t that right Shiny?” As she set the empty cup back on the tray, Cadance watched Shining Armor stare at his cup, almost as though he was afraid to indulge in the beverage.
Cadance walked slowly up to her husband and licked her lips. “Shiny, what troubles you?” She slid next to him and pressed her body against his as she nuzzled up to him. She gently placed her cheek next to his and pressed her nose up to his ear, which caused it to twitch and spasm from her breath. Cadance could see her husband’s cheeks flush, and a shiver ran down his spine as she slowly teased his ear with just the tip of her tongue. She smiled, realising the torment she was inflicting upon her husband. “Now drink up, Shiny, and I promise I’ll make the next hour worth your while.”
The cup shook in his magic as he stared at it. “And after that…?” he asked sheepishly.
“Oh…” She nuzzled into his neck and smiled. “Let’s just say the first few hours won’t be as pleasant as the next. But that’s what the gag’s for.”
Shining Armor looked at the tea and gulped. “You’re never going to let me live that night down, are you?”
Cadance slipped her hoof around Shining Armor’s jaw and pulled him into a deep and sensual kiss. Shining Armor’s thoughts clouded as Cadance held him in a passionate embrace. She slowly pulled away from him as she tugged on his lower lip with her teeth for just a moment. When she broke the kiss, she smiled and gazed into her husband’s eyes. “Nope.”