My master was dead...
Such a pity too, I worked a better part of ten years with him, so nice and respectful. But I guess old age finally caught up with him. I will miss him greatly.
But before I continue this tale, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Alistair, and I am a butler. The most common question I seem to get is how in the name of Celestia did I end up as one. It's really straightforward actually, I always enjoyed managing households and serving others, my calling to be a butler came to me the moment my cutie mark told me so.
After I earned my mark I immediately left for Trottingham and became a student at the most highly rated and prestigious school for butlers, maids and other domestic staff. Always had high grades and graduated after two years near the top of my class.
But what they do not tell you is that finding an available job can be difficult since most butlers serve their employers for long periods of time, usually until the family loose the house or the butler himself dies, which ever came first. So you can say job turnover was seriously low.
Luckily, within a year I was finally hired, although as a hall colt, the lowest ranking male domestic worker at one of the mansions owned by Prince Blueblood and his parents. I was fifteen at the time and most of my duties involved cleaning the bedrooms and bathrooms of the higher ranked domestic workers, polishing boots, or any other chore the other workers refused to do.
But despite the hard work and less than meager wage, I managed to quickly go up the ranks and within four years became an official butler and served the family to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, the family worked us to near slavery so I staged a strike against them for better living conditions. We were, predictably, fired.
So once again I was unemployed and homeless. But I was fortunate to finally get hired by another employer, the master I mentioned working the next ten years for. He was very kind, but very lonely, on most days it was just me and him alone in either his house or observatory in his backyard. My favorite task I did for him was helping him catalog every astronomical object in the sky.
They days in the observatory grew less frequent as aging started to take a toll on him. In fact, I was the only pony by his bedside when he finally breathed his last. I will never forget these last ten years.
But who am I kidding? I'm 29 years old, one of the best butlers in all of Equestria and I still have a good fifty years left in me before I get too old to do my duties, so there's plenty of time left for me.
Six months after my previous master's death, I finally managed to find another job posting; a very rich family in the small town of Ponyville just had their previous butler retire and are looking for one, preferably a younger one to keep up with any and all duties required. This was my chance!
I arrived in Ponyville by train, it was a pretty nice, friendly and quaint town, I managed to find my employer's home without a problem.
I happily knocked on the front door and to my surprise it was answered by Mr. Rich himself.
"I am here for the butler position, the name is Alistair, pleasure to meet you." I politely greeted as I walked in and took off my coat and hat.
"Oh good, we've been looking for one since the old one retired, the name is Filthy Rich, you can call me Rich, Filthy or F.R. if you like." he introduced to me. "Anyways, follow me into my study and we can talk more."
"Certainly." I nodded as I followed Mr. Rich to his study.
"So, what happened to the old butler again Mr. Rich?" I asked as I sat down in a chair in his study, I see Mr. Rich go over to his mini-bar to make a cocktail.
"Randolph? Oh, he won the lottery and is now off vacationing in the Prench riviera." he answered. "He looked unusually excited to be leaving though." he walked over to me and gave me and cocktail.
"Oh...I don't drink." I politely declined.
"Suit yourself." he immediately chugged his cocktail down.
"So, who else lives and works with you here?"
"Some part-time domestic workers from beyond Equestria's southern border, but none of them live here. The only ponies who live full time in this home are me and my daughter, Diamond Tiara."
"How old is she?" I ask.
"Nine years old, earned her cutie mark in jewelry last year, I'm so proud of her." he mused. I immediately sensed that he probably spoiled her only daughter rotten. "Anyways, you can start first thing tomorrow morning, there's a binder in your new room that should give you the schedule, rules and meals me and my daughter love."
"And what are my duties specifically Mr. Rich?"
"To do whatever me and my daughter tell you to do and keep the daytime domestic workers in line." he instructed to me.
"And what is my pay?"
"40 bits a week."
Not bad of a pay if I say so myself. "You got yourself a deal." little did I knew, but I was going to regret saying those words. This is where everything went downhill.
"Daddy! I'm home!" yelled a small filly, it was most likely Mr. Rich's daughter Diamond Tiara.
"I'm down here in my study sweetie!" yelled Mr. Rich back.
Suddenly, a small filly busted through the study door and tackle-hugged her father. "How was school today?" laughed the father.
"Boring as usual...but at least I didn't cause trouble this time." explained the pink filly with the tasteless and gaudy tiara on her head. She turned to see me. "Daddy...who is he?"
"Oh...that's going to be Randolph's replacement for the butler position." the father explained. "Go and greet him."
"You're a little young to be a butler." Diamond Tiara said to me, who walked circles around me.
"Butlers come in all ages Miss Tiara, but I can assure you, I am one of the best butlers in Equestria and I have the credentials to prove it."
"Whatever..." Diamond Tiara kissed her father's cheek and trotted out of the room with her snout in the air, acting snobbish and egotistical.
I was going to enjoy my time with this family. Wish me luck.